December 31, 2007

Carnival of Aloha

Sprite has put together another wonderful Carnival of Aloha over at Homespun Honolulu. This time she invites us to board the magical Menehune Train over at Honolulu Hale. Menehune are mystical little creatures of Hawaiian myth and their train is part of the downtown Honolulu holiday display . They’ll take us on a tour of the islands via some exemplary blogs. Come! Visit our wonderful paradise. Feel the aloha!

Technorati Tags: blog carnival, blogs, Hawaii, Hawaii blogs

December 30, 2007

Self Portrait Sunday for December 30, 2007

I know you’ve all been dying to know the secret to my timeless beauty. Today I’ve decided to share it with you. Mud. That’s right folks, you heard it here first: MUD. You, too, can achieve flawless skin through the regular application of mud. For best effect, scrub vigorously with fine gravel before applying the mud. The combination of these two methods is guaranteed to cleanse and exfoliate, producing dazzling skin that the men will all want to caress, especially if you follow up with an astringent cleanser and a moisturizing lotion. Unless you’re in your mid-fifties and have neglected such routines for most of your life and baked youself in the tropical sun for about a dozen years. In that case it’s probably hopeless, but we have to try, don’t we? Thus the weekly ritual, standing at our bathroom vanities, slathering on expensive and irritating concoctions that we know aren’t going to make a bit of difference, though hope springs eternal that someday, just maybe … well, no - that’s not true. I gave up years ago but seem to be stuck in the ritual. I continue because sometimes I think that I’ll finally get rid of the constant blackheads and occasional pimples that have plagued me since my teens; that the product at hand will undo the damage of sun and decades. {{{{{Shrug}}}}} Can’t hurt, right?

If you want to see some genuine beauties, get thee over to Digi-Cass and follow the links in the comments to all of the other fine folks who posted their portraits today. Wait until eyes quit bleeding from the exposure to my picture, though. I promise you, they’re all lovley enough to promote quick healing.

Technorati Tags: meme, photos, self portraits

Posted by skeet @ 9:13 pm • Photos, Meme • 19 comments  

December 28, 2007

Dream Day First Home - new hidden object game

Just as the pre-holiday frenzy kicked into high gear I was notified of three new hidden object games. I love to be the “see it here first” blog, but I had so much to do last week that I couldn’t keep up. If you’re a hidden object fanatic you’ve probably already found Dream Day First Home, but I’d hate to not review it and then find that some of you were unaware, so here ya go!

I’ve played the first two games in the Dream Day series, so I pretty much knew what to expect with this one. Robert and Jenny needed our help in the past with planning their Dream Day Wedding, and even invited us to accompany them on their Dream Day Honeymoon, so of course they knew they could count on us to help them get their new home in order. The whole house starts off as a cluttered mess, but you’ll eventually be rewarded with “after” pictures of each room, the yard and the facade.

This is another “fair play” games, with clutter and clever placement of hidden objects providing the challenge. I think the Dream Day games are among the easiest that I’ve played, just right when you’d rather chill out than strain your brain and eyes. I started out playing First Home in the timed mode, then switched to the relaxed, untimed mode because there were too many distractions going on. If you’re looking for a game you can play with the kids, try this one. Most objects in each scene are fairly easy to find, with just enough “toughies” to keep you on your toes.

Fixing up a home requires numerous trips to the hardware store and various other shops, so those scenes appear throughout the game. Hints are accumulated by collecting golden eggs - five golden eggs required for each hint, so make sure you collect them all. How many can you spot in the scene above?

A few of the screens will have an item in blue at the bottom of the list of objects to find. Scratching a blue item off of your list requires one click to expose the object and a second to claim it. In the scene of above, “snake eyes” appears in blue. See the dice at lower right? They’re showing 8 pips. Your first click will roll them over to snake eyes, then the second click will mark them as found.

You’ll be rewarded with mini-games after each round. I found them to be pretty mindless, but I played them anyway so I could see the final bonus room - the attic. A surprise awaits all who finish the attic, but you’ll probably figure out what it is long before you’ve papered, painted and furnished the scene.

I downloaded the trial version of Dream Day First Home from Big Fish Games, my all-time-favorite game site. I bought the full version, too, to add to my growing treasure chest of hidden object games. The cool thing is that I’ve “purchased” six games in the last few days without paying a penny for any of them. I’m a Big Fish Game Club member and they’re very generous with special offers, game credits and coupon codes for their members. Joining is a no-brainer if you love hidden object games, or any other computer games, for that matter. Just sayin!

Technorati Tags: Big Fish Games, Dream Day First Home, games, hidden object games

Four Foods on Friday

If it’s Friday it must be time to play with our food again! Val over at Fun, Crafts and Recipes will expound on our answers later today, so there’s still time for you to play Four Foods on Friday, too. Just write your own blog post answering the questions, then give Val the link as a comment to her post, linked above.

Here are this week’s four questions.

