Stephen Burckhardt's Blog: My Blog Ramblings, page 45

Friday Funnies: Fairy Tales

Hello Posse!

I hope you are all happy and healthy this fine Friday! I'm actually writing this a bit early in the week. P.R. and I will be heading out to my doctor Friday to see if she thinks it would be safe for me to get the CoVid vaccine. I happen to be allergic to a number of things and P.R. is a bit worried that with the interactions some people have had with the vaccine, that it could be a problem for me.

While I have had a few allergic reactions to medications in the past, they have never been severe. In fact, I have never had a single life threatening reaction, just the average itchy, wheezy, uncomfortable kinds of allergic reactions. But I am all for taking precautions and getting as much information as possible about the vaccines available before we try to take any actions to get vaccinated.

I know many people are against the vaccines, but for me, I feel it will be a safer bet to get the vaccine if there is even a slight chance it can help prevent me from catching CoVid or at least ending up with a more mild case if I do contract it. I have fought long and hard to achieve the level of health I currently have, I do not want to have to start over again and have to fight to regain it. I'm old and tired of fighting for my health every day. It gets tedious.

Anyway, since I will be otherwise engaged when I usually write this, I thought I would get a just start so the blog will not end up late. Last Friday was National tell a Fairy Tale Day but it was also the Lantern Festival. I decided to just focus on one for last Friday's blog but I love fairy tales and thought I would just talk about them today. Any Friday is a good day for a fairy tale.

When you mention fairy tales, most people with think of the Disney versions that were cleaned up and made into sweet family friendly cartoons. But the old fairy tales where often meant to teach a valuable lesson to the readers and were usually very dark and often violent. Little children who did not listen to their parents and wandered into the woods or off the beaten path, often met with a very violent end. Not quite the same chirping birds and friendly woodland animals that Disney tales bring to mind.

I think my favorite fairy tale was always Beauty and the Beast. There is just something about the story that has always interested me. I'm not even really sure what it is that fascinates me so much. I just like the story.

Why not read a classic fairy tale tonight. It could be something different that you didn't even know you needed in your life. Not sure what great fairy tales are available? Just click here and check out a few interesting stories at Storyberries. So what are your favorite fairy tales? Please share with us in the comments.

Don't forget, if historical fiction is more to your tastes, I have an award-winning Into the West Saga Serial that is always a good read any day of the week. Check out all of the books in my collection in My Books. (

Have a great weekend, posse!

Stephen

Q: What did Cinderella say when the photo print station could not read her SD card? A: Someday my prints will come!

Q: On what side of the house did Jack grow his beanstalk? A: The outside!

Q: Why was Cinderella so bad at sports? A: Because she had a pumpkin for a coach!

Q: Why did Robin Hood steal from the rich? A: Because the poor don't have anything!

Q: Why was Cinderella so bad at soccer. A: She always runs away from the ball!

Q: What little girl steals from the rich and gives it all to Granny?

A: Little Red Robin Hood!

Q: What three creatures are scared of the Big Bad Wolf and grow on trees?

A: The Three Little Figs!

Q: What do you call a fairy that doesn’t take a bath?

A: Stinkerbell.

Q: What did the tooth fairy use to fix her wand?

A: Toothpaste.

Q: Why do fairy photographs have really bad quality?

A: They’re always so pixie-lated!

Q: What lesson does the tooth fairy teach children?

A: That they can sell body parts for money.

Q: Why don’t fairies live under toadstools?

A: Because there’s not mushroom.

Last but not least . . .

Q: Which fairy tale princess knows a lot of dad jokes?

A: Ra-pun-zel.

I found this video of kids jokes that is really just so bizzare, I had to share it with you. It made me laugh just due to the weirdness of it all. Enjoy . . . I hope.

https://youtu.be/6LwU3-IOCNc

Whatever Wednesday: Adventures in Baking

Hello Posse!

I hope you are having a great week and are getting ready to enjoy some warmer weather. We have actually hit the low 60s here. It is not expected to last, but I'll happily take what I can get!

We have surpassed the one year mark dealing with CoVid19 lockdowns and restrictions. In the last 12 months, we have found numerous ways to keep ourselves entertained and developed new skills to make things we were not always able to easily find on shelves, like bread.

This past year I have taught myself to make English muffins, croissants, and artisan bread. While some recipes have not turned out perfect, things have at least always been edible. My latest adventures in bread baking produced mutant loaves of French bread that make surprisingly good French toast.

