Vicki Batman's Blog, page 78
July 4, 2014
Happy Fourth of July!!! and happy birthday, my sweetie! #MFRWorg
Happy Fourth of July, our country's greatest day of the year when we truly became a nation. We celebrate with fireworks, cookouts, friends and family, and treats.
I've seen some memorable firework shows:
At the National Mall
In San Francisco harbor
From an office building's balcony
On a golf course
At a park along a river (could see three shows at the same time!)
Today, I celebrate also my girl, my cat Scooter. This year, she turned twenty-one. She can still jump on kitchen and bath counters, on my desk, chairs. Goes outside. Eats pretty good. Looks adoringly at #2 son. Every day is a special day with her. Here's her picture although she looks grumpy. I don't think she likes her picture taken.
To all of you, Happy Fourth of July! To Scoo, with love,
I've seen some memorable firework shows:
At the National Mall
In San Francisco harbor
From an office building's balcony
On a golf course
At a park along a river (could see three shows at the same time!)
Today, I celebrate also my girl, my cat Scooter. This year, she turned twenty-one. She can still jump on kitchen and bath counters, on my desk, chairs. Goes outside. Eats pretty good. Looks adoringly at #2 son. Every day is a special day with her. Here's her picture although she looks grumpy. I don't think she likes her picture taken.
To all of you, Happy Fourth of July! To Scoo, with love,
July 2, 2014
.@VickiBatman - #Easy Peasy Recipes: a refreshing summer drink: Almond Tea #MFRWorg #RLFblog
The first Sunday class Handsome and I belonged to hosted retreats and one of the members brought:
Almond Tea 2 C water
3 tea bags
4 C water
10 T lemon juice
1 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
Boil 2 cups water and steep 3 tea bags for 10 minutes in the hot water. Boil 4 cups water with 1 cup sugar for 5 minutes. Add this sugary mix to the tea mix. Stir. Add lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts. Stir. Chill. Serve in a tall glass over ice.
You can cut the sugar a bit.
My friend and I often go to Shakespeare in the Park and I always ask for this drink. Enjoy!
Almond Tea 2 C water
3 tea bags
4 C water
10 T lemon juice
1 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
Boil 2 cups water and steep 3 tea bags for 10 minutes in the hot water. Boil 4 cups water with 1 cup sugar for 5 minutes. Add this sugary mix to the tea mix. Stir. Add lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts. Stir. Chill. Serve in a tall glass over ice.
You can cut the sugar a bit.
My friend and I often go to Shakespeare in the Park and I always ask for this drink. Enjoy!
June 30, 2014
.@VickiBatman ~ #handbag Monday guest author is.... Tina Blenke & her favorite handbag #MFRWorg #plottingprincesses
Hi, everybody and welcome to
~#handbag Monday~
Today's guest is author Tina Blenke. I found this bio about Tina: She is a retired Air Force brat and has lived in several states as well as a handful of countries. She has always had a soft spot for literature and is a voracious reader. When she isn't writing, she can be found cuddled up with a good book. Though Tina adores a thrilling novel with sappy lovesick heroes, she is terrified of things that go bump in the night. This makes for quite a complicated relationship with zombies, something that she just can't get enough of.
Tina sent this favorite handbag to share with us:
I’m addicted to bags. All of them. I like them small and portable for a night out, with soft leather and large to do my shopping, and full of my worldly goodies for a weekend out of town. Absolutely everything.
There are a myriad of reasons that I love my little silver Dana Buchman bag. I don’t ever need a bag since I have so many but I always wants one. When my eye caught this little number on a shelf all flirty with that adorable come-hither look, I couldn’t resist. And when she flashed that clearance tag, I was lost and only had eyes for her.
She’s perfect. My coin purse that holds all of my cards and money fits beautifully within her grasp and there’s room for more inside with pockets for more cards, concert tickets, or business cards. And did I mention that there’s an outer pocket for lip gloss and another to hold my cell phone? She’s fantastic!
And that strap! Industrial with a partial chain but dressy with more distinguished silver…she’s with me dressed up or dressed down. I know she can’t hold my iPad when I need to run out the door but that’s okay, too, because I have another bag with my writing supplies and that little darling can hold both of them.
