Small Talk: a.k.a. 'The Meet Market'

[HoodlumSheep]

I think one of the biggest jump scares I've ever had was at a movie theater a long time ago. I wasn't the only one who jumped either.

It was during the movie Eight Below (about a group of dogs stranded in Antarctica). There was a decent crowd at the movie. Basically, the dogs found a dead orca and are going to eat some of it for food. But of course, there's a giant hole in it. Looking around the theater you could see everyone mentally preparing and bracing themselves for something to pop out of that hole. It didn't work though, because a raging sea lion came flying out to attack the dogs. The ENTIRE theater jumped three feet in the air and some actually screamed out loud. That scene was not fun. Sea lions are crazy. Every time I think of them I remember the evil scary ones from Pebble and the Penguin that still scare me.

Sometimes i feel like mentally bracing yourself for a movie scare only makes it worse than if you were in a more relaxed state.

On a different note, we hulled 2 flats of strawberries today.

[Shanna Marie]

On a different note, we hulled 2 flats of strawberries today.

It must be strawberry day because I just made strawberry jam. There will likely be screaming and jumping later when the jars seal and make that loud "pop" sound.

[Selina K]

Oh canners - no wonder I enjoy this community.

I am admittedly a little ... Ahem ... Obsessive about making jam. I typically only can organic pick your own fruit. So far I have classic strawberry preserves, vanilla strawberry jam, and sour cherry preserves. I know every pick your own farm in a forty mile radius, have multiple CSA shares for vegetables and meat, and try to preserve by canning and freezing everything I can over the summer. I literally light up when I am talking about pick your own fruit. I was psyched to get cherries this year as last year the cold killed all the blossoms before anything could fruit out.

I have problems, but there are worse obsessions to have.

[HoodlumSheep]

My mom cans tomatoes, but that's about it. We've made jam in the past, but we still have quite the supply to get through. We mash and freeze our strawberries; same with our peaches.

I miss the days of u-pick. We used to pick strawberries, but the place we went to stopped growing strawberries awhile back. It's a good distance to the next few places, so it's not really worth picking anymore. We just buy the flats. We've been off and on with picking blueberries in the past too.

The main problem with u-pick is that it ends up with us eating a strawberry/blueberry every few we pick. My siblings and I lack self-control.

The vanilla strawberry jam sounds interesting!

[Curio]

My area actually has a ton of strawberries right now, so I'll be doing some strawberry picking this weekend. If anyone has any good strawberry recipes, please post them! (I'm certain I'll be picking way too many strawberries than I can handle, so I need to be creative with how I use them in the upcoming weeks. I should probably dig up my grandma's strawberry rhubarb pie recipe that hasn't been touched in years...)

[Selina K]

Strawberry recipes.

 

i should note that berries themseves topped with a little balsamic vinegar are pretty awesome with or without some vanilla ice cream.

 

https://food52.com/recipes/17661-james-beard-s-strawberry-shortcakes

 

i made these this year.  They were delicious.  The shortcake has a neat almost sandy texture that just melted into the strawberries and cream.  I added vanilla ice cream for good measure.

 

Strawberry pie.  I make this almost every week in June and then not the rest of the year because it isn't worth it without fresh strawberries.  I make a graham cracker crust, but you can use whatever crust you like.

 

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

2 qts. fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled; halved or quartered
1 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c water
1 T. pectin for low sugar recipes
1 pinch table salt
2 T. fresh lemon juice

 

Top with:

1 c. cold heavy cream,  whipped with
1-2 T. sugar

 

Instructions:

puree 2 cups of strawberries for 20 to 30 seconds in a food processor. This should yield around 1.25 c. of purée.
Whisk puree, sugar, pectin, and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to prevent scorching. When it boils pull off heat and add cornstarch mixture.  Return to heat and stir and return to boil stirring constantly.  Continue until mixture looks thick and darkens.  Transfer to a large bowl to allow it to cool more quickly and stir in lemon juice, allowing mixture to come to room temperature.

Add remaining berries to purée mixture when it has reached room temperature. Stir until berries are evenly coated. Scoop into pie shell, piling into mound. Turn all berries on top face down for a prettier finished appearance. Refrigerate until pie is chilled, about 2 hours.  top with whipped cream.

