tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23828733576117274762024-03-05T08:51:14.698-06:00Poodleful is the New MarthaPoodleful is the New Homemaker--A working professional whose heart is still at home with her family.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-53544355338423649182008-06-23T11:01:00.004-05:002008-06-23T11:22:25.521-05:00Lifetime MoviesI know that this borders on an obsession, however, I feel as if there are some interesting feminist gems to be mined from LMN. Last night, for example, I watched, with my beautiful stepdaughter an older lifetime movie--The Eyes of a Stalker. This older film, I thought it was definitely from the 80s, but actually it was made in 1995 has a very classic, more formulaic structure than many lifetime movies. In this film, a young college girl is being stalked by a professor, albeit a pseudo professor, who is described as a "wily legal consultant" whatever that is. He hangs around the courthouse and campus offering people advice on how to use the small claims courts--(Everyone keeps saying, 'Hey Dr. Prime--I took your small claims class a couple of semesters ago!' What?!) At the beginning of the movie, the viewer is told that two years prior the heroine's father died, leaving her and her mother (who is a judge) to cope with life together. <br /><br />So far, look at the elements: 1) The heroine (Beth) begins the movie as a ninny basically, but by the end of the film, thanks to the supportive relationship she has with her mother, Martha, who is formidable and the struggles she goes through, she becomes empowered and determines to make the stalker stop ruining her life. <br /><br />2) The men in the film--her father, by all accounts a real prince, is dead. Her love interest is a jerk for a lot of the film and is always acting like Beth has brought the stalker upon herself. Stephen the Stalker is a "smooth" weirdo who is, in my opinion, very well cast. The only other male character is an old wizened PI who Beth's straightlaced mother initially resists but eventually comes to trust. Essentially, none of the men in this movie can be trusted, except for the most seemingly untrustworthy one--the PI. <br /><br />3) May I venture to call this a Lifetime network Bildungsroman? The trajectory of the plot--young kid who learns some valuable lessons and becomes a woman certainly seems to qualify. <br /><br />One interesting moment is when Martha tells Beth that she can't believe she is hanging around with the PI, and Beth says that he is "nice". Martha tells her that this is her problem--she is too nice for her own good. The interesting point about this encounter is that both women learn from each other--Martha learns eventually to overcome her prejudices and stereotypes, and Beth learns that she needs to toughen up a little. <br /><br />To me this is exactly the kind of film that one expects Lifetime to make. It is much harder for me to categorize some of their other movies. I mean, why are women so interested in really sick crimes, and the aftermath of such crimes? (Eg Amber's Story)I guess there is something about what women relate to and the unimaginable but it is less obvious why these movies belong on a television station dedicated to women. Same with the movies where a women is the mayhem-maker, (eg the Trophy Wife's Secret). What fuels these kinds of fascinations? It seems to me that Lifetime producers thought that they would be making more movies like Eye of the Stalker and fewer movies like the Trophy Wife's Secret or that crazy one I reviewed previously about the cheerleader turned porn star. Man as enemy seems more like what you would expect all Lifetime movies to have as a common theme, but surprisingly, lots of times this is just not the case.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-47890419136436180592008-03-04T09:18:00.002-06:002008-03-04T09:20:56.551-06:00Dinner last NightOkay, actually this is dinner last week but it was really good. <br /><br />BAVARIAN SAUERKRAUT AND SAUSAGE DINNER<br /><br />Ingredients<br />4 cups uncooked medium egg noodles (about 8 ounces) <br />1 tablespoon olive oil <br />1 cup sliced onion <br />1 teaspoon caraway seeds <br />2 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 3/4 pound) <br />1 1/2 cups refrigerated sauerkraut, drained <br />1 (12-ounce) package chicken apple sausage (such as Gerhard's), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices <br />1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth <br />1/4 cup sherry <br /><br /><br />Preparation<br />Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain and set the noodles aside.