The Eurovision stage and Out of print books.....

 On Monday, Eurovision released a video showing the venue for next year's contest. The stage is absolutely amazing. The Lighting Technicians deserve a raise or bonus. You just need to see it for yourself.

Basel is the third largest city in Switzerland after Zurich and Geneva. It is considered the cultural capital of Switzerland and is home to the oldest public art museum (established 1661). The University of Basel is also amongst the world's oldest universities. In short, it is a beautiful historical place and probably the the most fitting spot to hold the contest.

In other less important news, I just found out that two books I've been looking for for years are out of print and not likely to enter print again any time soon. There are no words to describe my feelings about that.

In 2017, I got a free copy of the first book in Desiree Williams' Heart Song trilogy. I loved it but sadly couldn't afford the other books at the time. Later when I looked for them, they were no where to be found. I just found out on Sunday that the author pulled them.  If there is any one else out there looking for them, it's time to give up.

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Yeah......I'm not that smart

 I was thinking about Jeopardy! today and how I missed Alex Trebek. I have nothing but fond memories of the show and its former host. I haven't watched it in years but there was a time I watched it daily. Yeah, #NerdGirl here.

I used to finish up my homework while answering questions. Some were right, some were wrong. The one thing I took away was that I know a lot of useless trivia. My relatives, who always seemed to show up around that time for some reason, would be like "You're so smart! You should be on the show". Ummm, no. They sometimes have math questions and math and I don't talk to each other unless we absolutely need to. So, I would smile, say thank you and answer questions under my breath.

Even now, I feel awkward when people say that I am smart. I'm not. I know my weak spots and I wish people would stop looking at me like I know a lot. All I know are random factoids and the basics. I am ordinary. No really, I know a LOT of Random trivia that will pop out at the weirdest moments. I will tell you about another time. 

Sometimes my siblings come to me with questions and I don't know the answer. I will look it up for them but it gets irritating after a while. Like, look it up on your own. Stop expecting me to know everything. Dad calls me " Encyclopedia " as a joking nickname. It is not true. 

Sorry. Guess I vented a little bit. As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Old Timey Radio: Lux Radio Theatre

 I don't know why but people tend to get nostalgic as the temperature plummets. So, if you need something else to listen to besides Christmas music, that's old and fun to listen to, I suggest Lux Radio Theatre. It will give you a nostalgia punch and give you a brief reprieve from the Christmas music (Let's be honest. Not everyone can take a constant 24-hour bombardment of sleigh bells and Greensheives for roughly a month).

It was a radio show that aired weekly, doing adaptations of popular films of that era. Lux Radio Theatre aired from 1934 to 1955. Each episode was an hour long and featured famous film actors and actresses occasionally reprising their iconic roles (except for those first two years when the did Broadway plays). 

I discovered Lux Radio Theatre years ago when I was browsing around Internet Archive. I found even more episodes on YouTube. It quickly became a family favorite. Imagine a bunch of children gathered around speakers they connected to my mp3 player, listening intently to William Powell and  Myrna Loy do a radio adaptation of their film The Thin Man. Can you see it? Now, go one step further. Imagine a little girl from the 1930s or 1940s, listening to that very same program on the radio in her living room. That girl being my grandma. 

Sadly, she is no longer here so I can't ask her if she listened to Lux Radio Theatre as a child. I know she loved black and white films but that is about it. Every time I listen to an episode, I wonder if she listened to it as well and feel comfort in that, almost maybe, connection. 

For the fun of it, I'll include a few episodes below.

I hope you enjoyed these. As Always, feel free to leave me a message below.

It's cold! Shut the Window!

 Yes, I know that it has been cold for some time but it has gotten colder and I have an on going battle. LS2 loves keeping our room cold. I'm talking walk-in freezer type of cold. I am older than her and my bones do not like getting super cold.

Every night, I try my hardest to get our window shut but end up compromising. She gets the window cracked open and I get another blanket. Which she will somehow manage to swipe as she's sleeping. So far, I have woken up with a stiff shoulder, a sore throat,and (for the briefest moment) a case of chest congestion. And still, the little girl will not cave. She says that she feels like she can't breathe if the window is shut and I am ignoring her right to live in comfort. Right, there's that argument. Very hard to fight.

I know you all are thinking "wait until she goes to sleep and then shut the window". You think I haven't tried that? If she doesn't feel the cold air blowing on her, she will wake up and check the window. One night, we opened and the shut the window at least four or five times. I don't have the energy to do that all night, every night. It's easier to talk things out. Yes, it seems I keep failing but my latest compromise is that the window will stay shut if snow is on the ground. Small win but I will take it.

LS1 has been a silent supporter in my corner as she huddles under three blankets. She occasionally vocally supports me but, more often than not, justs echoes my complaints as I make them. She tries.

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Time to ship..... Not the one you're thinking of

 No, I am not shipping any couples or going on a cruise (that nightmare has yet to become a reality). By the time you all have read this, I will have most likely shipped the hats, scarf, and blanket off. I will feel relieved when I get it on leg two of it's journey to it's forever home.

I really want to avoid the Christmas gift shipping rush that takes place in the days following Thanksgiving. My life is way calmer without that level of chaos. If any of you know someone who works in the postal or shipping field, give them a lot of love and respect. It is not easy dealing with the amount of packages they got to deal with.

Thankfully, it is one little light box, not fifteen heavy boxs. I would yank my hair out if I had to handle that. I am not savvy like that. I always stared in awe of those people who could do that. 

As always, free to leave me a message below.

I don't know what I did......

 I will keep this post brief. On Sunday, I realized my shoulder was super sore. Like, I pitched the entire World Series solo for funsies-type of sore. It has been several days but I still hurt. It even burns periodically. 

I am about to put some heat onto it and use our massager. I hope it will be better by next week. As always feel free to leave me a message below.

Knitting is exhausting yet so satisfiying......

 My back hurts after spending a whole week turning 31.5 ozs of yarn into a blanket. To be honest, it's more of a throw blanket or blanket shawl than anything else. I just finished it and am buzzing with the high I get when I finish a project. It's making my back pain feel worth it.

Now, all I need to do is ship it out later and then all good! Before I forget, the pictures of everything are below. I didn't forget my promise to you all. 

Our mannequin is named Mandy. You might see her more from now on so I thought I should introduce her. Mom named her. She was also the one who picked her up at the store. It was a little weird watching her carry around a disembodied head but I like to think I'm adaptable. The sibs just adore Mandy. 

Well, I am going to go take care of my aching back. As always, feel free to leave me a message below.