20090430

13 Things I Did As a Kid that Kids Don't Do Anymore


I was watching my neighbors children playing outside yesterday and it made me think of when I was a kid and the activities I enjoyed that seem to have gone by the wayside in the "play" repertoire of today's youngsters. So, here's my list of 13 THINGS I DID AS A KID:
  1. I played in the dirt and mud all the time! I made mud pies, I sculpted and I got messy, covered in dirt and enjoyed every minute of it. Today everyone is so freaked out about dirt - hey, I think all that dirt I bathed in and managed to get in my mouth may have given me my great immune system. I have had only one cold-virus-bug in over 30 years.
  2. I spent hours on our swing set. The higher the swing went the happier I was and I loved flinging myself off the seat at the highest moment.
  3. I played "hide and seek" indoors and out. I was the youngest and smallest in my family so I could crawl into places that my older siblings couldn't and therefore they never thought to look in my hiding places. If I could get out before they saw me I could use the hiding place again and again. I was lucky and never got locked in anywhere.
  4. I played Tag - I was fast so I wasn't "it" too often!
  5. I played Hop Scotch - I was lousy at it but it was an organized way to jump around and be goofy and get out all that kid energy I had.
  6. I played Jacks and Marbles. I sucked at both.
  7. I played Cowboys and Indians - I loved being the Indian because that meant I could dig into my Mom's make-up and paint my face like a "wild Indian". I would spend several days after getting my faced scrubbed to get the indelible lipstick streaks off my cheeks and forehead.
  8. Yes, I played "Doctor". It was what was considered sex education in the fifties. Hehehe.
  9. I watched violent cartoons. In my day almost all the cartoons would probably be considered "violent" nowadays. Mice bonked cats over the head, cats ate mice, goofy dogs fell off tall buildings, road runners watched as wil-e coyotes blew themselves up with dy-no-mite from Acme. I laughed my little butt off and yelled for more.
  10. I ate really sugary cereal without guilt, hyped myself up on sugar and then had to go outside and do all the other stuff on this list to blow off all the energy.
  11. I went Trick or Treating to strange houses that were dark and scary and full of people I didn't know giving out candy and goodies that could have contained all sorts of dangers.
  12. I rode my bike like a wild animal as fast as I could all over the streets of my neighborhood and I did it without a helmet.
  13. I got picked on by my older brother and sister. I hated it but it made me tough and taught me how to stand up for myself. It also taught me how to avoid trouble whenever possible!
Kids don't try any of these at home. Your moms will probably freak out because they're all considered "dangerous" in this day and age. I take no responsibility for any of you being this stupid or daredevil or "kid-like". But I'm sorry most of you won't ever experience some of these activities because to me they were the best part of childhood.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here

----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090429

Retro Cartoon Themes - Nostalgia for your boomer ears!

I woke up this morning humming a tune. I was humming away as I made my coffee and took Pixel out to piddle - just a background droning in my head until I realized what I was humming! I have no idea why either! This is the song I was humming:


Yup, the theme from Mighty Mouse, lol. Sheesh, wonder what dredged that up from the time vault of my mind? Anyhoo, I thought I'd post some cartoon themes from my memories of Saturday morning cartoon marathons so you'd get one stuck in your head too. . . .

QUICK DRAW McGRAW:


YOGI BEAR:


DUDLEY DO RIGHT:



Hehehe, enjoy and don't blame me if you can't get these nostalgic tunes out of you head - I only posted them, you listened! Happy Wednesday!

Stop by PopArtDiva.com Today for some great retro art, nostalgic pop art, trivia and comfort food recipes - it's a time machine for your soul!


-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090426

ROUTE 66 - The American Road Trip, a History

Image ©2007 by PopArtDiva.com. All Rights Reserved

From Sunday Drives to Cross Country Trips - Route 66 gave American's the Open Road and Freedom

In the early part of the 20th Century the "horseless carriage" aka the automobile was beginning to dot the dirt roads and rural highways of America. The freedom that a personal car brought to the country was a boon to Americans who had a desire to expand their horizons and take a road trip.

