Tonight I made caramel apples. I don't know if I've EVER made caramel apples entirely on my own without the supervision of my mother. When I was a kid, my interest in making caramel apples lasted about as long as it took to get the caramels unwrapped. Then I was all, are they done yet???? That was how I 'made' caramel apples in my house.
Every year, Papa Cash and I go over to the rich part of town to see the pumpkin display. Hundreds of pumpkins are available for kids and their parents to carve, and they supply the lights and the candles. This goes on for a few days, and the pumpkins are piled up on mountains of picnic tables and are lit and the little park has that wonderful waxy warm pumpkin guts smell. There is usually music and food and candy for sale. And every year, Papa Cash and I buy a couple of slightly overpriced but delicious 'turtle' caramel apples- covered with caramel and chocolate and pecans. Mmmm. One thing I've noticed, however, is the quality of the apple underneath this gooey deliciousness seems to decrease year after year.
So when we were in Door County - where the name of the game is overpriced everything- we passed a fudge shop that had some of the most luscious caramel apples known to God and man in its window. They were covered in mounds of caramel, chocolate, nuts - one even had chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows piled on it. I had to go inside and see them for myself. I wasn't even planning on buying one- because I already planned on getting my caramel apple fix at the pumpkin party.
TEN BUCKS. TEN FREAKIN' BUCKS FOR A DANG APPLE WITH SOME STUFF ON IT.
Suddenly I became the mom in that old Eddie Murphy skit from Raw. You know, when he wants McDonalds, and his mom is all, oh no, Mama can make you a burger at home! Mama can make a burger better than McDonalds! I'm gonna go down to the orchard, buy a bag of apples, and make CARAMEL APPLES AT HOME!
So that's what I did. I even made it through the part where you melt the caramels and dipped them (although I'd bet five bucks if my mom were here, I'd have sort of disappeared around the time the caramels hit the pan) let them set, melted chocolate, chopped pecans......and I have to say that even though they weren't as professional looking, they were mighty tasty.
Uh-whoops. I let a WHOLE DANG WEEK go by without providing any Halloween Goodness. For that I am SO SORRY. I could give you a list of excuses, but remember my first post of the month? When I gave that nice list of alllllll the wonderful things I SHOULD be doing. Well, they're done. So combine that with a two day trip to Door County with Papa Cash, feeding/cleaning up after/giving meds to three cats, laundry and other fun household duties............that's pretty much where my week went.
I've also decided I should expand my list of Halloween Goodness to cover other things that are fun.
So for Day 13 (and now you'll have to play catch up with me!) Let me present this wonderful book:
I have owned this book for THREE YEARS and I still haven't finished it. It's not that I'm that slow of a reader (I can read a book a day on vacation) it's just that this book is something that you enjoy in small bites savored with a good wine.
It's a collection of short stories about Halloween combined with the favorite Halloween memories of many horror anthology writers. I own quite a few horror anthologies but I don't have anything like this.
This is the third October I've gotten it out and it's not going to be finished this year either. Even if I weren't in the midst of school madness, I still don't think I'd finish it. I'll read a few stories and memories in the next week, and then I'll put it away till next year. It'll wait for me to get it out and cherish it again.
I found my copy in the bargain books and paid 6.99 - the full price was listed as 15.99. I looked on Amazon but they only list used copies- and the lowest price there is over twenty bucks. But I looked a little more, and found it here for 5.95. October Dreams
Today's Halloween photo comes to you courtesy of my cat Ash. He is proud to epitomize the holiday for you!
I said I'd keep Sundays lighter- so today I'd like to showcase another favorite from my childhood-
Mad Monster Party! This wonderful animagic film was made by the brilliant team of Rankin-Bass. If you're not familiar with it, surely you're familiar with their Christmas offerings like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and my favorite, The Year Without A Santa Claus (go Cold Miser!) When I was little, the Christmas shows were always a 'special presentation' on prime time tv.
Mad Monster Party was harder to find, but I do remember watching it several times. I'd usually find it on a weekend afternoon, and I'm assuming it was around Halloween time. The part I always remembered was the actual 'party', when the skeleton band plays and the mummy unravels while he dances.
This movie disappeared from my radar for a few years-local tv stations stopped showing it, and my memory of it grew vaguer and vaguer. I can't recall when it was released on VHS- possibly when my mom owned her store? But I do remember when it came out on DVD. It was one of the first DVDs I ever bought, and remains one of my favorites to this day.
