tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88710398841090847332024-03-13T10:21:44.480-07:00Philip K. Dick: Remembering FirebrightPhilip K. Dick left this world in 1982. This blog talks about my work, as well as his, and it includes notes on my memoirs about our ten years together. Reality is not what it seems to be. Just read a Philip K. Dick novel, and you'll understand what that means.tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-6559498226868344942024-01-03T19:07:00.000-08:002024-01-03T19:07:30.505-08:00Health insurance fails and refuses <p> My adult son is suffering serious health problems after a nearly fatal heart attack, and his insurance refuses to pay for the medical care that he needs because the provider is "out of network". My son, Christopher Dick, is Philip K. Dick's only son. This needs to get out to the media. All the media. </p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-80509013289232032162023-12-18T19:05:00.000-08:002023-12-18T19:05:22.384-08:00December 16 was a sad day again<p> I've been feeling down for several days now. My husband Philip K. Dick was born on December 16, so it's a sort of anniversary. March 2 is even worse, since that was the date of his death. And then there is November 17, the date when his house was ransacked. The perpetrators were never identified. </p><p>The coming days will be better, with Christmas and the New Year. </p><p> ~~~ </p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-12435847961825584472023-11-25T13:48:00.000-08:002023-11-25T13:48:26.761-08:00wish list, I wanta get cooking<p> I need a little help to set up my kitchen for doing some cooking videos, so I set up my wish list on Amazon. This will also help me to expand my cookbook with new recipes. You can help at the link below: </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/P4DB4GP6BBY9?ref_=wl_share" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/P4DB4GP6BBY9?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p> ~~~ </p><p>Also please check out my cookbook on Amazon: </p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cookbook-Kitchen-Challenged/dp/150879412X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3H91CBW4TVR76&keywords=cookbook+kitchen+challenged+tessa+dick&qid=1700948691&sprefix=cookbook+kitchen+challene%2Caps%2C7936&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.com/Cookbook-Kitchen-Challenged/dp/150879412X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3H91CBW4TVR76&keywords=cookbook+kitchen+challenged+tessa+dick&qid=1700948691&sprefix=cookbook+kitchen+challene%2Caps%2C7936&sr=8-1</a></p><p><a href="cookbook for the kitchen challenged" target="_blank"> ~~~</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-81092271251669272622023-07-10T01:42:00.001-07:002023-07-10T01:42:11.163-07:00Support this blogYou can support this blog, as well as my work in progress, an exploration of the Exegesis of Philip K. Dick, at Buy Me A Coffee <div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kittiescatu">https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kittiescatu</a></div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~ </div>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-75657405943430160372023-07-10T01:30:00.012-07:002023-08-11T19:37:59.599-07:00Dragon Story Part Three<p>Dragon Story Part Three </p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">Read Part One Here:</p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8871039884109084733/1274271512222280435">https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8871039884109084733/1274271512222280435</a></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">Read Part Two Here:</p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8871039884109084733/8101879342737499530">https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8871039884109084733/8101879342737499530</a></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">~~~~~ </p><p><br /></p><p>Henry politely said,
“Good morning,” and turned to begin the long trek home with the
maple tree slung across his back.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Halt. Worm!”
the knight shouted.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Turning his head
from side to side, he saw no worms on the ground. He asked, “Where?”
thinking that it might be a nice little snack for his wife.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“You! You are the
worm! Stand and meet your destiny.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“I’ve never seen
a destiny before. What is it?”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Your destiny,”
the knight informed him, “is to become a trophy on the wall of my
castle.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Why would I want
to hang on a wall? And why would you want me to do that?”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Well, you are a
sort of a sorry-looking dragon. And your jacket is torn. But I’ve
been searching high and low for a dragon for weeks on end, and you
are the first and only dragon I have come across. It seems there are
no other dragons to be found, so you will have to do.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“I know of another
dragon, one that would suit you much better.” Henry thought that
this might solve his domestic problem without the hassle of a
divorce. Surely the knight would frighten his wife, and she would run
away, never to be seen again. Maybe she would even meet her destiny
and hang on this knight’s castle wall. He wished he knew what a
destiny was.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Henry stumbled here
and there while leading the knight along the field toward his house.
He stopped occasionally to adjust the maple tree when it ruffled his
scales and made his back itch. Neither of them spoke along the way,
but from time to time Henry let out a puff of smoke and the horse
snorted at the smell of it. When the house came into sight, the
knight spurred his horse and left Henry behind. The dust kicked up by
the horse’s hoovers made him cough and sneeze.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">As the knight
approached the house, Mabel opened the door and came out to meet him.
Henry sat on his haunches and watched the spectacle, for a thing to
see it was. Mable shouted, “Who are you, little man? Did my lazy,
good-for-nothing husband bring me a canned man for my breakfast?”