#1. Lasagne noodles. Do you find a difference in taste between the regular and the no bake noodles?

Well, now I’m embarrassed. I don’t think I’ve ever made lasagne except for a few times when I helped Mom make it when I was a kid. I love the stuff, but it’s so much trouble to make. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as no-bake noodles!

#2. What is your favorite flavor PopTart?

Mmmmmm! Brown sugar cinnamon! No, wait - blueberry! Or maybe - chocolate!

#3. What’s your favorite type of pasta? Not how served, but the type - elbows, ziti, spaghetti, shells, etc. Why?

It depends on the sauce. If it’s cheese sacue it has to be elbows or shells. Marinara is perfect with angel hair. Pesto needs lots of little pockets to cling to, so I usually use fusilli for that. Alfredo sauce goes with everything!

#4. Green beans. What’s your favorite way to make them or dish to use them for?

Funny you should ask, because I just created a new recipe for our Christmas dinner. I cleaned and cut about a pound and a half of fresh geen beans, then tossed them in a saute’ pan with a couple of very thin slices of onion and about a quater of a cup of fresh, sliced mushrooms. I let them cook in just a little bit of olive oil until everything was nicely browned. Then I added a little water, turned the flame down, covered the pan and let it simmer until done - I left the beans slightly crispy. A few grinds of sea salt and black pepper were the only other ingredients. They were the hit of the dinner, amazingly flavorful. The secret is to use very little of the other ingredients so the beans are the star of the dish, just lightly flavored with onion and mushroom. Delicious!

There’s still time for you to get on over to Val’s place and play with your own food. Playing FFoF will automatically enter you in her first ever contest, which has a great cookbook for a prize. There’s only two days left to enter so you’d better get moving!

Beautiful green beans image from: Busy Moms Recipes because I didn’t know I was creating a masterpiece and neglected to take pictures.

Technorati Tags: food, meme, recipes

December 27, 2007

Share Some Good Stuff!

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with the bad news that we forget that there are good things going on around us all the time. We can’t change the headlines, but we can seek out that which is good, that which is uplifting, that which shines with a positive radiance - the good stuff. Here are some recent feel-great stories:

Karen made me smile with her story of how the US Navy came to the rescue of a young girl who became ill aboard a cruise ship.

Val found an uplifting story about a forward-thinking social entrepreneurial program that is making life better for disabled adults.

Pelf’s submission is not a story from mainstream news sources, but just this once I’m bending the rules. Pelf is soliciting bloggers for a group-writing project titled 31 Ways to Save the Ocean. Go read her post, pick a topic and blog about the things we all can do to keep our oceans clean, healthy and productive.

Finally, I had to share the good news when the Keiki Slippah Project brought Christmas to local kids who live on the beaches or in homeless shelters.

I know there are many more encouraging stories out there, especially this time of year when good will abounds. A lot of my readers have scaled back their online time in favor of holiday activities and family togetherness this week. As the holidays wind down and we get back into our same old dull routines, I hope you’ll make it a point to look beyond the headlines for the Good Stuff, and then come share it with the rest of us! Post your story on your blog and submit the link to me anytime to be included in the next roundup!

Technorati Tags: good news, current events, local stories, meme

Your Time to Care

It took me several days to watch the entire presentation of Your Time to Care, a DVD from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America eStore. The presentation is 142 minutes long, no longer than many movies, so I certainly could have watched in in one sitting. It was emotionally-charged for me, though, and I found that I needed breaks in between viewing sessions. The DVD is intended to provide an understanding of how to provide in-home care for individuals with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. I think it does an exemplary job of accomplishing its stated task, but I also think it’s applicable to a much wider audience. My long-time readers know that I was my father’s primary caregiver in his last year. He did not have Alzheimer’s. He had had multiple strokes. His brain still functioned much as it had throughout his adult life, but his body had become a damaged vessel. The DVD helps caregivers learn how to deal with the memory loss, confusion and acting out that many Alzheimer’s patients exhibit, but it also addresses the physical needs of anyone who is unable to take care of themselves. I found myself spiraling out of control emotionally as I watched lessons in encouraging someone to eat when their body no longer sends hunger signals, and in finding dignified ways to help tend to previously very private acts of toileting and cleanliness. I’ve been there and done that, and I could not help but think that it would have been easier for me and for my father if I’d had this DVD at my disposal back then. I had instructions from doctors and nurses and nutritionists, but the step-by-step, day-to-day care issues were never addressed. I had to learn as I went along what worked and what didn’t. I’m reminded of the terrible day that I had to call 911. I had left my father alone on the toilet. He slipped and became wedged between the toilet and the tub and I could not get him up. It was horrifying for both of us, and a blow to his dignity to have strangers see him in such circumstances. Having had lessons in daily care would have spared us both that experience because I would have learned a simple lesson: don’t leave him alone in situations where he could fall. I could cite numerous examples of how the DVD presentation could have made our lives better, but I think the one suffices. I heartily recommend Your Time to Care to anyone caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, of course, but also for caregivers taking care of adults with other diseases or limitations. I would not give up the time my father and I had together for any amount of money, but I wish I had had more knowledge about his needs during that time. I truely think this DVD could have made it a much easier time for both of us.