Here's the one clip I could find with my favorite character in the movie, Yetch.
So kick off your shoes, grab a sandwich, settle back and get ready to do 'The Mummy'
Until tomorrow, Stop with the Pinching! Mother Firefly
Yes, behind again. Last night I decided to go pedal to the metal and push through whatever homework I could accomplish. I finally stopped at 730 tonight. (I did sleep in there for a few hours) Now I'm showered, feet up, diet Pepsi next to me....and ready to recommend some ghoulish goodness to you.
Here's a great one for the season- another one that I try to fit into my schedule every October.
Now- I will NEVER say to you that this is a GREAT film.
I will say, however, that it is a FUN film. Back when it came out, when I was 13, it scared the hell out of me.
Now, I watch it and only remember how it scared me. It remains a favorite for that reason, and also now I revel in its silliness.
You could literally devise a drinking game around every time the movie ceases to make sense. And- maybe best of all - you have the fun Silver Shamrock song that you'll never get out of your head!
This movie has ABSOLUTELY NOT ONE DAMN THING to do with the original Halloween, or its sequel. From what I understand (and seem to remember at the time) this movie was going to be the first in a line of movies that would capitalize on the Halloween name but be their own movie having nothing to do with Michael Myers. But - it tanked and people hated it- the idea went nowhere, and eventually Mr. Myers came back and reclaimed his movie title.
The plot concerns Halloween, masks, the -good-guy-who-tries-to-solve-the-crime, his female sidekick, and an eeeeeeevillllllllll mask maker who wants to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!
And here we find ourselves on Day 10 of Halloween Madness. Today we're going to go in a little different direction and take a break from movies. Instead, I want to recommend a TV show that I never miss if I can help it. (And as long as my brother reminds me the new season has started)
I personally guarantee that this is the BEST show on TV starring plumbers by day/ ghosthunters by night that you can find.
All kidding aside, I heart this show a lot. I have been watching horror movies for so many years, not much scares me anymore. But GH consistently makes me want to hide under the covers week after week. Even if they don't find anything, watching them creep around in the dark taking pictures and looking for ghosts makes me tingly all over. Or maybe that's just from watching Jason.
In addition to providing me with a good weekly dose of scares, another great thing about the show is that they DON'T always find something. How can this be a good thing, you ask? Because the GH team are great debunkers. They will look for any possible explanation to explain the phenomena people experience, and they just don't get all excited about any old orb showing up on their cameras. That little thing flying past the lens? Might be dust, might be a bug. Nope, you gotta IMPRESS these dudes if you want them to get all fired up.
Take, for instance, an investigation that aired last week. A woman wrote to them about her gentleman friend who had recently bought a house to renovate it, and was becoming more and more anxious and depressed the longer he lived there. He was also feeling paranoid, like he was always being watched, and had a sense of a 'heaviness' around him. So the team goes in, does their thing, and totally investigates the house. They find plenty- but nothing paranormal. They find that the guy has a huge collection of paint cans, thinners, and other chemicals filling a set of shelves - right next to his furnace- so it can pump out all kinds of fumes all over his home, mold accumulating in the basement, and an exposed electrical box shooting out crazy electrical energy- all these things can not only make you physically ill, but can cause things like anxiety, depression, lethargy, etc.
So sometimes you don't have visitors from beyond the grave- it's just paint cans piled up in your basement.
But when they do find things, holy cow. I always seem to end up watching this show with the cats after Papa Cash has went to work, and unless it's 'paint can in your basement' show, I always have to watch something to shake off the creeps.
And also, ladies, we have the added benefit of two fairly attractive men leading us around in the dark- Jason and Grant. I personally prefer the bald hard assed Jason, but both of them are easy on the eyes.
The show is on Wednesday nights and Sci-Fi usually shows a couple of older shows before the new one- so you can get THREE HOURS of Ghost Hunting Fun every week.
Hello, my loves! I'm behind again! Weekdays get a little crazy around here with homework, classes, clinicals, work, cats, and whatever else I have to accomplish between Monday and Thursday. Everyone in my class has made calendars with what is due and when. Mine is even color coded- assignments in yellow and presentations in orange! And we all get them out about six times a day and obsess over them. It's adorable.
I think for tonight I'll just suggest two tastes of movies that taste good together! Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. I'm amazed by the number of people I meet who have not seen these films. THE HORROR! So- dig in if you haven't before!
