E Is For Egg, Exactly What We Need

April 6, 2016January 28, 2021 / Ally Bean / 41 Comments

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

This proverb tells us to not make everything dependent on one other thing. It reminds you that if you drop that basket and break any eggs, then *kablooey* you’ve lost everything.

Yep, you’ve got nothing then. Kind of like me now.

You see, my gentle readers, I have nothing more to say on the topic of eggs.

Well, that’s almost true.

Sure, I could tell you about my latest experience with eggs [pickled them], but do you really need me to do that?

Instead, I suggest that we all agree that I showed up here, posted something as per the challenge guidelines, and then babbled enough to make it seem like I had something to say.

This works for me. I hereby declare that I have written about the letter “E.”

And the A To Z Challenge continues tomorrow…

B Is For Bananas, Because Why Not?

April 2, 2016May 6, 2021 / Ally Bean / 29 Comments

cuckoo bananas

… is a slang phrase that I stumbled upon while reading blogs.

When I began to see it written around ye olde worldwide web I needed to know what it meant. Upon learning that it’s a way of saying someone is crazy in a cool way, I decided to adopt this phrase as my very own and use it in polite conversation.

This is because I have found over the years that one can never have too many vague, but accurate, ways to tell someone else that he or she is slightly out of his or her mind, but you like them anyhow.

N’est ce-pas?

• • •

{ SOMETHING TO WATCH FOR FUN }

“…but bananas like the climate of a very, very tropical equator, so you should never ever put bananas, in the refrigerator.”

• • •

I’m Doing The A To Z April Challenge 2016: For Better Or Worse

March 29, 2016May 6, 2021 / Ally Bean / 45 Comments

Just the facts, ma’am…

I’ve joined the A to Z April Challenge 2016. I’m in the mid-1500s on the list, should you care to find me. There’s still time for any of you, my gentle readers, to join in. Never let it be said that I didn’t invite you.

I’ve never tried to do this challenge before. When it comes to The Spectacled Bean, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants, so following a schedule, which this challenge requires, looks suspiciously like work to me. But I’ll do my best to keep on track.

My theme for this challenge will be FOOD: Talking The Talk. I plan on sharing sayings, such as proverbs, idioms, or slang phrases, and a few quotes or product names as examples of how we talk about food, even when we’re not necessarily talking about food.

I promise, as I go through the alphabet, that I will not be pedantic. In fact, I imagine that this sort of challenge will allow me to flaunt my natural tendency toward flapdoodle and twaddle. With a little snark thrown in for good measure. And occasionally, a few facts.

… That is all.

What Say We Try Kindness?

March 17, 2016August 5, 2020 / Ally Bean / 49 Comments

I’ve blogged for a long time.

In fact, while messing around the other day in the Internet Archive Wayback Machine for something unrelated to this blog, I found a logo from 10 years ago for an online group of bloggers who committed to using words kindly.

Although I’d forgotten about it, I was part of that group.

• • •

We were an optimistic bunch.

We sincerely thought that blogging would evolve into a source of respectful understanding and positive connections among people in this world.

I’m charmed by the naiveté of it all. Especially in light of the past few week’s endless noise on FB and vitriol on Twitter.

But of course those social media didn’t exist when this group formed, so we had no idea about what was coming.

• • •

I rarely long for the good ole days.

I realize that it’s easy to idealize remembrances of times past, and that these remembrances are often irrelevant when it comes to the issues of the day.

I’m a realist. What was, isn’t.

But in this one case, regarding social media, I’m going to suggest that stepping back from how we as a society now do things would be a good idea. The 24/7 insatiable need to be noticed and adored, which is how social media works currently, is not the best way to connect.

In contrast, looking back to 10 years ago, I remember how early blogging worked. It was a heady experience that focused on authentic connections with other people, rather than the care and feeding of your ego.

• • •

I know that I’m preaching to the choir here.

And that my small voice of reason is going to be drowned out by the selfie-absorbed, the narcissists, the haters, the trolls. But occasionally I like to believe that I might influence someone in a positive way that encourages him or her…

To re-connect with their heart.