I found a wonderful and easy French bread recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (directions on Savory Simple (

Not only did I end up with monster sized loaves compared to my first attempt at the recipe, but it had a much flakier crust to it with a nice soft chewy center. If I do this again, I think I will divide the recipe into four loaves instead of just two. I might get normal sized loaves that way.

No matter what the size, it is the taste that is most important and these tasted great. There was a noticeable difference in the taste from the first attempt to the second with the added gluten. I would not classify one as better tasting than the other, just different. They were both tasty.

This last year has been really weird and at times horrible, to say the least. So many terrible things have happened, and yet, here in our own little bubble, our family has also had so many blessing this past year.

Maybe I'm a Pollyanna in that I always try to find the good in every situation no matter what it is, but I am thankful for our blessings. For one, I never would have even tried making English muffins at home if I had been able to get them from the store when I wanted them. Now, I actually prefer making all our bread to buying it. Except for the occasional specialty breads we get from a baker in our neighborhood. She makes some great Turkish breads that I do not think I could ever match.

We have been forced to slow down and simplify many things in our life. We have found simple pleasures can actually mean a lot. I am always looking for new things to try and it is incredible how many people have started sharing ideas and recipes with me. I do not think I will ever run out of new things to try.

Another thing that has kept me sane is working on the Into the West Saga Serial. While the writing has been agonizingly slow going for some unknown reason, I have been working fast and furious on promotions, networking, designs, our audio studio for the future audiobook recordings, and so much more.

Part five, Into the West: Last Showdown is progressing and I hope to have another sneak peek for you maybe as soon as this Friday, we will see. I have thought about setting up a virtual signing for this book when it comes out. When someone buys a copy and sends me a photo of them with the book (paperback or eBook), I would send them a postcard from the serial, personalized for them and signed. I never would have had time to do all of this under normal circumstances.

How are you surviving the current state of the world? Has your life changed drastically this past year, is it mostly as it was before CoVid19 took over the world, or is it somewhere in between? We always love hearing from you!

I hope you have a great week, posse!

DianneFix Bread Mistakes with Gemma's Bigger Bolder Bakinghttps://youtu.be/U1ol8KBK-wk

P.S. Timing my proofing is my biggest failing making bread. I'm working on it!

Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking 5-Ingredient Artisanal Bread Recipe for Beginnershttps://youtu.be/6rx7rWuaQww

Monday Movie Madness: The Duel at Silver Creek

Hello Posse!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We had a great time here for P.R.'s birthday. I made a lemon cake with a strawberry/raspberry filling and a lemon glaze. It was not one of my better cakes, I'm afraid. It actually came out a bit dry. Ah well, can't expect for things to come out perfect every time. Luckily, P.R. is VERY forgiving when it comes to things like that.

Today's movie is an old classic. But before I get into the today's flick, I have to thank my friend, Pete Wellenstein. While I have been a western movie fan my whole life, I am horrible with remembering the names of . . . well, anything, to be honest. To help me out, Pete took the time to go through his personal movie collection and created a database for me of numerous western titles. He even gave me the release dates and the main star in the movie. I am sorry it took me so long to give Pete a proper public thank you. I can be a bit scatterbrained at time, but I eventually get everything done! Please feel free to drop your own thank you to Pete in the comments if you have been enjoying the movies in this blog. Thank you, Pete!

For today's flick, we have another amazing classic western starring the incredible Audie Murphy. Murphy was not only an actor and songwriter but he actually was a rancher. He also has the distinction of being one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. Murphy was awarded every available military combat award for valor given by the U.S. Army in addition to awards for heroism from French and Belgian authorities. Check out his Wikipedia page for more details. (

Today's western, The Duel at Silver Creek, was released in 1952. This American western was directed by Don Siegel. This was his first Western film. Quentin Tarantino said this film was "a very well conceived and executed picture, as well as being obviously a Siegel picture." I will admit, I am not sure what he meant by that. I am not sure what elements of this film make it an "obviously Siegel picture". I just know, I always like Audie Murphy movies.

The Duel at Silver Creek stars Audie Murphy, Faith Domergue, and Stephen McNally. They had used two other working titles for the film: Claim Jumpers and Hair Trigger Kid. Personally, I think they chose the right title.

