The Red Death....

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

~ Andre Caplet

Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death...

 "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held 

illimitable dominion over all."

With all that is going on with the Ebola outbreak - no matter what, it's going to spread.... human error, ignorance, selfishness, and idiots running the show.... Poe's story reminds me of today's news.... and it's VERY SCARY!!!!!!!

Goosebumps and Hair Raising Chills......

Stanley Kubrick could not have chosen a more eerie piece for his film, The Shining.  The movie alone, the storyline enough, to create nightmares - but add this to the soundtrack, and you have the most frightening film... this music, alone, no film, just itself, brings goosebumps and chills .... enjoy!!!!!!!

Béla Bartók - Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, III

Bartók's Night Music

In the "Spirit" of Things Halloween....

I remember when I was in 1st grade, just a little 6 year old, and we had Music class...my favorite class besides Art... it was Halloween, and our teacher played "Danse Macabre" for us... and how I loved it.... it's one of my all time favorite pieces, any time of the year!!!!!  It just builds you up, you imagine Death playing his fiddle surrounded by waltzing skeletons!!!!!!!!!!  I hope you find it as wonderful as I do.....

Written with inspiration from the following poem, "Égalité, Fraternité...", Henri Cazalis' l'Illusion.

Zig, zig, zig, Death in cadence,

Striking a tomb with his heel,

Death at midnight plays a dance-tune,

Zig, zig, zag, on his violin.

The winter wind blows, and the night is dark;

Moans are heard in the linden trees.

White skeletons pass through the gloom,

Running and leaping in their shrouds.

Zig, zig, zig, each one is frisking,

You can hear the cracking of the bones of the dancers.

A lustful couple sits on the moss

So as to taste long lost delights.

Zig zig, zig, Death continues

The unending scraping on his instrument.

A veil has fallen! The dancer is naked.

Her partner grasps her amorously.

The lady, it's said, is a marchioness or baroness

And her green gallant, a poor cartwright.

Horror! Look how she gives herself to him,

Like the rustic was a baron.

Zig, zig, zig. What a saraband!

They all hold hands and dance in circles.

Zig, zig, zag. You can see in the crowd

The king dancing among the peasants.

But hist! All of a sudden, they leave the dance,

They push forward, they fly; the cock has crowed.

Oh what a beautiful night for the poor world!

Long live death and equality!

Fatniss....

I decided to call Noomi.... Fatniss - after Katniss in The Hunger Games.  

This chunk of a cat is the sweetest thing that ever walked the Earth... she puts my Prince, Habibi, to shame.  Last night she just wanted to do Head Bumps... so we bumped heads for about 5 minutes, she got some ear scratches, and the she curled up with me and just purred herself to sleep... and I passed right out with her! TV going, computer on, lights on in the house, too early to be taking naps...but when Fatniss wants you to take a nap, you take a nap!!!!!  

One of Those Days....

I had my favorite pair of red suede sandals in its box, in my closet, safe and dust free, etc. - guess what?  They dry rotted or something because when I got to work, the bottom of one disintegrated.  I am now forced to have to sit barefoot at my desk - but when I go around the office I have a choice of 4 1/2 inch platforms I cannot walk in anymore or the tightest, most painful little red patent leather pointy witchy flats OR a pair of Steve Madden Crocheted Clogs that look like bedroom slippers... Slippers won.....

I had a really awful asthma attack when I got to work... looking at the weather report - it states today is a HIGH 10- Extreme for Dust and Dander.  No wonder I'm dying.... and gasping for air!!!!!  Allergies won....

BUT

It's FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!! AND that is JOYFUL NEWS!!!!!!!!!

Tonight when I get home I will be starting the Bread Starter for my Italian Peasant Loaf and  I'll bake tomorrow evening after I am finished:

SHOPPING!!!!!

The Green Alligator - a boutique toy store with unique toys and books, to shop for my incredibly adorable, beautiful, brilliant 1 yr old nephew!!!!!!!!!!  Can't go visit him without bearing wonderful gifts!!!!!!!

Another little Boutique/Gift Shop - for some early Christmas shopping for my mother....

AND - SO EXCITED - FINALLY - I'm going to NORDSTROM's to see if I can find any new clothes for myself.... they just opened!!!!!!!!!  I cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We have a NORDSTROM!!!!  I can actually replace the pair of beautiful shoes that broke!

Slow Cooking.... Apricot BBQ Chicken

Apricot BBQ Chicken

4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 jar of Apricot Preserves

1 sm. bottle of Baby Rays Sweet BBQ Sauce

1 packet of Onion Soup Mix

Slow cook 4-6 hours on low (I'm having to do it for 8 hours and hoping all goes well)

Served over rice and garnished with some chopped green onion (Scallions)

I will be using Whole Foods Frozen Organic Jasmine Rice - a bag with 5 cups of rice, $2.99 - that bag will work for 3 dinners for 2 people - I think it is the greatest savings!

Wish me luck...... I bought a brand new slow cooker.  I hope I don't burn the house down!!!!!!  Kid just called and said he was off to training classes with work, but he checked on the chicken because it SMELLED SO GOOD!

A Cake I Shall Bake.....

I had energy, lots of it, this weekend.. I decided Saturday would be the day to burn it all off.  I started with a good carpet shampooing, and ended up with myself covered in sugar, flour, and the scent of a vanilla pound cake baking in the oven... Baking a pound cake by hand, without a stand mixer, is hard work!!!!  It's such a wonderful experience to bake...with a pound cake, it's a very slow process, and exact.  Each ingredient must be room temperature, slowly beaten and blended perfectly, and each item added, one at a time... no hurries if you want success.  The end was this beauty and a house that smelled of vanilla and baked goods. How Super Comfy!!!!!

I've finally decided and made our reservations - for:

The Gettysburg Hotel 1797

I finally made the decision and bit the bullet.  I decided on a "real" hotel where check-in is after 4 p.m., we have double beds, coffee maker in room, fireplace and modern day furnishings, amenities, and hotel comforts in the heart of the Historic District, Downtown Gettysburg.  The idea of a quaint inn or B&B is great, but when you read the "Warnings, Policies, and Disclaimers" of the Inns and B&Bs, you find they seem a bit scary and rigid for my needs... I don't want to lose my money and reservation because I got caught up in traffic outside Washington D.C. - so the larger, more commercial Hotel industry won! Along with the fact it is on a historic square next to taverns, coffee shops, and such, so all conveniences....   We will have tavern food and some Black and Tans for our celebratory Gettysburg Birthday Celebration Evening....   Then I plan to go upstairs to my room, sit in front of the fireplace and chill out before the Sabrina's Express takes off to the Catskills and Berkshires in New England the next day.... 

I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!  So... we have the first three days planned... with a hotel booked... and then off to Gramma's House We GO!!!!!!