Her inner fire rose from her gaping mouth, and the horse slid to a
stop. The knight uttered a curse that will not be repeated, while the
horse swung around and carried him back across the field at full
tilt.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Henry sighed, picked
up the maple tree and shuffled home.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“It’s about time
you got home,” Mabel told him. “I’ve already been to the
farmer’s market and traded a sheep’s fleece for a feast of eggs,
potatoes and ham. Your breakfast is cold now, but you can heat it up
yourself.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Henry sighed, hoping
that his weak inner fire would be up to the task of heating his food.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Is that a maple
tree?” she asked. “What a lovely gift! It will be for dessert
after supper.” She smiled at her husband. Looking at him a bit more
closely, she said, “Your jacket is torn. Pull it off, and I’ll
mend it for you.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Henry, for his part,
decided that a divorce would not be necessary, since he would have a
full belly, a mended jacket and a happy wife.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If you feel inclined to support my work, you can send a buck or two by Paypal: </p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/TessaDick7">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/TessaDick7</a></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> ~~~ </p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Read Part One Here:</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8871039884109084733/1274271512222280435">https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8871039884109084733/1274271512222280435</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Read Part Two Here:</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8871039884109084733/8101879342737499530">https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8871039884109084733/8101879342737499530</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can support my work with these links: </div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Buy Me a Coffee</div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kittiescatu&source=gmail&ust=1691894236480000&usg=AOvVaw3qz0tPbHu3holKcmLGXROy" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kittiescatu" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.buymeacoffee.com/<wbr></wbr>kittiescatu</a><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Paypal Me </div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/TessaDick7&source=gmail&ust=1691894236480000&usg=AOvVaw0dXVgGo93oiKxq3NSdwevr" href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/TessaDick7" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/<wbr></wbr>paypalme/TessaDick7</a><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">GoFundMe </div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: CircularXXWeb, Trebuchet, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://gofund.me/e8dedd87&source=gmail&ust=1691894236480000&usg=AOvVaw0F3bt6XlFu-tk5PyI7Ujyz" href="https://gofund.me/e8dedd87" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://gofund.me/e8dedd87</a></span><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: CircularXXWeb, Trebuchet, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: CircularXXWeb, Trebuchet, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> ~~~ </span></div>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-81018793427374995302023-05-21T21:44:00.006-07:002023-07-26T16:33:31.768-07:00 Dragon Story, part two <p> </p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dragon Story Part Two
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>NOTE: You can
read Part One at </b>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://pkdmemoir.blogspot.com/2023/03/dragon-story-part-one.html">http://pkdmemoir.blogspot.com/2023/03/dragon-story-part-one.html</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Henry Draco wondered
who was riding a horse into the woods so early in the morning. Surely
most humans would be sound asleep, unless they were out working in
the fields. In either case, they would not be riding horses. Could it
possibly be a knight? Or could it be a stray horse that somehow gotten out of the barn or the paddock? Well, whoever or whatever it was, it
was no concern of his. Huffing and puffing, he passed between the
trees and stopped from time to time to sniff the air in search of the
sweet scent of maple sap.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">At last he found
one, a young maple with a trunk six inches across, mature enough to
contain plenty of sap, but young enough to easily pull out of the
ground and not too heavy to carry home. With a great grunt of effort,
he pulled the trunk one way and the other, twisted it and pushed on
it, until he heard the wonderful sound of the roots letting go of the
dirt. He had just slung the maple tree over his back when the
clopping of horse hooves began to sound faster and louder than
before.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">He wondered what
Mabel would say when he presented her with his gift. He never knew
how she would react, whether she might be angry or pleased. Well, in
any case, he had done his duty and found something to eat. Now to
trace his steps back and get out of the woods. He simply could not
remember the way he had come. Turning this way and that, he searched
for any familiar landmark, but he had to conclude that he was lost.
Not one to give up easily, Henry decided to pick a direction and walk
until he got somewhere. Perhaps he ought to head toward the sound of
the clopping horse. Yes, he said to himself, that horse would not be
in the woods. Horses liked to run, and it was much too difficult to
run among all these trees.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">His plan worked out
well enough, for when he emerged from the woods he saw the horse
running toward him, with a knight astride. “Halt!” the knight
shouted. He held a lance upright, pointed toward the sky, so Henry
did not feel threatened. Well, he was a little nervous.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Dragon,” the
knight addressed him, “what happened to your jacket?”
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Puzzled, Henry
looked down at his jacket and inspected the sleeves. Sure enough, the
sleeve that had caught on a cedar branch was torn and dirty. “Just
a little scuffle with a pesky knight,” he said, hoping that this
would inspire some respect from his adversary. Knights, after all,
had a habit of slaying dragons. Henry Draco had no desire to die this
morning, least of all to die with an empty belly, and the knight
seemed serious about getting a trophy.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“I’ve been
looking for such a challenge,” the knight told him, “but frankly
you are not a very presentable trophy. In fact, your scales are dull,
chipped and cracked. Perhaps you can lead me to a more acceptable
specimen, and then I won’t have to settle for your head on my
wall.”
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Henry considered
this offer, but the only other dragons who knew lived miles away.
