Thursday Thirteen brought to you by the letter F

Just a quick list today of words I like that begin with the letter F.

No!  Not that F word!

1.  Fabled - a great word to use when describing an old story or event that seems somewhat magical.

2.  Flabbergasted - One way to express extreme surprise and incredulity.

3.  Forgive - This is sometimes one of the hardest things to do, but granting someone forgiveness, even if it's just in your heart and not verbalized, takes a great weight off the soul.

4.  Faith - I believe my strong faith is often the reason I don't fret and worry as much as some people.

5.  Fret - You can see above I like to use this word.  It's akin to anxiety and worry.

6.  Frank- Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!  Famous line from a book & movie that is being pulled off the shelves in some locations right now.  But being frank is also being honest.

7.  Fairy - Who doesn't love dainty fairies!  Or fairy dust.  Or fairy tales?

8.  Fervor- What a unique way to express passion, with fervor!

9.  Freedom - I'm thankful to live in a country where we are virtually free.  Freedom in  thoughts, freedom to choose, freedom to determine your life path.

10. Feint - I like this word, and I describe as something a boxer does.  He fakes out his opponent by feinting that he is going a certain direction.

11. Flummoxed - An interesting, if archaic, expression of confusion.

12. Fajita - Simply because I am hungry right now.

13. Faceted - This could be used to describe someone's personality or a shiny, diamond ring, among other things.

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Random Tuesday

Let's link up with Stacy for some random fun!

I was thinking about something today... I watch and read all kinds of crime stories, true and imaginary, and some of it gets pretty gritty, but it doesn't bother me.  However, I won't watch horror movies like Nightmare of Elm Street.  I have watched them before, but not in years and years.  Kind of ironic, right? And believe it or not, there is a wikihow to teach you not to be scared after watching a horror movie.

Nope.  Not gonna watch this!  I can watch shows about real killers all day, though.

Is anyone still under a lockdown or quarantine order?  We aren't, but there are restrictions on numbers in gatherings and there is a mask mandate.  Speaking of restrictions, take a look....

Hahahaha!

I have a question for you, so please explain the answer in the comments if you can...  When I touch my arm with my finger, is my finger feeling the skin on my arm or is my arm feeling the skin on my finger?  Which one is actually feeling?  It's a conundrum, kinda like this:

And here's another one!  Why do clothing companies put tags on clothes when they could print that information into the fabric.  I hate the feel of tags!

And one more thing.  Why do bra-makers still put hook and eye fasteners on bras?  With all the technology we have, you'd think someone would have invented a better closure!

And now...

Truth!

Is that song stuck in your head now?

Hilarious!

Can you tell what's wrong with this picture?

And I will leave you with this.

Everyone say, "Awwwwwww."

Have a great week!

Sunday Synopsis

Identity Crisis: The Murder, the Mystery, and the Missing DNA by Jefferson Bass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bill Bass, half of the writing team of Jefferson Bass, is the narrator of this nonfiction book. Bill Bass was the head of the anthropology department at the University of Tennessee, and the man who started the Body Farm. He has over fifty years of experience in forensic anthropology. With his writing partner Jon Jefferson, they write crime fiction novels in which anthropology is used to help solve crimes. It's commonly called the Body Farm series, and the protagonist, Bill Brockton, is based on Bill Bass. The first book in that series is called Carved in Bone. This book is not part of that series, though I'm sure Jon Jefferson assisted in writing this one as well.

This book is a nonfiction account of a puzzling case that Dr. Bass actually worked on. In 2005, he was asked to help make a clear identification of a woman who had been buried in a family plot since the day she was murdered in 1978, a time when DNA had not even been invented. They know who killed the woman, and the perpetrator has been punished, so that's not the mystery in this book. It is her identity they are unsure of. Dr. Bass excavates the bones, not once, but twice, and through a series of complicated tests and other efforts, may be able to put to rest the real identify of the woman in the grave.

I enjoyed this book because it was real. It wasn't just a fictional expert trying to solve a mystery. The book takes the reader through many different methods of identification explained in a way that a layperson can understand. We just assume that you run a test for DNA and you're done, thanks to shows like Law and Order and CSI. That's not the way it works. And a result is not always the end of a case. Who knew so much could go wrong?

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Thursday Thirteen-Wedding Related

Hopefully the wedding will take place in November (3 1/2 months), so I need to be ready in case we can proceed.  I have so much to do!  Here are some of the things on my list:

1-Choose and order a dress - working on it.  I like this one, but the model is probably my daughter's age.  It IS a Mother-of-the-bride dress, though.

Click any photo to enlarge

2-Bridal shower invitations - started them.  It will look similar to this (not in color).

3-Find affordable bridal alterations near me. (Thanks, Google.)
4-Make aisle decorations - haven't started.  Something like this, but with Baby's Breath and/or eucalyptus.

5-Make a towel cake decoration for the shower - haven't started.  Something like the one I made with diapers for our daughter's baby shower.

6-Make centerpieces for reception table - started them.
7-Make my daughter's headpiece - I've planned this and have materials. We're using the same trim for her belt and headpiece.

8-Figure out how to get my mom a dress as well as a ride to and from the wedding.  It's too far for her to drive.
9-Make an appointment to get my hair done the day of.
10-Help my daughter fill out some papers for the DJ.
11-Plan the candy "bar" and get treat bags - started on this.  Something like this but more colorful:

12-Find shoes to go with my dress when I choose it.
13-Make a backdrop and get light ring for photo booth.  Backdrop with lights similar to these:

I'm sure there's so much more, but it helps to write it down!  I would also love to hear your ideas! Wish me luck!
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Random Tuesday

I'm linking up with Stacy to be totally random!

