tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81753607113991132422024-03-14T03:56:44.165-05:00The Howdygram 2Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.comBlogger1499125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-87361996525178974492020-08-22T11:20:00.000-05:002020-08-22T11:20:52.285-05:00It’s hard to say goodbye.If you’re reading this post, I have some news for you … it’s my last, and I’ve instructed my precious Sam how to publish this for me as soon as I’ve passed on.<br />
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While I’ve had a number of life-challenging illesses for many years, none could actually end my life if I was diligent about taking appropriate medications, such as diabetes, arthritis, congestive heart failure, gout, diabetic neuropathy, chronic kidney disease, and so on. However, there’s one illness that we haven’t been able to slow, reverse or control <i>— a bacterial infection — </i>because I’m completely resistant to all known antibiotics. In recent weeks I’ve been struggling with a cellulitis infection throughout the right side of my body (from my foot up to my hip) that’s painful, red and warm to the touch … in addition to the incurable urinary tract infection I’ve been battling for three years. The high, spiking fever (from 95° to 102°) associated with bacterial infections always renders me unconscious, especially when the spike happens in less than an hour or two.<br />
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I’ve asked Sam not to call the hospice’s 24-hour crisis nursing team next time this happens, and I don’t want any more medications dribbled into my mouth with an eyedropper. <i>I just want to pass away in my sleep.</i> So if you’re reading this, that’s exactly what’s happened.<br />
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My life was way too short, but it was filled to the brim with love. <i>Thank you, Sam, for the happy, joyous life we’ve had together, right up until the end.</i><br />
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I also want to mention a few wonderful, special people … my sister Robin, her beautiful daughters Melissa and Allison, and my cousins Bobby, Karen and Ron, and my best friend Sandi for the last 56 years. All of you know how much I’ve always loved you.<br />
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We’ll meet again. I promise.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-11502675372244659692020-08-12T18:46:00.000-05:002020-08-12T18:46:41.324-05:00Free fonts with a stunning display of background textures and clip art.Once again I’m waking up after two long, long naps. The first was 18 hours, from 5:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m. last night, and another four hours from 11 p.m. until 3 a.m. this morning, just a few minutes ago. Life is upside-down. I sleep all day, I’m up all night, but fortunately Sam is usually on the same schedule with me. <br />
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Yup, I’ve been dicking around with the Howdygram again, and made an exciting — to <i>me,</i> anyway — design change that probably nobody will ever notice or give a pair of hoots about. I’m using a different sans serif font for red (and occasionally black) <i>accent text</i> … i.e., “From Whole Foods” (see next section). It was formerly “Calibri Bold” and I changed it to “Arial Bold.” And I like the italic style even better!<br />
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You may be able to note that Arial is slightly heavier, slightly wider (for instance, check out the capitals R, B and L), and “Arial” is definitely more universally recognized than “Calibri.”<br />
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Oh, what the hell. I was ready for another teeny change. Thank you for putting up with me.<br />
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Right now I’m waiting for Sam to wake up so I can show him my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&ref=nav_cs_dsk_grfl_stfr_fs" target="_blank">Amazon Fresh</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=VUZHIFdob2xlIEZvb2Rz&ref=nav_cs_dsk_grfl_stfr_wf" target="_blank">Whole Foods</a> online grocery lists. It’s important to get his “okay” before I place my orders, because otherwise I’d buy something we already have or <i>forget </i>to buy something we need. In case you find this paragraph especially interesting, I’m pleased to present today’s grocery lists. <i>Ta da!</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><i>FROM WHOLE FOODS</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
• Chef-Made Boneless Buffalo Chicken Wings (1 lb.) <br />
• “One Culture” Brand Chinese Chicken Noodle Cup <br />
• “One Culture” Brand Spicy Japanese Ramen Cup <br />
• Chef-Made Chicken Scallopini (1 lb.) <br />
• Frozen Organic Blueberries (2 lbs.) <br />
• Genji Sushi Shrimp California Roll <br />
• Frozen Beer Battered Cod Fillets <br />
• Miracle Noodle Shirataki Rice (6 bags)</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><i>FROM AMAZON FRESH</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
• Frozen Organic Sweet Dark Cherries (1 lb.) <br />
• Kraft Tartar Sauce (2 squeezy jars) <br />
• McCormick Cocktail Sauce <br />
• Reser’s Main Street Bistro Macaroni and Cheese (2) <br />
• Reser’s Main Street Bistro Scalloped Potatoes (2) <br />
• Nathan’s Thick-Sliced Battered Onion Rings (3) <br />
• P. F. Chang’s Frozen Tempura-Battered Kung Pao Cauliflower <br />
• Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Pork Sausage Patties</div>
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Wow, do we eat impressive food <i>or what?</i> Everything will be here by 8:30 a.m., just in time for <i>breakfast!</i> Today I want my Genji Sushi Shrimp California Roll with extra wasabi and soy sauce. Sushi is way better than a plate of illiterate (i.e., stupid) scrambled eggs, isn’t it?<br />
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And since I’m blowing moolah on so many groceries and showing them off on the Howdygram, I suppose I should include our list from <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a>. I just scheduled Sam for a pick up at 7 a.m.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><i>FROM WAL-MART</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
• Deli Cole Slaw<br />
• Deli Potato Salad<br />
• Deli Macaroni Salad<br />
• Four “arctic white” bath towels<br />
• Sara Lee Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast (1 lb.)<br />
• Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce<br />
• Winky’s Sugar-Free Gelatin Parfait Cups (8-pack)<br />
• Deli Smoked Barbecue Baked Beans with Brisket</div>
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Unfortunately, Wal-Mart didn’t have several items … the cole slaw, the macaroni salad and the white bath towels.<br />
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I didn’t plan to do this. I didn’t intend to collect any more free fonts. But the best-laid plans can (and do) frequently go awry … so here’s another juicy list for you, courtesy of <a href="http://ifonts.xyz/" target="_blank">iFonts.xyz</a>, that includes a traditional jumbo <i>sans serif</i> font family (“Morl Family”) with 60 styles, a variety of <i>scripts</i> (“Pyktor,” “Hot Salsa,” “Meow”), outstanding <i>display</i> fonts (“Calypso,” “Boysand,” “Velocista”), and several <i>layered</i> fonts (“La Pica,” “Cheapsman,” “Hello Freeday”). Download links will apear after the graphic in case you want any or all of these for your personal hoard. Enjoy!<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mitoos-halloween-font.html" target="_blank">Mitoos</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/pyktor-script-font.html" target="_blank">Pyktor</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/creeper-font.html" target="_blank">Creeper</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/meow-rob-script-family.html" target="_blank">Meow</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/calypso.html" target="_blank">Calypso</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/ulecas-font.html" target="_blank">Ulecas</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bangkarb-font.html" target="_blank">Bangkar</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/crying-font.html" target="_blank">Crying</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/habede-font.html" target="_blank">Habede</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/morl-font-family.html" target="_blank">Morl</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/boysand-font.html" target="_blank">Boysand</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hot-salsa-font.html" target="_blank">Hot Salsa</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/best-kids-font.html" target="_blank">Best Kids</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/wilenugs-font.html" target="_blank">Wilenugs</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/simple-sunday.html" target="_blank">Simple Sunday</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/la-pica-font-family.html" target="_blank">La Pica</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/cheapsman-font.html" target="_blank">Cheapsman</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hello-freeday-font.html" target="_blank">Hello Freeday</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/velocista-display-2-fonts.html" target="_blank">Velocista</a> </i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/romantic-crafty-font.html" target="_blank">Romantic Crafty</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/creamy-delight-font.html" target="_blank">Creamy Delight</a></i></div>
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One thing I’d like to mention. The gigantic “Morl Family” sells on <a href="http://myfonts.com/" target="_blank">MyFonts.com</a> for $27.50 <i>per style</i> … that’s 60 styles for a total of $1,650. Or you can get them right here on the Howdygram, ABSOLUTELY FREE. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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And of course, I’ll follow up my latest list of free fonts with a stunning display of my newest background textures and fascinating clip art investments! All of these were purchased on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a> from one of my favorite shops … Digital Curio. The artist does some of the most exquisite “special effects” digital art I’ve ever seen, and “Chalkboards,” “Christmas Gold Foil Marbles,” “Soft Cloudy Nights” and “Enchanted Flowers” will be part of my latest greeting card collections. I’ll share a few with you as soon I begin uploading my art files to Zazzle for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. <i>Thank you.</i><br />
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I’ve got a number of shitty things going on this morning. Here they are, in no particular order whatsoever.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 15.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><i>SAM ISN’T FEELING VERY WELL.</i></b></span></span></span></span> Yes, I’m dealing with a short-tempered and under-the-weather caregiver! During the past few days he’s been dealing with: (1) a low-grade fever; (2) vertigo; and (3) a toothache. As I write this post only #2 and #3 are immediate issues. Just now, in a very brief conversation on his way back from the bathroom, Sam mentioned calling his dentist today to discuss a molar that’s giving him a problem. Apparently the tooth has been dead for quite some time. Sam wants to have it pulled; the dentist will probably fight him to save it. (It’s a third molar and not worth the battle. I’m definitely on Sam’s side.) I hope we can get all this sorted out quickly, though, because I have a number of physical needs that require “tending to,” and only a healthy caregiver can provide them. For instance … food preparation, helping me use a bedpan, changing my diaper pads and so on, because <i>I can’t stand up or get out of bed.</i> So far it hasn’t been much of an issue. I slept 20 hours straight yesterday, ate a about six pitted Greek olives and started designing my new line of holiday cards for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. Eventually (i.e., within the next two or three hours) I’ll want to eat <i>actual food,</i> such as the chef-made Chicken Scallopini we ordered from Whole Foods a couple of days ago. I hope it’s good!<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 15.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><i>MY “SQUEEZY FEET” ARE BOTHERING ME AGAIN.</i></b></span></span></span></span> This is a bizarre side effect of diabetic neuropathy and feels like I’m wearing skin tight sandals on both feet with the straps digging in like a bunch of nasty little tourniquets. It’s a horrible sensation that never stops. I can’t get comfortable, and sometimes I even wake up from naps and want Sam to help take my shoes off … <i>even though I haven’t had shoes on my feet since 2012.</i> In case you give a crap, I also have ongoing neuropathy pain that feels like <i>electric shocks. </i>(Do yourself a favor … DON’T GROW UP TO BE AN OLD DIABETIC.)<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 15.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><i>IT’S OFFICIAL. I’M STARVING TO DEATH.</i></b></span></span></span></span> Sam is still unconscious on the sofa (he’s been asleep for 18+ hours) but very shortly I’ll have to find a way to wake him and ask for food. Something easy, for sure, because I have no idea if he’s still battling that vertigo issue. However I’m still thinking back to that Chicken Scallopini from Whole Foods. I can’t cut food with a knife and fork lying down in bed, so I’ll ask Sam to slice the chicken, heat it, and bring me half a mug of nuked pasta sauce. Plus my Wednesday morning prescription meds and a couple of Jell-O cups. Please stay tuned for an update<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> but feel free to carry on with your normal routine in the meantime.</div>
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The Chicken Scallopini was way better than I expected. It was already sliced and on a bed of wonderful fetuccini seasoned with Italian herbs, parsley and cheese. It didn’t need any additional sauce at all!</div>
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I think Sam is finally waking up <i>— hallelujah! —</i> and I want to find out how he’s doing. Thank you for reading this.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-21431256313502280182020-08-04T02:42:00.002-05:002020-08-05T22:38:23.648-05:00Unlimited help for one stinking buckaroo and “live chat” at 4:30 in the morning.Glory hallelujah, hot damn and what the fuck! I just had a nightmarish issue with the Howdygram and thought I’d lost the old girl forever. About an hour ago I tried to begin composing a new post — <i>this one,</i> to be specific — but got an error window instead (see below) when I clicked the “new post” link. And then I got myself snaggled up with a screwy help website — <a href="http://justanswer.com/" target="_blank">JustAnswer.com</a> — that I assumed was a free Google forum for Blogspot bloggers like <i>yours truly.</i> Boy, was I wrong!<br />
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At first I think I was hysterically excited by the fact that JustAnswer.com offered “live chat” assistance at 4:30 in the morning … and still didn’t get suspicious that I could buy an entire week of unlimited help for one stinking buckaroo. I didn’t have a problem with one buck … and signed up.<br />
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As it turned out, however, it took a long time (maybe 45 minutes) to get one of their “experts” to understand what I was agitated about, but eventually he did have one solid suggestion … open my blog using a <i>different browser</i> and see if it helps. <i>So I did.</i> I opened the Howdygram with Chrome rather than Safari, and from there I was able to open the link to create a new post. Plus, that’s when I also discovered a tiny — but <i>UNBELIEVABLY</i> important — checkbox near the bottom of the page: “REVERT TO LEGACY FORMAT.” I checked the box, returned to Safari, and everything was normal again! I was so fucking thrilled that I did a <i>happy dance</i> in my head, although I definitely wasn’t happy enough to keep my membership with JustAnswer.com, which would kick in at $50 a month on August 6 at the end of my $1 one-week trial. I immediately accessed the profile page and canceled my membership. <i>Fifty bucks a month? NO FUCKING WAY!</i><br />
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Looking back, I’d completely forgotten that Blogspot had alerted its users, way back at the beginning of May, about a new blog format coming in late July … and that all of us would be able to opt out if we didn’t like it and revert to the old format.<br />
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The point is, thanks to JustAnswer’s suggestion: (1) I reverted; (2) I’m happy; and (3) I’m so damn relieved I could <i>scream.</i> I guess I’m too old, too stodgy, and too set in my ways to horse around with new technology any more. I can’t stand the stress and I already have more than enough on my plate right now!<br />
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Hey, people, before I forget … do you know what day this is? <i>IT’S NATIONAL AVOCADO DAY, </i>and I’ve designed the perfect graphic to help me with the announcement. Now’s the time to make yourself a bucket of guacamole, rip open a bag of tortilla chips and watch a good movie. Sam and I recommend <i>Ben-Hur</i> (1959) starring Charlton Heston and a lot of over-dressed Romans with good hats. Years ago I used to make a killer guacamole from scratch for Sam and me; these days, because I’m a bedridden geezer, Sam buys our guac from Costco. It’s actually pretty damn good.<br />
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Yay! <i>More free fonts!</i> Today’s list is small but excellent … five <i>scripts,</i> a couple of juicy <i>display </i>fonts, and two wonderful <i>layered</i> fonts that I can’t wait to use for my greeting card designs. Please note that “Arturo” includes 15 styles … seven weights from Thin to Heavy with seven coordinating italics, PLUS a Heavy Outline font that layers easily on top of Heavy (shown below). Download links will appear under the graphic in case you want any or all of these for your personal collection.<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/better-weather-font.html" target="_blank">Better Weather</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bartolomeo-font.html" target="_blank">Bartolomeo</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/the-megatype-script-font.html" target="_blank">Megatype</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/beside-font.html" target="_blank">Beside</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bestnight-font.html" target="_blank">Bestnight</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/arturo-font.html" target="_blank">Arturo</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/ld-funbites-font.html" target="_blank">Funbites</a></i></div>
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And of course, I’ve also got a nice new stash of gorgeous backgrounds from my favorite shop on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a>. Foil Mermaid Scales, a stunning collection of Abstract Watercolors, Watercolor Multi-Tone Triangles, beautiful Starry Night Backgrounds, and Sparkling Foil and Pearl Frames. I know the Foil and Pearl Frames look like bracelets, but they’re not. (I plan to use them for fancy monogram frames on spiral notebooks, mugs, iPhone cases and so on.) All of these collections come in the same 100 colors, and everything (except the frames) is also <i>seamless.</i><br />
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Friends, today is the first day of August … and the first day of Turner Classic Movies’ Summer Under the Stars festival! This is always a big hoo-hah for us, with TCM featuring a different star every day of the month with about a dozen of their movies. I’d like to list this month’s featured stars plus the films that I plan to record. Please feel free to share this with your friends and relatives. (The teeny red stars denote my special favorites.) <i>You’re welcome.</i><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 1: BARBARA STANWYCK</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Annie Oakley</i> (1935)</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Ball of Fire</i> (1941) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 2: ROCK HUDSON</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Pillow Talk</i> (1959) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Written on the Wind</i> (1957)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 3: RITA HAYWORTH</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Susan and God</i> (1940) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 4: S. Z. “CUDDLES” SAKALL</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Cynthia </i>(1947) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>In the Good Old Summertime</i> (1949) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Christmas in Connecticut</i> (1945) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 5: ANN MILLER</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Easter Parade </i>(1948) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i> Kiss Me Kate</i> (1953) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 6: BURT LANCASTER</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 7: SYLVIA SIDNEY</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 8: CHARLIE CHAPLIN</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 9: GOLDIE HAWN</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 10: NORMA SHEARER</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Barretts of Wimpole Street</i> (1934) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 11: SAMMY DAVIS, JR.</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 12: LANA TURNER</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Peyton Place</i> (1957)</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Bachelor in Paradise</i> (1961) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 13: JOHN BARRYMORE</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Rasputin and the Empress</i> (1932) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Night Flight</i> (1933) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Grand Hotel</i> (1932) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Dinner at Eight</i> (1933) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Arsène Lupin</i> (1932) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 14: STEVE McQUEEN</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 15: NINA FOCH</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Executive Suite</i> (1954) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>An American in Paris</i> (1951)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 16: CARY GRANT</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Room for One More</i> (1952)</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>To Catch a Thief</i> (1955)</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Charade</i> (1963) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 17: MAUREEN O'HARA</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Miracle on 34th Street</i> (1947) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Sitting Pretty</i> (1948) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 18: WARREN BEATTY</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Reds</i> (1981) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Splendor in the Grass</i> (1961) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Bonnie and Clyde</i> (1967)</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Bugsy</i> (1991)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 19: DOLORES DEL RIO</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 20: WILLIAM POWELL</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Kennel Murder Case</i> (1933) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Thin Man</i> (1934) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>I Love You Again</i> (1940) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Libeled Lady</i> (1936) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Life with Father</i> (1947) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Jewel Robbery</i> (1932) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 21: DIANA DORS</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 22: NATALIE WOOD</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Gypsy</i> (1962)</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Great Race</i> (1965) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 23: OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Male Animal</i> (1942)</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Light in the Piazza</i> (1962) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Captain Blood</i> (1935) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Dodge City</i> (1939) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> (1939) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Heiress</i> (1949) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>To Each His Own</i> (1946) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Gone with the Wind</i> (1939)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 24: GEORGE RAFT</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 25: ANNE SHIRLEY</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 26: LAURENCE OLIVIER</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 27: CLAUDETTE COLBERT</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>It Happened One Night</i> (1934)</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Egg and I</i> (1947) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>The Palm Beach Story</i> (1942) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Drums Along the Mohawk</i> (1939) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 28: PAUL HENREID</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Now, Voyager</i> (1942) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Casablanca</i> (1942) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 29: EVA MARIE SAINT</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>North by Northwest</i> (1959)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 30: CHARLTON HESTON</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Ben-Hur</i> (1959) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="margin-left: 30px;"><i>Soylent Green</i> (1973) </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "pingfang sc"; font-size: 13px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>AUGUST 31: ALAIN DELON</i></b></span></span></span></span></div>
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I’d like to add a few comments about one of my favorites on this list. I think the best of them all has to be <i>Rasputin and the Empress</i> on August 13. This is the only film that all three Barrymores — John, Ethel and Lionel — ever made together, and it’s truly a doozy about the lunatic monk Rasputin (Lionel Barrymore), an alcoholic sex maniac who was weasling his way into the Russian royal family by hynotizing the czar’s son and turning him against his own mother (the empress, played by Ethel Barrymore). John Barrymore portrays Prince Paul Chegodieff, a high-ranking army officer who eventually figures out that Rasputin put a “spell” on the crown prince while he’s been raping women and blackmailing men in a grand plan to overthrow the government and install himself as czar.<br />
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Prince Paul decides to stop Rasputin by murdering him, and this turns out to be the most amazing sequence I’ve ever seen on film. Rasputin is shot, stabbed, beaten, clubbed on his head with an axe handle, poisoned with a tray of his favorite cupcakes, shoved into a firepit, blinded by acid and then dragged outside in sub-zero weather and drowned in an ice-covered pond.<i> Absolutely fantastic … especially the CUPCAKES!</i><br />
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Incidentally, that TCM Summer Under the Stars movie list was definitely complex to type. I did the entire thing in HTML code because it required double indentation and all those teeny red stars in a color and point size (red, 13) that’s different from the regular subheads (black, 18). The sample below is a screen shot of Claudette Colbert’s listing on August 27. Snazzy,<i> right?</i><br />
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HTML code is actually quite logical and satisfying (i.e., if you make the slightest mistake the entire hoo-hah COLLAPSES). <i>I love it.</i> If I didn’t have the Howdygram, I wouldn’t have an opportunity to code <i>anything,</i> and I’d be a very frustrated old coot. <i>Oy!</i><br />
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At the moment it’s 2:17 a.m. … the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Thanks to a pair of 18-hour naps I have no idea whatsoever happened to Saturday or Sunday. But I do have some news to share with y’all. At some point yesterday I subscribed to the online edition of The Telegraph, which is Great Britain’s most popular daily newspaper. What a delightful, refreshing change to read well-written and carefully-edited news that’s NOT wall-to-wall horseshit about Donald and Melanoma Trump with screen shots of the Orangutan’s fucking tweets, lots of interesting Royal Family updates (you know how much I love my wacky royals!) and insightful information about Europe. This only costs about $1.50 a week, and I think it’s well worth it. I signed up for a couple of The Telegraph’s free weekly newsletters in addition to the daily newspaper.<br />
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About a year ago I also subscribed to the Chicago Tribune’s online edition so I can keep up with what’s going on “back home.” Nearly all of my immediate relatives live in Chicago and/or the suburbs, plus the Trib has some excellent columnists.<br />
