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What I Heard This Week 03-28-2024

What I Heard This Week March 27, 2024

 

Typically, each morning around 7, I boil water and then fix myself a pour-over coffee, climb back in bed, watch the news, and receive enough cat love to start my day properly. But surprise, there were no cats in the bed waiting for me when I got back, so I strolled back to the kitchen thinking that 3-cats and 1-dog were waiting there to tell me some heart-breaking story about me forgetting to feed them, for like months… like cats always do on a normal day.  But no cats were there to mention that they were starving… but listening, I could hear cat-talk chirping chatter. I found the four of them all lined up at the back windows to the porch, excited and watching something. There was the cutest little baby squirrel going back and forth from window to window, entertaining each one of my babies. It was like he was asking if they could come outside and play. I watched for a few minutes, scanning the creek waiting for an irate mother squirrel to come running up and scold the little fellow. It was so cute. I slowly opened the back door, the baby hesitated, then ran back to the creek with a great story about finding new friends.


Pets aren’t our whole lives… but they make our lives whole.  


How to Walk a Human
A Dogs Guide

  1. Humans need exercise. If they don’t get it, they become chubby. It’s up to you to save them.
  2. Allow your humans to tether themselves to you. This keeps them from wandering off or running away.
  3. Your human will probably need breaks. Be considerate, stop and sniff
  4. Bark Humans have very short attention spans.
  5. After you potty, walk away. If you have trained your human correctly, they will pick it up so you don’t have to scratch the ground to keep your territory clean and fresh.
  6. Periodically drag your human as fast as you can. This is called internal training. Do not allow your human to shorten the walk. They are being lazy. Sit in protest if you must.
  7. Once back home, allow your human to remove their tether, then lick their face many times. This is positive reinforcement for a job well done.
    Readers
    , hope you like this. Since mom read it, she seems to be much more patient on our walks, almost welcoming to my stop and sniffs. Humans just take time to break in… or you can always send them off to PetSmart for classes. Teller

Anybody who doesn’t know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.Franklin P. Jones


Happy 25th anniversary to Grapevine Gifts located by Hobby Lobby. Such nice people, who give so much back to our community.  I am always surprised at the great novelties, specialties, and unusual items they carry in their gift store. Hmmm. Especially the chocolates. Sometimes I stop and select just four chocolates that they box up for a simple little gift for a friend. To our sweet friends, we say congratulations… from “your” friends at The Source Weekly.


The headline said: I Hope You All Feel Terrible Now. The reference is to how Princess Kate was hounded into revealing her cancer diagnosis. I remember vividly what it was like to have two kids under the age of 7, trying to figure out how to explain to them that first I was going to have surgery, then the doctors were going to give me some super strong medicine that was going to make me really sick, but then that same medicine would make me better. I was going to be very tired, my hair would fall out, but it would come back. All you pray for during times like that, is for normalcy in your life and the lives of your children. And yes, you think quite a bit about dying and how it would affect your children. Yes. Shame on everyone that gossiped and trash-talked Kate. I hope you do feel terrible now, but you can’t ever really understand until it’s you in that same situation.


My life coach just informed me that I did not make the team.


Since the weather has been so nice, I have been trying to get my frozen yard back into shape. I had installed three new LED fixtures at the back of the house that go on at dark so I can work until 10pm if I want to. LED lights are so much brighter than old fixtures; I have them on the lowest setting and it’s still too bright. Anyway, last week it was late, and I was in-and-out the back door fertilizing plants on the back porch. I reached down to brush something off my pants and felt a strange lump on my leg. Uaah! Almost immediately I realized that it was a June bug and then the dance started. I hate those things. It had crawled up my pants legs, past my knee without my knowledge. Never has a woman removed her clothing so fast. There is an old Frank Zappa song… There Will Come a Time When You Can Even Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance. Yep.


A total solar eclipse is about to hit Texas.  On April 8th, the path of totality will begin before 1:30pm near Eagle Pass crossing Texas, moving northeast towards Oklahoma and Arkansas, then on to Maine. Texas is expecting millions of people to come see it. My sister is in Georgetown where they are telling people to stay home because they expect the roads to be jammed packed full. The path of the eclipse will be so dark that Texas electric grid managers are forecasting a sudden, brief drop in solar power as the eclipse crosses the state. Go to: GreatAmericanEclipse.com.


