--A catalogue from something called "The Big & Tall Store," with "sizes up to 10XL!" WTF? Whoever you are, I'll have you know that I lost close to 30 pounds this year and am back down to my high school weight.
--A catalogue from something called "The Woman Within." That's just weird.
--Something from some charity called "Heifer International."
I think maybe my mail is trying to tell me something, but damn if I can figure out what.
Woman Within used to be a great place to buy clothes if you're a woman of, shall we say, generous proportions. Actually designed for larger women, not just blown up versions of clothes designed for smaller women. Reasonably well made and a reasonable price. A significant percentage of my clothes are from that catalogue.
BUT a couple of years ago they were bought out by somebody. The quality is still reasonable though the prices have gone up. You may or may not get your clothes in a reasonable time frame (note: I do not consider 6 weeks a reasonable time frame). I was ordering three pairs of stretch leggings a few months ago. The shipping was more than the price of the leggings. So... looks like I am going to have to find another place to buy clothes that fit me and are reasonably priced.
One of the gifts that shows up in our family is a little ornament or even candy with a Heifer donation. I love them. My kids have been giving me Heifer gifts for mothers day for more the decade- the gift of another mother who can feed her kids.
So you can buy a cow, a flock of chickens, or a bee hive for a poor family. We usually print out the donation and then add it to small gift. Hmm. This year I think I will do bees and some honey wrapped with the gift.
I met the amazing Bri Blvck last night at Phil's Karaoke at the Blue Strawberry. I was blown away by her Crazy (Gnarls Barkley). She was in town on a tour date with El DeBarge. Couldn't quite get together on a duet before I bugged out.
Last night's first Thanksgiving leftovers meal - Turkey Pasty - went well. It was at someone else's apartment and not cooked by me.
Tonight I will be cooking, and to get in the mood, we all listened td to a recording of Maria Luisa Tetrazzini. Several wine glasses remained intact. Because tonight's Thanksgiving Palooza II: Leftovers Boogaloo is Turkey Tetrazzini. We make this dish every year as a San Francisco tradition, in honor of the great Italian opera singer who called San Francisco not only her favorite city in the world but also "my country." Her most famous performance was not in an opera house, but on the Market Street in San Francisco - take it away, Wikipedia:
"After some legal difficulties in New York that blocked her from performing, she held a press conference and declared, 'I will sing in San Francisco if I have to sing there in the streets, for I know the streets of San Francisco are free.' This line became famous. She won her legal case, and her agent announced she would sing in the streets of San Francisco. On a crystal clear Christmas Eve in 1910, at the corner of Market and Kearney near Lotta's Fountain, Tetrazzini climbed a stage platform in a sparkling white gown, surrounded by a throng of an estimated two to three hundred thousand San Franciscans, and serenaded the city she loved."
The origins of the recipe itself are unclear, though one leading contender for its birth is the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. And the original recipe itself is not known - it's not even clear whether turkey was involved at all at the start - and so there are a gazillion different versions of the dish.
This state of things means that we usually have to Frankenstein several recipes together to come up with our own animate version. But this year not only am I incorporating leftover Mac'n'Cheese from Thanksgiving dinner, but also I'm bringing into that Frankensteined formula the Chicken Tetrazzini recipe from Vincent and Mary Price's "A Treasury of Great Recipes," as it may be my favorite cookbook. That recipe uses two different cream sauces in addition to plain cream, so it is rich as all get out.
I'll report tomorrow unless I'm in a diabetic coma or having open-heart surgery.
I am reading a book about the Assyrians by Eckart Frahm, a scholar at Yale. One of the neat things about this ancient civilization is that it left a lot of written material on cuneiform tablets, including lengthy letters and a year-by-year chronology going back to the Middle Bronze Age (https://www.livius.org/articles/concept/limmu/limmu-list-middle-bronze-age/). Another interesting bit is that the Assyrians conquered the Aramaeans, and as was their habit, relocated a good part of the population. This spread the Aramaic language, and it became a lingua franca throughout a large part of the Middle East, eventually replacing Assyrian as the vernacular.
I'm currently reading about the Songhai empire. Previous weeks studies have included the Aztec empire, the Spanish empire, the Portuguese empire, the Mughal empire, and the Ottoman empire.
Next we're supposed to be covering the expansion of the British empire.
"Their men young and old I took prisoners. Of some I cut off their feet and hands; of others I cut off the ears noses and lips; of the young men's ears I made a heap; of the old men's heads I made a minaret. I exposed their heads as a trophy in front of their city. The male children and the female children I burned in flames; the city I destroyed, and consumed with fire."