<br />While the noodles are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion and caraway seeds, and cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add apple, sauerkraut, and sausage, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and sherry, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes. Serve over the noodles. <br /><br />Yield<br />4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups noodles and 1 cup sausage-apple mixture)<br /><br />Nutritional Information<br />CALORIES 445(29% from fat); FAT 14.5g (sat 3.4g,mono 6.9g,poly 3.3g); PROTEIN 20.1g; CHOLESTEROL 114mg; CALCIUM 31mg; SODIUM 1118mg; FIBER 9g; IRON 4.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 59.9g<br /><br /><br /><br />Cooking Light, DECEMBER 1999 <br /><br /><br />It was so good however, that Clancy and I ate it all, it is supposed to serve at least four..or two in our house.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-54432552549458008252008-02-27T12:15:00.002-06:002008-02-27T12:24:01.411-06:00Dinner Last NightI am sick of eating horrible food. For the past several months, I have been dieting wildly, trying to lose the last ten stubborn pounds of baby weight. Somehow this meant that I should only eat 800 calories a day of Lean Cuisines and soup...And then I would break my diet and pig out. I plead with Clancy not to cook, because I knew that I would eat too much because it is always so good. So I finally gave up. I have lost in the end probably 5-6 pounds. Not too many to go. <br /><br />I have been cooking all week, which has not just benefited me but P. and even M. as well. And, I have been able to cook delicious things really fast, which is a requirement for me since I work all day. It is amazing what you can do in 20 minutes, and a simple home cooked meal makes everyone in my house happy. <br /><br />Here is what we had last night:<br /><br />PORK CHOPS WITH A GINGER CHERRY GLAZE<br /><br />Use any variety of fruit preserves if you don't have cherry on hand. Serve with egg noodles tossed with chopped fresh parsley.<br /><br />Ingredients<br />1 teaspoon dark sesame oil <br />4 (4-ounce) center-cut boneless pork chops, trimmed <br />1/2 teaspoon salt <br />1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper <br />1/2 cup cherry preserves <br />2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce <br />1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World) <br />1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar <br /><br /><br />Preparation<br />Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side; remove pork from pan.<br />Combine preserves and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Add preserves mixture to pan; reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Return pork to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. <br /><br />Yield<br />4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 2 tablespoons sauce)<br /><br />Nutritional Information<br />CALORIES 275(26% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 2.6g,mono 3.4g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 23.5g; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 19mg; SODIUM 453mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.8g<br /><br /><br /><br />David Bonom , Cooking Light, MAY 2006 <br /><br />I cooked up some couscous instead of egg noodles (although I do passionately love egg noodles) and made a simple green salad and it was done. For the salad dressing, I added a splash of the delicious chimichurri my brother and his fiancee brought back to us from Argentina and the salad was totally transformed from something ordinary into something extraordinary.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-25180317836161275242008-02-25T12:56:00.003-06:002008-02-25T12:57:18.951-06:00Outsider Art<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPfG391P6K76QqwKsD2t8RkeYzpVL1bAFrURcCD_5UXXytdsTh_KX7yAy-uCJtyJZVeMOiCH-kb3pSzMumsznZE_6XG1tIIbshz8wG0RpN1olZBRTM3I5Pw7Fdi-ejGCpFcQCR3mSoEEV/s1600-h/minnie+adkins.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPfG391P6K76QqwKsD2t8RkeYzpVL1bAFrURcCD_5UXXytdsTh_KX7yAy-uCJtyJZVeMOiCH-kb3pSzMumsznZE_6XG1tIIbshz8wG0RpN1olZBRTM3I5Pw7Fdi-ejGCpFcQCR3mSoEEV/s400/minnie+adkins.