Friday Mieography

Now who else would I do on Halloween, except Elvira, Mistress of the Dark? I mean, seriously, here.
Cassandra Peterson was born in Manhattan, (Kansas, that is)
She grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her childhood was badly traumatized by an accident she had at five years old, where she was scalded by boiling water, and ended up having to undergo seventeen different skin grafting operations to repair the scar tissue. She had to cover some of her remaining scar tissue on her neck and shoulders with make up or clothing. She admits that she had been mesmorized by Ann Margaret as a girl, and wanted to be a dancer. Days after graduating from high school, she drove to Las Vegas, Nv, where she got a job at the Dunes, as a showgirl. The Guinness Book of World Records cited her as the youngest showgirl in Vegas history. She was a showgirl in the Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever", dated Elvis Presley (briefly) and posed as a stripper for the cover of "Small Change", an album by Tom Waits.
in the early 1970's, she moved to Italy and became the lead singer of an Italian rock band. While she was there, she happened to meet Fellini, and got a small part in one of his movies, "Roma". She eventually came back to the US, where she toured nightclubs, and gay disco with a musical comedy act called "Mama's Boys, which she created. In 1979, she joined a LA based improv group called The Groundings. It was here that she started developing the very beginnings of Elvira....
she was also posing nude for several "Big Bust" magazines, auditioned for the role of "Ginger" in a Gilligan's Island movie, and was a radio show personality.
In late spring of 1981, a local LA station got the bright idea to bring back a weekend horror show called "Fright Night" whose host had died. They wanted a female host, and had originally hired Maila Numi, who used to be a horror host. They were going to call it "The Vampira Show". Numi quit the project when the producers would not hire Lola Falana to play Vampira. A casting call went out, and Cassandra went, with 200 other hopeful horror hosts. She won, obviously, and the producers told her to create her image. She'd originally planned to look like Sharon Tate, in the film "The Fearless Vampire Killers", but the producers jeered her for that. Meanwhile, Numi stopped the producers from using the name "Vampira", so "Elvira" was chosen, and the name of the show was changed to "Elvira's Movie Macabre". Elvira, with her drag queen makeup, and towering black beehive wig quickly gained notoriety. It also helped that she wore a tight fitting gown that showed more cleavage than had ever been on television before. The screened movies were all B grade, or less, and Elvira would recline on her red velvet couch, lampooning them all.
She became a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and did a long series of TV ads for Coors Light, and Mug Root beer, and guest starred on many TV shows (For years, my Father would gaze adoringly at the full sized Elvira cardboard figure he got from a grocery store. I think it was a Coors light ad of some sort).. Soon, costumes, calendars, dolls, among other things modeled after her began to surface. She even went on to be in a film "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" that she co-wrote. She put out some home video's (NO, not that kind) as well. Computer games with her persona were developed, and even pinball machines.
Like a thorn in a paw, Malia Numi surfaced yet again in the late 90's, and sued her for alleged unauthorized use of her likeness and character. Elvira ahem Cassandra won her case.
On Halloween night, 1992, she appeared with U2 when they played at Dodger Stadium. This is where she first announced her candidacy for President, saying "we already have two boobs in the White House, might as well be mine". She ran again fourteen years later. She also recorded five Halloween albums, and has written 4 books. There are thousands of Elvira impersonators in this world. She even was part of a reality show called "The search for the Next Elvira", where she (supposedly) crowned her successor. The winner goes to events where Cassandra cannot go, for any reason. (Kind of like a beauty queen runner up?)
Her career as 'Queen of Halloween' has now spanned over 26 years.
She is married to Mark Pierson, and has one child.

Unpleasant Dreams.........

Thursday 13

Those of you who have been regularly here know, that this summer, after we moved into our new home, we went and adopted three dogs at one time. (Yes. Three. Crazy. Absolutely.)
One of those dogs had the name of Cheese when we adopted him. Cheese he stayed. It makes life real interesting when you are yelling at him. (Cheese, come!)
Today's 13 features Mr. Cheese, in all his glory. So here I give you....
13 different ways you can use Cheese.
To see other Thursday 13'ers, click here



1. Cheese Ball


2. Wine and Cheese


3. Half Eaten Cheeseburger


4. Cheese and Crackers


5. Cheese Stick


6. String Cheese


7. Don't cut the Cheese!


8. Jack Cheese. (Jack is the black cat staring at the dog disdainfully from the top of the cat tree. This is as close as I could get them without bloodshed. My bloodshed...)


9. Cream Cheese (yes that is coffee creamer. I couldn't trust him with 'mini moo')


10. Cheese Log (this one could have been so much worse)


11. American Cheese


12. Macaroni and Cheese (you'll have to look closely to see the one lone piece of mac he didn't snarf up)


13. Cheese Doodle! (Doodle provided by Mustang Girl)


Bonus shot-The Cheese Stands Alone....

Wordless Wednesday

Rubber Ducky, you're the one...

(or rather, you WERE the one...)