Cyrus Avery of Tulsa, Oklahoma and John Woodruff of Springfield, Missouri conceived an idea of connecting Chicago to Los Angeles via one "super highway" that traveled through Small Town America and created the experience of "seeing the country". Their lobbying succeeded when the federal government agreed to link small town America with it's metropolitan capitals in the summer of 1926. The route was designated as 66. The Mother Road was born.

The Great Depression put a temporary halt to the construction until 1933 when the WPA put thousands of unemployed workers on the project. In 1938 2,300 miles of Route 66 was continuously paved from Chicago to Los Angeles and Americans had their now historic and iconic road-trip path cross country.

In 1939 John Steinbeck published his novel "The Grapes of Wrath", in which he dubbed Route 66 as "The Mother Road, thus giving Route 66 it's famous nickname. When a drought caused the infamous "Dust Bowl" in the Midwest hundreds of thousands of Americans migrated West on The Mother Road looking for better lives. Route 66 then became known as the "road to opportunity" as well as The Mother Road.

Thanks to Route 66 a tourist industry started to flourish across the country as people took to their cars and began to explore America. A thriving "road side attraction" industry flourished directly on Route 66, as motels, diners, gas stations and tourist traps aka souvenir shops sprung up across the whole route. There were even special stops where enterprising individuals who lived close to the highway created their own unique and imaginative attractions. Another iconic image that arose from Route 66 was the Burma Shave signs.

During World War II the government used Route 66 to ship troops, equipment and products cross country and at the end of the war thousands of returning servicemen were brought home to their families on this highway.

Americans had cars and then they got Route 66. From that moment there was no going back - we became a country in love with the freedom of the open road and all that it signifies. We were a country on wheels with one hand on the steering wheel and the other wrapped around a Pecan Praline from Stucky's.

Though the entire Highway is now decommissioned, the final section near Williams, Arizona gave way to Highway 40 in 1984, it remains a monument to the pioneering spirit that still resides in America. Route 66 remains in the hearts of all those who traveled even one tiny section, drank one cherry coke on the roadside or slept a night in one of the now famous motels. The Mother Road is alive in our memories and our history.

-----------------------

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090424

Tip Toe Through the Tulips by Tiny Tim - Oh, my ears hurt!

This week's theme for Old School Friday?
"This Song Should Never Have Been Made"
Immediately Tiny Tim came to my mind. Maybe the song wasn't so bad but his version of it has always made me want to squirm and just looking at Tiny Tim made me cringe.

I look back now and see him as "Goth Nerd" - oh, crap that ukulele!

Ladies and Gentlemen - Tiny Tim on Laugh In singing (?) Tip Toe Through The Tulips. You will enjoy seeing Dan Rowan and Dick Martin again but as for Tiny - press play if you dare:


-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090423

13 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR

From POP ART DIVA DOT COM
We've all been having difficult times recently and we are constantly being reminded just "how bad things are" by the media. So, in an effort to counteract all the negativity, perk up our spirits, and maybe give a boost to the positive thinking out there I have decided to post:

13 THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR
  1. I am grateful that I woke up this morning - the alternative sucks
  2. I am grateful for my new home - it's very pop and retro and me
  3. I am grateful for my friends - they are my link to sanity and serenity
  4. I am grateful for being able to walk, talk, smell, see and hear - though some of these are fading with age I'm better off than many others
  5. I am grateful for the talents and gifts given to me
  6. I am grateful for having had a loving family - though they are gone now the gift of their love stays in my heart
  7. I'm grateful for the company of my sweet little Yorkipoo Pixel
  8. I'm grateful for having had my other wonderful pets, waiting for me on the other side now: My beloved Cockapoo Shadow who I had for 17 years, my sweet little Cockatiel Tinkerbell who gave me such laughter and joy for 15 years, my feisty little Peter Pan (Tinkerbell's mate) who stayed with me for nearly 40 years
  9. I'm grateful for all the creative and talented people who have given me great books to read, great movies and TV to watch, great music to hear, great art to view, great architecture to admire
  10. I'm grateful for the smell of jasmine that drifts into my window at night and fills my dreams with sweetness
  11. I'm grateful for an active and clear mind - though it's a bit normal challenged it's still in good working order
  12. I'm grateful for laughter
  13. I'm grateful for you - yes, you because you are the purpose for this blog, my writing, my art and my passion in life. Thank you for this purpose.
One last thought. The economy goes south when people stop sharing the wealth, when money stops flowing, when Fear gains a stronghold in peoples thoughts, minds and hearts. Fear is the big monster here - Fear can put a stop to all things good!

