Welcome, visitor! [ Register | Login

What I Heard This Week 04-06-2023

What I Heard This Week April 5, 2023

It’s Easter time and eggs are in abundance. Do you know how to properly peel a boiled egg? Well, I just read how and I’m willing to share this information. Boil your eggs however you want; add a bit of vinegar, a little lemon juice, a teaspoon of baking soda, or a pinch of salt, because all these additions help make it easier to peel boiled eggs. Slightly older eggs are easier to peel, but it’s hard to plan having old eggs available in your refrigerator. Start with water that’s already boiling. Ahh. This was not what I was taught, but this new article said that slow-cooked egg whites tend to bond with the membrane on the inside of an eggshell, and we don’t want that to happen. Cook for 10-12 minutes, then cool them in an ice bath or a bowl of very cold water for at least five minutes. Set a timer and do not disturb. Once they’re cool enough to handle, fill a clean bowl with room temperature water, and submerge the eggs, then gently start cracking the shells on the edge of the bowl. Gently. Once cracked, the water will help to separate both the membrane and the shell from the egg white, making it easier to peel. Then I want you to finely crush or grind your shells (I leave mine in a box in the garage drying until I have a bunch to work with), then throw them into your compost, or crush into larger pieces and sprinkle them (along with your coffee grounds) around your garden plants to stop crawling bugs and insects like slugs, snails, caterpillars (they don’t like to crawl over the pieces.) A fun and environmentally-friendly way to start your seedlings is to use the larger half pieces of shell, fill them with dirt and garden seeds, then plant the whole thing in the garden when they’re big enough to put out. The shell will eventually decompose, and you have just upcycled something you already had on hand, which is great for the garden. What a deal.


What does Charles Dickens keep in his spice rack? The best of thymes, the worst of thymes.


This was just posted to Instagram: “Bodega was founded on creativity and curiosity; from exotic snacks to creative specials and an ever-changing variety of desserts. Opening a month prior to the Global Pandemic, we are no strangers to perseverance. It was your support that has allowed us to sustain this long. Unfortunately, during the delayed and extended road construction we have experienced a reduction of nearly half our business making it impossible for us to continue. We thank all of you for your continued love and support.” I have told you in this column (several times) that they have the absolute best chicken salad in town. This road construction has been horrible for so many businesses. It was difficult to just get from our cars to the office without eating a lot of dirt. The pandemic was horrible for so many businesses. People think it’s over, but the effects will be with us for a long time. I am very sad to hear this. Be sure to go by before Saturday and tell them thank you. They will be missed. BODEGA – Downtown Lake Jackson. ☹


When you cook, sprinkle your salt from about a foot above your food. Chefs call this technique raining because it distributes the salt more evenly. I say it’s a good way to make a mess in your kitchen. I spilled a container of corn meal last night and I don’t think I will ever be able to get it all out of my grout lines.


When tennis balls are no longer usable, ship them free to RecycleBalls.org. They partner with Wilson Sporting Goods to collect/recycle/reuse by turning them into tennis courts, stucco… Note: Tennis balls, like many things we use each day, do not EVER decompose.


Do you know why tennis balls are now yellow instead of white? When broadcasting in color came into our homes, it was hard to track the balls especially when they fell near the white court lines, so the International Tennis Federation did a study and found that yellow tennis balls were easier for home viewers to see on TV.


