Snowpiercer Isn’t a Disappointment

 

The World Outside Is Frozen Solid. The World Inside Is Heating Up. 

The 411:

My husband and I are huge fans of apocalyptic type shows. This is one we hadn’t watched yet so we were excited to see it. We needed a new show to binge watch and Snowpiercer has become a fast favorite.

The world is frozen so the earths last remaining 3000 people who were lucky ticket holders or snuck on the 1,001 car train now circle the earth dodging avalanches and each other. 

Starring Jennifer Connolly and Daveed Diggs. On episode 5 we are interested to see where it goes but wish it had a little more of the movie. The tallies are a ragtag group working together to survive while the first class passengers are a snobbish bunch. So far we love it and cannot wait to watch the rebellion get a fair and balanced life aboard the train. Why wouldn’t the passengers be interested in meeting new people after dealing with the same 3000 people for all these years?

I know season 2 just started and I need to get moving so I can be up to speed and my Daveed crush is in full effect.

Check it out and if you want to watch the movie Snowpiercer with Chris Evan’s it is on Netflix so you can compare the movie to the show. 

See it on Prime and the Season 2 on TNT

The Girl From The Attic by Marie Prins

 

The 411:

I loved this book that was nothing like Coraline but reminded me of it because our main character Maddy travels between two worlds through an attic door thanks to the help of a black cat.  After moving into a new home with her very pregnant mother and stepdad Dan. Maddy is feeling all kinds of emotions about her parents not being together, her father left her and her own feelings about her stepfather.  She is an angry tween and when she finds a door that leads her to the very house she is living on except 100 years ago, she learns a thing or two about how difficult life could really be. 

While Dan is working he leaves Maddy in charge of taking care of her mom but she forgoes all chores or any assistance to her mom to venture into the past and meet a boy named Clare who spends his life helping his family because that is what you do! It is what he knows and he cannot understand why Maddy wouldn't want to help and she doesn't understand why he spends all his time helping out. Clare has a sick sister who is dying of consumption (Tuberculosis). Maddy has an idea to help him make money to help his sister.  

I found it very interesting that she was so helpful in the past but in her own life where she is needed ran off constantly instead of helping her mom but she would never have come received the lessons necessary to grow as a person and come to terms with why she feels as she does when it comes to her stepfather. 

Good story and I think this would be a great read for a middle school English class to dissect and learn from. Who are we really? Who do we want the world to see us as?  What lessons or experiences will help us better understand the world around us and why things may be a certain way.  Sometimes it is not about us, there are reasons for everything and communication helps us understand. If Maddy had spoke to her mother or even her stepdad about how she was feeling maybe she would have had a better understanding of things but I think sometimes we need to go through a difficult time for us to open our eyes.  

Well written and very interesting. I loved the ending and found it very sweet!  Would definitely recommend.

How to Improve the Welfare of Your Livestock

 

Throughout the last several decades, the livestock and agricultural industries have seen their fair share of changes and development. With technological advancements and scientific breakthroughs in research, farmers and livestock producers have more information at their disposal than ever before. That being said, sifting through such information to find the right practices that you should be implementing with your own livestock can be a challenge.

 

Essentially, every farmer and producer of livestock should be making the best decisions for their personal situation. Those decisions should ultimately be based on how improvements in the welfare of livestock can be made. With healthier, happier livestock, you can hope to bring about higher production levels and better overall products.

 

If you are currently looking for ways to improve your livestock's welfare, here are a few things that you should consider doing.

 

Evaluate Your Feed

 

The health and welfare of your livestock will be heavily affected by the type of feed you opt for. While it had been common practice to go with feed options that contain synthetic elements in the past, more modern insights have demonstrated that such synthetic products can have negative long-term effects on the health and wellbeing of livestock.

 

With that in mind, if it has been a while since you have evaluated the feed that you supply to your livestock, now is the time to do so. By making a switch from harmful synthetic feed to feed that is made from purely natural ingredients and components, you can greatly improve the welfare of your livestock.

 

Another benefit to going this route involves the costs associated with the feed that you provide your livestock. While synthetic products have long been touted as the more cost-effective option for livestock producers, there are now some excellent options on the market that are just as cost-effective as they are healthy for your livestock.

