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2013-05-11 15:14:34 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

If you want to watch a "weird" movie and can handle occasional gore, violence, and errm, body functions, this movie might be one for you.  I watched it for the first time in the very early 90s and when it was over I turned to my sister and said, "What the hell was that?" She laughed and said, "I know!"

Although I was puzzled and somewhat sickened by the movie I was also moved by it. The subject of abuse was and is of interest to me and I've been haunted by the movie since that first viewing. I watched it again last night and found that it's still as creepy as it was years ago but I have much more appreciation of the cinematography, architecture, allegory, and the characters themselves. 

Richard Bohringer does well as the bullied and frustrated Cook/Manager of Le Hollandais Restaurant, a high class eatery. He suffers through the antics of TheT... more »

2013-04-25 23:06:35 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

I just watched "Habemus Papam", or "We Have A Pope". It was very amusing and bittersweet in ways. If you don't mind foreign films and are in the mood for a bit of light hearted comedy, give it a shot. :)

2013-04-24 11:21:40 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Okay, I'm finished with:  Eureka, Fringe, Awake (which I thoroughly enjoyed!), and everything else that looks good to me. sigh Surely there's something else out there!

2013-03-25 19:06:14 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

I started watching "Keeping Up Appearances" recently. I really enjoy British television but wasn't sure about this series. It took me a couple of episodes to get into it but I'm glad I stuck with it as all the characters give me genuine belly laughs on a pretty regular basis. 

And today I watched "Eating with Cannibals". It's a documentary about... umm, well... cannibals. ;) I'm not sure why but that's a subject that fascinates me. 

Do any of you know of other good movies/documentaries about Cannibalism?

2013-02-28 18:09:07 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Well, I survived the challenge! Due to two bouts with illness, I didn't manage to get something out on every mail day but I did get at least one piece of mail out almost every mail day. I think I mailed something on 19 of the days but will have to check that. As for replies, oy, I'm so far behind it isn't funny but that's what March is for. ;)

I had a blast, made some new pen friends, and will be much better prepared for next year's challenge. 

2013-01-03 01:50:51 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Now watching "The Grey" and it's doing a lot to alleviate my terror of airplanes and flying. ;)

2013-01-03 01:32:04 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

I just watched "Jeff, Who Lives At Home" and "Hello Lonesome". Both were good but the the first one was better, I think. Nice film. :)

2012-12-30 06:23:06 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

I didn't partake in this challenge last year but certainly plan to this year.  I send and receive quite a bit of mail but am always on the lookout for more. Here's my address:

Denise Boyd
PO Box 5811 
Longview, TX 75608

I hope to hear from some of you!

2012-12-29 09:02:25 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Hi y'all! All two of you. :) It's great to find a community for letter writers! :-)

2012-12-17 12:23:44 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

From my work day yesterday. Hmmm, one never knows who will pop in at Starbucks!

2012-12-11 15:17:13 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Good morning, you java fiends! I'm about to start on my second press of Christmas blend. I decided to start a blog about my obsession with letter writing, paper, pens, cards, envelopes, sealing wax, stamps, journals, binders, and notebooks and while writing the first entry I realized one press wasn't going to be enough for this morning. ;)

What's in your cup this morning/evening?

2012-12-09 02:40:44 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

I had spinach and artichoke purses last night for the first time and I think I'm in love. I'm trying to find a good recipe for that but so far haven't found one that seems quite right. Do any of you have a recipe for said purses and if so, would you please share it? Thankee muchly. 

2012-12-09 02:32:06 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

A big thanks to +Karen Lacey for answering my question about diabetes and nutrition! She was fast and her explanation was quite understandable. :)

2012-12-08 14:50:10 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Now we're talkin! :) Thanks for this community, Shaun!

2012-12-08 03:53:49 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Okay, this story scares the peewaddle out of me! It applies to an inherited form of the disease but wow, one third of the teens tested? That doesn't bode well. 

2012-12-07 15:13:39 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

I find this to be interesting. I suppose any improvement is seen as a success and I'll follow this story to see where and how it goes. The fact that the same procedure has meant improvement for a lot of Parkinson's patients gives me a bit of hope that it will succeed with Alzheimer's also. 

2012-12-07 14:42:18 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

So, how about we all post a brief introduction? Just let us know where you are, why you've joined this community, and anything else you'd like to share.

My stepfather has dementia, presumably Alzheimer's. He and my mother have been married 10 years and she now thinks he had it when they met but she didn't realize it.

He lives at home with her and is still fairly high functioning. He attends a center program for four hours two days a week and that's the only respite Mom gets. Pop never had children and has a sister in very bad health who lives in another part of the state so Mom's family is his family, too. 

