2011 October | She Scribes

Free Online Games?

October 28, 2011 By Kimberly

I enjoy playing games online or on my iPad. I actually find them to be relaxing and they help me to unwind, especially after a stressful day. My husband feels the same way.

Right now I’m on a Bingo kick. Thankfully there are plenty of free online bingo games you can play. Simply Google “bingo online” and you’ll come up with some places.

Here is a funny Bingo story. When I was a young girl I would spend my summers with my cousins in Pennsylvania. We had so much fun! A lot of great memories were made during summer vacations.

My cousins had a neighbor down the street name Jimmy. He was older then us at the time. He was SO CUTE! I had a wicked crush on him. My PA family knew all about how enamoured I was with him.

My cousin’s town was having a carnival put on by the local Fire Department. Jimmy was working at the Bingo tent. If you won the game you received tickets which you could redeem for prizes. My aunt has a very lucky streak that night and won a bunch of tickets. When Jimmy asked her what she wanted to redeem them for she asked him “How many tickets for you?”.

Oh my goodness! I could have died right on the spot. I know my aunt was joking when she said it. I can’t imagine what Jimmy was thinking (he laughed it off). As for me, I was mortified. LOL!

Anyway… back to online games.

I think I have pretty much exhausted all of the game sites that I was aware of. So I am looking for new games to explore. However I worry about sites with viruses or other nasties. That is why am very cautious about the things that I Google.

Since I have a lot of readers I was hoping to learn about other free online games to explore. I’m not into the bang-bang-shoot-’em-up kind of games. Or weird, sci-fi fantasy stuff. I like classic games, fun games and unique games. I actually enjoy playing some games geared more towards kids.

If you know of any great online sites with fun games I would love to hear from you. Thanks in advance!

Kimberly

Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: Around the Web

The Lorax – 2012 Movie Release

October 28, 2011 By Kimberly

I just found out the other day that one of my beloved stories from my childhood has been made into a brand new movie – The Lorax.

My husband thinks The Lorax is a very depressing movie. In a way it is. But I like to think that there is hope to be found in the movie too.

If you are unfamiliar with the story, The Lorax is a story by Dr. Seuss. It was published in 1971 and later made into the movie. The story reflects just how much industry effects our environment.

The story goes that a man (the “Once-ler”) arrives in the beautiful forest. He falls in love with the Truffula Trees. He soon realizes that he can do a lot wit the trees like build with them and use their “tuffs” of fluff on top to knit into sweaters. So he builds a factory and cuts down the Truffula trees to use their fluff to make the sweaters, called a Thneed.

Living in the forest is a creature named the Lorax. The Lorax feels that it’s his place to speak for the creatures of the forest and the trees because they are unable to speak for themselves. He tries to reason with the Once-ler and make his realize he is destroying their home, but he doesn’t care. As time goes on the once happy and healthy creatures of the forest are forced to leave.

In the end the Lorax gives up hope and leaves, but not without leaving the Once-ler a message that simply said “Unless”.

We learn at the end of the story that the Once-ler has one single seed, the only seed left of the Truffula Trees. He gives the seed to a young boy in hopes he can plant it and rebuild the forest.

Yes, I admit it’s a depressing story. But it’s also a story that teaches a lesson – that we must care for the trees, land and all of Earth’s creatures or else we will destroy everything and be left with nothing.

Coming to theaters on March 2, 2012 is an updated version of the classic tale of Te Lorax. It’s from the creators of Despicable Me (one of my family’s favorite movies).

This adaptaion of the classic tale featurs the vocal talents of many A-list celebrities.

Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic youth who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Audrey, the girl of Ted’s dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O’Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted’s wise Grammy Norma.

The new 3D animated Lorax movie follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is the third feature created by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me, Hop).

There is already a website and Facebook page set up for the movie, www.TheLoraxMovie.com and www.Facebook.com/TheLoraxMovie.

If you are interested you can download a FREE template to turn your Halloween pumpkin into a Lorax pumpkin. You can find the FREE download here, http://www.TheLoraxMovie.com/Pumpkin.