The story follows Luke Cromwell, the "Silver Kid" (Murphy). After his father is killed by a gang of vicious claim-jumpers, he is deputised in Silver City by the Marshal, Lightning Tyrone (McNally). The marshal is looking to bring the claim jumpers to justice. He has lived off of his reputation for being a lighting fast draw in a gunfight, but after a bullet to the shoulder slows down him down, he needs the Silver Kid to be his literal "right-hand man".

When Cromwell and Tyrone fall for local women, it could cause trouble for their partnership. Tyrone falls for Opal Lacey (Domergue), who is secretly working with the claim jumpers, while Cromwell falls for Dusty Fargo (Susan Cabot) who is more interested in Tyrone. Will the men be able to work together to finally bring the claim-jumpers to justice or will their personal relationships be their undoing? You will have to watch the movie to find out!

I couldn't think of a good recipe that was a play off of the film title or a favorite recipe of Murphy so I just decided to go with something that would be quick, easy, and taste great! Who wouldn't like that? Check out I am a Food Blog's Mini Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders recipe. (

Be sure to keep watching my blogs and other social media for more updates and sneak peeks on part five, Into the West: Last Showdown. If you missed the first sneak peek, it was in last Friday's blog. Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think.

But for now, you know what time it is, posse! It's time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!!

Enjoy!

Stephen

The Duel at Silver Creek Trailerhttps://youtu.be/_KOBHpOyJno

Friday Funnies: Festivals!

Hello Posse!

I hope you had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend. So many things have been going on here. P.R:'s birthday is tomorrow and we decided to do a few things tonight to celebrate the Lantern Festival that is celebrated today. I mean, why not? It's better than just the normal sitting at home watching Netflix that we usually do on a Friday night.

I've also been doing a surprising bit of self-discovery that I think will really help me refocus on my own priorities, like finishing part five, Into the West: Last Showdown. I am sure some of you are thinking . . .'bout time! No excuses here, I totally own that!

To try to make up for delays (and to actually prove that I am working on the book), I am going to put a link to a hidden page on my site that will take you to a scene I have been working on for the new book. I would just post it in this blog, but this way if someone does not want to see "spoilers", they don't have to do it. I know some people prefer to wait and read the whole book when it comes out and I respect that. Into the West: Last Showdown sneak peek is here.

Today, I am doing some cooking and trying out a new recipe to celebrate the Lantern Festival. It just seemed like a wonderful and fun celebration so I decided to try making some traditional Chinese foods.

In fact, I am going back and forth from writing this blog to cooking. I have a hard time working on anything in a linear fashion.

I am making Red House Spice's, Tang Yuan. (

The other dish I am making today is Di San Xian. This is a wonderful sautéed potato, eggplant, and green pepper dish. I have made this before and it was wonderful! This dish is not really associated with the festival; we just really like it and wanted it for dinner.

I am using the recipe from China Sichuan Food. ( The recipe I had used before was in a video and did not have a printable recipe. The China Sichuan Food recipe was very similar to the one in the video so I'm going with this from now on.

Please remember I have a recipe page under My Blog Ramblings where I have collected all the recipes I have shared in all of the blogs. No need to to search endlessly for something you saw once in a blog, the are all in one convenient place. Since I have been on a real cooking jag lately, I thought some jokes about cooking would be good.

Have a great weekend, posse!

Enjoy!

Stephen

Q: What do you call a fake noodle?

A: An impasta.

Q. What did the baby corn ask to his mom corn?

A: Where is my popcorn?

Q: Why couldn’t the sesame seed leave the casino?

A: Because he was on a roll.

Q: What’s orange and sounds a lot like a parrot?

A: A carrot, of course!

Q: Why do people hate nosey peppers?

A: Because they jalapeno business!

Q: What do you call a baby potato?

A: A tater tot

Q: Is milk fast?

A: Very! It’s pasteurized before you even know it!

Q: What kind of socks do vegetable farmers wear?

A: Garden hose.

Q: Why were the pecan and the walnut such good friends?

A: They were both nuts.

Q: Where do vegetables go to have a few drinks?

A: To a salad bar!

Q: What did one berry say to the other berry?

A: If you weren’t so sweet, we wouldn’t be in this jam!

And last but not least . . .

Q: Why are the mushrooms always the first to be invited to parties?

A: Because they are all such fungis!

