!!!

Another reason why your computer's...or phone's text...'autocorrect' can make a real mess of things!

Go here for more awkward text fails.

Want to Make $10 Million - Fast and Easy?

Walk along a trail you've taken for years...then take a minute to check on a rusty old can sticking out of the soil. 

A California couple did just that on their 'Gold Country' property -- and found a huge batch of California Gold Rush era coins. Face value of the buried-and-recovered coins is only about $27,000, but some of the coins are extremely rare -- their face value could be as much as $1 million each. 

     Estimated value: 10 million smackeroos.

P.S. No idea where they came from...or who buried them. 


Take a look at the report here. Wow.

Bet they weren't these...

Five Years...

It's been five years since Dad went ahead of us...it is hard to believe it's been that long.

The Mama misses him. Mike and Lori miss him. The Brick and I miss him. And his grandchildren miss 'Gagum,' too.

Love you, Pa...see you soon.

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: The Touchy-Feely Edition

Oh boy, what a week it's been. After putting out a multitude of small fires, more seem to be springing up every day. (Sigh) Luckily, I'm making progress.
     A large chunk of this week is appraising. Lots of appraising. A big batch of cold, plus a snowstorm, are moving in...maybe I can finish up even while trudging through the snow. 
      For some reason, a lot of the things I noticed this week were about 'feelings.' Take a look:

Remodeling and your folks -- do you get a say in how they spend money fixing up your childhood home? (From Her Every Cent Counts)

How to tell if someone is lying. (From Wisebread)

How to say no without wrecking your relationship. (From my old TF buddy, Money Saving Mom. She's also got an interesting post on:

The best price-checking websites. 

A new spot for finding good travel bargains on hotels.

11 style tips for the girl on a shoestring budget. (From WhoWhatWear.com)

The only banana bread recipe you'll ever need. (So says Betty Crocker. But then they give you a bunch more to choose from! Go figure.)

Betty Crocker's Ten Coffee Cakes That Always Impress: also helpful.

The story of Linda Taylor, Reagan's 'welfare queen.' In spite of stories you may have heard on the Internet, yes, she was a real person. And not a very nice one, either. 

Sobering facts about marijuana. Yes, I live in Colorado, where small amounts of pot are 'legal.' Does everyone who lives here think this is a wonderful idea? Not by a long shot.

A 15-minute shrimp and chicken stir-fry. I'm drooling, already. (From Simple Island Living)

All sorts of good stuff, from Donna Freedman. Including freebies (LOTS of them), gardening, whether Grandma should get a credit card...and the Fordy. (I'll leave that to you to find out.)

An interview with a bazillionaire, courtesy of The Simple Dollar. Some of his advice: don't diversify (yet he does), make a budget, and pay off high-interest debt. (Surprised? Sounds pretty typical.)

Another interview...this one with Napoleon Dynamite! If you've seen this quirky movie, you'll find this interesting:

Napoleon would approve of this one --

Cheesesteak Casserole. Oh boy. (From Who Needs A Cape)

And in keeping with the warm and fuzzy tone of this edition --

Fun stuff about the Vikings. Including the 'blood-eagle' torture (eww), being thrown into a pit of poisonous vipers, and other things our ancestors enjoyed doing.(They were farmers, too.) Oh, and by the way, they didn't all wear the horned headdresses, either.

Have a great week.

Saga of a Birthday Cake

Only a few inches of snow came in that flurry of flakes we had a few nights ago...but we've had windy, cloudy skies ever since. No matter -- Thursday was the Brick's birthday, and he wanted not only a cake, but THE cake:

      A Sacher Torte.

My family loves this deeply chocolate "torte" for the holidays. Who can blame them -- the cake was originally invented a few hundred years ago to impress a prince. And it's been a specialty of the Hotel Sacher in Vienna ever since. And oh my, it's good. Recipe's here, in case you're curious.

Why is it a torte, rather than a cake? Because like most European 'cakes,' it's partly made with breadcrumbs. Plus an entire package of chocolate chips.

The only problem: it takes some time to make. And I had a boatload to things to get done before leaving for the restaurant (and the Brick's birthday dinner). Including two piano lessons. But the Brick wanted this cake. So I started.