My sisters live in Dallas, about two hours from here, and I'm the only family member in the general vicinity. I'm off every Thursday and go to their house that day to help Mom with whatever she needs, take her to lunch, etc. 
more »

2012-12-07 14:18:59 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

::::looks at the crowd and clears throat::::

My name is Denise and I'm a coffee addict. I'm not proud to say this but coffee practically is my life. 

It started when I was about three years old, sneaking sips from my mother's coffee cup when she wasn't in the room. That sweet and creamy elixir had me entranced at the first taste. By the time I was six, I drank two cups every morning, one cup of my own and many sips of everyone else's.

From there it was downhill and I had years and years of not quite fulfilled addiction, always looking for my next fix, that next cup brewed from a special bean. I grew up, married, and still wasn't able to break the cycle. It was never ending. At one point I even used the money for my kids's cupcakes to help buy a pound of Jamaica Blue Mountain. Ahhh, the memories!

::::sighs and wipes away a... more »

2012-12-07 03:18:56 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Ohai, y'all! I didn't see that anyone had joined. ;) Suggestions for what to put in the about and such greatly appreciated. My brain is about worn out tonight.

2012-07-22 02:05:18 (24 comments, 2 reshares, 52 +1s)

Okay, one more for #unalteredbeauty . No makeup, no glasses, hair a mess, and ptosis pretty obvious. Yeah, I'm awesome! ;)

Now come on, if I can do this, you can do this! 

2012-06-23 02:58:54 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Another great chuck. RIP.

#showmeyourchucks  

2012-06-23 00:58:02 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

#showmeyourchucks  

One of my favorite chucks!

2012-06-23 00:52:48 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

And then there's this video of the same song. I saw this one first and fell head over heels in love with these people!

2012-06-23 00:46:12 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

I love these guys so much and really, really, really love this song and video. :)

2012-01-21 22:49:11 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

I've never met a curry I liked so I'm not sure what possessed me to buy a box of S&B Golden Curry sauce mix yesterday except that I'm trying to broaden my culinary horizons a little and I want to like curry.

Well, I decided to try this stuff today and lo and behold, I actually like it! No, I more than like it but less than love it.

I stir fried a few vegetables in coconut oil, added them to the sauce and let it cook and thicken. I'm not sure if that's the "right" way to make it as the directions weren't too helpful but it's actually very good! Oh, I did add some chili powder and a smidge of cumin to the pot.

Does that make me evil? ;)

2012-01-07 00:39:51 (26 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

So, the cable company came out this evening and disconnected me. Gulp. I feel like I'm adrift in the sea! Naw, not really. I'm listening to some good stuff on Spotify and dancing in my seat! :)

2012-01-05 15:19:10 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

I can't believe it. I just found something I actually like to eat for breakfast! I mean, I really, really like it! Being not so much a fan of eating before 11 AM or noon isn't necessarily a bad thing but it isn't necessarily a good thing, either. At any rate, breakfast and I haven't been close for many, many years. When I do eat before 11 it's generally non-breakfast foods though occasionally I like eggs and bacon. This morning, though, I'm actually hungry so I warmed up some leftover Mexican stew from a couple of days ago and served it over hot fauxtatoes. And I think it's delicious for breakfast, better than lunch or supper. I think I could eat this several mornings a week. Go figure. ;)

2012-01-04 16:12:44 (17 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

I bit the bullet. I called the cable company and told them to cancel my cable television service and downgrade my internet to 'standard'. I'm nervous but excited. Perhaps this will encourage me to get back to reading more and maybe even leaving my apartment. ;)

2012-01-04 03:18:10 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

I like this a whole lot!!

And yeah, I realize the irony of pointing out something I like only because Target did not point it out. But there you go.


+h/t Nicole Gandy

2011-12-09 02:32:52 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Okay, this series isn't new and I don't remember ever hearing about it but I've been watching this tonight and it's absolutely fascinating! He brings up all sorts of weird things I've never even considered and I do love concepts that challenge my 'normal' ways of thinking. If you like documentaries or like to think (ha!) and haven't seen this, give it a shot.

2011-12-09 01:37:52 (18 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

I'm such a food/money geek. I'm all excited because today I got a new lunch bag, complete with lunch on the go containers, for less than half of the normal price!

I take lunch, snacks, and sometimes breakfast to work with me most days and have a nice collection of containers for all that food, including really pretty bento stuff but this...this just makes my heart pound a little. ;)

Now I need some ideas for different foods to take in it. +Shinae Nae, I'd love your input but please, no liver. I'm not quite ready for that. ;)

2011-12-09 01:02:19 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

Hi there, all you folks who have circled me in the last few days. Please tell a bit about yourself and do so as a reply to this post if you like. Just let me know a little about who you are and why you've circled me. Thanks! :)

2011-12-03 02:40:36 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

+Denise Boyd 's cat

2011-12-02 14:12:21 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Chicken soup for whatever ails ya! This is the soup I made to take to work with me today. It's not as colorful as I like but it's low in carbs and has some good fat in it. I made it with homemade chicken stock, chicken, coconut oil, green beans, mukimame, pepper, and plenty of garlic. I'm going to take all of it with me and hope one of the young people with no money/lunch will want to help me eat it. #randomactsoffoodkindess

2011-12-02 13:13:38 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Carb counts for the most popular pastries where I work

After my last post, I compiled a list of the most popular pastries where I work and the carb count for each one. I eat a pastry maybe six times a year and the next time I buy a slice of pumpkin bread and eat a small portion and share the remainder with someone else and the carb police chime in, I'm going to show them this on my phone!