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170993796056789266" /></a><br /><br />By Minnie AdkinsPoodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-76278173437089925702008-02-20T17:09:00.000-06:002008-02-20T17:10:19.579-06:00My Etsy Purchases<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8iaLLRUJdLi4ZiWRjqJoQR4bFKBXi3aqyxLpl6wk8WkOx8tVOZw_TYMLItGZ9VuDwVtjsHVssCXYKfbo8_d6IG3RnbM-IpfHTZPRYrMMZ5guOWA9-f0Na-YRzESd9fJVy4BamIAxLIcE/s1600-h/ring.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8iaLLRUJdLi4ZiWRjqJoQR4bFKBXi3aqyxLpl6wk8WkOx8tVOZw_TYMLItGZ9VuDwVtjsHVssCXYKfbo8_d6IG3RnbM-IpfHTZPRYrMMZ5guOWA9-f0Na-YRzESd9fJVy4BamIAxLIcE/s400/ring.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169203623623045362" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYE58jhQYlpnFZ0lxBftjUnVwQ_Jgir2mRaC7HTxYPMCUM4NDwGYHDSKXqU4srjygN4ZucVLDqcLmdP3X2lHCn7-W9j22x9fSTxYR0jBiIe7faD2_WrnVGiQCFN8cpWswUKfApBrtyBXF/s1600-h/unicorn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYE58jhQYlpnFZ0lxBftjUnVwQ_Jgir2mRaC7HTxYPMCUM4NDwGYHDSKXqU4srjygN4ZucVLDqcLmdP3X2lHCn7-W9j22x9fSTxYR0jBiIe7faD2_WrnVGiQCFN8cpWswUKfApBrtyBXF/s400/unicorn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169203623623045378" /></a>Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-91271306943269669262008-02-20T17:02:00.004-06:002008-02-20T17:07:44.418-06:00M. & P.'s Room RedecorationWe recently painted M. and P.'s room pink and hung a pretty little chandelier. Now, I have to figure out if I should take the time to wallpaper the back of their closet door. (It will look cute, but our landlord won't like it, which leads to the point that we rent, and do not own our apartment...which makes me feel so torn about wallpapering my own closet, for the same reasons.)<br /><br />And I have this horrible storage problem on my hands. Why do small children have so much stuff? And, because of my horrible internet shopping hesitations, I can't find a good solution. So, for the moment all of their stuff is living in Z.'s room. Why is it that I can't make internet purchases? <br /><br />On the other hand, I made my first purchases from Etsy, so wish me luck! Etsy has all kinds of wonderful handmade things. I ordered some lovely art and a pair of unicorn bookends.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-70238305488724817292008-02-19T13:50:00.003-06:002008-02-19T14:04:26.621-06:00Fun in AustinClancy and I had a long weekend in Austin, and I had a great time. I reconnected with my good friend Ted, who had Clancy and I over for a delicious dinner at his and his boyfriend Joel's amazing house, went antique shopping all over town and drank too much several nights in a row. Plus I fit in a trip to Neiman Marcus Last Call where I bought some new adorable True Religion jeans that are already falling apart. <br />I purchased a lovely danish mid century candleabra, I will post pictures later. <br /><br />I really missed my babies, though. P. split her lip open yesterday. We were shopping later, and I looked at her, and she looked so sweet and sad. She was cradling a baby doll, and her fingernails were all caked with dirt, and then she had a river of snot falling down her nose, and a gigantic fat lip. I don't know if she will ever look like such a toddler again. <br /><br />Back to Austin, I think if you visit, you ought to eat as much Tex Mex as possible. I ate twice at my favorite taqueria Chango's where they make the flour tortillas right before your eyes and douse the burrito with lots of delicious homemade salsa. And I had margaritas at Guero's where they make the best margarita in the world. I don't know exactly how they do it, but the lime juice is somehow not too tart and the tequila is not overpowering, and the cocktail has no real sweetness. <br /><br />Clancy and I also went to Zoot, where we had our first date, but I was so drunk that I can't properly review it, however I was not all that impressed with the food. I faintly remember some only half good rabbit sausage. It tasted kind of like they were competent sausage makers but you could tell that they did not make sausage for a living.