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Friday, April 30, 2010

Something's Different

In the desert, flowers are popping up like...well, like wildflowers.


And over here at the ol' blog, I've been tweaking things little bit (or a lot).


The Bling Out Your Blog class really gave me some useful and fun information, as you can see.

Because Moo is a Real Artist and actually gets paid to do artistic things, and because she is a busy person, the blog currently reflects my doodly style instead of her amazing skills (check out her art by clicking the link at the top of the page).

You'll probably see other changes around here, now that I'm getting a better handle on how to make backgrounds, edit html, and lots of other things that will make our blog even more personalized and all around Better.

If some of the changes are particularly good: let us know. If something really isn't working: let us know.

And if you want to score some of these mad skills for yourself, be sure to check in on this web site to find out when the next class is.





Thursday, April 29, 2010

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Jack Handy's Deep Thoughts

In case you find yourself stuck in AP English (or elsewhere) and in need of a little lightheartedness:






"I think a good product would be "Baby Duck Hat." It's a fake baby duck, which you strap on top of your head. Then you go swimming underwater until you find a mommy duck and her babies, and you join them. Then all of the sudden, you stand up out of the water and roar like Godzilla. Man those ducks really take off! Also Baby Duck Hat is good for parties."


"I wish outer space guys would conquer the Earth and make people their pets, because I'd like to have one of those little beds with my name on it."


"If the Vikings were around today, they would probably be amazed at how much glow-in-the-dark stuff we have, and how we take so much of it for granted."


"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."


"If they ever come up with a swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, Then Jumping Off Something."


"If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe you'll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy."

Friday, April 23, 2010

Vanishing Cream

Now THIS backs the "Potions for Muggles" part of Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas Processes and Trade Secrets. Ladies and Gents-- really, truly Vanishing Cream: 

(Being a cream, a skin softener and a powder, combined in one.)
Precipitated chalk.....1 part
Glycerine..................1 part
Zinc sterate...............1 part
Oil rose geranium.....sufficient


The powders are first to be intimately mixed together. The glycerine is to be diluted with an equal amount of water and the whole rubbed together most thoroughly. While the rubbing is being done, the perfume is to be added, gradually, a little at a time. Eight drops of oil rose geranium to each three ounces of the cream is the proper amount of perfume to use. (pg. 248)


Stay tuned for:
"Eucalyptus Bonbons for Colds and Coughs"
"Berge's Blasting Powder"
"Theater Rouge"
       &
"Coloring Electric-Light Bulbs and Globes"

Moo
Comment suggestion: leave us the possible instructions and guarantees that would follow this recipe if it really were
honest-to-goodness vanishing cream.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

He's Not a Pirate

The Rock's high school mascot is a Marauder.

 The Rock in his Marauder shirt after a bike ride.  
Note that I am lounging in the truck, sneaking this picture of 
him through the backseat window

When we feel like arguing, we choose as our theme: Marauders are/are not the same as pirates. 

This is a fun subject for discussion because it's mostly irrelevant but lends itself to statements that can be said with great conviction and fervor, not to mention a pretty high coolness factor because like ninjas, pirates are cool guys to talk about.

But, since we don't usually feel like arguing, quite a long time lapses between the mention of the Marauder mascot, and I forget that it even exists.

So the other day The Rock did something, I don't remember what, maybe he ate the last of the Easter candy or made a snide comment about how I kick him when I'm sleeping--whatever it was, I replied that he only thought/said such things because he was a no good pirate.

Instead of laughing as I expected, he gave me a very serious look and said, "No.  I am a marauder."

--Lu

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

110 Dozen Doughnuts

A group in town did a fundraiser last week by selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  This was a fantastic plan for many reasons, most of which are along the lines of, "Krispy Kreme doughnuts are yummy and taste good and make my tummy happy."  But another one of the Good Reasons to engage in this fundraiser was that it meant I got to go and pick up all the doughnuts.

See how prettily they stacked in the back of my car?


(No, that's not all 110 dozen, the rest are in my trunk.)

All the way home I kept hoping that if I were going to be pulled over by a cop, that day would be the day.  Because s/he would come to my window and I would politely say, "Hello Officer.  Would you care for a doughnut?"

And if the officer had any kind of sense of humor we would have had a good chuckle.  And if not, well, I had plenty of consolation doughnuts to eat all the rest of the way home. 

Win-win situation if there ever was one.
--Lu

Monday, April 19, 2010

Sneaky Snakes

Spring in the desert brings me mixed emotions.

Warmth: hoorah!
Longer daylight hours: Yeehaw!
Wildflowers and gardens: Yes please.