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However, I would never EVER in a million years waste my money on the Dallas Morning News, because it’s seriously over-priced with nothing but cover-to-cover spelling errors and horseshit “news” <i>— 365 days a year! —</i> about the Dallas Cowboys, “Jerruh” Jones, high school sports and barbecue reviews. (I have virtually no interest in any of that.) If I want to know what’s going on in Dallas one of our local TV stations (WFAA) has its own website with more than enough information. <i>Fuck the Dallas Morning News.</i><br />
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And now it’s time to get ready for breakfast. Today I’m having <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>P. F. CHANG’S KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER</b></span></span></span></span>, which is a combination Szechwan/Japanese dish with the veggies in tempura batter and tossed in a spicy Chinese sauce. It’s absolutely scrumptious. There’s actually enough for four people, but I have no problem polishing it off all by myself! And I also have no problem eating this at 3:15 the in morning. <i>Stop laughing.</i><br />
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P. F. Chang’s meals and entrées are perfect for senior citizens because they’re cheaper than going out to eat, they’re faster than delivery (you don’t have to tip anybody!) and VERY easy to fix. Most are frozen and heat in the microwave. The Kung Pao Cauliflower, however, is slightly different … you bake the cauliflower on a cookie sheet and then toss them in an included pouch of Kung Pao sauce that defrosts under warm tap water. (Sam is our official chef; if he can handle all <i>this,</i> it’s got to be simple!)<br />
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The Howdygram is pleased to award <b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4950000047683716px;">P. F. CHANG’S KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER</b> with our coveted <i>five-chopper rating,</i> and we know you’ll love it as much as we do. Make room in your freezer for more than one box. I always order two at a time from Amazon Fresh.<br />
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I think this is more than enough for now! Thank you for reading this and please turn out the light when you’re done here.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-2562936755035272192020-07-30T06:15:00.002-05:002020-07-30T06:15:17.335-05:00I’m not especially interested in who the hell my nurse is. No kidding.Hey. It’s me again. I’ve been housebound and bedridden for about five years already, so I have to admit that I don’t have too much to write about if I try to produce a Howdygram post more often than once or twice a week. Sad, isn’t it? I’ve given up on reading the news — local, national, global — so political commentary is pretty much dead in the water. My life has shriveled to an endless string of 18-hour naps, urinary tract spasms and weird meals. I’ll just have to make do with writing whatever I want, <i>whenever</i> I want … and let it go at that. You’ll get used to it, I promise.<br />
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At the moment it’s 2:09 a.m. Monday morning. <i>Rise and shine, y’all!</i><br />
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This is not exactly an earth-shaking calendar, but I’m okay with that. I love having uncomplicated and unscheduled free time to write the Howdygram and design adorable products for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. <i>I created 25 new greeting cards last week!</i> This week I’ll upload the files to Zazzle’s website and then start designing new mugs, new bathroom ceramics with matching bath mats, and another pile of gorgeous new iPhone cases. And luggage tags.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>MONDAY, JULY 27.</b></span></span></span></span> Nada. Bupkiss. Zilch. <i>Nothing.</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>TUESDAY, JULY 28.</b></span></span></span></span> Nada. Bupkiss. Zilch. <i>Nothing.</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>WEDNESDAY, JULY 29.</b></span></span></span></span> Sam is expecting a visit from the hospice’s chaplain (Bob) at 4 p.m. They’re good buddies, and their time together gives Sam an opportunity to vent some of his frustrations.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>THURSDAY, JULY 30.</b></span></span></span></span> Nada. Bupkiss. Zilch. <i>Nothing.</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>FRIDAY, JULY 31.</b></span></span></span></span> Our hospice social worker (Theresa) will be here at 9 a.m. for her monthly visit. She’s a sweetie with an unusually loud speaking voice, but I’m willing to overlook it because she wears an adorable floral print face mask that she bought from <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. Sometime on Friday we’ll also meet our new hospice R.N. after learning last week that Martha has been transferred to Denton County. Actually, I’m not especially interested in who the hell my nurse is, anyway, because I always manage to be unconscious when she drops in for my weekly checkup. And since she usually just wants my “vital statistics,” Sam will take my blood pressure, temperature and oximeter saturation with our own equipment after I wake up and send her the results via text message. My most recent readouts were 90/52 (blood pressure), 62 (heart rate), 97.6° (temperature) and 82% (oxygen saturation). I know all of these are rather low, but I honestly don’t give a crap any more.</div>
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Surprise … more free fonts! Here’s a nice little list of interesting typefaces for you, including a couple of pleasing <i>scripts</i> (“Mitha,” “Hedgehock”), <i>hand-lettered</i> fonts (“Paper Works,” “Serif Font”), interesting <i>display</i> fonts (“Sugar Caramel,” “Berly Sign,” “Flat Brush”) and a couple of <i>layered</i> fonts (“Unchained,” “Orange Slices”). You’ll find download links below the graphic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4n-ANmjX7xHl9fyIIO7EPobbq50YCJqbinafBsvfdjuMkpkeu9eatoIV71-AFRLUScrP4KFaAAnxm3qd-wQIxcq9FY66zpsJi_2ZUYN8T2aHIxtibVaNhnUwTFnLWv1yMPdgro0Bb9gny/s1600/new+fonts.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4n-ANmjX7xHl9fyIIO7EPobbq50YCJqbinafBsvfdjuMkpkeu9eatoIV71-AFRLUScrP4KFaAAnxm3qd-wQIxcq9FY66zpsJi_2ZUYN8T2aHIxtibVaNhnUwTFnLWv1yMPdgro0Bb9gny/s1600/new+fonts.png" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mister-rocky-font.html" target="_blank">Mister Rocky</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/sugar-caramel.font" target="_blank">Sugar Caramel</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/the-brave-font.html" target="_blank">The Brave</a> • <a href="https://befonts.com/paper-works-display-font.html" target="_blank">Paper Works</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mitha-font.html" target="_blank">Mitha</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bana-chips-font.html" target="_blank">Bana Chips</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hedgehock-font.html" target="_blank">Hedgehock</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/flat-brush-font.html" target="_blank">Flat Brush</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/berly-sign-font.html" target="_blank">Berly Sign</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/serif-font.html" target="_blank">Serif Font</a></i></div>
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<i> <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/unchained-font.html" target="_blank">Unchained</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/orange-slices-font.html" target="_blank">Orange Slices</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/vanelope-font.html" target="_blank">Vanelope</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/memphis-park-script-font.html" target="_blank">Memphis Park</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/kanote-font.html" target="_blank">Kanote</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/cubs-script-font.html" target="_blank">Cubs Script</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/monday-font.html" target="_blank">Monday</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/cranberry-font.html" target="_blank">Cranberry</a></i></div>
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Here are three new collections from my favorite shops on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a>. Down below I also illustrate how versatile they are if you erase the background color in Photoshop and overlay the transparent file on a background of your choice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H4uRP9fcn1L4aapGmYmnSq57CnzqHpbv3o5qf6svdhbjdjQA8eclivc4A4QvYgiZmhKhL0jA0VbFnB6ppVJH82chk3pAgV_Si3f_cOB_YJFm96RwQ4LYVvWkqTk3tiOPCw-LHQG2Jlnp/s1600/new+backgrounds.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="662" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H4uRP9fcn1L4aapGmYmnSq57CnzqHpbv3o5qf6svdhbjdjQA8eclivc4A4QvYgiZmhKhL0jA0VbFnB6ppVJH82chk3pAgV_Si3f_cOB_YJFm96RwQ4LYVvWkqTk3tiOPCw-LHQG2Jlnp/s1600/new+backgrounds.png" /></a></div>
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<li><i>Tiny White Polka Dots on crimson foil.</i></li>
<li><i>Medium White Polka Dots on taupe foil.</i></li>
<li><i>Warm Red Geometric Cubes on intense pale spring green foil.</i></li>
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Screen legend <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>OLIVIA de HAVILLAND</b></span></span></span></span>, a two-time Oscar winner and for decades the last surviving star of <i>Gone With the Wind,</i> died on Sunday at the age of 104, her publicist Lisa Goldberg told CNN. The actress died of natural causes at her residence in Paris, where she had lived for more than six decades.<br />
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De Havilland emerged as a star during the classic movie era — first as a romantic partner for Errol Flynn in swashbucklers such as <i>Captain Blood</i> and <i>The Adventures of Robin Hood,</i> and then as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in <i>Gone With the Wind</i> (1939), considered the top moneymaking film of all time when adjusted for inflation.<br />
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But her off-screen role in a lawsuit against her employer, Warner Bros., may have been her most notable achievement in Hollywood.<br />
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In 1943, de Havilland sued the studio after it attempted to extend her seven-year contract, which was expiring. Under the studio system, actors faced suspension without pay if they turned down roles, and the suspension time was added to their contracts. De Havilland’s eventual court victory helped shift the power from the big studios of that era to the mega-celebrities and powerful talent agencies of today.<br />
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“Hollywood actors will be forever in Olivia’s debt,” Bette Davis wrote in her autobiography.<br />
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More importantly for de Havilland, she gained far more freedom to pursue better dramatic roles in award-winning films such as <i>To Each His Own</i> (1946), <i>The Snake Pit</i> (1948) and <i>The Heiress</i> (1949). She won Best Actress Oscars for <i>To Each His Own</i> and <i>The Heiress.</i><br />
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Sam and I love Olivia de Havilland’s movies and keep many of them stored on our DVR, including <i>Captain Blood</i> (1935),<i> The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> (1938),<i> The Heiress </i>(1949),<i> They Died with Their Boots On </i>(1941), <i>Dodge City</i> (1936), <i>Charge of the Light Brigade</i> (1936), and <i>Santa Fe Trail</i> (1940). With the exception of <i>The Heiress,</i> her co-star was Errol Flynn. (We love Errol Flynn, too!)<br />
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I just realized that I began this post at 2:09 a.m. FOUR DAYS AGO. This is what happens when a pathetic old person such as <i>yours truly</i> can’t stay awake for more than two hours at a time. I HATE THIS! The only thing I’m doing well is selling lots of merchandise in <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a> … specifically greeting cards, luggage tags, mugs and iPhone cases.<br />
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In case you’re interested, and even if you’re <i>not,</i> I’ve been waiting for Zazzle.com to upgrade my store ranking to the “Bronze Level.” I’ve been ranked as a “Z-PRO” for the last couple of years based on my sales; now it’s time to move up to the next level because I achieved another sales goal about five months ago. I’ll give Zazzle a little time to figure this out; maybe another month. I imagine they may be slightly discombobulated (or short-staffed) with the COVID hoo-hah going on. In the meantime, of course, I continue to design more greeting cards and mugs. There are never enough cards and mugs in this world, and the Coronavirus quarantine has been incredible for my store’s sales. When you can’t go shopping in a retail store, <i>you shop online instead!</i><br />
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In my next post I’ll include photos of a few of my newest products. I’ll bet you can’t wait, <i>right?</i><br />
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It’s presently Thursday morning, 3:35 a.m., and I just placed a grocery order with <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&ref=nav_cs_dsk_grfl_stfr_fs" target="_blank">Amazon Fresh</a> for delivery this morning between 5 and 7 a.m. This is actually a perfect delivery window for us, because Sam goes out for his morning walk in the woods around 4:45 a.m. and gets home by 6 … so everybody here is wide awake and happy to get a food delivery. Today’s order includes: (1) three bags of Nathan’s Batter-Dipped Onion Rings; (2) Luigi’s Lemon Italian Ices; (3) Main Street Bistro Baked Macaroni & Cheese; (4) a pound of deli cole slaw; (5) a Taste of Italy chicken parmesan stromboli; and (6) a bottle of P. F. Chang’s Mongolian Style Barbecue Sauce, which is the incredible smoky/spicy sauce used for Mongolian Beef.<br />
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As much as I can’t wait to receive my order, I just placed ANOTHER one with Amazon Fresh, this time for delivery between 7 and 9 a.m. It will include a number of products that were out of stock or unavailable when I placed my earlier order. Weird, right? Here’s what we’re expecting in our second order: (1) two P. F. Chang’s Veggie Shoyu Ramen frozen meals; (2) two P. F. Chang’s Chicken Pad Thai frozen meals; (3) two P. F. Chang’s Kung Pao Tempura-Battered Cauliflower frozen appetizers; and (4) two Simply Asia Spicy Kung Pao Noodle Bowls.<br />
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I want to add that P. F. Chang’s Kung Pao Cauliflower is positively <i>incredible.</i> The box contains enough cauliflower to feed four as a generous appetizer OR one hungry bedridden senior citizen who loves veggies as much as she loves spicy Chinese food. I’m going to eat very well today. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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Thank you for reading this. It’s probably time to fall asleep again!<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-60230900607389302062020-07-19T09:31:00.001-05:002020-07-20T23:05:23.379-05:00I’ve discovered a new digital arts shop on Etsy.com.Hello and happy Sunday from Howdygram headquarters. I’ve been trying to write this post for more than a week but got myself caught up in a cycle of extremely long and unexpected naps … and by the time I finally realized what was happening it was 10:45 Saturday night. At that point I was more interested in food and a pleasant conversation with Sam. What a clusterfuck … especially since I didn’t have a chance to recognize my father’s 100th birthday in heaven! He was born on July 13, 1920, and was buried just two days after his 82nd birthday. I think about my father every day of my life and regret that Sam never had a chance to know him.<br />
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Dad passed away just a few weeks after I met Sam in June 2002. We were living in southern California at the time, and dad, of course, was in Chicago.<br />
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Unfortunately, I think I’d better change the subject before I get sad again. It’s been happening a LOT these days, and sadness is not a good place to be. I start whining about all the “loss” I’ve experienced during the last two or three years, such as … (1) I can’t get dressed and go for a drive with Sam; (2) I can’t go for a walk; (3) I can’t stand up; and (4) I can’t even sit up in my goddamn bed and look out the window. <i>Jesus!</i><br />
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At least I’ve had the motivation to continue collecting free fonts, and here’s my latest offering. First, I’ve got a variety of great <i>scripts</i> … “Thistails” is a monoline font, “Berlliont” and “Viktor” are calligraphy fonts, and “Quickly” is a signature font. This list also includes lots of <i>display</i> fonts (“Toyland,” “Chucky Buck,” “Casagrande”), <i>hand-lettered</i> fonts (“Summer Flowers,” “Hello Pencile”) and several <i>dingbats</i> fonts (“Sugar Plums,” “Coodles Ampersands”). I also have one <i>layered</i> font for you (“Coodles”), too. I’m so excited about some of these that I’ve been working on new greeting card designs again!<br />
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Download links will appear below the graphic in case you want any or all of these fonts for your personal collection. <i>You’re welcome!</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/thistails-font-duo.html" target="_blank">Thistails</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/berlliont-font.html" target="_blank">Berlliont</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/quickly-font-4.html" target="_blank">Quickly</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/swirly-letters-font.html" target="_blank">Swirly Letters</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/all-the-roll.font" target="_blank">All the Roll</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.dafont.com/chucky-buck.font" target="_blank">Chucky Buck</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/summer-flowers-font.html" target="_blank">Summer Flowers</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/toyland-font.html" target="_blank">Toyland</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/timber-slicer-font.html" target="_blank">Timber Slicer</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hello-pencile-font.html" target="_blank">Hello Pencile</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/morgan-famous-font.html" target="_blank">Morgan Famous</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/sugar-plums-script.html" target="_blank">Sugar Plums Bonus</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/viktor-script-font.html" target="_blank">Viktor Script</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mythical-garden-font.html" target="_blank">Mythical Garden</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/johnie-blackerson-font.html" target="_blank">Johnie Blackerson</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/coodles-font.html" target="_blank">Coodles</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/casagrande-font.html" target="_blank">Casagrande</a></i></div>
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And, of course, I’ve got a couple of new backgrounds to share with you, too. I’ve discovered a new digital arts shop — Fresh Ananas — on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a> and purchased three very nice seamless collections on sale for $1.25 each … (1) a zebra print in 100 rainbow colors on a white background; (2) a striking oil painting abstract in 100 vivid colors on black; and (3) a rustic lumberjack plaid in 100 colors on black.<br />
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For your possible interest, as soon as I downloaded the zebra files I opened them one at a time in Photoshop and deleted all the <i>white,</i> giving me 100 colors on TRANSPARENT BACKGOUNDS, and that makes them incredibly more versatile and inspiring. Check out the samples below. These are the same three zebra colors from up above — red, black, and magenta — with various colored foils in the background. A lot more exciting than white, right? <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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I’d like to offer a rave review for a frozen product I discovered last week from Whole Foods on <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> … <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>ROYAL ASIA’S SHRIMP WONTONS WITH SZECHUAN SAUCE</b></span></span></span></span>. Without a doubt, this was as delicious as any restaurant dim sum entrée I’ve ever had. The sauce was spicy, slightly sweet and INCREDIBLE, the wontons were filled with whole shrimp, and the portion size was PERFECT … although I probably could have eaten a second one if we had one in the freezer! Frankly, it’s products like this that make it easy to be a bedridden coot … I order my food online, it arrives the <i>same day,</i> and it heats up in the microwave in only <i>three minutes.</i><br />
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Royal Asia’s Shrimp Wontons with Szechuan Sauce have earned the Howdygram’s coveted <i>five chopper rating.</i><br />
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Incidentally, Royal Asia is the same company that makes <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>BOOM BOOM SHRIMP</b></span></span></span></span> … that incredible product I got hysterical about in a <a href="https://howdygram2.blogspot.com/2020/05/im-not-in-very-good-mood-right-now-and.html" target="_blank">Howdygram review</a> back on May 5. We order two or three of these two-pound bags <i>every week!</i> Later today I’ll try <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>ROYAL ASIA’S SHRIMP DIM SUM DUMPLINGS</b></span></span></span></span>, which come frozen in two-pound bags just like the Boom Boom Shrimp. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. <i>SHRIMP DUMPLINGS WITH HOT SAUCE!</i><br />
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At the moment I’ve got grocery orders ready for Sam’s approval … one from Whole Foods (on Amazon) and another from Wal-Mart. I’ll ask him to review the lists as soon as he wakes up from his nap. This actually works out well for us, because I’m bedridden and can’t keep track of what’s in the pantry, the fridge or the freezer.<br />
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I think I’ll get back to some greeting card designs now and maybe turn on the TV for a little “background” noise. Don’t laugh, but one of my favorites is <i>Panic in the Streets, </i>a 1950 thriller set in New Orleans starring Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas and Zero Mostel. Widmark and Douglas are a public health officer and police captain, respectively, trying to track down a murderer who was infected with pneumonic plague. This is definitely an eerie precursor to what’s happening right now with COVID-19!<br />
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Thank you for reading this. Drop me a line sometime, okay?<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-57388125490373364562020-07-09T19:57:00.000-05:002020-07-12T00:28:20.606-05:00I’m especially hysterical about Hand-Pulled Rotisserie Chicken White Meat.So here’s what’s happening here today: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. It’s 3:25 a.m. on Wednesday morning I tried to write this post at dinnertime on Tuesday but couldn’t stay awake long enough to write the first sentence. After an 11-hour nap I finally woke up about 15 minutes ago, said “hello” to Sam, and decided to start writing <i>immediately</i> so I could actually make some progress with this post. Jesus.<br />
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Incidentally, last night I removed my cannula for a few minutes to blow my nose but forgot to reinsert the cannula afterwards due to being distracted by yesterday’s episode of “The People’s Court.” When I finally realized what happened (about half an hour later) I checked my oxygen saturation and it had already dropped to 70. HOLY SHIT! That’s only eight points higher than my <i>near-death </i>experience two years ago! (If I ever wanted to drop dead in a hurry, that would be a fine way to do it.) My oxygen saturation ideally should be 90+. <i>What a life.</i><br />
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Time for my latest<i> GROCERY ADVENTURE! </i>At 7 a.m. Sam will pick up the following order from <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a> … that’s the hour they set aside every day for senior citizens or “at-risk” customers to pick up their grocery orders. Today’s haul includes:<br />
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<li>Frozen organic blueberries</li>
<li>Campbell’s Tomato Soup (6)</li>
<li>Jars of Whole Mushrooms (4)</li>
<li>Seasoned All-White Meat Pulled Rotisserie Chicken</li>
<li>Diet Sweet Brewed Iced Tea</li>
<li>Crystal Light Sugar-Free Lemonade</li>
<li>Green Giant Backyard Grilled Potatoes (2)</li>
<li>Organic Whole Mushrooms, 4 jars</li>
<li>Great Value Chicken Gravy</li>
<li>Deli Potato Salad, 2 lbs.</li>
<li>Deli Cole Slaw, 2 lbs.</li>
<li>Mt. Olive Pickled Vidalia Onion Strips</li>
<li>Deli-Sliced Sara Lee Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, 1¼ lbs.</li>
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I’m especially hysterical about the Hand-Pulled Rotisserie Chicken White Meat (pictured below) … a fabulous container of white meat chicken that’s good for: (1) homemade chicken salad; (2) a nice snack as-is with a plastic fork; (3) a pleasant meal heated up alongside some instant mashed potatoes<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span>; (4) throwing into a pot of soup; (5) adding to StoveTop Chicken Stuffing with a jar of whole mushrooms and a can of chicken gravy; and (6) I can’t think of anything else.<br />
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A few months ago when the Coronavirus hoo-hah got started I loaded up our pantry with instant and freeze-dried emergency food rations. As a result, we’ve got enough powdered eggs, freeze-dried refried beans and instant mashed potatoes to last two lifetimes. (Please raise your hand if I’m making you hungry.)</div>
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Ahh, more free fonts! I’ve got a lot of favorites from this group … “Paradise Beach,” “Thailand,” Avenus,” “Artistic Chaos” and “Angeltown.” I can’t wait to start using them next time I work on new greeting cards for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. Download links will appear below the font list.<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/markisa-font.html" target="_blank">Markisa</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/thailand-font.html" target="_blank">Thailand</a></i><i> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/avenus-type-font.html" target="_blank">Avenus</a></i><i> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/folkner-font.html" target="_blank">Folkner</a></i><i> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/nordin-extrude-font-family.html" target="_blank">Nordin</a></i><i> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/duythy-font.html" target="_blank">Duythy</a></i><i> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/angeltown-font.html" target="_blank">Angeltown</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/tinker-blackletter-font.html" target="_blank">Tinker</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/fruitos-font-script.html" target="_blank">Fruitos</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/theorem-font.html" target="_blank">Theorem</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/font-graphic-bundle.html" target="_blank">Immense Typography Bundle</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/adelios-font-family.html" target="_blank">Adelios</a></i><i> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/praktys-font.html" target="_blank">Praktys</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/paradise-beach-font.html" target="_blank">Paradise Beach</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/jaf-zalamander-font-family.html" target="_blank">Zalamander</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/artistic-chaos-font-duo-bonus.html" target="_blank">Artistic Chaos</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bogue-font.html" target="_blank">Bogue Family</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/aicy-monogram-curly-font.html" target="_blank">AICY Monogram Alphabet</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/brickhand-font.html" target="_blank">Brickhand</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/quigglesmith-font.html" target="_blank">Quigglesmith</a></i></div>
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Oy, what a deal! A couple of days ago I bumped into a 75% off sale at my favorite shop on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a> and decided to splurge a little. Each of these collections was <i>only 65¢ each …</i> that’s a lot of inspiration for very little moolah, and I can’t wait to turn them all into new product designs for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. <i>Yee-haw!</i><br />
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Unfortunately, right now I’m sad to report that I’ve been having some technical difficulties with <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>, which is my own marketplace store on Zazzle’s website. About a week and a half ago my home page had a nervous breakdown and none of my product categories are visible any more. I’ve been phoning and emailing Zazzle.com’s tech support but nobody knows what’s going on or how to fix the problem. Every time somebody responds to my follow-up emails we wind up back at square one. I’ll give them until Monday and then I start raising hell. <i>Stay tuned …</i><br />