The cake needs seven eggs, separated into yolks and whites. (Thank God for the chickies; their eggs are so rich.) While the mixer was beating the whites, I started melting the chocolate, and got the rest of the yolk mixture done.

Only to catch the bowl with my sleeve, and dump it on the floor.

Yolks, sugar and breadcrumbs flew EVERYWHERE. I scraped most of the mixture up, nuked it, fed it to the chickens (who gobbled it down)...and started again with fresh eggs. Finally got the cake batter done, and poured into the pan. It looked a little funny, but I was in a hurry.

Then while cleaning up, I caught sight of the recipe. RATS -- I'd forgotten the flour! The cake batter had only been in the oven for 5 minutes...quick, I dumped the flour into the pan and gently stirred it in. Better.

I'd almost gotten the cake glazed and decorated when Piano Student #1 showed up. After the lessons, I threw the candles, some of the Brick's presents, and matches into a bag. Put the cake, looking beautiful on its pedestal plate, with a glass cover on top, in the back of the car. Tried to get the chickens into their coop (yeah, right), then roared off to pick up the Brick, who was working at a bus terminal.
     Hit a traffic jam. Finally picked him up -- then hit more traffic jams. One sudden stop caught the Brick off-guard -- he slammed on the brakes and missed by inches. The cake flew up, crashed back down. I didn't want to look. ("It's not too bad," said the Brick.) Thankfully, the glaze had 'glued' the cake in place on the plate, so it just looked a bit disheveled.

     Picked up Daughter #1, who was mad that we were late. Tried to find the restaurant, where we were meeting Daughter #2 -- the GPS gave us two wrong locations. (This has never happened before to us.) Finally got there...had a nice supper (whew), then realized that we had to leave in five minutes, or Daughter #1 would miss HER appointment back at her place.

     Did I mention that we were still having heavy winds that cut through the air like blades of ice? Standing out by the car was an expedition in itself. The Brick cut cake slices with numb fingers, and I shoveled them onto plates. (No candles -- they wouldn't have stayed lit, anyways.) Then we all hopped in the car and gulped cake down, teeth still chattering. We barely made it back in time for Daughter's appointment.
     Sounds strange for the Brick's birthday...but it's been one of several times we've had birthday cake in the parking lot. It's just too difficult for the girlies to get back home on a weekday evening, so we generally go to them -- and out to eat -- to celebrate. That means lighting candles on the cake in a parking lot. Or park. Or pulloff.

     Next year, I'm just going to ask the restaurant if we can bring it in.This was ridiculous.

I would chalk the whole experience up to "one of those days," but actually, it's been zany all week. I am barely keeping up. But I hope to do better soon.

Happy Birthday, David! Love you very much.

--------------------------------------------------------
On another Austrian note:

The second-oldest daughter of Baron and Maria Von Trapp died...the last original member of the Family Von Trapp to go. Maria Franziska had a weak heart as a child; one of the reasons an aspiring nun named Maria was hired to take care of her and her siblings. So much for weakness -- she outlived them all, at age 99.

     The obvious is coming next -- but I also need to mention that when I lived in Osterreich (I did for a summer, back in college days), the Austrians thought The Sound of Music was ridiculous. It opened (and closed) for one night in Vienna. Go figure.

Weather...And The Chickies

I talked to Little Brother last night. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of the spots that have been hit hard this winter -- it was 40 degrees yesterday, which he called a "heat wave." They haven't seen it that warm since the first part of January.
     The snow on his deck is now up to mid-thigh...and more was coming in.

Sort of like this poor guy...
    (Commentary here, in case you're curious. It's in Brooklyn, by the way.)

I went outside today, and looked around...dry as a bone here in my neck of Colorado. In fact, it almost feels like spring -- lots of wind, warmish air, and green sprouts popping up here and there. Unfortunately, same sprouts are promptly gobbled down by the chickens. 