Well shit. I wanted to peek at that game during breaks with OU-Mich, but my BTN channel is showing Indiana-Purdue, which I don't care even a little bit about. Get it together, BTN.
On Friday, Hubby suggested that he take half a sweet-potato pie to work as his lunch. This unhealthy nonsense was instantly quashed by me and the kitties.
OK, let's see what came in today's mail:
--A catalogue from something called "The Big & Tall Store," with "sizes up to 10XL!" WTF? Whoever you are, I'll have you know that I lost close to 30 pounds this year and am back down to my high school weight.
--A catalogue from something called "The Woman Within." That's just weird.
--Something from some charity called "Heifer International."
I think maybe my mail is trying to tell me something, but damn if I can figure out what.
Woman Within used to be a great place to buy clothes if you're a woman of, shall we say, generous proportions. Actually designed for larger women, not just blown up versions of clothes designed for smaller women. Reasonably well made and a reasonable price. A significant percentage of my clothes are from that catalogue.
BUT a couple of years ago they were bought out by somebody. The quality is still reasonable though the prices have gone up. You may or may not get your clothes in a reasonable time frame (note: I do not consider 6 weeks a reasonable time frame). I was ordering three pairs of stretch leggings a few months ago. The shipping was more than the price of the leggings. So... looks like I am going to have to find another place to buy clothes that fit me and are reasonably priced.
Wow! 30lbs is a lot. Congrats.
One of the gifts that shows up in our family is a little ornament or even candy with a Heifer donation. I love them. My kids have been giving me Heifer gifts for mothers day for more the decade- the gift of another mother who can feed her kids.
So you can buy a cow, a flock of chickens, or a bee hive for a poor family. We usually print out the donation and then add it to small gift. Hmm. This year I think I will do bees and some honey wrapped with the gift.
They are *relentless* about catalogues tho.
Heifer International is totally cool. If they're spamming you, it probably means you're a good person. Look them up.
Which reminds me of a t-shirt I saw once. "Inside This Body Is A Thin Woman Screaming To Get Out. I Ate Her."
Heifer International buys farm animals for people in poor countries.
https://www.heifer.org/index.html
This elephant has picked the wrong presidential candidate to win the last 3 elections. This time he picked Trump. But is he due? - the Upshot NYT
I'd love to sit down at the poker table with the guy who wrote that headline...
I met the amazing Bri Blvck last night at Phil's Karaoke at the Blue Strawberry. I was blown away by her Crazy (Gnarls Barkley). She was in town on a tour date with El DeBarge. Couldn't quite get together on a duet before I bugged out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiroVnfty68
Pease open a bar so I can visit. Thank you.
I spent Thanksgiving with COVID, isolated.
Hey, you had an excuse!
I was isolated for no reason.
Get better.
Hugs from at least a 6 foot distance.
Last night's first Thanksgiving leftovers meal - Turkey Pasty - went well. It was at someone else's apartment and not cooked by me.
Tonight I will be cooking, and to get in the mood, we all listened td to a recording of Maria Luisa Tetrazzini. Several wine glasses remained intact. Because tonight's Thanksgiving Palooza II: Leftovers Boogaloo is Turkey Tetrazzini. We make this dish every year as a San Francisco tradition, in honor of the great Italian opera singer who called San Francisco not only her favorite city in the world but also "my country." Her most famous performance was not in an opera house, but on the Market Street in San Francisco - take it away, Wikipedia:
"After some legal difficulties in New York that blocked her from performing, she held a press conference and declared, 'I will sing in San Francisco if I have to sing there in the streets, for I know the streets of San Francisco are free.' This line became famous. She won her legal case, and her agent announced she would sing in the streets of San Francisco. On a crystal clear Christmas Eve in 1910, at the corner of Market and Kearney near Lotta's Fountain, Tetrazzini climbed a stage platform in a sparkling white gown, surrounded by a throng of an estimated two to three hundred thousand San Franciscans, and serenaded the city she loved."
The origins of the recipe itself are unclear, though one leading contender for its birth is the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. And the original recipe itself is not known - it's not even clear whether turkey was involved at all at the start - and so there are a gazillion different versions of the dish.
This state of things means that we usually have to Frankenstein several recipes together to come up with our own animate version. But this year not only am I incorporating leftover Mac'n'Cheese from Thanksgiving dinner, but also I'm bringing into that Frankensteined formula the Chicken Tetrazzini recipe from Vincent and Mary Price's "A Treasury of Great Recipes," as it may be my favorite cookbook. That recipe uses two different cream sauces in addition to plain cream, so it is rich as all get out.