Then he thought again. Perhaps this would help him to escape death
and become a bachelor again. “I know,” he said, “a most
beautiful dragon who live just over that rise.” He pointed in the
direction of his house, where Mabel was probably fussing and fuming
because they had no food in their larder. “Follow me!” he shouted
as he took off at a comfortable lope, the maple tree bouncing on his
back and dragging on the ground. It was a tall tree, several feet
longer than his back, so it slowed his pace as he traveled toward
home.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Read part three here: </p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://pkdmemoir.blogspot.com/2023/07/dragon-story-part-three.html">http://pkdmemoir.blogspot.com/2023/07/dragon-story-part-three.html</a></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> ~~~ </p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-12742715122222804352023-03-25T19:45:00.001-07:002023-07-26T16:31:10.210-07:00Dragon story, part one<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> This little fantasy presents an ordinary dragon who suffers under the domination of a nagging wife. This is only the first part of the story. Stay tuned for part two, coming soon. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u>Dragon story, part one </u></span></p><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">One morning Henry Draco awoke with a vague sense of foreboding. When he reached toward the bedside table and fumbled for his eyeglasses, Mabel Draco grumbled and turned over. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"You idiot," she hissed. "You left them on the mantle!" </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Henry's green scales rattled as he sat up and dangled his legs over the side of the bed. A great yawn issued forth from his mouth, tinged with just a little puff of smoke from his internal fire. He slipped on his house shoes, which he kept beside the bed, and rose to his feet. His poor eyesight made it difficult for him to navigate, but after twice walking into the door frame, he managed to go into the living room. He stumbled to the fireplace and clutched his eyeglasses, which were on the mantle, as his wife had said. He wondered how she knew where they were, when he himself did not know. Was she psychic or something? </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Mrs. Draco grumbled loudly from the bedroom, where she lay half asleep on the mattress which she had made herself by stuffing the feathers she had taken from many swans and geese and ducks into a soft linen bag. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Henry plodded into the kitchen and opened the pantry, which he found mostly empty. They had a box of cornmeal, a canister of salt and not much more. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"I'm hungry!" Mrs. Draco roared. "Go out and get me something to eat!" </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Henry sighed, pulled his coat off the hook near the door, and stepped outside. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"And don't slam the door again!" his wife screamed. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Apparently, he had a habit of annoying his wife. He wondered how she put up with him, and more, he wondered why she didn't leave him. Oh, how he treasured peace and quiet, how he longed to be a bachelor again. A divorce would be easy, since they had no young dragons to provide for, but he lacked the motivation, or perhaps the nerve, to pack his bag and leave her. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Henry decided to go into the woods and find a maple tree. That would satisfy Mabel's sweet tooth, and then maybe she would settle down and stop hissing at him. On the other hand, she did like a pot of meat. Henry felt a flutter in his belly and a slight shiver down the scales of his spine. He did not like killing things, so he decided that a maple tree would have to do until Mabel decided to go out and hunt something down. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Henry Draco lumbered down the winding dirt road to the edge of the forest. When he tried to squeeze between two cedar trees, his jacket snagged on a low limb. He shook himself, sending up a cloud of dust from between his scales, and pulled himself free. As he passed among the oaks, pines and cedars in search of a maple tree, he began to hear the distant clopping of horse hooves.</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> ~~~ </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">You can red part two here: </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://pkdmemoir.blogspot.com/2023/05/dragon-story-part-two.html">http://pkdmemoir.blogspot.com/2023/05/dragon-story-part-two.html</a> </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> ~~~ </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p><br /></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-22697235201653733012023-03-05T02:30:00.002-08:002023-03-05T02:30:37.439-08:00Snowed in<p> We've been snowed in for ten days in beautiful downtown Crestline. I have major cabin fever, but I'm okay. I have heat, light and plenty of food. Also good friends and neighbors. </p><p> ~~~ </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb8mabln6uadpQuWexqNmy3impTDQ-hludfZ6t80OVe-6-H0_Xx4cvYF_DBm-AILdNxIyYNgPWT910bYMoGZS_TBcl2Xo66jSjGzvNMFRMTu91tWHzANLXnxGYmnVMdI4Q0kn_G1uPLOXuLEuhm4sfdnO3YFtZ8ZyDLPB4Ej7A0dBXeySxGgb2vIK6w/s4000/moresnow2023march3again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb8mabln6uadpQuWexqNmy3impTDQ-hludfZ6t80OVe-6-H0_Xx4cvYF_DBm-AILdNxIyYNgPWT910bYMoGZS_TBcl2Xo66jSjGzvNMFRMTu91tWHzANLXnxGYmnVMdI4Q0kn_G1uPLOXuLEuhm4sfdnO3YFtZ8ZyDLPB4Ej7A0dBXeySxGgb2vIK6w/s320/moresnow2023march3again.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-76278414373232430292022-12-18T13:09:00.002-08:002022-12-30T13:01:40.198-08:00Overlooked Masterpiece: Radio Free Albemuth <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Why do many film critics and Philip K. Dick aficionados overlook John Alan Simon's thoughtful interpretation of the first and best </span><i>VALIS</i><span> novel into film? </span><i>Radio Free Albemuth</i><span> (2010) is actually a gem of a movie, which suffers unfairly from its low budget and lack of promotion. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Radio Free Albemuth</i> was actually the first <i>VALIS </i>novel that Philip K Dick wrote, and in my opinion it is the best of that trilogy. His agent returned the manuscript with a note saying that it would never sell, so Phil wrote a second version and a third, both of which the agent returned with the same message: This will never sell. That was in the three years spanning 1974 through1977, and the market for his work improved over time. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After Ridley Scott's film <i>Blade Runner</i> went into production in 1981, publishers soon found an interest in publishing the <i>VALIS</i> novels. By the time the film was released in theatres in 1982, Phil had tragically died of a stroke followed by a heart attack. Those in charge of his estate wanted to release a <i>VALIS</i> trilogy, but they knew nothing about the first novel, which Phil had called <i>VALIS</i> before changing the title to <i>Radio Free Albemuth</i>. In search of a suitable third volume of the trilogy, they settled on <i>The Transmigration of Timothy Archer</i>, which really does not belong. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, without that stamp of official approval as part of the <i>VALIS</i> trilogy, the novel languished. The film similarly fell under the radar of most fans and film critics. Despite the low budget, which was funded by producer-director John Alan Simon and his wife, along with a few others, the film features a brilliant cast. Shea Wigham stars as Phil, with Jonathan Scarfe as Nick Brady, and Katheryn Winnick as Rachel Brady. Alanis Morissette shines as Sylvia Aramchek. All the cast members agreed to work for union scale in this low-budget venture, since they believed in the project enough to take less money than usual for their work. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Like the novel, the film suffered from its lack of pubic connection with <i>VALIS</i>. What a shame! Despite the changes necessary when translating the written word into a visual medium, <i>Radio Free Albemuth</i> represents the most faithful interpretation of the work of Philip K. Duck that has ever shone its lights in a movie theatre. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> ~~~</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> https://www.amazon.com/Radio-Free-Albemuth-Shea-Whigham/dp/B00L4DXKEU</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> ~~~ </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-41882067787229381362022-11-15T10:32:00.002-08:002022-11-15T10:32:47.512-08:00Endoscopy done, ulcers and hiatal hernia <p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Yesterday I got an endoscopy of my stomach. The doctor confirmed that I have a hiatal hernia and stomach ulcers. The results of the biopsy will come later. I'm praying that the biopsy is negative for cancer. They probably will find an H. pylori infection, which is treatable.</span></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-40387661528095455872022-11-06T16:39:00.000-08:002022-11-06T16:39:58.847-08:00Buy Me A Coffee, Please <p><span style="font-size: large;"> Please support my work at Buy Me A Coffee. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Writing about the Exegesis of Philip K. Dick is difficult and time-consuming, but I am making progress. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kittiescatu">https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kittiescatu</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> ~~~ </span></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-50815533418396928262022-10-22T11:40:00.002-07:002022-10-22T11:40:52.519-07:00The Darkening of the Light <p><span style="font-size: large;"> In case you were wondering about the title of my novel, it is from the I Ching. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">https://www.iching-online.com/hexagrams/iching-hexagram-000101.html</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">~~~ </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">https://www.amazon.com/Darkening-Light-life-dream/dp/1475097948/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+darkening+of+the+light&qid=1666463822&s=books&sr=1-1</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> ~~~ </span></p><p><br /></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-24238164928452937602022-09-11T09:40:00.002-07:002022-09-11T09:40:51.727-07:00Health Update: Concerned, but no panic<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> I have two medical tests coming up in October. I am seriously underweight, and I have been for over ten years, but now I'm down to 80 pounds. I've also lost 4 inches in height. I was 5 feet and four inches just 5 years ago, and now I'm five feet flat. My spine is crumbling, probably due to malnutrition. <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So I will have biopsies done on my colon and my stomach in October because the doctors suspect cancer. Thank God, I'll be asleep for those procedures. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I do have a hiatal hernia, which causes my stomach to poke up through my diaphragm. It is quite serious, so I'm also getting a scan with contrast, which means drinking some kind of icky liquid before the CT scan, so they can get a better look at the hernia and decide whether it rates surgery. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will much appreciate prayer, positive thoughts and good wishes while I wait for the tests, and then wait some more for the test results. Thank you all! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> ~~~ </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-20117440451253781452022-07-11T17:46:00.007-07:002022-10-01T15:51:40.507-07:00One of Phil's favorite pieces of music<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, J.S. Bach</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEHGxpRoZQM</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Amazing music. </span></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-23881873441789213982022-06-23T14:24:00.007-07:002022-07-11T17:51:19.538-07:00just to make the bots happy<p>UPDATE: They finally paid me, but it was like pulling teeth. </p><p>In addition, their fees are much higher than PayPal or GoFundMe.</p><p><br /></p><p> please do not click this link until I get my first payout, which will prove that they are not a scam</p><p><br /></p><p>https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kittiescatu</p><p><br /></p><p> ~~~ </p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-24108437913029979942022-06-22T18:25:00.001-07:002022-06-22T18:25:06.656-07:00Buy Me a Coffee<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I signed up for an account at Buy Me a Coffee, and two of my friends have already sent donations. However, the site seems to have some kind of problem with sending my money to me. I have jumped through many hoops, and waited more than two weeks so far, and I have not received any of my money. They don't even tell me what the problem is. They just keep asking me to wait. I could die of old age before I get my money. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I will not post my link here until and unless they solve whatever their problem is and send me my money. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> ~~~ </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-36004816090756845832022-01-05T14:45:00.004-08:002022-01-05T14:49:29.578-08:00Being the Ricardos, review <p><span style="font-size: large;">I just watched <i>Being the Ricardos</i> on Netflix. It brought back some memories, and it wasn't all bad. However, I want my two hours back. I've watched "I Love Lucy" many times, even when it first ran in the 1950s, so I get the premise. However, the show jumped around in time so often, and so abruptly, that it's just plain confusing. I never know whether it's 1960 or 1950. Moreover, I just couldn't get to a place where I identified with or cared about the characters, even though I already know quite a bit of the background that is not covered in the movie. I could forgive the two-hour run time, if it bothered to develop the characters. Even Lucy herself comes across as flat. These were real people, and they got short shrift in the movie.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sorry folks, thumbs down. </span></p><p><br /></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-50342260455707832862021-12-30T07:48:00.001-08:002021-12-30T07:48:04.130-08:00Sweet & Sour Sauce, Hawaiian style <p> </p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sweet & Sour Sauce, Hawaiian style
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Sweet & sour
sauce is easy to make, and you can adjust the flavors to your taste.
I do not add sugar to my sauce because I think it tastes sweet enough
without sugar. I can’t give you amounts for the ingredients because
that depends upon how much sauce you are making and what flavors you
like. Consider this more of a guide than a recipe, and make your
sauce the way you like it.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Remember, this is
your sauce, and you will be eating it, so you decide if you want to
make substitutions. You could, for example, leave out the celery or
the onions. I recommend using both, but this is your sauce, so make
it your own. You could use shallots instead of onions, or you could
use broccoli stalks instead of celery. You could even use both celery
and broccoli stalks. The broccoli florets would not work because they
have a texture that you don’t want in this sauce.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Keep tasting the
sauce as you develop the flavors, and make sure that you like it.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ingredients:
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<ul>
<li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Chopped onion
(I like the sweet white onions, but you could use any onion or
shallots)
</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Chopped celery
(chop to about the same size as the onion, up to one inch if you
like chewing on some chewy ingredients, smaller if you want a very
smooth sauce)
</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Chopped
broccoli stalks (optional)</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Cooking oil (I
like to use grape seed oil because it does not change the flavor and
it can be used on high heat, but use whatever you like, but not
butter, since butter tends to burn.)
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Canned
pineapple chunks (in their own juice, not sugary syrup)
</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Canned or fresh
pineapple juice (optional, needed for larger batches)
</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Peach jam or
apricot jam or apricot/peach jam (for orange sauce, used orange
marmalade instead)
</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Canned water
chestnuts (optional, to add crunch if desired)
</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Maraschino
cherries (optional)
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Soy sauce
</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Worcestershire
sauce (contains anchovies; for vegetarians, you can use soy sauce
with a little ginger as a substitute, or there are vegan sauces
available)</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lemon juice</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Corn starch (if
needed to thicken the sauce; mix with an equal amount of water
before adding to the sauce)</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Red pepper
flakes or your favorite hot sauce
</p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Salt
</p>
</li></ul>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Method:
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">You can make this
sauce in a frying pan, but I tend to over stir and make a mess all
over the stove top, so I use a deep saucepan. I start by cooking the
onions and celery in a little oil, in a frying pan, and then I
transfer them into a sauce pan. Sometimes I don’t want to wash two
pans, so I fry the onions in the sauce pan.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Put the frying pan
over medium heat. It is hot enough when a drop of water fizzes right
away. I usually get my hand wet and shake the water onto the surface
of the frying pan to test the temperature. Pour in two or three
tablespoons of oil and tilt the pan to spread it around. Add the
onions and stir them gently and constantly. You want the onions to
turn a little transparent. Then add the celery and continue stirring.
These vegetables are going to be boiled in the sauce, so you don’t
need them fully cooked. You are simply getting them hot on the
outside, not browned but somewhat firm. Add a few red pepper flakes
or a dash of your favorite hot sauce and stir well. You are looking
for a little bite, a bit of lift to the flavor, but if you like
really hot sauces, such as Thai sauces, go for it.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Transfer the onions
and celery to a deep sauce pan and place the pan over medium heat.
Add jam and stir to mix it well with the vegetables. Pour in all of
the juice from the canned pineapple and keep stirring gently. If you
are making a large batch, from a pint to a quart, you will need about
8 ounces of jam, and then you will need to thin the sauce with
additional pineapple juice.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">At this point, you
need to start tasting. Dip a spoon into the sauce, and let the sauce
run off while you lift out the spoon. When it cools enough to taste
without burning you mouth, taste it. Do this every time you add
another flavor to the sauce. Add the sauces in small amounts. You can
always addmore, but you can’t take it out.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Add soy sauce, stir,
then taste. Add Worcestershire sauce, stir, then taste. Add lemon
juice, stir, then taste. If the sauce seems to need salt, add it now.