     The little stinkers are doing fine. They haven't laid as many eggs in the past few weeks -- only 7-10 daily, for a flock of fifteen. But that's not bad, considering we've had so much wind. Chickens HATE wind far more than cold or heat -- it ruffles their feathers and puts them on edge.
     I had a breakthrough -- one of the Rhode Island Reds actually allowed me to pet her! Normally, the Reds hiss and cackle, and make it sound like I'm awful. (Well, I am stealing their kids...) Maybe she was just in a good mood -- who knows.
     We're feeding them crumble (adjusted for egg-laying), cracked corn...and today they got a third of a birthday cake, plus a heel of pumpkin bread thrown in. They loved it.
     Storm clouds are rolling in...we're actually supposed to get some long-overdue rain. Guess I'll sprinkle some mealworms out, and give them an extra thrill.

Hand over that supper, and no one gets hurt! (And stop petting me. Now.)

The Evolution of Hip-Hop

Thanks to Jimmy Fallon and Will Smith, I now know far more than I ever wanted to...including the Stanky Legg!

I'll stick to Will's "Fresh Prince" if I need more education...

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Windy February

It's a short 'Monday Stuff' column this week. We didn't get home from Tucson until late....and I drove most of the way, after starting at 6:30 a.m. My 'relief driver' got a speeding ticket in New Mexico, which dampened her wings for the rest of the trip. "I'm just glad he didn't stop me when I was doing 105!"she later said. No, I didn't realize it at the time. A lot of straight stretches, coming up from AZ to CO. (And no, I didn't offer to pay the ticket.)
     We made it home intact, toting bags of Arizona grapefruit, some red pepper ristras (hey, we went through Hatch!) and a boatload of rock specimens. Had a great time with friends Neil and Joline, too. It was a wonderful trip, though we fought a lot of wind coming home...and it was snowing in Nederland when daughter Angel and boyfriend Keith got home.
      While I'm recuperating (and putting away stuff), I will be back to my regular posting -- it was sparse this past week, and I apologize. But trudging around gem shows takes it out of you. Big-time.
      Plus, I am reasonably certain I need a visit to the dentist -- and a root canal. Oh joy.

Another approach to budgeting: learn to live on last month's income. (From The Simple Dollar)

Warren Buffett is a frugal miser, too. I don't always admire this pennywise investor's personal life, but he's got his saving patterns honed. (From My Frugal Miser)

Ten ways to get stuff for free. From yours truly, via Midlife Finance. As well as:

Get E-Books for Free. Also from yours truly, but on Penny Thots. This is a great way to expand your library...and if you don't have a Kindle (I don't), you can still read these on Amazon's Cloud Reader.

Henry the Eighth's Lemon Tarts. Also known as Richmond Maids of Honour. (What can I say -- he had a thing for women. Lots of them.) Another contribution on Penny Thots from yours truly. And yes, this recipe is thought to be truly from Henry's time!

Top Ten Craziest Events Ever Caught On Live TV -- remember some of these?

50 Common Misconceptions (From Mental Floss)

...and a very tired person. Have a great week.

Here, But Not Here...

Whoa, we have had an intense day in Tucson.


To begin, it's just plain strange to know that snow is falling in Colorado...yet we're sweating it out here under sunny skies. We've been chugging water and any drink we can get our hands on, just to keep going.


Then there's been the booths -- tent after tent of incredibly beautiful rock specimens, jewelry, strings of beads, bags of charms -- practically everything decorative you can think of. (Plus a few tents that feature belly dancer outfits and pashima shawls, in case you need more. I'm always up for yet another belly dancer 'shimmy' coin belt or two. Snort.)


And finally, the prices range all over. We never know whether that booth will be incredibly reasonable -- or just incredible. It's the final days of Tucson's gem shows; some have already closed, and some are giving substantial discounts. And some booths' prices obviously haven't budged since day one. You have to walk in and check, to know for sure.


Which means a LOT of walking. And trudging from building to parking lot, then on to the next spot. Remember the sunny skies?


We've found some terrific bargains...and beautiful stones. Many of these will go up on daughter Angel's Etsy site, PHENOMENAL GEMS. Take a look, if you're an Etsy fan.


And now if you're excuse me, I'm headed to bed. Because we have another crampacked day tomorrow, before we drive the 13-plus hours back to Castle Rock.


Whew.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Gems, Beads and Trims - Oh My!

