This Stop Willoughby

I'm right handed.  Very right handed.  My left hand is good for a few things.  I use it when I'm typing and for non-dexterous things like holding an object, but other than that, it is simply there to give me a symmetrical appearance.  If I attempt to write with my left hand, it looks like a child's writing.  I can't even imagine using my left hand to cut with a pair of scissors or chop vegetables with a knife.  It wouldn't end well. My dad is left handed.  When he was in elementary school, it was frowned upon to use your left hand for writing.  Teachers would force him to put the pencil in his right hand even though it felt awkward to him.  For some reason, they believed you chose your dominant hand as opposed to it being predetermined.  It did eventually serve a useful purpose for him, though.  He severed a tendon in an accident while at work.  He had surgery and his left hand was in a cast for weeks.  The company ...

I know, I know, I haven't been around much, lately.  I'm trying to get back to blogging regularly.  Really I am.  It's just that I've been so busy doing important things like developing a plan for world peace, building a perpetual motion machine and writing a literal translation of the quatrains of Nostradamus.  In my spare time I've been studying quantum physics and learning ancient languages.  Yeah, something like that, anyway. Sometimes, when I'm online doing research for said activities, I get sidetracked.  Today, I got caught up in Twilight Zone trivia.  You probably know what a Twilight Zone fan I am, so you can understand how all things TZ are interesting to me.  I love to know what inspired a particular episode or get some behind the scenes scoop.  It started out innocently enough, but I was in too deep before I knew it.  Way too deep. Alongside trivia about the original 1960's series was information about the 1983 production...

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse. The stockings were hidden in the closet with care, Because I was sure that no one would look there. The children were upstairs, sleeping away, Too old to be looking for Santa and his sleigh. Mr. W had fallen asleep watching TV, So the only one conscious in the whole house was me. Out of the corner of my eye I spied quite a sight, From the star shaped decoration that held a tea light. The soft mellow flame had grown quite a bit higher, As the small cup of wax began to catch fire. I blew and I blew, but it did me no good. The air did not extinguish the flames as it should. Mr. W woke from his short Christmas nap, And rushed to my aid as quick as a snap. He blew, just like me, which made matters worse, Unsure what to do, we started to curse. Mr. W grabbed the star, fast as a wink, And rushed the whole mess right to the sink. When he doused it with water, flames only j...

Sorry, this announcement is a little later that I intended it to be.  The names of all participants were put in a hat and shuffled around thoroughly.  Mr. Willoughby then randomly drew one name.  The winner is Joanna of The Fifty Factor!  Congrats, Joanna!  Have fun shopping! Thank you to everyone who entered my Novica giveaway. Willoughby

I am excited to announce that Novica has, once again given me a $50 gift card to award to one lucky winner.  If you're not familiar with Novica , they work in association with National Geographic to bring the work of talented artists and artisans around the globe to the rest of the world via the internet. Shopping their website is a unique experience as you can view information about each artist along with the works they create.  It gives each item a very personal feeling.  In the Keepers Of The Arts section, you can watch videos of the artists at work. I love Novica so much that I could go on and on telling you how wonderful their website is, what great customer service they have and, especially, how talented the artisans are, but it would be much more fun for you to see for yourself.  Before you head over there, though, let me give you a sneak peak of some of the wonderful things you'll discover (and maybe help you find some unique Christmas gifts). Wool...

I'm just not feeling it this year.  Christmas, I mean.  Any enthusiasm I'm able to muster is pretty much forced.  I'm not entirely sure why it doesn't seem to hold the same excitement for me that it used to, but it just doesn't. I feel badly about it.  Christmas should be a magical time. Maybe it's the weather.  I dread winter.  I have no interest in dealing with months of snow and cold, and driving on icy roads get old really quick.  We've only had a light dusting or two so far, but December marks the beginning of four or five months of bad weather.  It's likely colored my outlook on Christmas. More than that, I think it's that the Christmas push starts earlier and earlier every year.  My local supermarket started putting up their holiday displays in September.  By now, I've had my fill of Christmas and it hasn't even gotten here, yet. I find the advertising more obnoxious than usual this year, too.  One store is telling you ...

Last year, our daughter decided she was too old for trick or treating so we started a new tradition of spending the evening around a fire in the backyard and handing out candy from the arbor that opens onto the sidewalk.  It's fun and gives us an opportunity to decorate more than just the front porch. So once again, we roped off the front walkway with "Danger" tape and hung a sign directing the trick or treaters around the corner to the backyard (our house is on the corner). We still wanted to have a Halloween display on the front porch, so we converted it into a morgue, complete with a dead body. We placed our pumpkins along the route to the "Haunted Gate". Last year, we had creature silhouettes peeking out the side windows.  This year, we opted for zombies, instead.  They were a big hit.  A group of boys stood on the sidewalk watching them to see if they would move. It was chilly, in the 40's, so we stayed close to the fire when we we...