So, let's get together and end the fear and get the money flowing again!

TODAY, GO OUT AND SPEND $$$ on SOMETHING THAT IS NOT A NECESSITY!
If everyone out there spends a few extra dollars it could be the beginning of bringing our economy and our spirits up!
GO FORTH AND BUY SOMETHING!
BUT ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE.

May we all be blessed with Peace, Prosperity and Purpose.

-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090422

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACK!

This is my personally autographed photo of Jack Nicholson as The Joker. I'm a bit bugged because the felt tip pen he used to sign it has faded in the last years - and they're not supposed to do that! Jack, I don't supposed you'd like to sign it again for me, would ya?

Today is also Jack Nicholson's 72nd Birthday. His full name is John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson, but if you say Jack - especially with a nasal twang - everyone knows who you're talking about.

Wow, I can't believe my favorite anti-hero from Five Easy Pieces, Easy Rider, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Terms of Endearment is 72. But then I can't believe I'm almost 60!

I love Jack. He's normal challenged, like me - it's that little bit of crazy, that "loco en la cabeza" that makes his movies so much richer to watch. Who else could have turned Daryl Van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick into such an over-the-top but perfect performance? Who else made the Joker not only threatening but comical, elegant and a joy to watch for the sheer camp of it? Who else can still be sexy when he's lying about taking Viagra to Keanu Reeves?

You just gotta love, Jack - Especially in a purple, turquoise and orange suit! Heeeeeeee's Johnny Joseph Jack!


Jack, Happy Birthday and say Happy Birthday to your alter ego, Randle P. McMurphy too!

Today is also Earth Day and it's the 39th Earth Day we've had - the first one was held April 22nd, 1970. You should have seen all the hemp clothing, tie dye and Earth shoes that were being sported back then on this day, lol.
-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090421

Always Good to get a Friendship Award! Thanks Jersey Girl!

Jersey Girl, in all her rants and ramblings about being Boomer, has elected to bestow upon me the Friendship Award. There's nothing like getting an award for Booming from another Boomer!

The Friendship Award is given to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to those bloggers who must choose at least 5 more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

I pass this award on to:

Cindy Shepard of Rowdy Grandma
Eileen Williams of Feisty Side of Fifty
Joyce Mason of Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights
Bob (and his owner Melodieann) of The Adventures of Traveling Bob
Adelle Laudan - Fabulous Fiction with a Twist


-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090418

DO YOU HAVE A BUCKET LIST?

SOAPBOX SATURDAY
Bringing Baby Boomers Out of the Old Fogey Closet
A Meme for the Young Minded Over Fifty Crowd
------------------
DO YOU HAVE A BUCKET LIST?

I just posted one of my Illustrated Retro Nano Stories - Heavy Metal Hip Replacement - and it reminded me of all the things I hoped/wanted to do with my life when I was still young and most of my life lay ahead of me.

I think we all make a list of things we want to be, things we want to do, people we'd like to meet or places we want to see at some point in our life. A recent movie, The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, was based on just such a list - you know, the list of things you'd like to do before "kicking the bucket".

I wanted to be a rock star - just for a minute because I can't sing my way out of a bucket - but I only made it onstage twice and that was folk singing. I wanted to be an archaeologist and the closest I got to that was watching Indiana Jones. I wanted to go on safari in Africa but settled for animal prints in my wardrobe.

I did manage to travel quite a bit of the world even though I never made it to Africa. I studied ancient civilizations and have seen some of the most impressive ancient architecture and several wonders of the world. I never dug up a rare treasure from past ages but I have gazed in awe at the ancient beauty of the Acropolis, the pyramids of Giza, the ruins of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations and I have touched ancient stone petroglyphs that were carved into the rocks eons ago.

