Friday, April 19, 2019

#Goldenrod

Do you know your state's flower? 

Nebraska's is the oh so beautiful Goldenrod. 

Image result for goldenrod, nebraska
Source

I learned about the Goldenrod being Nebraska's state flower when I was Isaak's age - almost 11.

Fast Forward to Now:

We were sitting around the table talking about Isaak's Science Fair Project on Optical Illusions.

Mica started talking about what he wanted to do for his Science Fair Project next year. The last two years he's gotten A's on his projects. Go Mica! Isaak's actually been looking at Mica's board to put together his.

Mica has a history of being oh so smart at school. When he comes home he's...well how do I put this kindly?...kind of ditsy and quite a bit lazy when it comes to tasks around the house. We joke about how he left some of his brain power back at school. Not to be mean. He can turn on the brainy Mica, and at times that brainy Mica is turned off. I've seen my smart boy. Again I'm not making fun of him in a mean way. He does WAY better in school than I did!

Mica's ideas for his next projects: Something on the Blackhole. Travis looked at him and said, "Son what experiment are you going to do in regards to the Blackhole? No one can even get close to it, so we don't know enough about it." I said, "Well at least we have a picture of it now." Mica's sat there, and thought some more.

Mica, "I know exactly what I'm going to do!"....Wait for it... "I'm going to explain scientifically why there aren't any Goldenrods in Omaha, when it's our state flower." Travis piped up at the same time as me, "It's because we live in the city."

I lost it. I have this inability to not stop laughing when I find something very funny. In my mind I pictured Mica looking up to the sky and saying, "Where are all the Goldenrods?" I was laughing so hard I was crying. Travis started laughing as hard as I was. We kept interrupting our laughter by saying, "Where did all the Goldenrods go?" Then we'd laugh some more. Poor Mica got up, shook his head, and left the table. Isaak just kept shaking his head and Mica and the gigglers.

I pictured that scene in the movie Pleasentville where the Dad (William H. Macy the one that could have been in trouble with that college scandal) was rattled because he couldn't find his wife or DINNER. That would be Mica. Only rattled because he couldn't find the Goldenrods.


When I texted my Mom about this story she replied with, "Tell Mica Grandpa has Goldenrod flowers in our backyard. He can show him." I told Mica and the poor kid was like, "I don't want to hear about it Mom."

Then I texted Mica, "Instead of doing a science fair project on Where are all the Goldenrods, you should do it on this...Where are all the Aliens."


The boys are used to my antics by now. We tease each other all the time. Even Travis has learned to loosen up a bit. He married me, and had very little sense of humor that he'd show.

Do you ever laugh so hard that you cry? 

Random Tid Bits

  1. I do different types of critiques with my students: 1 on 1 (them and me), a group of 2 with me, whole class (I don't mention names), groups of three (them) with a worksheet of questions to fill out, and lastly they turn the work in and I draw on tracing paper over it to hand back to them. I don't do all the above for every assignment. Just 1 or 2 ways of critiquing per assignment.

    Last week I had a group critique of 3 students along with a worksheet for them to fill out. They talk about the piece, and answer the questions as to what their group thinks about their art. If I don't have a sheet they talk about anything, but the work. When I said it was Group Critique time they all grumbled. I said, "What's the deal?" One said, "I just don't like talking about my art. It's awkward." Another said, "We just don't like talking to each other." I said, "That means you need more practice. You guys have to learn to talk to one another, and about your work. You're not getting out of this!" They looked at me with darts in their eyes. What the heck?! Every class has some kind of energy, and this one is quiet. Maybe it's a generation thing? My last class was really talkative though. I'll probably get on my evaluations: "Mrs. Apel makes us talk to one another. I hate her for that." 

