Posted in Blogs, Chocolate, Food, kindness, satire

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Blog

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.

Posted in Chronic Conditions

They’re creepy and they’re kooky…

Guess what? I won! I entered a contest, on a whim, to win tickets to the Seniors (High School) London Performing Arts Academy (London, Ontario, Canada Not-for-Profit School of The Arts) interpretation of The Addams Family musical.

Funny jokes, snap snap, cotton candy, snap snap, audience laughter, snap snap, and musical notes surrounded us, offering the most elusive thing as society struggles…joy. For a couple of hours I was in the Addams mansion, laughing, tapping my feet, and snapping my fingers.

Some highlights: George Crosby as the dashing Gomez Addams brought smiles, laughter, and applause (cara mia).

Uncle Fester, played to distraction by Juan Ambrosio-Ungson stole every scene he was in.

Maddie Carrick brought her vision of the enigmatic Morticia Addams to life death with soaring vocals, dance, tight black dress, and humour.

Lauren Atkinson was a love-struck version of Wednesday Addams, whose impressive vocals pulled us in many directions.

Dylan Lale was comedically candid as Grandma Addams.

Leland Chafee was a treat as the tortured teen, Pugsley.

Mackenna Van Massenhoven was a sheer delight as the ever-changing Alice Beineke, wow, what a voice.

Also, kudos to Will Deman as Lucas Beineke, Xavier Kitching as Mal Beineke, Max Loblaw as Lurch and The Addams Ancestors were entertaining and diverting, in the best way possible.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but this ain’t your Mom’s high school musical; I was impressed by the talent, enthusiasm, and effort all the players brought to the stage. The singing was superb, the choreography swell, and the sets subtle (but effective).

London Performing Arts Academy The Addams Family

Only time and love can brew such a darkly delicious stew. They were, as promised, creepy and kooky, mysterious and ooky…Thank you all for the magical night.

London Performing Arts Academy

Yup, they’re out there, the indies (independents, not the big bucks), waiting. Indie authors (https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/05/21/how-i-met-your-author/), artists and performing artists galore. Your community and other communities have so much to offer, locally. Art classes and exhibitions, bird watching, cooking/food, nature walks, theater, concerts, plays, gardening, trivia nights, history, craft shows, haunted walks, plants, pottery, paintings, poetry, films, fashion, festivals, fantasy…fun. I visited Museum London for an art show/tour (free).

Meryl McMaster (Canadian, b. 1988), Edge of a Moment, 2017, archival inkjet photograph on paper, Collection of Museum London; Purchase, John H. and Elizabeth Moore Acquisition Fund, 2017

Know what else is indie and free? The support group I founded to help those with chronic conditions, Chronic Not Hopeless (chronicnothopeless@gmail.com), yup, free Zoom activities for anyone, anywhere. Sadly, lots of stuff isn’t free, like chocolate, candy, ice cream, and tea, but with inflation, shopping the sales makes you patient. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2022/01/21/cant-buy-me-love/

So it’s good to step outside your comfort zone, literally and figuratively. For those with chronic conditions, anytime leaving home is can be a big adventure. You have to have a plan within a plan within a plan, so basically, planception. You need your gargoyles in a row, or at least know where your gargoyles are, in the relative scheme of things. So I had a plan and everything went as planned…no, better than planned.

Sometimes, creepy and kooky is a good thing. Does anyone remember The Addams Family motto? “Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc” or “We Gladly Feast on Those Who Would Subdue Us”. Maybe we should update it to, “Veritas numquam perit” or “Truth never perishes”…but the truth can be bought, sold, stolen, hidden, maimed, incapacitated, disfigured, kidnapped, horribly mangled, lost. We need to protect it before it does perish.

Posted in halloween, kindness, Movies, Televison

Sweet Screams (Are Made of This)

Sweet screams (are made of this)
Who am I to disagree?

I’ve been dying to have you here, near, dear…
(Mwahahahaha!)
When the moon climbs high o’r the dead oak tree,
spooks awake for the midnight (online shopping?) spree.
Creepy creeps (creepin’ it real) with eerie eyes,
start to shriek and order creep potato fries (terrorfrying!).
Grim Grinning Ghosts, come out to socialize

(6 feet under distanced).
Why close your eyes and try to hide?
Let a silly spook become your guide.
Welcome, foolish mortals!
(Mwhahahahahaha!) 

