What I Heard This Week! October 25, 2018
Remember that I know a little about a lot of things. Just enough to make me dangerous.
A top Idaho wildlife official has resigned after emailing a picture of himself smiling with a family of four dead baboons propped in front of him that he had just killed during a hunting trip to Africa. I’m a firm believer that you have to eat what you kill, so do you eat baboon? The man and his wife had also killed a giraffe, a leopard, an impala, a sable antelope, a waterbuck, a kudu, a warthog, a gemsbok and an eland during their Africa trip. Hmmm.
Caroll Spinney, the actor who has played Big Bird and the lovably disgruntled Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street since 1969, is retiring after almost 50 years. Spinney says, “Playing Big Bird is one of the most joyous things of my life.” For us, too. Thank you, Mr. Spinney for giving us so many years of sweet innocence for our children and grandchildren.
Have you voted? Early voting started on 10-22 or you can vote on Election Day 11-6. Your choice.
Florida police officers recovered a stolen van filled with Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The store manager then donated the entire cargo to the officers, who ate some and handed out the rest to the homeless.
Two high school students in Sacramento, California allegedly used their grandparent’s ashes to make cookies then took them to school and passed them out to their classmates. Police are investigating the incident but say that it would not be considered poisoning because cremated human remains are not toxic. So, was it a crime? It’s just plain weird in my book. What kind of child would even think of doing this.
Disney’s new ticketing system is here. Ticket prices will vary from day to day since many factors will play into the final cost, including length of stay, Florida residency, park-hopping ability, and what month it is.
More than 225 cats were seized from a home in Spring after they were found in poor condition. Yikes, I’m not sure what that means but, 225 cats. I have two – Sully & Winnie. I can’t in my wildest dreams imagine what you would do with 225 of them. I already spend a fortune just on litter and food. Crazy.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this winter will be 1 percent colder than last year. Which means more electricity, which means more $$$.
My birdfeeder has seen better days but it’s a really nice big birdfeeder so with all the recent rains, the squirrels and racoons, the folding lid fell off, so I decided to save the birdfeeder’s life. The nice people at Home Depot cut the cedar boards for me and I marched home to do the repairs, only to find that I couldn’t get my rachet screwdriver to accept a bit. I took it personally thinking I wasn’t quite smart enough or capable of working a screwdriver, so I took it to Lowe’s where I had purchased it and asked to please show me what I was doing wrong. It wasn’t me. They couldn’t get it to work either, so they gave me a brand new one, no questions asked. Many thanks to Carmen, Stephen and Angela. That’s why I always buy Kobalt now. Thanks, guys.
Join the Museum of Natural Science at The Center for the Arts and Sciences on Saturday October 27th at 11am for a slimy, wormy morning of crafts. Make an earthworm house, get an earthworm treat for the birds and maybe a pet earthworm to take home that will need no tending. Prepare to get slimed.
Prayer, the world’s greatest wireless connection.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Broadcast journalist Chris Wallace is 71. Actress singer Susan Anton is 68. “Where there’s Muriel smoke, there’s fire.” Actor Hugh Jackman is 50. Actor Adam Rich is 50. Nicholas Bradford, the youngest son on the television series Eight Is Enough. Actor Kirk Cameron is 48. Growing Pains. Actress Joan Cusack is 56. Actor Luke Perry is 52. Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is 79. Musician Paul Simon is 77. One of our greatest songwriters and one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. His final concert was this month and was performed very close to where he was raised in NY.
Musician Sammy Hagar is 71. Van Halen. Singer Marie Osmond is 59. Actress Kate Walsh is 51. Dr. Addison Montgomery on the ABC television dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Actor Caleb McLaughlin is 17. Stranger Things. TV personality Arleen Sorkin is 63. Days of our Lives. Rapper Eminem is 46. I told my son recently, that years ago when I first started hearing the name Eminem, I thought they were saying M&M, like the candy. Gage laughed at me, but I can remember thinking that and it made sense to me then (and still does.)
Singer Jackson Browne is 70. TV personality Sharon Osbourne is 66. Country singer Scotty McCreery is 25. American Idol. Entertainer Ben Vereen is 72. Country singer Tanya Tucker is 60. Pro Football Hall of Fame Brett Favre is 49. Actress Angela Lansbury is 93. Actress Suzanne Somers is 72. After breast cancer and a mastectomy, Somers had non-traditional reconstruction. The way I understand it, they took fat from her stomach, took out stem cells, separated them, cleaned them, discarded weak ones, took the strong ones and put them in a small amount of her harvested fat, then injected that fat into the breast until they made it the size of her other breast; it has feeling, it’s soft, and there are no scars. Wow. I think it’s the most incredible thing to happen in breast cancer.
