A few years ago, I posted a blog post on my memories of Plush Pippin pies, and the response has been overwhelming. It appears "everyone's flipping for Plush Pip-pin pies." Therefore, if anyone knows of any Plush Pippin pie recipes could you please either post them here or send me a message (Contact Me) so I can share. I would really love to find the marionberry pie recipe. I have tried other marionberry pies and they just aren't the same. Mmmm, the sweet berries and the crust so light and flakey. . . Not sure how close this recipe is to Plush Pippin, but I did find a Sour Cream Lemon Pie recipe on "Taste of Home" website.
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If you live in the greater Kitsap peninsula area including Belfair and Allyn-Grapeview and are looking for family, baby, or senior photos, I highly recommend Courtney Thomas Photography. You may contact her via her Facebook page.
"New teacher Nikki Fallon is trying to ward off unwanted advances from the hunky football coach. She should. . .
a) slap him silly. b) report him for harassment. c) invent an imaginary husband." I don't know what it is about romantic-comedy that draws me in, but the newest novel by Lia London, Her Imaginary Husband, sure did not disappoint. Ms. London has an incredible grasp on writing dialogue (All those years in the theatre department at WOSC together I am sure. Go Wolves!) and while I was reading I visualized the whole story as a movie in my mind. (Hint-hint Hallmark!!) It's a clean, lighthearted romance that entertains and educates. The characters were fantastic, from the likable heroine Nikki, to her bossy mother, to the two men who rival for her attention, to the secondary characters of the students Nikki instructs her rookie year as a English/American Lit teacher at a local high school. The dialogue is snappy, clever, and witty. The comic moments are funny without being over-the-top. There are several laugh out loud moments, but also a real sense of discovery as Nikki discovers herself and her place in her new world. I was crying happy tears at the end. I highly recommend. 4 Stars. There are times when I just feel it is time for me to stop writing fan fiction and concentrate on more original works. Not saying there is anything wrong with fan fiction, but have felt a little "Burn Out". Then, out of the blue, a story idea sparks and screams to be written. This is actually a combination of a couple ideas colliding. First, in early February, my youngest sister had a birthday, and I had wrote "Happy Birthday" on her Facebook wall and she had the gall to write back, "Is that it?" Well, I took it as a challenge and whipped out a short Scarecrow and Mrs. King story for her. However, I thought the story could be expanded, so I also ran with an earlier challenge story of Lee and Amanda on a road trip in a limousine. This is the final product and I feel now complete.
Timing is Everything I also have to note in the episode "Do You Take This Spy?" Lee and Amanda were married in Marion, Virginia, but looking at a map, I realized Marion was five hours from D.C. Darn, continuity of the SMK writers! Therefore, I followed canon and had them married in Marion, but expanded the story to explain what airport I believe they flew out of, whatever happened to the limo Amanda drove to the courthouse, and how much time had passed before they headed to California for their honeymoon. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of these events. Finally, a special shout-out to my beta readers! I give this video a cheese factor of ten, but it's catchy and easy to remember and, hey who doesn't like to see firefighters dancing? The disco balls hanging from the ladder trucks kills me! Stayin' Alive recorded by the Bee Gees (1977). "Wow. I guess disco really saves lives." I am happy to see tjsmklvr is back to writing fan fiction again. Actually, a few of the original SMK fan fiction writers have been popping back up and entertaining us with their stories of danger, excitement, intrigue.
The latest story from tjsmklvr is This War of Mine set during season three of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. A little AU, but a wonderfully crafted tale with lots of action, suspense, and romance. Warning regarding violence and a couple swear words, but still a must read. Stories like this remind me why I fell in love with Lee and Amanda to begin with. Had some free time today and thought I would revisit Scarecrow and Mrs. King since I have not blogged about my favorite television series in a while. Therefore, I wrote a list of favorite lines from each of the 88 episodes; some are one-liners, some are pieces of dialogue. I still believe some of my favorite dialogue comes from season one. Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming were comic geniuses. I miss the comedy in the later seasons, but also understand they more Amanda became involved in the spy business, the more the show had to revolve and change and I am certainly not disappointed it went in the direction of romance. Do you agree or disagree? In any case, here is a list of my favorite lines from Scarecrow and Mrs. King, after the cut. . .
Lookie Mom, look what I got!
I won the complete series (Seasons 1-5) of Chuck on Blu-ray. I am just super stoked. . . I never win anything and all I had to do was retweet a tweet on Twitter (say that fast three times). I believe I see a Chuck marathon in the near future. Hell yeah! Have no fear. . . I have not abandoned my SMK Season Five Project. Real life and a missing muse have put me behind. Nonetheless, I did finally write and post an new episode earlier this week. For those who are new to my blog, I started a fictional fifth season of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. This is what I think a season five would have looked like if we (the audience) had another season. This in no way lessens the virtual seasons of SMK and stands on its own. I wrote it in screenplay format, because I thought it would be a challenge and wanted them to read more like an episode.