You can help support the mission of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America by shopping at their eStore. If you’re a procrastinator like me and still have a holiday gift or two to buy, please consider giving their lovely jewelry or something from their AFA quilt logo product line. Take a look at the DVD while you’re there, too. If you’re not a caregiver, you probably know someone else who is. I can think of no more meaningful gift than one that provides a caregiver with the basic tools they need as they tend to a loved one. My copy will be going soon to a friend who is caring for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s. I can’t change my own past experience, but I’m happy to be able to provide them with a practical guide that will make their lives safer and more pleasant.

Technorati Tags: Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, caregiving, home care

Share some Good Stuff

There are good news stories spilling out of the newspapers and over the airwaves this week, as the holiday spirit of goodness and charity overflows. Is there a feel-good story you’d like to share? Blog about a story from your own local news sources and send me the link. I’ll do a roundup this evening and hook you up with a link. Look beyond the ugly headlines today and Share Some Good Stuff!

Technorati Tags: good news, current events, local stories, meme

December 26, 2007

The day after

I was proud of my holiday table. A basket of cuttings from my rosemary bush simulated fir and surrounded some candles. Bundles of cinnamon sticks and a couple of cheery votive candles framed the basket. My oversized Christmas snowglobe completed the arrangement. I thought it lookied rather festive on the red tablecloth, and I used rectangles of the red and green plaid wrapping paper you can see in the background for no-fuss placemats. Too Martha Stewart? Well, I liked it anyway.

I noticed shortly after I finished arranging it that my left eye was itchy. By time we sat down to eat I could tell it was getting puffy. This has happened with increasing frequency over the last few years and I’ve learned to pretty much ignore it, or take benedryl if it gets out of hand. The puffiness increased greatly overnight. I knew the moment I awoke this morning what I would see in the mirror. It feels like a bag of water had been inserted under the skin of my lid, weighing it down. Still itches like the devil, of course. I don’t know if rosemary now needs to added to my list of allergies or if I got bitten by one of the mosquitos that swarmed out of the bush when I was getting my cuttings. I hope it was a mosquito. I could live without them, but I’d rather not give up my rosemary.

I’ve taken the benedryl I should have taken last night before bedtime. It will kick in in a little while. I’ll spend the rest of the day listless and groggy, with a long nap being inevitable. My list of chores for today won’t be reduced by much. I wanted to put away some of the holiday clutter, do some laundry and give the kitchen a post-cooking-frenzy scrub. I need to clean the gecko poop off of the car and should really shop for car covers so the geckos can play without causing me so much work. I thought I’d get all of that done and still have time to watch one of the movie DVDs that my Santa/friends brought. Ah, well - maybe tomorrow!

Technorati Tags: allergies, chores, eyes, gecko poop, holiday centerpiece

December 25, 2007

Little Shop: Big City - new hidden object game

First there was Little Shop of Treasures, then Little Shop of Treasures 2. Now Spin Top Games offers Little Shop: BigCity, with that old familiar feeling and a few new twists.

You probably already know the stoyline: you want to open a new shop, this time in the big city. You’ve got to earn money to get the shop up and running, so you work each day of the week for a different merchant. Customers come in needing help finding specific items, the hidden objects you’ll need to find. Find all fifteen objects on any given screen to earn a gold star.

The scenes are colorful, sharply drawn and delightfully cluttered. Most of the hidden objects are obvious when spotted, but use a hint to see a picture of an item if you can’t quite pick it out. I found this to be a “fair play” game - each sought object is clearly exactly what it’s supposed to be.

Build you store of hints by finding question marks in each scene (red arrows above.) You’ll also collect bonuses for finding the sock monkey (blue circle) and pigeons (green circles) in each picture. Sorry folks - I don’t do PhotoShop.

After you’ve played a few screens you’ll get some extra help. Watch for thermometers. There’s one above the red coffee mill on the right in the above scene. When you click on the thermometer, the characters across the bottom of the screen will give you an hand. Their comment boxes will sprout icicles or flames to tell you when you’re “hot” or “cold” as you approach a sought item.

You can download Little Shop: Big City for a free hour of play from Spin Top Games, or purchase the full version for $19.99. They have about forty hidden object games for fanatics like you and me, plus a few hundred games in other categories to keep you busy while you wait for the next new hidden object game.

Technorati Tags: games, hidden object games, Little Shop: Big City, Spin top Games

Mele Kalikimaka, Y’all!

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful holiday, full of love, great memories and returnable prezzies! Tuesday Teasers is taking the day off, not becuase I don’t love to mess with your minds, but because you have other things to do today. See you back here soon!

Technorati Tags: Christmas, Christmas greetings, Hawaii, photos