I’m fairly certain that the person who put the first “r” in February also decided how to spell Wednesday.


Rumor has it that there will be a third and final film of Downton Abbey, according to Imelda Staunton, who portrayed Queen Mary’s lady-in-waiting Maud Bagshaw in the first two films. The Conservancy of SW Florida caught a nest of 11 Burmese pythons weighing 500 pounds, including one that was 16 feet long. Olivia Munn, 43, revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy several months ago. Supposedly Aaron Taylor-Johnson has received a formal offer to play the next James Bond. The Esperanza “Hope” Andrade is the first ferry to be added to Galveston Ferry Fleet in more than a decade. Hope cost $33 million, is 293 ft. long, 66 ft wide, and will carry passengers across Galveston Bay in 18 minutes.


Shohei Ohtani, Japanese baseball star and MLB’s highest paid player, signing a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers, says he was duped by his now-fired, long-time interpreter who, guess what, has a massive gambling problem with at least $4.5 million wire-transferred to an illegal bookmaking operation. Hmmm. This was a guy that had been with Ohtani for years and was considered to be a friend. Hmmm.


April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day is Monday April 1, a day where jokesters play harmless pranks or fibs to your friends and neighbors. I’m telling you so you have time to think about what you’re going to do. Thinking about it reminded me that as a parent, you really lie every single day, not just April Fool’s. Remember the spaghetti tree, or being told that if you picked the sesame seeds off the hamburger buns, you could grow a hamburger tree. How about NOT swallowing watermelon seeds because you were guaranteed to have a watermelon vine grow out your ear. Or you would go blind if you sat too close to the TV. Or that I wasn’t born, they found me in a cabbage patch. Or if the ice cream man plays music, it means they are out of ice cream. Or my grandma’s favorite; when it thunders, God is just moving furniture. Or when Grandaddy told me that all my freckles would spread together when I turned 18 and I would just look like a had a nice tan. (What actually happened was I turned 18 and didn’t care anymore that I had freckles – he was such a smart man!)  I personally told my own two kids that when we went through the toll tag E-ZPass electronic toll tunnels, that if they would just sit very still and pay attention, they could feel it when we went under it. Then I would say, “Get ready, we are almost underneath the toll thingy. There! Did you feel it?” They felt it every time, and yes, I’m a bad mom. A very bad mom. Have a great week and Happy April Fool’s. Don’t be mean!

LISA


Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 03-17-2022

What I Heard This Week March 16, 2022

What is a PieCaken? Hmmm. I’m so glad you asked. It looks like something by Picasso when you cut into it… a three-layer cake with two pies inside. Researching this recipe was a time-consuming rabbit hole that was absolute fun! For Thanksgiving you can use premade pecan pie for your bottom layer, then layer cinnamon buttercream frosting, then pre-made pumpkin pie with another layer of icing, then top with round of spiced pound cake and buttercream the whole thing. They patted on an oat crumble to the sides and topped with apple pie filling, then caramel sauce. Yikes, it was beautiful. I guess you could use cherry, apple, and peach pie with white cake. The secret is cutting the pies into the same size rounds as the cake layer. Several other recipes called for whole pies to be surrounded by cake batter and cooked, then iced. Did you know that you can whip regular canned icing so it’s easier to spread? Or add some whipped cream to the canned icing for an even tastier, and easy-to-ice consistency. I did not know this. Watch some of the videos if you get a chance. It’s quite a pretty dessert and no one else is going to show up with it at your next family get-together. Don’t have time to bake?!? No problem. With help from Three Brothers Bakery, you can order the Pumpecapple Piecake that serves 40 (hah), is 11” tall and weighs 23.5 pounds. It is known as the “turducken of desserts.” There are three layers – homemade pumpkin pie baked in a pumpkin spice cake, a homemade pecan pie baked in a chocolate cake, and homemade apple pie baked in a traditional spice cake, then iced with cream cheese frosting, garnished with pecans, and drizzled with homemade caramel. This beauty sells for just $250 with store pickup in Houston. Just look at the picture. If you haven’t ever enjoyed a treat from Three Brothers Bakery, prepare yourself. Everything they sell is delicious. Breads, apple strudel, pies, cakes, cookies, and more. Right now, they have cookies iced like the Ukraine flag if you are looking for a way to support the cause.


