Odysseys and Oddities

http://www.unshelved.com/2012-5-27

http://www.unshelved.com/2012-5-27/

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JoyfulAbode/~3/ojwJFFxcW90/

http://www.joyfulabode.com/?p=7481

My friend Amber texted me yesterday and said “I hope your birthday is amaze-balls.” It was pretty good but I MADE amaze-balls. I was going to make myself Joey’s Birth Day Cake, but I didn’t butter the pans well enough and the cakes stuck. So I threw the cake into the peanut butter frosting and mixed it up (in the stand mixer). Then I made it into balls and froze them. Once they were cold, they got the chocolate ganache treatment.

We enjoyed them tonight with vanilla bean ice cream and a spoonful of organic strawberry spread. Sooooo good. Amaze-balls.

So now I’m 28, and my blog is 5. My blog’s a kindergartener!

http://www.postsecret.com/2012/05/sunday-secrets_26.html

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail
in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.














See More Secrets. Follow PostSecret on Twitter.












































Amazon.com Widgets


-----Email-----
Dear Frank,

Last night, I attended your PostSecret Event at the University of Oregon. Not only was I blown away by you and everything you do and the secrets that others have shared with you, but I was blown away by the community I am lucky to be a part of.

For months, I have felt so alone here. Last night, I decided to share my secret at the microphone. Right after, I received a hug from the stranger behind me. Not a pity hug, I could feel that she really meant it. After the show, I was approached again a few times and received encouraging words from people I knew and also total strangers. When I returned to my dorm room, I was Facebook messaged by an acquaintance, and emailed by a girl whom I didn't know, but recognized me from a mutual class. It was all so touching, honestly.

Here I have been, in my dorm room for months thinking I'm the loneliest girl in the world, while I'm surrounded by this wonderful community of caring people. What I'm really trying to say is, thank you, Frank, for bringing me closer to my community. And GO DUCKS!


-----Email-----
Dear Frank,

I was one of the people that got up to share my secret recently at the Stockton PostSecret event.

I just wanted to share with you just how special it was for me.

I knew that if I could share my secret, the deepest one of all, that I would feel better. When it came time for members of the audience to share, I almost chickened out, I was shaking; I was terrified. I got the first few words out, but I was too overcome to make a single sentence.

And then a girl stood. She walked over, opened her arms, and hugged me. This total stranger, I felt, cared deeply for me. I had never seen her before, nor did I find her after you were finished. But she gave me the courage. Even now, I have goose bumps as well as a feeling of total elation.

It is things like this that give me hope for the future. If a room full of total strangers can band together and support and accept one another unconditionally, then I believe that we're moving in the right direction. PostSecret is so much more than a movement. I truly think that it is a revolution.

My son was diagnosed with a speech delay and sensory seeking behavior. He has lately placed out of speech and PT ( He is still in ST and PT at the moment but come the summer he will no longer need it ). My son has some anger issues. Anytime we ask him to do something ( ie clean his room, dinner time, pick something up, time for bed etc ) he will either kick or punch what ever is around him. Usually the wall. The other night when I told him that it was time for bed he decided to yell and scream at me and then punched me in the face. When I asked him why he does it his answer is "because". I have tried punishment, time outs, etc and nothing seems to work. Is this something that should be brought up to one of his therapists or is it normal? It seems like he only does this at home, I haven't heard anything from his teachers. Advice? I am at a total loss.

X-posted.

Words: 2264
Total words: 5764
Files: 3
Tea: White Orchard
Music: Three Double Concertos, arguably the best music of all time ever.
RSI: Forgot that line, didn't I? Well, reminded of it now.
Reason for stopping: end of chapter.

I'm two chapters in, and these people are five courses through a twelve course lunch? Seriously? Oh well, we've also had a lot of backstory. It'll work out.

Anybody know anything about ballet that they didn't get from Noel Streatfeild and Rumer Godden? Any recommendations for ballet blogs?

A major caveat before the link: While this image itself is SFW, most of the ones on the site are not--and for that matter, many of this artist' other pictures are also NSFW, so unless you're viewing at home, be careful following any links on the page.

That said, a lovely steampunk vixen: http://www.e621.net/post/show/216787/canine-female-fox-hat-kacey-scepter-solo-steampunk

Edit: Thanks to bladespark for pointing out that the original source of the picture is actually http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8054831/ , which is the link that should properly be used to view it--though the warning about the work-safeness of the artist's other artwork still stands, despite FA's use of adult-tags.

First, you people who recommended The Exotic Marigold Hotel film, two thumbs up! I went last night with some of my Jane Austen discussion group. We all loved it.

Tonight: Avengers with the family.

A juicy discussion of fanfiction and literature by alecaustin here.

http://www.unshelved.com/2012-5-26

http://www.unshelved.com/2012-5-26/

You need a 2 liter jug, a pyrex jug, a lemon squeezer, 2 big or 3 small lemons, 2 limes, 1 orange, a tray of ice, 2 oz of sugar, and lots of cold water. Takes 5-10 minutes.

Put the sugar in the pyrex jug. Boil the kettle. When the kettle boils, cover the sugar with boiling water, stir to dissolve. You don't need to make syrup or anything, but you want the sugar dissolved.

Meanwhile, put the tray of ice into the 2 liter jug. Squeeze the lemons, limes and orange in, getting out all the juice and pulp you can and avoiding adding the pips. Pour the dissolved sugar and water in. Top up with cold water. Shake or stir. Drink, with ice. It'll be cold enough. I used to refrigerate it for a while first, but then I had to make some in a hurry and it was just fine.

This is very refreshing and about as isotonic as you can get. I sometimes add mint or basil to the sugar in the boiling water when I have that growing outside. If it's too sweet, use less sugar next time. I figure this has about a teaspoon of sugar per glass.

The other thing you can do, right now while limes are nine for a dollar, is just squeeze half a lime into your glass of water and ice. Kids won't drink this, but it's good.

Poll #1842667 Poll: Cosplaying Violetta's Utility Corset/Belt
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 38

What kind of material do you think Violetta's Utility Corset/Belt is made from?t/Be

Working on cosplaying her for Worldcon this year, but I can't figure out what fabric to use for the utility corset/belt.  Any ideas/suggestions?  I want to make it as canon-accurate as possible, but it's kinda hard to tell....