RECENT BIRTHDAYS:  Many former child actors are included this week. Actor Patricia Arquette is 54. Actor Taran Noah Smith of Home Improvement is 38. Actor Jennie Garth of Beverly Hills 90210 is 50. Actor Nancy McKeon of The Facts of Life is 56. Actor Keshia Knight Pulliam of The Cosby Show is 44. Rudy Huxtable. Actor Kristen Stewart of Twilight is 33. Actor Elle Fanning of Because of Winn-Dixie is 25. Singer Jackie Evancho is 23. Singer-actor AJ Michalka of Aly and AJ is 32. Actor Daisy Ridley of Star Wars is 31. Actor Ricky Schroder is 53. Actor Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine is 27. Actor Emma Watson of Harry Potter is 33. Singer Agnetha Faltskog of ABBA is 72. (Now I’m going to be humming Dancing Queen all afternoon.) Country singer Pat Green is 50. Rapper-producer Pharrell Williams is 49.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. is 57. Guitarist Izzy Stradlin of Guns N’ Roses is 60. Singer Julian Lennon is 59. Actor Billy Dee Williams of Star Wars is 85. Actor Marilu Henner of Taxi is 70. Actor Paul Rudd is 53. Singer Charlie Thomas of The Drifters is 85. Movie director Francis Ford Coppola is 84. Actor Marsha Mason is 80. The Goodbye Girl. Singer-guitarist John Oates of Hall and Oates is 74. Singer Janis Ian is 71. Actor Jackie Chan is 68. Actor Russell Crowe is 58. Singer Wayne Newton is 80. Singer Tony Orlando is 78. Actor Alec Baldwin is 64. Actor David Hyde Pierce of Frasier is 63. Comedian-actor Eddie Murphy is 61. Singer Leona Lewis is 37. Actor Craig T. Nelson is 78. Talk show host David Letterman is 76. Have you seen My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, on Netflix? It is really good.

Actor Joel Grey is 91. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1973 for his performance as the Master of Ceremonies in the 1972 film version of Cabaret which also had Liza Minnelli win Best Actress and Bob Fosse win Best Director, although Cabaret lost the Best Picture to The Godfather. For that same role, Grey also won a BAFTA award for The Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles and Best Supporting Actor awards from the Golden Globes, Kansas City Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review of Motion PicturesNational Society of Film Critics, and a Tony Award for his original stage performance six years prior, making him one of only ten people who have won both a Tony Award and an Academy Award for the same role.


NASA named four astronauts – three Americans and one Canadian – one woman, three men, all in their 40’s, who will fly around the moon late next year, then turn around and come right back home. This has never been done before… we have never seen the back side of the moon… the dark side of the moon. This exercise is in preparation of an actual lunar landing taking place one year later. They will be the first to fly NASA’s Orion capsule, with three of the astronauts having lived on the International Space Station.  “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”


When you are going to ice a cake, put it in the freezer for 30 minutes before. You won’t pick up as many crumbs when you spread the frosting.


If you lightly coat chocolate chips or blueberries with flour before you add them to your batter, they won’t sink to the bottom when cooked. I made muffins last night because I had a few bananas that were on the ripe side. I added shredded coconut, blueberries, a diced apple with the peeling, dried cherries, oatmeal, and then something new…dried powdered beets. Before you wrinkle your nose and think to yourself, “Ew, ugh, eww, clech, ick, yech or gross,” I want you to know that the taste is quite nice. but then again, I love beets. I will use this again… to make my Red Devil breakfast muffins! 😊 Actually, next time I’m going to add cacao powder to give it a little chocolate flavor … especially since chocolate strengthens the heart. At least that’s what I tell myself. Plus, I never seem to have a problem getting rid of my mistakes when I’m cooking.


The Easter egg symbolizes our ability to break out of the hardened, protective shell we’ve surrounded ourselves with that limits our thoughts and beliefs. Siobhan Shaw


Finland has become the 31st member of the NATO security alliance, doubling the length of member states’ borders with Russia. Finland’s white-and-blue flag joined the circle of 30 other flags. It means if Finland were invaded or attacked, all NATO members, including the US, would come to its aid. “One for all and all for one,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Finland brings a well-equipped and trained, active armed force of about 30,000, with 250,000 reserves on call.


If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims.