Here is the movie’s trailer. It looks like it’s going to be a visually amazing movie filled with a lot of laughs and of course a great message of enduring hope.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this information for the benefit and enjoyment of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Movies Tagged With: Entertainment, Movie, Website

Healthy Recipes… for your DOG!

October 28, 2011 By Kimberly

I personally know a few people that refuse to feed their dogs store bought dog food. They either make their own dog food or serve their dogs meat from the butcher. While I do love my dog dearly, and I want only the best for him, I couldn’t imagine making food for him. Just trying to make meals for my “human” family members can be challenging enough.

I have seen recipes on the Internet for pet treats, but I have never seen one for Blueberry Mini Muffins that PEOPLE can enjoy as well as dogs.

Here are two recipes, compliments of Lucy Postins, founder of the innovative whole food pet line, The Honest Kitchen. When Lucy began experimenting with home cooked raw foods for her pets, she realized she could use many of the same healthy ingredients in her pets food that she served to her children.

Lucy recently created a recipe book with 65 meals and treats that you can prepare for (and some to actually share with) your animal companions.

Check out these great recipes.

Holiday Sage and Honey Cakes (for Dogs)

These sweet and savory cakes are easy to make and will delight the fussiest of pups on high days and holidays. They also make wonderful holiday gifts for your pup’s favorite friends.

Ingredients:

1 cup (about 4 oz) Force dehydrated dog food

1 cup warm filtered water

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp plain natural yogurt

2 tbsp dried cranberries

1 tsp dried sage

¼ cup finely diced cooked sausage or salami.

Directions:

- Hydrate the Force with the warm water in a large mixing bowl.

- Stir in the honey and yogurt.

- Add the dried cranberries, sage and diced sausage.

- Stir again, to thoroughly combine all the ingredients into a thick batter.

- Pour into a greased muffin pan or use two tablespoons to carefully place dollops of batter onto a greased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

- Cook at 350°F for 40 minutes (muffin pan) or 30 minutes (baking sheet) and cool thoroughly before serving.

Antioxidant-rich Blueberry Mini Muffins (for People and Dogs)

This recipe is fun to make and tastes delicious. It’s a real departure from more usual dog treats! Each of the ingredients here is laden with antioxidants or other important nutrients that support the immune system, especially during stress, chronic illness or aging. You will need a small size muffin pan and small paper cups for this recipe.

Ingredients:

¼ cup flax meal (or milled flax)

½ cup dried or fresh blueberries

¼ cup wheat germ

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon kelp powder

1 teaspoon vitamin C powder (optional)

2 large free range eggs

¼ cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

- Preheat the oven to 350°F.

- Combine all the dry ingredients including the blueberries (the first six items in the list) in a mixing bowl and fold together to combine thoroughly.

- Add in the moist ingredients (the last three on the list) and stir again to form a thick batter.

- Pour this batter into mini muffin pans with paper cups so that they are about half full.

- Bake for about 25 minutes at 350°F until firm to touch.

- Cool thoroughly before serving and store in an airtight refrigerator for up to a week.

- The muffins can also be frozen, if desired.

- As an alternative to the wheat germ, yeast, kelp and vitamin C, you could use The Honest Kitchen’s Invigor antioxidant supplement if you prefer.

Can you imagine having a Blueberry muffin in the morning with your coffee and sharing one with your dog too? My dog LOVES fruits and veggies. His favorites are apple, pumpkin and carrots. In fact if you put a piece of steak meat on one side of the kitchen and a bowl of apples, pumpkin and carrots on the other side I would almost bet money that he would go to the fruits and veggies first.

If you happen to try either of these recipes I’d love to hear your thoughts about them.

For more information about The Honest Kitchen visit www.TheHonestKitchen.com.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the enjoyment of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Animals, Recipes Tagged With: Pets, Website

Really funny Muppet Movie parody

October 28, 2011 By Kimberly

The Muppet movie comes to theaters on November 23, 2011. For many months the studio has released a variety of trailers and parodies. I’ve seen them all and they are pretty funny. This one (the “Final Parody” as it’s called) it great. I guess they saved the best for last. LOL!

