The above meme seemed appropriate as we have had a couple of frosty mornings and things continue to look rather cool/cold for a couple of more days. I hate to see these temps in the 20’s just as so many trees and ornamentals are starting to bloom. I am crossing my fingers that my fruit trees come away unscathed.
I’m down to my last bit of spring cleaning of closets and cupboards and now I have the monumental task of going thru all of the photo albums and boxes of photos to sort and scan and make copies of for each of my siblings. I am a firm believer that every family member deserves to have a copy of any and all pictures and one person shouldn’t hoard them all. So many times, one family member seems to obtain all of the photographs and then they are lost or not shared with others down the line. I have yet to see a pic of my grandmother on my dad’s side as one of his sisters took all of the pictures and now who knows where they are at. I am assuming she has passed on as there was a 20-year age difference between my dad and his oldest sibling.
It’s a job that is going to take a while, but it does give me a time for reflection and many walks down memory lane in the process. Hence, the reason for today’s Music Monday choice. Have a listen if you haven’t heard this country tune before.
Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post for today’s Music Monday.
April Fool’s Day… A day dedicated to fools and all things foolish. However, this blog isn’t really going to be about anything lighthearted or funny, or something to lighten the mood for the day. It’s a blog about being fooled, willingly, unwillingly, who knows by which means as it is different for every person.
I read a comment about a past Shmoozezone member, touting all their wonderful abilities and accomplishments and it did not come without a grimace on my part. It’s funny how skewed the world can be when they take the word of an individual at its face value, not willing to challenge or question its/their authenticity.
It’s easy to do on the internet. The subterfuge, the lying, the deception.
GeekGirl, Secret Corners, Kimberly, also known by their birth name of Mark Anthony Haizlip. Yes. You read that right. Kimberly, an adopted name by a guy who desperately wanted to be a female to the point of living a life and a lie behind a computer screen.
It wasn’t always that way. Talk to some past Multiply members and they will tell you that originally Kimberly was open about being trans, being a guy living as a woman. But as time progressed, and especially on the now defunct Shmoozezone website, the truth was buried, hidden from any newcomers. Why? Who knows, personally I think it was to get a broad acceptance from everyone. Claim to be a redheaded woman and who is going to doubt that? It’s much easier to be seen for what you want to be than rather than what you are.
I heard the rumors a lot while on the old Shmooze site, and I put them down to just that, rumors. But then things didn’t start to add up. But after words, actions, and deeds by the Secretive Mr/Ms Corners it started to all make sense.
The gameplaying. OH, and there was a lot of it, and not just with the hidden gender. The playing of GeekGirl off of Secret Corners to confuse all of the new people who didn’t know they were the same person. The asking by GG, an administrator of the site for suggestions of what members wanted, and then dismissing those suggestions without a valid reason. A LOT of the anger and frustration could have been averted over there by mentioning that software was not capable of what members were asking for. That they were not CAPABLE of doing what the members were asking for. Instead, there was so much pussyfooting around the issue so that more unnecessary drama was created.
Then, poor, little, overworked Kimberly could cry on one of the guy’s shoulders, act vulnerable and play a victim worthy of a Victorian novel.
Oh, how terribly tragic it must have been. Wanting to be something she/he could never really ever could be. But, in their own made-up world of make believe, he/she could dream it a possibility.
It took me awhile to understand why Kimberly/Mark seemed to hate women and would fawn all over the men. I still chuckle when I think of her giving Mac a refund, something he/she would never entertain for the likes of any of the women here. And I know, that when Paulo said to Kimberly that they were never friends, it was the real reason why suddenly so many of us were blocked. She needed, desperately needed to be accepted by the guys, not so much the ladies of Shmooze. The gals were competition after all.
A drama Queen? Yes she/he was. She reveled in it. She loved the sense of power, the sense of being finally in control of something in her life. I think it was the only thing that she did have control over.
Rather sad, and I emailed her towards the end of my time there and told her I knew she was a HE. I told her I didn’t care, but that she needed to work with the members or there would be no Shmooze.