[Shanna Marie]

I'm not that ambitious a canner. The only thing I make is strawberry jam because it doesn't require complicated canning equipment. I tried making it one year on a whim to see if I could, and it was so good that it spoiled me and I can barely tolerate store-bought jam anymore, so I've made a tradition out of it. I don't have the storage space for a lot of canned goods or for the real equipment (I use a stock pot for a water bath).

 

Strawberries don't seem to grow that well here, so I don't know of any you-pick-it places. We can get peaches (some years -- last year there was a drought, so the peaches weren't good. This year there was flooding), blackberries and blueberries around where my parents live. When my parents lived on a farm, we had peach trees and a lot of blackberry vines and made blackberry jam, but where they live now they're only just starting to get a few blackberries and haven't managed to get peaches that the birds and squirrels don't get first. They do have a good fig tree, but I'm not crazy about those.

[YaddaYadda]

So I see a whole bunch of people wanting to move to Canada after the Supreme Court vote for marriage equality?

 

And I laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh some more.  Then I stop, then I start laughing all over again...Someone needs to take these people by the hand and explain to them how things work in Canada.

 

...

 

I don't know if anyone has ever seen or is familiar with The Running Man.  It's another one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's horrible 80s movies.  Hubby loves 80s movies, he calls them classics and anything with Arnold is a classic and he is very good with the accent.  Long story short, one of the bad guys (the show host) is named Killian and in one of the scenes, Arnold's character is screaming Killian's name (accent and all), so Mr. Yadda has decided it would be funny to just walk past me and "yell" the name Killian in his very well practiced Arnold accent.

 

This has been my summer thus far.  My dork, doing his imitation of Arnold as the Running Man yelling Killian's name.

Edited June 26, 2015 by YaddaYadda

[Souris]

I'm about to go to a chocolate and tea pairing tasting. Two of my favorite things! Throw in cats & Colin O'Donoghue and I'd never leave the place.

[Shanna Marie]

You know, I love chocolate, and I love tea, but I don't really think of them together. Unless I'm eating chocolate cookies with a cup of tea, which is lovely, particularly shortbread kinds of cookies with chocolate on or in them (like Milanos, mmmm). I definitely don't like the idea of chocolate-flavored tea. I haven't really thought of having chocolate itself (candy, not baked into something) with tea.

 

You'll have to tell us which chocolates go well with which teas. I am willing to expand my horizons.

 

Which reminds me, a friend gave me some chocolate designed to be paired with Riesling wine. And I have Riesling wine. I think I know what tonight's dessert will be.

[OnceUponAJen]

Mmmm....I was just thinking that a chocolate-wine pairing tasting would be great. Or coffee. Chocolate and anything really. Dark chocolate is my poison!

[daxx]

I hate you all. Since I discovered I was allergic to chocolate two years ago I haven't had any. Ugh.

[Mari]

I hate you all. Since I discovered I was allergic to chocolate two years ago I haven't had any. Ugh.

You poor thing . . . it's like the universe is punishing you.

 

Carob may be the same color, but it is not the same thing.

[daxx]

I did make some hot carob with cinnamon in the winter when I was desperate. It wasn't bad actually.

[legaleagle53]

So I see a whole bunch of people wanting to move to Canada after the Supreme Court vote for marriage equality?

 

And I laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh some more.  Then I stop, then I start laughing all over again...Someone needs to take these people by the hand and explain to them how things work in Canada.

 

They just need to read up on Canada, which has had marriage equality for 10 years now.  Oh, and they might want to rethink Mexico, too -- that country has had marriage equality for several weeks!

Edited June 27, 2015 by legaleagle53

[KAOS Agent]

When I lived in Budapest my boyfriend and I used to stop at the coffee house across from the opera so I could have Earl Grey tea and chocolate cake. He thought my addiction to Earl Grey was cute. As far as I'm concerned if I'm eating chocolate, I better have some Earl Grey around to drink with it. My need for it is pretty well known such that my parents' neighbor always gives me several different brands of the tea for Christmas. 

[Shanna Marie]

I hate you all. Since I discovered I was allergic to chocolate two years ago I haven't had any. Ugh.

