Here's the Barbies of my youth

The first Barbie I ever had was a vintage Midge. I didn't know where she had come from, and I wasn't positive that she was mine. She would have been my favorite, since she was a blue-eyed brunette like me. 

When they were first going to get me a Barbie as a gift, I wanted one very like that Midge, only my own. I told them I didn't want a blonde and I didn't want her to be smiling with teeth. 

So they bought the 1977 Superstar Barbie. 

That's the beauty of these prescribed celebrations that include mandatory gifting. 

If they can't find the gift I wanted, but they feel they HAVE TO buy something, they buy the very thing I said I didn't want, bring it home, wrap it, and gift it to me while watching with critical expectation. Any reaction other than delight gets charged with "rudeness" and "spoiled little brat!" 

The kids are supposed to get with the program and pretend to be delighted with the very thing they were dreading you were going to bring home and asked you NOT to. 

So, they ASK us what we want - then sentence us to NOT get that thing (because the money's already been spent on THIS and the occasion is over) - and expect us to act happy. 

Where to even begin. 

Okay. Yes. She's pretty. Prettier than I am. There she is, on the left, in her original dress. 

On the right is Pink and Pretty Barbie, IIRC. 

Middle is Hispanic Barbie. I didn't know the implications in 1980. I had always loved Wonder Woman's black hair and blue eyes, so this was a way of getting at least part of the formula. 

It wasn't until 1992 that I found a Western Stampin' Tara Lynn with black hair and blue eyes, and of course bought her instantly, for my then-baby daughter to grow into. She became well loved and I have no idea where she ended up. Here's a pic from the internet.

That one's even more like me, with the dilated eyes! People always remarked on my eyes, from my earliest days, and when I was a teenager, asked if I was on drugs. Nope. It's just neurodiversity. 

Okay. Here's Golden Dream in her original swimsuit. 

The white top and pink skirt, I vaguely remember came with a Miss Flair clone. They were kinda small and barely fit on Barbie. 

The white and black dress I think was Mattel and it was so difficult to get on! 

The blue handkerchief hem dress was made by my sister. She and Mother made me one each, about the same time. Mother's was a white strapless peasant wedding dress with crystal sequin trim, but it came apart. 

That pink dress came with the old Midge doll. 

On the right is a Mattel dress. 

The crochet pieces were original little me. 

The shiny skirt and top in the center were from Ms Flair, too, I believe. They're modeled on a Starr doll because she was the only one that fit into them. 

I made that black vest from a piece of fake leather from a discarded purse.  

The white peasant eyelet dress and crochet jumper were from a gift shop in some small town in Eastern WA back in the early 80s. 

Green dress, Mattel vintage. 

Starr doll original outfit. 

Beauty Secrets Barbie, part of her original gear. 

Red and blue 60s Mattel dress with the trim added to cover up some damaged places.  

The red and blue paisley folkish looking thing was Mattel 80s. 

Totally don't remember where the dotted dress came from, or the red too-sheer one. 

Spanish Barbie's original outfit, which was another reason I wanted her - to get that strikingly Germanic dress! 

The black shawl came with Spanish Barbie. The blue and white, and red and white, wide-brim hats were from a clone four-pack. Green crochet swimsuit and the red crochet cap just beneath it came from that same E. WA gift shop. Neither fit very well, but they were still cool. 

On the right is a pink sock that I cut and hemmed, and tacked black lace over. It actually looked pretty cool when it was on a doll. 

The red and blue tutu skirt and and the tan and yellow skirt were crocheted by little me using worsted yarn. Pink swimsuit (negligee? onesie?) came with Beauty Secrets and should have been on her in the photo above. And that yellow braid is hers. The grey blob in center left was my attempt at a revolution era mob cap. 

Here's rather a mess that includes some small dollhouse sized appliances I found at a craft shop and was tickled with. There's a tiny clear plastic box with tiny printed fairy tale books with real pages and extremely short stories. 

Notice the white boot and the tall brown boot. One of the white boots (an off brand) had split. The mate of the brown boot had been missing for a long time, but I still liked them so much I kept the one as a souvenir. (I'm descended from a daddy who had a little box in his desk with pens that didn't work any more but had been really cool back when they worked.) 