A party without a cake is really just a meeting. – Julia Child


An Irish Bank Robber
It’s Saint Patrick’s Day
, and an armed hooded robber bursts into the Bank of Ireland and forces the tellers to load a sack full of cash. On his way out the door with the loot, one brave Irish customer grabs the hood and pulls it off revealing the robber’s face. The robber shoots the guy without hesitation! He then looks around the bank to see if anyone else has seen him. One of the tellers is looking straight at him and the robber walks over and calmly shoots him also. Everyone by now is very scared and looking down at the floor. “Did anyone else see my face?‘ screams the robber. There are a few moments of silence, then one elderly Irish gent looking down, tentatively raises his hand and says, “I think me wife may have caught a glimpse.” 😊


Basement to Attic Tour of the 1892 Bishop’s Palace in Galveston on March 19th, a guided tour that includes places not usually seen by visitors. www.galvestonhistory.org.


“Hate to say it,” he began, “but we need to increase oil and gas output immediately.” said Elon Musk, billionaire developer of the signature electric car of our age, the Tesla. “Obviously, this would negatively affect Tesla, but sustainable energy solutions simply cannot react instantaneously to make up for Russian oil & gas exports.”


Fans of sci-fi Stars War franchise can hop aboard Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort for an immersive 2-night hotel adventure featuring Rey, Chewbacca and Kylo Ren. Saudi Arabia killed 81 in mass execution of people convicted of crimes of killing to belonging to militant groups. Jonah Hill will play Grateful Dead front man Jerry Garcia, in a Martin Scorsese directed biopic about the psychedelic rock band. Tom Brady announced (yawn) that over the past two months he realized his place is still on the field, not in the stands, and will rejoin the NFL for a 23rd season and play for Tampa Bay.


RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Musician Elton John is 75. Actor Hal Linden is 91. Country singer-guitarist Ranger Doug of Riders in the Sky is 76. Drummer Carl Palmer of Asia & Emerson, Lake and Palmer is 72. Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan of Fabulous Thunderbirds is 71. Actor Holly Hunter is 64. Model Kathy Ireland is 59. Singer-keyboardist Rose Stone of Sly and the Family Stone is 77. Actor Timothy Dalton is 76. Actor Matthew Broderick is 60. Actor-comedian Rosie O’Donnell is 60. Actor William Shatner is 91. Singer Jeremy Clyde of Chad and Jeremy is 81. Sportscaster Bob Costas is 70. Singer-guitarist George Benson is 79. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is 74. Singer Diana Ross is 78.

Singer Chaka Khan is 69. Harmonica player Lee Oskar of War is 74. Actor Robert Carradine is 68. Actor Kelly LeBrock is 62. Film critic Gene Shalit is 96. Singer Anita Bryant is 82. Actor Paul Michael Glaser of Starsky and Hutch is 79. Actor Alan Arkin is 88. Actor James Caan is 82Singer Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is 74. Singer-actor Vicki Lawrence is 73. Actor Martin Short is 72. Talk show host Leeza Gibbons is 65. Actor Jennifer Grey is 62. Dirty Dancing. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Director Spike Lee is 65.


William Hurt died at 71. Hurt won a best actor Oscar in 1986 for his work in Kiss of the Spider Woman. He earned another nomination a year later for Children of a Lesser God and another one the following year for Broadcast News. He was also up for an Academy Award in 2006 for his supporting role in A History of Violence. Children’s author Shirley Hughes died at 94. Johnny Brown died at 84. On Good Times, he played Nathan Bookman, the building superintendent. Conrad Janis died at 94. He was best known as Mindy’s dad on Mork and Mindy. Actor Mitchell Ryan died at 88. Actor Laurel Goodwin died at 79. Star Trek. Tim Considine died at 81. He was eldest son Mike on My Three Sons.


If we’re not meant to have midnight snacks, why is there a light in the fridge? 


