Random Nursery Rhyme We All Thought Was Happy.

 

Hi everyone.  I hope everyone who had Memorial Day off enjoyed it!  If you are not from the U. S., it is a day we honor military personnel who have died while serving our country. 

Often, volunteers place flags and/or wreaths on graves of fallen soldiers.  For most of us, it's a reminder that others gave their life for our freedom.  It also unofficially marks the beginning of summer, at least here in Texas where it is already HOT outside!

Our little granddaughter was visiting this weekend, and I got to thinking about songs and nursery rhymes we used to sing when we were little.  They were catchy little tunes, but as it turns out, they were heavy with symbolism.  For example, Ring Around the Rosie.

I thought it was all in good fun... till I found out what it really meant!  It's about the Black Death - the Bubonic Plague.  The rings around the rosies refers to the circular red rashes that a victim would have that would develop later into black boils on the skin.  Gross, huh?

The disease was actually carried by rats and fleas, but back then, it was believed that the Plague was spread through bad smells, so they would carry posies (flowers) and hold them up to their faces as protection against bad smells.

Did you also know the fear of smells is why doctors wore those ridiculous beak masks that are scarier than heck? They worked in a similar way to gas masks.  And apparently, people with Bubonic Plague emitted some foul odors!

Ashes, ashes... Victims were burned when they died.  This could be what is referred to here, or it simply mimics the sound of a sneeze, another symptom. (Some people think it says, "A tissue, a tissue."

We all fall down... This represents that many people with the Plague died. 30-60% of Europe's population was wiped out due to Plague.

So much for a fun children's nursery rhyme!  How about some laughs?

Gotta love those dad jokes.. and no, I did not write "favoritest!"  I know better!

Anyone else have trouble with passwords?

This could be important as we head into summer!

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Last, but not least...

Have a great week!

Link up with Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts!

Sunday Synopsis

 

Deadly Innocence by Scott Burnside
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I guess I had heard of the so-called Ken and Barbie murderers, but I never really gave it much thought. It turns out, they are the subject of this book. The book's title is taken from a rap song that Paul Bernardo, the male in this duo, wrote around the time of the murders. This is not a review of the murders, though. They were vicious and disgusting, to say the very least. This is a review of the book and the way the authors wrote about what happened.

The book begins with a scenario of a teenage girl. The next chapter is another scenario. The next is another scenario. And so on. It takes several chapters before the reader will understand at least part of how these scenarios were connected, so it is disjointed in the beginning. In fact, the wedding of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka is near the beginning of the book, so the events are not written chronologically.

I do believe the author did a great deal of research for this book... maybe too much. If anything, there is too much detail, and it is repetitive. You will read about each murder multiple times: when it happens, when Karla talks about it, when it is discussed in court. I feel like it could have been condensed, especially considering the extremely graphic content and the sheer length of the book. With such explicit content, the book is already difficult to read mentally (unless you are a psychopath who enjoys those graphic details multiple times), and it is a very long book.

The end, especially, dragged on. The next-to-the-last chapter contains expert dissections of the couple's mental states. These experts include a women's abuse specialist (who is a man), forensic experts, kidnapping and homicide experts, and a behavioral scientist from the FBI. Other cases, experiments, and studies were also considered. Most of their opinions were not allowed as testimony in the case because it didn't actually apply to this case. I feel it should have been included in an appendix for readers who were interested in what they had to say rather than in an actual chapter of the book.

Additionally, there were numerous mistakes. Did anyone edit this book for grammar, punctuation, spelling, typographical errors? I think not. There were countless errors. The book was written by "journalists (reporters)" rather than "authors" and I think that dinstinction makes a difference.

I have not read another book about this same couple although there are many, so I did not have anything to compare it to, but based on the writing style, the number of errors, the explicit vulgar detail, the repetiveness, and the unnecessary parts, I can only say that it was "okay."

View all my reviews

Wreath Crafting

 

Recently I have made two deco mesh wreaths using the "curly method" and 6 inch deco mesh. 

The first one was somewhat of a challenge (in a Facebook group) to use materials from Dollar Tree, so I didn't have much color choice. I hit the store when they were low on mesh, and these are the colors they had. I think these colors make it harder to see the details.  I added a bow made with ribbon I had on hand and tiny paper flowers.  It's hanging on my mom's door now.

The second one was a challenge just to myself to see if I could make the alternating red/white stripes with the blue area like the American flag. I've seen wreaths like this and thought they were pretty, so I tried it.  I added stars to the blue area and gave this one to my daughter.

The curly method makes a cute wreath but it is much more time consuming than the "bubble method" because you have to cut every roll of mesh into 7 inch pieces first.  Then you roll each piece and take 3 or 4 of them and twist them together before you actually twist them on to the wreath.  I had made one like this for Halloween a few years ago, and I had forgotten how much more time it took.