I know that pain. I tested as allergic to it when I was in high school and ate no chocolate from the time I was about 15 until I was almost 30. Then I was on a business trip, my flight got in late, the hotel restaurant had closed, there weren't really any places to eat nearby, and I was starving, but I was staying at a Doubletree, where they give you a warm chocolate chip cookie at check-in. I was desperate, so I ate it. And nothing happened. I tried a few other controlled experiments, and I couldn't see any obvious bad results, so I started eating chocolate again.

 

I'm not a huge fan of Earl Grey tea, though there is an Earl Grey Creme I like. Haven't thought of trying it with chocolate, though.

 

The chocolate for Riesling was very good with Riesling. Also with fresh cherries. Hmm, dark chocolate and cherries gets you Black Forest cake. The Germans are on to something.

[daxx]

I've never been tested for allergies but wheat or chocolate cause joint inflammation then seriously bad rosascea for several weeks after. When I avoid both I clear up. Did you know rosascea can spread to the eyeball? Yep, found out that when I accidentally ate some breaded chicken in my grilled chicken salad...smh

[OnceUponAJen]

I've never been tested for allergies but wheat or chocolate cause joint inflammation then seriously bad rosascea for several weeks after. When I avoid both I clear up. Did you know rosascea can spread to the eyeball? Yep, found out that when I accidentally ate some breaded chicken in my grilled chicken salad...smh

I did not know that. I only get problems with rosacea when I use inexpensive soap on my face. That's much easier to avoid!

[HoodlumSheep]

I've had many mysterious allergic reactions in my past (nothing bad, just hives), but we've never figured out what I'm actually allergic to. I've never been tested. My brother has though, because he seems to be always suffering from a runny nose or something. He's allergic to dust, trees, etc. we figure he has what's referred to "Michigan allergies."

For my case we think it could be one of the dyes (particularly red or blue). But I don't always react to foods with that stuff in it so, who knows?

I just don't want a million needles stabbed into my back to get tested, so it will probably forever remain a mystery.

Watched that new DCOM Teen Beach 2 yesterday (judge me all you want!). I liked the first one better. Count me in as one of the people (many, by the sounds of it) who was disappointed/frustrated with the ending. Like, I get the message and can understand the ending, but I just didn't like it. I'm all for the Girl Power! Message they seem to enjoy, but sometimes it's just too much (I say this as a fellow lady), especially when it comes at the cost of unequal development for the boys. I really thought the boys got gypped in the end.

Sorry, had to rant for a bit about a cheesy DCOM aimed for kids.

Edited June 27, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[Souris]

I hate you all. Since I discovered I was allergic to chocolate two years ago I haven't had any. Ugh.

 

Ugh, indeed. My mom is allergic to chocolate. I inherited the propensity for allergies (my family is VERY allergenic!), but luckily not the chocolate allergy. I got allergies to penicillin, dust, mold, grasses, trees. And cats. But I decided I'd just be miserable in a different way if I didn't have my cats, so I said screw it. I've been taking allergy shots.

 

The chocolate-tea pairing was great! It was specific tea from a local tea-maker and specific chocolate from a local chocolate-maker, so I don't know how well it would translate in general. But all the pairings worked, even ones I didn't think would, like with chamomile-peppermint herbal tea. The salted chocolate worked really well with the chai, because the salt brought out the spices nicely. I'm not an Earl Grey fan (I don't like the bergamot flavor that's in there, although I adore the SMELL of bergamot essential oil), but others at my table really liked the salted chocolate with that as well.

[Curio]

Count me in as one of the people (many, by the sounds of it) who was disappointed/frustrated with the ending. Like, I get the message and can understand the ending, but I just didn't like it. I'm all for the Girl Power! Message they seem to enjoy, but sometimes it's just too much (I say this as a fellow lady), especially when it comes at the cost of unequal development for the boys. I really thought the boys got gypped in the end.

 

Heh. Well, now you've got me curious about what the ending was. Care to share? (I doubt anyone will be upset about spoilers for a DCOM...)

[Mari]

I'm all for the Girl Power! Message they seem to enjoy, but sometimes it's just too much (I say this as a fellow lady), especially when it comes at the cost of unequal development for the boys. I really thought the boys got gypped in the end.

