Posted in Blogs, Chocolate, Food, kindness, satire

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Blog

Posted on by D. Parker

The last few months have been chaotic and I think it’s made me into a Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins! I’ve been inattentive to my blogging family, that’s on me, not you; I’m sorry I ruined your blogging lives and crammed 11 cookies 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪 into your blogging VCR.

Life has been having a tantrum: throwing snowballs, gum drops, lemons and even some chocolate covered curve balls at me – I’m working hard to catch them all without injuries.

Watched a lot of TV shows and Movies (more on that in next post), read and re-read some books, organized, played cards with friends (learned Quiddler which sounds vaguely dirty but is actually just a fun word game). I traveled through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest (London is called “The Forest City”, but I think a more apt title would be: “The Concrete, Cannabis, Callous and Construction City”, past the sea of twirly-swirly gum drops (eww, I don’t think those are gum drops), and then I walked through the London streets (and alive to tell the tale, more or less)…

A delightful friend treated me, as a birthday (yeah. had another one of those) treat to Elf: The Musical here at The Grand Theatre in London, Ontario. It was a delight. The cast wasn’t just talented, they were effervescent. They sparkled. They shone. They danced and sang their way into our hearts. From young to old (er), they were brave and bold (er), giving us the gifts of their song, laughter, movement, and magic. It’s just nice to know another human who shares my affinity for elf culture.

My health has been most disagreeable. My body isn’t a winter wonderland. And on top of that I’ve made a life decision or maybe life made it for me, I’m moving away from the city where I’ve lived for over 35 years, to be closer to family.

Feeling like I’m in a perpetual state of sticker shock every time I go into a grocery store or any other store, including online. Inflation is fun. So like many, I’ve had to make some lifestyle adjustments though we vague meanderings of the broke and obscure bloggers try to stick to the four main food groups: chocolate bars/candy bars 🍫, chocolate chips (and even in pancakes https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/17/well-always-have-pancakes/ 🥞🥞🥞), chocolate cake, chocolate brownies, chocolate fudge, chocolate donuts/doughnuts 🍩, chocolate ice cream, hot chocolate (tip: if you have extra or leftover chocolate, wait, is that even a thing, use it to make yummy hot chocolate or add it to hot tea or coffee, it’s addictive).

And chocolate lovers, don’t be chocolate killers, don’t throw out your chocolate because it looks grey or white – that’s just bloom! Yes, fat and sugar bloom make chocolate look weird, but it still tastes great and has the same shelf life. Fat bloom is when there are changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate. Sugar bloom is when crystals form by adding some form moisture on the sugar (you’ve probably seen this when you try to store chocolate in your fridge or freezer, but a moist cupboard can do the trick too). 🍫 Also, there’s a trick to fixing it. If you melt down your bloomed chocolate, stir it, pour into a mold and let it cool, boom no more bloom! Honestly chocolate goes so fast for me it never has time to bloom! 🍫🍫🍫

I’m glad I’m finally back here with you. I’ve planned out our blogging days. First we make blog snow angels for two hours (I’d really last about a minute and someone would have to help me up), then we’ll go blog ice skating (which will consist of me falling down a lot), then we’ll eat a whole roll of blog cookie dough (doh!) as fast as we can (sounds like an average day), and then to finish, we’ll blog snuggle. Hmm, we’re gonna need a bigger blog…

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/02/02/theres-no-crying-in-blogging/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/04/10/im-hooked-on-a-feeling/

I made mistakes, including but not limited to going into stores (especially in December, it was just like Santa’s Workshop except it smelled like mushrooms and everyone looked like they wanted to hurt me, or spray me with smelly stuff or offer me samples of, um, food, sure let’s call it that)…the only thing scarier than stores is getting to them. People keep saying self-driving cars worry them, I say, bring them on, they really can’t be worse than many drivers out there. Talk to me, Goose.

I’ve tried to keep my spirits up, so I keep singing! I was in a store and I was singing! If they don’t want you to sing in stores why do they play music? Fair question.