 

Adopt More Humane Methods

 

There is a great deal of scientific research to back up the claim that the more humanely livestock is treated, the better your resulting products will be in the end. With this in mind, you could stand to benefit a great deal from consulting with a livestock welfare expert to uncover new ways in which you can promote the humane care of your livestock.

 

By implementing certain ethical farming practices, you can vastly improve the welfare of your animals. For instance, reducing the amount of time that your livestock is in close confinement and providing conditions that are more conducive to your animals behaving more naturally can go a long way to improving their overall wellbeing. 

 

It is also important to note that such changes while costing a bit upfront, can end up reducing the costs of managing and maintaining your livestock in the long run. With happier livestock and reduced costs, you can find yourself in a much better position in the future. Hopefully these tips have helped to give you some ideas on improving the welfare of your livestock.

Horror Fans! You Better Not Shout, You Better Not Cry! Toys of Terror NOW on Digital & My Review

The 411:

I base all movie reviews I watch with my husband on whether or not he takes his eyes off his laptop and while watching Toys Of Terror he totally watched this movie never getting to his homework and that says a lot. Usually the TV is on as background noise while he does his homework and he has to get it done! He works all day and goes to college at night. He does not have time to watch TV but I received a copy and was dying to watch Toys of Terror.

OK...let's jump in. Toys of Terror wasn't award winning, there was a ton of loop holes for me. A blended family are going away for Christmas to a home they bought so they can flip it. It is literally a mansion and so much better then the house they are currently living in so flip the other house and move into this one. We also never see them working on flipping anything and only know this because when they arrive at the house. all the family including the nanny, are standing in a row staring at the house while the camera takes a long shot of their profiles as they discuss the house and we learn more.

The house is huge and their is a caretaker staying their as well. The mom knows this home was once a children's hospital and her step daughter and nanny research the home to find out the history. 

The smaller children find a chest of old toys which eventually come to life and have an agenda of their own. A fuzzy bee, a flying dragon with a rider, a car, a monkey, a mask and more.  The toys seem to be changing the children or are they? t

There was so much to find hocky about the movie. 

The flying bee who suffocates the caretaker

The scene where the kids wake for Christmas and the toys teach them that crappy presents like clothing should be thrown in the fireplace. 

The dance sequence! 

The caregiver who thinks the kids have gone up to the 3rd floor and are hiding under the tinniest piece of paper and so many other instances 

The scene where the toys try to toss the nanny of the railing. 

The little sock the nanny find and the bassinette. This scene made no sense to me. Apparently the nanny lost a baby. Is the sock to remind her? Is her baby there? Is someone trying to drive her mad? I have no idea.  There were so many moments I was scratching my head but in the end people die and one is left there to take care of the kids forever with them reading to the children of the hospital in the lit living room while the camera pulls out past the outside of the home, the living room light goes out. 

All in all I love this movie and would totally watch it again and plan on it!

My Life In Pictures - Sept 1 - Sept 7, 2020

September 1 - My girl and I went glamping with some friends who were kind enough to invite us to go with her and her kids. It was a nice time away doing something different with my daughter. We had a great time being unplugged and hanging with her and her kids.

September 2 - My girl and I hanging in our bedroom of the cabin! Small but cosy!

September 3 - NADA

September 4 -  My deck lanterns are some of my favorite things to take photos of.

September 4 -Sometimes I need to take photos of myself. I do not like this photo. My hair is strange. My eyebrows so need help and my skin looks so dry and aged but I like my eye color so  photo was necessary. Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves. Always find something you like about yourself. It is important for your soul and we are our own worst critic. 

September 6 - NADA

September 7 - This skeleton looks so weird. Not even sure why we took this photo. 

How I Handle Stress In My Life And How It Can Help You Too

 

I am not so self important to think this is the only way there is to handle anything. I know only what works for me and maybe it will be what works for you too!