Popcorn -- The Swedish Chef -- Muppetshttps://youtu.be/B7UmUX68KtE

Whatever Wednesday: 365 Days "Safe at Home"

Hello Posse,

I hope this blog finds you all happy and healthy. As you can see from the title, today is a milestone for me and my husband. It was one year ago today when Pedro got his orders to begin working from home. Luckily for us, his job can be done completely virtually. As for me, I am basically a housewife, (and luckily for me) that job is actually required to be done in the home.

It has been so strange spending this much time with my husband. We had just been dating a few months when he got a job offer in Europe. He asked me to marry him, I said yes, then three days later left for his new job. I would not see him in person again until the following December, two weeks before our wedding. Then, two weeks after the wedding, he had to return to Europe for work. I would not get to move to Europe with him until eight months later.

Before CoVid, Pedro had spent most of his time in client offices doing work on site a few days every week. This often meant flying out of town on a regular basis. Our marriage had no trouble dealing with that kind of schedule. We are both very independent, capable people who can function very well on our own when we have to so. When you get along so well with so much time apart, you do not always get along so well when forced to constantly be together. Especially with two very independent, capable people who can function very well on their own.

Part of me honestly expected a lot more disagreements this past year. I'm still a little shocked they didn't happen. We do go out for walks and we keep in touch with friends and family online in texts and video chats, but for the most part it has just been me and Pedro (and our dog, Shaggy) in this six room apartment for the last 365 days. We have not even had a repair man in the apartment. All deliveries have been left at the door. Pedro has had to go out into the public a handful of times but I have been out exactly twice. Once for an eye exam and once to pick up my new glasses.

As much as I am dying to go out and do normal things like go to a movie, or shopping, or to a restaurant, I am actually very thankful for this time I have had with my husband. We have grown so much closer during this time together. If there is anything good that has come out of this horrible pandemic for us, it is getting to spend so much time together. We have played video games, watched movies, we have date nights every Friday, we have been expanding our culinary skills and talking . . . a LOT.

I have always been one to try to find the good in even the worst situations and finding out I definitely married the right man for me is my "pandemic silver lining". What, if anything, good has come out of this last year for you?

Speaking of culinary skills, I made my first ever soufflé this past week. It was so easy and tasted fantastic. I was shocked! In fact, it was so good I just have to share the recipe will you all. Mom’s Cheese and Spinach Soufflé from Jacques Pepin's Quick Simple cookbook. (

This recipe was incredibly easy. You can even mix it up the night before and leave in the refrigerator until morning. Then just pop it in the oven for a quick, tasty breakfast that is sure to wow everyone at your table.

If you give it a try, I will bet it will become a regular weekend treat, it will be in our home. You can pair this with a little sausage or a fruit and yogurt parfait and you have an impressive (easy) brunch. I actually made this for dinner and paired it with a nice salad and roasted corn with herb butter. I hope you like it.

And as a bonus, today is National Tortilla Chip Day. We have to celebrate that with great tortilla chip recipes. Taste of Home's website is a favorite place of mine to find tasty, easy recipes. They have a page dedicated to Recipes to Make with a Bag of Tortilla Chips. (

Have a great Wednesday, posse! I hope you all stay safe, healthy, and have a wonderful week!

Enjoy!

Dianne

P.S.

Be sure to check out the Friday Funnies this Friday for a sneak peek from part five, Into the West: Last Showdown . . . coming soon-ish . . . I swear! REALLY!!

Monday Movie Madness: The Assassination of Jesse James . . .

Hello Posse,

Sorry I am running a little late today, but I did not forget you all. I hope you are all safe and health and have made it through the worst of the arctic freezes in your areas. We are seeing warmer temperatures here and I am pretty happy about that.

Today's movie has a bit of a personal connection for me. I have always been fascinated with stories of Frank and Jesse James. Growing up, I often heard people say that my great, great or great, great, great grandmother on my father's side of the family was one of Frank and Jessy's aunts. Now, to be clear, I have no idea if that is true, but it is interesting if it is.

Frankly, I would not be shocked to find out it is true. Dad's side of the family is also said to have had a family member who ran with Baby Face Nelson. Not to mention, all the relatives who are even closer to me genetically who have had their own run-ins with the law. Out of respect for their privacy, I will keep them anonymous for now (they know where I live), but finding out there were two more professional criminals in the family would not be surprising.

