Holiday Hits: Cephalopod Awareness Days!

I'll bet you didn't realize that today is the start of Cephalopod Awareness Days!  This gala event runs from October 8th through 12th, and each day celebrates a different member or aspect of this mollusk family.  The octopus is today's focus, so here is a recent video demonstrating just how clever these denizens of the deep can be:

Happy Octopus Day, everyone!

            

Mysterious Mondays: "Luella Miller" by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

"All but Luella shone white in the moonlight."
(from The Literary Gothic)

Short stories for Halloween continues, with "Luella Miller" by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman.  This is an eerie tale of a young woman who moves to a small village to assume the post of schoolteacher.  Related many years after the young woman's demise by the now elderly woman, Lydia Anderson, who was her neighbor, this narrative slowly but relentlessly reveals a rather sinister aspect of the schoolteacher's character.  It seems that everyone who develops an attachment to Luella Miller begins to suffer failing health and soon passes away.  The saddest aspect of this story is the fact that, even though the young woman seems to have a childlike dependence on the assistance of others and engages in immature behavior to obtain it, she does not appear to comprehend her deleterious effect on them.  No one can be certain that her intentions are evil.  In fact, when confronted by Lydia Anderson, Luella actually attempts to become more independent until her own health begins to fail and yet another villager comes to her rescue, to his own detriment.  After that, no one will go near her, and she finally expires herself, but, according to Lydia Anderson, not without the aid of the spirits of her former victims.

Once again the author provides a glimpse into the New England character as the down-to-earth villagers do their best to understand and cope with a supernatural situation.  You can read the story here, or listen to an audio version on YouTube.  If you are interested, you can even read a scholarly analysis of this tale's theme here.  This is a vampire tale unlike any other, and well worth reading.
         

Foodie Fridays: Buttermilk Cornbread with Corn Kernels

From What to Expect

Not long ago my husband accidentally brought home a half-gallon jug of fat-free buttermilk instead of the fat-free milk he intended to buy -- you can imagine his dismay when he poured it into his coffee the next morning!  Since the bottle was already opened and returning it would have been inconvenient, I decided to attempt to use it up in recipes calling for buttermilk.  My first thought was to make cornbread, which is easy, tasty, and can be made with buttermilk.  Besides, autumn is the perfect time to get the oven going and start baking again.  I found a simple cornbread recipe with added corn kernels for extra flavor.  It turned out so well that this is now my favorite cornbread recipe. I am going to have to make Buttermilk Cornbread with Corn Kernels again, even if it means buying another carton of buttermilk!

Buttermilk Cornbread with Corn Kernels

3 T. butter
1 1/4 C. cornmeal
3/4 C. flour
2 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 C. corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned will work)
1 C. buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Put 1 T. of the butter in a 9-inch square baking pan and heat in a 400-degree oven until the butter is melted.  Stir together the dry ingredients and corn kernels in a large bowl.  Melt the remaining butter and combine with the buttermilk and eggs.  Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and stir just to combine (do not overmix).

Swirl the butter in the baking pan to coat the sides.  Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool slightly, then slice and serve.  Serves 6-8.
         

This 'n That Thursdays: More Pups on Pillows

From Freepik

Both World Animal Day and Blessing of the Animals Day (aka World Pet Day) are upon us today, but this year seems to be going to the dogs when it comes to throw pillow prints.  I have already published one post showcasing a few finds, and lately I have come across even more!  Here is a cute one from In the Company of Dogs (what a great name!):

Pup Print Pillow

This one is from Horse of a Different Color (another great name!):

Dogs Are People Too Pillow

My beagle-loving brother and sister-in-law would adore this one from Plow & Hearth (four other breeds are also available):

Embroidered Beagle Throw Pillow

And The Company Store offers this delightful selection (as well as coordinating percale bedding):

Dog Show Pillow Covers

Even babies can find themselves cocooned among canids with this snuggly Nina Selby Houndstooth Bedding:

And speaking of snuggle pups, this sweet Dalmatian and her adorable feline companion might enjoy a few comfy pillows too -- or perhaps they only need each other!