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-86021609250356130562008-02-13T12:59:00.003-06:002008-02-13T13:10:25.528-06:00The Many Fears of M.M. is a fearful child, I guess terrified is the more appropriate word. Clancy and I had to throw away the book <em>Mommy Doesn't Know My Name</em>, because on one page, Hannah, the heroine, appears to be a chickadee. M. is quite terrified of chickens because, she insists, of their pointy beaks. Sometimes when I read to her, I will look at her, and she will be covering her face with her little hands. The book <em>The Monster at the End of the Book</em> really just about sent her over the deep end. (Straight to the garbage). <br /><br />She is also terrified of skeletons and skulls, so the current trend of skull decorated clothing has presented numerous problems. Once she even told me that she was scared of the food at the grocery store. I think only Clancy and I could have produced such a fearful little thing. I have always been extremely scared of all kinds of things, when I was young I bordered on total OCD, I thought that my fears wouldn't materialize SO LONG AS I took five steps to get to my bed, had five pillows in my bed, kept my silverware pointing towards myself at all meals, and spelled words out in my head in complicated patterns all related to the number five. I am better now, perhaps due to the extremely large dose of Zoloft that I take every day. <br /><br />And Clancy is no better, he has fears related to supernatural phenomenon, while my fears are more along the lines of scary thoughts about murderers. And the two of us have very regular, unreasonable anxiety related to fears about our careers and lives. <br /><br />The worst part about all of this is that when I was a little girl, I can remember admiring my parents and thinking about how fearless they seemed. They weren't afraid that my dolls were going to watch me and kill me when I fell asleep. I couldn't wait to grow up so that my fears would dissolve like theirs seemed to have. But now that I have grown up, unfortunately I am just as scared of aliens (my one predominant supernatural type fear) as I was when I was a little girl. <br /><br />Poor M. I really wish that she hadn't inherited this unfortunate quality from us.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-48468196360738376102008-02-04T15:26:00.000-06:002008-02-04T15:27:18.487-06:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzoPgqldioSAwHL48uA3tA3RCOP3OfHanmoV7pbTZcEsZWYdwsFcv_fx_thikx6ITIXwBOxBK-EqBvc_YBBM3pcVxBuMOIXb3bx6nk8g137YqzS_cQvJ7JcSZcFJTkjnp0kxtehz-uPdn/s1600-h/ballet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzoPgqldioSAwHL48uA3tA3RCOP3OfHanmoV7pbTZcEsZWYdwsFcv_fx_thikx6ITIXwBOxBK-EqBvc_YBBM3pcVxBuMOIXb3bx6nk8g137YqzS_cQvJ7JcSZcFJTkjnp0kxtehz-uPdn/s400/ballet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163239711148726738" /></a>Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-43360090139591036862008-02-04T15:08:00.000-06:002008-02-04T15:18:20.416-06:00Jack the Wolf by Yvonne Jagtenberg<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSP0VNiPy8YIgC73nh2xWWnvgKINCvQC4OWPuYAU0s-Pwwd_zRRelTjc5kC-aaD2oiLWqYeLovq3vY0gCE74bEILXzRLzHMBBgvvdN2P6swXwsfved2aiIFVYHrSMKbnymEbzJwNjBOopv/s1600-h/jack.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSP0VNiPy8YIgC73nh2xWWnvgKINCvQC4OWPuYAU0s-Pwwd_zRRelTjc5kC-aaD2oiLWqYeLovq3vY0gCE74bEILXzRLzHMBBgvvdN2P6swXwsfved2aiIFVYHrSMKbnymEbzJwNjBOopv/s400/jack.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163237288787171778" /></a><br />This book is a good read for someone who is just about to, or has just started preschool. Jack, the main character is very shy and scared when he arrives on the first day at his new school, particularly because everybody else already knows each other and has the hang of things. But, then Jack gets to pretend he is a wolf, and all of the children are scared of Jack. Jack is thrilled by this turn of events, and wants another turn at playing the wolf.<br /><br />I think that this book speaks to a very human feeling. When you are hurt by someone, you want them to know what it feels like, and so you try to hurt them back. I think it is particularly a feeling that small children can relate to--see previous post. When M. grabs something from P., P.'s instinct is to bite, unfortunately for M. And it is more than mere self defense, P. wants to make M. in the same way that M. angered her. <br /><br />Or when Clancy and I fight, so many of our remarks, once we are in the heat of the argument are just intended to cause reciprocal pain. <br /><br />Jack feels the same way when he puts the wolf mask on. He is finally able to reciprocate the intimidation that he felt from the other children. I like how the author doesn't make any moral judgments about the pleasure Jack takes in scaring the other children. It is successful because children can relate to it. M. makes me read this one every night.