  2. Isaak, "Mom I NEED a shoulder rest for my violin! I think we're supposed to get it at Scheels." Me, "I don't think Scheels is the store we need to get a shoulder rest at." Isaak, "I don't know it's somewhere that starts with an S." Me, "Could it be Schmitt Music?" Isaak, "Ya that's the place." Me, "Do you know what shoulder rest you need? If I shopped online I bet I could get it cheaper. I'm just not in the mood to run all over Omaha." Isaak looking online with me, "That one, no that one, no that one." Me, "We better go to Schmitt Music."

  3. My husband is a science guy. When something happens he doesn't think it's a miracle. It's chance, genetics, or science. I do believe in all the above. I'm not a super religious person, but I believe in a higher being. Good thing can happen to good people. If someone is down on their luck, life has a way of turning back around for them. What do you think? Do you believe in mostly science, are you religious, or are you a bit of both?

  4. I got a tea set to review on facebook. Truth I mostly got it to redo their packaging for my portfolio. The tea really is good! You can get it here.



  5. I went out with a guy "Geordie" when I was in grad school. His real name was Hugh, middle name Gordan, which is where he got the nickname "Geordie". It seems like a lot of hoops to go through to come up with a nickname. I ended things. I just didn't think we were compatible. He was super quiet! I wouldn't say I'm outgoing, but I can carry a conversation. I have patients, for quiet people. One this is true about quiet people: When they say something it's usually well thought out, hilarious, and/or profound. They don't waist their words. They savor them. It's odd that I feel like I'm knowing him more because of what people post about him on facebook. He has a brother, and a close group of high school friends. All of which he never talked about.  Things weren't weird when we broke things off. I think we were both old enough to know that life goes on.

    He passed away in his sleep last week. I wasn't close to him any longer. I feel for his friends and family though. He was pretty young! He has two girls, still in elementary school. He got married, divorced, engaged, and separated. He died alone. May he rest in peace!

  6. So here's to Gordie also known as Hugh, the quiet guy that ran a printing press:

Disclaimer: I didn't get the tea set to review on this blog. I'm just sharing because it's a cute set.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

@Ripleys Believe It or Not! 100 Best Bions #bookreview

I love the the oddities that exist in this world! Ripley's Believe It or Not! just came out with 100 Best Bions. It's filled with believe it or not stories. They are incredibly hard to believe, and undeniable true!

The book is $16.34 on Amazon Prime.

Believe it or not they got the book to me so fast. It's like I agreed to review it, and poof it was on my doorstep.


The word Best is printed with a silver foil print.

Chapters:

  1. Classics
  2. People
  3. Animals
  4. World
  5. Exhibits

Just like the title, there are 100 stories to read about! 


I picked out some of my favorite pages to share with you. 

Matchstick Man

Patrick Acton of Gladbrook, Iowa is the artist of these amazing creations. I'm drawn to them because I have used toothpicks in my art. I find them fun!



Skull Cups

A "Kapala" is a bowl used by Tibetan Buddhists and Indian Hindus in rituals. I'm not big into rituals, but I do love Buddhism philosophy. Skulls are interesting to me , just like masks are.


Phuket Vegetarian Festival

I think I'd pass on going to a festival that has self mutilation. What about you? This festival happens annually in Thailand.


Bound Feet

I remember hearing about bound feet when I was a kid. Boy did it look painful! For centuries, upper-class Chinese women would undergo the painful ritual. I've never seen what their actual feet look like.



Tough Tortoise

I heard if a tortoise lost it's shell it would in fact die. What if a hippopotamus tusk is sticking through the shell? This tortoise lived for 15 years like this!


Sketchy Artist

I think I'm jealous! I could never draw with an Etch-A-Scketch well at all! Could you? George Vlosich can create detailed drawings with one. Each image takes 80 hours to draw using one unbroken line.


Serious Stache

I just saw an article on facebook that goes on and on about how beards and mustaches have more germs than a dog's fur does. Hummm... Possibly it's because some people do not wash their stache! For the record Travis washes his with soap and water.

Could you imagine having an 8 feet, 8 inches wide stache!? That seems a bit crazy. I think I'd have mine braided all the time.