            

Wish List Wednesdays: Wall of Secrets Wallpaper Collection

This is one of the most intriguing ideas I have seen in a long time!  The Wall of Secrets Wallpaper Collection at Soonsalon is an interactive wallpaper with stories and images from anonymous contributors imbedded in the paper.  Using a Quick Reality-scan technique, you can unlock this information on your mobile phone.  The information changes every two months, so the wallpaper is an endless source of entertainment.  There are four design "world" patterns to choose from, and you even have the opportunity to contribute to the information display!  The ink on the nonwoven paper is nonhazardous and environmentally friendly, and the 61-cm width rolls come in one- to five-meter lengths.  I find this technology exciting and absolutely mind-boggling -- what will they think of next?

            

Terrifying Tuesdays: The Old Dark House (1932)

From Art of the Beautiful-Grotesque

'Tis the season to start watching frightening films again, but I thought I would ease into it gradually this year.  "The Old Dark House" (1932) is not a horror movie in the strictest sense since no (spoiler alert!) supernatural elements are involved, but there are enough thrills, chills, and eerie atmosphere in this film to make it worthy of the name.  It also doesn't hurt that the director is James Whale while one of the stars is Boris Karloff, both still fresh off the success of "Frankenstein" (1931).

In classic scary movie style, a group of travellers is forced to take refuge in a terrifying old mansion one night when an overwhelming storm closes the road.  Inhabited by one of the most dysfunctional families ever depicted on screen, this house is not the most welcoming shelter, but the residents grudgingly agree to let the stranded motorists spend the night.  The uninvited guests include Margaret and Phillip Waverton (Gloria Stuart and Raymond Massey), a couple experiencing marital problems; Roger Penderel (Melvyn Douglas), a war veteran accompanying the Wavertons; Sir William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton), a rich, powerful, but insecure businessman; and Gladys "DuCane" Perkins (Lilian Bond), a chorus girl and Sir William's companion.  Their reluctants hosts are gloomy brother Horace Femm (Ernest Thesiger); his religious fanatic sister Rebecca Femm (Eva Moore); Morgan (Karloff), the brutish alcoholic mute butler; Sir Roderick Femm (Elspeth "John" Dudgeon), the bed-ridden centenarian family patriarch; and... someone else!  The personal problems of the guests and the character weaknesses of the homeowners, combined with this mysterious unknown member of the household, bring this eerie tale to a rather exciting conclusion.

There is a bit of romance, some comedy, and enough suspense in the movie to make viewing worthwhile for even the most hardened fans of the horror genre.  The actors are all superb, and the ones portraying the quirky residents of the old dark house have a particularly good time chewing the scenery as their characters' personalities come to light.  Best of all, you can watch this movie for free on YouTube (see below).  What a great way to make one's way back into the world of horror films as Halloween fast approaches!

Interesting Fact:  Sir Roderick Femm, the ancient patriarch of the family residing in the old dark house, was portrayed by a woman, Elspeth Dudgeon, who was billed as "John Dudgeon", presumably because director James Whale could not find a male actor who looked old enough for the role!

Gore Guide (0=none to 5=extreme): 0

Mysterious Mondays: "The Southwest Chamber" by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (from Bran's Island)

It's that spooky time of year again, when the temperatures and leaves begin to drop and Halloween is just around the corner.  This month I thought I would feature the ghostly short tales of Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (1852-1930), an American writer who was born on Halloween and whose body of work includes some excellent supernatural fiction.  She is often considered one of the best New England regionalist authors, and although the "feminine" topics in her stories caused her writings to be overlooked for a time, she is now critically acclaimed for the insight her tales bring into women's lives during this turn-of-the-century period of American history.  For more information about Freeman and her literary works, check out The Literary Gothic site.

"The Southwest Chamber", which can be read here, is a perfect example of how Freeman depicted the hardy pragmatism of New England women in the face of baffling supernatural events.  In this story, two middle-aged sisters inherit a house from an estranged aunt and decide to set up a boarding establishment.  The only problem is the space known as the southwest chamber, which is the room in which the elderly aunt passed away.  Every time someone attempts to enter or occupy the room, frightening occurrences take place, and each incident seems uniquely suited to inspire terror in the individual to which it is directed.  In the end, the sisters are forced to admit defeat, but even this is faced with a strength and fortitude most would find difficult to maintain under the circumstances.

Enjoy this spooky tale -- I hope it sets the mood for the upcoming Halloween festivities!

"She saw instead of her own face in the glass, the face of her dead Aunt Harriet!"