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-82050493591662481692008-02-04T15:05:00.000-06:002008-02-04T15:07:57.311-06:00M & PLittle M. and P. have been fighting like cats and dogs all weekend. M. gave P. a totally unprovoked bite, and ceaseless scratching and screaming has plagued my house. <br /><br />And another Monday morning. Two tiny girls screaming in my ears when I was trying to leave the house this morning. It was totally brutal.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-31639216200196901612008-01-31T16:50:00.000-06:002008-01-31T16:53:30.969-06:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rYRuhj71C46bvjVTdWwJH3CePHmpjTVBiYDyBRmFA89yJ4tx3TQNRdLZiqvoL5KADZLTWo1ss0PLeS06JOvGPIEdaiAHeu98P_E9oga16JBlGVMST0cB-y1IKMKYpA7dPXWooQaWqMoE/s1600-h/obama.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rYRuhj71C46bvjVTdWwJH3CePHmpjTVBiYDyBRmFA89yJ4tx3TQNRdLZiqvoL5KADZLTWo1ss0PLeS06JOvGPIEdaiAHeu98P_E9oga16JBlGVMST0cB-y1IKMKYpA7dPXWooQaWqMoE/s400/obama.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161777437993195906" /></a><br /><br />Margaret at the Barack Obama KC Townhall.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-89711614775613472162008-01-31T16:45:00.000-06:002008-01-31T16:50:15.908-06:00Online shoppingWhy can't I ever buy much when I shop online? Although I am sure that Clancy would disagree with me, if he had any idea of the volume of furniture, children's clothes, expensive women's shoes and handbags and other products that I look at, without actually purchasing much, he would be impressed. <br /><br />I think maybe it is because you have to go through so much effort to check out. I have suffered many online purchase regrets, too, but I don't think that this is the reason. For example, the beautiful looking purple plastic silverware I bought from Moss that is no stronger than the disposable spoons I use every day to eat my oatmeal with. Or the imposter Higgins glass ashtray I purchased on EBay.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-32709275163391718132008-01-29T12:35:00.001-06:002008-01-29T12:40:15.574-06:00Presidential Candidates Favorite ReadsHillary Clinton: Little Women, The Poisonwood Bible<br /><br />Barack Obama: Song of Solomon, Moby Dick<br /><br />John Edwards: The Trial of Socrates <br /><br />Mitt Romney: BATTLEFIELD EARTH ??? What is this guy thinking? <br /><br />John McCain: For Whom the Bell TollsPoodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-78539273236422174102008-01-28T09:16:00.000-06:002008-01-28T09:22:23.839-06:00Monday MorningI hate Monday mornings. I know alot of people do, but I just miss the girls so much on Mondays. This morning was really awful I was sitting on the couch, because Margaret asked me to sit for a few minutes, and as soon as I sat down, they were both in my lap. And, then I tried to get up a few minutes later, and I got one off but then when I reached to release myself from the death grip of the other, Portia climbed right back in my lap. I was imprisoned by my children. Literally. Imprisoned by wiggly little girls who refuse to let me stand up. Boo. It was awful to extract myself and head out.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-52777618044474647672008-01-03T11:21:00.000-06:002008-01-03T11:27:50.387-06:00Outsider Art, Kind of<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hJQZ1J0Ou7B4FCyeY0ism8FrrgGzWMi8iEdoA1fzrH5Sf3lHueHG1TOFtleqvR4mKMU2bJmMRmTPDDFvUfK4j88zfejeUwA1xVq-eIOeKXIsPsPhuyYWpHx9RKIEC_RfXGrpy5VbbtPr/s1600-h/glittermonkey.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hJQZ1J0Ou7B4FCyeY0ism8FrrgGzWMi8iEdoA1fzrH5Sf3lHueHG1TOFtleqvR4mKMU2bJmMRmTPDDFvUfK4j88zfejeUwA1xVq-eIOeKXIsPsPhuyYWpHx9RKIEC_RfXGrpy5VbbtPr/s400/glittermonkey.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151303098799868514" /></a><br /><br />Glitter Monkey, by Travis StrangePoodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-85359277701651133302008-01-02T10:38:00.000-06:002008-01-02T11:03:43.935-06:00Lifetime Movie Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1gve_GLrKi4ewl0DurqJBt1fQnFgCsPSUcIpTHXrLG1Uxv275_fgP81KQTerRFwlvW6VlzvLq5nHj5m9gSH-T8wyeDEr_hqRVlJ9JUju0QaCx0qz5-pcvGcKPzAxFi6sm2Qh10AU-TXx/s1600-h/long+island.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1gve_GLrKi4ewl0DurqJBt1fQnFgCsPSUcIpTHXrLG1Uxv275_fgP81KQTerRFwlvW6VlzvLq5nHj5m9gSH-T8wyeDEr_hqRVlJ9JUju0QaCx0qz5-pcvGcKPzAxFi6sm2Qh10AU-TXx/s400/long+island.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150922878230055458" /></a><br />So, over the break, I somehow managed to fit in a Lifetime movie marathon. Below I describe my favorites.