"My mind sees that I am nothing, my heart sees that I am everything, between these two poles my life unfolds."

Sunday, October 31, 2010

I'm Back!

I'm supposed to be taking the weekend off from all my blogging....but I can't stop!!
Yesterday I watched a lot of movies: The Lost Boys, Signs, The Mothman Prophecies and bits and pieces of the Exorcist - one movie I still can't watch for long without changing the channel!

Here are a few of my favorites from childhood and two links to the best and worst halloween candy as rated in a poll this week.

The best - now they are 'Candy Sticks' - so not nearly as tasty! 
Wax lips - definitely one of my all-time faves
These are on the 'worst' list - but I loved them
The last ones to be eaten lol
How we adored the little cloth bag they came in
Wax sticks - the 'flavour' lasted a whole 3 seconds!
Pixy sticks
These are the bags I remember getting homemade popcorn in

Ah yes, and who could forget the dreaded apple?!

Happy Hauntings!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Happy Halloween

I hope everyone enjoyed the 'Extraordinary Seniors' theme this week. 
I would like to wrap up the week with a quote from Abraham Lincoln which I believe puts everything into perspective:  "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count.  It's the life in your years."

Hope you all have a Spooktacular weekend!


Friday, October 29, 2010

Vintage Halloween



These are so lovely, they were originally postcards.


In retail right now everything is 'owls'


My, people were so polite years ago!



Unbeelievable!


Bees' tiny brains beat computers, study finds

Bees can solve complex mathematical problems which keep computers busy for days, research has shown
Honeybees
Researchers found that bees could solve the 'travelling salesman's' shortest route problem, despite having a brain the size of a grass seed. Photograph: Rex Features

Bees can solve complex mathematical problems which keep computers busy for days, research has shown.
The insects learn to fly the shortest route between flowers discovered in random order, effectively solving the "travelling salesman problem" , said scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London.
The conundrum involves finding the shortest route that allows a travelling salesman to call at all the locations he has to visit. Computers solve the problem by comparing the length of all possible routes and choosing the one that is shortest.
Bees manage to reach the same solution using a brain the size of a grass seed.
Dr Nigel Raine, from Royal Holloway's school of biological sciences, said: "Foraging bees solve travelling salesman problems every day. They visit flowers at multiple locations and, because bees use lots of energy to fly, they find a route which keeps flying to a minimum."
Using computer-controlled artificial flowers to test bee behaviour, his wanted to know whether the insects would follow a simple route defined by the order in which they found the flowers, or look for the shortest route.
After exploring the location of the flowers, the bees quickly learned to fly the best route for saving time and energy.
The research, due to appear this week in the journal The American Naturalist, has implications for the human world. Modern living depends on networks such as traffic flows, internet information and business supply chains.
"Despite their tiny brains bees are capable of extraordinary feats of behaviour," said Raine. "We need to understand how they can solve the travelling salesman problem without a computer."

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Zsa Zsa Gabor: It probably crossed to get a better look at my legs, which, thank goodness, are good, dahling.

I found this hilarious book on Wednesday's trip to Goodwill.  I'm just going to post pics of the front and back covers as they speak volumes about this book.  (click on each for a closer look)

Happy Birthday Mom!

It's my Mom's 65th birthday today.  I don't consider her a 'senior' - she is so busy these days, she wonders how she ever found the time to hold down a job!  I think 65 is the new 50 and my mother certainly proves this theory true.  Here she is this past Thanksgiving, getting ready to dig into her dessert.



Have a wonderful day Mom & keep taking those vitamins, you need all the energy you can get - based on all the seniors I profiled over the last week, you still have books to write, paintings to create and marathons to run!  Maybe you should run for mayor?!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

It could happen to you


I may be 10 million dollars richer in the next few days and just want to assure everyone that I plan to keep up this blog should I win the lottery - even if I have to hire someone to do it!

I wouldn't normally think that I have even the remotest chance of winning, however this time I have an ace in my pocket.  I went out for supper with 4 of my girlfriends last night and it was revealed that one of us (I'll call her Kelsey) has taken to carrying a certain wishbone in her purse for good luck ever since she used it to scratch (& win) at Thanksgiving.  So we all decided to purchase tickets together for the 50 million draw on Friday.