Check it out. I love the Twilight segment with Pepe.

Kimberly

*I was not asked to post this, nor was I compensated. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: Disney, Entertainment, Movie

How to Get Good and Inexpensive Health Insurance

October 28, 2011 By Kimberly

Finding a good health plan is difficult these days. Especially if your employer does not provide coverage or you are self-employed. However, there are ways to have decent coverage without spending a lot of money.

There are so many types of health plans it can be intimidating and as soon as now, it is better for us to know which ones to avail, and for us to look through cheap insurance quotes. Here are some of the more popular types of insurance.

Cobra

Cobra is a continuation of your employers health plan you can get when you leave employment. You are allowed coverage for 18 months. However, employers used to pay 75 to 80 percent of the coverage and they are no longer required to do that. So you will pick up the cost of the entire insurance coverage which may get expensive.

An Individually Underwritten Policy

This can be a cheaper health insurance if you and your family are quite healthy and do not use medical services often. You will have to investigate and talk with different companies to find the right mix of benefits and costs to you.

Get On Your Spouses Plan

If your significant other is on their company’s plan, you may be able to get family health coverage. This will cost a little more than the individual coverage. This is a good way to get coverage especially for those who have pre-existing conditions, as they legally cannot be denied coverage.

Health Risk Pool Coverage

A way to get cheap insurance for those who have pre-existing conditions is to join with a state’s risk pool coverage. However, these plans vary from states to state and some places do not provide adequate coverage so you will have to investigate thoroughly before taking this route.

A Health Savings Account

Another way to get cheap insurance is through a Health Savings Account (HSA). This combines a savings account with catastrophic high deductible health coverage. It works by allowing you to make tax – free deposits into a special savings account that is used to cover health care expenses. These expenses include co pays, medications, doctor visits etc. If you should become seriously ill the high deductible coverage kicks in to take care of expenses. However, you will need to pay the deductible which could be as high as $5,000. This is relatively cheaper health insurance than individual plans. An individual coverage will be about $3,050 per year. The money that isn’t used in the account rolls over each year and when you are 65, you can withdraw the remainder of the money.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

Letchworth Village – Sad Decay or Haunted Homestead?

October 28, 2011 By Kimberly

** You can click on any photo in this post for a larger view. For safety I have colored out any identifying marks on my children’s clothing. **

Airing on the Travel Channel on Friday, October 28, 2011 is a show called Ghost Adventures (check local listing for channel and time). Ghost Adventures is a serious where a group of men travel around the country and investigate potentially haunted locations (similar to Ghost Hunters).

This Friday the Ghost Adventures team will be investigating a place called Letchworth Village, located in Haverstraw, New York. The village is literally about a mile down the road from where I live.

Letchworth Village was at one time a huge mental institution consisting of many buildings occupying approximately four square miles. The facility had a working farm where residents grew crops and tended to livestock. At Christmas time the residents would make toys to sell.

Letchworth Village opened in 1911. The residents that lived there were young boys and girls who had some kind of a metal or physical disability.

I have heard different stories about the residents of Letchworth Village. I heard that the children who lived there were essentially abandoned by their families. Back then it was seen as a “blemish” on your family to have a child who was mentally or physically disabled. Doctors would often suggest to families to institutionalize their child and move on with their lives. I have also heard just the opposite, that Letchworth Village was very progressive and a head of it’s time and a wonderful facility. Judging by the number of unmarked graves I tend to believe the stories about children being abandoned by their families.

Letchworth had hundreds of residents. They even had the grounds divided up so that the boys were on one side and the girls were on the other. They had a hospital, library, cafeteria and plenty of residential buildings.