Just on the cusp of leaving, with Daughter #2, to Tucson, AZ for a few days, to wander their many gem shows. We've always wanted to go to this -- and thanks to friend Joline's generous offer to stay with her and husband Neil, we will this year. Daughter #2 has a thriving shop on Etsy that offers jewelry and rock samples. She's going to ramp up her inventory; I'm going to look for beads and trims for Brickworks' customers. We're both planning to open a few Etsy shops in tandem -- more on that soon.   
     The offices will still be open -- and the Brick will keep an eye on the dogs and chickens.Or vice versa.  Meanwhile:

Some beautiful fingerless gloves...knit them yourself, using these detailed instructions. (Thanks, Snail Pace Transformations.)

 I had not visited this blogger before. She's got an interesting series of posts grouped under 'Selling Saturdays' that deal not only with saving money at garage sales, off clearance racks and such -- but selling them, too.

Meals to make when the pantry's bare. (From Pretty/Hungry) And on that note:

Recipes and meal plans for 1 pound a day (i.e., about $2.75 USD) , from a Brit who was homeless for several years, and learned to get by. I'm not sure -- most of these sound a bit zany. (Tomato scones???). But then, Brit food has a rather unusual reputation, and certainly different vocabulary...here the blog link is, in the interest of international fairness. My doubts were reinforced by the first recipe I saw on the blog - muffins with mincemeat and oats. Yum. (But I do enjoy listening to her natter on about things.)

 Putting hobbies on hold, so you can pay off debt. Actually, if you read this post, it's more about adapting your hobbies, to help pay off debt. Interesting, nonetheless. (From My Money Design)

A woman gets found out after 37 years on the lam. What was the giveaway? Her eyes, say detectives.

How to keep saving, even during a job loss. (From that classic favorite, Get Rich Slowly)

What Abraham Lincoln did when a family member asked him for money. Again.  (Have you ever heard this?)
     We watched Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter over the weekend, which was a real kick --

Assuming, that is, that you believe that our 16th President was a dedicated anti-vampirist because his mom, Nancy Hanks, died after she got bitten. And his son Willie died for the same reason.
     And some of his best friends were vampires. (Ah, but they were good vampires who only bit bad people.)
     And most of the Confederate army were vampires.
    And the only reason the North won at Gettysburg was because the Union soldiers used silver bullets and cannonballs.
     Just assuming, of course. (I can already feel my Georgia friends bristling.)

I did not!

A 196-square-foot self-sustaining cabin? I'd do it, if the deal included, like this one, a deck as big as the house, and 20 acres besides! (From Apartment Therapy)

Really ticked off about gratuitous retirement articles -- that's Mr. Money Mustache, folks. (Actually, he's right.)

Eight interesting DIY projects gleaned from house tours. (From Apartment Therapy. They've been doing a lot of outstanding stuff lately.)

Wrens during WWII -- a series of drawings. (Wistful ones, at that.)

Post this past week from yours truly include 10 Favorite Reads, dealing with the Big D, Five Lessons Learned from James Herriot, and Advice from A Millionaire.

Finally, one of my favorite songs...and surprisingly, the top album of the year. (All the talk suggested this song became popular because it appealed to women. The Brick agrees -- he thinks it's silly. Well, I thought it was wonderful.)
     You decide -- Adele's Rolling in the Deep:

Have a good week. 

Thirteen Predictions about the Future That Were Just Plain Wrong

...courtesy of the Huffington Post and Hendrick's Gin. (Thanks, guys.)

(If you can't read it here -- I got it as big as I could -- go here to see the full graphic.)

The Wild, Wild West -- And More

I am a Wild, Wild West groupie.

During this week's snowy days, James West and his buddy, Artemus Gordon, have been constant friends. They don't mind if I'm ironing, making supper, or even writing a post or two. They just keep on exploring, fighting, smooching the latest girl, then moving on in that ever-running locomotive.

Depending on your age, you may remember this futuristic punk-Western (1965-1969) that was the forerunner of Steampunk. I used to watch it as a kid, and remember it well -- although as a farm kid in rural Michigan, the frequent mentions of the West (let alone Colorado and Denver - !!!) sounded impossibly exotic. Little did I know...

Much to my pleasure, I just found an online interview with Robert Conrad, discussing The Wild, Wild West. Tidbits included:

*His clothes were too tight! He had to hold his breath...and stop wearing 'tighty-whities' because when he ripped his pants (which was often, according to Conrad), the white would show. (Conrad switched to dark blue underwear.)