Sorry, had to rant for a bit about a cheesy DCOM aimed for kids.

Yeah.  As a woman who works primarily with troubled boys, that's annoying.    What they watch does impact how kids think about themselves and others.    

 

And I've yet to figure out why some seem to think that to make women and girls powerful (which, yes, important, too.), you have to make men and boys useless, awful, idiots, or some terrible combo.  Commercials and sitcoms are especially bad for this.

[HoodlumSheep]

**Edited to add: in case you don't want to read my giant wall of text, this sums up the ending much better than I. Also, I would like to note how the actor who plays Tanner (the one I've explained I think deserved a little better, but maybe I'll get my wish if they make another sequel), thinks character is probably more of an action hero now. But, we don't get to see any of these hints because it's all focused on Lela).

http://tvline.com/2015/06/26/teen-beach-2-ending-explained-lela-queen/

I've also realized I spelled Lela's name wrong, but I'm not fixing it because I've edited this post a bajillion times already.

okay, first a refresher on Teen Beach movie:

Brady and Mack get trapped in a 1960s beach movie, mess it up, and try to get back home/to the real world by basically doing some course correction (so basically what happened in the 3b finale with CS). And of course while they're trying to fix the movie they breakdown the biker vs. surfer stereotypes and Mack shows Layla that she can do whatever she wants if she wants to (so breaking the gender stereotypes you'd probably find in a 60s beach movie).

Other things you should know: Brady loves the movie (called Wet Side Story), knows all the songs, moves, plot, etc.

TBM2: layla is no longer satisfied with her life in the movie. She wants to find herself. So, she and Tanner (her boyfriend) find their way to the real world using a magic necklace. So, Layla begins her journey of self discovery as she attends Brady and Mack's school.

Anyways, if Layla and Tanner don't return to their movie world, all the movie characters will disappear forever. And if they disappear, then that means the movie never existed, which means Brady and Mack never met.

Sorry, I'm trying to condense the movie as best as possible.

It ends with Layla and Tanner returning to the movie (but not before Mack tells Layla she can do whatever she wants and can change her role in the movie if she wants to). They don't make in time though, because Brady and Mack forget they ever met (they've only known/dated each other for 3 months before this anyways).

They re-meet at a Save the Beach! Fundraiser that Mack put together. The movie she's showing is Layla, Queen of the Beach (so layla changed the movie; thru girl power). But now it's Mack who is the movie fan (because it was a movie ahead of it's time concerning the whole feminism thing), and Brady has never seen it. Their first time meeting is basically reanacted with their roles reversed this time and you can tell there's a spark between them and you can tell they're going to get together again, which proves their "Meant to be" song true I suppose.

I don't know. Maybe it's the plot holes that bug me the most. And maybe I'm being over critical of the girl power stuff, but I just wish they had tweaked the movie just a bit to include something as equally great happening with Tanner. It's honestly just the last 10 minutes that irk me.

Because:

1. It means everything in the first movie (and basically the second movie) didn't happen.

2. This means The relationship development between Mack and Brady that we got in this movie is erased.

3. Due to all the events that transpired in the movies being erased, the only one who ended up with basically getting what she wanted (finding herself, more freedom, girl power) is Layla.

4. Tanner gets shafted in the development department. He's basically a ken doll with not a lot of brains (you have to keep in mind that he cones from a 60s style beach movie); He's a sweetheart though. besides his worries about basically not being enough for Layla anymore, his feelings are never really explored. He's a supportive friend towards Brady, but he only had 2 biggish moments (one where he talks to abrady about his relationship wih Layla, and the other is actually centered on Brady more than himself). i also think he was on the dumber side than he previously was (he was still an airhead, but he was definitely the comic relief in this film). That's why I think he got thrown under the rug compared to Layla. Layla basically took over the movie and what 2 seconds we see of Tanner basically shows him being a secondary character now. Are we to assume that he's perfectly happy now that Layla's happy? Or that he found his own happy ending? I mean that's fine and all, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. He at one point mentioned how he's never built things before, etc. and i thought maybe they were going to have Brady's surfboard crafting inspire him to basically start a journey to find himself, but nope, we're never really shown. Also, Brady's development got shafted too. Along with Mack's from the first movie, so then it calls into question plot hole stuff again.

