Bewitching Witches

Today's Wonder of the World is...a Happy Halloween!

Photo from tomi-mcmillar.blogspot.com
I hope your night is full of bewitchery!

How I love the old television show Bewitched. Were you ever a fan?
When I was a kid I always yearned to be able to twitch my nose and conjure up a box of Pop Tarts. Or a bottle of Coke. Or a Payday candy bar. Or all three at the same time!

I twitched and I twitched, but all I got was a sneeze.

Call me a little obsessed, but I even wished I could change my name.

Just call me Sam!
Wow, how about that--I've got a son named Sam. I wonder if that was my subconscious doing some twitching of its own!

I thought Endora was wonderfully devilish.

And who couldn't love dear Aunt Clara?

Serena was so groovy.

How remarkable! She looked just like Sam! But with black hair! How did they ever find her?

I could spend days and days blabbing about Bewitched, gushing on about Esmeralda, Dr. Bombay, Gladys Kravitz, and Uncle Arthur. Not to mention all the great guest stars-- Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci, Sigmund Freud, and Cleopatra (See! Bewitched is educational! It's practically the History Channel!) but I won't rattle on. I'd hate to destroy my highfalutin image as a lover of culture and fine film.
Ha ha.
(Cue classical snooze music in the background.)
Let's recall the great witches of the classics, shall we?

The Sea Witch, par example,

Or Witchipoo

Remember her? From HR Puffnstuff?

And of course we can't forget sweet Glinda


And the bad seed of her family.

Ooh. She still scares me.

And before somebody knocks my block off, how about Hermione?

She reminds me of another student of witchcraft--someone a little more mature...

Eglantine Price, of Bedknobs and Broomsticks!
Good old Eglantine! Whose name reminded me of eggplants. Who made me wonder about British food. (What are bangers and mash, anyway?)

And of course, let's not leave out Witch Hazel.

Hop over HERE to watch her in action. You might even see Shakespeare himself!
See what educational riches I share with you in this blog?!

I think I deserve a reward myself for giving so much to you folks. I'm such a giver.
I know! I'll watch a little Bewitched! It's Trick or Treat time at the Stevens household!
Extra points for you if you can identify the little gypsy. She grows up to become quite the popular lass.

Happy Halloween, y'all!
Have a wonder-full Friday and a great weekend!
Love, Becky

A Good Scare!

Today's Wonder of the World is...A Good Scare!

I've always been amazed that some people LOVE a good scare.
What about you? Do you enjoy being frightened out of your wits?

Me? I like my wits. I want to hold tight to them. I want to super glue them to my body, and then add duct tape, just in case.

For example, I would never ever pay good money to inch one little toe inside this house.

Flickr photo by esywlkr
I wouldn't step in for free! Or even if someone tried to bribe me with creme brulee!
In fact, I'd even drive an extra mile just to avoid looking at that bloody writing! And those bloody red windows and the scary bushes and the menacing white brick thingies and those frightful weeds!

Perhaps I should seek therapy.
Or maybe I'll just blame it on my brother Steve. That's cheaper.
Steve, you see, was a pesky little brother, and especially pesky once he discovered how much fun it was to hide behind the shower curtain and jump out at me when I was staring at myself in the mirror.
I still check behind shower curtains, and he's a four hour car drive away!

But Steve never made me sit in a tank full of cockroaches or swallow a live fish, so why can't I stomach the thought of this?

Flickr photo by paperlizard
BECAUSE IT'S DISGUSTING, THAT'S WHY!
Please, people, if you're a fan of this sort of thing, explain it to me!

I would also never do this.

Flickr photo by Jari Kaariainen
I mean, why?
I suppose it's a question of degree.
I did go flying in college with my future husband the day after his pilot's license came in the mail. The plane was tiny and looked as if he might have built it himself. But we were in the fog of new love and infatuation back then, and he probably didn't even watch where he was going.
(Sarah, my sweet college student daughter, if you're reading this, know that if you ever do such a stupid thing, I will track you down and throttle you, my dear. Love, Mom)

I do like a good roller coaster

Flickr photo by aqu ari um
As long as it's not at the fair, where they put them up and take them down blindfolded in the dark. After their third nightcap.
Or maybe that's my inner scaredy cat talking.
Speaking of my inner scaredy cat...

Flickr photo by GTM (M. Alreshaid.)
YIKES!
RUN! RUN AWAY!

Sorry.
By now you can probably guess that I'm not a fan of slasher movies either.
In fact, I'm still a little traumatized over Terri Johnson's sleepover in third grade, when she made me stay up and watch Green Slime.

But don't think I'm a complete coward.
I do enjoy suspense. That's why I love this woman.

Flickr photo by booboogbs
Just look at those Bette Davis eyes.
No wonder! It's Bette Davis!

Have you ever watched her movies? YOU MUST!
All About Eve, Mr. Skeffington, Now, Voyager, Dark Victory, The Great Lie...and plenty more! Bette Davis really is a Wonder of the World.

