Author: boomingbanter

We’ve had several occasions recently when we all look at each other, as you do when that sulphury rotten eggs aroma drifts into the room, and asked who poofed? It’s about the only thing that Crinklies get better at!

Suspicion turned however to the new and youngest member of the family who made no denial. Instead he investigated and cleared his record.

Scooby has found the entry point of Stink Bugs into our house. It’s the chimney! He has also uncovered their hiding place. It’s behind the TV beside the chimney!

The boy was well named proving his detective skills are sound!

Since Scooby arrived we have seen a notable increase in these pests. Usually each Autumn we’ll see a couple a week this year we’ve been seeing a couple a day. He’s rooting them out!

Correct me if I’m wrong but these wretched insects have no redeeming features. They are ugly as sin, they wreck havoc on all sorts of crops from fruit to corn and trees. Worst of all they really stink and they are shriveled like the crinkliest crinkly.

They are indigenous to China and Japan and made it to the USA only in the 1990s but they’ve made inroads all throughout the northern half of the country with devastating effects on crops.

Everyone knows that you shouldn’t try to swat them or they’ll release their horrid odor everyone that is except Scooby. He’s ready to eat them if he get the chance.

So it is that cries of STINK BUG have been going off regularly followed by a chase to catch without crushing them.

Right now it worse around here than the day after Christmas when the effects of the Turkey and Brussel Sprouts overpower even then strongest scented candle!

Fortunately no guests are expected for a week or two by then the air should have cleared!

Blessing #479 – Letting Go

Down by our letterbox there is a spreading conifer. It is a dear little plant because it just does what it’s meant to do. It spreads without any efforts on our part. It’s a bit old and crinkly but still robust.

A few weeks ago a little bluish violet flower appeared. It was growing on a vine that had wrapped itself around some branches of the conifer.

Here we have this dreadful thing caused poison ivy that causes a terrible rash and a little rhyme that says « leaves of three let the be ». The vine has a trident like leaf so I let it be and low and behold we now have a carpet of beautiful flowers.

They bloom in the morning and then crinkle up before noon. New flowers appear the next morning. And each day there seem to be more of them.

Turns out they are aptly named Morning Glory. A little birdie must have sown them and they have been a joy these past weeks.

The color of the flower is beautiful and the vine really knows how to take care of itself.

It simply wrapped itself up tight to something strong and well established and has waited for it’s time to shine.

Each day more buds appear and at this time of year when everything is turning rusty we have a vibrant contrast amongst our evergreen.

Bet if I’d planted the seed it wouldn’t have done nearly so well. You just gotta trust nature. Even if it’s the end of the season there is still the chance to shine if you are prepared to be patient.

Who knows what lies ahead even if it’s autumn!

Blessing # 478 – Late Bloomers

There is a heat wave happening here such as has never been seen. Yesterday and today were temperatures for the record books. At 33C or 91F it is scorching and feels like mid July. For this Crinkly it feels just great. Perfect warm mornings and evenings too to take young Scooby for his constitutionals. A tad too hot midday though for a long outing!

Usually around this time of year Crinklies of the northern parts of the USA pack their bags and head south. Like the swallows who head in the same direction they are fondly known as snow birds.

This is not a recent phenomenon for the rich and famous like Ernest Hemingway who took to the keys to write. Based on what he came up with it would seem it’s good for mind as well as the soul. Not sure how his body faired though maybe a few too many cocktails.

Today many people can afford to take off  and some of our friends have even taken things a step further and have moved for good to Florida. They’ll have fun times for sure. Golf and swimming all year round. No grey days, no ice, no blisteringly cold winds.

Right now it’s not for us with Aaron still in school but who knows what we’ll do in years to come.

While the heat could become oppressive it sure does warm the bones. In the meantime we’ll enjoy soup and stew and Santa season with snow!

Blessing # 477 – Indian Summers

Scooby has discovered his reflection in the mirror in our bedroom. He doesn’t yet know that it’s himself.

When he’s up close to it he paws at the mirror in a playful fashion. When he’s standing on the bed though he goes berserk. Growling and barking ready to attack.

It’s OK of course when things are dark at night but such behavior is not at all conducive to afternoon naps.

So it was that this afternoon the mirror was covered and this did the trick no barking and good napping!

It got me thinking though of times past in Ireland when someone passed away. Many rituals were followed including the draping of mirrors with a linen cloth for three days and clocks would be stopped too. Very spooky and strange. Something to do with souls departing this world for the next.

Anyway this train of thought brought me as things often do to my Mom and how she would have had that linen ironed until it was as flat as a pancake and shining.

I’ve shared before she ironed everything in site. Crinkles were definitely not her thing. Underpants, socks, vest, towels, sheets, you name it she ironed it.

Seems the passion for decrinkling developed early. She would iron as a girl to help her mother with the mountains that needed to be done for her many brothers and sisters.

She never referred to it as ironing though it was Smoothing instead. She’d take off to the kitchen of an evening once the news was over and simple say “I’m away to smooth” Such a lovely word smooth and a great antonym for Crinkle too.