As for today's movie, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was released in 2007 and is considered an American "revisionist" Western. It was written and directed by Andrew Dominik and was adapted from a 1983 novel of the same title by Ron Hansen. The cast includes many familiar faces and stars Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck and features Sam Shepard, Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell, Paul Schneider, Mary-Lousie Parker, Zooey Deschanel, Garret Dillahunt, Ted Levine and political consultant, James Carville. This movie takes dramatic license with the relationship between Jesse James (Pitt) and Robert Ford (Affleck), focusing on events leading up to Jesse's murder.

Originally, Dominik wanted this film to be "a dark, contemplative examination of fame and infamy." This epic film saw more than one round of edits due in part to its more than three hours of runtime. The studio was against the lengthy runtime and repeatedly requested more edits. The film had been intended to be released in 2006 but was delayed to be re-edited once again and slated for a 2007 release.

The film finally had its world premiere at the 64th Venice International Film Festival in 2007 and was well received by critics. Some even posed that the performances by Pitt and Affleck were the best of their careers. The film received two academy award nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Affleck) and Best Cinematography. The film has an extensive fan base which regularly organizes re-releases of the film as "Jesse James Revival".

When I was doing research about this movie, I came across a page that talked about outlaws and their favorite foods. They posted that Jesse once refused to rob a bank in a certain Texas town because his favorite chili restaurant was there. That is some serious chili love!

Now, just a plain old bowl of chili does not sound like a good movie snack to me, so I took a little liberty and found a recipe from Tasty for their American Chili Cheese Fries (^--- click to go to recipe). It looks decadent!

So now, you know what time it is, posse! Time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!

Enjoy!

StephenTrailerhttps://youtu.be/6RwAWZtK5Uw

Friday Funnies: Writers!

Hello Posse!

I hope you are all staying safe and warm out there across the US and are not having to deal with power outages and burst pipes. This last week has been crazy as arctic storms have turned the temperatures in to a nose dive like has not been seen before in many years.

We actually got above freezing for a few days and had rain so all of our snow here is now gone. However, the cold returned today, but the forecast is giving us hope that we might see some sun here again soon.

I am working on book five in the Into the West Saga Serial, Into the West: Last Showdown. I have also been working on a new readers group on Facebook. For those who are new to my page, Stephen Burckhardt is a pen name for me. I also will be writing as Dianne Burckhardt. I have Facebook author pages under both names and just created The Reading Room by Dianne (

If you are on Facebook, you should join us. Authors can post ads for their own books on Saturdays and Sundays and readers are welcome to post about any books they have are reading or have read that they just want to share. Check it out and join us! I'm hoping to share a sneak peek of book 5 in the group soon.

For now, I think we need a little humor to lead us into the weekend! Since I am doing "authory" stuff today, I thought jokes about writers would be appropo.

Enjoy!

Stephen

Q: What's it like to be a self-published author?

A: It's difficult to put into words.

Q: Why aren't escaped convicts good writers?

A: They don't finish their sentences.

Q: Why do farmers make great writers?

A: They really know how to work a plot.

Q: What has 12 actors, six settings, two writers, and one plot?

A: Hallmark movies.

Q: Why do writers make good bakers?

A: They make excellent synonym rolls.

Q: How does a Buzzfeed writer catch a fish?

A: They use Clickbait.

An SEO content writer walks into a

{ bar | pub | public house | drinking establishment }

Q: What do you call a street where only writers live?

A: A writer's block.

Q: How did Mary decide if she should be a hairdresser or a short story writer?

A: She flipped a coin . . . heads or tales.

Q: What do you call a writer who writes songs about sewing machines?

A: A Singer songwriter.

Q: Why do Vampires make bad editors?

A: Because they hate Type O's!

Q: How do writers in Prague edit their work?

A: They use Spellczech.

Q: Did you hear the President's speech writer suddenly resigned?

A: He was speechless.

And last but not least . . .

Q: Why are writers always cold?

A: Because they are always surrounded by drafts!

I did not find any videos of writers jokes so I went with this for an end video. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/hPsHAABCbRk

Whatever Wednesday: The Blahs!

Hello Posse!

I hope you are all happy and healthy and are staying warm with all the arctic temperatures plaguing the US right now. Seeing some of the photos of things frozen over in Texas really brings home the severity of the storms.