Strange Mail

This grabbed by attention because we write lists, and sketch on junk mail all the time. In 1929 alone, Robert Ripley received a million letters, breaking all known records for mail received by one person. Something's telling me he didn't read it all.


Headless Chicken

It's true Isaak really has a hard time eating chicken with the bones showing. I wonder what he'd feel about this headless chicken? This bird was meant to die, but he lived. Farmer Lloyd Olsen fed it through an eyedropper.


Double Vision

I like creepy faces, so why not like this double eyed guy named Liu Ch'ung? He was born with double pupils. Not his fault.


Mule-Faced Woman

Grace McDaniels was born in 1888 in Iowa, with a birthmark that would define her career.

Do you have any birthmarks? I have a small hole at the top of my ear, I was born with a skin tag on my leg that was removed when I was a baby, and I had the deviated septum. Mica had a cherry red birthmark between his eyebrows (it was fairly light), he had a cyst under his tongue, so the line down his tongue will forever not be straight, and Isaak has a brown birthmark on his spine.


Stretched Necks

Despite appearances, their necks are not actually stretched. It's their shoulders that have been pushed down.


Gurning Man

I remember this man from my Ripley's Believe It or Not! book from when I was a kid. I thought...Wow I wish I could do that!


Severed Skulls

This is so odd! In the University of Lisbon in Portugal, you can see the severed head of a genuine serial killer. Doesn't it give you the creeps? 


I like that they made a book that's paperback. It doesn't take up as much room as the hardback books. 

Do you enjoy oddities? 

Disclaimer: I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review. The Ripley's Believe It or Not! team did not tell me what to say in this review. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

WW: Picassoesque {Linky}

Isaak's and I have been working on his Science Fair project. He's doing it on Optical Illusions. He's testing to see if all people see things the same, or different. We've put out polls, and made bar graphs.

This is a fun one we added:

What do you gravitate to first, Forward Facing or a Profile View?



I found that some people find the image disturbing, while others find it interesting. Which category do you fall in?

Post ANY post you want comment love on! It doesn't have to be wordless or wordful. I like rules sometimes, but they are meant to be broken. Link up a post! 

Monday, April 15, 2019

Dr Benjamin Rush #Prostate #Health Supplements Review

I've been pushing a few things on my husband: Drink more water, and take Dr Benjamin Rush Prostate Health Supplements. An enlarged prostate can be something that men go through as they get older.


Packaging:

The bottle shipped out really fast! The lid was closed up with a thin layer of plastic, and it had a paper top below the lid. Certainly sealed for protection!




Where to Get it:

You can get it on Amazon for $29.90. It's on Prime, so if you're a Prime member there's no shipping.

It comes with 90 pills in a bottle. I do wish that only 1 pill was needed per day. They have you take 3 pills daily. That seems like a lot.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MVHTLTG


About This Product:

Travis never has accidents. He makes it to the bathroom, but he does have problems going to the bathroom all the way.

This product helps with less bathroom visits. If you go on a road trip it helps to not have to stop a lot to go to the bathroom. Sleep is something everyone needs too.

It has additional vitamins in it to make the person taking it in a better mood.

It's drug-free, has no GMOs, and is made in the US.

Contains:

  • Saw Palmetto 
  • Zinc
  • Broccoli
  • Tomato
  • Vitamin B 6 and E
  • Cats Claw
  • Red Raspberry
  • Stinging Nettle
  • Green Tea
  • Mushrooms
  • Juniper Berry
  • Pumpkin Seed 
  • Parsley
  • Marshmellow Root
and more...


With no drugs, and only herbs and other healthy things in this one can't go wrong by taking it!

Do you take any vitamins?

Disclaimer: I got this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion. The company did not tell me what to say in this review.

Disclaimer

The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

I am not compensated to provide opinions on a variety of topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. If I claim to show knowledge of certain topic or product I will only endorse products or services that I feel, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement.

If you have any questions about this blog, or want to get in contact with me please email me at: anapeladay@gmail.com