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I love ready-to-eat products, and <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>KA-ME’S FRESH-COOKED UDON STIR-FRY NOODLES</b></span></span></span></span> are on top of my list of favorites. They come in a package of twin pouches, each pouch is a generous serving for one person. To heat them up you just pierce the pouch and nuke it for 90 seconds. That’s it … perfect noodles, ready to eat! They’re unseasoned and don’t include any sauce, so you’re on your own. Personally, I like these with a little House of Tsang General Tso’s Sauce and some frozen Boom Boom Shrimp or my favorite Classico pasta sauce and a few frozen Italian-style meatballs.<br />
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Incidentally, udon noodles are very thick and substantial, much heavier than traditional spaghetti, and that makes them ideal for a bedridden coot like <i>yours truly</i> to eat spaghetti lying down. <i>No more sloppy sauce all over the place!</i> For all of these reasons I’m happy to award KA-ME’s Udon Stir-Fry Noodles with the Howdygram’s coveted <i>five-chopper rating.</i><br />
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I’d also like to mention that KA-ME makes another noodle product worth trying … <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>HOKKIEN STIR-FRY NOODLES</b></span></span></span></span>. These are basically standard spaghetti noodles, fully cooked, amazingly convenient and ready to eat after you nuke the pouch for 90 seconds. It’s products like this that allow Sam to be a whiz in the kitchen with zero culinary training (or culinary interest). And believe it or not, he’s developed a real flair for garnishes! FYI, you can buy KA-ME’s products from <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a>, <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&ref_=nav_cs_fresh" target="_blank">Amazon Fresh</a>.<br />
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As a final thought for today, I placed an order with Amazon a little while ago for a carton of 72 bedpan liners (don’t ask) and a case of Brach’s Sugar-Free Fruit Slices, which are sold as a dozen teeny three-ounce bags with maybe half a dozen chewy candies in each bag. I actually have a craving for <i>chocolate,</i> but this isn’t the time of year to be ordering chocolate by mail due to the outdoor temperature being 95° in Texas and, you know, the issue of <i>SEVERE MELTING.</i> So for now I’ll have to settle for Brach’s Fruit Slices and hope they’re tolerable, fruity, chewy and tasty.<br />
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Thank you for reading this, and please consider remembering the Alamo if you have a couple of free minutes today, okay?<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-19894441738249778582020-07-06T01:56:00.000-05:002020-07-07T04:07:23.122-05:00Tremors, squeezy feet and 18-hour naps. That’s the story of my life.’Tis the Day of the Onion Rings here at Howdygram headquarters. This morning at 2 a.m. when I asked Sam to make me a bag of Nathan's Famous Thick Sliced Battered Onion Rings he delivered the devastating news that <i>we didn’t have any more in the freezer</i> … whereupon I immediately ordered four bags from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&ref_=nav_cs_fresh" target="_blank">Amazon Fresh</a> along with a small order of incredible delicacies that included: (1) Sargento’s Pepper Jack Cheese; (2) Annie Chun’s White Sticky Rice; (3) one pound of Reser’s Cole Slaw; (4) one pound of Reser’s Macaroni Salad; (5) frozen Citrus Pop-Ups<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> in three thrilling flavors; (6) Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce; (7) a half-pound of Italian Spicy Mixed Olive Bruschetta; (8) Farm Rich Mozzarella Sticks; and (9) six La Brea Bakery Take-and-Bake French Dinner Rolls.<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>FROZEN “365” BRAND CITRUS POP-UPS.</b></span></span></span></span> You get six in a box, two each of three different flavors: Lemonade, Orangeade and Strawberry Lemonade. I’ll do an official food review elsewhere in this post. Don’t go anywhere, okay?</div>
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Everything was delivered at 9 a.m., right on time, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to have a well-stuffed freezer again! However, I didn’t order any Royal Asia Boom Boom Shrimp from Amazon Fresh this time because we already have more than enough on hand … <i>about four pounds!</i><br />
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In case you’re interested … with reference to the first paragraph, (1) is for Sam, (7) will be used as a spread for (9), and Sam and I will share (8) because we love these little hoo-hahs with pasta sauce. (We’ve tried lots of brands but Farm Rich is the best.) Our absolute favorite pasta sauce is Classico’s Italian Sausage with Onions and Peppers. It’s so good I could eat it out of the jar with a spoon.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>I CAN’T STOP SLEEPING. </b></span></span></span></span>Believe it or not, I started this post three days ago but never got past the first paragraph due to unexpected naps lasting 12 to 18 hours at a time plus time out for a couple of meals here and there. I nod off mid-sentence and wake up not knowing the day, the date or the time. I’m definitely losing my grip. And it happened again tonight. I woke up an hour ago from another nap and the family room was blazing with sunlight. I looked at the clock on the mantel — it was 7:00 — so I assumed it was <i>morning</i> because it was so bright in here. WRONG! Sam reminded me that the family room faces <i>west,</i> which means we don’t get any morning sun in here. It was 7 p.m.<i> — not 7 a.m. —</i> and Sam told me I’d been asleep for 14 hours and just lost another entire whole day. This is extremely disturbing. <i>Jesus.</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>I CAN’T STOP SHAKING. </b></span></span></span></span>It’s tremors again in my hands and fingers, making it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to use my iMac keyboard and write a Howdygram post. After I type a word or a sentence I have to jerk my hands away from the keyboard so I don’t add extra characters, spaces or returns. Tremors make my life miserable.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>MY FEET FEEL LIKE THEY’RE BEING “SQUEEZED.” </b></span></span></span></span>The nerves in my feet are dying from <i>advanced</i> <i>diabetic peripheral neuropathy,</i> so both of my feet constantly <i>tingle</i> (i.e., like the feeling you get when your foot falls asleep and tries to “wake up”) and I also feel like I’m wearing <i>skin tight sandals</i> with straps digging into my skin and cutting off my circulation. My ankles are squeezed, my arches are squeezed and my toes are squeezed. <i>All the time.</i> I never get a break.</div>
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Here’s a review of the aforementioned <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>”365” BRAND CITRUS POP-UPS</b></span></span></span></span> that I briefly discussed earlier in this post. These are tasty frozen citrus treats from Whole Foods (via Amazon Fresh) — a combination of sherbet and Italian ices — in three delightful flavors: Lemonade, Orangeade and Strawberry Lemonade. I like them for a trio of excellent reasons: (1) the flavors are delightful and refreshing; (2) a person can eat them lying in bed; and (3) I can’t think of anything else. However, I’m only awarding them a <i>four-chopper rating</i> because they’re fucking <i>puny</i> — what I typically refer to as <i>toddler-size</i> — and you have to eat A MINIMUM OF TWO of the damn things to get a decent portion.<br />
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Carl Reiner, 98, the writer, producer, director and actor who was part of Sid Caesar’s legendary comedy team in the 1950s and went on to create “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and direct several hit films, died Monday night of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills.<br />
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He was the winner of nine Emmy awards, including five for “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Reiner’s most popular films as a director included <i>Oh God</i> (1977) starring George Burns, <i>The Jerk</i> (1979) starring Steve Martin, and <i>All of Me</i> (1984) starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin.<br />
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Reiner remained in the public eye well into his 80s and 90s with roles in the popular <i>Ocean’s Eleven</i> trio of films and on TV with recurring roles on sitcoms “Two and a Half Men” and “Hot in Cleveland.” He also did voice work for shows including “Family Guy,” “American Dad,” “King of the Hill,” and “Bob’s Burgers.”<br />
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Reiner first came to prominence as a regular cast member of Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows,” for which he won two Emmys in 1956 and 1957 in the supporting category. He met Mel Brooks during his time with Caesar. The two went on to have a lifetime friendship and comedy partnership through their recurring “2000 Year Old Man” sketches.<br />
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Before creating CBS hit “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” in which he frequently appeared, Reiner and Brooks developed a skit in which Reiner played straight man-interviewer to Brooks’ “2000 Year Old Man.” A 1961 recording of the skit was an immediate hit and spawned several sequels, the last of which, 1998’s “The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000,” won the pair a Grammy.<br />
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Reiner’s wife Estelle died in 2008. He is survived by two sons (Meathead and Lucas) and a daughter (Sylvia Anne). <i>Rest in peace, you blessed funnyman!</i><br />
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This might be my juiciest list of free fonts EVER. I’ve got something for everybody here … terrific <i>scripts,</i> casual <i>hand-lettered fonts,</i> fun <i>display fonts</i> and eight fabulous <i>layered fonts.</i> There are also three <i>font bundles</i> represented here, each packed with more than 30 fonts.<i> </i>My favorites today include “Aragel,” “Fresh Orange,” “Lovely Paws,” “Ultra,” “CA Kometo” and “Tommy Soft.” Download links will appear below the font list. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvd9S67Ee5W37F1p_hBXue5HZbNVTmwIREfOq6pxDJTX9BUsobXdciV9RrHSHvJeBVEjg5olSvU3xBwP7CxxL3bLNb6OhIwaHBcLBqq_alqcobznfu8gRUEp0uWETb59D3OiOO3r8x6WE/s1600/new+fonts+2.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvd9S67Ee5W37F1p_hBXue5HZbNVTmwIREfOq6pxDJTX9BUsobXdciV9RrHSHvJeBVEjg5olSvU3xBwP7CxxL3bLNb6OhIwaHBcLBqq_alqcobznfu8gRUEp0uWETb59D3OiOO3r8x6WE/s1600/new+fonts+2.png" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/stay-fresh-bonus-font.html" target="_blank">Stay Fresh</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/absolute-duo-extra.html" target="_blank">Absolute</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/fresh-milk-font.html" target="_blank">Fresh Milk</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/gulesta-font.html" target="_blank">Gulesta</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/happy-font-bundle.html" target="_blank">Goodies Bundle</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/aragel-font.html" target="_blank">Aragel</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/fugenta-font.html" target="_blank">Fugenta</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/manchester-font-3.html" target="_blank">Manchester</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/the-rollingstar-font.html" target="_blank">Rollingstar</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/fresh-orange-font.html" target="_blank">Fresh Orange</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/youth-script-font.html" target="_blank">Youth</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/lovely-paws-font.html" target="_blank">Lovely Paws</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/ultra-system-font-duo.html" target="_blank">Ultra</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/ralliankara-font.html" target="_blank">Ralliankara</a> • </i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/darwinoo-font-bundle.html" target="_blank"><i>Sonophone/Savo Bawdy</i><i> Bundle</i></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/goldie-rainbow-font-2.html" target="_blank">Goldie Rainbow</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/pineapple-party-font.html" target="_blank">Pineapple Party</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/ca-kometo-font.html" target="_blank">CA Kometo</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/sailors-diary-sans-tattoo-style-font.html" target="_blank">Sailor’s Diary</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/darwinoo-font-bundle.html" target="_blank">Simplisicky/Brazilian Bundle</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/tommy-soft-font.html" target="_blank">Tommy Soft</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bakeshop-font-family.html" target="_blank">Bakeshop</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/timelord-font-family.html" target="_blank">Timelord</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mindflyers-font.html" target="_blank">Mindflyers</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/spicy-chicken-font.html" target="_blank">Spicy Chicken</a></i></div>
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Here are some of the most gorgeous (and versatile) digital backgrounds I’ve ever showcased in the Howdygram. Each is 12” square and 300 dpi, and because they’re also <i>seamless</i> you can tile them in any direction to make a much larger image. That being said, I’M IN LOVE WITH ALL OF THEM and can’t really pick a favorite … although the Cool Pink Foils, the Metallic Blue Paint, the Metallic Teal Paint and the Distressed Red Textures have a slight edge. A <i>very</i> slight edge. I found all of these collections on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a> last night on sale for 65¢ each (that’s 75% off) and couldn’t resist buying them ALL. Holy crap, <i>right?</i><br />
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If you ever want any of my background collections just shoot me an <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">email</a> and I’ll send you a zip file, okay?<br />
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Whoa, we had some HUGE THUNDERSTORMS plow through here earlier tonight. Torrential rain, straight-line winds, pea-sized hailstones, plenty of thunder and lightning, and a couple of brief power outages. Thank God the power outages didn’t last long … it’s terrifying when the power goes out when it’s pitch black outside and you’re hooked up to an <i>electric oxygen concentrator!</i> More storms are on the way this morning (starting around 8 am.) and are in the forecast through 6 p.m. Tuesday. That’s a lot of heavy weather! <i>Auntie Em! Auntie Em!</i><br />
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I’d better go ahead and publish this post so I can get started on my next one. Thank you for reading this and don’t forget to remember the Alamo!<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-8603022001850989922020-06-28T14:10:00.000-05:002020-06-28T14:10:42.708-05:00Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why can’t it be onion rings?I haven’t decided yet if this will be a long or a short Howdygram post because there’s a lot of very important crapola going on here today and tomorrow.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>SAM IS OUT FOR HIS MORNING WALK. </b></span></span></span></span>It’s 5:15 a.m., pitch black outside, and Sam is walking in the woods at Samuell Farm in south Mesquite.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>I’M PLANNING MY BREAKFAST. </b></span></span></span></span>As soon as Sam gets home I want Nathan’s Original Batter-Dipped Onion Rings with Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and there’s no reason that meal shouldn’t be ONION RINGS!<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE TOE BUSINESS. </b></span></span></span></span>On Friday morning at 9 a.m. it’s time for your favorite bedridden diabetic coot’s — i.e., <i>yours truly’s —</i> quarterly toe checkup. My podiatrist is a swell young man with a swell assistant. They cut my toenails, use a little whirling Dremel tool to smooth them out, and always flake off a piece of dead skin from my heel to do a biopsy. Before they get started, however, the assistant always asks what was my blood sugar reading this morning, to which I always reply, “Who cares?” (True story.)<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>FRIDAY IS “BLOOD-LETTING” DAY AROUND HERE. </b></span></span></span></span>The hospice is sending a phlebotomist to draw my blood at 10 a.m. on Friday morning, and I’m a nervous wreck about it. Nobody’s drawn my blood since I was hospitalized in 2018, and I have no idea why they’re doing this or what they’re looking for. Of course, Sam doesn’t think I should worry … but I worry about <i>everything!</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>TIME FOR ANOTHER THOROUGH HOUSE-CLEANING. </b></span></span></span></span>Our sweet little maid will be here Friday at 11 a.m. (she comes ever other week) to mop, sweep, polish, vacuum and dust. <i>She does a fabulous job,</i> which explains why she’s been cleaning Howdygram headquarters every other week for the last 13 years. She’s a treasure.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>MY ROUTINE WEEKLY NURSING VISIT. </b></span></span></span></span>My hospice nurse (either Sharon or Martha) will be here late Friday afternoon to check my vital signs and discuss various health issues with Sam. Sam is a much better source of information than I am … he can tell the nurse about the days when my skin color was “off,” my lips looked blue-ish, my breathing was difficult, my appetite sucked, and so on. If I didn’t have Sam to notice everything, I’d have nothing whatsoever to talk about! In case you’re interested, Sam checked my vital signs a little while ago. My blood pressure was 77/49 (nope, that’s not a typo!) and my oxygen level was 76% … THAT’S A FRIGHTENING “LOW.” There’s not much we can do with the blood pressure numbers, but Sam raised my oxygen concentrator to 9 liters. In a couple of hours he’ll check my oxygen again, and if I can hit at least 90% — which is considered “low normal” — he’ll re-set my concentrator back down to 8 liters. Both of those settings are actually very high if you consider that I was breathing quite comfortably at 3 liters at the beginning of the year. (I’m definitely not doing very well these days.)</div>
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I’ve got some good stuff for you today. <i>Look at all these swell free fonts!</i> My favorites include “Big Whale,” “Backend,” “Milotte” “Charlotte Amalie,” and the layered font “Nigthwel.” (You can use one or both of “Nigthwel’s” shadow layers at the same time. Each one gives the font a completely different look. Very cool.) Also note … “Backend” comes with all kinds of pretty swashes, and “British Columbia” includes coordinating serif and sans serif fonts in case you’re into designing logos or posters. Download links will appear after the graphic in case you want any or all of these fonts for your personal collection. <i>Hint: </i>One or two fonts also make a lovely light lunch with a side salad and fresh fruit for dessert!<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span><br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/simple-thing-font.html" target="_blank">Simple Thing</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/big-whale-font.html" target="_blank">Big Whale</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hello-milky-font.html" target="_blank">Hello Milky</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/off-backend-fonts.html" target="_blank">Backend</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/saferick-font.html" target="_blank">Saferick</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mangotea-script-font.html" target="_blank">Mangotea</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/milotte-font.html" target="_blank">Milotte</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/createland-font.html" target="_blank">Createland</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/leader-kids-font.html" target="_blank">Leader Kids</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/jelly-boots-font.html" target="_blank">Jelly Boots</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/sugary-unicorn-font.html" target="_blank">Sugary Unicorn</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/silly-moments-font.html" target="_blank">Silly Moments</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hello-summer-font.html" target="_blank">Hello Summer</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/nigthwel-script-font.html" target="_blank">Nigthwel</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/british-columbia-collection.html" target="_blank">British Columbia</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/charlotte-amalie-font.html" target="_blank">Charlotte Amalie</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/summer-blaster-font.html" target="_blank">Summer Blaster</a></i></div>
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<i>Please note:</i> It’s possible that I took too much pain medication this morning. (I love my pain medication.)</div>
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Ah, … <i>Friday at last!</i> It’s 9:25 a.m. and I’m expecting my phone to ring any minute now announcing that the podiatrist<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> has pulled up in front of the house. Sam has been asleep on the sofa all night — and <i>he’s still there, </i>actually — so I think I’d better wake him up. I don’t want him to be a complete zombie when the doorbell rings.<br />
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The jerk never showed up … and we waited <i>all damn day</i> for him. <i>Jesus!</i> Sam will probably call their office on Monday (tomorrow) to find out what the hell happened and if they want to reschedule my appointment. (At this point I don’t really care one way or the other, however. He can go jump in Lake Ray Hubbard.)</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>SUNDAY, 2:45 A.M., 6/28/2020.</b></span></span></span></span> To tell you the truth, the last 24 hours of my life have been a <i>nightnare.</i> Even though I slept through <i>most</i> of it, the rest of the time was a screaming bedpan pain festival in three (THREE!) episodes … only two of which were actually productive, <i>poop-wise.</i> I can’t even begin to describe the screeching horror of being rolled onto my left side. I swear to God, they could hear me all the way to the Arkansas state line! The pain I’m referring to involves my right leg, my right ankle and my right hip … and it’s <i>excruciating!</i> Quite frankly, I don’t care if you want to hear about it or not. This is my goddamn blog, and I’ll describe my pain any time I feel like it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><i><a href="http://howdygram2.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_19.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a complete explanation of my Shit-O-Meter numerical rankings.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>SUNDAY, 11:09 A.M.</b></span></span></span></span> I think I need to update the opening paragaph of my last Howdygram post. Our asshole governor Greg Abbott has finally decided to<i> </i>shut down Texas’ bars, dance halls, clubs, gyms, salons and indoor restaurants <i>permanently</i> due to rampant Coronavirus infections. It’s completely out of control here, and I think he’s petrified that Republicans will never win another election. (Well, DUH!) A case in point … my friend Linda (she’s here in the Dallas area) just lost her father, age 90, to COVID-19. Linda’s younger brother, who was working at a Starbucks inside a ritzy Tom Thumb supermarket in Dallas, had been living with him. The brother caught the infection first, gave it to dad, dad died in ICU four days later struggling to breathe, and the brother is quarantined at home with symptoms. Even though Starbucks has all kinds of safety measures in place to prevent infection, <i>they obviously didn’t work!</i><br />
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Life as we know it will never be the same for <i>any</i> of us.<br />
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Thank you for reading this. There’s a big storm moving in and I think I’d better shut down my computer (but only after I eat another bag of Nathan’s onion rings).<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-21840825489181040682020-06-22T09:26:00.000-05:002020-07-12T00:31:00.078-05:00Dear World: I hate Greg Abbott and love Amazon Fresh!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The state of Texas is out of its fucking mind. Our maniacal pro-Trump governor, grifter-in-chief Greg Abbott, decided all by himself — against warnings and directives by the CDC and the Board of Health — to “reopen” the state so that everybody can go back to their favorite hair and nail salons, bars, restaurants and shopping malls even though Texas has the worst COVID-19 infection rate in the United States with more new cases daily than ANYWHERE … including <i>Mars.</i> After Abbott’s proclamation, the entire under-30 age group did exactly what he wanted them to do, and barely two weeks later they all wound up infected with Coronavirus. Totally predictable and expected, and now all those poor twits are sick, miserable, unemployed and hospitalized with<i> no insurance coverage! </i>To make things even worse, now their <i>parents</i> are sick, their <i>children</i> are sick, their <i>grandparents</i> are sick, their <i>friends</i> are sick and their <i>neighbors</i> are sick.<br />
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Thank you, Governor Abbott, for ruining the lives of tens of thousands of young Texans … and for putting all the rest of us at risk, too! <i>You goddamn jackass.</i><br />
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Hello, everybody. It’s 2:45 a.m., and we’re having a muggy, overcast morning in the Dallas metropolitan area with thunderstorms expected around 10 a.m. <i>I don’t care!</i> All I need for a full and happy life are: (1) Sam; (2) my iMac computer, (3) my gigantic TV; (4) an oxygen concentrator with a soft cannula; and (5) my favorite foods<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> in the fridge, freezer and pantry. <i>Seriously.</i><br />
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This would include fresh milk (so Sam can make Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup); Nathan’s Frozen Onion Rings; Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce, cole slaw, lemonade; Great Value Cashew Butter; spicy shrimp ramen noodles; Annie Chun’s White Sticky Rice, KaMe Hokkien Noodles, one or two bags of Royal Asia’s Boom Boom Shrimp (with Boom Boom Shrimp Sauce); frozen brussels sprouts; and frozen blueberries. A coot such as yours truly can live quite comfortably with a well-stocked kitchen! And don’t forget microwave popcorn … in case you decide to watch a spectacular classic movie like <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (1939) starring Judy Garland or <i>Captain Blood </i>(1935) starring Errol Flynn.</div>
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Even though <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart’s</a> new grocery pick-up service offers 50,000 products you’d never find on their regular website — among them fresh produce, frozen food, fresh meat and seafood — lately I’ve been able to expand my food options <i>even more</i> via <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&ref_=nav_cs_fresh" target="_blank">Amazon Fresh</a>. <i>I LOVE AMAZON FRESH</i> … and I just placed a small order for delivery later this morning at 5 a.m. <i>Woo-hoo!</i> This week’s order includes the aforementioned Boom Boom Shrimp (one bag), Nathan’s frozen Onion Rings, Annie Chun’s White Sticky Rice, frozen blueberries, cole slaw, Bob Evans Macaroni & Cheese, and Skinny Cow no-sugar-added caramel ice cream cones. This is all amazing stuff. (Please note that a Food Review for Senior Citizens featuring Nathan’s Onion Rings will appear later on in this post.)<br />
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For your possible interest, a 5 a.m. Amazon Fresh delivery is <i>not</i> ridiculously early for us. That’s just when Sam usually gets home from his morning walk in the woods!<br />
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There are some truly outstanding free fonts here today. Four are<i> layered </i>fonts, but<i> </i>my favorites are “Kalkal,” “Amfibia,” “Dr. Slab,” “Tendencies” and “Mythical Garden.” Especially “Amfibia” and “Dr. Slab.”<br />
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“Dr. Slab” is an exciting layered font with two different shadow styles … you can use one or both at the same time. And “Amfibia” is absolutely <i>fascinating</i> with 100 styles. Down below, after all the download links, I’ve lots more to tell you about “Amfibia.” I know you can’t wait.<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/kestrel-script-font-family.html" target="_blank">Kestrel</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/dinattallie-font.html" target="_blank">Dinattallie</a> • <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">Wind Palm Duo</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/omelette-script-font.html" target="_blank">Omelette</a> • <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com" target="_blank">Kalkal</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/amfibia-font-family.html" target="_blank">Amfibia</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/blue-phantom-script.html" target="_blank">Blue Phantom</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/dr-slab.html" target="_blank">Dr. Slab</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/tendencies-font.html" target="_blank">Tendencies</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/sunshine-tropical-font.html" target="_blank">Sunshine Tropical</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mythical-garden-font.html" target="_blank">Mythical Garden</a></i></div>