Maybe this blurb from Tina's paranormal romance, Athan's Kiss, will tease you: Nerdy bibliophile, Evander, is falling in love Athan, a newly converted vampire who has no recollection of who or what he is.
Find Tina at: website
Find Athan's Kiss at: Amazon
~#handbag Monday~
Today's guest is author Tina Blenke. I found this bio about Tina: She is a retired Air Force brat and has lived in several states as well as a handful of countries. She has always had a soft spot for literature and is a voracious reader. When she isn't writing, she can be found cuddled up with a good book. Though Tina adores a thrilling novel with sappy lovesick heroes, she is terrified of things that go bump in the night. This makes for quite a complicated relationship with zombies, something that she just can't get enough of.
Tina sent this favorite handbag to share with us:
I’m addicted to bags. All of them. I like them small and portable for a night out, with soft leather and large to do my shopping, and full of my worldly goodies for a weekend out of town. Absolutely everything. There are a myriad of reasons that I love my little silver Dana Buchman bag. I don’t ever need a bag since I have so many but I always wants one. When my eye caught this little number on a shelf all flirty with that adorable come-hither look, I couldn’t resist. And when she flashed that clearance tag, I was lost and only had eyes for her.
She’s perfect. My coin purse that holds all of my cards and money fits beautifully within her grasp and there’s room for more inside with pockets for more cards, concert tickets, or business cards. And did I mention that there’s an outer pocket for lip gloss and another to hold my cell phone? She’s fantastic!
And that strap! Industrial with a partial chain but dressy with more distinguished silver…she’s with me dressed up or dressed down. I know she can’t hold my iPad when I need to run out the door but that’s okay, too, because I have another bag with my writing supplies and that little darling can hold both of them.
Maybe this blurb from Tina's paranormal romance, Athan's Kiss, will tease you: Nerdy bibliophile, Evander, is falling in love Athan, a newly converted vampire who has no recollection of who or what he is.
Find Tina at: website
Find Athan's Kiss at: Amazon
June 27, 2014
#Movie Maniac - The Grand Seduction is quite funny @VickiBatman #MFRWorg
Want a #movie that is sweet, funny, with quirky characters? Try:
My paper gave this a medium review, but as I read it, more came to me. "Similar to Northern Exposure." "Quirky like 'Waking Ned Devine'." Well, I loved those, and since the review said "lots of laughs," I'm like, why not?
Here's a blurb: In order to save a dying town and entice a new bio-chemical factory, the residents of Tickle Head band together to seduce a young doctor into staying.
And featuring:
Taylor Kitsch as Dr. LewisBrendan Gleeson as Murray FrenchLiane Balaban as KathleenGordon Pinsent as Simon
FMI: The Grand Seduction
Handsome and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not an Academy award-winner, yet does leave you with a "Feel Good," and that's not so bad.
Does every film have to be an award-winner?
My paper gave this a medium review, but as I read it, more came to me. "Similar to Northern Exposure." "Quirky like 'Waking Ned Devine'." Well, I loved those, and since the review said "lots of laughs," I'm like, why not?
Here's a blurb: In order to save a dying town and entice a new bio-chemical factory, the residents of Tickle Head band together to seduce a young doctor into staying.
And featuring:
Taylor Kitsch as Dr. LewisBrendan Gleeson as Murray FrenchLiane Balaban as KathleenGordon Pinsent as Simon
FMI: The Grand Seduction
Handsome and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not an Academy award-winner, yet does leave you with a "Feel Good," and that's not so bad.
Does every film have to be an award-winner?
June 25, 2014
#Flower arranging - it's not that scary @VickiBatman #MFRWorg #RLFblog
I'm not Martha Stewart. In fact, until a while back while teaching Sunday School, I'd never used a glue gun. The woman I taught with could do anything.
All the supermarkets carry fantastic flowers nowadays. But sticking them in a vase and hoping for the best doesn't work.
Here's how I do this:
Buy 2 - 3 kinds and buy several bunches of each. For this featured arrangement, I used one bunch of green mums, two of sunflowers, and some spikey yellow thing.