I'll report tomorrow unless I'm in a diabetic coma or having open-heart surgery.
New post up!
CNN breaking news - Unknown man seen running a red light in downtown Manhattan. Is this another terrorist attack? We are live on the scene.
Pigeon news:
Coo
Eggs @ 8:30
righto!
Young black girl missing in Detroit.
Share this article, help her be found.
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/11/25/detroit-police-want-help-finding-missing-13-year-old-girl/
Please may that beautiful still too little girl be found soon and safe.
Yes 'm
Ten minutes to my cheddar-sweet potato biscuit breakfast sandwich...
mmmmmmmmmmmm
Mmmm! How can make eet?
Hope Birb not disappointed--it's Mason Dixie frozen and it's better than any that you can buy (frozen, and better than a lot of others you can buy).
Ok yes
I am reading a book about the Assyrians by Eckart Frahm, a scholar at Yale. One of the neat things about this ancient civilization is that it left a lot of written material on cuneiform tablets, including lengthy letters and a year-by-year chronology going back to the Middle Bronze Age (https://www.livius.org/articles/concept/limmu/limmu-list-middle-bronze-age/). Another interesting bit is that the Assyrians conquered the Aramaeans, and as was their habit, relocated a good part of the population. This spread the Aramaic language, and it became a lingua franca throughout a large part of the Middle East, eventually replacing Assyrian as the vernacular.
I'm currently reading about the Songhai empire. Previous weeks studies have included the Aztec empire, the Spanish empire, the Portuguese empire, the Mughal empire, and the Ottoman empire.
Next we're supposed to be covering the expansion of the British empire.
Nasty nasty people.
"Their men young and old I took prisoners. Of some I cut off their feet and hands; of others I cut off the ears noses and lips; of the young men's ears I made a heap; of the old men's heads I made a minaret. I exposed their heads as a trophy in front of their city. The male children and the female children I burned in flames; the city I destroyed, and consumed with fire."
- Ashurnasirpal II
What is the capital of Assyria?
I am not telling you unless YOU tell ME what the heck a "cohort" is.
From the context, I suppose it's some sort of desert garment like a caftan.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43827/the-destruction-of-sennacherib
I'll tell you can tell me what is the speed of an unladen swallow.
African or European?
I don't know thattttt.........arrrARRRGGGHHHHHHHHhhhhhhh
Their original capital (and also the name of their principal god) was Ashur.
What is your favorite color?
Blue. No, yellow.
Boiiiinngggg!
Henlo all.
The very fun ski competition is on yr NBC channel right now.
Thamnk!
Go Mikaela.
Drummer Bev Bevan's birthday today, so here's some ELO: "Do Ya"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdR0SAnRqXw
This was a cover of a song by The Move that Bevan also played the drums on.
Todd Rundgren's Utopia did a credible job with it, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhFgpmqynP4
That is one of my all-time favorite albums.
When Canada sends their pigs, they are not sending their best...
https://apnews.com/article/wild-pigs-feral-swine-canada-minnesota-border-e59a542efb3c64d5f4b136fc137b7665
If one gets bitten by a radioactive spider, we are totally screwed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy3kmS5s9gs
Arm yourselves or submit to their rule! There is no middle ground.
So you're saying TFG was Canadian? Those bastards!
30-50 super hogs.
WHAR Capes?
I can hear the screams all the way from Columbus.
IYKYK
Pffftttt. The big game is in Champaign between Illinois and Northwestern.
Well shit. I wanted to peek at that game during breaks with OU-Mich, but my BTN channel is showing Indiana-Purdue, which I don't care even a little bit about. Get it together, BTN.
Be at 3:30 pm EST, noon-thirty out here.
I scream. You scream. The police come. It's awkward.
Zyxomma with panna cotta, isn't she lovely?
https://substack.com/profile/9505442-meccalopolis/note/c-44251343?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=5nqg2
You both are. All the love from Portland.
And to you from us.
Thanks! We all need as much love as we can get.
That panna cotta is almost as pretty as the lass who has prepared it.
I just LOVE Zyxomma's firefly tattoo!
Dragonfly per her nym ;)
Gorgeous!
On Friday, Hubby suggested that he take half a sweet-potato pie to work as his lunch. This unhealthy nonsense was instantly quashed by me and the kitties.
~shows up with giant mixing bowl of ice cream~
What'd I miss?
Democracy in action. He was outvoted
That's crazy. Sweet potato pie is great for breakfast.
It was the volume, rather than the substance, that concerned us.