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So here’s “Amfibia.” You get five widths ranging from wide to narrow, with ten weights and coordinating italics for each width. <i>ONE HUNDRED STYLES!</i> There’s nothing you can’t do with them … posters, magazine articles, fashion layouts, business cards, billboards, you name it. Many characters have alternate letterforms and beautiful swashes, and there are also lots of fractions. Plus, the large “x height” (the height of the lowercase letters) makes the font legible even at small sizes, like magazine articles. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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Sam and I <i>love</i> onion rings. He never discovered the joy of Hackney’s onion brick (a Chicago passion for more than 80 years) but probably wouldn’t have liked it. He prefers <i>large slabs</i> of whole onion to Hackney’s “onion string” style that’s fried in a big loaf pan. There’s a popular Greek-owned burger chain here in Dallas called Scotty P’s that makes the most gigantic and amazing slab-style onion rings EVER, and <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>NATHAN’S ORIGINAL THICK-SLICED BATTERED ONION RINGS </b></span></span></span></span>(see below) are just as good … and a lot less expensive for a lot more food. I want Sam to try these. He’s given up eating at <i>— or carrying out food from — </i>restaurants, probably for the rest of his life, to prevent catching the Coronavirus. With Nathan’s Original Thick-Sliced Battered Onion Rings at least he can enjoy his favorite side dish again.<br />
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I’m delighted to award Nathan’s Thick-Sliced Battered Onion Rings with the Howdygram’s five-chopper rating. It’s our highest honor and makes me want a plate of onion rings <i>right now.</i><br />
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I’m ready to get back to my design projects now … bath mats and shower curtains to match all the bath ceramic sets I uploaded a few days ago. I’m learning that it’s hard to do what I’m doing … making the bath mat and curtain designs <i>proportional</i> so they won’t look stupid alongside the countertop ceramics. I need to work out a simple system so I won’t drive myself crazy. I’m also studying a tutorial on how to make seamless patterns in Adobe Illustrator. (Keep your fingers crossed. I really want to learn how to do this.)<br />
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Thanks for dropping by, everybody. If you want to remember the Alamo, go right ahead. I won’t stop you.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-76957255137707132772020-06-18T18:45:00.000-05:002020-06-20T23:08:52.517-05:00Introducing Marcy’s Easy-Peasy Opioids and Olives Diet!The life of a bedridden coot is an interesting one. Mostly, I guess, I’m faced with an endless stretch of days and weeks, ridiculous 18-hour spans of sleep, forgotten meals and missed medications … I almost can’t keep up sometimes. At the moment it’s 8:45 Wednesday morning. I’d like to take my morning meds, but Sam hasn’t brought them to me yet (he’s asleep), so I thought I’d kill a little time with the Howdygram. Hello, everybody.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 17.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>LET’S TALK BEDPANS. </b></span></span></span></span>Certainly not everybody’s favorite subject — least of all <i>mine —</i> I think you should know that several times a week Sam is tasked with: 1) rolling me onto my left side; 2) squishing a bedpan underneath me; 3) very, very carefully setting me onto my back again and waiting for me to make a poop; 4) rolling me back onto my left side to clean things up; and 5) helping me get comfortable again on my back, which includes gently moving and adjusting my legs an inch at a time until I finally stop screaming. At this point I would like to remark that activities #1 and #4 <i>— rolling onto my left side —</i> are <i>PURE HORROR</i> and includes screeching profanities at the top of my lungs until my vocal chords (and poor Sam’s eardrums) collapse. According to my official Shit-O-Meter misery report, which ranks my pain on a scale of 1 to 10, rolling onto my left side qualifies as a clear “15.” <i>Seriously.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><i><a href="http://howdygram2.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_19.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> for an explanation of our Shit-O-Meter numerical rankings.</i></span></div>
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As a matter of fact, this morning’s bedpan hoo-hah might have even surpassed “15.” (I’m told they could hear me screaming in Oklahoma.) Therefore … Sam and I have agreed to do some independent research to find out if there’s another way for me to poop without being rolled around in bed. I just don’t think I can do it any more. </div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 17.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>LET’S TALK FOOD. </b></span></span></span></span>Actually, this section should be more appropriately titled “Let’s NOT Talk Food,” because I have absolutely no appetite whatsoever and haven’t eaten anything for the last several days besides opiates, pitted Greek olives and sugar-free Sunkist Orange Soda. While this may be thoroughly void of nutrition, <span style="color: #1b789a;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>MARCY’S EASY-PEASY OPIOIDS AND OLIVES DIET</b></span></span></span></span> comes highly recommended on a number of other levels, two of which are no cooking is required and you can eat olives with a plastic fork. Come to think of it, I’ve learned to enjoy peculiar teeny meals that are generally regarded to be <i>relishes</i> and/or <i>garnishes,</i> such as little round cherry peppers, all kinds of olives, nice crunchy green onions and millions of pickles, including rock-hard dilled green tomatoes, kosher dill pickles, half-sour pickles, sweet gherkins and bread & butter pickles. I’m a real sucker for bread & butter pickles. And don’t get me started on <i>giardiniera.</i> Oy.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 17.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>LET’S TALK “DECLINES.” </b></span></span></span></span>I think I’m in the middle of another one. I’ve been sleeping for ridiculously long spans of time — 12, 14, 16 hours at a stretch — and in addition to not eating, I also forget to use <i>insulin.</i> (Although I suppose if a diabetic doesn’t eat, she probably doesn’t really need much insulin, anyway.) Other symptoms of my declines include: 1) really low blood pressure, such as 86/55; 2) a stupid squeaky, weak, raspy voice; and 3) feeling lethargic, uninspired, unhappy and unhinged. I’m also revisiting a health issue from four years ago when I was taking Coumadin (a blood thinner): SPONTANEOUS BLEEDING. I just scratched my stomach (gently!) and spouted a “gusher” that required Sam’s assistance. I detest the sight of my own blood. To me, it looked like a surgery scene from “M*A*S*H” in here. </div>
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There are too many free fonts in today’s list to write a major narrative, so I’ll just tell you which of these are my favorites: “Ludicas Music,” “Mariano,” “Square Lemon,” “Silkystring” and the enormous “Goldplay Family,” the latter of which includes 14 weights (ranging from Thin to Black in two styles), really beautiful italics for each of them, and lots of quirky alternative letterforms. (I’m in love with the lowercase “k.”) That said, you’ll find download links below the graphic in case you want any or all of these for your personal collection. <i>You’re welcome.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/the-humble-font.html" target="_blank">The Humble</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/agaligo-font.html" target="_blank">Agaligo</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mariano-font.html" target="_blank">Mariano</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/safetread-font.html" target="_blank">Safe Tread</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/horbelly-font.html" target="_blank">Horbelly</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/ludicas-music-font.html" target="_blank">Ludacis Music</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/sally-says-font.html" target="_blank">Sally Says</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/charly-dreams-font.html" target="_blank">Charly Dreams</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hellow-bunny-font.html" target="_blank">Hellow Bunny</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/slubby-slurpie-font.html" target="_blank">Slubby Slurpie</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/thanks-autumn-font.html" target="_blank">Thanks Autumn</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/square-lemon-font.html" target="_blank">Square Lemon</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/silkystring-font.html" target="_blank">Silkystring</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/thingk-alongtime.html" target="_blank">Thingk Alongtime</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/goldplay-font.html" target="_blank">Goldplay Family</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/pn-thinking-fast-font.html" target="_blank">Thinking Fast</a></i></div>
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And last but not least … <i>new background images!</i> The first four collections are from the same <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a> designer, Things by Lary. Her shop always has such beautiful and usable designs, and these will be absolutely perfect for the bathroom coordinates (ceramic sets, bath mats and shower curtains) I’ve been working on for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howygram Store</a>. In case you’re interested, most of the background images I already own (foil, glitter, or non-repeating designs) wouldn’t print well on fabric shower curtains or memory foam bath mats.<br />
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I’m well-equipped now to forge ahead. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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I just woke up from another 15-hour nap. Under the circumstances I think I’d better use this opportunity (which I originally typed <i>twice</i> as “opportunititty”) to finish this post and publish it before I fall asleep again.<br />
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Thank y’all for reading this, okay?<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-15324470375397307962020-06-12T21:20:00.001-05:002020-06-18T20:06:43.880-05:00Sam has acquired the manly art of whackin’ down shit with a chainsaw!Happy Wednesday morning, ladies and gentlemen. I’m enjoying one of my favorite movies — <i>Act One</i> (1963) starring George Hamilton and Jason Robards — while Sam and I wait for a visit from my hospice’s Director of Nursing. Martha said she’d be here between 11 and 12 with a plan to discuss two different subjects: 1) can we please tell her which medications I don’t take any more<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> so she can update her records; and 2) she wants to figure out if there’s a way to make me more comfortable in bed because right now I’m <i>not</i> (comfortable, that is) and it’s entirely likely that I’m not breathing properly or digesting my food very well, either.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-jYOSVQc-MDBbt0ukiODGYQ9HeVCr_dZXMuN2lUAQOQTmPDvQKzeTe7ZZtIzf9-CY81UjWNqjsUps0j3GJmiiDOV7Z2EnIcP0GkgmQ_fkG6kSiLdpelz8UrKGyFbalUdwB_sRD0pzAJR/s1600/whine+list.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-jYOSVQc-MDBbt0ukiODGYQ9HeVCr_dZXMuN2lUAQOQTmPDvQKzeTe7ZZtIzf9-CY81UjWNqjsUps0j3GJmiiDOV7Z2EnIcP0GkgmQ_fkG6kSiLdpelz8UrKGyFbalUdwB_sRD0pzAJR/s1600/whine+list.png" /></a></div>It occurs to me that most people who read the Howdygram don’t really give two shits about my health problems. You’ve all got issues of your own. <i>I get it.</i> The pandemic has turned everybody’s world upside-down. You’re working from home (if you still have a job), trying to home-school multiple offspring and keep them from killing each other, juggling Amazon deliveries, testing the waters with various grocery drop-off services, trying not to strangle anybody, and walking around deserted streets wearing a face mask, convinced that you could be living through an episode of “The Twilight Zone.”<br />
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For you, though, life will get back to “normal” sooner rather than later. You’ll go back to work. The kids will go back to school. You’ll go to a favorite restaurant if it didn’t already go bankrupt, get a haircut, enjoy a manicure and shop for shoes.<br />
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But that’s not the case for <i>me.</i> I’ll just continue to lie here with screaming pain in my legs and an oxygen cannula up my nose while I spill hot ramen noodles on my chest for entertainment. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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While we’re still waiting for Martha (she’s late!) I thought I’d share the following photos with you. A few days ago Sam started calling arborists to get a quote for cutting down a dead “forest pansy redbud” tree in our back yard. It was a gorgeous flowering tree with raindow-colored leaves, but unfortunately it never really thrived and eventually kicked the bucket about a year ago with several conspicuous and large dead branches. After receiving some ridiculously expensive ($400+) quotes from two arborists, Sam decided to go with “Plan B” … <i>buy a chainsaw at a fraction of the cost and do the job himself!</i><br />
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Sam whacked down the forest pansy redbud and hauled the wood and branches out to the curb for trash pickup. And then a couple of days later he used the chainsaw to trim the beautiful tree in our front yard and all of the shrubbery, too. He did a terrific job, saved us hundreds of dollars and learned an exciting new manly Texas skill … <i>THE ART OF WHACKIN’ DOWN SHIT WITH HIS VERY OWN CHAINSAW!</i><br />
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I don’t know when it will be “planting season” again here in north Texas, but I’m sure Sam will eventually fill that pretty stone tree circle in our back yard with some nice flowering shrubbery because it’s in a strategic location with a central view from the bay windows in our master bedroom.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDeqs7ofm2jtqIJbXaHSpLC8HXjeKzY2angFh6IPtgzUBW_mAN-sMOJbdzsEI2IPEb0d1g-JVXqU24_1q8_0XuJHIcCUWxjoZPPKWEY7da5CBZf_GFGqhtcSHx0z9_Y_gJXDG0KtXWbID/s1600/invalid%25E2%2580%2599s+calendar+of+thrills.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDeqs7ofm2jtqIJbXaHSpLC8HXjeKzY2angFh6IPtgzUBW_mAN-sMOJbdzsEI2IPEb0d1g-JVXqU24_1q8_0XuJHIcCUWxjoZPPKWEY7da5CBZf_GFGqhtcSHx0z9_Y_gJXDG0KtXWbID/s1600/invalid%25E2%2580%2599s+calendar+of+thrills.png" /></a></div>In case you give a crap, I haven’t been able to enjoy that view from our bay windows for <i>years.</i> I’ve been sleeping in the family room since 2015 due to unbearable pain in my legs, an inability to breathe lying flat on my back, and severe incontinence. Holy shit, <i>right?</i> Therefore I started sleeping in the family room since 2015 … the first few years on a very comfortable and squishy leather contour chair, and since May 2018 on a regulation hospital bed provided by my hospice.<br />
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Which brings me to a traumatic hoo-hah coming up on Monday, June 15 … <i>I’M GETTING A NEW HOSPITAL BED.</i> The one I’m using right now has butt dents and isn’t very comfortable any more. While a new hospital bed is definitely the right thing to do for my comfort and overall health, it’s also an undertaking that involves some major strategy … and potentially <i>a great deal of pain.</i> I have to roll from side to side while a team of nurses shove a “draw” sheet underneath me so they can slide me onto the new bed. I’m NOT looking forward to this and already have an enormous cocktail of serious pain medications ready to go. They include: 1) two Hydrocodones; 2) one Xanax; 3) a dropper full of liquid Hydromorphone; and 4) a <i>yooge</i> quantity of Bengay cream smooshed onto both kneecaps.<br />
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The liquid Hydromorphone is my favorite part of all this. It may taste like battery acid but it works like a charm. (And it’s fast.)<br />
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I’ll let y’all know how Monday’s bed transfer turns out. Please feel free to resume your normal everyday activities in the meantime.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHhu4HBd47gIOA1VEghc01DCtGRews4rH8BdaZ4sn7_mG_endlLAIpHDRnebMQ8LQgXUASwsqKoQEzaEs0LFbUMqBh7LeeTjJuj9vXYrLUDjc6goH2CUo5oGJdgFfjpU5CLH0UZAS8E9o/s1600/howdygram+store.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHhu4HBd47gIOA1VEghc01DCtGRews4rH8BdaZ4sn7_mG_endlLAIpHDRnebMQ8LQgXUASwsqKoQEzaEs0LFbUMqBh7LeeTjJuj9vXYrLUDjc6goH2CUo5oGJdgFfjpU5CLH0UZAS8E9o/s1600/howdygram+store.png" /></a></div><i>Bathroom coordinates!</i> I’ve got dozens of new designs, patterns and prints in luscious colors, many of them with monograms. Right now I’m working on my vanity ceramics — soap dispensers with brushed stainless steel pumps and matching toothbrush holders, pictured below — and I’ll also have coordinating 20" x 30" memory foam bath mats and shower curtains.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_qTl073u2GNXAD7hJstg2oNPIMoIj-YcoPTbp0B0IaUQLRx2LOx1s1XY2J_oKcefvsA0nW34YeJ-EhBoniWxdF0CGfc7d8WBWSRIGHxh9B9lcYXNlnqDJBkUTtncc0P84l2XI7EwrEd0/s1600/bathroom+coordinates.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_qTl073u2GNXAD7hJstg2oNPIMoIj-YcoPTbp0B0IaUQLRx2LOx1s1XY2J_oKcefvsA0nW34YeJ-EhBoniWxdF0CGfc7d8WBWSRIGHxh9B9lcYXNlnqDJBkUTtncc0P84l2XI7EwrEd0/s1600/bathroom+coordinates.png" /></a></div><br />
The price points are excellent. too. The bath ceramics are $25.65 per set and the 20" x 30" bath mat is $33.50. A smaller 16" x 24" mat is only $27.90. (Hint … if you wait for everything to go on sale you could save as much as 50%.)<br />
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I’ve already got most of my bath ceramic designs finished and uploaded to my store, and now I’m working on the matching bath mats. Shower curtains are next. This is very inspiring … and a huge relief to design something else besides iPhone cases!<br />
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When I’m done with my bath coordinates there are other products in my store that need some new designs … decks of playing cards, coasters, mason jars, padfolios, clipboards and spiral notebooks. That’s more than enough creative work to last me a while. (I wonder if I’ll live long enough.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMSzPV9apkkj5aDov1O1neHc_2mEv5F1cxpdpMe3lX1SsrG4MaIum_X4hnppzBVxHrjFgxlcCbMB3BTk6KeWjWlAjYMW8vOOz76gYSY7yjbgbxRHwYCp80zBzK9OWHrTsMHzE1bwSmdlp/s1600/food+review.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMSzPV9apkkj5aDov1O1neHc_2mEv5F1cxpdpMe3lX1SsrG4MaIum_X4hnppzBVxHrjFgxlcCbMB3BTk6KeWjWlAjYMW8vOOz76gYSY7yjbgbxRHwYCp80zBzK9OWHrTsMHzE1bwSmdlp/s1600/food+review.png" /></a></div>In my <a href="https://howdygram2.blogspot.com/2020/05/im-not-in-very-good-mood-right-now-and.html" target="_blank">last food review</a> I covered the joys of Royal Asia’s frozen Boom Boom Shrimp, which I ate with House of Tsang’s General Tso Sauce or Spicy Szechuan Sauce. Today, however, I’ll introduce you to Great Value’s <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>BOOM BOOM SHRIMP SAUCE</b></span></span></span></span> … an incredible delicacy with enough zing and spice to rock your world.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0HK7ox8T6cWS9eW5YOSjUzQDQsN9Ox-MGnonWR2REJu5UErOJfzNG9FI1NrmVkr9TexCR-Aj7SxZx41MZED34ts2vvNiDALFMRo0hyf20WdpcoVT6xs79dI6y7wUu1ljZMlTtNJILj7a/s1600/food+review+boom+boom+sauce.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0HK7ox8T6cWS9eW5YOSjUzQDQsN9Ox-MGnonWR2REJu5UErOJfzNG9FI1NrmVkr9TexCR-Aj7SxZx41MZED34ts2vvNiDALFMRo0hyf20WdpcoVT6xs79dI6y7wUu1ljZMlTtNJILj7a/s1600/food+review+boom+boom+sauce.png" /></a></div><br />
Aside from being an amazing dip for Boom Boom Shrimp, this stuff is also terrific with peel & eat shrimp instead of cocktail sauce, on batter-dipped fish fillets instead of tartar sauce … and even as a sandwich spread and on HAMBURGERS, too! Great Value’s Boom Boom Shrimp Sauce is heaven in a jar, and we’re happy to award it with our coveted <i>five-chopper rating.</i> You can buy Boom Boom Shrimp Sauce at <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a>, <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&ref_=nav_cs_fresh" target="_blank">Amazon Fresh</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfGR92k-TQyMMwpSLArGQ8gnfUtlDqAgqSmL8gmSMB2LR8_5WqM4mheACwZmNMlkp1L0-yWyQjoIGvK18O0T5A376U3FfrnUbNiVawcNdvfa891eLNsgdb1TG8k5Zgc4fjRhWop8DIE8e/s1600/coronavirus+survival+guide.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfGR92k-TQyMMwpSLArGQ8gnfUtlDqAgqSmL8gmSMB2LR8_5WqM4mheACwZmNMlkp1L0-yWyQjoIGvK18O0T5A376U3FfrnUbNiVawcNdvfa891eLNsgdb1TG8k5Zgc4fjRhWop8DIE8e/s1600/coronavirus+survival+guide.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VfFW0xHLq17G9SigIppMSRzDn3ljnSUfH-p3_sMTeXfewc_wpIKJnzPK5gr0VedmJQf_oZpMuZdk-Jg88sEwxh854tYgUejxnjeV3jyQi5ukp2gAfHb_VxUS4gBVfkDjYyufWDkwfJ_W/s1600/coronavirus.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: .5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VfFW0xHLq17G9SigIppMSRzDn3ljnSUfH-p3_sMTeXfewc_wpIKJnzPK5gr0VedmJQf_oZpMuZdk-Jg88sEwxh854tYgUejxnjeV3jyQi5ukp2gAfHb_VxUS4gBVfkDjYyufWDkwfJ_W/s1600/coronavirus.png" /></a></div>It’s Friday afternoon now, and after two back-to-back mega-naps I think I’ll finally be awake for a while. It’s hard to predict this. One minute I’m awake and typing, the next minute I’m unconscious with the keyboard in my left armpit. It’s such fun to be a writer! <i>A dream come true!</i><br />
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But I’d like to take a moment away from the life of an aging bedridden blogger to discuss COVID-19 and the state of Texas. A week ago GOP Governor Greg Abbott and GOP state officials in Austin issued an executive order that announced it was “time to reopen the Great State of Texas” — superceding county and municipal directives — and ended the lockdown so everybody could go back to work and flock to their favorite restaurants, hair salons and malls. Unfortunately (but <i>not</i> surprisingly) the GOP state officials were DEAD WRONG, because Houston is now peaking with the most new Coronavirus cases in the U.S.A. to date … and they’re planning to turn a major sports stadium into a gigantic emergency ward to help treat the patients who can’t fit into Houston’s hospitals.<br />
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It’s even worse here in Dallas. Even though we have two million fewer residents than Houton, Dallas has <i>far more deaths …</i> and far more new cases!<br />
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As a result of all this “reopening” bullshit, national medical officials are calling Texas a “disaster” and Governor Abbott is now reconsidering a whole new lockdown. Sam actually predicted <i>all</i> of this … and that’s why he keeps such tight rules for the two of us. No visitors, no restaurant food (including free no-contact deliveries), all incoming packages from UPS and FedEx have to sit in the front foyer for 72 hours before he’ll open them, and he even bought a professional electric razor from Amazon to cut his own hair!<br />
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We’ll all get through this. Thank you and good night!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tj3k-ycQKuQ/XbUX92O63XI/AAAAAAABC4o/GZ9GdmGWMRg9t88HRj1X%E2%88%91Xk-b3cf2388tgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/sig%2B96%2525%2Bpost.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="113" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTKearF5-OTUAtv7SFA_CPrjWYVwnSdBuYKh805e_f8p0CLzFhWzLg9WQa-4QTA3iskpFWzvZZwi1coWvWgXlO_8aSj71WGfuxTgSYz1rEGKCLe2E-S2YQBvdPazPphcBivmUJrbZS04J/s1600/sig+96%2525+post.png" /></a></div>Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-48009929191602828652020-06-07T06:33:00.000-05:002020-07-10T03:50:37.246-05:00Remember in my last post when I told you I was losing interest in fonts? I lied.It’s been a whole week since my last Howdygram post, but I’ve got a solid reason that: I’VE BEEN ASLEEP. <i>Yes, for the whole goddamn week!</i><br />
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Since I began this post by whining, I guess I’ll continue for a while along the same line. Thank you for putting up with me.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>SLEEP SLEEP AND MORE SLEEP. </b></span></span></span></span>I just slept for an entire week. Sam roused me occasionally to take pain medications (he hears me moaning) but I conk out immediately afterwards. <i>Thank you, Sam.</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>THE “VITAL SIGNS”. </b></span></span></span></span>For the last few days my blood pressure has been averaging 90/52 and` my oxygen level is about 90. Both readings are <i>very low,</i> the oxygen in particular, especially s1ince we boosted the level of my oxygen concentrator last week to <i>eight liters</i> (that’s a lot of oxygen!), which is high enough to hear it rushing through my cannula from 10 feet away. It sounds like Niagara Falls in here. Also, an oxygen reading from my oximeter needs to be 92 or higher to be considered normal. I’m currently at 90. Before we raised my oxygen concentrator to eight liters my oximeter readings were in the upper 80s. I’m definitely not breathing well.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>CHRONIC PAIN. </b></span></span></span></span>I absolutely, positively CANNOT move my legs without screaming. Moving is a complete horror for me. Whenever I need to use the bedpan and Sam has to roll me onto my left side, I let out a terrifying blood-curdling scream that would make Bigfoot turn tail and run. The pain of the century is my <i>right knee.</i> I’m okay as long as I don’t try to move, and my Hydrocodones and Xanax keep me relatively pain-free. From now on when I have to roll onto my left side I’ll add an oral dose of Hydromorphone to my regular pain meds. Trust me, with Hydromorphone Sam could amputate my head and I wouldn’t feel it!<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>TREMORS. </b></span></span></span></span>In both hands and all ten fingers. There are times that typing is nearly impossible … but I persevere.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>MY VOICE HAS DISAPPEARED.</b></span></span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span></span></span>Squeaky, rattly, raspy. My voice varies from “cartoon character” to a “100-year-old woman,” and after the first few words it usually vanishes entirely.</div>
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In hospice terms, all of this — the sleeping, the vital sign numbers, the tremors, the voice — is called a “decline.” And I’m fully aware that one of these days I’ll fall asleep and simply not wake up any more …<br />
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Remember in my last post when I told I was losing interest in fonts? <i>I lied.</i><br />
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I’ve got a <i>yoooge</i> pile of terrific free fonts for you today! There’s something for everybody here. Scripts, display fonts, hand-drawn fonts, some wonderful picture (dingbat) fonts, and a lovely variety of layered fonts, too. I don’t have download links for a couple of them (“Love & Romance” and “Lucky Fortune”) so just shoot me an <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">email</a> and I’ll send you the files, okay? <br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/thorky-display-font.html" target="_blank">Thorky</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/asaly-font.html" target="_blank">Asaly</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/magical-font-4.html" target="_blank">Magical</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/angelia-script.html" target="_blank">Angelia</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/stanley-font-2.html" target="_blank">Stanley</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/franky-font.html" target="_blank">Franky</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/rare-done-font.html" target="_blank">Rare Done</a> </i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/choxr-font.html" target="_blank">Choxr</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/becak-font.html" target="_blank">Becak</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/badcats-font.html" target="_blank">Bad Cats</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/alathena-font.html" target="_blank">Alathena</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hook-hanger-font.html" target="_blank">Hook Hanger</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/pramodia-font.html" target="_blank">Pramodia</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/butter-mellon-font.html" target="_blank">Butter Melon</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/blanchope-font.html" target="_blank">Blanchope</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/glowing-star-font.html" target="_blank">Glowing Star</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/winterland-font.html" target="_blank">Winterland</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/ruby-hollow-dry-brush-font.html" target="_blank">Ruby Hollow</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/kind-heart-font.html" target="_blank">Kind Heart</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/holiday-pleasure-font.html" target="_blank">Holiday Pleasure</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/zuume-soft-font.html" target="_blank">Zuume Soft</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/salt-pepper-font.html" target="_blank">Salt & Pepper</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/best-school-font.html" target="_blank">Best School</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/dings-font.html" target="_blank">Dings</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/great-hustle-font.html" target="_blank">Great Hustle</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/aftershocks-font.html" target="_blank">Aftershocks</a> • </i><i><a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">Love & Romance</a> • <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">Lucky Fortune</a></i></div>
