madameblogalot

As my son is putting together his Christmas list he mentioned wanting an Ed Hardy shirt. I hadn’t heard of Ed Hardy, so I asked what it is. He said it just has some cool artwork on it. Hm, now I was not expecting the Mona Lisa or Starry Starry Night, but neither was I expecting tattoo art!!

I looked up Ed Hardy clothing and Hardy is a well known tattoo artist. “Don Ed Hardy is known as ‘the godfather of modern tattoo’, for his sophistication, depth and sense of experimentation. California native Don Ed Hardy is recognized around the world for his technical brilliance and mesmerizing imagery. ”

I guess it could have been worse. I guess he could have asked for a tattoo.

Do you ever go through a series of nights where you just can’t sleep? Mine seem to be more of an early morning awaking and unable to go back to sleep. I always think of my great grandmother when I go through these times. I remember staying at her house when I was young. She always went to bed but got up and finished the night (probably early morning) on the couch. I am a lot like that. If I can’t sleep, I’ll lay awake praying, reading, watching tv, or maybe even some hot tea to try to help relax. I have yet to find the perfect solution. Sometimes one thing works, other times I will resort to another trick. One thing that used to work more often than not is the singing (in my mind) of a song I’ve known for a long time. I actually think it worked because years ago on a road trip in college, we stopped on the side of the road to sleep. I sang that song to myself til I fell asleep. Since then, it has been my standard “lullaby”; I use it when I am trying to get myself back to sleep. Lately though, it hasn’t been working as well. Maybe I’m getting old and will just have to finish each night on the couch like my great grandmother!

Halloween has come and gone. So have the national elections. As the end of the year approaches, we know the holiday season is getting underway and will soon be in full swing! Many folks are already getting their holiday party planning and preparations underway.

Maybe you are one of those people who is looking for some new Holiday Party Ideas this year. Houseguests, planning, cleaning, cooking, meals and gifts can all add up to holiday stress. But with some expert advice and some fun, simple planning tools, your next party can go off without a hitch.

Celebrations.com has an interactive site where you can share your party ideas, recipes and photos. You can also read about the latest and greatest celeb parties on the Platinum Celebrations blog. Get the insider tips on these hot party ideas from the experts who throw them! You can find ideas for holiday parties any time of the year! No matter if you are looking for big ideas for Christmas or Chanukah, Guy Fawkes Night or Sadie Hawkins Day, you are assured some great party ideas for any holiday throughout the year! And as you become the party expert, you can share your ideas too!

No, this is not a post about differing political parties! This last Sunday, my husband brought up some facts about “left brained” people and “right brained” people. He started with a little experiment. He said to clasp our hands together. Then we were to look down and see which thumb was on top. Which ever was on top, the opposite side of our brain is the one we tended to use more. Then he read a list of traits exhibited by the “lefties” and the “righties”. The right brains tend to have great ideas, tend to see the big picture, also get distracted and drop the ball on these great ideas. They seem less organized. They can be perceived by the lefties as being less smart. There were many others that he read, but I knew as he read that he was describing himself. The leftties are the opposite. Like lists, can’t come up with creative ideas, but can take a righties idea and follow through with it. Not as easily distracted. Seen as more organized, etc. The lady next to me asked my husband if he knew what I am. Based on the lists, he knew he is a rightie and I am a leftie. The thumb experiment did not really work for every one, but based on the lists, it was easier to tell which side of the brain one tends to rely on more often.

Living on the Gulf Coast means growing up learning to love to eat seafood. We even joke about being on a “sea” (see) food diet. I have long loved good fish, scallops and especially shrimp. When ever I “see” these foods, I definitely want to continue my “see” (sea) food diet!

I just learned about a great sounding new restaurant. It is a classy looking place only a few miles up the road from me. This fine dining restaurant, The Oceanaire, is designed to look like a sleek 1930s ocean liner and the menu is “Ultra Fresh”. This means that each day, they have fresh sea food flown in from all over the world. The food on your plate tonight might have been swimming in the ocean yesterday! It is caught, shipped in refrigerated transport, put into a special walk in cooler where it will be butchered before being put on the grill, and finally to your plate. The menu selections change daily based on availability to ensure the freshest seafood available.

The atmosphere of the Oceanaire is unique. It’s sleek look coupled with it’s shore line comfort makes it suitable for any occasion. It is especially for lovers of fresh seafood. For some it is the place for fish & chips and a beer. For others, it is their oyster bar. And others come for the 5 lb lobster and champagne. It is the kind of place that satisfies every seafood loving palate. The menu looks amazing! From the Grand Shellfish Platter, to the clam chowder, to the salmon, mahi mahi and the snapper, continuing with the steamed asparagus and baked sweet potato, followed by key lime pie, chocolate caramel brownie or even a root beer float, everything looks temptingly delicious!

The Oceanaire has locations across the country. So if you are thinking of Private Dining San Diego to restaurant corporate events Atlanta the Oceanaire may be just what you are looking for!

Last night, after all the trick-or-treaters were done, the neighbors got out their fire pit and we all sat around just visiting. Some of them started in about voting and the candidates and what this country needs. One family was talking about how they feel like they are probably the only Democrats in the neighborhood. I doubt it but I know how they feel. I think I am the only Independent in the neighborhood.