Container - I often use a white pitcher. It is five inches in diameter at the base; so a bit narrower at the top as the sides slope.
Cut - I cut the sunflowers and mums the same height. I scoot the pitcher to the edge of the counter, hold the stem level with the bottom. Then I lower the flower until I like the look of the height. Cut. This works out to be about 2/3 of the height of the pitcher. I lay that flower flat on the counter with the heads at the same level. Each flower is cut to the exact same length. The same application goes for the next flower variety.
Style - I put the sunflowers in a nice pattern inside the pitcher which I've already filled with water and the preservative. The mums went in the middle.
Add a bit more - I bought the spikey things and because I wanted them to stand out a bit, they were not cut as short as the other flowers. I randomly placed these throughout the green mums to break this up.
I've done all kinds of flowers with this method. Can my method work for you?
June 23, 2014
.@VickiBatman ~ presents the most darling handbag ever on #Handbag Monday with guest Jill Hughey #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses
Don't you want to see what's so special on
~Handbag Monday~
Here is what guest author Jill Hughey brought:
Do you ever go shopping with a friend during the holidays? Partly social, partly whittling away at the gift list? Of course those Christmas outings are when you see so many luscious treasures you’d really love to have for yourself. But, missy, you’re supposed to be shopping for presents for others, and because you’re shopping for presents, you can’t afford to splurge on luxuries for yourself.
On just such an occasion, I spied this lovely, handmade, red felted-wool sack purse at a local craft show. Normally I carry a cavernous handbag with lots of pockets, so this diminutive crimson beauty with 6 rosettes and a snap that won’t close with so much as my wallet inside defined want, not need. Yet there it sat. My covetousness grew as the creator described knitting a humungous loosely woven bag, tossing it in the washer, and having this tightly meshed bit of wool splendor pop out after the spin cycle like a Christmas Miracle.
Luckily, my best friend noticed I was salivating and said those magic words. “You know, I need a gift idea for you.” Another Christmas Miracle!
My fabulous red bag comes out during the holidays on those few occasions when I can get away with my driver’s license, cell phone, some cash, and a lipstick. It is like carrying a festive bow that belongs on top of a wonderful gift!
Oh, Jill! What a treasure. It is the most perfect red. I have several wool bags crafted by my special friend and there is nothing quite like them. Good choice!
Blurb: Jill Hughey writes historical romance such as Redeemed, in which a quiet widow helps a damaged, secretive man find redemption.
Find Redeemed at: Redeemed
Find Jill at: Website
Jill, the cover is so pretty and the couple is hot! Historical romances are right up my alley too.
Thank you for being with me on Handbag Monday!
~Handbag Monday~
Here is what guest author Jill Hughey brought:
Do you ever go shopping with a friend during the holidays? Partly social, partly whittling away at the gift list? Of course those Christmas outings are when you see so many luscious treasures you’d really love to have for yourself. But, missy, you’re supposed to be shopping for presents for others, and because you’re shopping for presents, you can’t afford to splurge on luxuries for yourself. On just such an occasion, I spied this lovely, handmade, red felted-wool sack purse at a local craft show. Normally I carry a cavernous handbag with lots of pockets, so this diminutive crimson beauty with 6 rosettes and a snap that won’t close with so much as my wallet inside defined want, not need. Yet there it sat. My covetousness grew as the creator described knitting a humungous loosely woven bag, tossing it in the washer, and having this tightly meshed bit of wool splendor pop out after the spin cycle like a Christmas Miracle.
Luckily, my best friend noticed I was salivating and said those magic words. “You know, I need a gift idea for you.” Another Christmas Miracle!
My fabulous red bag comes out during the holidays on those few occasions when I can get away with my driver’s license, cell phone, some cash, and a lipstick. It is like carrying a festive bow that belongs on top of a wonderful gift!
Oh, Jill! What a treasure. It is the most perfect red. I have several wool bags crafted by my special friend and there is nothing quite like them. Good choice!
Blurb: Jill Hughey writes historical romance such as Redeemed, in which a quiet widow helps a damaged, secretive man find redemption.