5. It actually bummed me out that they swapped who the original fan of the movie was. that was one of the things I liked about Brady. He was a Wet Side Sort fanatic, and the movie obviously brought him great joy. But with Mack, while I think she loved the movie (Layla Queen of the beach), it seemed more connected with her identifying with the girl power message stuff.

5. Basically everyone got thrown under the rug for layla's quest to be queen of the beach. Yeah, Brady and Mack end up where they first started pretty much, but it's pretty much an alternate reality now. Tanner didn't get the development I think he deserved, and while I liked Brady's development it technically got erased. So the boys definitely got gypped. Mack got sort of gypped too, but i don't think as much as the boys. Everyone got gypped except for Layla due to the wacky AU/reboot magic stuff that happened!!!

This is way longer than it should be. I just wish the ending didn't technically erase all of the development (as much development DCOMs contain, that is).

Just imagine if CS was put in similar shoes where they failed, and therefore everything they've gone through would be null and void. And while they would basically meet for the first time again, things have been altered. Killian finds Emma under the pile of dead bodies now. Or just imagine the 4b finale. They're Together, but they aren't (or at least Hook isn't) quite the same. Would you honestly be happy with 4 seasons of development being erased?

The last ten minutes of this movie got me more worked up than it should have.

And of course, these are just my opinions and how I interpreted the movie. So each to his/her own. Once again, I just wish the ending was tweaked a little bit. Who knows, maybe they'll do another sequel.

That's one of the things that make me sad about the disney channel nowadays. They've basically split between boys and girls. The shows geared towards boys are now all on the XD channel. The main channel now targets girls. All of the main characters currently on the disney channel are girls. Unless you count some of the cartoon shows (which get switched to XD when it comes to premiering new eps, but sometimes play on the main station).

I'm sure the movie will be on the disney channel quite often or you can download the free app and watch it, if anyone wants to watch it. It's a typical DCOM, and you don't really have to see the first movie to enjoy it. You just have to know basically what I summarized in the beginning.

I can't believe a DCOM got me this worked up, lol.

Edited June 28, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[Dani-Ellie]

So my mom's boyfriend's granddaughter is visiting this weekend. She turned two in March. When my mom turned on the TV this evening, whatever channel she'd left on was showing Jurassic Park. It was right at the part where Ellie's turning the lights on and the velociraptor jumps through the fence behind her. When I got to that part the first time I saw the movie, my twelve-year-old self actually screamed out loud in the theater. Little Samantha, on the other hand, doesn't so much as jump and then says, "Look! A dinosaur!"

 

(Needless to say, my mom changed the channel pretty quickly after that. But still! Didn't even bat an eye! Twenty-first century kids, man.)

[OnceUponAJen]

I saw Jurassic World today, and loved it! Definitely would not take young kids to it, though!

[HoodlumSheep]

I came from a family that followed the age limit/guidelines pretty closely (pg-13, R,etc.). They did allow us to watch Jurassic Park early though (if we were 8 or older we could watch it).

I actually saw my first bit of Jurassic Park when I was 5ish. It was when we took our family vacation down to Disney World and we were staying at my aunt's. i was left upstairs, because everyone else was watching JP downstairs. I came downstairs when I was getting spooked from being alone in the dark. I sat in front of them with my pink blanket over my head, so they didn't see that I was watching. I remember seeing the part where the lawyer gets eaten, and I vaguely recall seeing the t-rex/jeep chase scene.

I don't think it bothered me at all. At that age I was more afraid of monsters in my closet or under my bed than dinos.

[Mari]

The dinosaurs still make me jump, and I'm an adult who's seen the movie a couple of times.

 

I'm a wuss.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Mari

[HoodlumSheep]

"Clever Girl" has got to be one of my favorite lines. It's just so quotable, and you can use it for so many things. Of course it was said by my favorite character in the film, whom of course got eaten. My favorite characters tend to die.

[ParadoxLost]

I've been sitting here watching all the Princess Rap Battles what with the new one coming out with Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck) in it and featuring Maleficent. 