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Look at all these stunning backgrounds and textures! The first four — 100 Vivid Foils, 100 Intense Ombre Glitters, 100 Leopard Prints, and 100 Vivid Wood Planks — were purchased from <i>ClipHeart Creations,</i> one of my favorite shops on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a>. Everything in her shop (when you purchase the packs of 100) are perfectly color-coordinated, and I love that. The same is true for <i>Things by Lary,</i> but she takes it to another level. She has color-coordinated packs of 100 <i>and</i> color coordinated packs of 254. The colors are completely different in each pack and I’ve been collecting ALL of them! <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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In case you’re interested, the 18 Christmas Marble Foils and 12 Tropical Florals are from <i>Digital Curio.</i> The designs are absolutely breathtaking. I’m planning to use the Tropical Floral for bathroom products … vanity ceramics, hand towels, bath mats, and night lights.<br />
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I think I’d better wrap this up and pubilsh it already or it’ll be another whole week. I can’t seem to stay awake again! Thank you for reading this and thank you for your patience. Shalom, howdy and happy Sunday morning.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-88136646388884394932020-05-28T10:03:00.002-05:002020-06-22T18:47:15.793-05:00I’d hate to lose control of my nipples. I’m so fond of them!I’ve got lots of stuff to tell you this afternoon, okay? It’s a few measly minutes after 3 p.m. and I just woke up from a long, long, long, <i>long</i> sleep. I just I asked Sam “how long” and his only reply was <span style="font-size: 22px;">“L.O.N.G.”</span> I’m guessing maybe 18 hours. My cannula is driving me crazy, the air jets hurt like hell, I can’t really remember the last time I saw daylight, and now we’re due for heavy rain for the next several days and it’s already dark as a dungeon outside. <i>Blecch.</i> I thought it was Monday but just realized I was wrong … it’s <i>Tuesday!</i> I have no recollection of Saturday or Sunday, either.<br />
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Maybe I’ll load up on some painkillers. Those always help. (Come to think of it, they may be <i>responsible</i> for this.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaToAkFET2P5GZXLrZGrVlDGVig1k9Q2eP34aTEgl-PC1bbxYPWNXax14ymlYpE77cktMdXmttcbDF8FA8XpdCkw949ubtAS-wjtWJxHkrVH3yV9MmAaejynrSH3mcQHqW3b6uR_bGFvsw/s1600/whine+list.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaToAkFET2P5GZXLrZGrVlDGVig1k9Q2eP34aTEgl-PC1bbxYPWNXax14ymlYpE77cktMdXmttcbDF8FA8XpdCkw949ubtAS-wjtWJxHkrVH3yV9MmAaejynrSH3mcQHqW3b6uR_bGFvsw/s1600/whine+list.png" /></a></div>Here are those “lots of stuff” whatnots that I promised to tell you … starting with delusions, tremors, visions, hallucinations, watery eyes and so on. This “end of life” hoo-hah is fucking <i>lousy.</i><br />
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<div style="margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>DELUSIONS, VISIONS, HALLUCINATIONS. </b></span></span></span></span> I talk to myself and I talk to people who aren’t even <i>here.</i> I’ve been told by a hospice professional that it’s a common side effect in old women with incurable urinary tract infections. <i>The brain is the first thing to go.</i> (I’ll bet nipples are probably second, but I’d HATE to lose control of my nipples. I’m so fond of them!)<br />
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However, regarding the previous topic, if you could explain this sentence to me I would be eternally grateful: “<i>Muely watering eyes from a weird setting on the bed remote.”</i> Click <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">here</a> to send me an email. Thank you.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5pxx;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>TREMORS IN MY HANDS AND FINGERS. </b></span></span></span></span>This makes typing the Howdygram a freakish nightmare. If I look away <i>— even for half a minute! —</i> the screen fills up with the last letter I typed. <i>Seriously!</i> This afternoon it took me almost half an hour to delete about 1,500 rows of question marks. <i>Jesus!</i> Much of this is due to the fact that I can’t stop falling asleep.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>WATERY EYES. </b></span></span></span></span>I’ve been snorting Flo-Nase religiously for the past three weeks but nothing helps. I repeat again: <i>Jesus!</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>DOUBLE VISION. </b></span></span></span></span>It’s entirely possible that I probably need a whole new prescription for my eyeglasses, but at this point in my life — with maybe less than six months to live — there’s no point pursuing that. Not to mention the fact that I couldn’t sit up this time to even take a normal eye exam.</div><br />
<hr color="black" size="1" width="50%" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmrpVW6-3WMR-N2PYwTAZJ4c6oQZMrttjR1HqsITp-BGehezYLpROsbgSDsN5jLRSG6QWvG8w9FMqXDleOn8_ysA_Y6LDh6YsYSo1I8xl2P-9iaaWfQ0eWRmHB2-mLgEsX7y3wUeFXWBT/s1600/free-font-round-up.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="94" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmrpVW6-3WMR-N2PYwTAZJ4c6oQZMrttjR1HqsITp-BGehezYLpROsbgSDsN5jLRSG6QWvG8w9FMqXDleOn8_ysA_Y6LDh6YsYSo1I8xl2P-9iaaWfQ0eWRmHB2-mLgEsX7y3wUeFXWBT/s1600/free-font-round-up.png" /></a></div>I’ve got a modest little list of free fonts for you today. Some definite cutie-pies (“Rachely,” “Alibabe,” “The Saily”), an interesting font that looks great on a chalkboard background (“School”), a layered font (“Plantanos”) and a few nice display fonts {“Farmhouse,” “Mangoland,” “Gabrielly” and “Gabrielly Script”). I’ll include download links after the font list.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6yza4ADhKrTTLeAoFekN4pTGqIra_arsyhHQSnkOCD1bGhEICWoYHCNpQ6GvOUseA-HhcOhWqnCysJo2AAJVwxOpYIKFtIrgkjG87IGLP7Vu1bNjRexCV-9fsO_h9WcyLIhWpobkHxEP/s1600/new+fonts.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="455" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6yza4ADhKrTTLeAoFekN4pTGqIra_arsyhHQSnkOCD1bGhEICWoYHCNpQ6GvOUseA-HhcOhWqnCysJo2AAJVwxOpYIKFtIrgkjG87IGLP7Vu1bNjRexCV-9fsO_h9WcyLIhWpobkHxEP/s1600/new+fonts.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/rachely-font.html" target="_blank">Rachely</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/alibabe-font.html" target="_blank">Alibabe</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/the-saily-font.html" target="_blank">The Saily</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/school-font.html" target="_blank">School</a> • <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store/products?cg=196807235798258323" target="_blank">Platanos</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/farmhouse-font.html" target="_blank">Farmhouse</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mango-land-font.html" target="_blank">Mangoland</a> • <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">Gabrielly & Gabrielly Script</a></i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkVtBIIgeKXB0kodxVR1KxLCyfNoQMbtTUS5sZTp1hmS4CjHLNGrsrPcxcp_PFgtPXVghdBEUKVnK5okLz735fShRERZLYl6EsR4Y8umBmRYXFZwi5_3A3jeOT-A6gd6jXdjOh1aC7uut/s1600/howdygram+store.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkVtBIIgeKXB0kodxVR1KxLCyfNoQMbtTUS5sZTp1hmS4CjHLNGrsrPcxcp_PFgtPXVghdBEUKVnK5okLz735fShRERZLYl6EsR4Y8umBmRYXFZwi5_3A3jeOT-A6gd6jXdjOh1aC7uut/s1600/howdygram+store.png" /></a></div>I just wrapped up a marathon two-week upload to <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a> regarding designs for new mugs, new iPhone cases and new greeting cards. It was exhausting to the point that I was practically unable to do anything else … but I got everything accomplished at last! Here’s sampler of my latest mugs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store/products?cg=196807235798258323" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="527" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0Zg6dwcCbHK8SV5PyPgYoXC66-Qn4wbDjo-g5U28qLCJm19UmYObFeGASuu11Cv0Izg8Wvv9nKBOwAycVo2NX4Zpj3aUKZrGYjRThkVq4uLKQ4s8AnESWZTWjH1PxUS_M1Pl_8CTkvlr/s1600/four+mugs.png" /></a></div><br />
And here’s a sampler of my latest greeting cards … one get-well and a pair of happy birthdays. There are may others to choose from, of course.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store/products?cg=196207877683694571" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXPstq3w7DXyG988QSjhk2Cj7NEefG61CZd7sR6vzUvXOUPXkRR3YgQ07TrI8xtYwySht5bocLodb_GiiXJ1DnkAOv1hBL_RUyog9Pgi7XJyBpTq-KiuAdheQwADKgUsxTkS6ueb0gvQQ/s1600/three+cards.png" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9B6HpDV1BAjMyCcJJXAdjocgRhB1NV7qRfikw81eUOdiMSG6k7cBIZo-V0XxHy555CGRV9rbOHs4VgISBhejN_XfSvsoFqk8FARdNH24LAiXIHS-60R7DvGHBOZvxT3-CEHBhGPhQdeq/s1600/dicking+around.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="45" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9B6HpDV1BAjMyCcJJXAdjocgRhB1NV7qRfikw81eUOdiMSG6k7cBIZo-V0XxHy555CGRV9rbOHs4VgISBhejN_XfSvsoFqk8FARdNH24LAiXIHS-60R7DvGHBOZvxT3-CEHBhGPhQdeq/s1600/dicking+around.png" /></a></div>To tell you the truth, boys and girls, I haven’t really made any major changes to the Howdygram’s features and layout … but I <i>wanted to.</i> It’s been a longtime desire to add color to my paragraph divider bars, which are currently black and one pixel thick, but Sam put the kibosh on that when I showed him what a two-pixel bar looked like in gold. And then in red, also. After striking out twice, however, I decided to keep the divider one pixel thick and black. I’ll provide samples below for your possible interest.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr033uHouNVa7i1c-yZBF7eHcvPoymZsSSDQXC8rkZrYa9wIwC-zx8zSHPNcMPy5twvasO7qIsUeT5T0CpVAhCDz8of1yKqSaK8L2ud2qWS6CpgYtVVtE0hXNKiCa2cN2i1iknuTRxGpZ/s1600/pixel+bars.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr033uHouNVa7i1c-yZBF7eHcvPoymZsSSDQXC8rkZrYa9wIwC-zx8zSHPNcMPy5twvasO7qIsUeT5T0CpVAhCDz8of1yKqSaK8L2ud2qWS6CpgYtVVtE0hXNKiCa2cN2i1iknuTRxGpZ/s1600/pixel+bars.png" /></a></div>I did, however, finally make one feature change that you probably won’t notice unless I tell you. So I’ll tell you. <i>Ready?</i> THE SUBHEADS ARE TWO POINTS LARGER. I’ve bumped them up to 24 points (from 22) and I’m so much happier with this. They deserved more attention. I’m pleased to provide the following samples so you’ll know what the fuck I’m talking about.<br />
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I had a genuine PANIC ATTACK a few minutes ago when I started working on this post (a post that I actually began almost seven days ago). A warning window popped up on Blogger.com at the top of my screen to announce a terrifying change. Here’s what it said:<br />
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<div style="background-color: #eff5fd; border: 1px solid red; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 40px; padding: 15px; text-align: left;">In late June, a new Blogger interface will become the default for all users. The legacy interface will still be optionally available. We recommend trying the new interface by clicking “Try the New Blogger” in the left-hand navigation. We’ll be moving everyone to the new interface over the coming months.<br />
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Starting in late June, many Blogger creators will see the new interface become their default, though they can revert to the old interface by clicking “Revert to legacy Blogger” in the left-hand navigation. <b><i>By late July, creators will no longer be able to revert to the legacy Blogger interface.</i></b></div><br />
Naturally, I interpreted the section beginning “Starting in late June” to mean Blogger will begin converting all creators — such as yours truly — to a new format WHETHER WE WANT IT OR NOT. In the meantime we can continue to use the old format, which I happen to love.<br />
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I’M TOO DAMN OLD FOR THIS CRAP. I don’t want to learn any stinking new interfaces, I don’t want to learn any stinking new software, and I don’t want to screw around with any stinking instructions, directions, specifications, details or mental calisthenics of any sort whatsoever.<br />
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Sam, fortunately, prevailed with a cooler head and told me not to jump the gun or get hysterical until there was actually something to get hysterical about. So that’s when I read that last sentence again and realized if I “revert to legacy Blogger” before late July, I’ll be able to keep the Blogger format I’ve been using since 2002. <i>Holy shit.</i> I don’t need panic attacks like this. EVERYBODY STOP IT!<br />
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One final thought before I end this post. Last night I had some severe delusions and halllucinations — i.e., giant crawling things on my bed — so Sam called the hospice and they had their pharmacy send over a powerful antipsychotic medication called Haloperidol. Unfortunately, after the first dose last might at bedtime I felt dizzy, mildly sick to my stomach, and promptly fell asleep. This morning I studied up on potential interactions with my other meds and decided to give up on Haloperidol <i>immedately.</i> My deadly interations include: Gabapentin, Lasix, Trazodone, Hydrocodone, Acetaminophen and Xanax. That’s six potentially deadly combinations.<br />
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … <i>Jesus!</i><br />
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Thank you for reading this. And if you’d like to take a minute to remember the Alamo, I’ll thank you for <i>that,</i> too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tj3k-ycQKuQ/XbUX92O63XI/AAAAAAABC4o/GZ9GdmGWMRg9t88HRj1X%E2%88%91Xk-b3cf2388tgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/sig%2B96%2525%2Bpost.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="113" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTKearF5-OTUAtv7SFA_CPrjWYVwnSdBuYKh805e_f8p0CLzFhWzLg9WQa-4QTA3iskpFWzvZZwi1coWvWgXlO_8aSj71WGfuxTgSYz1rEGKCLe2E-S2YQBvdPazPphcBivmUJrbZS04J/s1600/sig+96%2525+post.png" /></a></div>Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-58993161555826163692020-05-19T07:51:00.002-05:002020-05-19T07:51:24.989-05:00The Whine List expands.Good morning and a happy Thursday to one and all. It’s 4:30 a.m. and Sam is getting ready for his first walk of the day. He usually starts at the forest in south Mesquite <i>— called Samuell Farm, believe it or not! —</i> and communes with the moon and stars. He gets home just as the sun comes up. Typically he’d stop at <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a> first to pick up a few necessities, but the store changed its hours after the COVID-19 hoo-hah kicked in so he waits a little later now to make his grocery run. (My appetite has been low this week. I ran out of applesauce.)<br />
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The map below denotes: 1) Howdygram headquarters; 2) Samuell Farm, Sam’s favorite location for morning walks; 3) our Wal-Mart Supercenter on the I-30 service road, where Sam always picks up our grocery orders; 4) the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market that recently changed its hours; and 5) cattle ranches in Sunnyvale with authentic <i>mooing.</i> (Mooing is nice. Sam and I <i>love</i> a good moo.)<br />
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I’ve got a swell collection of free fonts for you tonight. Quite honestly, I don’t find too many fonts that I like any more. Only a year ago I averaged about 20 to 25 fonts several times every week … now I average about half that number, and only <i>once</i> a week. It’s possible that I’m just losing interest, because I’m losing interest in almost <i>everything</i> lately. <br />
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Well, here they are … 13 of them. I like the fact that two are <i>layered</i> fonts, because layered fonts are a lot more useful and offer more options. I think my favorites this time are “Smilen,” Nickelodean” and “Daffadowndilly, " which I can use for some terrific new mugs and greeting cards for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. As always, I’ll include download links after the graphic. Enjoy!<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/smilen-font.html" target="_blank">Smilen</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/retronic-font.html" target="_blank">Retronic</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/aku-sayang-font.html" target="_blank">Aku Sayang</a> • <a href="https://www.1001fonts.com/chelsea-font.html" target="_blank">Chelsea</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hamble-font-2.html" target="_blank">Hamble</a> • <a href="https://www.1001fonts.com/nickelodeon-font.html" target="_blank">Nickelodeon</a></i><i> </i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/witching-hour-font.html" target="_blank">Witching Hour</a> • </i><i><a href="https://www.1001fonts.com/aerovias-brasil-nf-font.html" target="_blank">Aerovias Brasil</a> • <a href="https://www.1001fonts.com/spring-daily-font.html" target="_blank">Spring Daily</a> </i><i>• <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/vin-sans-pro-font-family.html" target="_blank">Vin Sans</a> • <a href="https://www.1001fonts.com/blue-plate-special-nf-font.html" target="_blank">Blue Plate</a> </i><br />
<i><a href="https://www.1001fonts.com/daffadowndilly-nf-font.html" target="_blank">Daffadowndilly</a> • <a href="https://www.1001fonts.com/nickelodeon-font.html" target="_blank">Wooden Nickel</a></i></div>
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There are a number of health issues plaguing me right now so I thought it might be helpful to illucidate them for y’all.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>THE DECLINING WOMAN. </b></span></span></span></span>According to my hospice’s nurse practitioner, I have all the signs of another major “decline” going on while I continue to battle two serious bacterial infections … cellulitis and a nasty, years-long urinary tract infection. As a result I’ve been sleeping 14 to 16 hours at a time, and my hospice R.N. and nurse practitioner both say I shouldn’t expect to live more than six months. Sam thinks it will be less than that. (I agree with Sam.) I also continue to fight <i>chronic pain</i> (burning urinary tract spasms and leg/knee pain) but have good control with my prescription meds. All I can do now is <i>wait ...</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em;">MY VOICE HAS DISAPPEARED. </span></b></span></span></span></span>I sound terrible, like a 90-year-old coot with throat cancer. The most appropriate descriptive vocabulary words <i>du jour</i> would be “raspy,” “shitty” and “squeaky.”<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em;">NO APPETITE. </span></b></span></span></span></span>I only eat applesauce, Greek olives and sugar-free lemonade. Every once in a while there’s also an occasional Glucerna shake for diabetic senior citizens or a bowl of Maruchan Spicy Shrimp Ramen Noodle Soup. Every couple of days Sam and I enjoy those insanely delicious Boom Boom Shrimp. (Oh my God. Wow.)<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em;">I CAN</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.47999998927116394px;">’</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em;">T HEAR ANYTHING. </span></b></span></span></span></span>I’ve always been rather hard of hearing, but now that my oxygen concentrator has been increased from “6” to “7” liters I’m almost <i>stone deaf.</i> The strength of the oxygen rushing through my cannula is like a couple of category five hurrcanes. Sam says he can even hear the “rushing” sound across the room.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em;">TREMORS. </span></b></span></span></span></span>Saving the most annoying for last, I’ve got tremors in both hands and all my fingers, making it damn near impossible to type Howdygram posts or keep my hand on the mouse. The frustration is #10 on the Can You Guess What’s Pissing Me Off Today scale.</div>
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I’ve got a million more articles I could add to this post, such as my latest <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&ref_=nav_cs_fresh" target="_blank">Amazon Fresh</a> order and two dead celebrities … but for once I’ll make an intelligent decision to hold them for my next post.<br />
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Thank you for reading this, and I hope you’ll have a very pleasant Tuesday. Shalom!<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-12721346487175864442020-05-11T20:49:00.000-05:002020-05-28T19:11:08.192-05:00Know what? The quarantine has been great for business!I’m having a conundrum this morning. It’s a few minutes before 7 a.m. and my hands are freezing. They should be tucked underneath my blanket … except I also feel like <i>typing,</i> so this definitely sucks. I suppose I’ll just keep plugging away until I figure out what I want more … warm hands or a Howdygram post! (Right now the Howdygram post is winning.)<br />
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I have a pleasant little herd of fonts for you this morning … some scripts, a few display fonts, a layered font that also happens to be part of a tiny bundle, i.e., “America” and “Hangberd,” and a funny little dingbats font (“Stengkol Extras”) that’s packed with wild west ilustrations. <i>Yee-haw!</i><br />
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I’ll include download links below the font list in case you want any of these for your personal collection.<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/amettati-font.html" target="_blank">Amettati</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/salloum-golden-font.html" target="_blank">Salloum</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/legal-obligation-sans-font.html" target="_blank">Legal Obligation</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/america-duo-font.html" target="_blank">America & Hangberd</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/classy-pen-font.html" target="_blank">Classy Pen</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/caligor-display-typeface-font.html" target="_blank">Caligor</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/monkerti-font.html" target="_blank">Monkerti</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hobart-font.html" target="_blank">Hobart</a> • <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">Stengkol “Extras”</a></i></div>
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Yup, I’ve got a few more backgrounds, too! I’ll get my “bling” on for sure with all these beautiful gold and silver foil collections for iPhone case designs, spiral notebook covers, padfolios and so on. Also elegant greeting cards … and all for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. The quarantine has been great for business, by the way. I’m probably selling three times as much as last year, Therefore, if you don’t have anything else to do, SPEND SOME MONEY.<br />
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I’d like to showcase a few different collections of seamless patterns, too. I especially love the teeny flower and leaves, and those lumpy “random” watercolor splotches. Life is good, right? I’m planning a few new collections of throw pillows , matching bankets, nightlights and bathroom whatnots (vanity ceramics, shower curtains, bath mats, hand towels). I promise to let you know when it’s time to start shopping. <i>Seriously.</i><br />
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I think I’ll begin the day with an overall health report, okay? It’s 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and I just another whole day to terrifying unanticipated naps. So let’s get started, <i>okay?</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>TERRIFYING UNANTICIPATED NAPS.</b></span></span></span></span> These are 15+ hours at a time and scare the hell out of me. For example, I woke up about an hour ago and don’t have any recollection of Saturday at all. Sam says I conked out sometime during mid-afternoon, missed dinner and missed at least three movies that he watched. This happens, of course, because my body has been wrestling with two rather severe <i>bacterial infections.</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>SEVERE BACTERIAL INFECTIONS.</b></span></span></span></span> I’ll never get rid of either of the because I haven’t been able to take antibiotics<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> for a very, very long time. They are: 1) cellulitis in my left leg; and 2) a six-year-old unrinary tract infection.</div>
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I’ve been completely resistant to antibiotics for <i>years.</i> This was proven in 2018 when the hospice did a “culture and sensitivity” test and the answer from the lab came back: “HOLY SHIT. THIS OLD BROAD IS A FUCKING MESS.” (Or something like that.)</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>INFECTION SIDE EFFECTS.</b></span></span></span></span> I occasionally run high fevers with chills, my appetite disappears, and — saving he worst for last — I get miserably painful burning bladder spasms every time I pee. We used to assume the bladder spasms were caused by my catheter, but I haven’t been catheterized since last fall and the pains never stopped.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>TREMORS. </b></span></span></span></span>These are getting worse day by day. I can’t hold the TV remote, I constantly drop by spoon or folk (also FOOD) when I’m eating, and <i>— horrors! —</i> it’s almost becoming impossible to keep my hand on the mouse or position my fingers on the keboard! Frankly, today was AWFUL with tremors. I had Boom Boom Shrimp with Hokkien noodles for an early lunch, and at least half of it wound up on my neck.<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> <i>Gooey, sloppy, sauced-up spagetti. </i>BLECCH! </div>
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Most of you probably know that I’m bedridden … but you should also know that I eat in a semi-reclining 30° position. <i>I can’t sit up. </i>The most difficult thing to eat is SOUP (don’t ask) and throwing up is a total nightmare. <i>Thank you.</i></div>
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I’m receiving a warning message from Google that this page is using too much energy and I should close it ASAP before all hell breaks loose. That sounds like a good idea, frankly, because I’ve run out of interesting things to write about, anyway. Thank you reading this, and stay away from germs!<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-62700653931925304772020-05-05T23:37:00.000-05:002020-07-12T00:31:43.505-05:00I’m not in a very good mood right now and don’t need shit from anybody.This has been the day from hell. And it’s not over yet.<br />
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So here’s what’s happening. Several times today I’ve had trouble breathing, almost to the point of <i>gasping.</i> We immediately use the oximeter to find out if I’m actually low on oxygen or if something else is going on, and all three times my oxygen level was in the mid-90s — perfectly normal — <i>so it has to be something else.</i> (Keep in mind … I’ve been wearing an oxygen cannula for two years.)<br />
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Sam called the hospice about four and a half hours ago, and they said they’d send a nurse right away to check me out. <i>I love how these people respond to emergencies.</i> Sam didn’t tell them I stubbed my big toe … HE TOLD THEM I CAN’T FUCKING BREATHE. And four and a half hours later we still haven’t seen a nurse. <i>Jesus!</i><br />
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Just like everything else we do around here, Sam and I put our heads together and figured out how to jump-start my breathing … I take two Hydrocodones with a Xanax and go back to designing mugs for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. Enough drugs can cure damn near <i>anything.</i> Xanax will stop a panic attack, and I’m guessing my breathing problems <i>might</i> be related to that.<br />
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If you had to lie in bed motionless for three years, <i>you’d</i> have panic attacks, too.<br />
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It’s 3:25 p.m. Sunday afternoon and we just received a teeny (and free!) grocery delivery from Whole Foods. Today’s treasures included sushi, chicken pot stickers (from the prepared food deli), four small containers of raspberries, a pound of organic strawberries and a small box of Royal Asia’s<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b> BOOM BOOM SHRIMP</b></span></span></span></span>.<br />
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This Boom Boom Shrimp hoo-hah is frustrating. The first time I bought them a couple of days ago they came from Whole Foods (via <a href="https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&ref_=nav_cs_fresh" target="_blank">Amazon Fresh</a>) in big two-pound bags … and I ordered <i>three.</i> After Sam and I whizzed through the first bag in less than 24 hours I figured I’d better stock up again and went back to Amazon Fresh. Unfortunately, the two-pound bags were nowhere to be found this time so I had to settle for little 10-ounce boxes. I tried to order eight, but Whole Foods apparently sold out before my order shipped … and now they’re only sending us <i>one.</i><br />