You heard about the movie, Cocaine Bear, a horror comedy based on the true story of a 175-pound black bear found dead near a duffle bag, a few empty packages, and $2 million in cocaine that had been dropped from a plane by a drug smuggler in 1985. The drug smuggler was a former police officer and lawyer who eventually crashed the plane in Tennessee, with more cocaine and cash. They made a movie and it’s a great success. Well, have you heard of cocaine cat? In January, in Cincinnati, a big wild cat escaped from his owner’s car during a police stop. Responders were able to retrieve 30-pound Amiry from a tree and bring him to a shelter, where a medical team called in an expert (whose credentials include working on the Tiger King case), to identify his species. They suspected he was a serval, a long-legged, big-eared wild cat native to Africa… and illegal to own in Ohio. The medical team took a DNA sample, and he was indeed a serval, and just happened to test positive for cocaine. No, it’s not a movie. Yet. Amiry has been placed with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and is acclimating to his new environment. He is young, curious, and eating well, but we sure have a bunch of losers in our midst. I believe we are supposed to take care of the old, the children and the animals.


I have to work with young people today so that we try and raise new generations to look after this poor old planet better than we have, before it’s too late. – Jane Goodall


Times have changed, people. A proposed sexual health bill in Florida could see young girls banned from discussing periods and menstruation in school until 6th grade. The bill is likely to be signed into law by their governor. Times have changed. I did a little research. Obesity in children has tripled in the past 30 years, which could be part of the cause of earlier maturity. Fat cells make estrogen so the more estrogen your body makes, the more female sex hormone you have. Little girls are starting their periods and maturing earlier and earlier. Also mentioned was possible chemical exposure; chemicals found in everything from beauty products to furniture. Pesticides are on so many foods. Food preservatives, soy products, the plastic that lines food cans, plastic food storage containers and eating containers, and maybe even the nonstick coating on your frying pan, along with social and psychological stress. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Women’s Health says that “A girl may start her period anytime between 8 and 15,” which means a little girl could start her period in the third grade. I was still playing with dolls in 6th grade, so times have changed. I know you folks don’t want to talk about this, but the first day of a girl’s period is a pretty scary day, even if you have had the best mom (or dad) in the world that prepared you. Most don’t. Surely some readers remember that day. I know I do. I didn’t have a mom that talked to me. As human beings, we don’t need to talk less about periods and the way a body actually functions, we need to talk MORE. Why are we acting like it’s something we should be ashamed of? It is a life function allowing people to have babies – oh, wait, I forgot. It’s the responsibility of the woman once she gets pregnant. The rules are changing so fast, I’m having a hard time keeping up. ☹ I want you to know that I am feeling very blessed this Easter. I hope you are too.

Lisa


Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week! 08-12-2021

What I Heard This Week August 11, 2021

The end of an era. Kitty’s Purple Cow was torn down last week in Surfside…to the ground. As many times as the building had been hit by winds and rains of hurricanes, it hurt pretty bad to see it as a rubble pile.  Kitty, in her day, had always been able to bring it back to life, but now there was just a pile of wood with a water heater, and so many layers of different shades of purple walls, with a Sysco truck in the background. A sign of the times. I bet if I had searched hard enough, I could have found the picture of the half-naked guy that hung on the wall in the women’s bathroom, with the little white door that ever-so-barely covered up the area between his thighs and abdomen. The extra loud buzzer would go off throughout the entire restaurant if you were new, your curiosity getting the best of you, lifting up that little door to see what was under it. I will never forget my first, and only time, of buzzing the buzzer. After that hard-learned lesson, I remember seeing newbies going into the bathroom, and the buzzer yelling at us a few minutes later. It was so hard not to giggle and make eye contact as they walked out in embarrassment. Those were the good old days…hot waffles on Sunday mornings, fabulous cheeseburgers, patty-melts with grilled onions, fries, and Dr. Peppers. Plus, a bunch of super nice people. Oh, and a jukebox. All I had to do is supply my kids with enough quarters to have Elvis sing to us throughout the meal. RIP


An around-the-world cruise scheduled to begin in January 2024, sold out within hours of being made available for bookings. Minimum cost of a ticket per person for a suite on the 132-nights trip, starts at $73,499. That is about $556 per day. If I had $73,499 just laying around, along with five months of free time to go, I would do it.