I never did become a rock star or even a roadie. It wasn't a real dream of mine anyway, just a fleeting itch to dress up like KISS and act out on stage while fire and brimstone rained all around me, lol. (Pssst, don't tell anyone - I'd still like to strut my stuff in black leather and grease paint - if only for one song - but maybe I'd do hot pink leather instead. . . .)

I never wanted to be a fireman, a ballet dancer, a cowboy or any of the other vocations that kids usually wish they could be, I only wanted to be an artist, and I have been a professional artist for nearly forty years. That fact alone has made me a very lucky person and made up for so many of the other things on my "bucket list" that I missed.

I also have a few years left to finish off my "bucket list". I might make it to Africa yet and maybe I'll dig up the missing link when I get there! You never know!

My point is this: Being over 50 is not the end of your life or your dreams. There's a lot of life left for most of us and maybe it's time to start dusting off those bucket lists and tending to our dreams again.

What's on your Bucket List?

PREVIOUS SOAPBOX POSTS:
Are We Wasting The Resources of Our Elders?
Reinventing Boomers - New Life After 50
JOIN IN THE BOOMER POWER MEME:
Here are the rules to follow and post on your blog response:
  • Come here every Saturday and read the current post.
  • Create your own post on the current subject or anything else pertaining to boomers that might be on your mind.
  • Post a link back to THIS BLOG at this url - http://popartdiva.blogspot.com - on your post.
  • Then make a comment HERE leaving a link to your current blog post. If you do not comment members will not find your blog post!
  • After you've posted your blog with a linkback here and left your comment here go read some of the other posts and comment on their posts too. This creates "link love" and generates traffic for all involved BUT the biggest effect it will have is getting the word out about the Baby Boomers, their issues and maybe even some answers to those issues!
  • Post these rules below your post each week. Simply copy the rules between the purple hash marks and paste them below your post in writing section of your blog's posting area.
  • No personal attacks, no hate, no meanness, no spamming or rudeness is encouraged nor will it be tolerated. PopArtDiva reserves the right to delete any or all comments she considers inappropriate.
-------------------
Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090417

I WANNA ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT - KISS Retro Rock Classic for OSF

Art Tribute © 2009 by PopArtDiva.com.
All Rights Reserved. Not For Sale.

This week's Old School Friday theme is Blogger's Choice so I'm going with THE classic rock and roll theme song and my favorite rockers from the seventies.

Ladies and Gentlemen, May I Present:
KISS performing "I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night" in a rare 1976 video:


And for a little fun let's get really down with That 70's Show's KISS Video:



Now, I know all you boomers want to run right out and start up your own rock and roll band - again - but here's a little word of caution to all you wanna be rockers over 50:


-----------------------

Learn more about Old School Fridays - Music Meme here.

-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!


Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090416

13 Pop Culture Fads from the Fifties, Sixties, Seventies & Eighties

I just got a really cool authentic Lava Lamp as a housewarming present. It fits into my retro-contemporary decor like a glove and is happily bubbling away as I write this. It reminds me of so much of the popular "junk" that briefly passed through the last 50 years of my life and I am absolutely tickled with this gift. It sits right next to my Bobble Head Beatle Dolls that I won from KRLA when I was 13!

So, today my Thursday Thirteen subject is Fads. I've been around for over half a century and I've seen a lot of things come and go - some quicker than others. Fashion is just one big fad but it cycles, platform shoes were popular in the forties and came back in the seventies, so I've limited my fashion choices to things that were a one time phenomenon - at least as far as I'm aware!