But we all know how that ended up. I did hear that later on she did ask if I should be reinstated, but that another member said no. I think Kimberly in her own way recognized a bit of the olive branch I was handing to her at the time, but she was in too far and too deep to change in any sort of way.
Fools, weren’t we all? To think we knew someone, but their spots really can’t ever change, can they? And they are eventually seen for who/what they are. It’s when one continues to grasp onto something or someone when the truth is staring you in the face that you realize, only then you are really a fool/foolish.
Thankfully, I can look back and realize that as hard as I tried to make Shmoozezone grow and flourish, and was one of it’s biggest cheerleaders, that I didn’t fail. I gained some new friends, as well as gained insight to others and what they are made of.
I know some will continue on in the dark, foolishly grasping to something/someone that was just smoke and mirrors. You can lead a fool to the truth, but you can’t make them believe, because what would that make them?
Here we are on the last day of the month and the last Monday as well. For today’s Music Monday I chose this song by chance after hearing a snippet of it on a video short. I am going to have to do some googling to learn more about the artists on this song and see what else they have out there. I hope you enjoy it, it’s a catchy tune.
Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it for today’s Music Monday!
For today’s Music Monday selection, I am going a bit country. Once you hear this song, I swear it will stick in your head for days. It has in my mind. I don’t really know this artist, but it’s a cute song and the video is one of those story telling ones, with of course a western theme.
Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it for today’s Music Monday.
Saw this today and it just struck a chord with me and thought it worthy of sharing here today. Bit of reminder of one bringing out the best in others as well as the best of one’s own self. To my dear friends, thank you for being the best and helping me to rise up to be better as well.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! And since today’s Music Monday falls on the holiday, I figured a nice Irish song was in order. This is a recent upload, and the singer is totally new to me, but I like the song so I may take a listen to other songs of his as well. Have a favorite tune with an Irish connection? Feel free to post it for today’s Music Monday!
Today’s video is another oldie but a goodie. So, crank up the volume, sit back and groove out to this wonderful artist! Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it for today’s Music Monday!
Today I am actually posting two videos by the same person just at different times in their life. The first video is actually one of their more current songs. To me, her voice sounds like a cross between Adele and Amy Winehouse.
The second video is of the singer when she was 8 years old. I believe she was a year younger when she won Norway’s Got Talent Show. You can find a lot of her earlier stuff when she was just a little kid and it’s amazing the voice she had at such a young age.
Second earlier video of hers at a much younger age…
Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it for today’s Music Monday!
I came across this recipe quite some time ago and decided to give it a try to use up a little bit of molasses left over from the holidays. I will post the ORIGNAL recipe first, and then I will post MY VERSION that I ended up making.
Original Recipe:
Beat until Creamy:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4th cup molasses
Stir in:
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups of flour
Bake at 325 degrees for 20-22 minutes, in a greased 9×13 pan.
Frost when cool with frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Now I came across several versions of this recipe and most were similar, but some had more baking soda, some had more or different spices, some said it could be made in a 9×13 pan, some recipes said for a thicker bar it could be made using an 8×8 pan.
So…I basically doubled the recipe and made it in a 9×13 inch pan. I baked at 350 degrees and added more spice.
My Recipe Version:
Beat until Creamy:
1 cup butter softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup molasses
Stir In:
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3 tsp. baking soda
4 cups flour
Bake in a greased 9×13 pan for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.
Frosting:
1 8oz block cream cheese
1 stick of softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
This cookie bar tastes a lot like a blondie with spice. I prefer my recipe for molasses cake bars as this cookie seemed to be lacking a bit. I think when making it again I would punch up the spice level more with the ginger, cinnamon and cloves. I think it is because there isn’t much molasses in this recipe that is what I find lacking in the flavor department. I want a bit more depth, but it is a solid cookie. And let’s face it, anything with cream cheese frosting can’t be all that bad. The cookie’s flavor does improve the next day as the spices have melded more together.
It’s the last Monday of the month and as we get closer and closer to spring and warmer weather, the music seems to be a bit brighter…or maybe that is just me.
Today’s tune for today, another golden oldie that I haven’t heard in ages and thought it should be dusted off to listen to again.
Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it for Today’s Music Monday!