Reviews
Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
This young adult biography of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, includes illustrations with hauntingly gorgeous black and white watercolor paintings that have a charcoal appearance and complement the text written in verse. The author, who is also the artist,...
Halloween Reads
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Disney Classic), which was adapted by Cara J. Stevens and illustrated by Golden Books is a classic tale of Disney’s version of “The Legend of Sleep Hollow”. The original shorty story by Washington Irving is much longer and has a lot more...
“Dy-no-mite” Dog Treats
We have an eight year old Australian Cattle Dog/Border Collie mix, who really looks forward to her daily treat of Pedigree Dentastix. They keep her teeth and gums healthy and clean. On routine visits to the vet’s office, the veterinarian has shared that our dog’s...
BBQ Chicken Pizza & Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream
We baked a BBQ chicken pizza using a homemade crust without yeast, Kroger’s KC Style & The Original barbecue sauces (mixed the two), cilantro, pulled chicken, Mezzetta’s peperoncini (medium heat), and Kroger’s Colby Jack shredded cheese. Initially, we tried to use...
STIR Spiderweb Cookie Stamper
Halloween Treat: STIR Spiderweb Cookie StamperIn the mood for a Halloween treat, I used a STIR Spiderweb Cookie Stamper on peanut butter cookies. First, I tried to use the stamper on the dough (this stamper worked very well with no stick), but the cookies lost their...
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is an adventure on and under the sea! It’s also one of the first science fiction novels ever written. Get ready to imagine and explore with Captain Nemo in his creatively engineered submarine. I’ll close by sharing a quote from this...
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Oh, The Age of Innocence; I love this novel! Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize- making Edith Wharton the first woman to win the prize. Set in upper class society in New York City during the 1870s, a time when people “dreaded scandal more than disease”. Newland, a...
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is my absolute favorite book! It is the only book I have read a handful times and will continue to reread. Romanticism, beliefs, gothic, and autobiographical elements are all incorporated into the story of Jane Eyre, a woman who fights...
The Sagas of Icelanders
What better way to begin exploring Icelandic history than diving into this source of Nordic literature?! The Sagas of Icelanders is a book that is rich in Viking heritage and full of comprehensive history and how these Nordic warriors conquered and evolved. The book...
Nostalgic Immersion at the Midland Theatre
The Golden and Silver Age of movies are brought to life in nostalgic immersion through the Summer Movie Series at the Midland Theatre in Newark, Ohio. The General Admission cost is only $5 and admission is free for Licking County, Ohio residents (age 60+); both GREAT...
Antiques & Vinyl
Pleasant Rainy Afternoon in Columbus! Just a short trip to Columbus made for a pleasant rainy Saturday afternoon. Our first stop was at Heritage Square Antiques on Bryce Road, where rows of antiques provide a plethora of opportunities to go down memory lane and...
Local Eating Destination
Skorpio's Newark, Ohio Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Newark, Ohio, whether I pick falafel, tsatziki dip and pitas, lamb gyro, Greek salad, Greek fries, or baklava, I’m down for Skorpios Gyros and their “betta with fetta” motto. One of my favorite...