After hearing my neighbor talk about change, I know that many agree with her. I agree. But I am not sure we agree on what that change “should” be. So even though I knew I was not going to vote either Democrat or Republican, I spent time today watching the third party debate. It took place earlier this week and was aired on C-Span. We don’t have cable so I watched it online today. Only Ralph Nader and Chuck Baldwin showed up to debate.

I have to say I am glad I watched. I’ve never seen either of them speak so it was good to hear what they have to say. I actually agree with almost everything they both said, even though on some points they don’t exactly agree! I was surprised though on how much they do agree. If only all of us who are fed up with the Democrat/Repulican parties could agree on as much and ban together, maybe we could get someone else in who really wants a change!

The debate is an hour and a half long. You can see it here or go to Free & Equal to get more information.

I watched part of a show on PBS this afternoon called Hunting the Hidden Dimension. It was very interesting to me. It is about the discovery and use of fractal geometry. I first heard of fractals about four years ago. I can’t remember exactly how I came upon it, but I remember trying to introduce my son to it. (He was in sixth grade and didn’t seem to really get “into” it, though mildly interested.) After watching today’s program, I can’t wait til he gets home so I can ask him if they have or will talk about this in his Geometry and/or engineering design classes.

Fractal Geometry was not really “discovered” until the late 1800’s and not really pursued until about the 1970’s. It is all about self similarity in designs. I guess what I find so intriguing about it all is the way that fractals are expressed in nature. You can see fractals in everything from broccoli and trees and clouds and cacti to coastlines and whole rain forests and the human systems (respiratory, neural, renal and circulatory)! The replication of a tree and its branches can even give a micro-view of the design of the whole forest in which it resides! In the program, of course, the scientists say that natural selection and evolution have hit upon a design that works. I just cannot believe that. To me, the intricate patterning and design that consistently works so efficiently points me to a Creator. I also wonder how tessalations (which I think are pretty much the same thing) and the Fibonacci Curl fit in with fractal geometry. I hope this is going to be taught in the schools at some level. This branch of geometry has already been used for things like measuring coastlines and making mirco-antennas for cell phones!

This weekend I am taking my son to the play Frost vs. Nixon. It is a reenactment of the televised interview between David Frost and Richard Nixon. I am looking forward to it for a few reasons. I don’t know much about the Watergate scandal; it’s something I’ve never really understood too well. My son loves history and I think this will be the kind of show he will like. And of course, spending time with my son is good.

But in preparing to see this show, I think I missed a great opportunity. There is a study guide available. I read through it when I first ordered the tickets, but decided I just would not have time to go through it with my son since he now attends public school, though we would both enjoy the study. I did think about printing it out and letting him read through it before and/or after the show. I think it will help answer some questions and help to understand that era better.

But I had the perfect opportunity to use this guide and to spend the time studying with my son while he was out of school for two and a half weeks due to Hurricane Ike. I did have him do some studying every day he was home, but this would have been the perfect study for him. It would not have required a lot of time each day and would have set up the performance perfectly. It would have been the kind of thing we did when he was being homeschooled. What kind of a homeschool mom am I that I would let such an opportunity go to waste??!! I do regret that I did not think about/remeber it at the time! I did print out the study guide today for him to read through, but it would have been just right to have him do the assignments while he was home for those 12 days! I am lamenting the missed opportunity to have homeschooled with him again, if only for a couple of weeks!!

My son was thrilled to find out that Halloween was on a Friday night this year. I was not really sure why. After all, he is nearly sixteen years old! He said it would be so much fun going around the neighborhood with his friends and they could stay out later. I said “Aren’t you a little old to be trick or treating?” He said “No way, you are never too old!”

This gets me to thinking. I think he is too old. But he thinks it’s all in good fun and if people are offended or don’t want to give the teens candy, they don’t have to; they (the teens) aren’t doing anything wrong by trick or treating. Still, I wonder.

And then I see ads for Teen Halloween Costumes and I know that at the
Halloween Costume Stores there are costumes for all sizes, from newborns to adults. And I know plenty of adults that love to have fun and celebrate on Halloween. I don’t have anything against a good pirate costume or a gladiator costume, or a beautiful medieval costume. And I know we are never really too old for candy. I guess what I feel is, are the teenagers too old to dress up and go to neighbors’ houses asking for candy? I know some in our neighborhood will oblige and others who may not. I guess that is ok. After all, these teens are just big kids and still love their candy! And they don’t take away from the littler kids. They either go with the younger kids and help out and take what the neighbors will give them, or they wait til later when most of the littler kids have gone in and then they go around toget whatever is left…

So I guess pretty soon we will be looking for a good costume suitable for a teenaged boy, possibly Captain Jack Sparrow or something simple like Indiana Jones. And if he knows exactly what he wants, it is just as easy to order it online. I guess part of the fun is finding a good costume. And hanging out in the neighborhood and eating candy from friends and neighbors is not such a big deal for teens to do on a Friday night. I can think of a lot worse things they could be doing!

It has been one month since hurricane Ike blew over us. A lot of work has been done in clean up efforts. But so much still remains to be done. We drove over Galveston Bay yesterday and saw a scene straight off the news. There on the banks of grass were several boats washed up, looking like toys dropped by a distracted child. It was amazing to see and I do not know how those boats will be gotten back to where they belong.

Today, we went down to a small bayside town to help provide food and cleaning supplies. There were many people whose homes are still damaged, awaiting insurance and all the repairs that need to be done, their belongings sitting out in their front yards.

For such a quick visit, Ike sure left his mark….