Let's face it, many things that were fads and nostalgia can cycle back into our hemisphere, especially these days where Retro Rules and the things of our childhood are just kitchy enough to be cool again! God, I wish I hadn't thrown half these things in the trash decades ago!
  1. Coonskin caps
  2. Hula Hoops
  3. Slinky
  4. Troll Dolls
  5. Bell Bottoms
  6. Love Beads
  7. Lava Lamp
  8. Disco Balls
  9. Fondue Pots
  10. Pet Rocks
  11. Mood Rings
  12. Pop Rocks
  13. Leg Warmers
There were a few others that almost made the list but they still hang on to life with a death grip, like Tie Die and Smiley Faces. I have to admit I'm still quite fond of tie dye myself, probably because of all the pretty colors - you know me and colors! Smiley Faces got a new lease on life thanks to the internet and all those emoticons that pepper chat and e-mails now - though I still have a nasty urge to draw mustaches on every silly, moon shaped yellow face that glares at me.

I also participated in some local and regional fads growing up like fringed leather jackets, fake hair pieces called "switches", white lipstick, Ouija boards, tennis shoe roller skates (say hello to my broken butt!) and a few others. And I suspect that quite a few things that are all the rage now will be looked on as fads in the future - like Tiki Decor!

Feel free to add some fads that you remember and check out this fun site that lists fads by the decades - Crazyfads.com

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here

-----------------------

LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090415

JACKIE ROBINSON BECOMES FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN IN THE BIG LEAGUES

I'm a huge baseball fan and have been since I fell madly in love with Mickey Mantle as a kid. I'm a big Yankee fan too, as many of you know - I even did the pop art tribute below for him!

But today I'd like to take a moment to mention a Brooklyn Dodger - hey, you Yankee fans quit that booing - this is one great Dodger, okay?

This particular Dodger is Jackie Robinson and today is the sixty-second anniversary of the day Robinson walked onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first African-American ever to play in the big leagues.

Fifty years later the his number - 42 - was retired from major league baseball.


Read more about Jackie Robinson at The History Channel


From PopArtDiva.com

------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090413

Clem Kadiddlehopper, Cows and Pooper Scoopers

While I was looking for a fun retro commercial for today's post I ran across this video of Red Skelton as Clem Kadiddlehopper - remember that character? So, because I was rofl at this I thought I'd forgo the commercial post and share this laugh with you. I have to tell you I remember this actual show - my family talked about this program for days afterwards - especially Butthead who loved any joke to do with poop!

Anyway, this was one of the funniest "bloopers" on live television - does Clem have a pooper scooper??


-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090409

Reduced to the Murder of Wild Peeps - If My Mama Only Knew

It has been a very hard week for me. What started out as a hunt for the rare Wild Peep for my Easter Dinner turned into a full scale skirmish with freedom fighting marshmallow treats bent on mayhem and mischief and malcontent. I have been in a war with Wild Peeps and all I wanted was some fresh Peep meat for my holiday meal. In the end I am ashamed I went a little crazy and resorted to some mayhem myself:

This is a silent video confession - not my idea, someone caught me with their cell camera! - a picture is word a thousand words after all. I have provided you with the appropriate silent movie theater organ music:


You can read my Twitter Updates for the whole story - as it stands at this moment I have 13 gooey bodies littered all over my home but the Wild Peeps seem to breed faster than I can dispatch them! This may be the end, Pixel and I are exhausted and our provisions are getting dangerously low - send reinforcements and ham!
---------------------

Learn more about Old School Fridays - Music Meme here.

Get The Code

-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090408

13 Ways to Murder a Wild Peep

Easter is this Sunday and I made plans some time ago for a special dinner menu based on childhood favorites. Ham with baked yams was always the main course and deviled eggs were an absolute must because Mom didn't believe in wasting all those eggs we had colored - at least the ones that were eventually found!

We had tons of candy in our baskets, the requisite Chocolate Bunny (whose ears never made it past breakfast), jelly beans of all colors and, of course, Peeps! Now, Peeps - especially Wild Peeps - are absolutely the best when given a gourmet treatment - like using them on top of your sweet potato casserole instead of plain old marshmallows!

So, off I went on a safari to Wal-Mart to hunt for my Wild Peeps. Things went quite well at first but quickly went downhill as the native Peeps became restless and there in lies the story of a burgeoning Wild Peep rebellion and my becoming embroiled in a fight to the death for my Easter dinner!