Masks are back ‘IN’ again…and really cool. Let’s do it for the kids.


For his thesis project, a recent graduate of the College of Creative Studies in Detroit, designed an electric car that would be flat-packed and put together by the purchaser, like a piece of Ikea furniture or a Lego kit. The Hoga car would be delivered in 374 pieces to be attached to a skateboard like chassis. Since there is no engine, it gives much more cabin room. A car for our future… our very near future.


After missing for four decades, a gingham pinafore believed to have been worn by Judy Garland in 1939 while filming The Wizard of Oz, was recently found in a shoebox inside a trash bag at the Catholic University of America Drama Dept. in Washington, DC. It had been gifted to the head of drama by actress Mercedes McCambridge, a friend of Garland’s, then lost a year later. Good story.


I told my sister that she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked at me surprised.


When we were younger, my favorite uncle would take all three of us sisters and keep us for a week in the summer. He lived in Albuquerque, was sweet and funny, a very handsome single man, brave to point of naivety, especially to have us all at once. Maybe it was because we entertained each other, or maybe he just got it out of the way, so he did not have to do three individual weeks. Ha-ha.  All I know is that we had the time of our lives. No mom. Watermelons with candles for birthdays.  It was the best of times, except being violently appalled when we found out that he did not wash his chicken before he cooked it. We let him know that mom would never put up with that. Well, today I was reading the news and saw the headline… Should You Wash Raw Chicken? Here’s What Experts Say. Public health officials agree that you should not wash raw chicken. In fact, doing this causes more harm than good. Washing raw chicken can spread harmful bacteria such as salmonella or campylobacter around the kitchen, which can potentially cause foodborne illness. I told Mac. He says he was just ahead of his time. I agree. Every kid should have an Uncle Mac when they’re growing up.


The Foo Fighters played to a fully-vaccinated crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden, while Kiss star Gene Simmons said their “End of the Road” concertgoers must have had the jab, telling them: “I don’t care if you think the Earth is flat.”  In April, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, released his lockdown track Eazy Sleazy, which poked fun at vaccine misinformation. The Eagles have added an additional Seattle date to their rescheduled Hotel California tour, and attendees will have to provide proof of vaccination upon entering. 12 and under, proof of vaccine or negative Covid test. These guys are doing their best to help sway the non-believers with their great music.


Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor accused of sexually abusing hundreds of girls and women, has only paid about $8.33 towards his criminal monetary penalties per month, despite receiving deposits into his account over this period totaling $12,825.00. According to Justice.gov., The Monetary Penalties Unit is responsible for the prosecution of criminal and civil forfeiture cases and for collecting debts owed to the United States, including restitution for victims of crime, criminal fines, and debts to federal government agencies. Hmmm. There were 265 known sexual abuse victims, 160 that testified he had molested them…some as young as nine. $8.33 a month, doesn’t seem very just, but then again money can’t replace what he took away from those little girls.


Some of the beds at the Tokyo Olympics were made out of cardboard. It was rumored that they were designed to prevent athletes from having sex, but a Japanese bedding company, Airweave, said, “Cardboard beds are actually stronger than (ones) made of wood or steel.


15 million boxes of Girl Scout cookies did not sell in 2021, because of the pandemic not allowing in-person sales. A typical new car contains more than a thousand chips. Not good during a chip shortage. A patient with the rare, but highly infectious Marburg virus disease has died in Guinea, It’s the first case of the Ebola-like virus in West Africa. The virus causes hemorrhagic fever, where multiple organ systems in the body are affected. This comes less than two months after Guinea declared an end to its most recent Ebola outbreak. Defrocked ex-cardinal and former archbishop Theodore McCarrick has been criminally charged with sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy during a wedding reception at Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1974.


School is almost in session so remember to drive carefully and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Slowdown in school zones. Flashing red lights on a school bus mean it is stopping. You must also stop…no passing the bus! Watch for students at crosswalks, obey crossing guards, and traffic control devices. PUT AWAY YOUR PHONE, your beverage, your mascara, and your food. I’m not your momma, but I’m always amazed at what I see in traffic. Especially so much texting while driving.