There's the card that came on the package of Ken's Blue Chip Dressing suit. I had 1981 Western Ken with the white and black outfit, and horses Dallas and Midnight. Baby girls ended up with the horses. I don't remember where Ken went, but he survived long enough for me to record in the diary that I heard a yell - "Mom! Come quick! The boys are hitting each other with a Ken doll and a hammer!" 

That struck me as so funny that I laughed all the way to save them. 

Center bottom white and yellow floppy hat is all that's left to show I ever had a Pretty Changes Barbie.  

The child's finger is pointing at the only Superstar Barbie shoe left. 

The yellow ones might've been from Pretty Changes, too.  

Good morning

Greetings on a random day! This made my no-day-in-particular XD

Lazy Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake the LAZY WAY

This is when I was in a hurry and took a bunch of shortcuts and it still came out great, so I do it like this now.

1-1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 eggs 

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter 

2 tsp vanilla extract

350 F, greased pie plate 

35 - 40 min 

Coffee and China

The mostly true origin story of America's coffee. Get your Washington approved freedom fuel at Black Rifle Coffee. #brcc #americascoffee pic.twitter.com/zTHBPkUB1Z

— Black Rifle Coffee (@blckriflecoffee) July 2, 2024

That is fun! Not exactly the origin of coffee as a thing, but it was somewhat along those lines.

Darling drinks coffee. I told him the history of how the tea went into the harbor and coffee became American, and now he likes it even more.

“I don’t need it and they can’t make me want it” is a very American sentiment that, unfortunately, isn't heard much any more. 

When's the last time you gave something up because the consumption of something else would be better for the nation? 

Maybe we could just stop buying things from China. The money masters embedded in the jugular of what's left of the US Gubmint sell us out, and we don't seem able to stop them, but they can't make us buy things from China. At least we could stop with the optional spending. 

Good luck living without a cell phone. Don't know if you've tried it lately. But do we have to own a TV? We could just not own a TV. We wouldn't die. 

If we continue to lavish the last remnants of our wealth on other nations not of our own people, we as a people are going to die. Is that okay? Make sure you think about it and say "Yes, that's okay with me" before you spend another buck towards our national destruction. 

As soon as they have something we can’t live without, they own us. "They" is whoever it is who has the thing that we can't live without. 

Some time ago I went into a big box craft store to get one specific tool that was made in China. It was just a plastic overlay with a grid for $6. I really needed it. It would have taken me a long time to make something similar with any materials in my possession. So I desperately rationalized, all the way into the far back corner of the store, but hated myself for a sell-out with every step.

I passed aisles full of cute useless crap - 

 

A SIGN that says "HELLO PUMPKIN"?? I didn't even notice that one until just now. Let's go buy a grown in USA pumpkin and write "Hello Pumpkin" on it with a permanent marker. 

I was hoping nobody actually buys that garbage, but unfortunately, there's probably a reason it was the biggest and closest aisle. 

This was the cart in front of me in line. 

The Made in China labels were easily visible on some of it. And she needs that for WHY? Our economy's going down in flames, we have old men without roofs over their heads, women who won't have children due to financial insecurity, children eating cheap processed food, but oh yeah, "Here's everything I need for my cute autumn themed party! It even matches my purse!" 

Sigh. 

Oh, yes. Coffee. Sorry. 

I was going to say, and then digressed as usual, that I don’t really get it with coffee. Coffee tastes like dirt with a stick stirred into it. Adding sugar and cream makes it palatable, kinda like spreading frosting on a paper napkin and then eating it.  

I do like tea, but not enough to invade somebody else's country for it. Not gonna say these places aren't justified in trying to get revenge on us. But we don't have to roll over and consent to die! We don't have to help them kill us. We could admit that our ancestors were wrong, and decide not to follow their selfishness and greed. 

I'm fine without tea leaves. Herbal infusions are just as good. Peppermint is nice, so's orange peel, chicory, or honestly I'd take any pathetic walnut shell Ersatz that becomes necessary, to be independent. A dip of honey in hot water is delicious and warms the tummy first thing in the morning.  

I do not need any drink, or food for that matter, bad enough to pay taxes on it-- umm haha ha. That’s a good way to get skinny fast. 

