Poll/Survey

As September Ends, Learning About The Color Orange + A Colorful Poll Question

/ Ally Bean / 176 Comments

I went out the front door to walk down the driveway to the mailbox.  I saw this Monarch butterfly flitting among the zinnias.  When I came back from getting the mail he was still messing around in the flowers.

Realizing I had a photo op I hurried inside, got my camera, rushed out to where the zinnias are thriving, and snapped this photo.  It is a tribute to the color orange: orange flower + predominantly orange butterfly = coolness.

[To be clear, this is a tribute to the natural occurrence of the color orange, not the peculiar shade of make-up worn by our so-called President. That orange is icky and weird. Like him.]

• • •

For snorts and giggles I researched the color orange.  Here are five fun facts to know and tell.

√ According to Smithsonian Magazine when it comes to crayons, “Crayola has at least 16 different names for what most of us would call ‘orange.'” [Link HERE]

√ According to Canva’s description of the meaning of the color orange, “it communicates activity and energy and encourages socialization.” [Link HERE]

√ According to Interactive’s description of people with an orange aura, they are: “Overall, thrill-seekers, daredevils, and people who tend to life in the fast lane.” [Link HERE]

√ According to Jewelry Shopping Guide’s description of orange gemstones, they symbolize: “joy, sunshine, warmth, creativity, happiness and a touch of the exotic.” [Link HERE]

√ According to Brides.com’s guide to wedding flowers, there are 19 orange or coral flowers you can use in your wedding palette. [Link HERE]

From this random research I’ve concluded that the butterfly in the photo is the color of the crayon named ‘Mango Tango’;  he is social, an active and energetic thrill seeker who likes sunshine, creatively making himself happy, while visiting a flower not suggested for an orange wedding bouquet.

• • •

While investigating the color orange I got thinking about favorite colors.  Everyone has one– or at least I assume they do.  I made this poll question hoping to find out which color is the most loved one among my gentle readers.

Answer the poll question, then chat about orange, or any color, in the comments below.  I’d love to know your favorite color– and why, of course.

A Funny Bumper Sticker That Lends Itself To Discussion, Research, And A Poll Question

/ Ally Bean / 168 Comments

I.  Stuck in traffic I laughed out loud when I saw the bumper sticker on the car in front of me.  The bumper sticker said:

ANNOY THE BORING

The car had no other bumper stickers, suggesting this bumper sticker had nothing to do with 2020 politics.  In fact the bumper sticker looked like it’d been on the car for years.

While we’ll never know why this person put this particular bumper sticker on his car it does lend itself to contemplation. I figure we all know how to ANNOY each other without any further investigation, but we can contemplate who THE BORING might be.

‘Tis a fact that you have to define your terms if you want to communicate a useful + meaningful message.  No doubt this bumper sticker was meant to be a prompt for existential thought, a declaration of raison d’être, and a catalyst for conversation.

• • •

II.  So I sat down at ye olde computer to find the dictionary definition for *boring* while also checking what the thesaurus had to say.  Then I did a fast internet search about *boring people* so I might learn about the traits generally associated with people who are considered boring.

Synthesizing this information I created the following cursory list of the types of people who I shall refer to jointly and separately as THE BORING.

INSIPID: talk too much/have unbalanced conversations

STALE: stuck in a rut or routine never doing anything new

LACKLUSTER: have no opinions about or passions for anything in life

QUOTIDIAN: hang on phone or stare at other screen instead of engaging directly with people

TIRESOME: only complain or talk about their disappointments in life, what is wrong with the world

SOUL-DESTROYING: lack, or do not use, empathy/are bad listeners

DULLSVILLE: talk in droning voice, often referred to as flat affect

STODGY: have no sense of humor &/or cannot tell a story/joke

• • •

 III.  Below is a poll question for you to answer.  I listed THE BORING, as defined above, in such a way as to allow you to pick one.  That is, which one of these types of behaviors drives you bonkers the fastest?

Or to put it differently: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANNOY THE MOST?

What’s Cooking? Old Recipe Pamphlets and Cookbooks [Part 2 Of 2]

/ Ally Bean / 140 Comments

Today it’ll be Think & Do + Poll Question. Yesterday it was Show & Tell + Discussion. 

THERE IS A PLACE BETWEEN TRASH AND TREASURE WHEREIN ONE CAN FIND STUFF

STUFF being defined as interesting things, unique things, obscure things that are worthy of conversation but not much more.

In this case the STUFF is from a box I inherited that contains my grandmother’s handwritten cookbook, a couple of printed cookbooks, and other bits of information about food and drink.

Thus I give you Think & Do.