Pumpkin fun

carved by Mustang Man


carved by Mustang Girl


carved by Mie

We carved our pumpkins this last weekend, and I must say that the talent of pumpkin carving in our little family ranges from mediocre (me), to stellar (Mustang Man and Mustang Girl).
In my own defense. I still do not have nearly the use of my right hand that I wanted to have. It's been almost a year since my carpal tunnel surgery. I can do most of the stuff I want to, but when it comes to delicate stuff or any fine motor skill, my hand gets fatigued very easily, and starts to hurt. It sucks. And there are still days that I can't manage to use chopsticks.
Alright, whine over.........

it's that time

Report Cards.
Remember getting those? I do.
And they have changed... a lot.
I remember the hand written ones. The ones with a space for comments, where it seemed, no matter how bad you were, your teacher always found something positive to say about you. (Not that I was bad...).
My highschool report cards were not hand written, but, yet, somehow they managed to be somewhat personalized. At least it felt that way to me. By then I had (mostly) good grades, and never feared bringing my report card home.
These days, they still bring them home. And from what I could tell from the 8th grade one Monkey Girl brought home, they are very boring, and not personal at all. Nothing reflecting anything about the student.
Today, or tomorrow, she brings home her first highschool report card.
And we can also see it online.
Can you imagine having your parents have total access to your grades at all times? Frankly, the thought makes me shudder. I think I would have been in permanent trouble, certain years of my school career. Thank God computerized grading and posting was not a part of my little world. I almost have to feel sorry for MG.
But she is a good student. No worries there....
I wonder, do the little kids still get the nice ones with notes from the teachers? Those of you with little ones chime in, and satisfy my curiosity for me :)
Good night, going to bed!

Short Story Saturday

Ava was out in her garden, planting bulbs so that she would have spring flowers. In her little corner of the universe, the first frost was coming, soon, and she needed to have her tulip bulbs in the ground before that happened. Suddenly, a brief breeze skittered around her skirts, tugging at them, as if the wind itself was trying to pull her away from her task. Tilting her head to the side, she listened, to everything, and yet, nothing at the same time. Far away, she heard the faint, tinkling crash, and smelled peanut butter.
"Oh well, no hope for it, then" she said, to everyone, and yet, no one in particular. Shedding her garden gloves, she went into her home, took one last sip of tea, then closing her eyes, she focused, once more...
**************************************

Eden's big, blue frightened eyes met the shocked brown eyed gaze of her husband. Both of them were thinking the same thing as the torrential rain started to pour down. The nearest hospital was 20 miles away, and, in this rain and wind, it would take them forever to reach it. If they reached it at all. Ben quickly picked up the phone to dial 9-1-1, and realized they had no dial tone. Neither of their cell phones were working, either. By this time, Eden was beginning to feel her contractions, strong, and steady.
"I can go for Mrs. Strom" he offered, lamely.
"Don't leave me!" she begged him, scared more than she had ever been.
A knock at their door surprised them greatly, and Ben hurried to answer it. To his surprise, there was a tiny lady standing there, no more than 5 feet tall. And he could swear she had lavender hair. Her eyes were a shade never seen to him before, kind of a cross between amethyst, and, well, sea green? The wind that was tearing at everything else around him seemed to not affect her at all.
"Good afternoon, kind sir" she said. My name is Ava, and I am a midwife. I believe you may possibly have need of my services?"
Peace washed over Ben with her words and acceptance of her presence in their home. Opening the door wider, he let her in. As she walked past him, he could swear he could smell the fall scent of decomposing leaves, and dried bulbs.
Ava immediately focused in on Eden, and her need. Before Eden knew what was happening, she found herself tucked into her bed, that was made with fresh sheets. Her hair was neatly braided and tucked up, and her contractions were coming hard, and fast.
"This is your first child?" asked Ava, sipping her tea thoughtfully.
"Yes" answered Eden panting with the pain, as she had been taught.
"Must be the weather, then" answered the diminutive midwife. Outside, the wind was whistling like a whole room full of construction workers that was let into a beauty pageant. The trees were swaying, and the rain was falling in torrents.
After a few hours of contracting, it was time. Ava sensed it. Together, the three of them worked to bring the baby into the windy, stormy world that awaited her. It didn't take long.
Ben was delighted with their little girl, as was Eden. Beaming, Ava whispered a message into the little one's ear before handing her over to her parents.
"That is a special little girl you have, expect great things from her" she said to the happy couple. "Now, I must take my leave. I have bulbs to set".
With that, at the blink of an eye, she was gone. And, so was the wind and rain. Looking down at his daughter, Ben noted she had the most peculiar sea green eyes....

Friday mieography

BW watches a lot of TV.
at least this is what she tells me when she forwards me information on ladies she thinks we might want to learn about. So far she is 3 for 3, this being her third suggestion. Go, BW!

Todays selection is Empress Dowager Cixi.

The exact origin of her is unknown, most biographies claim she was the daughter of a low ranking Manchu official and his principal wife. She spent most of her early life in the Anhui Province before moving to Beijing, before she was 15. She ended participating, with 60 other girls, in the selection process for concubines for the new Emperor. She was one of the few girls selected, and was appointed "Preparative Concubine xiu nu. (Elegant Female) She was "promoted" to Noble Person, concubine 5th rank after she entered the Emperor's bed. She became pregnant with his child, and gavebirth to the only male heir of the Emperor, and became a "Noble Consort", and at his first birthday became Noble Imperial Consort Yi"
Then came the British and French troops. They attacked many places, including Beijing, burning the Imperial Summer Palace Complex to the ground. The Emperor and his people escaped to Manchuria. Upon hearing of the loss of his Summer Palace, the Emperor, who was showing signs of dementia, fell into a depression, began drinking, using drugs, fell into illness, and died. Before he died, he named Eight men as "Eight Regent Ministers" to direct and support his heir, whom at this time was only Five. He also told his Empress, and Cixi, the mother of the heir, that they needed to get along and help the young man mature. Cixi was a master manipulator by this point in her life. She took advantage of the Empresses naivete and good nature,and got her to make them both co-reigning Empress Dowagers, with powers that exceeded those of the Eight Regent Ministers. This caused tension, of course, and many confrontations. Cixi began to secretly collect support of some of the ministers, soldiers, and others whom the Eight Regents disliked. After many manipulations, a coup was accomlished, the Xinyou Palace Coup, and Cixi became the first, and only Qing Dynasty Empressto rule from "behind the curtains". She ruled, despite her son, for 48 years, until her death. Her reign was despotic, and attributed to the fall of the Imperial China.