*He and Ross Martin were good friends...but with markedly different tastes. On weekends, Conrad went off to the fights -- but Martin had tickets for the ballet. (Martin said, "Bob does the stunts...and I do the acting." Conrad agreed with him! He wished he could have had more acting -- in fact, he said he stopped reading the scripts the last year of the show -- "I just read my part.")

*Conrad did all his own stunts. He said it 'didn't look right,' otherwise. Needless to say, he paid for it with injurities -- including a broken skull that took five months to recover from. ('Didn't the insurance companies say you couldn't?' asked the interviewer. "I ignored them," Conrad replied.)
     Conrad is one of the very few actors who was admitted to the Stuntman's Hall of Fame. Sounds like he earned it.

*The show was still popular, holding its own in market share, when it was cancelled. "Aren't the critics and public the same? I think they are," Conrad said. "The public liked the show..." but the network thought it was too violent.

Watch and Listen entertainment magazine polled television producers and critics from 80 different countries on the best tv shows of all time -- and The Wild Wild West was first, by a country mile. (Seinfeld was a distant second.)

I would have loved to hear what Ross Martin thought about the show -- but he died back in 1981. Re-watching these wonderful shows back-to-back reminds that the duo are what make the show special, even though Conrad would have liked more dialogue (and less smooching??), and Martin's "drag costumes" get a bit hokey at times.  All the same, I love that mixture of inventiveness, deep voices, history (with a lot of imagination thrown in) and intensity. (Ok - the tight pants, too.)

At any rate, you can hear Conrad's interview for yourself, on the Archive of American Television site. If you're a fan of American television shows, this site (also host to the Emmys) has interviews with a number of iconic actors. When I visited recently, S. Epatha Merkerson's interview had just gone online -- you may know her better as the crusty lieutenant of Law and Order. (She's also a dedicated quilter!)

Go here for Robert Conrad's interview -- enjoy.

Do the Bird!

It's been one strange bird experience after another, lately.

Last night, I went out to close the coop. (In case you didn't know, like much of the nation, Colorado's getting hit with extra-low temperatures, snow and wind lately. Last night, it was a balmy -8.) Normally, I just clump down there, bang the door shut and wish the ladies a good night.
    I just happened to hear an indignant cluck, though, over by the hot tub. Who should be there but the Boss Chicken (known here as "Mrs. Bossy"). She's the one who insists on patrolling when the others are inside, to make sure everything's ok. She's also the one who sounds the alarm when anything goes wrong, or something particularly tasty strolls by.
    I carried her down to the coop, with her clucking indignantly all the way. ("Oh, the shame - the shame!") What she was doing, up by the house, I am not sure -- but she had ice on her head, and was barely walking. If I hadn't noticed -- or she hadn't said anything - we would have had a chicken popsicle this morning.
   

I resemble that remark!

Speaking of this...a c.1875 brick farmhouse that became a chicken coop...then transformed back again. (Wish we could find one of these!)

Bird story #2:  I came in, after letting the chickens out of the coop this morning, only to find the dogs staring at a large aloe vera I keep by the kitchen sink. Turns out I also let IN a bird! A panicky robin, who kept throwing itself at the kitchen window. Finally, it smacked against the glass so hard that it fell into one of the pans in the sink. I carried it outside, thinking the worst -- that it had broken its neck. (The dogs, meanwhile, were mad that Mom wouldn't let them have this fascinating new chew toy -- "Gimme that, Mom -- I can get the squeaker out!")
     After some five minutes on its back, flopping around (me desperately trying to set it upright, all the while), the robin suddently flipped over and TOOK OFF, followed by two disappointed dogs.

And finally Bird story #3:  A Very Large Something has been sitting high up in our neighbor's tree, watching the chickens. (Up to no good, I'm sure.) Too big for a hawk -- and too much in the daytime for an owl. Could it have been an eagle?!? Didn't think we had those around here.
     Charley expressed his opinion about this very firmly, and it left. But I feel uneasy about it yet.

And of course...