Maybe after a days work my Mom just wanted a little time to herself or found joy in the beauty of the pile of cleaned pressed clothes that were the outcome of her efforts

Often she tried to inculcate in me this love of smoothing. She failed. She bought me an ironing board once thinking my household was incomplete without one.

My tactic is different. Iron only what is seen and keep that to an absolute minimum. Before you buy check clothing’s crinkle capacity. If it crinkles stop and seek something supple! Pity it doesn’t work for all wrinkles!!!!

Blessing #476 –  Lines of Reasoning

Today it was announced that yet another famous retailer Forever 21 had gone into liquidation.

Not so long ago this was the destination for anyone hip today it’s Crinkled. The company just couldn’t move fast enough to compete with the H&Ms and Zara’s of this can’t wear it twice world.

A days shopping is just no longer a destination it’s a necessity to be undertaken as quickly as possible! Not so long ago when Crinklies were smoothies you’d get your steps walking from shop to shop rather than on a treadmill. There even were routes you’d take the one I remember started at Wallis and ended at Miss Selfridge and often we did several laps too!

Forever 21 is not the first or even the most significant of the major chains to bite the dust. The one that caused the first gasp of shock and horror was probably Woolworths. The place of dreams for kids with loose sweets and many toys just got old!

Shops like Littlewoods and British Home Stores that catered to the fashions of Moms and Grannies, Dads and Grandpas also bit the dust. Why? Well because while faces of the 80s Moms and Dads may have crinkled as they became Grans and Grandpas their clothes did not. They refused to wear what they were meant to.

Crew necks and elasticated waist just won’t cut it. We crinklies want our fashion! Just thinking of what I’m wearing now I couldn’t imagine even in my wildest dreams that my Mom would have ever worn this!

So what will the future hold? A vestige of Littlewoods has survived as an online catalogue business and we all know Amazon is taking over the world. Maybe that’s it for shopping to come phone not foot!

Or will an outing to Macy’s and Marks and Spencer of the world endure? What will keep them on trend and relevant. Personal shopping services helping you find what’s just right for you perhaps. Food? Or if the latest news is to believed it will be recycling. Sections in the store for designer bargains of the gently used form! Would you buy it?

Blessing # 475 – Fresh Starts

Do you subscribe to a newspaper or magazine that’s delivered directly to your door?

We don’t but our neighbors do they take the local Columbus Dispatch and the Wall Street Journal. They read them within a few hours and then pass them on to Krishna. He loves it!

Sometimes they get People Magazine which they also give to us and that makes me happy. So it was today that Krishna got his papers and I got my magazine for a good old Sunday afternoon read.

The last time we had a subscription was way back in the 1990s when we took Time Magazine. We bought the Sunday Times too but not a daily paper.

Back in the 1970s living with my parents it was a very different story. We got the Belfast Telegraph delivered by a real live paper boy every evening. My Mum got the People’s Friend each week from the newsagents and on Sunday we got a selection of papers local and national. These were broad sheets and my Dad read them from cover to cover.

Teenagers too had their own weekly a magazine called Jackie. If anything defined an era it was this. Filed with pop stars and gossip with fashion and make up and of course teenage agony aunt it was a must have and the source of much discussion the next day at school.

Around the age of sixteen Jackie seemed a little immature so some friends progressed to Cosmopolitan. This was too deep for me and had way too many ads so it was that Woman and Woman’s Own became a staple. To this day when I go to the UK I’ll buy these. Krishna fondly refers to them as my Masala or spice!

What they offer is variety. Some real life stories mixed with celebrity interviews and gossip. A little fashion and beauty for real women not supermodels and of course a few recipes, diet tips and just enough health and wellness to give you hope you can shape up.

They are very middle of the road and what they do is offer an hour or two of light diversion.

There is something so relaxing about flipping through colorful pages rather than scrolling down a screen. Best of all you can take them to the bathtub without risk of suffering major financial loss! Each article is no more than a five minute read just ideal for a quick peak in bed before lights out too.

How long will this last? Is paper destined for extinction or is its future bright. What will crinklies of tomorrow do? Just think of all the stress relieve they might miss!

Blessing # 474 – Comfort Covers

John, my cousin Norma’s husband, commented on yesterday’s banter that there is nothing to beat a fish supper especially if it’s served with a can of Sprite or an Iron Brew. Fully agree on the food but will have a Diet Coke if you don’t mind!

Thus inspired what else to talk about today but Crinkly beverages to match our favorite take aways.

Iron Brew is a unique composition developed by none other than the Barr’s of Scotland. There must be some link there to the family tree! It is popular in Northern Ireland too and perhaps the North of England but outside the UK it is virtually unknown. It has a unique flavor slightly metallic and is definitely an acquired taste.

The first sparkling drink most Northern Irish Crinklies will have had is lemonade. We were big drinkers in our small household and had a crate with a dozen bottles delivered to the door each week. Can you imagine the calories that packed in! We distinguished between white and brown lemonade and our preference was the brown variety.

At Carols house we had Cream Soda which was a sweet vanilla like concoction. It wasn’t my favorite but I did enjoy the foaming Creamola they served.