I got to thinking overnight about all the rituals and good luck charms people use. Everything from fishermen who dip their nets 3 times, the wearing of lucky hats, athletes who wear the same socks or shirt for each game; Jennifer Aniston even admits to always entering airplanes with her right foot first and tapping the outside of the plane for luck.  The strangest one I found on the net was South African lottery players who have made vulture heads into lucky charms.  Whatever works I say!


That's why I don't think it was so strange that I suggested Kelsey ramp it up and add in 3 twirls while holding her wishbone in the air before she makes our purchase (3 heel taps would also work).  I hope that she considers this as we are all depending on her, including our waitress, who I in all the excitement promised $100,000 to!



You know you're Canadian:

If you design your Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit!

After the lovely rain I blogged about on Sunday, the next morning we woke up to snow!  I had been expecting it to melt by now, but it's still there...  We are supposed to warm up over the next few days, hopefully it will, as Halloween is coming.



By the way, never go to Goodwill on a Sunday.  There were soooo many people that I could have sworn I was in Walmart.  Needless to say, I found no treasures amongst all the elbows.  Yesterday afternoon was much better and I'll share my finds over the next few days.

I love black humour.  This book of Halloween poems I found yesterday is great.  I love the retro colour scheme and illustrations.  It's not exactly bedtime reading for your toddler in anticipation of the 'big day'. (click on each photo for a closer look)









Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Monster of a Halloween Treat


Trick-or-treaters will need an oversize bag for this goodie. Billed as the “World’s Largest Gummy Bear,” this supersized sweet is more than a mouthful for children and adults alike.
It weighs 5 pounds, stands nearly 10 inches tall and is nearly 1,000 times the size of a regular gummy bear, according to World's Largest Gummy Bears!, the company that makes the eponymous product.
The bears, which come in six flavors and can sell for as little as $29.95, are not to be eaten in one sitting. Packing a whopping 12,600 calories, it is equal to 1,400 regular-size gummy bears, or 90 servings. Ingredients include corn syrup, sugar, gelatin and grape juice concentrate.
Want a bite? Retailers across the nation and the Web have jumped at the chance to sell the colossal candy.

“We’ll admit that the World’s Largest Gummy Bear (aka WLGB) is both disgusting and glorious,” reads web retailer VAT19's site, adding that it can last up to a year when placed in a refrigerator. It’s the "lion of the candy world." 
And while it may be harder to break into than traditional gummy bears, the World’s Largest Gummy Bears Company website has tips on how to eat it, including cooling it in the fridge and cutting it with a knife and fork, or warming it in the sun. 
“Our family recipe and careful craftsmanship results in gummy bears that are full of delicious flavor,” the World’s Largest Gummy Bear website reads. “When you open the bag the aroma of the bear fills the room. We use only the best ingredients to make sure every ounce is good to eat.” 
If you still have room for more giant gelatin treats, or prefer a different shape, giant gummy worms are also available. Not as heavy as the giant gummy bear, giant gummy worms weigh 3 pounds, are about 2 feet long and are 128 times bigger than the traditional version.

Meanwhile, for those who love gummy bears but don’t love the calories, a gummy bear chandelier may be more up your alley. New York design store Jellio has created a “candelier,” made of approximately 5,000 hand-strung acrylic gummy bears.

At least he's honest!

I had to lol when I read this one.


Man on all-spud diet regrets 60-day goal

As good as potatoes are, there are only so many ways they can be prepared





The Washington state man who's on a 60-day all-potato diet wishes he had set a goal of one month instead of two.
Chris Voigt told the Tri-City Herald that — as good and healthy as potatoes are — there's only so many ways they can be prepared. And, about halfway through his tuber diet, which began Oct. 1, he's had them boiled, baked, steamed, grilled, fried, marinated and mashed.
The Moses Lake man is executive director of the Washington Potato Commission and is on a mission to prove spuds aren't junk food.
For variety Voigt soaked one potato in pickle juice.
"Tuesday was a rough day for me," he told the Herald "I really, really wanted a pickle."
And his wife, Stephanie, made him potato ice cream.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39854988

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Good Enough to Eat

Take a close look at these photos. Can you spot what's different about them? They are 'foodscapes' - landscapes painstakenly made entirely out of food and photographed by British artist Carl Warner.  Initially establishing himself as a still-life photographer, Warner's popularity has led to the publication of his first book which was released today.  Stunning! (click on each photo for the expanded version)








Monday, October 25, 2010