Today I was extremely angry at work. Something happened that made me angry! So angry! I am not someone who gets angry so if I am pissed, it has to be something big! I was down right pissed feeling completely disrespected and confused. Unsure as to why someone would go out of their way to make things difficult.  Instead of being pissed and talking or spreading the gossip around I went straight to my boss to discuss it openly and honestly in a very, I hope,  relaxed manner.  I am a firm believer in talking to the person who can fix things or can make a difference. Whenever a co-worker complains to me over work, I always tell them to talk to the boss. I cannot help, if you want real changes go to your boss or in other cases the source that can help you, sometimes that would be the person causing your stress. 

As I have got older I try to handle things that bother me head on. I see no reason to not discuss the unsaid. I do not want to waste time focusing on things I have no control over NOR do I want to try to make everyone happy. 

Stressors will always be there. Some big, some small.  Most of the time I can let stuff roll of my back, today was not one of those days. 

Feeling so angry that I couldn't even sit down while I ate lunch I decided that if I waited I would burst and it wouldn't be good, I decided to walk into my bosses office and just let it out. 

Thankfully she said all the things I needed to hear at that moment. She was calm, collected, understanding and made me feel like what I was saying mattered and was just. This doesn't mean she truly believes I am 100 percent right but she balanced my emotions enough that I could get through my day without feeling stressed or ready to confront the person who had a problem with me. 

When you are feeling stress. Make sure you understand why you are feeling it. Are you feeling it because you are embarrassed, guilty, disrespected? Does the other person fight fair? What is the agenda? Make sure you are not fighting back to belittle or be a step up. Try to understand where the other person is coming from, talk to the person, the source of your stress.  If you are not feeling better after talking to someone, anyone, regroup and figure out if you truly know why you are stressed. We are too old to say, I don't know why I am sad, upset, depressed or whatever. Deep down we all truly know. We may not be able to say it or sometimes even put it into words for others but we know! 

Do not allow yourself to be consumed by stress, you are worth peace and finding the outlet that allows you to release your negative thoughts is the most important thing you can do for yourself when feeling stress. 

Stress or anxiety effects us in so many ways. It not only makes us exhausted but also can contribute to help problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, headaches, insomnia and so much more. 

With everything we are all dealing with these days the last thing you need is more stress. Do not go it alone. I have always found that talking it over is truly the best thing and today confirms this! 

If you need to talk, talk. There will always be someone willing to listen and if you can't I am here too! I may not be able to help but sometimes just getting it off your chest makes all the difference.

Peace be with you!

My Life In Pictures Aug 23 - Aug 31

 August 23 - My teens room. We painted this room when I was pregnant with my son 18 years ago now. IT was sponge painted to go with the border my husband picked out after I mentioned I wanted to do sun, moon and stars mixed with Noah's Ark. When my daughter turned 13 I figured she would want to repaint. When given the option she told me no, that she could never paint over this paint, this is her childhood and knowing we had painted it made her happy. She embraced our theme and loved it. Her room is tiny and has a ton of things in it but she manages to make it work. 

August 24 - We cat sit for friends and this year they brought us back some salt water taffy which was delicious. This little box had so much taffy I was able to share it with my coworkers

August 25 - NADA

August 26- My daughter's friend Tony has been in her grade since Kindergarten. They become friends in the 4th or 5th grade and she considers him one of her best. What I love about their relationship is that they are real friends. Neither has an interest in the other and they can be very much themselves with each other. She is not shy or awkward around him. He is one of the funniest people I know and if I could have him hang out with us everyday I would be okay with that. Whenever I think she needs to hang with a friend I offer to pick up Tony! 

August 26- 27 - NADA

August 28 - My daughter took this because she said it was the first time she was waiting on a train to pass by. I am sure it has happened before this but she insists. It is however the only photo I have to share for this day.

August 29 - NADA

August 30 -  Window shopping with my girl. She does love her Jack!

August 31 - Jinxy!

My Life In Pictures - Aug 8 - Aug 22

Aug 8 - This is a painting my daughter did years ago and she always hated it. Before we threw it away I took a photo so I could remember it.

Aug 9 - My daughter and I are obsessed with this whipped coffee and have it at least a 4 times a week. It is so good and a real treat.

Aug 10 - This bee with the mean face! Scary! Nasty! Vile creature. 