Bugs: too many and blech.
Gnats: Why must your death wish involve flying into my mouth or nose?
Snakes: Why do I never seem to see you?

This little lovely was slithering along the road (or patch of sand, if we're being accurate) we were driving on.


A smaller rattler was on the path we were walking on later that day.  I walked right by Mr. Snakey, didn't even see it.  In fact, at the time, I was congratulating myself on how alert I was being.  The Rock seemed a tad incredulous that I'd just walked by it and not warned the rest of our party.  He said, "Did you not even see that?"  At that point I still didn't know that there even was a snake, but the tone of his voice clued me in.

So that stuff about rattlers warning people and all...not always true.  --Lu

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas Processes and Trade Secrets

This book is marvelous. You can find it on here, but I found the title via Google Books, then checked out the physical copy from the local university library, which had every printing back to 1907 I believe. I thought it might be safer to check out the last edition, since what was considered 'safe' in 1937 for everyday use, just may have been taken out in the 1962 edition. But that's relative since the various formulas using DDT (see page 418) are right there under the Pesticides section. Also, mercury and mercury derivatives are to be found, along with lead powders, as ingredients to many of these Formulas and Trade Secrets. It's akin to the muggle version of the potions class textbook. Here's a charming, and harmless idea found under Writing, pg. 786:

Writing Under the Shell of an Egg
(modern translation-----How to write a message/pattern into the white of a boiled egg)

Dissolve one ounce of alum (note: used in making pickles) in a half pint of vinegar with a small pointed brush outline whatever writing you desire on the shell of the egg with the above solution. After the solution has dried thoroughly on the egg, boil it for about 15 minutes. If these directions are carried out all tracings of the writing will have disappeared from the outside of the shell--but when the shell is cracked open the wrting will plainly show on the (now cooked) white of the egg.

Give it a try and let us know if it works.
More to come!

Moo

Monday, April 12, 2010

Bling Out Your Blog Class OR school has never been this fun before

You may notice the ol' blog has gotten/is getting a face lift.

BEFORE:                                                       





AFTER  (as of publication of this post):

I'm taking the online class Bling Out Your Blog (from Little Light Studio) and after one! class I already have some sweet new blog layout skills (I haven't even really started customizing yet!).  The next few weeks are sure to bring even more changes (hopefully for the better).

And if you're thinking you want some of these mad skills for your own blog--just click here to see if there are still spots open in the class.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Oooh! A Treasure Hunt

There really is buried treasure that you might be lucky enough to find.  I heard about this new book that is full of clues to actual buried treasure.  Here's the web-site.  

I think I might help out with this one...

--Lu

Blog (not book) Review


The ocotillos are in bloom here in the desert.  Like really long lit matches...

One upon a time here at luandmoo, I used to review books.  Remember those times? 
Yeah.  Like a distant dream.

It isn't that I haven't been reading books lately, because, sadly for my sleep schedule, I have.  I don't really want to do full blown reviews of the books yet because I can't seem to formulate a decent plot summary. 

Instead, I'll review one of my favorite blogs, one where I consistently lurk.  The Pioneer Woman.  This blog came to my attention first because of the photography section--she's an amateur photographer who documents what she's learned and shares her photoshoping techniques.   She also has a recipe book and a cooking section on her blog with free (and tasty) recipes.

But she's also an entertaining and funny blogger who documents her life as the wife of a rancher and mother of several children (4 or 5, I can't remember). 

If that kind of thing sounds interesting to you, here are two recent blog posts of hers that made me laugh.  I hope they brighten your day the way they did mine.

Trifecta
Adventures in Texting

--Lu

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Surprise Visit from You Know Who...

(no, not Lord Voldemort, though that would have been something to blog about)

While hunting for Easter Eggs*, my husband came across a special guest.   Can you spot him?





Does this help?

How about this:


I always pictured the Easter Bunny like something out of Beatrix Potter--cute little trousers and leather shoes.  Although, this lttle guy is about as cute as a wee baby animal can get--even if he isn't clothed.  

Scale note: that's a cinder block wall in the background.  The bunny would have fit in the palm of my hand.

Speaking of holding the bunny...The Rock said if I picked the bunny up, it would probably bite me.  I tried to get him to say he was joking and he wouldn't.  But I can't be sure he was being serious. So...do baby bunnies bite?

--Lu

*ok, we didn't have an easter egg hunt.  You should already know that, though, seeing as how the Easter candy doesn't go on clearance until tomorrow.   The Rock was actually going through a pile of old lumber at his parents' house.