Oh, another thing. (This is random chatter, and that's what the blog is for.)  

Two of my children like coffee. There's no accounting for taste. One of my children likes Twinkies. We saw the movie Zombieland, and they were all a little puzzled. They'd never had one. I might have had, at some point long ago, but forgotten what it tasted like. So we all set out on a Twinkie expedition - luckily no zombies around -  secured a box and eagerly sampled this strange new substance. Four kids and I said EWWW and dropped the unfinished Twinkie into the trash. One of them loved it. 

Dog Food Bag Shopping Bag

Folding up dog food bag to throw away, and it occurs to me that this is an awesome, thick, strong bag. What a waste. Can’t I reuse it for something? Checked internet for reassurance / validation, and there’s pics of everybody’s dog food bags made over into shopping bags. 

Here’s my entry.

It was so easy and quick! That great old fifties Singer 301A with a handle on the flywheel punches through that thick plastic material without a blink. 

It is a very artistic illustration of paleo puppies gathering in the sight of their victim. Don’t they look happy? Look at the dog nearest us smiling! Luckily we have kibbles now, so no more buffalo have to give their lives… ummmm… 

Oh but those pestilence of DEER are another story. They ate my sunflowers down to stalks, completely destroyed a nice tomato plant with baby tomatoes on it. They've ruined the grilles of three vehicles so far. I feel really good about feeding some of them to my dog. 

Three Useful Movie Quotes

From three of my favorite movies come principles that have occurred to my memory at useful moments. 

1) Batman Begins

Rachel sees Bruce acting like a spoiled wastrel while she's trying to clean up corruption in the city. 

In shame, Bruce tries to tell her that's not who he really is. 

She says: 
"Bruce, deep down you may still be that same great kid you used to be. But it's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."

 

Rachel asks Batman who he is, and he says, "It's what I do that defines me." 

It's true. We should go by what people have done recently, rather than sentimentality and nostalgic excuses. 

2) Flight of the Phoenix, the remake 

I love this movie, esp the characterizations. Elliott, the aircraft designer, is just about the same degree and style of autistic as I am. I very feel that particular character - capable of occasional brilliant solutions, but generally not going to do very well in life because he doesn't want to admit how much the outcome depends on the emotional reactions of other people. 

That's unrelated to the quote I want to share  :-) 

Here is a thought that sometimes helps me along when the going gets tough. It certainly sustained me through those dark twenty years when there seemed to be nothing to hope for and no dreams. 

"I think a man only needs one thing in life. He just needs someone to love. If you can't give him that, then give him something to hope for. And if you can't give him that, just give him something to do." 

3) Open Range 

One of my top favorite movies, right up there with The Mummy Returns - and I've gotten some weird looks for claiming The Mummy Returns as my favorite movie, but it is! For several reasons! Not for any great quotes, though. 

Open Range is packed full of cowboy wisdom. "You're men, aren't you?" 

Here's the quote I like so much: "Most time, a man will tell you his bad intentions if you listen, let yourself hear." 

SO VERY TRUE and as I look back over some of the psychos I've had to deal with, there was almost always a verbal warning. Usually, there's a warning, and then a laugh, as the listeners "realize" they didn't mean it and are just being shocking or making a joke. 

No, they mean it. They're telling you their bad intentions. The question is whether you will let yourself hear. 

Let people define themselves, and then have the grace to believe them. 

Bonus: 4) Unforgiven 

A movie I only watched once, and didn't like. I prefer the sentimental, black and white, Zane Grey version of the West. 

But my darling asked what this blog post was about, and is glad to offer his favorite quote from a Clint Eastwood western. 

"Well, he should have armed himself if he was going to decorate his saloon with my friend." 

Now that's a quote! -- he says. 

A few posts from Twitter/X

X isn't much of a name. I'd say the new owner should have left it alone. "Twitter" was a thing; although previously an English word, it wasn't used much and was very googleable. How do you search for "X"? It'll have to be explained for the rest of its life. 

In fact it seems to have already settled down into "Twitter / X" 

I had some hope with the new owner, and went back to give it another try. First it made me pick a new password, then asked why I'd changed the password, and none of the options were "because you made me". 