Aug 11 - Why do beautiful teens hate camera?! She use to allow me to take thousands of photos of her when she was little but now if I pull out my camera or phone I get this!

Aug 12 - Nothing

Aug 13 - For my 54 birthday I asked my daughter to make me a lava cake. It is the perfect size and so good. I love it mostly because she made it for me. 

Aug 14 - NADA

Aug 15 - When I feel good I take selfies like every other woman.  Thank you Snapchat for making me feel pretty.

Aug 16 - 19 NADA

Aug 20 - This morning I decided to take my kids to breakfast. It is a treat we don't do often. It was beautiful out and so worth it.

Aug 21 - My daughter takes photos of my radio when a song comes on that she wants to remember. I have no idea what the song was it's blurry but I love spending time with her. We were on our way back from Shoprite and singing to the radio!

Aug 22 - My cats love hanging out on the chairs under the table. Sometimes you have no idea they are there until you try to pull one out.

My Life In Pictures - Aug 1 - Aug 7

 Aug 1 - We love growing our own veggies. This little bounty made us very happy.

Aug 2 - I am a true sky watcher and spend a lot of time looking up.  Thankfully my husband and my daughter also sky watch and send each other pictures often. 

Aug 3 - My work look! Masks mean I smile bigger so the kids can see my eyes are happy. I find it so sad that my class will not see my face. It is also really hard to talk to a room of rowdy 2 year olds with a muzzle on. UGH.

Aug 4 - Thank God for my chiropractor. He is a magician. 

Aug 5 - Driveway Drive-In with my kids! It was just as good as going to the drive in but better. When I got tired I didn't have a long drive I simply got to go right inside my house. Thankfully they sat in the front seat and I had the whole back to myself. I could have fallen asleep easily!

Aug 6 - Chores! They need to earn their keep AND be forced off their computers and game systems once in a while. My daughter isn't on those things often but she does get lost in Pinterest. My son however only walks and plays games. I guess I should be happy that he at least walks. 

Aug 7 - My daughter wanted to paint her bedroom furniture white. She has many colors in her room. White desk, off white bed, off white shelf and black book case. At 15 and addicted to looking at rooms on Pinterest it was time for a change.

My Life In Pictures - July 22 - July 31, 2020

 July 22 - Stormy eating a strawberry! 

July 23 & 24 -  NADA

July 25- Stormy had a pedicure so we took her home and gave her a bath than sat in the sun so she wouldn't get a chill. She was happy to eat her tomato and dry off. 

June 26 - Found this bugger on the tomato plants. Relocated but not before taking a zillion pictures.

June 27 - Do you see what I see? 

June 28 - She's not great but I drew her. 

June 29 -  Just a few sketches. I thought they were cute.

June 30 - Our bed house. 

June 31 - My how things have changed. School days and with a mask. 

My Life In Pictures - July 15 - July 21

 July 15 - On my way to work. This is a crazy world and getting crazier every day.

July 16 - My boss gave me a squash, my daughter added a face and said we couldn't cut him now that he had a face. Ahhh ok!

July 17 - I have always been a sky watcher. 

July 18 - Goddess and Jinxy. He loves smelling the top of her head.

July 19 -  We love working at the shelter. We can't adopt them all but knowing that we are helping them makes us feel better. 

July 20 -  Reminding myself to keep my thoughts to myself. If the end game isn't going to create anything positive there is just no reason for me to say anything. 

July 21 - Nothing makes me crazier than people not cleaning up after themselves. UGH! Do your damn dishes. 

My Life In Pictures - July 1 - July 14

 July 1 - it's me just better. Thank you Snapchat.

July 2 - When you really love a Snap filter you tend to use it a lot!

July 3 - Addicted to this fruit salad!

July 4 - 7 NADA

July 8 - Just a few Diamonds!

July 9 - 10 - NADA

July 11 - I got myself a sweet little iPhone 11 Pro Max and took my first Macro! LOVE IT! These are pods from the trees. As a kid I called them helicopters.

July 12 -  My deck is my happy place!

July 13 - OMG this lady with her egg sac. Soooo nasty. How dare she hang out in my gazebo.

July 14 - Still playing with my new phone. Love it so much. Worth the money.