Find Redeemed at: Redeemed
Find Jill at: Website
Jill, the cover is so pretty and the couple is hot! Historical romances are right up my alley too.
Thank you for being with me on Handbag Monday!
June 20, 2014
.@VickiBatman - #Movie Maniac - Cold in July #MFRWorg #moviefans
It's not cold where I live. Ha-ha . But on
#Movie Maniac - it'sCold in July
I saw the trailer for this dark movie and was instantly hooked because the cast is phenomenal and I hadn't seen a murder mystery in a while. Michael C. Hall/Dexter and Six Feet Under; Sam Shepherd with too many credits to list here; and surprisingly, Don Johnson--yeah, the Miami Vice guy. He was in Django Unchained, too. Here's a blurb:After accidentally killing an unarmed intruder, a picture framer must contend with the man's angry father. However, the lead investigator cop might be hiding information that would indicate something more complicated is going on. This movie is based on the novel of the same name by author Joe R. Lansdale. Just when you think, yeah, this is about a man exacting revenge... Well, be prepared for a plot twist. It's a hoot to see the setting from an earlier time period. I liked how the movie evolved. I am so over splurting blood, however. And my movie companion kept arguing that one point wasn't plausible. Tossing my hands in the air, I said, "It's fiction!" The acting by all is great. Yet, Bring-It-On Cowboy, Don Johnson, steals a lot of scenes. Is that so bad? FMI: Cold in July)
#Movie Maniac - it'sCold in July
I saw the trailer for this dark movie and was instantly hooked because the cast is phenomenal and I hadn't seen a murder mystery in a while. Michael C. Hall/Dexter and Six Feet Under; Sam Shepherd with too many credits to list here; and surprisingly, Don Johnson--yeah, the Miami Vice guy. He was in Django Unchained, too. Here's a blurb:After accidentally killing an unarmed intruder, a picture framer must contend with the man's angry father. However, the lead investigator cop might be hiding information that would indicate something more complicated is going on. This movie is based on the novel of the same name by author Joe R. Lansdale. Just when you think, yeah, this is about a man exacting revenge... Well, be prepared for a plot twist. It's a hoot to see the setting from an earlier time period. I liked how the movie evolved. I am so over splurting blood, however. And my movie companion kept arguing that one point wasn't plausible. Tossing my hands in the air, I said, "It's fiction!" The acting by all is great. Yet, Bring-It-On Cowboy, Don Johnson, steals a lot of scenes. Is that so bad? FMI: Cold in July)
June 18, 2014
.@VickiBatman - #Easy Peasy Recipes: Gazpacho
I worked retail for a long time and even worked Market. One woman showcased her line of beaded jewelry in the showroom and made this cold soup for us.
Gazpacho(makes a whole lot; so cut in half if you wish)
8 roma tomatoes
3 red bell peppers
2 red onions
2 cucumbers, seeded
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T salt
1/12 t pepper
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c white wine vinegar
46 oz. V 8 juice
Cut the veggies in 2 inch chunks. Pulse in food processor until small pieces. Pour all in a large bowl. Add other ingredients, stir and chill (overnight is best for flavor).
Substitute: any kind of tomatoes; any kind of onion, sea salt; add lemon or lime juice to taste; use any kind of pepper; and a bit of jalapeno pepper. Add a tad more cracked black pepper.
This is a great summertime favorite. Try it and let me know!
Gazpacho(makes a whole lot; so cut in half if you wish)
8 roma tomatoes
3 red bell peppers
2 red onions
2 cucumbers, seeded
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T salt
1/12 t pepper
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c white wine vinegar
46 oz. V 8 juice
Cut the veggies in 2 inch chunks. Pulse in food processor until small pieces. Pour all in a large bowl. Add other ingredients, stir and chill (overnight is best for flavor).
Substitute: any kind of tomatoes; any kind of onion, sea salt; add lemon or lime juice to taste; use any kind of pepper; and a bit of jalapeno pepper. Add a tad more cracked black pepper.
This is a great summertime favorite. Try it and let me know!