With the arrival of teenage years we progressed to Coca Cola thinking it was the next thing to heaven until we discovered diets and sugar and the need to loose weight to get into those tight jeans.

Just around the time we started slimming the world was introduced to the magic of TAB a calorie free cola that tasted so weird. We drank it though until it’s much more palatable cousin Diet Coke hit the market. You can still get TAB here in the USA so there for sure are some Crinklies out there who must love it.

There are a few other fizzies worth an honorable mention. LILT with the Totally Tropical Taste that had everyone humming when it launched. Bet you’ll be humming that tune all day!!!!!

In India there is Thumbs Up the original cola of the nation and still competing strongly with the soft drink giants.

Last but not least in the USA the unique Dr Pepper which is absolutely horrendous to anyone who didn’t drink it from childhood.

What makes all these drinks so great with fast food? Their sweetness perhaps to accentuate the grease or the bubbles to cleanse the palate. Whatever it is they make a significant mark in our lives and we love them.

Name your favorite and share the reason why it’s Top of your Pops!

Blessing # 473 – Thirst Quenchers

Everywhere you look today there is a fast food place. They are so plentiful that it is a complete mystery how they make money.

Aaron has a preference for one called Canes Chicken and frequents it on the way home from school for a light 1000 kcal snack to tide him over till dinner.

Growing up in Belfast in the 1960s we had Fish and Chips or Fish and Chips. The most famous Fish Salon was Longs and it’s still going today. A trip to the Odeon or ABC cinema was just a stones throw from Longs so there was often a trip for a supper after the show.

We became very hip in the late 1960s with the arrival of the Whimpy Bar where Carol and I would go to have a plate of thin crispy French Fries so different from our usual chips. They came with ketchup which was a novelty and if we were celebrating we’d have a burger too. This was like a thin piece of rubber sandwiched between two dry pieces of bun. No matter how it tasted we took a long time to eat it so we could drink in the atmosphere!

With the success of Whimpy local burger joints started popping up. One of the most popular was Kens at Knock. Kens burgers were highly rated because they had cheese as well as lettuce and tomato on them. They were so juicy they dripped  when you bit into them. What made Kens extra special though was that in the days when Fish and Chip shops closed at 10:00 pm Kens stayed open till the ridiculous hour of 3:00 am. Heading home from a disco or party, not having eaten anything more than a pack of peanuts since your dinner served at 5:00 pm sharp, it was a heavenly outpost

There were a few other options if you didn’t stay out too late. The curry chip from the Chinese was a perfect combo after a movie and by the 1980s there was Spuds where not only burgers but baked potatoes filled a tummy or too after an evening in the pub.

The Combo of day was the event with the food stop rather than the menu from which you’d choose.

There was no such thing as a value meal or meal deal. Choice was limited but Crinklies sure knew how to end an evening in style!

Blessing # 472 – Perfect Pairings

Krishna and I have been out and about in Aarons new car. It’s a wee dream and so clean!

After dropping Aaron at school we took Scooby for the snip. He is already out of surgery and recovery and is ready to come home later today. All went well!

Since Scooby is having a snip I thought I’d have one myself so after doing Zumba and the weekly grocery shopping I dropped Krishna at home to put things away and took myself to the salon. A girl needs a treat now and then especially after the trauma of the past few weeks.

The hair had had no color over the summer lest it go green with chlorine so it was white. I hesitate sometimes if I should leave it that way but then I take the head staggers and decide if senior citizens like Oprah and Anna color why shouldn’t I.

I mess around with dye myself but it’s great to get it done professionally once in a while. All that TLC showered on you and all that crinkly tin foil too.

You really look like a trusted up old bird!

Who knows maybe I’ll even get slightly stewed later at our Zumba girls night out now that my personal Uber driver has a vehicle again!

Blessing # 471 – Makeovers

 

After much reflection we took the decision to trade in Aarons car rather than repair it.

He was very much in love with his car. It was definitely a sporty looking model but far from reliable. We spent almost as much on repairs as on the original price.

So this time we, that is Krishna and I, decided we were going to take the advice of the dealer and invest in reliability over style. As you can imagine Aaron had other views and wanted a souped up Dodge. Since we were writing the check he got a Honda that had one very careful owner. It is pristine!

Next time he can choose what he wants because he’ll be paying!

My first car was an old Mini  hatchback. It was more like a van than a car. My Dad paid £200 for it in fall of 1978 and I thought I was the bees knees driving it.

Alas it didn’t last long! I piled six people into it and broke the subframe going over a speed breaker!

My Dad as you can imagine was not impressed because we weren’t exactly rolling in money but shortly thereafter he got me a little Mini Cooper also costing £200.

It had its own air conditioning a hole in the floor. That car was as reliable as clockwork and ran like a dream. It never once caused any problems. Only once did it stop in traffic when I let it run out of fuel!

Better yet we sold it for $200 too.

What stories that car could tell of parties and boyfriends of evening fish suppers by the seaside.

Fortunately it was like all crinkly friend it listened and watched but soon forgot!

Blessing # 470 – Vintage Vehicles