Till tomorrow when I hopefully dig myself out of HALF of this homework and am able to break out the martini mix and pedicure equipment- Mother Firefly
Hello my friends, Unfortunately I'm not going to have the time I'd like to put into the blog like I did yesterday. I'm not home till 9, and I need to be up for clinical at 8- so the couple of hours I have between now and bed are pretty full. But I'm so committed to fulfilling my Halloween Promise, I don't want today to end without a suggestion.
So, without further adieu, I would like to suggest......
That you watch a movie with a big monkey in it.
You can watch either of the three King Kongs- I love them all so any of them are fine with me.
Or if you want some other suggestions:
Enjoy your big fuzzy monkeys (I'm talking to YOU, Mandy Ann!) and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
(10/14/2008 : I changed the embedded videos to links, they were starting automatically -until I know how to fix that, you can follow the links to the videos)
Well, hello dearhearts!
Today is a very special day- not only is it Day 6 of our Halloween Horror Marathon, but I am dedicating today's blog to my mother -otherwise known as harleygirl_13.
Today we are going back to my roots- waaaaaaay back in my early childhood years when a very special person entered my life by way of my mother and her love for classic horror films.
Let me introduce....the one......the only........ SIR GRAVES GHASTLY!
Sir Graves show ran from 1967 to 1980 and was broadcast out of Detroit. Every Saturday afternoon, Sir Graves showed classic horror films. He also had skits inbetween his movies and also showcased art that kids sent to him.
Sir Graves (along with my mom) was my introduction to the wonderful world of horror. I saw all the classics -Dracula, The Wolfman, Frankenstein, and The Mummy- and all the sequels that came from them. I'm sure that Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., and Boris Karloff were the probably the first three actors I ever knew. I especially loved Lon Chaney Jr (I think my mom had a soft spot for him, but she'll have to confirm that) and I was especially scared of the Mummy. I could never watch when Dracula went for the bite but I also kind of felt bad for Frankenstein's monster when my mom explained to me that the monster was a victim of circumstance and was not really a bad guy- he just didn't understand that the pretty little girl wouldn't float like the flowers and all he really wanted was a friend. (to a preschooler! how awesome is that???) It must have stuck because to this day I collect Frankenstein monsters.
I also had an introduction to one of my longtime loves, Vincent Price, and also learned about Hammer films. I LOVED SATURDAY AFTERNOONS. Saturday afternoons with my mom made me the woman I am today. A woman who loves thunderstorms and overcast days, scary cheesy horror music, and who could not live without horror films in my life. Take away my scary movies- you may as well shoot me.
I was lucky enough to come across four montages of Sir Graves' work. VERY lucky considering that during the years of his show, VCRs were not exactly commonplace. And these are pretty good quality considering. For those of you who don't remember the show or really love TV horror hosts, you probably won't find these clips very interesting. But my mom will, hee hee.
Here's the first clip- I ask you to at least watch the first couple of minutes featuring SGG's famous laugh and intro. The intro was the same every week. THE SAME. Listen to his instructions for enjoying the film he's about to lay on you. My mom followed every one. EVERY ONE. IN ORDER. That's dedication, people.
Watching that intro makes me a little misty. Also, I just realized in the last year that Sir Graves played all the characters on his show. I never realized that, silly me.
Watch at least the first part in this second section- I have NEVER forgotten this little skit and have thought about it often. It seemed like a dream and I would have thought it was one if I hadn't seen it so many times when I was little. I felt like I won the lottery when I finally got to see it again after all these years. Sir Graves Video Clip 2
Watch this third part and FF to the 1:40 mark and see what used to scare the HOLY HELL out of me in my prekindergarten days. I literally would run from the room and hide. I do remember peeking to see if this messed up thing was still on the TV. Pretty sure this started the thrill of horror for me- the adrenaline rush and then the -I can't watch- but I have to- just a little- THE HORROR- and the high of pushing myself to watch something I was terrified of. Better than any drug, people.
Ah, memories. I have never been interested in too much nostalgia for the past and I have lived my life according to a promise I made myself when I was a kid- that I would love every age I was at and never yearn for the past or to be younger. But I tell you- I might be willing to give up something pretty hefty to go back to just one Saturday afternoon cuddled up by 'the telly' with SGG and my mom and Lon Chaney Jr on the TV. If any of you invent a time machine, let me know. I might want to borrow it on some rainy Saturday afternoon.