There was an escape, I was attacked by a rare turquoise Peep, then Pixel was cornered and surrounded by threatening Wild Peeps. Peeps were sunning themselves under the heat lamp in my bathroom, swimming in my sink, they even went to a Beatles concert thanks to a Beatles tune playing on the radio and my Bobbin' Head Beatle Dolls! They were running amok in my home, rogue Peeps bent on revenge and revolt. (Photos will be posted tomorrow on my Tumblr Photo Log)

To protect my home and my loved ones and preserve the sanctity of Easter Dinner the Wild Peeps have to go. I write this post with murder on my mind!

I give you 13 ways to Murder a Wild Peep.

1. Choke it
2. Stab it with a knife
3. Smash it with a blunt instrument
4. Step on it
5. Drown it in the sink
6. Chop it up with a pair of scissors
7. Saute it in butter and a little olive oil
8. Run it over with your car
9. Flush it down the toilet
10. Put it in a blender on high
11. Blow it up in the microwave
12. Feed it to your dog
13. Eat it - with a nice Chianti and some Fava Beans

Tomorrow I plan to carry out the cold blooded murder of wild pastel peeps by the dozens. The video of some of my dastardly deeds will be posted Friday here. You may consider the video and this post my confession. I throw myself on the mercy of the court. My only excuse is temporary insanity caused by a massive sugar rush.

I'd like my last meal to be Ham, Yams with Toasted Peep Topping, Deviled Eggs and Peep S'mores.


----------------------

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here

-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

WARNING: Easter Peeps May Be Dangerous Wild Animals!


In preparation for my Easter Dinner I went hunting on safari in Wal-Mart country. It's a jungle out there but I managed to snare my share of those rare and delectable gourmet treats, Peeps. As you know these wary but fluffy creatures only venture out in early Spring. Much like the shy Easter Bunny, they are elusive but worthy game and scrumptious eats!

I was quite happy with my catch and felt my Peep hunting license was well worth the cost. I garnered a nicely varied flock of quite a few lemon yellow Peeps, a goodly amount of pink, lavender and white Peeps and even a few of the rare Turquoise Peeps! I was going to have fresh marshmallow Peep for my Easter guests!

But sometime in the middle of the night I was awakened by odd noises, rustlings and strange low level peeping coming from the Peep pens. Whenever I went in to check all noise ceased and the Peeps appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but there was something in the air - a soft menace that lifted the hairs on the back of my neck. More suspicion was aroused in me as I turned to leave the room and felt a crunching underfoot. I looked down and a shiver went down my spine - there, on the floor, was a dusting of sugar crystals!

Not one to panic at phantoms I softly eased out of the room, but I stood there a moment with my ear to the door. Yes, there it was again! The soft rustling and peeping had resumed. It was time to reconnoiter, research was required. I had penned up an unknown, deceptively sweet looking bunch of pastel chicks without giving regard to their possibly hostile nature and it was time to arm myself with a little knowledge!

A LITTLE HISTORY OF EASTER PEEPS FOR MY DOSSIER:

Peeps were the creation of a Russian born chocolatier named Sam Born who immigrated to the United States in 1910. Within seven years Born opened his first candy shop in New York City. Sam's business grew over the years and he moved his company to Bethlehem, PA and renamed it Just Born.

His business grew over the following years and in 1950 he acquired Rodda, the company that had first invented and created the molds for marshmallow candies in the chicks known even then as Peeps. Rodda was manufacturing the fluffy little sweet treats entirely by hand and each individual peep took 27 hours to be born into the candy world!

Sam Born mechanized Peep production and this allowed his company, Just Born, to produce Peeps on a scale that allowed for mass distribution by 1954. Thus was born the most famous non chocolate Easter Confection this side of the Easter Bunny - Peeps!

Originally there were only chicks and they were always yellow but in the sixties Just Born started giving birth to other shapes like bunnies and eggs and began producing theses marshmallow treats in a rainbow of pastels including pink, lavender, turquoise and white.

But did Mr. Born know he was creating a new being? Was he aware his sugary confections had become self aware?? And are they dangerous?