We have just started to see the temperatures here start to climb above freezing and might actually hit around the high 50s this weekend. I'm hoping we can see that warmer trend continue. One thing about freezing temperatures outside is they can make you want to stay in and hibernate until things start warming up. I know for at least a week, all I wanted to do when it was snowing was to make some hot tea, grab a good book, and curl up in blankets.

When you are already staying at home because of Covid, then add on top of that isolation you get horrible arctic weather, it can easily bring on a case of the blahs! I know I have had to force myself to be productive the last few days. My husband and I have been working from home for a long time, but we have still been able to go outside and walk around the neighborhood, enjoy the fresh air, and a bit of nature. While we can still go outside when the weather is frigid, that fresh air we had previously loved feels more like a brutal slap in the face now and nature just seems to be very angry with the world. It gives Netflix and "chill" a whole new meaning.

So what to do when the blahs hit you? Personally, I find new things to try. I have been working on getting better at making fresh bread. I'm good at the mixing part and get the dough to the right consistency but it all seems to fall apart in the proofing. I'm working on that. I have not been reading as much as I used to since I became a writer again. It is just a time thing, but with the cold weather, now seemed like a good time to read more.

I know many of you are probably wondering, why aren't you spending this time writing your fifth book in your Into the West Saga Serial?! The good news is, I am also doing that. This one is being a real pain. I realized I ended the fourth book in the wrong place. I should have had at least two more chapters in Into the West: Most Wanted. Now, I am trying to quit focusing on that fact and just keep going with the story and incorporate the chapters into this fifth book. The story is continuous after all and it really does not make a difference which book the information is in as long as the whole story gets told. It just bugs me and I am OCD so it REALLY bugs me . . . constantly.

So when you start feeling blah, what do you to get yourself out? We would love to hear from you in the comments. I would suggest that if you haven't already read my Into the West Saga Serial books, you might want to give them a try. Nothing gets your mind off your own situation like falling into a good book.

In the meantime, a good laugh is always a great way to lift your spirits. Check out the video below and have a wonderful week! Warning: I laughed myself in to an asthma attack.

Enjoy,

DianneFunny Dog Videoshttps://youtu.be/f6tNn6hM5A0

Monday Movie Madness: Cat Ballou!

Hello Posse!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day yesterday. P.R. and I had a nice quiet day at home with Shaggy, our dog. It was Shaggy's "Gotcha Day" as well as Valentine's Day for us so we had double reasons so celebrate. Shaggy is a Russian rescue dog we adopted five years ago. He has been a blessing everyday of those five years and we look forward to having him with us for many, many more years.

I am getting a late start today. Shaggy woke me up about 15 till 7 this morning. He needed to go outside ASAP. It was actually a good thing. While it was colder than a snowman's butt out there, it was calm. By the time my alarm went off later in the morning, it was storming outside. Neither of us would have wanted to go out in that! Plus, storms bring migraines for me. It has something to do with the changes in the barometric pressure that comes with storms and the problems with my brain that cause this. Usually, like today, once the storm passes and the pressure goes back to normal, my migraine eventually goes away too.

Now, on with today's movie, Cat Ballou.

This movie really stands out among American westerns. It is a comedy starring Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin and features such stars as Tom Nardini, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, John Marley, Bruce Cabot, Burt Mustin, and Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye as "the Shouters" (narrators/Greek chorus). While you may not recognizes some of those names, I guarantee if you watch many westerns, you will recognize the faces. This film has elements that bring to mind the time of traveling minstrels (Cole and Kaye) who travel from town to town earning money telling great epic tales in song and dramatic theater.

Like many great western films, Cat Ballou was adapted from a novel. In 1956, Roy Chanslor published The Ballad of Cat Ballou. This book was not originally written as comedy. The screenwriters did keep some of the more dramatic scenes from the original story. Cat Ballou was released in 1965 and earned more than $20 million worldwide and was the 7th highest grossing film of that year. Lee Marvin won an Academy Award for Best actor for his dual roles as Kid Shelleen and Tim Strawn. The American Film Institute selected Cat Ballou as the 10th greatest Western of all time in 2008.

The Shouters (Cole and Kaye) stroll through town singing the Ballad of Cat Ballou (Fonda). The men tell the tale of how Cat Ballou becomes an outlaw, out to avenge the murder of her father by a hired gunman, Tim Strawn (Marvin). Land developers hired Strawn to murder Cat's rancher father. She is determined to have her revenge on them and on Strawn as well. Cat hires her own hired gun, Kid Shelleen (also Marvin) who was once a great gunfighter but is now a drunken mess. The pair are joined by another handsome outlaw, Clay Boone (Callan). Together the work to clean up Kid Shelleen and avenger Cat Ballou's father. Will the motley crew prevail? Check out Cat Ballou for yourself to find out!