~ ~ • ~ ~

THINK & DO

This recipe for Frankfurter Roast with Prune Stuffing suggests: “You’ll like this simple method of utilizing either prune or raisin stuffing with the plebeian but flavorful frankfurter.” 😳

~ • ~

This recipe for Cottage Cheese Salad Dressing combines sweetened condensed milk with sieved cottage cheese, vinegar, and a few spices. 😖

~ • ~

This recipe for Chicken [or Ham or Salmon or Tuna] Mousse suggests that it is: “A hearty flavorful entree for hot summer or busy, meeting-filled days.” 🤨

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POLL QUESTION

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Sources:

Frankfurter Roast with Prune Stuffing is from 100 Selected DRIED FRUIT RECIPES chosen by 100,000 HOMEMAKERS at GOLDEN GATE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION, published by CALIFORNIA DRIED FRUIT RESEARCH INSTITUTE, 1939

Cottage Cheese Salad Dressing is from THIS IS MY BOOK OF MAGIC RECIPES by The Borden Company, 1942

Chicken [or Ham or Salmon or Tuna] Mousse is from Joys of Jell-O by GENERAL FOODS CORPORATION, 1963

~ ~ • ~ ~

Three Thoughts Thursday | Writing. Decorating. Answering.

/ Ally Bean / 119 Comments

This is when I tell you stuff and don’t make a story of it.  

• • •

ONE

I think that this website, Alliteration Applications, could be a useful tool for writers.

It’s easy to use and if you happen to need to create an alliterative phrase, for some reason, this website makes quick work of it by helping you find words that might work for you.

I’ve never needed anything like this website, but I do like goofing around with words, so I think it’s fun.

TWO

I think that the idea of granny chic, as a trend in interior design, is an unexpected throwback.

According to this recent House Beautiful article, The Rise of ‘Grandmillennial’ Style, there’s a trend toward embracing what might be referred to as old-fashioned traditional style.  As such, chintz, floral wall paper, needlepoint pillows, and bright colors are in fashion again.  There is a quiz that you make take to see if you are part of this trend;  click on the title of the article, scroll down, find the quiz.

I would not enjoy living in a space with this particular decorating trend, but I don’t begrudge anyone who wants to embrace it.  You go girl granny.

THREE

I think that the number of Deborahs who comment here is noteworthy.

Yes, referring back to the poll question found on THIS blog post, Deborah, either full or shortened to Deb, is the first name spelled the same way that I see most often in my comments.  There are five of you: Circadianreflections Blog  | Debs Despatches  |  I am, therefore I write  |   Temenos of the Blessing Light  |  The Badass Widow

The name Kate was the winner of the poll, btw.  But it wasn’t the right answer.  Sorry, kids.

• • •

Questions of the Day

Are you fond of alliteration? Do you even have an opinion about it?

What do you think about granny chic decorating? Is it a trend whose time has come OR is too cluttered & twee for you?

Do you follow any of the Deborahs mentioned above? If not, why don’t you change that right now?

• • •

Who Goes There? Chatting About The Names We Use When Blogging + A Poll Question

/ Ally Bean / 153 Comments

BACK WHEN I FIRST STARTED writing a blog I read a blog [whose name I do not remember] written by a woman named Karen [I think].

She was hilarious and outrageous, posting every stinking day about her small-town life.  Her writing was wordy and it was perfect.  No grammar or spelling mistakes, ever.

I was in awe of her.

She had a huge following.  They were as outrageous as she was which made reading the comments a hoot.  I was more reserved back then, so I didn’t jump into her comment section like I would today.

• • •

IN RETROSPECT THE MOST INTERESTING thing about her comment section was that the commenters created nicknames for themselves.  This was ostensibly to distinguish one from another, when more than one person had the same first name spelled the same way.

For instance [making up examples here] there’d be “Cathy from California” who wasn’t to be confused with “Cathy who hates gerbils” who most clearly was not “Cathy the Cookie.”

It was all inside jokes and seemed harmless.  Rather fun, crazy awesome, even.

• • •

HOW THE HECK DID I get thinking about a blog from 15 years ago?

The other day I sat down to answer my comments here.  I had three comments in a row from women with the same first name who spelled it the same way.  Then I had two comments in a row from women with the same first name who spelled it the same way.

Suddenly, thinking back to the blogger from years ago, I was curious about how many people with the same first name spelled the same way leave comments here on a regular basis.

I had no idea, so I did a little behind the scenes research.

I was surprised by what I learned and I’m betting that you, my gentle readers, won’t guess which first name spelled the same way is the most popular one among my commenters, but give it a go.  Here’s the poll question.

Also, out of curiosity, have you ever seen a blogger with commenters who have created specific nicknames to use only when commenting on that blog? Is/was this a thing? Or is this something as unique as I think it was?