Wish List Wednesdays: Cephalopod Salad Plate Set

Halloween would be a great time to add some cephalopod style to your home, and Cephalopod Ink Ceramics is the perfect place to start!  The ceramic artist is a woman from North Carolina, and her Etsy shop is stacked to the gills with coastal-themed pottery, including the lovely Cephalopod Salad Plate Set shown above.  Yes, it is a bit pricey at $160 for four 9-inch plates, but they are unique, hand-crafted, and sure to be the focal point of any table setting -- no need to limit their use to Halloween!  Check out photos of her other creations on Flickr.  I just adore the cute Cuttlefish Plate pictured below, and the artist does custom orders so I am sure she would be happy to create a something similar if asked!

         

Terrifying Tuesdays: It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)

From Gwangipedia

In honor of Cephalopod Awareness Days, the movie of choice for today is "It Came from Beneath the Sea" (1955), one of my favorite Ray Harryhausen films.  A Navy submarine under the charge of Commander Pete Mathews (Kenneth Tobey) encounters an unknown radioactive object, part of which becomes lodged in the submarine.  The vessel heads to Pearl Harbor for repairs, and two scientists, Dr. John Carter (Donald Curtis) and Dr. Lesley Joyce (Faith Domergue), are called in to examine the mysterious object.  After days of investigation, the scientists finally identify the material as part of a giant octopus, normally found only at great oceanic depths but probably forced to the surface to find food by radioactive testing in its habitat.  Navy personnel are skeptical at first, but after another ship is attacked and survivors claim to have seen the creature they decide that further investigation is warranted.

A report of strange events on a beach in Oregon leads to the discovery of the giant octopus' location.  The creature is moving toward San Francisco, and the Navy decides that it must be destroyed.  The area is cleared and mine fields are set in place, but the octopus manages to get through to San Francisco Bay.  It surfaces on the Golden Gate Bridge when an electrical current meant to drive it away enrages it instead.  Dr. Carter manages to turn off the power creating the current but is about to become trapped by the creature until Commander Mathews rescues him just in time.  Later Carter and Mathews must scuba dive to harpoon the beast when it grabs hold of the commander's submarine.  They are successful, but Mathews is knocked out in the process and this time Carter rescues him.  The submarine then torpedoes the giant octopus and destroys it.

A giant octopus, lovely Hawaiian and West Coast settings, a competent woman scientist, a potential romantic triangle, and special effects designed by the great Ray Harryhausen -- what more could one ask for in a science fiction movie?  You can watch a colorized version on YouTube (see below), although I have to admit I prefer the original black and white film.  Either way, this classic is one that must be seen.

Interesting Fact:  The budget for this movie was so tight that Ray Harryhausen was forced to save money by building the octopus with six tentacles instead of eight, and posing the creature so that this lack was not apparent.

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

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?