June 16, 2014
.@VickiBatman ~ guest author on Handbag Monday is Gail Olmsted & her bag is lovely. #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses
Jeep TourToday's guest is extra special cool on:
~Handbag Monday~
It's guest author Gail Olmsted with a rockin' bag and a cover which intrigues this Jeep lover. Let's see what Gail brought:
I bought it in Sedona, AZ when I was researching my book. The colors are so reminiscent of the Southwest! It was a splurge but my best friend convinced me that it was "me"!! I use it to tote things back and forth from my day job- lunch, extra shoes, books, take home work, etc. I love it!! Ah, Gail, I can see why you love it. A treat from a place you visited is so special, but the color reminds me of the landscape there. Good choice.
JEEP TOUR is a breezy read about an out of work divorcee who relocates to Sedona after a chance meeting with a sexy tour guide and how she discovers that she's chasing a dream, not just a dreamy guy!! Find Jeep Tour at: Jeep Tour Find Gail at: Facebook Gail, I bet you didn't know Jeeps are my ride of choice. I've owned a Cherokee, have an old Wrangler, and a new Patriot. Thanks so much for being with me on Handbag Monday.
~Handbag Monday~
It's guest author Gail Olmsted with a rockin' bag and a cover which intrigues this Jeep lover. Let's see what Gail brought:
I bought it in Sedona, AZ when I was researching my book. The colors are so reminiscent of the Southwest! It was a splurge but my best friend convinced me that it was "me"!! I use it to tote things back and forth from my day job- lunch, extra shoes, books, take home work, etc. I love it!! Ah, Gail, I can see why you love it. A treat from a place you visited is so special, but the color reminds me of the landscape there. Good choice.
JEEP TOUR is a breezy read about an out of work divorcee who relocates to Sedona after a chance meeting with a sexy tour guide and how she discovers that she's chasing a dream, not just a dreamy guy!! Find Jeep Tour at: Jeep Tour Find Gail at: Facebook Gail, I bet you didn't know Jeeps are my ride of choice. I've owned a Cherokee, have an old Wrangler, and a new Patriot. Thanks so much for being with me on Handbag Monday.
June 13, 2014
.@VickiBatman - #Movie Maniac: Comparing a very new and an older Western, A Million Ways to Die in the West & Blazing Saddles
#Movie Maniac A Million Ways to Die in the West & Blazing Saddles There's nothing like a good Western. Hero with a gun and a horse, Heroine with sass, dirt, cows... Today, I've picked a new release, A Million Ways to Die in the West, and an older one brought to us by the fabulous Mel Brooks, Blazing Saddles.
You may be wondering what these two movies have in common:
1. Outrageous
2. Funny
3. Good acting
4. Modern references in the West
5. Despicable bad guys
6. Make fun of everything--I mean everything.
7. Good bar fight.
A Million Ways to Die in the West stars Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neesom, and a cast of special guests. In 1882 in the town of Old Stump, Arizona, a cowardly sheep farmer prepares to leave for San Francisco, believing that the frontier holds nothing for him until a beautiful woman teaches him how to shoot and they confront her husband. The biggest difference in this movie is the gratuitous blood. In a comedy, I don't need to see someone's head blown to smithereens. I don't need to see poop in a hat. Cut away and let's see the nasty look on the characters' faces and their snappy remarks. Stick with what you do best--good comedy.I'm sure eighth grade boys are rolling on the floor during A Million Ways. It could have been a tad more sophisticated. Peel away the silly stuff and there's movie. FMI: A Million Ways to Die in the West
Blazing Saddles stars Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, and Harvey Korman. A black railroad worker who was about to be hanged becomes the sheriff of Rock Ridge and saves the townspeople from the conniving state attorney general who wants to buy land along the new railroad.
I have to add the first time I viewed Blazing Saddles was with my girlfriend and a group of young men in their early twenties. They were rolling in the aisles, punching each other, etc. My friend and I were rolling our eyes to the heavens and wondering what in the world??? However, as my family grew to include men of my own, there's a lot more charm, especially when the lead actors ride off in the sunset in a limo. And the sarcasm is spot-on. There's no spurting blood. FMI: Blazing Saddles
Are you a fan of Westerns?