Know Your Opponent, Be Prepared:

For a fun, extended storybook history of Peeps visit the Peeps Official Website - fun (and possible battle plans) for all ages!

Culinary Uses for The Wild Peep:

Here's a recipe for the Official Peeps Chocolate Fondue - this was one of my plans for my fresh Peep!

And for a few more gourmet Peeps Recipes:
Peeps de Creme
Peeps Waldorf Salad, S'mores and Other Peeps Treats
Cooking with Peeps

For updates on the burgeoning Peep Situation check my Twitter Page and check the Brat In The Hat, The Martini Diva, The Diva of Tiny Foods for my most current strategies for a successful Easter dinner featuring Peeps!

-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090406

HOWDY DOODY - A THREE MUSKATEER?

This is just a classic old commercial from the fifties - it's Buffalo Bob, Clarabell and Howdy Doody doing a live commercial for Three Muskateers on The Howdy Doody Show!

You're going to love the "Muskateer" hats that Bob and Clarabell have on - no hat on Howdy though! Plus check out the old wrapper and the five cent price! Remember when a full sized candy bar cost a nickle??


Is it just me or does anybody else think those pockets and fringe on Buffalo Bob's costume are a hokey hoot?
-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090404

ARE YOU GROWING OLDER OR BOLDER?

SOAPBOX SATURDAY
Bringing Baby Boomers Out of the Old Fogey Closet
A Meme for the Young Minded Over Fifty Crowd
------------------
WHAT DOES BEING OVER FIFTY MEAN TO YOU PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY & EMOTIONALLY?

I finally got to move into my home last weekend. That's why you didn't see a Soapbox post here - I was busy lifting, toting, unpacking, washing, cleaning and setting up house. In addition I was sleeping on a futon on the floor because my bed hasn't come yet! So, excuse me if you hear any creaking - it's mostly my back, hips and knees in complaint!

Here's what I noticed about this move compared to moving into my last house in 1986 - I hurt a lot more and worked a lot shorter day! Yes, I finally had to admit that "I'm not as young as I used to be." It's killing me to admit it, it's really killing me to find it out!

I lost my keys THREE TIMES! I didn't have a "place" for them set up and was dropping them wherever I happened to collapse. Then, thanks to my over 50 brain, I couldn't remember where I put them! I find my short term memory is a thing of the past along with bell bottoms, platforms and a size 8 dress. It's killing me, I tell you - physically, mentally and emotionally!

I find I am having to update the concept of my capabilities on a daily basis and this is a big pain for a control freak like me! I am faced with a body that will not respond to the demand to work 24/7, a mind that needs the help of electronic devices to remember appointments and a tendency to look back more and more instead of only looking forward.

I find myself thinking of family and friends who have left my life as I unpack memories of my times with them and a bittersweet nostalgia settles over me. I see my circle of life narrowing a little more every year as I say goodbye to another beloved pet, friend or family member.

I am seeing these maudlin tendencies and not liking them much, they are a path to depression and a downhill slide into "old age" and I'm not ready to go there yet. So, I am making a concerted effort to shake it off and focus on the rest of my life instead of my past as much as possible. Yes, it's normal to have these feelings at this time of life but I don't have to let them rule my life either!

Thankfully I have my work to keep my mind focused on less melancholy things - loving my work is probably keeping me from turning into a totally doddering old fart whining about "the good old days"! I still have good friends and my boon companion, Pixel, for company and companionship. And I have my sense of humor and desire to be happy which always makes me shake off the "old" and get on with the business of living life one day at a time. I'm lucky in many ways and I am thankful for the friends, the work and the love that I have. This gratitude helps me maintain my sanity and my spirit. My work, my friends, my loving pet and my spirit of adventure are my saving graces and ones I am heartily thankful for.

What are your experiences with the business of entering into the last half century of your life? Are you fighting the "good fight" and still looking to the future? Are you loving your life or not? Why? What are you doing to keep yourself happy, whole and forward looking? If you're not, what could you do to change that?

Let me know, share your experiences of "growing bolder not older" and maybe we can help others who find themselves facing the same potholes on Memory Lane in the town of OverFifty.