Ginger's MVP...and Why Peyton Manning Won't Use the Word "Embarrassing"

I know...the annual Puppy Bowl is very silly.

The Brick snorts when I bring this Animal Planet offering up. (In fact, the only thing getting friend Thom to look for the PB during halftime on the Superbowl was that the Broncos were doing sooooo badly.)

The truth, though, is that the Tenth Annual (yes, 10th!) Puppy Bowl was enthusiastic, as usual. Lots of horseplay among the contestants (ahem), including Ginger, a sheepdog pup voted MVP:

Cute little (and big) puppies charging down the field...hedgehogs in cheerleader costumes...kitty halftime stunts. What's not to love?

Take a look at the recap here...WOOF!

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * *

If you want to talk about the human side of the Superbowl, take a look at what Peyton Manning said. (Or read this.)

Castle Rock's star was quietly turned off last night. Other than the snowing and blowing we're experiencing at present, everything is back to normal. Sort of.

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: Shellshocked

What happened?!?

     The Broncos we've grown to love all season did not seem to be the same mistake-making team out there on the Superbowl field. They're much better players than that. Doing it right for part of the time doesn't make up for the interceptions (a pass right to a Seattle player, Peyton??), missed tackles (the 5 guys who missed on a touchdown run is a shining example) -- and best of all, starting the game with a safety, because of a weird bobble. (The start of the second half, letting a Seahawks receiver run the ball back for a touchdown, comes in at a close second.)
     C'mon, guys. That was really embarrassing.
     Bronco-lovers everywhere are trying to come up with a reason for that embarrassing loss. (43-8, in case you haven't heard.) One friend said, "Maybe somebody got paid to throw the game." Daughter #2 had the best excuse: it wasn't our regular team out there.( "Junior Varsity," she explained.)
     Needless to say, it was a very quiet night in Colorado-land. While we're licking our wounds, you might find these samplings off the 'Net interesting:

How to trim expenses, without losing what you really enjoy. (From the Simple Dollar) Trent came in with some good advice on investing in collectibles, too.

Superhero capes for your favorite kid. Best of all, they're 'no-sew!'  (From Creative Green Living) 

My girlies would loved their DIY instructions for crowns and tiaras, too -- 15 different ways to make 'em.

Have you ever visited my 'other' blogs? Saving Site and SavingSite hold the freebies and Really Good Deals I run across now and then. (The lebkuchen post should have been repeated on them--but I got lazy.) Both run the same specials, so pick one and subscribe to it -- you won't regret it.
      The Holiday Goodies blog is running strong right now on a 'Bare Bones Meals'  series -- it will switch to Valentine's recipes soon. The Christmas Goodies blog is resting, but will start up again in late fall.

Midlife Finance, another blog I regularly write for, has posts on 'Ten Inspiring Titles for 2014' and index funds. (The latter will be particularly helpful when the stock market starts going down...which it is, right now. See next reference for an odd Superbowl connection on this.)
    Penny Thots continues to also run some of yours truly's posts, including one on 'The Big D' and coffee with friends. (Click on my name, Cindy Brick, on the top of the page for all of my currently published articles.)

The Superbowl Stock Market  Indicator Theory: according to this, if the Broncos had won, the market would do better this year!

One of the oldest Roman temples ever discovered is found...but it can only be excavated for three days. (Find out why when you click on the link.)

Poor Man's Steak...from Moneysaving Mom. The Mama would call this closer to Swiss Steak...but either way, it's delicious.

The last soldier buried in Arlington Cemetary's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...isn't unknown at all.

This sign is on I-35 in Texas...watch it change! (Find it here, if it didn't show up on this post.)

I wasn't that impressed with the Superbowl commercials this year. Tim Tebow's was mildly amusing:

And if you're a farmer or rancher, the Chevy "romance" commercial is terrific. (Dad was a diehard Ford truck man, so...)

I heard good things about the musical instruments one, too:

My own favorite was the heart-tugging Budweiser commercial. The golden Lab did it. (Our Charley and Abby are goldens -- one of the best-natured breeds around. Good guard dogs, too.)
     But then, what can you expect, from someone who loves the Puppy Bowl.

You can see a good-sized sampling of them all here.


Have a better week than the Broncos did...

Silly...But Inspiring