Surely they can do the math and see that if I eat one third of a slice of pumpkin bread I'm getting 22 grams of carbs. Yes, that means I must bolus a tad over 4 units of insulin but if I've planned for that treat and I bolus for it, they can kiss my grits! By the way, a small bowl of grits means I bolus the same amount as for one third of a piece of pumpkin bread so there. ;)


Pumpkin bread 66 grams

Lemon loaf 61 grams

Banana bread 55... more »

2011-12-02 12:53:37 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Are you a diabetes/carb police person?

This, so this! I have two carb police where I work. I know they have my best interests at heart, or think they do, but really, I'm almost 50 and have lived with this condition long enough and educated myself enough that I know what works for me. I rarely eat many carbs and do get physical exercise. I check my blood sugar 8 to 12 times a day and keep very close tabs on what it's doing. So, if I choose to buy a piece of pumpkin bread (one serving has 66 grams of carbs), eat one third (or even all of it, dammit, though I don't do that) and share the remainder with another person, leave me alone! Really, you might think you're "helping" me but the constant supervision of my diet is annoying at best. ;)

2011-11-29 12:06:00 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

Um excuse me, Plussers? The best friend anyone could have on this or any Social Media has written her very first public article. You all know +Laurie Morrison, and you know that if she writes as well as she befriends those of us in her circles, you know the piece will rock, right?

I know my first published article was a very stressful moment, wondering if anyone would bother to read what I had to say. Give her a glance, tell her what you think?

She would do the same for any of you.

2011-11-29 01:21:59 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Oh, for crying out loud! It's 7:20, I'm exhausted, have been in my PJs for more than two hours and have the electric blanket warming my spot on the couch. Sammy has taken that spot, of course. It is so on! :)

2011-11-29 01:14:17 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

I posted this question earlier and did not receive a response from a single G+ follower. I am writing a blog and I need some facts before I post it.

How many apps on average do you use on your smartphone on a daily basis?

2011-11-29 00:41:30 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Great Cyber Monday deal on You Need A Budget

If you're in the market (or should be!) for good personal finance software consider You Need A Budget. I've used it for about three years and absolutely love it. Today only it's $39 to download and I think it's worth a hella lot more than that.

It's easy to use and produces nifty graphs and such for us money geeks. ;)

Anyway, if you want to get in on the YNAB Cyber Monday deal, here's the link:

http://ynab.me/cybermonday

I don't get anything for letting y'all know about it but I figure if someone here can benefit from it, that's a good thing. :)

2011-11-22 16:30:34 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

I'm back, lovelies, and look at my Tuesday wins! A free Venti Americano with extra half and half and mail art in my post office box. Can it get any better? No, no it can not. ;)

2011-11-22 15:12:18 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Okay, I hate to do it but I really must tear myself away from all you lovelies. For awhile, anyway. You know the reasons must be terribly important because I'd much rather sit here and be entertained by the humor and wisdom of G+. I'll be back and yes, that's a threat. ;)

2011-11-22 13:38:17 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Another John Lee Hooker favorite of mine. :)

2011-11-22 12:59:16 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

And one of my favorite Pinetop Perkins songs. If this doesn't make you feel, you have no soul. ;)

2011-11-22 12:51:31 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

One of my favorite John Lee Hooker ditties. :)

2011-11-22 12:44:23 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

For +Dana Reynolds

2011-11-21 02:49:05 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

#mace

2011-11-21 02:21:48 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Holy cow! John Pike, the pepper spraying cop at UC Davis, earns over $100,000 a year? Huh? Is that the norm for police lieutenants? Okay, so it is CA but that seems like a lot to me. What the hell do I know, though....

2011-11-20 15:40:33 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Mmm, the place smells really good. I made hamburger steaks, put three in gravy and put aside one for myself. I also made garlic mashed potatoes and set aside 1/4 of a cup for myself. Then I prepared green beans with onions and set aside a good portion for myself. I'll take it all to work with me and eat my share and the rest is for whoever gets hungry but didn't bring food/money. I love cooking this stuff but hate waste so I might as well make myself happy with the treat of a tiny portion of potatoes and make someone else happy with homecooked food, free. ;)

2011-11-20 14:10:33 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

This is a great project.