On a sad side note, SGG, aka Lawson Deming, passed away a couple of years ago. My mom and I both went to his official fan website and signed the guestbook to be passed along to his family. He was as much a pivotal figure in my life as any teacher or relative I had in my early years. SGG, you'll ALWAYS be in my little black heart. So- in light of my post and dedication, I'd like to recommend you see a good 'Mummy' movie today in tribute to MY mummy and her indirect role in creating this blog.
My mom's favorite- and also the first scary movie she saw- was 'The Mummy's Hand' There's also: The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Curse, and The Mummy's Ghost, all of which feature Lon Chaney, Jr. Which would also make Mom happy.
Or, if you just need a good laugh along with your dead Egyptian guy: This one should do the job.
So, dearhearts, I will bid you good night......I have more homework that must be done before I am able to sleep. I will be back tomorrow with more movie fun.
Thanks for going down memory lane with me. Thanks, Mom, for making the memories possible. And thanks, Sir Graves, for many, many scary movies. You were the best.
Back to my list..... It's Sunday so I thought you might like some laughs along with your scares today.
I do like my horror to make me laugh intentionally as well as unintentionally. This is another one filled with good childhood memories for me.
I give you.... Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
I used to spend a lot of Saturday nights with my grandma, and every Sunday morning meant bacon and eggs and then Abbott and Costello on the Sunday morning movie. I'd always cross my fingers for this one, and I guess that the station didn't have a huge catalog of Abbott and Costello titles, because I saw this one ALOT. (along with Abbott and Costello Go To Mars, another great one.)
This is a beloved film for many people, and I'd be surprised if most of you have not seen it or at least heard of it. But it's Sunday and Sunday mornings make me think of Abbott and Costello. And bacon. I'll keep this tradition and keep my Sunday picks on the lighter side for the rest of the month. The bacon part is up to you, however.
Here's the trailer.
Here's a Youtube clip that happens to have one of my favorite moments in the film... it's not comedy but it's a keeper. This is actually three clips of so called 'bloopers' from the film- but watch for 'blooper' number two- I could give a rat's hinder about Dracula appearing in the mirror when maybe he shouldn't- focus instead on the chick Drac is putting the bite down on and LOOK AT THE EXPRESSION ON HER FACE. That's bliss if I ever saw it.
Some other Halloween fun I discovered this weekend- this blog (and many others) are having their own Halloween countdowns this month. But I especially enjoy this one: http://johnrozum.blogspot.com/
Here's a list of other blogs also participating. http://johnrozum.blogspot.com/2008/10/31-days-of-halloween-day-1-spooky-bonus_01.html
Any of my readers out there who also have blogs- I encourage you to come up with your own Halloween goodness!
Hello my loves! I'm back and ready to recommend yet another holiday favorite. You've already watched my first three recommendations, correct?
This is going to be a short and sweet post- seeing as though I'm already behind and if you're caught up with my blog, you know what else I'm up against.....
Suggestion #3: The Blob featuring Steve McQueen as the world's oldest teenager. Frickin' LOVE this film. This is one that really scared me in my pre-kindergarten days. Red jelly that spreads and eats your flesh and you can't get it off no matter what. SCARY!
This town is in danger, Steve says. And I believe him!
And so we go on to movie #4: Y'all need some Romero in your life. Just trust me on this one. AND you'll be prepared for what else I have in store for you all the rest of this month.
This is yet another classic in the public domain, so you can find it various places - but I've seen a TON of shitty transfers, so I implore you to rent it someplace like Netflix or Blockbuster and see the movie as God and George Romero intended.
Until tomorrow.....sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite..... Love, Mother Firefly
Hello, friends, fans, and family! I am BACK. I have been meaning to get back here for a couple weeks- in fact, I have a partly finished movie review sitting in my unfinished blogs.
But nursing school and clinicals have taken priority every day, and I never seem to find the moment when I'm 'caught up' and have time to actually sit down and do something I enjoy, which is writing this blog.
I'm not even caught up as I write this- in fact, I was just sitting and staring at my list of all the fun and interesting projects that are needing my attention RIGHT THIS FRIGGIN' SECOND.