Remember, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce are already salty, so
you might not need to add any salt. That is a good reason to taste
the sauce first.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Add the pineapple
chunks and stir them in. Drain the water chestnuts and add them now,
if desired. Stir the sauce until the water chestnuts are mixed in and
covered with sauce. Add a little pineapple juice if desired. You need
to taste the sauce to see if you like the flavor, and you might want
to add more pineapple juice and taste it again. If your sauce seems
too thin, add a little of the corn starch that you mixed with water,
and stir it into the sauce. Add a little at a time, stir it in and
wait to see how the sauce thickens. If your sauce seems too thick,
add more lemon juice or pineapple juice to thin it. Another option is
to add the liquid from a jar of maraschino cherries. Keep tasting as
you add more juice.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Turn off the heat
and wait about ten minutes before dusing a ladle to pour the sauce
over your favorite entrée. Top with maraschino cherries if desired.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Enjoy!
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> ~~~
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-27103489984133809712021-10-21T12:14:00.000-07:002021-10-21T12:14:57.166-07:00How I made soup from scratch (vegetable beef) <p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I am one of the most kitchen challenged people you will ever meet, but I'm making some progress. Some of my dishes are edible, and some are actually delicious. My kitchen, which used to frighten me more than facing a bear in the forest, has become a place of fun and adventure, something like a child's chemistry set. Not only did I like the soup that I made, but my test subject, who is still my friend, pronounced it delicious. Let me tell you about my latest kitchen adventure. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After watching cooking videos, which I love to do, I came up with this recipe of sorts. It works best if you start the soup at least 12 hours before you plan to eat it. I started my soup around 6 P.M., cooked it for about three hours, then put it in the fridge overnight and put it in the crock pot the next morning. It cooked all day, and when it was done, the meat fell off of the bone. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">First let's talk about mise en place, a fancy French phrase that means to get everything together before you start cooking. I find the little ramekins (small pudding cups) very handy for holding ingredients on the ready. The amounts of the ingredients will vary, depending upon how much soup you want to make. I made about a quart of soup. If you have a crock pot or slow cooker, have it clean, super clean, and ready to use. You will want all your tools and ingredients ready and within easy reach of your stovetop. You will need a good knife (I used a chef's knife), tongs, a big spoon for stirring the pot, a ladle for serving the soup. a spatula, a frying pan and a soup pot. Also have a variety of small bowls, and a dinner plate or large bowl to hold the meat after you brown it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Start by chopping an onion. Also chop celery and carrots if you have them. Place the chopped onion in a small bowl, and place the chopped celery and carrots in a separate bowl. If you have a garlic bulb, pull off one clove (two cloves if you really love garlic) and peel off all the "paper" outside. Cut the clove into two or three pieces an</span><span style="font-size: large;">d place them in a small bowl. If you don't have fresh garlic, get a jar of garlic powder and place about half a teaspoon</span><span style="font-size: large;"> of the garlic powder in a small bowl (a whole teaspoon if you really love garlic). Garlic salt is okay, but keep that in mind that you are adding more salt to the soup. You do not want the garlic to take over the soup. You want to be able to taste the meat and vegetables, as well as the broth. If you are making a huge pot of soup (I made about a quart), then you could double the amount of garlic for three or four quarts of soup. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Also have a bottle of Worcestershire sauce, a small can (about 4 to 6 ounces) of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, and any vegetables that you want to add to your soup. (You can use ketchup instead of tomato sauce.) I like to use frozen peas and frozen green beans. Sometimes I also use frozen corn. If all you have is canned vegetables, strain out the liquid before you add them to the soup. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Chicken stock. I bought chicken stock at the grocery store. Beef stock was available, but it often has a funny flavor or aftertaste, so I use chicken stock. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Salt and black pepper should go without saying, but there I said it. I've found that freshly ground black pepper is 10 times better than the stuff in the shaker can. If you want a little heat in your soup, use dried red pepper flakes, or chop the fresh chili peppers of your choice. I used about half a teaspoon of red chili flakes. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You will need some cooking oil. I often prefer grapeseed oil because it doesn't smoke and burn when I cook on high heat, and it doesn't add any noticeable flavor to the food. However, I prefer corn oil for this dish because it adds a sort of sweet background note to the dish. You don't taste the corn oil specifically, but it does make a difference in the flavor of the soup. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Also have a stick of butter handy. You can use margarine if you wish, but I prefer the real thing. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Remember, the beef is the star of the show. I used oxtail, which is a piece of the tail. It's shaped like a hockey puck, that is a disk, with the bone in the center and the meat in a circle around the bone. Oxtail has some fat, but that's okay. You can cut out the fat if you wish, bur I don't bother. You can use any kind of beef that you want, but I like to get a cut that has the bone in it to make the broth richer and more nutritious. Short ribs are a good choice. Sirloin tips also work very well in soup, although they don't have any bone in them. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Ingredients:</u> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Beef </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Chicken stock</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Onion</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Garlic</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Vegetables of your choice </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Worcestershire sauce </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Salt and black pepper </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Chili flakes or fresh chili pepper (optional) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Butter and cooking oil </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Mushrooms (optional) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Tools: </u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Soup pot</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Frying pan </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Good knife </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Spatula</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Tongs </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Large spoon for stirring the pot </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ladle for serving the soup </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Directions: </u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Generously coat both sides of the beef with salt and pepper. You should let it sit for half an hour, but this step can be skipped.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Put your frying pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan. Swirl it around so the oil covers the whole bottom of the pan. You might need to add a little more oil, but don't overdo it. Set the pan back on the burner. Sear the beef (brown it) for two or three minutes</span><span style="font-size: large;"> on each side. Depending on the type and shape of the beef, use tongs and/or a spatula to turn it over in the frying pan. Put the meat aside on a clean plate or in a clean bowl. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You are not cooking the meat at this point. You are simply browning it to caramelize the surface for added flavor. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now place the soup pot on the burner with low heat. when the pan is warm, add about two tablespoons of cooking oil and a couple pats of butter. When the butter is melted, toss in the chopped onion. You want to sweat the onion on low heat until it becomes translucent. You can even let the onion brown a little bit, but don't let it burn and turn black. Burnt onion does not taste good, in my opinion. Stir the onions occasionally to prevent burning and get them all cooked evenly. When they start to look a little see-through, toss in the carrots and celery if you have them. After a minute or so, add the chopped mushrooms if you are using them. I did not use mushrooms because I didn't have any. Stir the pot, and if you think it isn't cooking fast enough, you can turn up the heat a tiny bit. Do NOT use high heat. You want the carrots and celery to soften, and you want the water to steam out of the mushrooms. Then you can add the garlic. When you can smell the fragrance of the garlic, add the chicken broth. You want to stop the garlic from browning and turning bitter. It will be okay to let it simmer in the broth for as long as it takes. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Add your vegetables and stir the pot to get all those ingredients mixed. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Add your spices and sauces to taste. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">At this point, you can continue cooking on the stovetop or pour the soup (carefully, it's hot!) into your crock pot or slow cooker. I keep it in the pot at this point because I plan to let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Carefully place the meat on top of everything. You do not want the meat to sink down into the vegetables at this point. If there is not enough liquid to cover the meat, you can add more stock if you have it, or you can use water. Have just enough liquid to cover the meat, and no more than that. You can always thin the soup after it's cooked, if you want a thinner broth. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Cover the pot and simmer on very low heat for at least three hours. If it's bedtime, it's best to put the soup in a sealed container (not the soup pot) in the refrigerator overnight. You can cook it again the next day. In fact, I find that the meat is more tender and the flavor is improved when I let the soup rest overnight and then cook it for several hours in the crock pot the next day. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Enjoy! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> ~~~ </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-30212056303320164702021-07-19T08:25:00.000-07:002021-07-19T08:25:10.992-07:00Editing is as important as writing <p>Please compare the first version of my opening paragraph with the second. I got some feedback from another writer, and then I revised it. Editing does not have to wait until the story is finished. Writing is a process, and editing is a process. </p><p>FIRST VERSION:</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It jumped on her again. Rachel screamed, but only a hiss issued from
her throat. The shadow pinned her legs under its knees while she
flailed at it with her arms. She could see, even though her eyes were
shut, the shadow, like a black nylon stocking filled with smoke and
twisted into the shape of a man like a balloon that a clown might
form into the shape of a poodle. It took hold of her arms and pinned
them to her chest, pushing the breath out of her lungs.
</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">EDITED VERSION: </p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">As Rachel lay half
awake in the early morning, the shadow jumped on her again. She
screamed, but only a hiss issued from her throat. The shadow pinned
her legs under its knees while she flailed at it with her arms, yet
her physical arms did not move. She realized that her energy body was
fighting the demon, while her flesh lay paralyzed. This must be a
dream,s he thought, a nightmare. She could see, even though her eyes
were shut, the dark form like a black nylon stocking filled with
smoke and twisted into the shape of a man. It reminded her of a
balloon that a clown might form into the shape of a poodle. It took
hold of her arms and pinned them to her chest, pushing the breath out
of her lungs.
