Thursday Thirteen - Father's Day Special

I am probably not alone in appreciating my father for this Thursday's list. I can only hope that you have a special dad with whom to share mutual affection. Here are thirteen cool things about mine:

1. Dad calls me regularly so that we keep in touch even when I get wrapped up in life and neglect picking up the phone.

2. He treats his children’s spouses like they’re his own. Dad (and Mom) basically adopted my husband.

3. He cooks most of the Thanksgiving meal for the whole clan from turkey to pumpkin pies.

4. He employed all of his adult children at various times and did his best to act as a fair boss.

5. He refitted a vintage bicycle so I could ride in comfort cheaply.

6. He graciously trades valuable services for neighbors’ small favors.

7. He loves dogs and all his kids’ various other critters

8. He built a basement underneath our existing ranch house when I was a toddler.

9. He maintained numerous simultaneous jobs so our mother of four could stay home for the full-time occupation of child and household care.

10. He’s built three (!) cat trees for my pets. Those things cost a fortune and each is unique.

11. He used his time, energy, and expertise to renovate our second floor deck. That bought us years before we need to replace the expensive thing.

12. He drove my mom clear across the state so they could both kindly stay with me while my husband underwent major surgery.

13. Last but not least, Dad and Mom left the hospital that recent day while giving me the impression they were heading straight home. Instead, he took the time to mow my lawn so I had one less thing to worry about during my husband’s recovery.

Thanks, Dad, for being you!

Thursday Thirteen - Crayon Castles

If you're a parent who has several thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket, here are thirteen bedroom creations available to purchase from the talented people at Crayon Castles. Even if these might be out of your price range, I must suggest that you check out crayoncastles.com for smaller accent furnishings and neat ideas.

Thursday Thirteen - Thirteen Culinary Terms

I may have been hungry when this topic appeared in my head. Whatever the case, here are thirteen food related terms that double as nouns and verbs.

1. Cook

2. Grill

3. Fillet

4. Roast

5. Milk

6. Rice (as in a potato ricer)

7. Pickle

8. Steam

9. Salt

10. Oil

11. Spice

12. Juice

13. Slice

Thirteen Thirteen - Facts about Tigger

1. Winnie the Pooh’s friend is almost always upbeat and enthused

2. He first appears in “The House on Pooh Corner”

3. Tigger originally introduces himself with a big bounce on Pooh’s doorstep late at night

4. He lives with Kanga and Roo in the books but has a treehouse in the Disney rendition

5. Eeyore gets bounced into the river by Tigger

6. Rabbit disapproves of Tigger’s boisterous ways

7. Piglet is somewhat nervous of the bigger, bouncy Tigger

8. Pooh states that Tigger only seems large because of his bouncing, indicating their other friends in the Hundred Acre Wood think of him as bigger than he actually is

9. Capable of holding a pen, he nonetheless jumps on all four feet more often than not in Ernest H. Shepard’s illustrations

10. While he has his own theme song, “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers”, he is not in the Winnie the Pooh theme song

11. The rather egotistical Tigger tends to get into projects over his head and cause more harm than good

12. He is never mentioned as being a tiger, only ever as a Tigger

13. The proper way to spell his name is T-I-double-guh-err

Amorphophallus conjac

I'm so excited! My Amorphophallus conjac is presenting not one bloom, but four this year! Click below for pictures from last year. I'll take pictures as the show commences in the coming weeks. Hopefully the weather will continue to cooperate with temperatures low enough to keep it from wilting quickly.

Amorphophallus conjac

Thursday Thirteen - Garlic

April 19th was National Garlic Day in the United States, and I’d like to celebrate that fact by sharing some. Thanks to Dilo Keith for letting me know of the obscure holiday!

1. The fear of garlic is alliumphobia.

2. Eating it reduces the buildup of plaque in arteries.

3. Consumption also lowers blood cholesterol levels according to some studies.

4. China produces over 77% of global output.

5. The compound known as allicin from crushed bulbs exhibits both antibacterial and antifungal properties.

6. Phytochemicals in garlic are believed to protect against stomach and colorectal cancers.

7. Eating garlic before mosque attendance is inappropriate according to Islamic views as subsequent bad breath may irritate fellow worshippers.

8. Parsley supposedly provides relief from garlic breath, but the reprieve is temporary at best.

9. The purported protection against evil such as vampires may be well known, but there is also a reverse Islamic myth that Satan’s left footprint sprouted garlic in the Garden of Eden.

10. Another name for garlic is “stinking rose” due to its strong odor.

11. All plants in the allium family can cause allergic reactions that range from the uncomfortable and disgusting to the dangerous, such as anaphylaxis.

12. Korean treatment of fermentation of the cloves within their skin creates black garlic that is soft, sweet, and mild (I recommend and have even snacked on the treat by itself).

13. Dating at least as far back as the time the Giza pyramids were built, garlic’s use as food and medicine covers thousands of years and countless cultures. Since that’s probably no surprise, as a bonus I’ll add that the most coveted type today originates in Syria.

Flash Fiction Friday

Eye of the Beholder

The fight started like many others, with innocent mistake. In this case, Marko backed into a table while playing pool. One of two seated women squealed when a drink splashed her. The man next to her exploded out of his chair.

Thursday Thirteen - Feel Good Movies

My partner brought up the idea of listing thirteen movies that always brighten my mood. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it turned out to be.

1. Young Frankenstein - endlessly quotable and forever a favorite

2. Top Secret! - a spoof that barely edged out the classic, darker flick, Kelly's Heroes

3. Clerks II - not really better than the original but I made myself choose one of the two

4. Best in show - Catherine O'Hara is just one brilliant comedic star in this

5. Sean of the Dead - genius

6. Joe's Apartment - roaches are actually cute in this outrageous romp

7. Real Genius - another Val Kilmer project, in it he stole every scene

8. Heathers - dark, dramatic, deliciously funny; a must see

9. Beetlejuice - makes me want a haunted house

10. Willow - while very different, this edged out Napoleon Dynamite on my list

11. Dark City - the surprise ending still blows me away

12. Cousins - the love story never fails to put a smile on my face

13. Dodgeball - this was the best part of the vacation during which I first saw it!