Queso = Spanish for cheese. K, so = Southern for here’s the plan and y’all probably not gonna like it.


The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory needs your help On August 26th and 28th, there will be nursery work and some freeze clean-up to get ready for XHX (Extreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza), weeding, moving plants around and potting of seedlings.  Come on. You don’t need any special experience. Come for an hour or come for four hours. Your help is always appreciated. 299 Hwy 332 West, LJ, 979-480-0999. Bird banding is open to the public on August 21, 8 – noon. For the hummers.


A yet untitled Martha Stewart documentary on Netflix, will tell the story of the New Jersey native’s rise from model and stockbroker to the greatest teacher, hostess, and lifestyle expert. Includes her jail stay. Timothee Chalamet will play Willy Wonka in a new musical version of the Roald Dahl story that Gene Wilder did so well. Urban Decay will produce an eye shadow palette, several shades of purple, inspired by Prince. Hmmm. I wonder what he would think about this. Not happy thoughts, I believe.


My apologies to our readers when the font is a little smaller on this column. Sometimes I just have plenty to say, and Tina accommodates me by squishing it all into my allotted space. Thank you, R.J. Charlie for the kind words. I’ll try to purge my unnecessary words better. Thank you to Debby for my gift box of chrysalises. Nothing better than taking a cup of coffee out on the back porch in my jammies, to watch a recently emerged butterfly dry their wings and fly off and land on their first zinnia. It happened three different mornings. The T-shirt says, Home is where the Dog is…and the Cats and the Kids. Thank you, Connie. My dedicated reader Mark, let me know Sista White’s Café and BBQ is opening again in LJ for lunch 10:30 to 3. Closed Sat./Sun. Right behind Denny’s on This Way. It’s supposed to be really good.


Teller Update: Thanks to Gabriella at Chip’s Restaurant in downtown LJ, for feeding Teller cheeseburgers when he was roaming the streets. I will tell you that almost every week I find someone else that helped take care of Teller until he could be convinced to be saved. Teller and I had walked over to Chips to pick up fish tacos for lunch, and Gabriella recognized him.… well, I told her his name and she said, “That’s Teller?!?” You could tell that he remembered her. It feels so good to be picking up the poop of a celebrity each and every day. 😊 A lady saw us walking last week, slowed down, rolled down her car window, and yelled, “Hey, Teller!” That happens often. Sometimes I know the people and sometimes I do not. Save the Date: SPCA Fur Ball October 14th, 2021


A funny note to make you smile… Last month my daughter celebrated her 22nd birthday, so I took her and two of her friends to Grape Taste, so they could experience a drink with their dinner if they wanted. I was the designated driver and holder of the credit card only. They ate, then called to be taken to Bodega, which was closed, so they decided on Lola’s coffee shop. Soon, they were calling my office, requesting another pick-up. I take my DD status very seriously, but it had rained/poured during their coffee time and Parking Way is a river for about thirty minutes after a big rain. Plus, Wine Review was packed, so no parking available in front of my office. In fact, not a single parking spot on my whole street, so I had made my own illegal spot on the curve. Teller and I left the office, umbrella in one hand, heavy purse on my shoulder, leash in the other hand, and started struggling down the muddy, water-filled, unlit, broken sidewalk, towards my car…
    At the end of the street is a handicap ramp, so I decided my best bet was to cross there, because of less water. As I started to jump from the ramp over the puddle to the street, my shoe slid, and Teller pulled hard on the leash at the same time. As I spun and fell, I imagined I looked like a Cirque Du Soleil performer whirling through the air in slow motion. That’s because I have a very vivid imagination. I stood up, looked around. Nope. I was safe. No one had seen me unless they were standing behind the safety of a window, now laughing their bee-hinds off. I had bloodied my arm from wrist to elbow, along with my favorite silk blouse, bloodied and grass-stained the knee on my best white jeans, and scabbed up my “only worn three times” shoes. Are you smiling yet? And somehow, I got mud on my face. I was pretty grubby looking when I picked up the kids. AE asked if I was ok, and I said no, probably not. Then we went to HEB for them to pick-up a lemon-pop melon and golden kiwi…delicious!  I sat in the car and wiped my wounds with several individually wrapped soft-quilted lens wipes, the only thing I could find in my car or purse. Then on to Target for games, then they came back to my office and played games while I worked. The whole time I am thinking…these have to be the world’s nicest kids! So, what’s an occasional bloodied arm or leg in the whole scheme of things. Everything was washable, healable, and happy. Have a great week and thank you for reading us, shopping with us, and allowing us to be a part of your day. It is appreciated.