PREVIOUS SOAPBOX POSTS:
Are We Wasting The Resources of Our Elders?
Reinventing Boomers - New Life After 50
JOIN IN THE BOOMER POWER MEME:
Here are the rules to follow and post on your blog response:
  • Come here every Saturday and read the current post.
  • Create your own post on the current subject or anything else pertaining to boomers that might be on your mind.
  • Post a link back to THIS BLOG at this url - http://popartdiva.blogspot.com - on your post.
  • Then make a comment HERE leaving a link to your current blog post. If you do not comment members will not find your blog post!
  • After you've posted your blog with a linkback here and left your comment here go read some of the other posts and comment on their posts too. This creates "link love" and generates traffic for all involved BUT the biggest effect it will have is getting the word out about the Baby Boomers, their issues and maybe even some answers to those issues!
  • Post these rules below your post each week. Simply copy the rules between the purple hash marks and paste them below your post in writing section of your blog's posting area.
  • No personal attacks, no hate, no meanness, no spamming or rudeness is encouraged nor will it be tolerated. PopArtDiva reserves the right to delete any or all comments she considers inappropriate.
-------------------
Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090403

IF I WERE LUCKY I'D BE PIERCE OR MERYL IN MAMMA MIA!

Okay, this week's Old School Friday Theme is "If I were a boy/girl"? I'm a little confused but I think (after checking Malcolm's post) that you are supposed to put yourself in the place of someone of the opposite sex that you would like to be if you were the opposite of your sex????

Okay, I'm not too sure if I interpreted this right so I'm going to cover all the bases with this one, and you can read my explanation under the video:


Now, here's why I chose this particular video/song/talent:
  1. If I'm supposed to put myself in the place of a man I admire and/or would like to be - there ya are, my favorite man of the movies: Pierce Brosnan!
  2. If I was supposed to place myself in the shoes of a woman I admire - well, who better than Meryl Streep? Great actress, can sing with the best of them and she gets to make out with Pierce Brosnan!!! And he sings to her. And she gets to dress in cool 70s retro stage clothes and get all nostalgic over the old days and get paid for it!
  3. I loved Mamma Mia - I truly enjoyed the Abba inspired theme and music. This movie is just plain Memory Lane fun for those of us who lived through the 70s!
  4. Pierce Brosnan again - come on, who wouldn't want to be a gorgeous, Irish brogue speaking, blue eye twinkling Remington Steele/James Bond man???
Ah, if wishes were nickles I'd be rich and I could buy Pierce Brosnan - if only for one day and night.

Here's a link to the actual scene where Pierce is singing to Meryl - I would kill to be in her shoes here!
------------------------
This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Mrs. Grapevine
Click here to join in the fun!
-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at

20090401

April Fool's Day Art Parodies, History & Fun

I am one of those people who usually forgets it's the first of April so I'm a prime target for the jokesters - I can be a little gullible at times and being "calendar challenged" it's easy to get me to fall for a good trick.

I am quote fond of parody and smart-ass behavior if it's in good taste or even slightly off-color as long as it isn't filled with profanity just for shock value and
I love to do Art Parodies, and you'll find them at the bottom of my Tributes Page here.
Here's just a few samples below:

FORMER PRESIDENTS BECOME ROCK STARS
Heads of State now stoned 24/7!

LINCOLN FINALLY SPEAKS OUT ON MEN'S RIGHTS!

April Fool's Day jokes have been going on for centuries but no one is really sure how it all got started. Here's a little History of April Fool's Day at History.com in case you're interested.

Here's one of my favorite pranks ever pulled:
Best Buy Prank from Improv Everywhere.

And here's my favorite comedy routine from one of Hollywood's most talented "Fools" Steve Martin (Mr. Martin, I mean that in the kindest way!):



HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY
Don't get caught with your pants down!

-----------------------
LOOKING FOR THE SATURDAY SOAPBOX? Check the latest Saturday Posting!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Get my Retro Inspired Pop Culture Art on Cool Stuff like Cups, Tees, Cards, Aprons and more at the POP ART DIVA BOUTIQUE!
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)