Shark Rescue

This poor little guy was getting batted back and forth against the rocks in a tidepool. The girls tried to set him down in an area where he could get back out to open water and survive. He had a couple gashes on his side from either being tossed against the rocks or . . . something worse. Maybe a sea lion had bitten him.

Either way, the little guy was struggling against the strong tide and the rocks. The girls sat him down and we waited for the water to wash him back out into deeper water.

We don't know if he made it but his chances were much better because the girls tried to help.

Miss Piggy

Pretty pumpkins take practice so I've started working on my Halloween display.

Here's the projects I've been working on.

Miss Piggy Pumpkins and minion pumpkins.I've done them two ways:

1) I've painted the pumpkins

And then as a second option, so there wouldn't be much clean-up, I used duct tape to cover my pumpkins in pink.

Both give a nice covering.

And I used styrofoam cups to make the nose and toilet paper rolls to make the ears.

I used some braided headbands and pearls to add a few more decorations. Now I have even more ideas for my next batch of pumpkins.

Wolves

Last March I volunteered at a wolf sanctuary. I just thought you all might like to see the difference between a wolf and a husky.

And if you want to hear the wolves howling (but remember they're loud), watch this:



The big difference between dogs and wolves is that dogs are generally smaller. Wolves ears go off the sides of their heads, while dogs ears go straight up. Wolves jaws are different - they can crush bones. And wolves should never be domesticated. They are meant to run wild. 

Star Trek into the Darkness

Okay, so I grew up with Captain Kirk and Spock and McCoy (Bones) and all the rest of the crew. So, I guess it should come as no surprise that I LOVED Into the Darkness but that is still saying a lot because believe me, I'm not a big Trekkie or a huge SCI-FI Fanatic. But, this was such a well-done film that I have to stand up and give it props.

I enjoyed how they played off of the old characters and made them fresh and new. I loved the little quips that played on old dialogue but never seemed dated.

My hubby and I went and saw the film last Friday night and then we took a drive up to Crown Point...I guess that "Old" "new" show made us feel like kids again. We put down the top on the car and drove out under a starlit night. We saw planes flying right over head as we cam back by the airport and we parked to look up at the stars. Not bad for having been married for over 30 years.

So, I'm just saying, if Into the Darkness could do that much for us and a Friday night, it's worth the $10 bucks per ticket to see the show.

And, if you see(n) it, let me know what you think. It can be a wonderful night filled with stars whether they're on the screen or in the sky.

Word for Wednesday - a Game for Writers

Guess what the word means...

Word: Sepulcher

Do you know what it means?


Take a guess....


Then scroll down....



Further...............


FURTHER......................

Here's a clue: I first read about a sepulcher (or sepulchre) when I was reading POE.

Yes, I read Poe as a young girl and I still remember the word...

I think it was from Annabel Lee...


It's a tomb, or burial chamber.

Did you know:

If you want to read more, check out this site.

Homemade Halloween

I start out with some pretty simple cards and then I embellish them to my hearts content..."witch" just means there's no limits to what you can do, if you're willing . . .  to use your imagination.

And, I'm cheap, so I use whatever I have laying around the house to add a little "magic" to my cards. It might be candy eyes...

Or even beans I've bought in bulk to make some ten bean soup.

Or it might be some fun Halloween stickers...

And I have to add a few personal touches, like initials or names...

And I like to bring it all together by adding a little something to the envelopes too.

And it might be food or feathers or stickers, it doesn't matter...you can personalize anything and it's so much fun . . . plus whoever gets these handmade Halloween cards will definitely see the time and attention that's gone into the gift. And in these days of email and texting, it's fun to find a little surprise in the mailbox that says, "I was thinking of you."

The World's Finest - Superman and Batman Cakes

My kids may be grown up...but I never will.

I wanted to make them each a superhero cake but they don't like fondant or sugary frosting so I used whipped cream and sugar sheets. Here's how I made them:

First I had to bake the cakes and then I cut off the tops to make them even.

Then I put whipped cream and homemade blackberry jam in-between the layers.

Then I put whipped cream all around the top and sides.

Then I started on the designs. First I had to google the superhero emblems to get it right and I printed them out so I wouldn't forget.

Then I cut out the iconic emblems and held them up to the sugar sheets to make sure I cut them out properly.

I laid them on wax paper so they wouldn't stick to anything. I needed to create the emblems in layers.

I used an exacto knife to get the lines right and I cut the sugar sheets out on a cutting board so I wouldn't cut into the table.

After I created all the emblem pieces, I used frosting to piece them together (frosting is the glue that holds them in place).

Then I put them on the frosted cakes.

But they still needed some embellishments: licorice and candy.

I always keep wax paper underneath the cakes so I can transfer them easily to the cake stands. After I have them positioned on the cake stands, I use candy around the edges to make it look like clean lines.

I made a few mistakes while I was making these cakes. Here's my tips so you won't make the same errors:

1) Make sure you measure the top of your cake against the emblems you're going to put on top. I made mine too big and had to cut them down to size so they would fit properly.

2) Count out your candies so you are sure you have the proper count of black to red...I had to skimp and scrimp to cover the edges.

3) Don't cook your cakes until the tester comes out clean - they are over done if the toothpick comes out clean. Leave them a little damp, they continue to cook for a few minutes after you take them out of the over and there is nothing worse than dry cake. (I didn't make this mistake - but it's easy to do).

In the end, I thought they turned out cute...even if they are a little kidish for a 29 and 25 year old ;D