LISA

 

 

  • What I Heard This Week 10-26-2023

    by on October 25, 2023 - 0 Comments

    Former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently remarried for the fourth time, which also happened to be on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. This time it was to Dr. Anca Faur, his 63-year-old, long-time companion (who looks like she wants to be 27), has a PhD in chemical engineering, and is now the executive vice president of Aldrin’s company, Buzz Aldrin Ventures.  He was first married to Joan Ann Archer in 1954 until divorcing in 1974. The next year he married Beverly Van Zile; they divorced after three years. His third marriage was to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 on Valentine's Day, divorcing 23 years later. Looks like he hasn’t given up on ‘love’ quite yet. He has sued two of his children and his former business manager claiming they stole money from him and are slandering his legacy, and that they also undermined his "personal romantic relationships" by forbidding him from getting married. His children say he is also spending money at an alarming rate. Sounds like those children are out of luck. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is MRS. Aldrin. ☹ Notes: Aldrin is also a strong advocate for human exploration of Mars. In 2002, he escaped assault charges after punching a man who demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landing was not staged. Good for him. He also said, “Tang sucks. “

  • What I Heard This Week 11-30-2023

    by on November 29, 2023 - 0 Comments

    Former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently remarried for the fourth time, which also happened to be on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. This time it was to Dr. Anca Faur, his 63-year-old, long-time companion (who looks like she wants to be 27), has a PhD in chemical engineering, and is now the executive vice president of Aldrin’s company, Buzz Aldrin Ventures.  He was first married to Joan Ann Archer in 1954 until divorcing in 1974. The next year he married Beverly Van Zile; they divorced after three years. His third marriage was to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 on Valentine's Day, divorcing 23 years later. Looks like he hasn’t given up on ‘love’ quite yet. He has sued two of his children and his former business manager claiming they stole money from him and are slandering his legacy, and that they also undermined his "personal romantic relationships" by forbidding him from getting married. His children say he is also spending money at an alarming rate. Sounds like those children are out of luck. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is MRS. Aldrin. ☹ Notes: Aldrin is also a strong advocate for human exploration of Mars. In 2002, he escaped assault charges after punching a man who demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landing was not staged. Good for him. He also said, “Tang sucks. “

  • Much Ado About Nothing - Texan in Winter

    by on December 6, 2018 - 0 Comments

    The power went out at my house last night for four hours. While this may not seem like a major catastrophe as it was the middle of the night and […]

  • Much Ado About Nothing - “Human Bait”

    by on January 16, 2020 - 0 Comments

    My dad always told me to have a backup plan in case my current job doesn’t work out. I wasn’t sure what that’d be until I saw this ad: “HUMAN […]

  • What I Heard This Week! December 20, 2018

    by on December 20, 2018 - 0 Comments

    The AK-47 is a type of assault rifle originally manufactured in the Soviet Union in 1949. A 17-year-old Humble High School student accidently shot herself recently with an AK-47 that […]

Archive

Local Events

Upcoming Events

Did You Know?

Cocktails of the Week

This wonderfully refreshing drink hits the spot on a hot afternoon

Recipes of the Week

Shop Local

  • Ad 1
  • Ad 3
  • Ad 2
  • Ad 4
G-8Y5YRBLLHL