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<i>One 10-ounce box isn’t enough to fill a fucking TOOTH!</i><br />
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Feeling desperate and slightly hysterical — see what an “addictive personality disorder” will do to you? — a little while later I went back to Amazon Fresh, tried another quick product search, and lo and behold … TWO-POUND BAGS OF BOOM BOOM SHRIMP ARE BACK IN STOCK! I tossed three into my virtual shopping cart and requested delivery on Monday morning between 8 and 10 a.m. before I even had a chance to mention anything to Sam … or consider whether or not we have room for more Boom Boom Shrimp in our stuffed freezer. In the morning Sam will have to dump some perfectly good food to make room for all this. Let’s see a show of hands if you’re interested in any of our discards! So far the list includes:<br />
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<li>Half a bag of Wal-Mart’s store brand steak fries.</li>
<li>A third of a box of Wal-Mart’s store brand batter-dipped fish fillets.</li>
<li>Some blecchy “banana split” ice cream with pecans. (I can’t chew pecans.)</li>
<li>Three Banquet Chicken Pot Pies. <i>Marie Callender’s are so much better!</i></li>
<li>An open bag of Arby’s seasoned curly fries from 2016.</li>
<li>An open bag of Wal-Mart’s store brand onion rings.</li>
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Thank you for your support.<br />
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At this point in time I figure you deserve a proper food review after all this talk about Royal Asia’s<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b> BOOM BOOM SHRIMP</b></span></span></span></span>. This is a lovely product sold by Whole Foods Market … a big bag of juicy jumbo shrimp pieces dipped in batter and fully cooked. All you have to do is spread them out on a cookies sheet that’s sprayed with Pam, bake them for a certain number of minutes, and BLAMMO WHAMMO … <i>you have perfect Boom Boom Shrimp!</i><br />
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Royal Asia’s Boom Boom Shrimp, pictured below, have received the Howdygram’s coveted <i>five chopper rating.</i><br />
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Sam eats his Boom Boom Shrimp with regular shrimp cocktail sauce, but I like mine with one of House of Tsang’s spicy Asian sauces. My two options are House of Tsang’s Spicy Szechuan Sauce or General Tso Sauce. Either of these are good enough for the best Chinese restaurant. As a matter of fact, I no longer have a craving for Chinese Food … <i>that’s how good these are!</i><br />
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I think I should probably get on with my day now. It’s 8:30 on a dark and overcast Monday morning, Sam is cleaning out the freezer, and I’m generally feeling like crap. For instance: 1) my entire body aches; 2) my knees have knives in them; 3) my nipples are freezing; 4) every time I pee it feels like I’m pissing lava; 5) I’m hungry; and 6) I can’t think of anything else. I felt lousy all day yesterday and last night, too, with all the same symptoms PLUS not being able to breathe. I finally gave in at 11 p.m. and over-medicated myself with two Hydrocodones and a Xanax. I didn’t feel well afterwards, but I also didn’t feel <i>much!</i> And I stopped worrying about my breakthing issues and slept like a ROCK.<br />
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For your possible interest, there are ZERO events on my calendar this week. At some point I’m expecting a routine visit from my hospice R.N. but don’t know the day or time. (And I don’t <i>care,</i> either.)<br />
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Sam and I are watching <i>My Darling Clementine</i> (1946) starring Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Walter Brennan and Victor Mature. It’s a classic and one of Sam’s all-time favorite westerns.<br />
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Me? I followed <i>My Darling Clementine</i> with one of my own personal favorites, <i>The Inspector General</i> (1949) starring Danny Kaye, Elsa Lanchester and Walter Slezak. It’s absolute genius, particularly the songs, which were all written by Sylvia Fine, Danny Kaye’s wife. At one point Kaye sings a five-part operetta all by himself (as five different characters), and later leads a roomful of people singing various parts and choruses of nonsense percussion sounds. This is hilarious stuff … Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine at their very best.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>TUESDAY, 1:51 A.M., 5/5/2020.</b></span></span></span></span> I’m not well again, people. This time it’s drippy eyes, knee pain, I have a severe case of the chills and (once again) I’M HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING! This is most unpleasant, <i>extremely uncomfortable,</i> and makes me want to SCREAM. Sam just adjusted my oxygen concentrator and re-set it at <i>seven liters.</i> (It had been set at six liters for at least a year.)<br />
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On the plus side, however, later this morning — around 7 a.m. — Sam will pick up a small grocery order from <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a> during their new earlybird hour for “at-risk” customers (i.e., senior citizens) … which includes four gallons (and they’re all for me!) of unsweetened iced tea, deli sliced turkey breast, two bags of Hokkien noodles<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span>, one package of Oscar Mayer cooked bacon, two pounds of deli potato salad, Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper (12 cans), Morton’s popcorn salt, Bengay cream and two canisters of Crystal Light raspberry lemonade mix. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>HOKKIEN NOODLES.</b></span></span></span></span> These are basically fully-cooked spaghetti noodles (minus sauce and seasonings) in a microwaveable pouch, two double-serving pouches per package. They heat up in 90 seconds and taste great with your favorite Chinese or pasta sauce. <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a> carries Hokkien noodles in-store and you can also buy them online.<br />
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Because this section is called “A Coronavirus Survival Guide,” I have a <i>hot tip</i> for y’all with some inexpensive entertainment recommendations. In case you’re feeling slightly claustrophic during the COVID-19 quarantine hoo-hah, why not consider a <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>VIRTUAL ROAD TRIP</b></span></span></span></span> to anywhere in the world via Google Earth!? I’ve been doing this for a long, long time — don’t forget, I’ve been housebound and bedridden for <i>years</i> already — and I love “driving around” neighborhoods, famous places, points of interest and tourist spots. My favorite destination is usually Great Britain (especially Scotland) and I go back every week or two and pick another castle, county, village or neighborhood. I chose the following screen capture from Glasgow to share with you tonight!<br />
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A virtual road trip is fun, educational, thoroughly pleasant, and you don’t need to gas up the car every few hours or scan the motel reviews on Yelp. Therefore, shoot me an <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">email</a> (or add a comment to this post) when you have a chance and let me know which exotic destinations <i>you</i> can’t wait to visit. This could even be a “family” activity you share with your kids during lockdown! <i>Thank you for your support.</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>TUESDAY, 7:23 P.M., 5/5/2020.</b></span></span></span></span> Time is clicking away tonight. I wish I could tell you I’m feeling better, but nope … <i>I’m not.</i> I’m having severe tremors in my arms and hands so it’s difficult to type, my legs are absolutely <i>killing</i> me right now and I’ve got the chills again. I’ll take an extra Gabapentin for the tremors and pop a couple of Hydrcodones to get some pain relief started. Let’s hope I’ll have a better Shit-O-Meter Misery Report for you an hour from now. Stay tuned.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><i>Click <a href="http://howdygram2.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_19.html" target="_blank">here</a> for a complete explanation of our Shit-O-Meter numbers.</i></span></div>
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Finally … more FREE FONTS! This isn’t the world’s longest list and it certainly isn’t the juiciest, but it’s the only list I’ve got for you right now. (Deal with it, okay?) We have a few <i>scripts</i> (“Cinderella,” “Quickly”), <i>display</i> fonts (“Mister Pumpkins”), <i>hand-drawn</i> fonts (“Brexistone”) and a <i>layered</i> font (“Brexistone”). None of these are especially thrilling … but they’re not <i>duds,</i> either. Stop whining, okay? I’m not in a very good mood right now and don’t need shit from anybody. I’ll include download links after the graphic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJt9x0xSS11Bl-6vzT_qlXzemJZUgDS8SYMOMiUoT8aYnzfrjQ66AWs3uk6Bd6RAkr8TCQsoYM1xUXvDGVuUZJxMqwa-2lPowXUuZzB_3u8jlJCaJNurucNIxJfxjt7PTIy40z2u2wO9F/s1600/new+fonts.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJt9x0xSS11Bl-6vzT_qlXzemJZUgDS8SYMOMiUoT8aYnzfrjQ66AWs3uk6Bd6RAkr8TCQsoYM1xUXvDGVuUZJxMqwa-2lPowXUuZzB_3u8jlJCaJNurucNIxJfxjt7PTIy40z2u2wO9F/s1600/new+fonts.png" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/cinderella-font-4.html" target="_blank">Cinderella</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mister-pumpkins-font-3.html" target="_blank">Mister Pumpkins</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hillray-font.html" target="_blank">Hillray</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/loving-stay-font.html" target="_blank">Loving Stay</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/quickly-font-4.html" target="_blank">Quickly</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/angilla-font.html" target="_blank">Angilla</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/azingdar-font.html" target="_blank">Azingdar</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/brexistone-font.html" target="_blank">Brexistone</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/wonder-stark-font.html" target="_blank">Wonder Stark</a></i></div>
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I’m finally finished. Thank you for reading this and I hope you had a swell Cinco de Mayo, which is Mexico’s annual celebration of five mayonnaise jars. <i>Shalom, y’all.</i><br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-39960320270845071122020-04-30T06:45:00.000-05:002020-07-12T00:32:34.998-05:00I decided to revamp the Howdygram’s subheads today.Hello. It’s early Wednesday evening and I just woke up from a 14-hour (that’s not a typo!) nap. <i>FOURTEEN HOURS.</i> The last thing I remember is Sam giving me a bath at 3 a.m., and I felt so good that I <i>passed out</i> afterwards. Trust me, it wasn’t my intention to do that, because I had a lot of “plans” today! These included: 1) eating; 2) uploading at least 200 new designs for iPhone cases in <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>; 3) contacting <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a> via live chat to complain that a jar of pitted Greek olives broke in transit; 4) Repeat #1; and 5) Repeat #4. <i>Got that?</i><br />
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To help myself appreciate the <i>minutiae</i> of life — as I no longer have the health or stamina for anything else — I decided to revamp the Howdygram’s subheads today. Since early this morning I’ve been testing all kinds of different design options … subheads framed by horizontal rules, subheads with stupid geometric shapes, subheads with and without italics, subheads in really heavy type, subheads in color, subheads with assorted graphics and subheads eating pancakes. Nothing made me happy. After wasting about 13 hours I finally wound up with the subhead you see up above. It’s one point smaller than the old subheads and I changed the font weight from AMSI Pro Narrow Bold to AMSI Pro Narrow Black. Big fucking deal, <i>right?</i><br />
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I also tweaked the Howdygram’s tagline in the banner (i.e., “Made in Texas”) and increased the slant of the italics by an extra two degrees, making it 15° total. TWO STINKING DEGREES!<br />
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Please send me an <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">email</a> if you’re sexually aroused by any of this. I might be able to recommend a therapist.<br />
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There’s probably only one genuine “up” side to the Coronavirus quarantine … <i>DISCOVERING NEW GROCERY SOURCES!</i><br />
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Sam and I have been using <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart’s</a> pickup service at their superstore on the I-30 service road for the last several months, but yesterday morning we tried — <i>for the very first time! —</i> a delivery from <a href="http://wholefoodsmarket.com/" target="_blank">Whole Foods Market</a><span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> via Amazon Fresh. Seriously, Whole Foods’ prices on <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> are unbelievably cheapo <i>— way more cheapo than their in-store prices! —</i> and there’s no extra charge for front door “contactless” delivery. either. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>WHOLE FOODS.</b></span></span></span></span> We’ve never shopped at Whole Foods for a couple of reasons: 1) all of their Dallas stores are in snooty locations and not close to Howdygram headquarters; and 2) we always thought Whole Foods was overpriced. For example, why would I pay $4.95 for a bag of frozen meatballs at Whole Foods when I can buy the exact same product at Wal-Mart for $2.84?</div>
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Yesterday’s Amazon Fresh order included …<br />
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<li>Deli-sliced pastrami, ½ pound.</li>
<li>Deli-sliced pepper jack cheese, ½ pound.</li>
<li>Deli-sliced chicken breast, ½ pound.</li>
<li>Two bottles of House of Tsang’s General Tso Sauce.</li>
<li>Reser’s cole slaw.</li>
<li>Green Giant frozen creamed spinach.</li>
<li>Royal Asia Boom-Boom Shrimp.</li>
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Please allow me to add a note of explanation with regard to Boom Boom Shrimp (#7) … just in case you’ve never heard of them. These are batter-dipped shrimp chunks, fully cooked, frozen and sold in two-pound bags. If you want to eat these “boom boom” style, you can Google a recipe for authentic <i>boom boom sauce,</i> which is basically a spicy mayonnaise-style dip, like a <i>rémoulade.</i> For me,<i> </i>however, I’ll just toss my shrimp with one of those lovely, spicy House of Tsang sauces that I’ve been raving about lately. House of Tsang’s General Tso Sauce and Spicy Szechuan Sauce are equally awesome.<br />
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Because my favorite Chinese restaurant (China City) has been closed since the first week of the pandemic — Sam won’t let me order from anywhere else, and for good reason — I’ve been trying to create Asian dishes at home that will satisfy my cravings. AND IT’S WORKING! I have a case of Maruchan’s Spicy Shrimp Ramen Bowls, a case of Maruchan’s Teriyaki Yakisoba Noodles, Boom Boom Shrimp with the world’s best sauces from House of Tsang, hokkien noodles and a box of Wal-Mart’s store brand frozen chicken egg rolls (stop laughing … they get very good reviews). Now I can eat Chinese food 24/7, <i>right here at home!</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>WEDNESDAY, 11:06 P.M., 4/29/2020. </b></span></span></span></span> It’s a few minutes past 11 p.m. right now and Sam is in the middle of a nice long juicy nap on the sofa. I’m resting comfortably in my hospital bed with A VERY LOUD STORM overhead! Acutally, this is more than your run-of-the-mill thunderstorm … this time we’ve got a very strong wind that’s trying to suck the solar screens off our windows, hailstones, thunder, lightning, a shitload of very heavy rain and flood warnings! (I don’t care about the flood warnings. Our house is on top of a hill.) Also, in case the power goes out I’ve got a jumbo flashlight nearby and a battery-operated oxygen tank. (Plus 10 more tanks in the closet.)<br />
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<i>Aunie Em! Auntie Em!</i><br />
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I’d like to share a few more new digital art collections that represent nearly all of my favorite shops on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a> … Digital Curio, Julie Campbell Designs, Things by Lary and Clipheart Creations. These images are all 12-inches square, 300 dpi resolution and seamless, which makes them perfect for products I create for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a> … iPhone cases, greeting cards, padfolios, playing cards, coasters and so on. These are all so damn gorgeous I don’t know what to do first! (Maybe I’ll start with a nervous breakdown and a glass of lemonade.)<br />
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During the first few days of the COVID-19 pandemic — when it was hard to know what would disappear from store shelves when everybody got sick of hoarding toilet paper — I stocked up on lots of freeze-dried food from <a href="http://thrivelife.com/">Thrive Life</a>. Their products are quite amazing, very healthy and taste fantastic. Right now we’ve got several of them in the pantry: 1) ground beef; 2) instant refried beans; 3) green beans; 4) crumbled breakfast sausage; 5) scrambled egg mix; and 6) grilled seasoned sliced chicken. My favorites are #3 and #6.<br />
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Thrive Life’s freeze-dried green beans were a delightful surprise. They rehydrate in a couple of minutes and give you fully cooked, tender, petite beans with an elegant “angled” cut that’s pretty enough to serve company! I’ve asked Sam to add a cup of these to my do-it-yourself Chinese entrées, because I love veggies and don’t get enough of them. (Incidentally, when they rehydrate they’re bright green and beautiful like the photo on the can above.)<br />
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It’s my pleasure to award Thrive Life with the Howdygram’s coveted <i>five chopper rating</i> for their freeze-dried green beans.<br />
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16.5px; letter-spacing: 0.4950000047683716px;">THURSDAY, 6:30 A.M., 4/30/2020. </b>It’s high time to publish this post and move on to other projects. For instance, I have hundreds of new designs for iPhone cases that I haven’t uploaded yet to <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a> plus ideas for new mug designs and new greeting cards. And I’d like to grab an hour’s nap right now so I’ll stay awake when our hospice social worker stops by this morning at 9:30.<br />
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I feel like a zombie. Thank you for reading this.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-38595135799231878892020-04-27T00:58:00.000-05:002020-04-28T22:16:36.538-05:00Please note that no actual stir-frying ever occurs at Howdygram headquarters.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaorTYpFi2Yv1nwqdfYdi61n6LUkvanclwwmLNPMDi2Yr9W4CQKvbJmOwY7sVSkkIRunwvU6i_qFLvkWBo_kWpA6p3-aifjYyRyopPoEfoaz_NptfJwcFfJCufDBC7neaAw-gNPqamJLw/s1600/steer.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: .5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaorTYpFi2Yv1nwqdfYdi61n6LUkvanclwwmLNPMDi2Yr9W4CQKvbJmOwY7sVSkkIRunwvU6i_qFLvkWBo_kWpA6p3-aifjYyRyopPoEfoaz_NptfJwcFfJCufDBC7neaAw-gNPqamJLw/s1600/steer.png" /></a></div>Yo, everybody. It’s Sunday afternoon, and I hope this finds you healthy, safe and pleasantly quarantined wherever the hell you may be. Sam and I, of course, have barricaded ourselves here at beautiful Howdygram headquarters, a charming subdivision that’s neatly nestled between genuine cattle ranches <i>— and genuine cattle! —</i> here in the Dallas metro area.<br />
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We actually live less than a quarter-mile from some large cows with horns, which are known as “steer” or “cattle” by actual Texans. As a matter of fact, if you’re outside at night<span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> sometimes you can actually hear REAL MOOING!<br />
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<div style="background-color: #eff5fd; border: 1px solid #000000; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; padding: 12px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJzV8fbjfKJO1rnz7kFMxtYMKXkQ-cBZD8NdvD-bf1k_B1G23Yl0FzWpcxGTJxaWHR0HCMTaX3D2jTBadR4IaL6i_pGNUYka7jWW3IFPvo_K4WoaBCLOPMB4vDN0vUKLPj7QovpZUCdCk/s1600/asterisk+red.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 5em; margin-right: .5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="24" data-original-width="26" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJzV8fbjfKJO1rnz7kFMxtYMKXkQ-cBZD8NdvD-bf1k_B1G23Yl0FzWpcxGTJxaWHR0HCMTaX3D2jTBadR4IaL6i_pGNUYka7jWW3IFPvo_K4WoaBCLOPMB4vDN0vUKLPj7QovpZUCdCk/s1600/asterisk+red.png" /></a></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>MOOING. </b></span></span></span></span>Mooing is an essential part of life and one of the best reasons to live in our neighborhood. I haven’t had an opportunity to hear nocturnal cow sounds for quite a long time, however, because I’m bedridden and don’t get out much. (Actually, I don’t get out AT ALL.) <i>Thank you for putting up with me.</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4WhEhRudQ8kFZHG__zM5tLx8k3Rcv5zQWBKpOItHXPMkf_UDQaYtEBmW3aJtNBEaMWCPwA0_JEyVgcv30cwfVYSQoW1NFp8_Qk-jQFgLEFhX3o05W-o_yKqhYOyq28lbTsQ5a6otGL5a/s1600/deplorable+politics.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4WhEhRudQ8kFZHG__zM5tLx8k3Rcv5zQWBKpOItHXPMkf_UDQaYtEBmW3aJtNBEaMWCPwA0_JEyVgcv30cwfVYSQoW1NFp8_Qk-jQFgLEFhX3o05W-o_yKqhYOyq28lbTsQ5a6otGL5a/s1600/deplorable+politics.png" /></a></div>I have a million weird topics to share with you today, starting off with The Best-Looking Supreme Leader of All Time … North Korea’s round but handsome little 36-year-old “Rocket Man,” <i>Kim Jong-un,</i><span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> who’s pictured below with his mandated Kung-Pao Squarepants haircut. Right now rumors are swirling all over the world … is supremely ugly Kim DEAD OR ALIVE? Why did the little fucker disappear, and where did the little fucker go?!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB7MrSERPcEn7zL6xRnqCev59XQIXUZJhvBh09jNyCcwnTuiffiXJ8lYELrfYK1XlELgkfOKB5irsfkTGbmulGfUbllHySCzREYZvUhZCwc1WsViv8G3bWhpa40EwY5LHYflGZ0wqyTRY/s1600/kim+jong+un.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB7MrSERPcEn7zL6xRnqCev59XQIXUZJhvBh09jNyCcwnTuiffiXJ8lYELrfYK1XlELgkfOKB5irsfkTGbmulGfUbllHySCzREYZvUhZCwc1WsViv8G3bWhpa40EwY5LHYflGZ0wqyTRY/s1600/kim+jong+un.png" /></a></div><br />
As soon as we find out what’s going on we’ll post an update. Or … you could also check CNN or The New York Times for the latest fake news by third-rate reporters.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #eff5fd; border: 1px solid #000000; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; padding: 12px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJzV8fbjfKJO1rnz7kFMxtYMKXkQ-cBZD8NdvD-bf1k_B1G23Yl0FzWpcxGTJxaWHR0HCMTaX3D2jTBadR4IaL6i_pGNUYka7jWW3IFPvo_K4WoaBCLOPMB4vDN0vUKLPj7QovpZUCdCk/s1600/asterisk+red.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 6em; margin-right: .5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="24" data-original-width="26" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJzV8fbjfKJO1rnz7kFMxtYMKXkQ-cBZD8NdvD-bf1k_B1G23Yl0FzWpcxGTJxaWHR0HCMTaX3D2jTBadR4IaL6i_pGNUYka7jWW3IFPvo_K4WoaBCLOPMB4vDN0vUKLPj7QovpZUCdCk/s1600/asterisk+red.png" /></a></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>KIM JONG-UN. </b></span></span></span></span>Murderous North Korean dipshit Kim Jong-un has been out of the public eye since he missed his dead grandfather’s birthday party on April 15. At this point it’s believed by most news sources that Kim is either completely dead, almost dead, or none of the above. It’s also believed that he had heart surgery a week or two ago, although medics concur that Kim never had a heart to begin with.</div><br />
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In case you’re interested, here’s a brief description of the designs pictured above:<br />
<ol><li>Sparkling Tourmaline Gems on Foil</li>
<li>Sparkling Gold Glitter Stripes</li>
<li>Textured Champagne Gold and Bronze Foil</li>
<li>Red-on-Red Glitter “Shower” Bling with Gold Foil</li>
<li>Luxe Magenta and Silver Glitter Stripes</li>
<li>Textured Ice Blue Foil with Silver Foil Sparkle</li>
<li>Textured Silver Foil with Gold Foil Sparkle</li>
<li>Chunky Royal Purple Glitter with Sequins</li>
<li>Sparkling Teal Glitter with Teal Foil</li>
</ol>I also want to let you know that my collection of original cotton face masks is available now, and you can shop for them <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_howdygram_store/products?cg=196827478838836672" target="_blank">here</a>. Thank you!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Jf3gku_WKTH7aW0MFfvnTOaeUCx1aJpkiRiPE1ArgKivBqPrKihwxag4S_1acr5rBJ4hC5XZIw9VPtOhGM8ZFpuXZmmbZitTLr4b2nOQWVZRfuvoGGygZlGtXaYhylgs-XPFIfgWNPO3/s1600/coots+on+parade.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Jf3gku_WKTH7aW0MFfvnTOaeUCx1aJpkiRiPE1ArgKivBqPrKihwxag4S_1acr5rBJ4hC5XZIw9VPtOhGM8ZFpuXZmmbZitTLr4b2nOQWVZRfuvoGGygZlGtXaYhylgs-XPFIfgWNPO3/s1600/coots+on+parade.png" /></a></div>Here we have a collection of well-known coots with something surprising in common. I’ll give you a hint, because you’d probably never guess if I <i>didn’t. </i>They all share a birthday, but <i>not</i> the same date … they actually share the SAME YEAR!<br />
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The 11 famous indivduals pictured below are celebrating their 80th birthdays in 2020. <i>Eighty fucking years old! </i>Frankly, this is the best example of why a high school reunion could scare the living crap out of you. Most of these celebrities don’t look their age <i>at all</i> (Raquel Welch, Nancy Pelosi, Ringo Starr) and the rest either look authentically 80 (James Caan, James Cromwell) or float somewhere in-between. Tom Jones and Chuck Norris clearly had some extensive “work” done‚ and Raquel probably did, too, although she looks so <i>exquisite</i> that whoever did her surgery deserves a free case of wine from Wal-Mart. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3se58-TGHdokcB9mZS05MAfcMQv9yDpmL7FDt9iLANZtXdG-npaHVcYC2uWFgm9c67wUQhx0zd7ua0zjxAN1EDQtleIg5vHe2rP4IedJMVVeLC5bd9FChTWJvKjyPxwkTY32qy-aYOqFm/s1600/coots+on+parade.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3se58-TGHdokcB9mZS05MAfcMQv9yDpmL7FDt9iLANZtXdG-npaHVcYC2uWFgm9c67wUQhx0zd7ua0zjxAN1EDQtleIg5vHe2rP4IedJMVVeLC5bd9FChTWJvKjyPxwkTY32qy-aYOqFm/s1600/coots+on+parade.png" /></a></div><br />
Ringo Starr has apparently tapped into the fountain of youth, and I think we should hold him hostage until he tells us where he’s hiding it. Ringo looks younger — and <i>better</i> — than he did in 1975!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bKBjTQMt3GIYr_ncId_1k5WMLcT-16rIOXK0Bh2gfoZkVHqxRO5xeCscU0eb-7Jr0hQaBagfQq-aYHAvaZQ0oIy466vHbfjTq0D9vcGRkB6Nyg82M-UPuQYM27vBk9YCxH2fplDS0jCM/s1600/food+review.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bKBjTQMt3GIYr_ncId_1k5WMLcT-16rIOXK0Bh2gfoZkVHqxRO5xeCscU0eb-7Jr0hQaBagfQq-aYHAvaZQ0oIy466vHbfjTq0D9vcGRkB6Nyg82M-UPuQYM27vBk9YCxH2fplDS0jCM/s1600/food+review.png" /></a></div>Mazel tov to House of Tsang for getting it right. Their store-bought Asian sauces are so good you’ll want to drink them from a champagne goblet! I’ve only tried two (there are many others) … 1) Szechuan Spicy Stir-Fry Sauce; and 2) General Tso Stir-Fry Sauce. Both are absolutely TO DIE FOR, especially the Szechuan Spicy because it has such a powerful kick you’d swear you’re eating at the best Chinese restaurant in town. I just ordered six bottles of the Szechuan Spicy sauce from Wal-Mart online (the stores here don’t carry it); then I ordered two bottles of the General Tso sauce from Amazon Fresh. I don’t EVER want to run out of these.<br />
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House of Tsang has received the Howdygram’s coveted <i>five chopper rating.</i><br />
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Please note that no actual stir-frying ever occurs at Howdygram headquarters because I’m 100% bedridden and Sam doesn’t cook. So I’ve developed a quick little recipe that gives me exactly what I crave now that I can’t order food from China City any more (they shut down at the beginning of the Coronavirus hoo-hah and never reopened). Here we go …<br />
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My frozen veggie of choice is usually green beans, but broccoli would be good, too. (Hell, <i>anything</i> would be good!) And in case you never heard of Hokkien noodles (see below), I buy pouches of them from Wal-Mart. They’re pre-cooked, microwaveable, and you get two double-serving portions of naked spaghetti in each pouch. Seriously, in only 90 seconds you have IMMEDIATE FOOD!<br />