My next challenge to myself is a deco mesh flower petal wreath.  Also, I won't make it a habit of purchasing Dollar Tree mesh because, although it's only $1.25 a roll, that's not much less than a half price sale at the hobby shops, and the quality is noticeably different.  I have to finish my first (and probably last) quilt before I make another wreath... or anything else!

Connect with other crafters and friends at Crafty Creators and Friendship Friday. Have a great weekend!

Fun Photos (trees)

 I love trees!  I don't know why!  They are stately, beautiful, interesting, natural.

Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, TX

Hermann Park, Houston, TX

Blisswood Bed & Breakfast Ranch, Cat Spring, TX

Also Blisswood

Goose Island State Park, Rockport, TX

White Rock Lake Park, Dallas, TX

Destrehan Plantation Museum, Destrehan, Louisiana

For more fun photos visit Image-in-ing and Wordless Wednesday.

Happy and Random

 

It feels nice to be back home.  I loved every minute of my time away, but there's just something about home.  It's... home!

We spent two nights in the cutest cabin in Granbury.  I highly recommended Cabin on the Ridge if you ever get a chance to visit this historic town.  I spent three nights at my daughters.  I made a patriotic wreath for her and started on a flower wreath.

She drove back with me and spent two nights here.  My mom was happy to see both of her grandkids. So, as of yesterday, things are getting back to normal.

I've been reading a really long book, and I can't wait to finish it.  It just keeps dragging on.  It's always difficult choosing what to read next.  Do you use Goodreads?  I couldn't keep up with all of my book information without it! I whiddled my "want to read" list from 143 to 106 books, and I got a free book using Book Bub.  Check it out if you've never heard of it.

Now, back to normal.  Supporting my sister as she deals with chemo and hair loss and a dozen other side effects and trying to care for mom in assisted living, and they are not providing much assistance.  My blood pressure has been on the high side. My shoulder hurts terribly ALL. THE. TIME, not to mention my hands as well.  And genetic test results are coming up in just over a week.  Plus, a few other stressors. Like I said, normal.

Let's lighten up a little.

Puns are the best!

And last, but not least...

Visit Happy Tuesday and/or Random Tuesday Thoughts for more fun!

Have a great week!

Handmade Cards

Hello friends!  I don't know about you, but I think the price of greeting cards has become outrageous.  I actually like to make my own cards anyway, even if it's not necessarily less money.  I do have to buy all the supplies.  But I enjoy it almost as much as scrapbooking, which I love.  Do you think people prefer a store bought or a handmade card, or does it depend on who the receiver is?  Which do you prefer?

This is a card I made my daughter after she sent me cookies from Crumbl Cookies.  I got the card idea from browsing through Cricut images and phrases and going through my paper scraps.  Nothing fancy.  I used cardstock, ink, my Cricut Maker, adhesive, and my 1.5" Xyron.

Side note- Crumbl delivers the cookies warm.  The first cookie I took a bite of was called a confetti cake cookie. 

It might be the best cookie I have ever tasted in my life, and that's saying a lot because I'm usually a chocolate-all-the-way kind of gal!

I made this card for our daughter who did our taxes.  (Don't worry.  She's an accountant.)  I got the general idea from Pinterest.  I used cardstock, my Cricut Maker, ink, and adhesive.

This card was for Mother's Day.  I got the entire idea from Pinterest, not just the general idea.  I used cardstock, my Cuttlebug embosser, my Cricut Maker, a small lace paper doily, adhesive, glue dots, pearl colored bling, and a flower with a pearl in the center (for a corsage).  I made it in her favorite color.  It reminds me of a suit she used to wear.  The one thing that bothers me about this card is that the pearls are not aligned evenly.  That's what happens when I eyeball it instead of measuring.

Last, I've been visiting for a few days, and she gets home around 6.  Her husband is out of town doing his duty as an Air Force Reservist, so I made dinner.  I served chicken with Black Garlic Rosemary Sauce (made by The Jelly Queens),  four cheese tortellini, and a fresh vegetable medley of  zuchini, summer squash, red pepper, purple onion, and mushrooms with some garlic and basil seasoning.  Colorful and delicious!  And enough for her to have some meals next week when he is still gone.

Next week I'm going to show you some wreaths!

Visit Friendship Friday (Create with Joy) and Crafty Creators (Life as a Leo Wife) for more crafty goodness than you can handle.

Fun Photos-Sea Life

 All of these photos were taken at the Dallas Aquarium and are solely owned by me.  I hope you enjoy some sea life.

Albino Alligator

Polka-dot Stingray

This is part of the Giant Pacific Octopus

Carpenter Shark (which is technically 

I hope you enjoyed these creatures.  For more fun phtod visit Image-in-img and Wordless Wednessay!