 

I have to wonder if OUAT inspired these (along with Epic Rap Battles of History of course) since the first one is Snow vs. Elsa and it came out right before 4A started.  The Snow v. Elsa one remains my favorite.  I wish we had Rap Battle Belle (and who knew Sarah Michelle Gellar had a sense of humor) instead of Rumpel's sycophant.

 

Just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about...

SNOW WHITE vs ELSA: Princess Rap Battle (Whitney Avalon ft. Katja Glieson) *explicit*

https://youtu.be/gcrQvoCzs80?list=RDy5k5e9RW8Og

Edited June 29, 2015 by ParadoxLost

[daxx]

I've been sick this week and not doing anything except watching old myth busters on Hulu , when I'm not at work, since it doesn't necessarily require my constant attention to enjoy. Just checked my fic email folder and wow, I have like 10 updates. Guess not reading for a week will do that.

Still don't feel like reading or anything else I would rewatch some OUAT but I'm tired of the husband commenting on my unhealthy obsession. I can't wait to find a house and finally get him exed.

On the positive side I'm pre qualified and can start shopping, the bad, my real estate agent is going on an 8 day vacation to Mexico. Ugh.

[HoodlumSheep]

I'm dog sitting right now for my aunt. So I'm very behind on all the latest ouat news (the reception isn't the best where she lives, so I've been trying to go technology free). I come home every few days to hang out for a couple hours, so then I try to play catch up with what's happening in the world/twitter/forum-verse. I've been dog sitting since the 28th an it goes until probably about July 10th.

Happy 4th! Going to a parade now!

[Crimson Belle]

I'm busy smoking about 100 pounds of meat for about 60 people, with all the traditional sides and a few nontraditional.

[HoodlumSheep]

About to make a flag cake. We're having hotdogs this year for a change. It makes it easier (we usually have bbq chicken).

Back from the parade. I'm happy. Got candy, a koozie (?). The Independance Day marathon on AMC is back. Fireworks tonight with elephant ears.

[Shanna Marie]

We had fireworks last night. It's a small town, but they did a pretty big show, and then we could see the really big show from another town in the distance from where we were sitting. They do the fireworks in a city park with a small lake in the middle, and it was kind of amusing watching the way the ducks in the lake reacted to the fireworks. Some flew away as soon as the fireworks started going off. One would dive under water at every boom, and then there were a few that didn't react at all.

 

I have a pork loin in the Crock Pot for pulled pork. Tomorrow there's a cookout at church. I guess today's going to be relatively quiet for me. The places where I would have usually gone for fireworks tonight are still under water.

[Souris]

I just got home from a 13-hour 4th of July cookout party. It's the same every year. We cook out for lunch, hang out, watch the traditional campy comedy "Spirit of '76," go see fireworks, then hang out some more. I'm so glad I don't have work the next day this year!

Edited July 5, 2015 by Souris

[Shanna Marie]

I won first prize in the dessert contest at the church cookout with my chocolate pecan pie. It's a little embarrassing how excited I am about this. I don't often win things -- I usually do well enough for "honorable mention" but not first prize -- and I really wasn't expecting this. So I'm like a little kid who won a ribbon at school.

 

Of course, now I've been told that I must make another one for the next choir get-together because the pie was gone pretty fast, and at a choir-only event everyone will have a better chance at getting a slice.

[Souris]

Congrats!! Sounds yummy and like I would love a slice.

[KAOS Agent]

My dog has now spent three consecutive evenings cowering under the bed. I knew it would be bad tonight when I saw the people behind me had a bunch of kids at their house and sure enough we had an hour of very, very loud fireworks - even the rain didn't seem to deter them. Once they finally quit, nature took over and delivered its own fireworks. The poor dog just can't catch a break.

[Mari]

My dog has now spent three consecutive evenings cowering under the bed. I knew it would be bad tonight when I saw the people behind me had a bunch of kids at their house and sure enough we had an hour of very, very loud fireworks - even the rain didn't seem to deter them. Once they finally quit, nature took over and delivered its own fireworks. The poor dog just can't catch a break.

I completely understand. I had to resort to driving out of town to walk mine, because he was to afraid to relieve himself in our neighborhood. This morning, he stood at the back door and stared out for several seconds before taking the first couple of timid steps out. When a car drove over something that rattled, he was ready to go home.