The best way to spread cheer all year round is singing loud for all to hear. Again, if they don’t want you singing loud for all to hear, why do they play music in public places like: stores, malls, restaurants, etc.? Seriously.

Until next time, I hope you can find some peace in this turbulent, topsy-turvy world.

Author:

Very me

69 thoughts on “We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Blog”

  12. Thanks for the tip on “sugar bloom” on chocolate – important news for the broke and obscure! I threw away a whole box chocolates from the discount store that were likely good enough to eat. love, in lak’ech, Debra

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  14. Welcome back to the Blogosphere. 🙂 Many of us have been in the doldrums this winter. 😛 I’m sorry you have to relocate from London. It used to be such a beautiful city! I lived there from 1959-65 and have been back a few times, most recently in 2020, during a summer lull in the pandemic. That was a total shit show of construction detours, so I understand what you mean.

    I hope your health issues improve and the inflation rate goes down. Everyone (except the rich, although, I bet they complain about it too) is feeling the pinch of that!

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    1. I’ve lived in London since I came here to go to college, but it’s not the same city and mostly, I’m moving to Barrie to be close to family and closer to Sudbury (my original home is a small town nearby, Coniston) to family/friends. I feel an emptiness not being close enough to them all.
      As for our construction, yes, sigh, with all the Bus Rapid Transit routes, new buildings, stores, etc. being built, the entire city is one twisty swirly twirly whirly mess of construction chaos. Every city has some but this is a tad ridiculous.
      Hope the week ahead treats you kindly Debbie and big chocolatey hugs xox

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      1. Barrie is lovely too, in the summer, anyway. Brutal in the winter, but if you’re from the Sudbury area, you’re probably used to it. Good luck with the move!

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  15. Nice to see you back Donna. Happy belated birthday :). I’m so with you on the sticker shock and wondering where to run, myself. Where will you be moving to? I hope there will be lots of chocolate for you. 🙂 Hugs xx

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    1. Thank you kindly. 🙂
      There seems to be nowhere to hide from inflation, I’ve been redoubling my efforts to price match, collect points/rewards, find sales, use coupons, etc. but it’s an uphill battle.
      To Barrie, Ontario, I have family there and it’s also closer to my original home, near Sudbury where I still have family/friends. I’m excited to be closer to everywhere. 🙂
      Lots of hugs and all the chocolate we can handle (that’s a lot). xox

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      1. Yay for you Donna. I know all about price matching and reward points, I think many of us are on that path. Barrie has become such a big city now I hope you find it a little better to stretch the bucks there. Toronto is choking for sure. Good luck with your venture. And here’s to good chocolate to get us by! Hugs xox

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      2. I live in London so Barrie seems small in comparison, but it will be good to have a change and be close to family, and it’s lovely there. 🙂
        Here’s to chocolate, it doesn’t ask silly questions and it’s cheaper than therapy. lol 😉
        Big hugs xox

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  19. I’m really sorry you’ve gone through some tough times, but I hope the move will bring some peace. Sounds like you’ve managed to keep a positive attitude through it all! Good to see you back!

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      1. DOING OKAY—-THE WIFE IS AT DIALYSIS AND SOUP IS ON THE STOVE ON A SLOW SIMMER. I WAS SUPPOSED TO LAY DOWN OVER AN HOUR AGO, BUT COME RIGHT BACK ONLINE TO BLOG! FUNNY HOW THAT IS? 😀

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      2. Sending best wishes for your wife. 🙂
        What a great day for soup, though any day is a good day for soup. 🙂
        Yes, the internet is quite distracting, isn’t it? A blessing and a curse. All the best for you and your family. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m days away from moving to another city to be closer to family so I’ve been a tad scattered, hopefully once I’m settled I’ll be able to visit more.
      Thank you so much for the reblog. 🙂
      Hope this weekend is treating you kindly and all the days ahead. 🙂

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      2. We should always try to be the light, you know that well as you spread your light for all to bask in. 🙂
        Renting. At the prices of houses and rentals it’s scarier than any horror movie out there. 😉

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