Here are the synopsis and links to the first nine episodes of the SMK Season Five Project. 5.1. Secrets, Lies, and Half-Truths Lee and Amanda go undercover to stop an assassination attempt. Meanwhile, Francine is determined to find out Lee and Amanda's secret. 5.2. The Ties That Bind Also Gag Dotty accidentally gets mixed-up in a case involving Lee. Later, Amanda searches for Lee whom she learns is being held captive. Does she find him in time? 5.3. The Choices We Made - Part One As the Agency deals with pre-election year housekeeping duties, Lee and Amanda are sent to investigate a case of vaccination tampering. Meanwhile, Billy is seriously injured in a traffic accident and Lee steps in as temporary section chief. When his decision leads to the death of a fellow agent, Lee must deal with the ramifications. 5.4. The Choices We Made - Part Two Juggling Agency duties, finding time together, an inquisitive Dotty, and Lee’s recurring nightmares, have Lee and Amanda rethinking their relationship and their marriage. All secrets are revealed. 5.5. A Drop in the Bucket Lee and Amanda travel to Seattle, Washington to investigate missing satellite surveillance photos, but they aren't the only ones who have an interest in them. 5.6. Life Interrupted As Lee begins to find his place in the Stetson-King household, life is put on hold when Emily Farnsworth is gravely injured in an explosion. Lee and Amanda travel to London to help with the investigation. 5.7. Guilt by Association Jamie being at the wrong place at the wrong time, witnesses the murder of a DEA agent. When the murderer finds out there was a witness to his crime, Jamie becomes his next target, 5.8. A Long Winter's Night It's Christmas Eve and has Lee and Amanda finally broken their Christmas curse of being trapped in a nest of killers and thieves. Don't bet on it? 5.9 Heart of Gold Lee and Amanda must protect a teen Russian gymnastic star who is in the States as part of a Goodwill tour. Trouble ensues when there is an attempt on his life. While doing some research on the Internet the other day, I came across this superb illustration set out by the American Heart Association on what is an Automated External Defibrillator and thought I would share. Click on the link for more details.
Proud of my two younger sons. . . yesterday, they were willing to give up their Saturday by attending an adult CPR/AED class taught by Medic One. We decided to make it a family affair and all four of us attended the training. Extremely proud of Joey, who struggles with ADD, he make a concentrated effort to actually listen, learn, participate, and become certified. Thank you, Medic One and Thurston County for offering free CPR/AED classes to citizens of the community. Life is like a journey on a train. . .
"At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believed they will always travel on our side. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. As time goes by, other people will board the train, and they will be significant; i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of your life. Many will step down and leave a permanent vacuum. Others will go so unnoticed that we don't realize they vacated their seats. This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells. Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers requiring that we give the best of ourselves. The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So, we must live in the best way, love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty, we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life. I wish you a joyful journey on the train of life. Reap success and give lots of love. More importantly, thank God for the journey. Lastly, I thank you for being one of the passengers on my train." . . . I saw this posted on a friend's wall on Facebook and asked if I could borrow; however, she does not know who the original author is, but I thought it was too good not to share. Again, thanks for being passengers with me on the train of life. In the name of progress somethings change, but not always for the best.
There's something nostalgic about "mom and pop" hamburger joints; maybe memories from our youth or how life seemed less rushed, almost standing still. Growing up in West Linn, Oregon, there wasn't a lot of places to eat or shop (all that has changed as the town is no longer the little "sleeper" suburb south of Portland). However, on Friday nights after football games it was hanging out at Round Table Pizza, but any other night, it was all about Boni Lynn. Oh, how I miss their delirious burgers. My personal favorite was the Deluxe burger with everything on it. I also loved their deep fried mushrooms and deep fried cheese cubes. Or who could forget the real old fashion milkshakes and malts. I remember them having every flavor one could possibly imagine, including boysenberry, peanut butter, and licorice. And although I've never been a big fan of ice cream, I did like their swirled half chocolate and half vanilla soft-serve ice cream cones. It was always a special treat to go out to lunch or dinner at Boni Lynn's Restaurant. Although, I use the word restaurant loosely, as there were only two or three tables inside the building. However, it was the atmosphere, the food, and nostalgia I miss from those bygone days. Sadly, West Linn has become like every other cookie-cutter suburb, and has lost the uniqueness that once was West Linn. And Boni Lynn's was torn down and replaced with a Burgerville, all in the name of progress. However, nothing will ever come close to the old Boni Lynn. What's that saying about three times being a charm? Well, what if it is the forth. . . actually, now that I think about it, I believe this may have been my fifth time being cardioverted; however, hopefully this time it really does work like a charm. Fingers and toes crossed.