Rumors about Letchworth have been around for years. I have heard a lot of stories about residents being used as free labor as well as for scientific and medical experiments. As I mentioned there are a lot of unmarked graves (hundreds!) that contain the remains of Letchworth residents. I would hate to think that such horror could have gone on within walking distance of my home.

Letchworth Village closed down in 1996 and the remaining residents were sent to other facilities.

Most of the buildings are still in tact, although dangerous to enter because they are falling apart. Some of the buildings on the girl’s side of the village were turned into our school district’s Junior High School.

For years the town has been trying to find uses for the remaining building. At one point there was a deal in place for a senior citizen community to be built on the old grounds but that deal fell through.

For now Letchworth Village is let untouched, except for the occasional fire that local teens start in the buildings. The buildings are boarded up and it’s considered trespassing if you enter them. The local Police department patrols the area often. However you are allowed to walk the grounds, especially on the boy’s side of the village. Year round you will find people walking around the area, many of them bringing their dogs along for the walk.

My family and I have walked around Letchworth on numerous occasions. I have even walked around there alone. I especially love Letchworth in the Autumn because the trees in the area are so beautiful.

Two years ago was the first time my husband and I went to Letchworth together. Prior to that I have only gone there on my own. One day I decided to talk my husband alone for a lovely stroll around the grounds. It happened to be just before Halloween 2009.

Later on that day weird things would happen around our home. Nothing scary. Just weird. For example the Wii would turn it’s self on. We would turn it off and then shortly thereafter it would be on again. We actually had to unplug it.

We had a couple of Halloween decorations that would turn on by themselves. We replaced the batteries thinking that the batteries were going but that didn’t stop them from turning on by themselves.

Our medicine cabinet door would constantly be opened. Not a lot. Just an inch or two. We would close it and then the next time we went in the bathroom it would be cracked open again. Also the door to the pantry would open on it’s own. The same thing would happen. We’d close it and it would open again.

This went on for about three weeks. Then it all stopped. The decorations didn’t turn on by themselves anymore, nor were the doors opening on their own.

My husband and I came to the conclusion that MAYBE the spirit of a child followed us home from Letchworth that day and hung around with our family for a few weeks. NOTHING that was happening was scary. It would also seem like something a child would do, like turn on the Wii and the Halloween decorations.

We have gone back to Letchworth Village many times afterwards and nothing like that had ever happened again.

I don’t know if Letchworth is haunted, per say. I think perhaps some spirits might linger in the area. After all it was the only home that hundreds of children over the years. If the place is haunted the only ghosts would be of children.

Letchworth Village is beautiful in my eyes. I love the buildings and the architecture. But I also feel very sad when I vist there. I always get an overwhelming feeling of sadness. It’s really weird and it bothers me that I feel that way when I go there. I never really feel scared. You wouldn’t catch me there are night – but during the day it’s perfectly fine.

Many of the bulidings are collapsing. Several have burned down thanks to idiot teenagers who think it’s fun to set them on fire.

The weird thing is that the place looks like people just up and left in a hurry. From what I have seen (and heard from others) files, photos, clothing, office supplies, personal items and more are still there, untouched for all these years. I have heard that there are plants still hanging in the offices (dead plants of course), photos hanging up on the wall, patient files left to rot in cardboard boxes, clothing and other things. It’s as if aliens came down and sucked everyone up. It makes no sense that patient records and personal items are still left there.

You can Google Letchworth Village if you would like to learn more about it. You’ll find ghost stories, stories about the unmarked graves, and much more.

Letchworth Village is my favorite place to take photographs. Here are some of my photos. In fact all the photos in this post are mine taken at Letchworth Village. Some of them I played around with to give them a more “spooky” look.

If you have a chance check out the Ghost Adventures episode on Letchworth Village. I’m NOT associated with the channel or show in any way. I just think it’s cool that they were investigating a place about a mile from where I live and a place we visit often.

I read my review of the show, Ghost Adventures, and their investigation of Letchworth Village visit http://www.shescribes.com/2011/10/ghost-adventures-letchworth-village-is-not-the-village-of-the-damned.html.