But what...you only have two minutes? And you're one of those nuts who likes a good fright?
Okay. You think you're so cool. Don't say I didn't warn you.
You asked for it...
GREEN SLIME!

Have a wonder-full Thursday. I'll see you tomorrow--that is, if you aren't trembling under your bed, crying for your mommy!
Love, Becky

Are Your Bags Packed?

Today's Wonder of the World is... A Halloween Blog Party!

Given by my friend Angela at Just Go!
Our party theme is What A Strange Trip It's Been, which is perfect for me!
I LOVE STRANGE TRIPS!

My favorite Strange Trip of all time would have to be...you guessed it!
My trips all over France!
I know I'm cheating a little to lump them all together, but humor me. After four years of living la belle vie, I couldn't pick just one! Why, it'd tie my brain up in a tangled mess! I'd not be fit to go anywhere, and this is a traveling party!

And as for the trip being strange, I've got three kids, remember? Every trip is a strange one!

Are you ready to go back in time? Passport in hand?
As Angela would say, Let's Just Go!


Uh oh. I forgot about the guard.

Here, I'll call my jester to let you pass.

That jester loves company. And so do I!
Welcome to my home!

Before we get traveling, let me show you around.
We live in a little village, but we spend lots of time in nearby Clermont Ferrand.


It's about a three and a half hour train ride south of Paris. We're in the heartland of France!

Feel free to pick a sunflower, but watch out for bees!
I know you may be jet lagged but are you ready to do some sightseeing?

Perhaps we should take provisions.
I know! Cherries from our tree!

Put them in a bowl. Or heck--just use your ears!
(Ignore the ironing board, please. I had no idea visitors would be dropping in!)

Now, how will we travel?
Why don't we start with a walk?


Or we could hop on a train.


Or take the car.

Oh sorry! I forgot to tell you...we don't have air conditioning. That's okay. Just roll down the windows.

With all the places we're visiting, we'll also need a ferry. Hold on tight! It's windy!

What should we see first?

An organ grinder in Paris?


The lavender fields of Provence?


Mont St. Michel, with Joan of Arc?


Monet's garden at Giverny? Look, the little ones have multiplied!


Corsica, in all its wildness?


Or maybe Cassis, one of my favorite towns.

Whew! I'm tired.
Before we go home, we must eat! It's France, after all!

Don't worry. He'll sleep through the meal. I'll order for us--my favorites!

Salade de chevre chaud. (Sorry, French accent police. Blogger won't let me add my accents.)

We must have dessert!

Creme brulee. (Yes, I know. Again I'm missing accents. I feel so naked!)

Ah, that was nice.
Are you ready to go home?
Do you know the way?


It's right past the flower market...


Thank goodness it's downhill all the way!


Look!

We're back! Safe and sound!
Thank you so much for coming!
Have a safe journey home. And mind the goats on the road!

They must have followed us back from Corsica.

I hope you'll feel free to drop in any time.
We can relive French memories...


Or make new ones here in sunny South Carolina!

My bloggy door is always open!

Have a Wonder-full Wednesday, y'all!
Love, Becky

All A-Glow

Today's Wonder of the World is...Things That Glow!

Flickr photo by evie coates
Sorry to disappoint you if you read the title and were hoping I'd feature the Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling (GLOW.) The ladies above are indeed gorgeous, but they probably don't wrestle. Or who knows...they might! I chose the photo for the glow in the dark necklaces they're sporting. That, and their glowing smiles.

Light sticks are fun, but they're not the only way to have a glowing good time.
Plenty of things glow. Even natural things.
Like pregnant women!

Flickr photo by graysonfamily

Southern women glow too, when under stress. Or in hot, humid conditions.

They don't sweat. That would be vulgar.

Good ole fireflies glow

Flickr photo by patrick moore 75165
when out on the town, searching for a mate.
(I wonder if they think that jar is a nightclub.)

And so does their cousin Glow worm.

Flickr photo by chriswhit53
No, not that one!
This one.

Flickr photo by slinky-2012

But you know, glowing isn't just restricted to insects and perspiring, hormone powered women. Guess what? I found some other freaky glow-in-the -dark things to share with you. And they even have Halloween names!

How about a Ghost Pipe Fungus!

Flickr photo by thorscipher mason

And a Vampire Squid

Flickr photo by Alexander Yean

And the Jack o'Lantern Mushroom!

Flickr photo by cookie1234
Maybe you ought to pick one of those mushrooms and use it as a lantern on Halloween!

Or you could just hang out with this bunch.

Flickr photo by macchiato604
If so, I suggest you drive. They look lit to me.

Have a Wonderful Tuesday, y'all! Tune in tomorrow when I hop on Angela Nickerson's Party Bandwagon! (I tell you, I'm just a party animal lately!) It's going to be a blast! There will be plenty of bloggy doorbells to ring, and Angela's got some great goody bags to give away!

But until then, just to amuse you--and because I'm in a weird mood--enjoy a visit with these GLOW-ing ladies!


Love, Becky