Then it wants me to select my pronouns. The problem is that I speak English, and in English the singular object doesn't get to pick his, her or its own pronoun any more than two or more persons or things have any choices besides "they". 

I went away in mild annoyance. 

But the app was still there on the phone, and one night I had something to share, and thought I'd try just ooooone more time! 

It does seem like there should be a platform for sharing. My stuff goes on my space, but other stuff that I've found floating around - well, it seems presumptuous to put that on my space as if it was mine. It's not mine. 

Argh for the particular, the persnickety, the punctilious ones of the world. What can we do? Everything should be just so, but often isn't. 

So I posted a couple of links on Twitter / X, intending to go back later when I had a keyboard and add my comments. 

Found out there's a one hour window for editing your own posts. 

They can be deleted, so that's what happened. 

Here's what I posted on Twiiiii - X and then removed. 

https://www.slashfilm.com/1412312/beekeeper-trailer-is-honey-flammable/

Happened across the trailer for The Beekeeper, and my darling for some reason thought I'd be interested, because, "I thought you liked Jason Statham?" 

1) not like that! I used to need to like random movie actors, but those days are over because I like my darling! and 2) not necessarily although there were a couple of his movies, Parker, most notably. It took me a while to think of the other: Spy! That was just bloody funny. I don't necessarily approve, and yet I've watched it several X. The part where the fat lady kills a guy and then barfs on him... yeah, NO, hahaha. And Ford's over-the-top boasting was so perfect. Don't we all know a guy like that? He's been everywhere, done everything, and now lives to tell you way too much about it. 

And Wrath of Man was okay. Somewhat. 

But I watched the trailer, and of course immediately ran to do "what any sensible person would do", with honey and fire. Conveniently, there was already a fire going, so I dribbled some honey on a flat piece of kindling and put it in the flames. It wouldn't light. After some time it eventually bubbled and carmelized, but didn't burn. So I hit the internet and was amused by this article. "'Honey is natural napalm' is another of Hollywood's lies along with 'ventilation ducts are always large enough to crawl through' and 'people can walk away from explosions without flinching'" 

The article says burning is a test of real honey - real honey burns, sugar water carmelizes - and that jar said "raw, local, natural" honey! Isn't there anything you can trust? 

I also belatedly observed the distinction between flammable and combustible, which is so basic that I'll add it to my list of things I've learned after age 40 that I really should have known before. Funny how I'm still coming across those. 

https://youtu.be/ltcu5Cx8A7I

People in the south when it's freezing 

This amuses me because I'm that neighbor, or aspiring to be. Now that I've learned to get out of bed when the bedroom is twenty degrees and get the fire started, I can at least show off, which is little consolation but at least SOMETHING. Humans get used to things. If I'm used to the cold, that means I'm tough and awesome! Right? 

https://youtu.be/b9fLRr9fi4A?si=BfziSnDoLYHrmne_

A lady playing O Holy Night on handbells, and besides gorgeous, it's just mind blowing the level of calm and coordination she demonstrates. 

UPDATE April 2024 - whoaaaa seriously??? 

https://time.com/6969931/elon-musk-x-australia-albanese-stabbing-censorship/

Okay I take it all back and now I'm gonna be a Twiiii - X fangirl all the way. Wow! Big Brother of Australia orders big tech to REMOVE reports of a factual thing that actually happened and THEY ALL COMPLY??? Including the American ones! Except Twitter / X. 

Just in case you don't think 98% of "reality" (everything we think we know that didn't happen right in front of our eyes) is fabricated. 

They don't say a preacher did not get knifed by a guy screaming Muslim slogans, they simply don't want anyone to see it - because it's TOO DISTRESSING. 

Too distressing to whom? In the opinion of whom? 

"We're not calling for censorship, only for common sense." 

They prefer people to have nicer, warm fuzzy feelings, by simply not knowing what's going on. Hmmm. Well, that isn't just like every sci-fi mind-control-society movie ever, or the book 1984 (which I read in 1984 when I was 14, and was very upset by it) AT ALL, is it. 

Ugh. 

Don't have time to rant much right now  :-)  okay, more later. 

See you on Twitter or whatever the new owner wants to call it! Where I'll be posting everything I can think of and clicking the ads, too!