I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned what a cardioversion is, but to remind those whom may be reading this blog; Wikipedia states, "A cardioversion is a medical procedure by which an abnormally fast heart rate (tachycardia) or cardiac arrhythmia is converted to normal rhythm using electricity or drugs." So last week, I had an appointment with my cardiologist, and after reading my EKG, he informed me, I was back in a-fib. Ugh! Again? Really? Back in December, I had an invasive procedure know as an catheter ablation. I hope never to have to go through that procedure again. However, in April, and again just yesterday, I arrived at the hospital so doctors could "shock" my heart out of this atrial fibrillation rhythm. A cardioversion isn't too bad of an experience. The hardest and longest part is the "hurry up and wait" portion. Starting at midnight the night before I had to stop eating. Okay. Check. Then the next day, Ed and I drove to the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. We left early, because weather was just awful - a real gully-washer and heavy winds. We did not want to get stuck in traffic and for me to be late thus missing having the procedure done. We arrived at the hospital with plenty of time to spare - I was scheduled for a blood draw at 2:00 pm. Then after the blood draw, I checked in with the day surgery center, where I was asked more questions then I would have been asked if I was applying for a car loan. We were early, so we had a bit of a wait in the waiting room, but finally I was called back. I was then lead through a set of double doors, forced to step on a scale (which of course lied to me). then steered into a small room, and told to put on the ever-so-stylish hospital gown. A few minutes later, the nurse started an IV. Of course, my veins were being as stubborn as I was, so she had to use a heat pack to get them to come to the surface. It also did not help I had not eaten or drank anything in 18-hours, so I was dehydrated. After starting the IV, the nurse asked more questions and took my vitals. Fifteen to twenty minutes later, an orderly arrived to wheel me down to the procedure room. I immediately recognized the cardioversion machine (which looks very similar to a crash cart if you ever watch medical dramas) and the large drug box sitting in the corner that looks vaguely similar to a Sears Craftsman Tool box. Once wheeled into the room, a nurse took my vitals and hooked me up to a heart monitor, followed by placing electrode pads on my chest and back. Damn, are they cold! This is where the "hurry up and wait" portion begins, as we wait for all the players to cram into a tiny 10 by 10 room. Two by two, with hands of blue, they finally arrived, all simultaneously asking me questions and telling me what their roles were. Then one of the cardiologists gave me a run-down of the risks involved. Geez Doc, trying to freak me out? I know, I know, they have to do it. Finally, one anesthesiologist put an oxygen mask over my nose and mouth telling me to take deep breaths, while another shot a sleeping agent into the IV, and within seconds, I was out for the count. The pads on my chest and back are connected by cables to the cardioversion machine which has a combined function of an EKG display and the electrical function of a defibrillator. Then while under, a reversion shock is delivered (200 joules) and about five minutes later, the nurse is waking me up, telling me everything went well, and I was back in normal sinus rhythm. Yay! Then I was rolled back to the surgery center, given another set of vitals, the nurse removed my IV, and I was told I could get dressed and go home. Of course, no driving or operating heavy machinery. Dang it! I was so looking forward to digging a ditch tonight. For my troubles, I received a small burn tattoo the shape of a russet potato from the heat off the electrode pad. Oh well, what I get for being fair skinned and it does fade after a couple days. Doctors are not sure why my heart keeps going into a-fib, as I am younger then most patients they see. However, my heart does. We also made an executive decision, if this cardioversion does not take, we will no longer chase down the rhythm. I will just learn to live with it. Other then some fatigue, I usually can't tell I am in a-fib (I am asymptomatic) and obviously my heart just does not want to stay in normal sinus rhythm. I've always been told I beat the drum to my own rhythm. I remember a particular visit I had with my cardiologist several years ago. It was one of the many times he suggested an implantable defibrillator and I was stubborn and didn't want to listen. Too many bad experiences with the first device I had implanted and I just didn't want to go through it again. He said he understood but also told me he didn't want to see some catastrophic event happen to me and be the subject of the local news. Well, thanks, Dr. Kundenchuk for that self-fulling proficiency.
Even though I was not interviewed in Seattle, I was in San Francisco. Nerves of steel, I was not, as a news reporter asked me questions about the events surrounding my cardiac arrest and how important I thought it was for by-standers to be first responders. He then asked, "How has this changed you?" Goodness. I don't know. I still sweat the small stuff. I still have a short fuse. I still am me. Did he mean - do I believe in second chances? Or third chances as the case may be? Sure. I know Heavenly Father is not ready for me yet, but what my divine purpose in life is. . . I just don't know. I do know, I need to go out and discover it for myself. Maybe, it making people aware of sudden cardiac arrest or getting automatic external defibrillators out there. . . everywhere. And not only do I want to see AED's everyone, I want to make sure there are people properly trained how to use them and they are just not wall decorations. Maybe getting more people to think about being CPR certified. I would like to see a higher success then 8 to 12% survival rate for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. There is a plan. There is a purpose. There is a time for everything. . . A time to be born and a time to die. . . Or to borrow a scene from the movie Footloose, Ren said; "Ecclesiastes assures us that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to laugh. . . a time to weep. A time to mourn. . . and there is a time to dance. . . It's the way it was in the beginning. It's the way it's always been. It's the way it should be now." |
"Hey. . . it's me."I live in the shadows of the Olympic Mountains in the state of Washington and I love camping, boating, kayaking, hiking, and hanging out with my husband, our three adult children, and our Bernese Mountain dog, Henry. Tags
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