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Thank you for reading this. Do you think life will ever be<i> normal </i>again?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tj3k-ycQKuQ/XbUX92O63XI/AAAAAAABC4o/GZ9GdmGWMRg9t88HRj1X%E2%88%91Xk-b3cf2388tgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/sig%2B96%2525%2Bpost.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="113" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTKearF5-OTUAtv7SFA_CPrjWYVwnSdBuYKh805e_f8p0CLzFhWzLg9WQa-4QTA3iskpFWzvZZwi1coWvWgXlO_8aSj71WGfuxTgSYz1rEGKCLe2E-S2YQBvdPazPphcBivmUJrbZS04J/s1600/sig+96%2525+post.png" /></a></div>Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-66693344645224654092020-04-23T20:58:00.000-05:002020-04-23T21:24:41.277-05:00Keep an eye out for the zebras and cows.Happy Thursday night from Howdygram headquarters. Once again Sam and I have been sleeping for a ridiculous number of hours — eight, 10, 12 or more! — at a stretch, barely staying awake long enough to eat a meal. (I spend a lot of quality time with iced tea and pitted Greek olives.)<br />
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To amuse ourselves Sam shared a link to the following <a href="http://youtube.com/" target="_blank">YouTube</a> video … it’s a wacky little animated thing about “round animals,” and I hope y’all will enjoy it as much as we did. (I especially love the scenes with the ZEBRAS and COWS. Keep an eye out for them.) Please note that YouTube is a fabulous source of free entertainment during the Coronavirus lockdown. We highly recommend “What’s My Line” TV reruns from the 1950s and videos of classic commercials.<br />
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You can also find feature-length movies to watch … or special scenes that were saved for posterity. For instance, here’s a fantastic clip from <i>The Seven Little Foys</i> (1955) featuring Bob Hope (as Eddie Foy) and James Cagney (as George M. Cohan) dancing together for the first and last time. Apparently Cagney, years later, told a reporter that he was already crippled with arthritis when he agreed to do this scene with Bob Hope and wound up in severe pain for several weeks afterwards. In this scene Cagney recreates his own dance number as Cohan from <i>Yankee Doodle Dandy</i> (1942). Take a look.<br />
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And now … more FREE FONTS! I only have a handful for you today, however. They include a few pleasant scripts, a pair of <i>display</i> fonts (“Moomycraft,” “Best Friend Forever”) and a <i>layered</i> font (“Grandes”). They’re nice, aren’t they? If any of them interest you I’ll add download links after the list.<br />
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<i><a href="https://befonts.com/daily-planet-handbrush-font.html" target="_blank">Daily Planet</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/radiant-beauty-casual-brush-font.html" target="_blank">Radiant Beauty</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/niderland-script-font.html" target="_blank">Niderland</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/moomycraft-font.html" target="_blank">Moomycraft</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/rottweiler-font.html" target="_blank">Rottweiler</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/grandes-font.html" target="_blank">Grandes</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/best-friend-forever-font.html" target="_blank">Best Friend Forever</a></i></div>
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This time I’ve got at least a million new digital background images to share with you, the result of a rather substantial splurge this afternoon on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a>. One of my favorite shops (Julie Campbell Designs) had everything discounted by 50% today, so I figured this was a terrific opportunity to grab 14 gorgeous collections for only 99¢ each. <i>Woo-hoo!</i> These images are all seamless, sparkly and splendid, and I can’t wait to start designing new iPhone cases and greeting cards for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>.<br />
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In case any of you are familiar with Thornton Wilder’s play <i>Our Town,</i> for the last couple of weeks Sam and I have been binge-watching the 1940 Best Picture nominee starring William Holden, Martha Scott and an incredible cast of Hollywood’s best character actors (Fay Bainter Beulah Bondi, Thomas Mitchell, and so on.) <i>Our Town</i> is an amazingly poignant and authentic look at small-town life at the turn of the 20th century … even if Hollywood fudged the ending so Emily Gibbs wouldn’t die in childbirth (she dies in the original play). If you’ve never seen <i>Our Town,</i> please do yourself a favor … rent it, borrow it, steal it, shell out a few clams for the DVD or try to find the movie on <a href="http://youtube.com/" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. You’ll thank me for this recommendation. Seriously.<br />
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In addition to <i>Our Town’s</i> nomination for Best Picture, Martha Scott received a nomination for Best Actress. Although the movie didn’t win in either category, the Howdygram is pleased to award <i>Our Town</i> with a five-star rating. <span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: red;">★★★★★</span></span> This is our highest hoo-hah.<br />
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And now for a peek at the week ahead … although this being Thursday there’s not very much of it left at this point.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>THURSDAY, APRIL 23.</b></span></span></span></span> A couple of deliveries are arriving this afternoon: 1) Sam’s new iPhone case, which was designed by <i>yours truly</i> for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>; and 2) I can’t remember the other one.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>FRIDAY, APRIL 24. </b></span></span></span></span>We’re expecting a pair of fantastic deliveries and one <i>meh</i> visitor on Friday. Taking the last one first, the <i>meh</i> visitor, who is also my hospice R.N., will drop in for my weekly checkup sometime in the afternoon. And regarding the two fantastic deliveries — nine jars of pitted Greek olives from <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a> and two pounds of gorgeous <i>kishka</i> from Liebman’s Deli (via <a href="http://goldbelly.com/" target="_blank">Goldbelly.com</a>) in New York — they will brighten my frustrating little life considerably for several days afterwards. ESPECIALLY THE KISHKA … which even includes A BUCKET OF GRAVY!<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>SATURDAY, APRIL 25.</b></span></span></span></span> I have nothing much to say about Saturday, because weekends are even more low-key at Howdygram headquarters than Monday through Friday. However … we’re expecting a rather large shipment of “silky three-ply Japanese toilet paper” (do you think I would joke about this?) on Saturday, which I ordered from <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> during the first two days of the Coronavirus outbreak when American couldn’t find any toilet paper in the grocery stores. So Amazon says our fancy Japanese toilet paper will arrive on Saturday.</div>
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Thank you for reading this. <i>Seriously.</i><br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-15706960205503959892020-04-19T18:14:00.000-05:002020-04-22T00:31:05.821-05:00“Gimbal Egyptian” is a slab serif super-font. Woo-hoo!I just woke up from a 16-hour nap — seriously, <i>16 hours! —</i> and thought it might be fun to engage in a little self-expression. You know, <i>write</i> something. It’s 3:15 on a strangely cold Saturday morning (only 46°, believe it or not) for Texas in mid-April, and I just finished an A+ perfect turkey sandwich on white toast with tomatoes. <i>Sam makes the best sandwiches!</i> And the most wonderful side dish was a pair of fabulous movies … <i>Dark Victory</i> (1939) starring Bette Davis and George Brent, and <i>Mad About Men</i> (1954), a sweet little comedy about a mermaid starring Glynis Johns and Margaret Rutherford.<br />
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Just a quick thought. A couple of minutes ago I decided to change the font I’ve been using for <i>photo captions!</i> From now on, instead of “Modernica Bold” 18 points I’ll be using “Radcliffe Semibold Italic” 17 points. “Radcliffe Semibold Italic” is elegant, snazzier and has a lot more personality. <i>You can check it out up above.</i> Like it?<i> </i>If you desperately need to voice an opinion about my font change, you can either comment on this post or shoot me an <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">email</a>. Thank you (I think).<br />
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More freebies, boys and girls! Once again I’ve got a fabulous variety of free fonts for you … all kinds of <i>scripts</i> (“Balina,” “Anchorage,” “Sunpalm Addict”), <i>display</i> fonts (“Khalif,” “Nersans,” “Baby Monster”), <i>hand-drawn</i> fonts (“Fudgie Sticks”), a traditional <i>slab serif</i> font (“Gimbal Egyptian”) and a gorgeous assortment of <i>layered</i> fonts (“Quechely,” “Miracle,” “Kingsman,” “Blue Phantom”).<br />
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I’d like to mention a couple of things here. First, “Khalif” includes a small (but nice) collection of pirate clipart in AI vector format. Second, “Gimbal Egyptian” is a slab serif <i>super-font</i> with three different widths (standard, compressed, condensed), each with eight weights and matching italics, plus circled numerals, <i>reverse</i> circled numerals, circled letters of the alphabet, assorted geometric shapes, every conceivable fraction and small caps. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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Please note: The “Kingsman” script font, inexplicably, is a separate download from its fancy shadow. In other words, to get the look you see below, you’ll have to download “Kingsman” AND “Kingsman Extrude.” <i>Got that?</i><br />
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You’ll find download links below the graphic in case you want any of these for your own private collection.<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/balina-font.html" target="_blank">Balina</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/khalif-font.html" target="_blank">Khalif</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/anchorage-vintage-script-typeface.html" target="_blank">Anchorage</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/quechely-font.html" target="_blank">Quechely</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/linkgray-font.html" target="_blank">Linkgray</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/?s=osaka+chips" target="_blank">Osaka Chips</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/pn-fudgie-sticks-regular-font.html" target="_blank">Fudgie Sticks</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/nersans-font.html" target="_blank">Nersans</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bomb-track-font.html" target="_blank">Bomb Track</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/miracle-script-font.html" target="_blank">Miracle</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/kingsman-script.html" target="_blank">Kingsman</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/extrude-kingsman-font.html" target="_blank">Kingsman Extrude</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/blue-phantom-script.html" target="_blank">Blue Phantom</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/gimbal-egyptian-font-family.html" target="_blank">Gimbal Egyptian</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/curious-monkey-font.html" target="_blank">Curious Monkey</a> </i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/the-baby-monster-font.html" target="_blank">Baby Monster</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/sunpalm-addict-font.html" target="_blank">Sunpalm Addict</a></i></div>
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I only have one word to describe today’s new background textures: GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS! Since I’m unable to splurge on Chinese food during the stay-at-home Coronavirus pandemic, I’ve decided to fill up on various digital treasures from <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a>. Today I’m showcasing <i>42 Seamless Gold Pattern Overlays</i> and <i>18 Seamless Shimmering Tropic Leaf Backgrounds,</i> both from Digital Curio, and <i>Sparkling Seamless Glitter Textures</i> in 100 beautiful intense colors from ClipHeart Creations.<br />
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I also bought an excellent collection of <i>100 Rose Bouquets</i> from Things by Lary, which is one of my all-time favorite Etsy shops. This is basically the same bouquet of roses in 100 different colors … high-resolution images measuring 12" x 12" on transparent backgrounds.<br />
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It’s 12:51 a.m. Sunday morning, and I believe I can describe the last 24 hours of my life with one word: WET. I’ve been peeing like Niagara Falls … <i>a never-ending flow</i> … that’s saturating my pads, diapers, nighties and towels just about every hour. It’s exhausting for Sam and miserably uncomfortable for me, earning the latest Shit-O-Meter reading:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><i>Click <a href="http://howdygram2.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_19.html" target="_blank">here</a> for a detailed explanation of our Shit-O-Meter readings.</i></span></div>
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The fact that I’ve been so unbelievably <i>wet</i> also means I’ve soaked through to the mattress on my hospital bed, and all that moisture has traveled to various parts of my body that should never be peed on, resulting in a miserable skin rash on my lower back, my sides and my butt. Sam had to shmear me with barrier cream and Extra Strength Gold Bond Powder, the latter of which burned like holy fuck and actually made me SCREAM.<br />
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Tomorrow (Monday) I’ll need a complete bath to make sure the rash is healed up, and this is a major hoo-hah that involves rolling from side to side … something that’s nearly impossible for me to do because the pain in my knees and legs is absolutely <i>excruciating.</i><span style="color: red; font-size: 22px;">*</span> I’ll have to prepare for this with Xanax, Hydrocodone and a large dropper full of Hydromorphone. (Drugs rock.)<br />
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In case you didn’t know, I’ve been immobile and bedridden for more than three years. I can’t stand, I can’t walk, and I can’t even sit up in bed … the end result of arthritis, advanced diabetic neuropathy, gout, and six years destroying my joints as a dancer with the Radio City Rockettes. <span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>I might be lying about the Rockettes.</i></span></div>
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Sam and I are watching <i>Ben-Hur</i> this afternoon. It’s a favorite of ours, and every time it’s aired on TCM we always record it and watch it and recite it. Today, though, I feel like I’m missing something that I haven’t had for years and years: BUTTERED POPCORN. The craving is almost <i>overwhelming</i> right now, which means I might have to ask Sam to include microwave popcorn on his next <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a> shopping trip. You know, a little box of <i>three bags</i> … if they sell them in small quantities like that. I don’t want a box of six bags or a box of 12 bags because the point is, I have <i>zero lower teeth</i> and I honestly don’t know if I can eat popcorn or not in the first place. And in the second place, obviously I also don’t want to get stuck with a ton of popcorn if we have to throw them out!<br />
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Does that sound like a Marx Brothers routine, <i>or what?</i><br />
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I guess I’ll sign off now and publish this post. You know what they always say about too much of a good thing …<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-67974628413969856692020-04-16T22:50:00.001-05:002020-04-17T06:36:51.394-05:00The Howdygram Store is selling cloth face masks now!<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020. </b></span></span></span></span>I have zero motivation tonight. ZERO. Sam and I just finished watching a ridiculous horror movie called <i>The Wasp Woman</i> (1959) starring Susan Cabot, and next up is the biopic <i>They Died with Their Boots On</i> (1941) starring Errol Flynn as General George Armstrong Custer. I don’t know if the Custer biography is accurate or not, but it’s definitely top-notch entertainment with some unforgettable performances.<br />
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We’re crazy about Errol Flynn movies here, and I’ve probably got nine or ten favorites stored on our DVR. We never get tired of them! In addition to <i>They Died with Their Boots On</i> we also have <i>Captain Blood</i> (1935), <i>The Charge of the Light Brigade</i> (1936), <i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> (1938) <i>Dodge City</i> (1939), <i>Virginia City</i> (1940), <i>Dive Bomber</i> (1941), <i>Gentleman Jim</i> (1942) and <i>Objective: Burma!</i> (1945). (Sam and I have watched <i>Captain Blood</i> so many times we can recite the dialog verbatim.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIF6UoJPA51KZHL-dxvYEjGnmfl8pn0odWYcRje7M1TcOx6X_Rxa6BJiZVA7zHpN0YEqd_GIo4hUIDay9ls-PWJLbS-z_6E2g-5YBJz4TZZufJUTfYDi2Td2DZOiZx8hExoEXrCH6Ezwe-/s1600/three+movies.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIF6UoJPA51KZHL-dxvYEjGnmfl8pn0odWYcRje7M1TcOx6X_Rxa6BJiZVA7zHpN0YEqd_GIo4hUIDay9ls-PWJLbS-z_6E2g-5YBJz4TZZufJUTfYDi2Td2DZOiZx8hExoEXrCH6Ezwe-/s1600/three+movies.png" /></a></div><br />
<hr color="#000000" size="1" width="60%" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1tRwpkD2ZKTUWM6C-OTQfh94jI1sVGrDWju6nFt1YhHjtZjzYDFNAN2tmUTTMLMfc47vd9yG5LaERUh7McSmFpZt-JFaEDEVSDeYppwdV_KiKQ10Kw5JGWSDlCnGakGU3K3K9osNczeB/s1600/free-font-round-up.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="106" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1tRwpkD2ZKTUWM6C-OTQfh94jI1sVGrDWju6nFt1YhHjtZjzYDFNAN2tmUTTMLMfc47vd9yG5LaERUh7McSmFpZt-JFaEDEVSDeYppwdV_KiKQ10Kw5JGWSDlCnGakGU3K3K9osNczeB/s1600/free-font-round-up.png" /></a></div>Know what? These are probably some of the best free fonts I’ve ever shared with you! Tonight’s list includes some breathtaking <i>scripts</i> (“Asnita,” “Winters,” “Stayline,” “Winnie Marrie”) with a vast number of fancy alternate characters and swashy things, large families of traditional <i>serif</i> and <i>sans serif</i> fonts (“Basier,” “Mantonico,” “Open,” “Roboto,” “Rubik,” “Hartwell”), excellent <i>layered</i> fonts (“Steamed Hams,” “Nigthwel,” “Chicago”) and several wonderful <i>display</i> fonts (“Beauty Angel,” “Herold,” “Parisio,” Narrabeen,” “Ryder Gothic”). I think my favorites are “Winnie Marrie,” “Ryder Gothic” and “Monkey Alone.” I can’t wait to use them!<br />
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Download links will appear below the graphic. <i>Enjoy …</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHz7jZ2_znwJIoJdcw87KaZt5rRIyWjnr7kdIGTCsTDH8GDJLsYTXvBM2V6hhcPnBjto7VqiMhAxROQbTnxyiF82BX-WMZfrQw5vkp7Er0rNLJYA2T78EeoLUhRnkhzU57o2iR5emWA9ki/s1600/new+fonts.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="694" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHz7jZ2_znwJIoJdcw87KaZt5rRIyWjnr7kdIGTCsTDH8GDJLsYTXvBM2V6hhcPnBjto7VqiMhAxROQbTnxyiF82BX-WMZfrQw5vkp7Er0rNLJYA2T78EeoLUhRnkhzU57o2iR5emWA9ki/s1600/new+fonts.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/asnitta-font.html" target="_blank">Asnita</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/herold-font-family.html" target="_blank">Herold</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/parisio-font.html" target="_blank">Parisio</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/chicago-font.html" target="_blank">Chicago</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/retronic-font.html" target="_blank">Retronic</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/narrabeen-brush-script-typeface.html" target="_blank">Narrabeen</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/stayline-font.html" target="_blank">Stayline</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/the-rughton-font.html" target="_blank">The Rughton</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mokutton-font.html" target="_blank">Mokutton</a> • <a href="https://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/rubik" target="_blank">Rubik</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/beauty-angel-font.html" target="_blank">Beauty Angel</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/ryder-gothic-pro-font-family.html" target="_blank">Ryder Gothic</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/winters-font.html" target="_blank">Winters</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/nigthwel-script-font.html" target="_blank">Nigthwel</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/winnie-marrie-script.html" target="_blank">Winnie Marrie</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/steamed-hams-font.html" target="_blank">Steamed Hams</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/mantonico-font.html" target="_blank">Mantonico</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/monkey-alone-font.html" target="_blank">Monkey Alone</a></i><i> • <a href="https://www.1001fonts.com/open-sans-font.html" target="_blank">Open</a> • <a href="https://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/roboto" target="_blank">Roboto</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/basier-font-family.html" target="_blank">Basier</a> </i><i>• <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/hartwell-font-family.html" target="_blank">Hartwell</a></i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK66961KSgYPzAkKra_D1Aojdg-5BoHiytf-ELygBuRXka5DxYTKof4N1_IJPvXjIWJmQ5tfLqoRoc1JnFV-fIN2ZzpoHLZQtrHERG_TI2n96_Kq0CULQI21hb61kdEr4DDfSZFQyxAvu/s1600/howdygram+store.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK66961KSgYPzAkKra_D1Aojdg-5BoHiytf-ELygBuRXka5DxYTKof4N1_IJPvXjIWJmQ5tfLqoRoc1JnFV-fIN2ZzpoHLZQtrHERG_TI2n96_Kq0CULQI21hb61kdEr4DDfSZFQyxAvu/s1600/howdygram+store.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmh4mzHIegrSaMykAY0JKFhPifjqoNe7WLGYVsABqOyfpffIfYG7XVYr-Gi3KJ7Zge9yCIkTiaZGvvDdFYSDwNs-rfvKgqaVV2sDe91Bq7yMdNA548-BzvkPVylQpGRU31RYT9P_389-CT/s1600/howdygram-store.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: .74em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmh4mzHIegrSaMykAY0JKFhPifjqoNe7WLGYVsABqOyfpffIfYG7XVYr-Gi3KJ7Zge9yCIkTiaZGvvDdFYSDwNs-rfvKgqaVV2sDe91Bq7yMdNA548-BzvkPVylQpGRU31RYT9P_389-CT/s1600/howdygram-store.png" data-original-width="129" data-original-height="124" /></a></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2020. </b></span></span></span></span>Ready to add something chic to your social distancing going-to-the-supermarket wardrobe? You’re in luck, because I’ve just created my own line of snazzy CLOTH FACE MASKS for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>! <i>Woo-hoo! </i>The yellow and black tiger-striped design (see below) is the one I ordered yesterday for Sam, but there will be approximately 45 designs to choose from by the time my entire line is uploaded and ready for shoppers about 48 hours from now. <i>Everybody in your family needs one of these!</i> In addition to the aforementioned tiger-striped mask (the one I ordered for Sam), the other designs pictured here are a black and red photorealistic burlap lumberjack plaid, a gold and black cheetah print on a coral background, and teeny red hearts on a silver gray background.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjuT3IL8fZIysJZlalbI-AjQHm2vERk_mVmZxh5LSiHn_cXiEzlZT1uOlYFM5HitCUW4hyphenhyphenxZRT_q-ddiUJjlrrw5FSpfWzYofpRa7vwEdxGCH4fhzX-lJp_dstDTFGnkogHISIiVvCLyT/s1600/cloth+face+mask.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjuT3IL8fZIysJZlalbI-AjQHm2vERk_mVmZxh5LSiHn_cXiEzlZT1uOlYFM5HitCUW4hyphenhyphenxZRT_q-ddiUJjlrrw5FSpfWzYofpRa7vwEdxGCH4fhzX-lJp_dstDTFGnkogHISIiVvCLyT/s1600/cloth+face+mask.png" /></a></div><br />
I’m also working on new mug designs, more iPhone cases and a new collection of greeting cards for Christmas 2020 featuring a series of stupid cat cartoons.<br />
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Believe it or not, if I didn’t have occasional creative projects like these to get my artistic juices flowing I think I’d probably blow my goddamn brains out. Nobody wants to lie in bed day and night feeling: 1) limp; 2) achy; 3) miserable; 4) immobile; 5) useless; 6) creatively unfulfilled; and last but not least … 7) <i>completely crappy.</i> When I design a few face masks, <i>number six magically disappears!</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VSek_296k5T3TcWbdE8As8I3Dh0CzTcmJDdHMbkpSzLjBlyVpdU01QZUmjHLbM7nJ4rDxFmFprCSHNeMZP2FXzXWoEsDDozYo1X9iqbutZ_cMMo9ZlrKlGmj5zrnWGcg_HjPEMDwj1QL/s1600/invalid%25E2%2580%2599s+calendar+of+thrills.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VSek_296k5T3TcWbdE8As8I3Dh0CzTcmJDdHMbkpSzLjBlyVpdU01QZUmjHLbM7nJ4rDxFmFprCSHNeMZP2FXzXWoEsDDozYo1X9iqbutZ_cMMo9ZlrKlGmj5zrnWGcg_HjPEMDwj1QL/s1600/invalid%25E2%2580%2599s+calendar+of+thrills.png" /></a></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020. </b></span></span></span></span>I would have published this post on Tuesday night except I’M CONSTANTLY SOUND ASLEEP, which makes it practically impossible to finish a paragraph you’ve been writing and writing and <i>rewriting</i> for three days<i>.</i><br />
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Yes, while as I’m on the subject, this sleep hoo-hah is driving me crazy. Yesterday, for example, I woke up a few minutes before 10 a.m. — just in time for my visiting podiatrist appointment* — then conked out again as soon as he left and slept another eight and a half hours until 7 p.m. so I wouldn’t miss dinner. (I try never to miss a meal if I can help it.) My hospice R.N. says that long periods of sleep is a definite sign of “decline” … along with peeing more than I drink, changes in my digestion (i.e., pooping patterns) and so on. I’m learning a lot.<br />
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So here’s what’s going on at Howdygram headquarters for the rest of the week.<br />
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<div style="margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>THURSDAY, 4/16.</b></span></span></span></span> It’s almost 3 p.m. and Sam is expecting his buddy Bob to ring the doorbell any minute now. Bob is a social worker for the hospice that’s taking care of me. Oddly enough, he only has a relationship with Sam … <i>not with me!</i> (I’m okay with that.)<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>FRIDAY, 4/17.</b></span></span></span></span> We’ve got our maid coming around 11 a.m., and sometime in the afternoon my hospice R.N. (Martha) will be here for my weekly checkup. With any luck, I’ll sleep through both events … same as I did last week and the week before!</div><br />
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It’s time for a snack and this week’s episode of “Top Chef All-Stars.” In case you’re interested, I don’t enjoy the All-Stars as much as I do regular “Top Chef,” because the All-Stars are such <i>egomaniacs.</i><br />
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Thank you for reading this.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tj3k-ycQKuQ/XbUX92O63XI/AAAAAAABC4o/GZ9GdmGWMRg9t88HRj1X%E2%88%91Xk-b3cf2388tgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/sig%2B96%2525%2Bpost.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="113" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTKearF5-OTUAtv7SFA_CPrjWYVwnSdBuYKh805e_f8p0CLzFhWzLg9WQa-4QTA3iskpFWzvZZwi1coWvWgXlO_8aSj71WGfuxTgSYz1rEGKCLe2E-S2YQBvdPazPphcBivmUJrbZS04J/s1600/sig+96%2525+post.png" /></a></div>Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-30857259930798423702020-04-13T02:11:00.002-05:002020-04-13T22:58:55.842-05:00Former Cubs second baseman Glenn Beckert died on Sunday.It’s 6 a.m. Sunday morning. I just woke up but have no idea whatsoever when exactly I fell asleep. It’s pretty much the same story day after day after day … huge, inexplicable spans of very sound sleep* wrapped in my big fleece blanket, soaked and overflowing wee-wee pads, frequently shivering, aching legs that I’m scared to move without Sam’s help, lots of pills to take, the incessant sound of rushing air (through my cannula) that destroys my nostrils <i>and</i> the ability to hear things!<br />
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I never even hear our maid vacuuming around my hospital bed or Sam talking to my hospice R.N. less than three feet away. I sleep through movies and powerful thunderstorms. <i>Nothing</i> wakes me up. I suppose I can thank Xanax and Hydrocodone for that, right?</div>
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At the moment we’ve got a noisy but otherwise harmless thunderstorm rolling through here. (The cheery asterisk denotes Howdygram headquarters in Mesquite.) I’m not sure why this map doesn’t indicate the storm that’s overhead … we’ve got lightning, thunder and major boomers going on, but the map only shows <i>rain!</i> Incidentally, if you zoom in, I’m the seriously uncomfortable senior citizen in a fresh pink nightie, typing at high speed in a hospital bed with lemonade. I’m freezing my ass off, though.<br />
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And now for your possible interest I’d like to share my current Shit-O-Meter readout. As I write this post I’m experiencing a great deal of chronic pain in both legs (I can’t even <i>move</i> them), chills, a post-nasal drip from spring allergies, and higher than normal pee output with a higher than normal thirst to go with it. I feel like <i>crap.</i> I just asked Sam to please make me some Campbell’s Tomato Soup. For me, it’s instant happiness in a can and an excellent way to warm up … <i>from the inside out!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><i>Click <a href="http://howdygram2.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_19.html" target="_blank">here</a> for a complete explanation of our Shit-O-Meter numbers.</i></span></div>