A little sample of all the things I COULD be doing right now: -start my critique of a systematic review on the uses of honey and oncology care; -write Part I of my paper on the role of an Advanced Practice Nurse in wound care; -research glomerulornephritis - acute and chronic, causes and pathogenesis; -fill out my NCLEX paperwork -rehearse my part of a group powerpoint presentation on the Chronic Care Model and the role of an Advanced Practice Nurse; -start on one of two other group presentations on nursing theory or interventions. -read a bunch of articles and nursing texts for next week; -or two or three other things that are escaping me right now -Or I could just do this:
but I prefer this: I took a shower, threw some chocolate chip cookies in the oven, and made a pomegranate martini. Papa Cash is off at work tonight, so without his tallness I was forced to pull up a chair and climb up on the counter to retrieve my pomegranate martini mix and my vodka. Yes, climbing on the kitchen counters for booze like an alcoholic four year old.
And what has happened in the last half hour of not thinking about nursing school or homework or other boring responsibilities is that my mind has CLEARED. Yes, dearies, focus has returned! And now I know what it is that I must do. Now that October is here, it is my absolute duty to provide my friends and family a whole list of movies for this wonderful month.
In fact, I'm challenging myself to recommend a new movie each and every day.
That's 31 movies for your Halloween Viewing Pleasure.
And I'm already three days behind!!!!
Let's get started, shall we?
October 1:
I have a HUGE spot in my lil black heart that is reserved for Vincent Price. I've been watching him all my life. In fact- I don't ever remember NOT knowing who Vincent "Vinny the P' was. And I don't remember a time when seeing Vincent Price, even at his most evil, didn't make me feel all safe and warm inside. It's hard for me to pick a favorite Vincent Price film because I love them all. But if I had to pick one that I always want to watch around Halloween, this one might be it. Not only is it made by the great William Castle, it's creepy, well acted, a lot of fun and Vincent is charming and impossible to take your eyes off from even as he plots to kill his wife- right in front of her, of course.
I can't find an actual trailer, but I can find part 1-the first six minutes- of the movie. It's in the public domain, so you can either watch the rest of it on Youtube (which I sincerely hope you will NOT) or you can probably find this movie for sale for under five bucks. Or download it from a number of places online that have public domain movies.
October 2: Last year I forgot it was Halloween. No joke. I was on the bus on my way to school (so I'd already been up a couple of hours) when I realized it was Halloween. And I went, huh, and went on with my day. This year someone must have wanted to remind me early since I got this little gem from one of my friends at MySpace, Herschell Gordon Lewis, along with a quote from him.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
HGL classics to air on Turner Movie Classics
From the Gorefather himself ...
"Proof that old schlock never dies:
Turner Classic Movies has scheduled both "Blood Feast" and "Two Thousand Maniacs" for late-night viewing on Halloween. Those who stay up past midnight deserve what they get. "
2:30 AMBlood Feast (1963) - An Egyptian priest uses human sacrifice to bring back his goddess. Cast: William Kerwin, Mal Arnold, Connie Mason. Dir: Herschell Gordon Lewis. C-67 mins,
3:45 AMTwo Thousand Maniacs! (1964) - Travelers stumble on a Southern town out for revenge for losing the Civil War. Cast: William Kerwin, Connie Mason, Jeffrey Allen. Dir: Herschell Gordon Lewis.
C-87 mins,
Yippee! How cool to see HG Lewis make it to the horrorfest on Turner Classic Movies. check out the schedule, they've got a great lineup for Halloween and the day before.
since I already reviewed Two Thousand Maniacs, I'll just say a little bit about Bloodfeast and make that my pick for
October 2nd.
First of all, let's allow Joe Bob Briggs and Bill Kerwin to make the introduction:
And here is my favorite scene and a perfect example of why I love this movie so much
OMG. .....an EGYPTIAN FEAST???.....( cue music ) It doesn't get more precious than that.
Now I'm one day behind.....look for Oct 3 and 4th tomorrow and that should catch us up!
"Another blog I've only recently discovered, Mother Firefly's posts have a unique and lighthearted tone that simply put me in a good mood. Couple that with good writing and subject matter and you've got an underrated blog well worth the read."-Emily from The Deadly Doll's House of Horror Nonsense
Mother Firefly is, quite simply, an über cool lady and her blog is a delicious den of horrifying goodness. Love her. - Jinx from Totally Jinxed
s to carve, and they supply the lights and the candles. This goes on for a few days, and the pumpkins are piled up on mountains of picnic tables and are lit and the little park has that wonderful waxy warm pumpkin guts smell.