Wedding planning for November is still on.  We're praying that cases will begin to go down.  We may have to make some changes at the wedding such as social distancing tables, providing or allowing masks, hand sanitizer stations, plated meal rather than buffet, and maybe have it all outside instead of doing the reception indoors. If we postponed for a few months, I doubt things would be much different, especially if there is no vaccine still.  I'm curious.  What would you do?  There are only two people who have expressed concern about the date.  My daughter and her fiance' just want to get married, even if some people will decide not to be there.


I have a bone to pick with Applebee's. Their commercial uses the theme song from "Welcome Back Kotter," and it gets stuck in my head!  I know I'm "dating" myself by knowing where they got the song.  I used to enjoy that show!  Did you?  But I don't want the song stuck in my head!  Commercials really bother me.

And how about all the commercials for medication?  Am I really supposed to tell my doctor what medicine to put me on?  I thought he (or she) was supposed to know enough to tell me what's best for me.  And the names of these medicines... Skyrivi, Fintepla, Zepzelca, Trelegy (particularly annoying commercial), Humira, Xeljanz, and Eliquis, to name a few.  Sounds like Alien talk!  And after all the side effects they list, who in their right mind would really want to take that medication?  If the pharmaceutical companies quit spending money on ads, maybe they could lower the cost to consumers.  As if.  A writer for Psychology Today said this, 

"Next time you see a TV commercial for a prescription drug, remind yourself that you know nothing about medical treatment and that everybody who made the commercial has a financial interest in your future behavior." —Eric Horowitz

And that's about it for now....
Except for some funnies.

Click any picture to enlarge it.

Someone else's typo, not mine (morNing)

This is me!

Have a great week!

Sunday Synopsis

As promised last week, a review of the sequel to Grace and Fury. (Click on that title to read last week's review.

Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second, and possibly final, book in the Grace and Fury series that I reviewed last week, and this one has an actual ending, thankfully. I think the two books could be combined into one rather than leaving the first one on a cliffhanger with no ending.

While most of the situations in this book were unrealistic, I think that is part of its charm. At the end of book one, Grace (Serena) is attempting to get the other prisoners on Mount Ruin to revolt. They have all learned to fight to provide entertainment and gambling opportunities for the guards, but she believes they can turn on the guards and get control of the island. And when a boat shows up, she hopes they can subdue the guards and commandeer the ship to take them to Azura, rather than return to Viridia, where they will hopefully be free.

Her sister Nomi is on her way to that very prison, Mount Ruin, after witnessing Asa kill his father, the Superior, and attempt to kill both his brother Malachi, the Heir, and even stabbing her. The Heir appears to be dying from his wounds, and he, Nomi, and another Grace who had accidentally seen this happen (Maris) are headed toward the very prison where her sister has been punished. Nomi has a plot to get back at Asa, as unlikely as it is, but she will have to get free from the guards both on the boat and at the prison once she arrives. The stakes have never been higher if they are to change any of the oppression in Viridia.

Again, a sub-theme of the book is female empowerment. I believe this could have a positive affect on younger readers, but due to some descriptions which are slightly suggestive in nature, I think I would recommend it for grades 7 and above. I'm waaayyyy above that age, and I enjoyed it, so it's not just for teenagers.

The author chose to explain some of the underlying symbolism, but not all of it. I think it is better to allow the audience to infer and draw conclusions on their own. The pacing of this book was spot-on. There were very few dull parts and mostly action, adventure, and suspense. Tracy Banghart did a great job. I believe the end of book two could lend itself to another sequel, but even if it doesn't, I'm satisfied with the ending.

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Photo Wednesday

This is the view of the ceremony space from the windows of the ballroom where my daughter is getting married. (click to enlarge)

A little out of focus, but I love this purple flower! (click to enlarge)

Visit Wordless Wednesday and Image-in-ing for more photo fun!

Random Tuesday

Here we are still in the midst of COVID-19.  How long has it been?  I'm not sure, but I do know it's a lot longer than we could have imagined back in February or March.  But, anyway, I'm linking up with Stacy for some randomness.

The Texas State Fair was cancelled this year for the first time since WWII.  My daughter attended last year, but I haven't been since I was a baby, and of course, I don't remember it.  I don't like crowds, but I would like to see it.  They had about 2.5 million visitors last year over the 3-4 weeks it was open.  It wasn't supposed to start until September this year, but alas, it's not going to happen.


On another note:

I was looking through some articles on a news site the other day, and I came across an article that said, "Take your tractor to school" day, so I had to click on it.  I had never heard of this!  Seems like many rural communities have this tradition, and it is often associated with FFA (Future Farmers of America).  My son was in FFA, but not many people around here actually live on real farms or have real tractors.  I did see that a little town in Texas has this tradition, but it mostly occurs in the Midwest. How cool is that?

Today is Bastille Day in France. I wonder how they are celebrating this year.  Normally, there would be military parades, concerts, dances, and fireworks.  This holiday commemorates the storming of the Bastille (where political prisoners were held) and is seen as the beginning of the French Revolution.  I never knew that they stormed the Bastille on a search for gun powder and ammunition for the weapons they had looted.  I learn something new every day!

And now...

I could really use a facial and a massage right now!

And changing gears a little bit, this puppy was too cute!

This totally cracked me up!

And if I have a dog funny, I have to have a cat funny...

Have a great week!