<br /><br />CASUALTIES OF LOVE: THE LONG ISLAND LOLITA STORY<br /><br />This film is truly a LM classic, starring Alyssa Milano as Amy Fisher. The sheer amount of acid wash makes it entirely worth watching. I was totally wishing I had Joey B.'s denim jacket and poor Mary Jo's mile high white acid wash jeans. The acting is classically bad, and there really is no plucky heroine, which breaks the classic LM formula, as previously described. But, the story was so sensational that Lifetime could not help itself from making this movie. <br /><br />It is kind of funny, I think that the director tried to be as neutral as possible, because at different points in the movie, you feel sorry for all of the different characters. First, of course, you feel sorry for Mary Jo Buttafuoco, but then she starts to get all righteous and her desire for vengeance is more important to her than the maintenance of the family business, and I started to feel like, wait a minute here Mary Jo, the family business is important. And we all know Amy is going to go to prison, it is just a question of how long. <br /><br />You also feel sorry for Amy (momentarily I might add) because she is so young and stupid, and she gets herpes. Which is just sad. But, her prostitution and ridiculous ideas soon turn you against her. <br /><br />And Joey, you feel sorry for him, because he made a mistake and boy does he end up paying for it. The director leaves the whole relationship between Joey and Amy very vague, so the audience is never quite sure what happened between the two of them, although you suspect that Amy is not lying when she is talking to her high school cheerleader chum about all of the places that they had "encounters". <br /><br />But his refusal, time and time again to admit that he had an affair is frustrating and tedious. <br /><br />I tried to watch the Nora Roberts' adaptations, but I just couldn't stomach it. Even with Heather Locklear, a semi bona fide actress. (I still miss the Melrose years.) Lifetime does better, I think to make movies that are either based on true incidents, or movies that are created solely with the Lifetime viewer in mind. <br /><br />For some reason, the older that the LM is, the more I like it. I think it is because they date themselves so badly the older ones are more amusing. Plus, then you can tell yourself that you are watching it in a truly ironical fashion, and although you are sucked in, it is because you are so amused. <br /><br />SHATTERED INNOCENCE<br /><br /><br />This film is another classic, and I just checked and it is playing again on 1/13. This is the true story about an all American cheerleader turned "actress" (I mean drug addicted porn star). You watch the demise of Shauna Grant as she spirals deeper and deeper into the world of cocaine and porn films. <br /><br />This movie is based on a true story, which you can tell by weird details like when Shauna shows her nude pictures around to her kid sisters on a visit home. No writer would come up with that, I don't think.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-36408550538518385032008-01-02T10:31:00.000-06:002008-01-02T10:36:37.730-06:00Thank You WhoorlI now have hair model hair, thanks to the continuing advice of <a href="http://whoorl.com">Whoorl</a>. She makes very good recommendations for hair styles and products. <br /><br />I just purchased some Frederic Fekkai <a href="http://www.fredericfekkai.com/products/product_detail.cfm?product=51&category=4">glossing mist</a> on her recommendation. I think she actually uses the glossing cream, however the mist is really good and makes my hair nice and shiny. And she gave some smart directions about how to use a flat iron, which I also found to be enormously helpful.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-66278959698351746342007-12-12T22:05:00.000-06:002007-12-12T22:07:58.877-06:00In case of an Emergency<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFFwQCGM58wh8TKxwFGvyOJ0X0pCmIq61jFQB-MLPekmbWNxrS-vOl2gjqL-BdIz8J84H_KQra31mdQ4QkTBjQe_Lra5Eg8RcBhmXhPlVDKX3do8yqQUDYCLtszcEc-9KQLNuPwS2-o-E/s1600-h/dog_emergency_kit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFFwQCGM58wh8TKxwFGvyOJ0X0pCmIq61jFQB-MLPekmbWNxrS-vOl2gjqL-BdIz8J84H_KQra31mdQ4QkTBjQe_Lra5Eg8RcBhmXhPlVDKX3do8yqQUDYCLtszcEc-9KQLNuPwS2-o-E/s400/dog_emergency_kit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143304218459060402" /></a>Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-23753331855002778252007-12-06T22:08:00.000-06:002007-12-06T22:38:06.227-06:00Courtney by John BurninghamCourtney is one of my favorite children books ever. John Burningham is the author of many great children books, including