Peggy Sue Gerron Rackham, the Texas woman who inspired the 1958 Buddy Holly song, ‘Peggy Sue’ and ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’, has died in Lubbock at age 78. Gerron attended high school in Lubbock, Texas where she met Holly and his friends. The song was originally going to be ‘Cindy Lou’ but the drummer in the band was trying to impress Peggy Sue, so he got Holly to change the name. It must have worked because Peggy Sue married the drummer (but they later divorced.)
Autumn Barrier, the owner of Wine Revue, will be having her Second Storm Silver Linings 6th Annual Auction to raise money for breast cancer awareness on Thursday 10-25 from 7-11pm at 219 Parking Way in LJ. There will be live and silent auctions of unique “boob” art (you have to see it to understand) and handmade jewelry. If you’ve been meaning to drop by the new wine bar…aahhh, it’s a perfect time.
I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you.
Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley will launch a food bank next year in Nashville. It’s their way of giving back to the town where they live, is called The Store and will be designed just like a regular supermarket. Good people doing good things.
Having just left H-E-B with three large pumpkins, I am reminded of this recipe for Pumpkin Dip. It’s simple and everyone always loves it. Take 8-ounces of softened cream cheese, 2-cups of confectioner’s sugar, 1-cup of canned pumpkin, 1-teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1-teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½-teaspoon of ground ginger, ½-cup heavy cream. Beat the cream cheese, heavy cream and sugar until light and creamy. Add the pumpkin and spices. Stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve with ginger snaps, graham crackers, and apples. You can add 8-ounces of Heath Toffee Bits if you want to be fancy but it’s good without it.
Hazelnut Spread M&M’s, with a chocolaty, nutty filling similar to Nutella will be on grocery shelves in April. I must be hungry because I’m only writing about food right now.
Texas singer-songwriters Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett will open for country music icon George Strait during his concert-only performance on Sunday, March 17, the final night of the 2019 Rodeo. The remaining concert lineup will be announced Jan. 3, 2019 and tickets on sale Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019.
Something in House Beautiful caught my eye. Go to: TheFloralSociety.com. Enter. Go to Individual Seed Packets. They’re so pretty and very unusual. Madame Butterfly Snapdragon. Chocolate Sunflower. Zinderella Peach Zinnia, Watermelon Sweet Pea. I just can’t decide. Chocolate Sunflower for sure. And they have tutorials on flower arranging. Wish I had seen the tutorial on the boutonniere making before I made the one for my daughter’s date last year. It was beautiful, but it DID NOT even last through the picture taking. Luckily, I had a silk one already made and waiting in the car. Just in case. Phew. Girl Scout rule. Always be prepared.
Bob Dylan performed last Sunday evening at Smart Financial Centre in Sugarland and my son wanted to go so we made sure that it happened. We were lucky to find $32 tickets because there’s no time like the present. Dylan is, of course, a huge talent, but he never even acted like he knew there was an audience sitting out there. He was dressed really cool and can now say I’ve seen Bob Dylan but other than that…
Bids will be taken online, by phone or in person beginning 11/1, should you want to own artifacts or mementos that belonged to the first human to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong. Many pieces that went with him to the moon including bits of a wing and propeller from the 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer, his Boy Scout cap and much more. A series of auctions will end November 2019.
A 12-pound piece of the moon that fell to the Earth as a lunar meteorite and was found in a remote area of Northwest Africa last year, has sold at auction for $612,000. The meteorite is composed of six fragments that fit together like a puzzle. With this knowledge I think that Neil Armstrong may do OK with his auction.
Do you have any Christmas traditions in your family? Well, you should. Here is a tradition you can start that involves so much excitement, magic and just plain fun. Very soon, the Brazosport Center for the Arts & Sciences’ Elizabethan Madrigal Feast will transport guests to The Warwick Castle in Renaissance England aka small coastal town of Clute, Texas. As Queen Elizabeth I and her court arrive, you can bring friends and family to join the Earl of Warwick, a rag-tag cast of Shakespearean actors, dancers and singers in period costumes and enjoy a delicious three-course gourmet feast. 979-265-7661. I’ll see you there. I’ll be in the kitchen helping serve your dinner and dessert each evening. It’s a tradition in our family that if you can’t sing and dance then you better find some gloves and prepare for scullery work.
Today is the last day for one of The Source Weekly’s best. Tom Aucoin is retiring after almost 18 years with our office family. He came to work with us back in 2001 to “fill in” when we were in one of our “dire needs” and just never left. I can’t even find that he ever filled out an application, he’s just always been here – without fail. Well, except when there’s a Jimmy Buffet concert or working his fireworks stand on 4th of July or New Year’s. Every Wednesday afternoon as we finish proofing the paper, he says, “Another good week. Nice paper, girls,” then he empties a few trash cans, afterwards peeking his head around my office door and reminding me with a big smile, “Don’t forget the carrier checks.” Thank you, Tom. Thank you for helping raise my children and for being the “throw down” male in a sea of women. You better show up with iced tea for our birthday luncheons. We love you. We will miss you.