The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook. – Julia Child


Ukraine became an independent country in 1991 after the fall of the USSR and since then, the country’s flag has been a symbol of freedom. Now, as Russia invades Ukraine, the Ukrainian flag is being flown by people around the world in support and solidarity. Grapevine Gifts is now carrying the Ukraine flag. It is a very well-made flag that would normally sell for much more than $7, but these guys dropped the price so the citizens of Brazoria County can afford to show their support during the saddest of situations happening in our world right now. Go pick up one and display it for Ukraine.


There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a woman making dinner for someone she loves. – Thomas Wolfe


Easter Basket Idea: Brach’s candy company is debuting their Late-Night Taco Truck pack, with margarita, churro, salsa, and beef taco flavors. Actually, it sounds fairly good to me. U.S. veterans and other volunteers with useful skills are boarding planes for Ukraine to join the fight. President Zelensky is creating an international legion and is asking for volunteers to help defend his nation against Russia.


Living legend Dolly Parton never fails to impress. At 76, she says she is “extremely flattered and grateful” to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but doesn’t want the votes to be split because of her nomination. So, she’s respectfully bowing out. “I do hope the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again – if I’m ever worthy,” she said. “This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do.” The woman never slows down. Dolly created The Dollywood Foundation in 1988 for literacy and education, and she made a $1 million contribution towards Covid-19 research. All tuition costs including fees and books, are offered for employees of Dollywood Parks & Resorts pursuing higher education. She’s had hits on country music charts since 1967 and has 3 billion worldwide streams of her music and 50 Grammy nominations. Now she is in partnership with Duncan Hines so you can make Dolly Cakes right in your own kitchen. Last week Dolly and best-selling novelist James Patterson (his sales top 425 million worldwide), released a book they wrote together, Run, Rose, Run. Several days before the book release, Dolly debuted a new album of 12 songs based on the book’s characters. Wow.


Additional Note: The other nominees for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction 2022 are Beck, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Devo, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine, Lional Richie, Carly Simon, A Tribe Called Quest, Dionne Warwick, (who are some of these people?) and cough, cough, Dolly Parton. Yep, she is still on the list. You can cast your ballot in the Fan Vote if you have an authorized email address, by going to vote.rockhall.com. You can vote once a day (who has time for that) and when I voted, the top five artists were Duran Duran, Eminem, Pat Benatar, Dolly Parton and Eurythmics, but you can vote until April 29th. Really, is rapper Eminem considered rock & roll? Dolly, just accept it graciously and go for it. We love you…


My weaknesses have always been food & men- in that order. – Dolly Parton


There is so much science in cooking. I was trying to make room in the cabinet for new spices (some people buy new nail polish colors… I buy spices), and I came across an old bottle of cream of tartar. In the past, I have used it for making meringues and divinity, plus an occasional recipe, but I had no idea what it was made from or other uses. I was surprised. After reading about it, I realized that I am not using it to its full potential. It is an acidic byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. The acid in cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their distinctive tangy flavor, and the chew happens because cream of tartar prevents sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing into crunchiness. Science! If you ever run out of baking powder, substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for 1 teaspoon baking powder in a recipe. Add a pinch of cream of tartar to boiling vegetables to help them keep their bright, fresh color. A pinch of cream of tartar also helps stabilize whipped cream to prevent it from deflating. There is a ton more that I will tell you later.


March’s Full Worm Moon is March 18th. It is called full worm because of the earthworms that wriggle out of the ground as the earth begins to thaw in March. Pfizer and BioNTech are seeking authorization for a second coronavirus booster shot for people 65 and older. Elon Musk has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to single combat, one-on-one fight, with the “stakes” being Ukraine. So far as I could find, Musk has yet to receive a response from Putin.


What I read… the odds of finding a four-leaf clover on your first try are 1 in 10,000 and the odds of a five-leaf clover are 1 in a million. I sent the newspaper picture to my daughter at college, who has always had the uncanny ability to find four-leaf and some five-leaf clovers every single time she sits down in a clover patch. She laughed because just weeks before, she had handed me a baggie full of four-leaf clovers that she was getting ready to throw away. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day. Thanks for reading us this week. Please keep Ukraine in your prayers.

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 […]

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