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You guessed it … <i>more free fonts!</i> This time I’ve got a fascinating array for you … all kinds of <i>scripts</i> (“The Breachery,” “Keshia,” “Bushcraft”), <i>monogram</i> fonts, <i>display</i> fonts (“Baby Monkey”), hand-drawn fonts (“Himalayar”), <i>fancy-ass</i> fonts (“Fire”) and even a very nice trio of <i>layered</i> fonts (“The Voyage,” “Kandel,” “Brotha Script”). Please note that the “Circle Monograms” and “Diamond Monograms” are both <i>very</i> easy to use (most fonts like this are usually frustrating as hell) and include a large variety of coordinating frames in PNG and AI formats. Fonts marked with a “B” are all part of a substantial “50-Font Bundle.”<br />
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Download links appear below the list in case you want any or all of these for your private collection.<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/the-breachery-script-font.html" target="_blank">The Breachery</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/himalayar-font.html" target="_blank">Himalayar</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/christy-snow-font.html" target="_blank">Christy Snow</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/fire-font.html" target="_blank">Fire</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/50-in-1-typographic-kit.html" target="_blank">50-Font Bundle</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/keshia-font.html" target="_blank">Keshia</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/baby-monkey-font.html" target="_blank">Baby Monkey</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/cartograph-font.html" target="_blank">Cartograph</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bushcraft-font-family.html" target="_blank">Bushcraft</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/kandel-typeface.html" target="_blank">Kandel</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/brotha-script.html" target="_blank">Brotha Script</a></i></div>
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Former Cubs second baseman Glenn Beckert, a four-time All-Star and member of the beloved 1969 team that led the National League East until the final weeks of the season, died Sunday at age 79. Beckert played nine of his 11 major-league seasons with the Cubs from 1965 to 1973. He finished with a lifetime .283 batting average, including a career-high .342 average in 1971.<br />
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With a key infield position at second base — Santo to Kessinger to Beckert to Banks — Glenn Beckert was intensely popular with Cubs fans and his fellow teammates.<br />
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“Glenn was just a really, really fun guy to be around,” former teammate Billy Williams said Sunday. “He and (Ron) Santo and myself liked to do a lot of stuff together. Just enjoy life, man. We spent 10 or 12 years together. You didn’t find that too much. It was a team that was real close, and we stayed close over the years.”<br />
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Ned Colletti, a former Wrigley Field “bleacher bum” who went on to become a Cubs executive in the 1980s and 1990s, said in a text message: “Beck was the glue that helped meld together four Hall of Famers. He was the prototypical second hitter followed by three straight Hall of Fame hitters (Williams, Santo and Ernie Banks). He rarely struck out. He could move a runner, played the game the right way.”<br />
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Beckert won a Gold Glove Award in 1968 and was selected to the NL All-Star team in 1969, ’70, ’71 and ’72. “Glenn Beckert was a wonderful person who also happened to be an excellent ballplayer,” the Cubs said in a statement Sunday. “He was a mainstay at second base for the Cubs for nine seasons from 1965 to 1973, earning a spot on four All-Star teams and a reputation for one of the toughest at-bats in the league as evidenced by his low strikeout rate. Glenn more than held his own playing alongside future Hall of Famers and won a Gold Glove for defensive excellence at second base in 1968.<br />
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I spent a lot of time at Wrigley Field with my sister in 1969, back when the Cubs were reaching for the pennant and a box seat behind third base only cost $3.75. We’d ride the #10 bus to Howard Street, take the “el” train to Addison and always try to arrive at the ballpark in time for batting practice. Watching Glenn Beckert play has always been an important part of that memory!<br />
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It’s time for a nice juicy nap now. Sam and I are getting ready to watch <i>The Day the Earth Stood Still </i>(1951) starring Patricia Neal and Michael Rennie as Klaatu, the alien. We love this movie and it’s definitely one of our all-time favorites.<br />
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Thank you for reading this. Please do me a favor and remember the Alamo, okay? You don’t have to get too carried away … a simple, polite little wave is more than enoug right now.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-56372344345411570072020-04-10T22:31:00.001-05:002020-04-10T22:31:30.611-05:00Sam is a 24/7 caregiver, nurse, chef, vaudeville comic (don’t ask) and launderer.Yo, people. Welcome to Thursday night at Howdygram headquarters, where Sam is napping on the sofa nearby and I’m wrapped up in a fleece blanket on my hospital bed with a big glass of sugar-free peach soda and a bowl of pitted Greek olives.<br />
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It’s 9:40 p.m. and I just realized that I haven’t eaten anything at all today (not counting the aforementioned olives), so it might be a good idea to wake Sam and ask for food. A nice sandwich, maybe … turkey on white toast* with mayo and a juicy tomato. <i>Ooh!</i><br />
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It needs to be said … it’s currently Passover, and WE DON’T HAVE ANY MATZO IN THE HOUSE. There probably isn’t any matzo anywhere in the Dallas area (there are very few Jews here, and nearly zero businesses that sell Jewish food products) plus, during this COVID-19 quaratine there’s no way Sam wants to drive around town trying to find some. It also needs to be said that Sam and I are not observant Jews and probably wouldn’t buy matzo even if we <i>didn’t</i> have this plague keeping us at home. <i>Thank you.</i></div>
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Most of our relatives and friends participated in “virtual” seders last night via a new technology called Zoom that’s apparently something like FaceTime on steroids. We were invited to one of these virtual seders with a gang of my senior citizen cousins — and their children and grandchildren — but had to decline due to an abundance of <i>unplanned sleep</i> going on around here. In <i>my</i> case, I take lots of (lovely) sleep-inducing drugs — Xanax, Hydrocodone, Trazodone — and have two long-running, incurable bacterial infections wearing me down, so I often pass out for 12 to 14 hours at a time, sometimes more. In <i>Sam’s</i> case it’s because he’s a 24/7 caregiver, nurse, chef, vaudeville comic (don’t ask) and launderer … and he gets substantially pooped. I try to let him sleep without interruption for as long as possible. And exactly as expected, yesterday both of us were sound asleep at the time we would’ve been participating in the virtual seder hoo-hah.<br />
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Incidentally, if many of you are wondering why I haven’t posted any political commentary lately, or remarked about current events, it’s because I called a total moratorium on the news — except the local weather, as needed, such as tornado warnings — about three months ago. I don’t read the news any more, I don’t want to know what the fuck Trump is up to, and I don’t even follow the Democrats very much, with the exception of voting for Joe Biden in the primary and sending a nice bunch of money from Sam and me to help fund his campaign. Where Trump and his administration of clown car morons are concerned, I refuse to rot my brain and ruin my disposition with frustration and hatred while I lie here in the family room, trapped in bed during the final months of my life. So current events are OUT, and Danny Kaye movies, free fonts and Greek olives are IN. <i>Got that?</i><br />
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I’ve got a smallish herd of freebies for you tonight … terrific <i>scripts</i> (“Thatcher,” “Rawriting”), <i>display</i> fonts (“Duca”), <i>hand-drawn</i> fonts (“Easteria”) and even a funky <i>layered</i> font (“String Greens”). <i>All absolutely free!</i> I’ll include download links below the list in case you want any of these for your private collection.<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/thatcher-script-2.html" target="_blank">Thatcher</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/funkley-font.html" target="_blank">Funkley</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/duca-font.html" target="_blank">Duca</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/string-greens-font.html" target="_blank">String Greens</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/rawriting-font.html" target="_blank">Rawriting</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/aghnesta-trio-font.html" target="_blank">Aghnesta</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/easteria-font.html" target="_blank">Easteria</a></i></div>
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My latest high resolution textures and background images are from one of my favorite shops on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy.com</a>. They’re fabulous, aren’t they? I’ve got plans for all of them (designs for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>, of course) but I especially love the <i>exotic glitter safari patterns!</i> I’ll be glad to share any or all of these files with you, if you’re interested. (Just shoot me an <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">email</a>.)<br />
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I’ve got some health problems today Let’s see if I can figure out why I’m feeling so lousy.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>UNCONTROLLABLE THIRST</b></span></span></span></span> and uncontrollable pishing … with a long, slow “burn” at the end, each and every time, thanks to a six-year-old incurable urinary tract infection! My hospice R.N. can’t figure out why I’m not dead yet. (Neither can I.)<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>LOW BLOOD PRESSURE.</b></span></span></span></span> Today, 90/60. Yesterday, 82/58. Numbers like this can be scary, especially when my heart rate is only 60 and my chronic pain is through the roof.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>LEG PAIN.</b></span></span></span></span> Due to cellulitis (a bacterial infection), the lower half of my left leg is painful, tender, hot to the touch and red. Also my toes are turning black. Like an MGM Technicolor musical … except nobody’s singing along.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>EXTREMELY SHITTY SKIN UNDER MY BOOBIES.</b></span></span></span></span> It’s dry, inflamed, bright red, peeling and painful. This morning we tried a hospice miracle barrier cream — Lantiseptic — that we’ve been using on areas of my body that come into contact with pee-pee. (I’m bedridden and can’t even get up to use a commode.) It works so well to prevent skin burn and bed sores that I just ordered a tube of Lantiseptic’s companion skin cream (on <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>) that will be much better under my boobs than the skin protectant <i>barrier</i> cream, which is thick and greasy like Crisco.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>A FULL BATH FROM SAM AT 3 A.M.</b></span></span></span></span> Now that we don’t have hospice C.N.A.s coming over any more for bathing and hygiene sessions five days a week I’ve decided to promote Sam. This morning at 3 a.m. I had another full “Sam Bath,” and it was joyous. BEST. BATH. EVER. He even rubbed my arms and legs afterwards with Eucerin (a great skin cream!) and then nuked a bowl of spicy ramen noodle soup with shrimp for my breakfast. Doesn’t get much better than <i>that,</i> does it?<br />
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Many thanks for stopping by today. Please feel free to resume your regular shelter-in-place activities.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-2663136014129763442020-04-08T07:12:00.000-05:002020-04-08T16:27:49.244-05:00Amazon has face masks and latex gloves.Happy Tuesday morning, y’all. Sam is hiking around in his favorite forest on the south side of Mesquite and I’m drinking sugar-free punch and noshing on pitted Greek olives. Damn, I <i>love</i> these things!<br />
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Know what I just found out? AMAZON HAS FACE MASKS AND LATEX GLOVES, and the prices are reasonable and there are plenty of different sellers and manufacturers. A few products are sold out, of course, and others are being reserved for medical professionals, but there are lots of options for the rest of us and I had no problem whatsoever ordering a box of 50 masks for Sam so he’ll feel protected and responsible when he goes to the supermarket. (We already have hundreds of latex gloves on hand because the hospice keeps us supplied for all the nurses and aides that stop by.)<br />
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Therefore, the Howdygram’s senior medical advisor — that would be <i>me,</i> I guess — strongly recommends that all of you place orders with <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> for masks and gloves. Thank you, and live and be well.<br />
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I don’t need to waste too much time introducing today’s collection of fascinating free fonts, do I? We’ve got something for everybody here … scripts, hand-dawn fonts, display fonts, you name it! I think my favorites are “Almond Caramel,” “Minthas,” “Unicorn Dancing” and “Retrograde,” because they’ll all look terrific on mugs and greeting cards for <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/the_howdygram_store?rf=238024043917769188" target="_blank">The Howdygram Store</a>. Download links will appear immediately after the graphic.<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/abella-font-2.html" target="_blank">Abella</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/minthas-font.html" target="_blank">Minthas</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/jazking-font.html" target="_blank">Jazking</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/wildlast-handbrush-typeface.html" target="_blank">Wildlast</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/andry.font" target="_blank">Andry</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/dustine-script.font" target="_blank">Dustine</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/kriuk-kriuk-font.html" target="_blank">Kriuk</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/almond-caramel-font.html" target="_blank">Almond Caramel</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/melon-juice-font.html" target="_blank">Melon Juice</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/sianok-valley-font.html" target="_blank">Sianok Valley</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/brighly-crush.font" target="_blank">Brighly Crush</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/bannertype-font-family.html" target="_blank">BannerType</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.dafont.com/unicorn-dancing.font?back=new" target="_blank">Unicorn Dancing</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/retrograde-font.html" target="_blank">Retrograde</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/cambridge-font.html" target="_blank">Cambridge</a></i></div>
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But wait … <i>there’s more!</i> I also have eight fantastic clipart fonts today, each one packed with funny little illustrations. I can’t pick a favorite, because I actually love ALL of them. If you want any of these for your personal collection I’ll include download links below the graphic. <i>Enjoy!</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://www.dafont.com/coronavirus.font" target="_blank">Coronavirus</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/hoder.font" target="_blank">Hoder</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/foliga.font" target="_blank">Foliga</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/damen-2.font" target="_blank">Damen 2</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/comic-boom-elements.font" target="_blank">Comic Boom Elements</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/orments-font.html" target="_blank">Orments</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/mickey-m-tfb.font" target="_blank">Mickey</a> • <a href="https://www.dafont.com/mf-26-banners.font" target="_blank">MF 26 Banners</a></i></div>
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Yes, friends, there really IS a Coronavirus clipart font. <i>God save us all.</i> But it came in handy today when I decided to create a new Howdygram post subheading — “An Idiot’s Coronavirus Survival Guide” (see top of page) — and needed a graphic to go along with it. I suppose the Howdygram is an instant pop culture hit, right?<br />
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Sam and I have made a significant change to my hospice care. I mentioned in my <a href="https://howdygram2.blogspot.com/2020/04/i-think-i-might-get-back-to-sending.html" target="_blank">last post</a> that we wanted to cut back on my C.N.A. bathing/hygiene sessions from five days a week to three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). After a little additional discussion, however, we decided to go with ZERO days a week, which would eliminate my C.N.A. bathing and hygiene sessions <i>entirely.</i> If you’re wondering why, it’s because most C.N.A.s don’t do a very good job of it, and I’m sick of “training” them. So for the time being Sam will be in charge of my bathing and hygiene (he’s excellent), and we can schedule our sessions any time of the day or night, whenever we’re in the mood. For example, we scheduled today’s session at 4:30 in the morning. We were both wide awake at the time, and immediately afterwards Sam got dressed and went for an hour-long hike in the woods. <br />
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In case you need a visual, the following map indicates: A) Howdygram headquarters; B) cattle ranches in Sunnyvale; C) Samuell Farm in southern Mesquite, which is Sam’s favorite hiking destination; D) our <a href="http://walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a> Supercenter on the I-30 service road; E) China City; and F) the western shore of the lovely Lake Ray Hubbard Reservoir.<br />
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I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that items B, D, E and F technically have nothing whatsoever to do with the subject of “Hospice Palooza.” I decided to include them here just for the hell of it.<br />
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James Drury, who starred in one of the longest running westerns in TV history, “The Virginian,” which aired from 1962 to 1971, died of natural causes on Monday at the age of 85.<br />
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While “The Virginian” was his most famous role, Drury also appeared in a few westerns on the big screen, including 1959’s <i>Good Day for Hanging</i> and 1960’s <i>Ten Who Dared</i> and <i>Ride the High Country</i>. His other credits included <i>Love Me Tender</i> (1956) alongside Elvis Presley, <i>Bernardine</i> (1957) opposite Pat Boone, and <i>Pollyanna</i> (1960) with Hayley Mills. Big deal, right?<br />
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Drury also had a sprinkling of guest spots on various TV shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” Walker, Texas Ranger” and “Ironside.” He is survived by his third wife, two children and a couple of great cowboy hats.<br />
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Before I sign off for tonight I’d like to mention that I just repeated my order for kishka and gravy from Liebman’s Deli in New York via <a href="http://goldbelly.com/" target="_blank">Goldbelly.com</a>. This stuff was so unbelievably delicious when I ordered it for the first time a couple of weeks ago that I knew I’d have to do it all over again, and SOON. And this time they were even offering $15 off. <i>Yes!</i> On the downside, however, Liebman’s is taking a two-week break for Passover, so my order won’t ship until April 23. But at least it’s for overnight delivery.<br />
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Thank you for reading this. For the time being, please remember the Alamo but keep your distance. (I’d hate for Davy Crocket’s ghost to get sick.)<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175360711399113242.post-78042610258729147702020-04-06T07:02:00.002-05:002020-04-07T04:39:21.553-05:00I think I might get back to sending birthday cards this year!It’s a couple of minutes after 4 a.m. on Sunday morning, and I have no idea what the hell ever happened to <i>Saturday.</i> I think I slept for 22 out of 24 hours, never saw one stinking minute of daylight, and now I’m lying here in the dark, binge-watching “Bar Rescue” reruns, eating cashew butter <i>— this stuff is so AWESOME! —</i> from the jar with a plastic spoon and peeing like a race horse … actually eliminating far more liquid than I consume.*<br />
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According to my hospice nurse, when you pee more than you drink it’s a sign that your body is <i>shutting down.</i> And it’s the same damn thing for those massive amounts of sleep, too. The nurse says both episodes are part of my ongoing “decline.” (Swell.) As a matter of fact, after I typed that first paragraph I nodded off again (oy) and slept <i>another eight hours.</i></div>
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This is actually not an altogether entirely distasteful lifestyle — “Bar Rescue” reruns, cashew butter, sleeping, uncontrollable pishing — now that I think about it, but my life is rather self-focused these days and if I don’t share the minutiae with you I wouldn’t have much else to write about. <i>Got that?</i> (Thank you for understanding.)<br />
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With that in mind, therefore, I’d like to share the following stupid personal issues with y’all in neat little subtitled paragraphs.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>MY NIPPLES ITCH.</b></span></span></span></span> Stop laughing. They’re driving me crazy, and scratching them is weird, uncomfortable but mildly exciting all at the same time. <i>Jesus.</i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>THE CRAVINGS CONTINUE.</b></span></span></span></span> We have at least half a million dollars’ worth of food in the house but I still crave one thing and one thing <i>only …</i> HOT AND SOUR SOUP! My favorite source, China City, has been closed since the first week of the plague outbreak, but apparently there’s another Chinese restaurant nearby that’s still open: Mr. Teriyaki. <i>And they deliver for free.</i> So probably tomorrow I’ll ask Sam if it’s okay to risk a delivery.* Stay tuned, okay? (I never heard of Mr. Teriyaki until a couple of days ago. Could they be even better than China City?)<br />
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Sam said “no way” to restaurant deliveries of any kind. I sorta figured that’s what he’d say. <i>Oh, well.</i></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b>SAM SAYS GIRLS HAVE COOTIES.</b></span></span></span></span> Please shoot me an <a href="mailto:marcymarks@email.com">email</a> if you concur.<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 18.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>PLASTIC ENVELOPE STENCILS</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
By accident yesterday I ran across an ad for these amazing and highly adorable plastic templates on Facebook and decided to check them out. They’re stencils to help you address envelopes, invitations and postcards with perfectly straight lines … something I probably need more than anybody else as I’m bedridden, reclining, can’t sit up like normal people and have tremors in my hands. The price for this product, of course, was <i>outrageous</i> ($19.99 plus shipping), so I searched on <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and wound up saving quite a bit of dough on a set of four different templates for only $6.99 with free one-day Prime shipping. <i>Woo-hoo!</i><br />
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Believe it or not, I gave up sending birthday and holiday cards this year because I can’t wrestle with envelopes on our Epson inkjet printer when I’m lying in bed and the procedures are too fucking annoying to motivate Sam to do it. (He already has enough on his plate. Seriously.) Therefore these stencil templates will make my envelopes <i>beautiful</i> again … and I even think I might get back to sending cards! I’M SO DAMN EXCITED I CAN’T STAND IT.<br />
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I highly recommend stencils like these for all frustrated senior citizens who need some help like I do. Here’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WRWMSKT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">the link</a> to the product page on Amazon. I found at least two dozen different collections at a wide variety of prices. I thought these were the best value.<br />
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As always, here’s another swell herd of free fonts. We’ve got lots of energetic <i>scripts</i> (“Malika,” “Just Hello”), <i>display</i> fonts (“Lockdown,” “Chicken Dinner”), a <i>hand-drawn</i> font (“Always Add Value”) and a <i>layered</i> font (“Kingfisher”) with lots of creative design options. You’ll find download links below the font list in case you want any or all of these for your personal collection. Incidentally, “Kashtanka” is part of a huge bundle of 28 scripts. You might like more of them than I did. (Good luck with that.)<br />
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/radens-font.html">Radens</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/brilliantly-font.html">Brilliantly</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/malika-font.html">Malika</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/kallisa-script-font.html">Kallisa</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/lockdown-font-2.html">Lockdown</a> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/kingfisher-font-2.html" target="_blank">Kingfisher</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/just-hello-script-intro-sale.html">Just Hello</a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/antonellie-hand-lettere-font.html">Antonellie</a> • </i><i> • <a href="https://ifonts.xyz/chicken-dinner-font.html">Chicken Dinner</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/28in1-fontbundle-besttypeco.html">28-Script Bundle</a> • </i><i><a href="https://ifonts.xyz/always-add-value-font.html">Always Add Value</a></i></div>
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FYI, “Always Add Value” is a fun font that lets you create little banners with a variety of different start/end graphic elements. I promise you, it’s extremely easy to us … and you can’t beat the price. <i>It’s free!</i><br />
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Know what? I thought it might be fun to fill y’all in on my exciting calendar for the week ahead. There’s so much going on I might have a hemorrhage. Hang on tight …<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 18.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>MONDAY, APRIL 6</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
Later on this morning we plan to let my hospice know that I want to cut back on C.N.A. bathing and hygiene sessions from five days a week to three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The bottom line is, my C.N.A. can’t commit to a firm appointment time every day, so it gets annoying for Sam to hang around the house waiting for her to show up when he could be doing something else. So we’ll be eliminating her Tuesday and Thursday visits, and this is a good thing. Sam and I treasure our privacy and hate it when people come and go every day of the week around here. Sometimes it feels like we’re living in Grand Central Station.<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 18.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>THURSDAY, APRIL 9</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
Passover begins this week, and my cousins — who are scattered all over the United States — have arranged for a “virtual seder” on Thursday evening using Zoom. It would be so much fun to connect with everybody, read the Haggadah, sing, show off our matzo balls, kibbitz and horse around, but I’m not awake much any more — maybe three or four hours a day — and under the circumstances I don’t think I can commit to participate. In case you’re interested, the guest list of cousins includes Teri, Joe, Alisa, Dan, Bobby, Robin, Ron (and his brand new hip), Greg, Allison, Melissa, Tom, Sam and <i>yours truly.</i><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 18.5px;"><span style="letter-spacing: .03em;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><i>FRIDAY, APRIL 10</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
I’ll have a weekly visit from my hospice R.N. this afternoon for a routine checkup. I was asleep for the last two Fridays when Sharon dropped in; hopefully I’ll find a way to stay awake this week. (I don’t really give a crap, however.)<br />
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Thank you for reading this. Shalom, y’all.<br />
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Marcy Markshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231205106169504443noreply@blogger.com0