The Magic Bed, Avocado Baby and Aldo. I think that Courtney is the best one of the bunch. It is just as amusing as Avocado Baby (which is about a little baby who eats avocados and becomes really strong and scares away some robbers) but more thoughtful. At the opening of the book, the children of the family want a dog. Their parents tell them to make sure and pick a "pedigreed dog." The children then take the dog that noone wants, Courtney. Their parents are very mad until Courtney opens his large traveling case and cooks dinner, waits on the family in a white waiter's suit, plays the violin while they eat and juggles for the baby (my favorite part). <br /><br />He spends all of his time with the family and even saves the baby from a fire, but when he leaves, the parents immediately forget all of his virtues and insist that they knew he would leave all along because he had no pedigree. Then, the children are at the beach floating in a dinghy that gets lost at sea, and mysteriously they make it back to shore, after their parents first becoming frantic. <br /><br />Whenever I think about this book, I think about how Burningham has made Courtney into a Christ figure. The only people who believe in him are the children, but then he ends up being this amazing individual, making them happy--literally saving their lives. Then, as soon as he appears he disappears--again paralleling Jesus' death and resurrection--cuz the kids at the end are saved by a mysterious something that the reader just knows is Courtney. <br /><br />John Burningham always tells a story from a slightly odd view. Aldo, for example is, I find a sad and sort of menacing book. And The Magic Bed is similarly odd. The parents are always, in one way or another the enemy, which is definitely a common children's book technique (consider any Roald Dahl plot) but unlike Roald Dahl there is never any humor associated with their shortcomings or villainy, which is sort of odd considering their audience.<br /><br />Anyway, I appreciate the fact that Burningham has made a ratty old pound dog into a Christ figure. I also like how Courtney first impresses the family with his range of tricks--violin playing, juggling etc. He really is humble in appearance only. And here, Burningham has really managed to pack alot into a little book.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-79771794631615847532007-12-05T08:50:00.000-06:002007-12-05T08:52:20.688-06:00READ THISHere is an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/dining/05entr.html">article</a> about the demise of the entree. I am a wholehearted advocate of eliminating the entree at restaurants myself--at least the humongous portions that are typical of American entrees.Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-50088941336632638042007-12-03T22:08:00.000-06:002007-12-03T22:16:05.935-06:00Another Piece of Outsider Art<img src="http://www.anntowergallery.com/images/henkel/artist_ghenkel_Haitian%20Solendon_flashe%20paint%20on%20panel_16%20x%2016%20-2007.jpg" width="180" height="179" /><br /><br /><br />By Georgia HenkelPoodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-90434603607145124092007-12-03T21:44:00.000-06:002007-12-03T22:05:52.959-06:00Supernatural BrowniesThe NYTimes recipe for supernatural brownies is the best brownie recipe I have ever tried. They remind me of a cakier, less dense miles of chocolate. They really are better the day after you bake them, and there are so few ingredients that the quality of your ingredients makes a significant difference. Click <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/11/dining/111brex.html">here</a> to go to the recipe.<div><br /></div><div>I was recently reading somewhere, I believe in America's Test Kitchen cookbook that Jacques Pepin claimed that chocolate tastes better when it is not heated to as high of a temperature when it is cooked. And, America's Test Kitchen did some research, and he is right. This seems fairly obvious if you eat one of these brownies right out of the oven. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was surprised to find something that really does taste better if it cools--usually I gobble up everything when it is still so hot that I have to leave my mouth open and breathe for the first thirty seconds. The chocolate loses its flavor when it is really hot but when it cools, the brownies sink slightly and the chocolate flavor intensifies. This makes me really worried about chocolate souffles. I love chocolate souffles, but there is no way to serve them any way except for very hot. Have I, all this time, loved a sub-par chocolate dessert? I have been worried that I have just been romanticizing them--there is something so nice about eating a nice puffed up chocolate souffle full of creme anglaise. </div><div><br /></div><div>Clancy and I used to make them every Sunday when Margaret was a baby and we lived in Lawrence. I would make the souffles, and he would make the creme anglaise. And then we would sit at our kitchen table and hold the baby and look at how cold it was outside and eat them (two each).<br /><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, back to the brownies--I made them twice in one week. The first time I used good quality, but not excellent semi sweet chocolate along with nestle semi sweet chocolate chips and regular light brown sugar. Yesterday, I used Scharffen Berger chocolate and muscovado sugar, as recommended by the NYT, and they were better (I didn't think they could get any better, but seriously they did).</div><div><br /></div><div>And, please do cover them, I was too lazy to return to the kitchen last night and cover them, and they got slightly stale at the edges, although they retained their moist dense centers.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. You can just cut them in the pan right after you bake them, you need not follow the slightly odd saran wrap-cutting board instructions. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-69100555970493999182007-11-28T11:46:00.000-06:002007-11-28T12:00:22.317-06:00A Notable Children's Book<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiStmocNgviQSJ8WdC2Yfzdti8uQZdayqf0I6jUiA7fMjU0lw8n3__GETs3YWSjlPKWhL6l1BNjNi2s2bTqCpzDGQpsb-n-4sh1KStxQ4VjO2W-qkGqX2GM2p6iSC2UTOjw8Uy4l_abB0/s1600-h/halibut.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137949542684573810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiStmocNgviQSJ8WdC2Yfzdti8uQZdayqf0I6jUiA7fMjU0lw8n3__GETs3YWSjlPKWhL6l1BNjNi2s2bTqCpzDGQpsb-n-4sh1KStxQ4VjO2W-qkGqX2GM2p6iSC2UTOjw8Uy4l_abB0/s400/halibut.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I get so tired of so many children's books. Why are they SO SO boring so much of the time? Please read this one to your children. It is really good. The illustrations are very nice and Lucas is a good writer. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Being shy is hard, but totally natural. I always want to blend in to my surroundings just like Halibut, and often Margaret does too, so I know that she totally related to him. Plus he looks so adorable in his suits that match even his armchair in his own home, when he stays there alone. Lucas shows a picture of Halibut in his suit and armchair and explains that he mostly likes to stay inside. In a single picture and a few words, Lucas demonstrates that Halibut is not even transparent to himself--in order to feel shy around yourself, there have to be multiple selves that one is composed of. That opacity to oneself is one of the most interesting things I think about the self. The ability to not know parts of you, or for one part of yourself to be shy around another part of yourself. And to make all of that into something that everyone understands is so good. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>And then at the end, Halibut inadvertently makes himself stand out at a garden party. His gold and silver suit is a wild success and ends up providing him with the means to make a living by opening a suit-making store. Of course--this is a nice message, "overcome your fears and people will love you." Maybe it is a little cliche, but still very well done. </div><br /><div></div>Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382873357611727476.post-21706734296911322542007-11-26T13:54:00.000-06:002007-11-26T13:55:51.366-06:00Another Piece of Outsider Art<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLFYPdIOL2-t6c4h7tOCEqQW3LzTOHTgQIq5YCq0vBCC76XPac_LbCSvQTExvJJF6Sqj_2p8tlCKwSGj7zvDDPEMHPpm6gdZ8XjL_H0GbXvRu49sQG8N0Xjg2xZ7-l2BMJsIRkZTjPgds/s1600-h/chrisskating.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137240198770868322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLFYPdIOL2-t6c4h7tOCEqQW3LzTOHTgQIq5YCq0vBCC76XPac_LbCSvQTExvJJF6Sqj_2p8tlCKwSGj7zvDDPEMHPpm6gdZ8XjL_H0GbXvRu49sQG8N0Xjg2xZ7-l2BMJsIRkZTjPgds/s400/chrisskating.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>By Chris Clark, one of my favorites.</div><br /><div></div>Poodlefulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11226842099389393617noreply@blogger.com0