</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">~~~ </p><p><br /></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-15260680726927098032021-03-22T17:40:00.008-07:002021-03-22T17:40:46.922-07:00The Freedom to Read Statement - Advocacy, Legislation & Issues<a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement#.YFk4QPaSTEg.blogger">The Freedom to Read Statement - Advocacy, Legislation &amp; Issues</a> <div><br /></div><div>~~~</div><div>~ </div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Here' a snippet. Click the link above to read the whole article. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h1 class="page-header" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 2rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px 0px 9px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Freedom to Read Statement</h1><div>~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div><a class="sharing__link sharing__link__share" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=152&source=men-152&lng=en&s=more&url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.ala.org%252Fadvocacy%252Fintfreedom%252Ffreedomreadstatement&title=The%2BFreedom%2Bto%2BRead%2BStatement%2B-%2BAdvocacy%2C%2BLegislation%2B%26%2BIssues#share" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 1rem 1.5rem; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">"The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read."</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div>~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="region region-content-top" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><section class="block block-ala-retheme-social-block clearfix" id="block-ala-retheme-social-block-ala-retheme-sharing-icons" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 1.5rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px 2.9rem 1.5rem 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><ul class="sharing__links" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li class="share last" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(51, 122, 183); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></li><li class="share last" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(51, 122, 183); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></li><li class="share last" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(51, 122, 183); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></li><li class="share last" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(51, 122, 183); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></li><br /></ul></section></div></div>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-73086312709356005602021-02-24T06:50:00.002-08:002021-02-24T06:50:32.536-08:00I got the shot<p> I got the first Covid shot last week. It's the Pfizer brand. I get the second dose in a couple weeks. I was okay afterward, but when I got home I was incredibly tired. The fatigue lasted three days. Other than that, I'm fine. I can't advise others on the pros and cons of the shot. I am not an expert, and it's a personal decision. </p><p>I can say that the shutdowns and lockdowns are doing a lot of harm to our mental, physical and financial well-being, so I hope this ends soon. </p><p>I hope all of you are well and getting through this terrible time. I pray daily. I recommend prayer. </p><p>God bless us all, everyone. </p><p> ~~~ </p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-44384669098335850102020-09-24T09:49:00.002-07:002020-09-24T09:49:53.011-07:00Book Review: Mars Time-Project<p><i> The Mars Time-Project,</i> by Anthony N. Fucilla </p><p>Published 2019 by arima publishing</p><p>www.arimapublishing.com</p><p>Life on terraformed Mars is not easy, and it becomes more complicated when time travel enters the story. Inspired by fame and a healthy cash payment, Marcus Harlan volunteers to become the first man to travel in time. His visit to the future goes well enough, but the consequences pile up on his return to the present. Meanwhile, the mind control program that has taken over Earth is reaching its tentacles into the society of Martian colonists. </p><p>The Quantum Effect Agency implants a device into Marcus that will serve as a backup, in case anything goes wrong on his trip to the future. That chip in his brain will record everything that he sees and hears, so the agency will have a record of it, even if he does not survive the trip. He does survive, but he does not consciously remember what happened in the future.</p><p>Marcus gains an ability to foresee the near future, but he is unable to stop the events from happening. By the end of the story, he learns that he has been chosen by a higher power to perform an historic mission that has little, if anything, to do with time travel. His newly found mentor, Democritus, teaches him what he needs to do and why he needs to do it. </p><p>I enjoyed reading this novel, and I recommend it to those who are interested in a philosophical approach to the issues that science fiction often explores. You will encounter power-hungry political leaders, mutants seeking social welfare benefits, ordinary people working to make a living, mind control and much more. </p><p> ~~~ </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-20058958773152973562020-08-30T03:42:00.004-07:002020-08-30T03:42:53.482-07:00Book reviews in the future<p> I've read some fascinating books and stories by Anthony Fucilla, and I will be writing reviews. Other things kept getting in the way, but now I'm slowing down and taking some time for reading and writing. Check out <i>Androids and the Gods</i>, by Anthony Fucilla. Also look for some of his other works. Science fiction with a Christian perspective, not preachy, just fascinating reading. I'll get my reviews up soon. </p>tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871039884109084733.post-41472862294818267742020-03-12T13:51:00.000-07:002020-03-12T13:51:30.168-07:00Do not panicOkay, I understand that toilet paper can be valuable in a crisis, but this is getting ridiculous. If you have enough to last two weeks, you're fine. There is no need to wipe out the store shelves (pun intended) and fill your cart with TP. If you were planning to sell it to desperate people during a quarantine, why not stock up on cigarettes or liquor? They will be even more valuable. <br />
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The same goes for food and bottled water. Just make sure that you have some tap water stored (pour it into empty juice bottles) and kept in a cool place. You can boil it and filter it (I use a Pur filter pitcher, but there are other brands) -- let it cool before pouring it into the pitcher.<br />
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Make sure that you can heat up your food in a power outage. A fondue pot or a barbecue grill should be fine. In a pinch, you can use candles for cooking. Bread and milk will keep for a short time, so don't grab so much that it goes bad before you get around to eating or drinking it. A few cans of soup will get you through a food shortage. You don't need five years' worth of canned goods.<br />
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Please apply a little common sense to the situation. Corona virus can be deadly, and it is highly contagious, but the best way to stay healthy is to practice good hygiene, which you should be doing all the time, not only in a pandemic. Wash your hands with soap and warm water. If you can't get wipes at the store, just pour a little rubbing alcohol onto a paper towel or a clean cloth. Try not to touch your face, since your hands touch everything, and your face is where the virus (any virus) gets into your body, usually through the nose or the eyes.<br />
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And go on with your life. There is not point in living, if you don't live it up.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
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<br />tuffy777http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020noreply@blogger.com0