Maybe it was witchful thinking,
but I’d hoped to be further ahead
in my year-long chronic change challenge.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/08/23/seems-breakin-up-was-easier-in-the-90s/
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/09/29/what-if/ 
I’m trying, trying, trying, to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy…
the lovely Fall, going a little batty
over the cool weather, cozy sweaters,
hot chocolate, chocolate, hot apple cider,
Halloween, pumpkins, painted leaves,
ghosts, zombies, vampires, witches…
but my fevered brain (not-so-fresh brain)
is stuffed with packing and organizing…

So I’ll kill two ghouls with one stone,

watch some Hallostream tricks and treats,
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/10/26/the-more-the-scarier/


Witch is your fav screaming service, dear readers?
Is it Knifeflix? https://yadadarcyyada.com/2019/10/28/happy-halloween-is-that-a-knife-in-my-back-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/

Or Disney Pus? Perhaps Huluween?
Apple Bobbing+? Maybe Amazon Crime? Or Grave?
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/03/20/25-ways-to-stay-alive-in-a-horror-movie/
I’ll keep Hallostreaming while I box up our lives (again)…

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/10/26/my-big-fat-supernatural-life/


Welcome, foolish muppets! I visited “Muppets Haunted Mansion”,
  mmm, sorry, Disney, adore The Muppets but this was a less of a treat, more of a trick, especially Kermit and Fozzie’s voice work; nope. 
Then there’s “Squid Game” on Netflix.
Smart, brutal, and stylistically stunning, sorta “The Hunger Games” meets
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
, with giant robots, bad catering, lackluster wardrobe, children’s games with dire consequences, organ harvesting, and lots of geometrical shapes…and a lack of chocolate. 

A staggering allegory (with focus on the ‘gory’) 
about the disgusting divide between rich and poor
in society, all fixable with:
affordable housing, food security,
and honestly, some human decency.
Watch it in Korean with subtitles, no dubs.  

Now I really want a Spongebob Squarepants spin-off, “Squidward Game” and The Front Man has to be, David Hasselhoff (The Hoff). 


Hallostreamed some classics and maybe-someday-classics including but never limited to: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”,
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/10/29/stuff-i-learned-from-its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown/ “Clue”; “The Turn of the Screw” (Michelle Dockery, Dan Stevens, Sue Johnston, yup, all from “Downton Abbey”, etc. , though I recommend other versions as well, including Netflix’s, “The Haunting of Bly Manor”, hmm, ever get the feeling Henry James didn’t like his governess?); “You”; “Halloween”; https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/10/14/the-glorious-chaos/; “Casper”; “The Secret of Crickley Hall” (Douglas Hensall, Tom Ellis, Maisie Williams, Suranne Jones, Olivia Cooke, David Warner, Iain De Caestecker, etc.); “The Addams Family” (original series) https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/10/20/hide-and-shriek-with-the-addams-family/; “Lonesome Ghosts”; “The Munsters”; “Harry Prince Ghost Hunter”; “Halloweentown” (from experience I knew to avoid haunting the sequels) – mmm, cheesy goodness.


Dug up Hocus Pocus” which originally
put a spell on you (and me) in theaters in ’93,
believe it or not, in July, no lie, why,
to capture the kidlets home from school…sigh.

The worst horror ever imagined, yet it can
be imagined, all too easily cringing
through “The Handmaid’s Tale” S4.
Oh June! Least scary part? Watched it on a free trial.

I see dead people…
mostly when I watch:
“The Walking Dead” (so far, S11 is a disappointment, especially after the brilliance of S10, but I’ll keep a wait and see attitude),
the nuclear wasteland of the dead that is now “Fear The Walking Dead” and yonder, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond”.

I never get enough of Tim Burton’s visionary,
“The Nightmare Before Christmas”, https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/10/19/the-nightmare-before-christmas/
which for me, this year, is having to move,

again, just before Christmas…

Inflation, hyperinflation, stagflation – 
gas pumps, grocery store and terror galore! 
Forget knife-wielding serial killers,
vampires, witches and ghouls – 
look at the price of food, gas, electronics…
companies/bankers/politicians making us all fools
.

October has flown by on a wonky broom,
packing so soon could spell my doom. 
Life is a fevered Halloween scream dream,
feeling less like reality and more like a bad meme.
I turn off my brain (ha, good luck), with the lights
to thankfully welcome the darkness of Autumn nights
.Hoping November offers some reprieve
and help me make it to moving eve…
and the morning after, less of a disaster!?!
Eat, drink and be scary this Halloween and you know, kill ’em with kindness…and laughter!