Wish List Wednesdays: The Cutest Literary Ghosts for Halloween

From Amazon

Ghost décor for Halloween seems to be everywhere this year.  While I love a good ghost story (probably my favorite horror genre), I had no ghost-themed items for Halloween - until this year.  Reading ghosts in particular really caught my fancy, so I ordered a couple of ghostly items with a literary theme and am quite pleased them.

I always try to have a Halloween jigsaw puzzle to work on in October, and when I saw this 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle ($21.99 from Amazon) of a cute ghost sitting in a cozy library enjoying a hot beverage I could not resist.  There are a number of Halloween-themed puzzles available at this same link, most of which are spooky cute rather than scary, so if ghosts are not your thing you still might find a different puzzle that appeals to you.

I try to limit the amount of seasonal décor I buy since I already have so much, but the GlowSpirit Ghost Light ($26.88 for two 6-inch lights from Amazon) is small enough to use anywhere and stores easily when not in use.  And the smiling faces of these little ghosts as they happily read a book are just the right cheerful note for a not too scary October.

Finally, to continue the cozy reading ghost theme, I just had to have this Halloween Reading Ghost Ceramic Mug ($10.82 from Walmart).  At eleven ounces it is on the small side, but except for my morning breakfast tea I prefer a smaller mug, so it will work perfectly for afternoon or evening hot beverages.

I think I am now set for a sweetly spooky Halloween, working on a fun jigsaw puzzle while sipping a hot beverage, my cute little reading ghost lights looking on while glowing softly.  What more could one ask for really?  👻🎃👻

Wish List Wednesdays: When Were You Born? (1938) Is Finally Available on DVD

From Amazon

For me, October 1st is the start of the Halloween season, so let's ease our way into spooky fare by starting with a film that has only a hint of the supernatural.  "When Were You Born" (1938) is more of a mystery thriller, starring Anna May Wong as astrologer Mei Lee Ling, who finds herself mixed up in a murder when she predicts a dire fate for a fellow ship passenger which indeed comes to pass.  The police naturally suspect that her prediction was more than just coincidence, so to clear her name she offers to help the police find the killer.  It turns out Ling really does have an uncanny ability to predict the future based upon an individual's astrological sign, and with her help the police are eventually able to solve the murder.

The most interesting gimmick in this movie is that the twelve main characters were born under the twelve different astrological signs, and Ling accurately predicts the personalities of each based upon when they were born (hence the film's title).  Also interesting is that this movie's screenplay was written by astrologer and mystic Manly P. Hall, the founder of the Philosophical Research Society, who also appears in the introduction of the film to give a detailed description of the astrological signs which feature so prominently in the movie.  One final interesting observation is that, although Anna May Wong is presumably the main character in the movie, she receives second billing to a white female actress whose role in the film is more marginal (the movie was made in 1938, so this is probably not surprising for the time).

While this is not the best murder mystery film ever made, I did enjoy the admittedly gimmicky trick of using astrology to help solve the crime, and the plot was just convoluted enough to keep it from being too mundane.  I first saw this movie a couple of years ago on Turner Classic Movies, and have been waiting patiently for it to come out on DVD (click on Amazon link above).  If you are not interested in actually owning a copy, you can watch it on YouTube here:

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

Holiday Hits: Happy National Black Dog Day!

October 1st is National Black Dog Day, which encourages the adoption of darker-colored dogs who are less likely do be adopted simply because of their color.  Above is a picture of our dog Mae.  We adopted her in October 2023 and have no regrets.  She is the sweetest of dogs, gets along well with her sister Madison, and loves going for walks with our neighbor's dogs.  If you are thinking of adopting a dog, please do not overlook the darker ones because of their color - they are wonderful companions just like lighter-colored dogs!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! 🎉😊🎉

White Christmas Animated Ecard by Jacquie Lawson

Have a wonderfully joyous Christmas/Hannukah day, everyone, whether you celebrate those holidays or not! 😄🌲🎄🎅⛄❄️🎁🌟🍬

Foodie Fridays: Hot Apple Pie Cider

Years ago my husband and I went to a Christmas crafts fair (either in Colorado or Georgia, I can't remember which state now) where hot apple pie cider was served, spiced and topped with whipped cream.  It was delicious!  I have created my own version based on that drink, and it is really the only way I like to drink hot cider.  You could use cider that is sold already spiced, but I prefer to add my own as I do not care for cloves and this way I can leave them out.  That is why I also recommend apple pie spice blend rather than pumpkin pie spice, because the former does not contain cloves.  However, use whatever you prefer and/or have on hand (I think the cider at the crafts fair just had cinnamon, and it was quite good that way).

I like to use my very large Christmas Snoopy mug as I do not like the whipped cream overflowing the top, but if you like to see the cream floating above the mug then go for it!  I also just use canned whipped cream, but you can go all out and whip your own cream, or even use steamed milk instead, although it won't taste as rich and creamy.  Of course you can increase the recipe to make as many mugs as you like, and you can also heat the cider on the stove rather than in the microwave.  This is my favorite hot holiday beverage, and I hope you like it too!

Hot Apple Pie Cider

1 C. (or more) apple cider
apple pie spice to taste
dollop of whipped cream

Pour the cider into a microwave-safe mug and heat on HIGH for about 2 minutes.  Sprinkle as much apple pie spice on top of the cider as you like.  Top with whipped cream and sprinkle more spice over the cream.  Start sipping and enjoy!  Serves 1.

This 'n That Thursdays: Afternoon Tea Party Video (ASMR Animation)

Feeling a bit stressed this holiday season?  Wouldn't a cozy afternoon tea party with a dear friend be just perfect to relax you right about now?  Then how about the next best thing - watch this short video of two cute cat buddies doing just that!  I am really enjoying these adorable cat animation videos - they are very short and do not take up too much of my time, but are so fun to watch and bring a bit of joy and peace to my day.  And isn't that exactly what the holidays are supposed to be about? 😸