Movie Snack Suggestion:

For today's movie snack I thought Rachel Ray's, Whisky Wings Made in the Oven (

Side note: I am so thankful for auto save on Wix! I accidently clicked over to my Facebook page and closed this blog out before I saved and scheduled it for distribution. If I had lost this whole thing, I am not sure I would have rewritten it today. It might have come out tomorrow instead. Thank you WIX!

So now . . . you know what time it is! Time to get your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!

Enjoy, posse!

StephenCat Ballou Original Trailerhttps://youtu.be/2wlGJ_j0viE

Friday Funnies: Love

Hello Posse,

I hope you have all been having a wonderful week and are staying warm. It seems like the entire northern hemisphere is in a deep freeze right now. We have had sub-freezing temperatures for a few days now. At least we finally got a little snow. I always feel like if I have to freeze my behind off anyway, it should at least look nice and wintery outside with decent (but not too deep) blanket of snow. That is just what we got this year too.

We got about 4 inches at the most and it melted down to about three and stayed that way for a few days. The first full day we had snow, P.R. and I had some homemade hot chocolate and watched a movie with the backdrop of falling snow in the big picture window beside the TV. To me, this was a perfect winter day.

Now, we are looking ahead to Valentine's Day. P.R. and I do not go crazy with this holiday. We don't do presents and candy but instead just focus on being with each other for the day. Usually we go out to dinner and possibly a movie but this year we will be spending it at home. I am making a recipe I found on the internet for a very easy feta tomato pasta dish (see video below for the recipe), I'll make some french bread to go with it, and maybe make some muffins for desert.

After dinner we will watch a movie together and in all honesty, probably play some video games. We're nerds, what can I say? The only gift we do exchange is handwritten love letters which I will be writing mine as soon as I am done with this blog. It is so easy to write a letter for P.R. While P.R. is far from perfect (what human is?) I really feel like P.R. is perfect for me. That is not to say we do not still fight once in a while and we both get cantankerous from time to time because we are human, but we always talk things out and work at supporting and understanding each other. Who could ask for more?

I would love to hear from you. Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? If so, what do you do to celebrate it?

With Valentine's Day so close I thought some jokes about love, marriage, and relationships would be in order. I do feel the need to mention that my books would make wonderful Valentine's Day gifts and if you go to Amazon you can get a printable gift card your significant other can use to buy the whole eBook or paperback set . . . just sayin'.

Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day, Posse!

Stephen

Q: Did you know my wife is just like an asthma attack?

A: Everytime I see her she always takes my breath away!

Q: Why should you never breakup with a goalie?

A: They are all keepers!

Q: Why is it a bad idea to date a tennis player?

A: Because love means nothing to them.

Q: How is breakup like algebra?

A: You look at your X and wonder Y!

Q: Why shouldn't you marry a pastry chef?

A: They will always dessert you!

Q: Why should you never laugh at your significant other's choices?

A: Because you are one of them!

Q: Why did the man rent a boat for Valentine's Day?

A: He wanted to give his girlfriend a little row-mance.

Q: How can you tell if you have fallen in love with a welder?

A: The sparks will fly!

Q: Why was the baseball MVP so good at dating?

A: He could always make it to first base.

Q: My boyfriend who works at the zoo just proposed, do you think I should say yes?

A: Of course! He's a real keeper!

Q: Where does a tightrope walker find romance?

A: Online dating services!

Q: What happened when the candle tried online dating?

A: It found a perfect match.

Q: Can you believe my friends all laughed when I told them I had a date with a hot, young woman? They said she had to be imaginary.

A: The jokes is on all of them! They’re imaginary, too!

Q: Why did the crile break up with the square?

A: She was too edgy!

And last but not least . . .

Q: What should you say to your single friends on Valentine's Day?

A: Happy Independence Day!

Ever wonder how Valentine's Day got started? https://youtu.be/5fmy1MX42b8Feta Tomato Recipe

(These guys have some great recipes on Facebook but can get a little risqué at time. )

https://www.facebook.com/johnnonnyofficial/videos/2068826733266323