He's a shelter dog, and we think someone might have done something to him with fireworks when he was still a street dog.

It is miserable, and you can't even explain tithe that they're safe.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Mari

[tennisgurl]

Poor dogs. Mine usually spends the Fourth hiding in the bathroom, whining until people pet her. Luckily she was out in the country this year, so it wasn't as bad as usual. 

 

Man, I cant lie, depression is kicking my ass lately. It all started with a series of television related disappointments, and a lot of rapid change in my life. Its frustrating that I feel as though I`m doing everything right, I`m trying to do all the things they say you should do when your depressed, but I still feel anxious/depressed every dang day. It sucks. And I feel like there is no one really to talk to.

 

Planting has helped a lot at least. Plus I went on a short hike yesterday, so yesterday was better. Today has sucked though. And I don't even have my dog here! 

[OnceUponAJen]

You can usually tell it's been either New Years or the Fourth by the number of missing dog reports the next day. I always post on my FB about keeping your pets in, etc., during fireworks but many people just don't take it seriously. I feel so bad for the pets!

[Mari]

Man, I cant lie, depression is kicking my ass lately. It all started with a series of television related disappointments, and a lot of rapid change in my life. Its frustrating that I feel as though I`m doing everything right, I`m trying to do all the things they say you should do when your depressed, but I still feel anxious/depressed every dang day. It sucks. And I feel like there is no one really to talk to.

I'm sorry--that has to be hard.  I hope it gets better, soon.

 

I always post on my FB about keeping your pets in, etc., during fireworks but many people just don't take it seriously. I feel so bad for the pets!

II had a coworker who took her new, young kittens out for a walk during the worst of the fireworks--on purpose--because she thought it would be a nice outing for all of them.  After all, she liked the fireworks.

 

She was shocked and horrified when they clawed free of their leashes and ran and hid, and couldn't really understand why, at first.   It never occurred to her that loud, noisy bangs and unexpected flashing and smoke smell might not be reassuring.

 

 

ETA:  She found them within a couple of days.  They were fine--just scared and hungry.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Mari

[OnceUponAJen]

Mari....I hope she found the kittens!!

[legaleagle53]

Mari....I hope she found the kittens!!

 

And that she learned her lesson!

[Souris]

Man, I cant lie, depression is kicking my ass lately. It all started with a series of television related disappointments, and a lot of rapid change in my life. Its frustrating that I feel as though I`m doing everything right, I`m trying to do all the things they say you should do when your depressed, but I still feel anxious/depressed every dang day. It sucks. And I feel like there is no one really to talk to.

 

Planting has helped a lot at least. Plus I went on a short hike yesterday, so yesterday was better. Today has sucked though. And I don't even have my dog here! 

 

I'm so sorry! I'm glad you're making the effort to do things and that planting has helped some. I find weeding therapeutic, too. I mean, I hate it because it's just never-ending, but I get such a sense of accomplishment -- you can really see the difference it makes in how the beds look.

 

Some critter is biting my grape tomatoes in half. They're like 3 feet off the ground, so it seems too tall to be the bunnies that are all over the neighborhood. And my backyard is totally fenced in, so it's not deer. I never see squirrels in my neighborhood. I can't figure it out.

[KAOS Agent]

Deer jump fences just fine. I have a seven foot privacy fence and have found a whole herd in my yard more than once. I've never had a problem with them in my garden though.

 

Today, we got more storms, so the dog and I spent the afternoon once again holed up in the bedroom with her cowering. The hail just added to the loud noises. No fireworks tonight though, so that's a bonus. Now we'll have a couple of weeks off before the Mormons start shooting them off to celebrate their ancestors.

[tennisgurl]

Right now, I am trying to lose myself in projects. I`m trying to decide if I should paint, knit, crochet, or some other craft projects. At least on days when I cant garden. 

[HoodlumSheep]

Only 1-2 days more of dog sitting!

Been watching shark week. It just feels so wrong with it being so early this year.

[Souris]

Is anybody planning to read the new Harper Lee novel? I was excited about it, but now I'm not sure I want to given the recent revelations.