Cheeses of the World - Part Two Processed Cheese

You know, it's the little things that make a marriage work, and today's little thing is caving in to my husband's request that today's cheese post be about "Wendy's cheddar cheese goo that they put on a Baconator®. The bestest cheese ever." Oh, my dear husband. You are about to be sadly disappointed.

There is no magical cheese goo on the Baconator®. It's just a plain old processed cheese slice.


From the official Wendy's site I have the full ingredients list:

Hamburger Patties - Ground Beef. Seasoned with salt.
Processed Cheese Slice - Cheese (milk, modified milk ingredients, bacterial culture, salt, rennet and/or microbial enzyme, calcium chloride, lipase, colour), modified milk ingredients, water, glucose, sodium citrate and/or sodium phosphate, salt, acetic acid, sorbic acid, soya lecithin, carboxymethylcellulose, colour. May contain citric acid.
Applewood Smoked Bacon (6 strips)
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Premium butter toasted bun.
Optional ingredients include: mustard, crinkle cut pickles, red onion, tomatoes, and lettuce.

So, now that I've shattered my husband's illusions, let's take a look at processed cheese.

Sometimes known as American cheese, processed cheese is typically made from a blend of cheeses, most often Colby and Cheddar. These natural cheeses are shredded, heated, and reprocessed with extra salts, food colorings, emulsifiers, and whey, and then packed as slices, blocks, or in jars. It's cheaper and has a longer shelf life than natural cheese. Because of the processing and additives, many countries refuse to allow it to be labeled as cheese, instead calling it cheese food, cheese spread, or cheese product.

Walter Gerber and Fritz Stettler were the first to process cheese in Switzerland in 1911. The cheese was shredded and heated with sodium citrate to produce a consistent product which firmed up upon cooling. The initial reason for this was to increase the shelf-life of cheese that was shipped to warmer climates.

Around the same time, James Lewis Kraft was experimenting with the heating and blending of different cheeses and was issued a patent in 1916 for cheese that was processed and then packed in glass jars or cans. In 1921 he was issued another patent for a loaf of processed cheese.

In 1935 Norman Kraft was issued a patent for the equipment used in new processes. Over the next few years additional improvements to the equipment and processing methods were issued. In 1944 Norman was granted a patent describing the production of processed cheese slices, a breakthrough in convenience.

Uses

Grilled cheese sandwiches: When I was a kid, I remember my mother putting home made strawberry jam in her grilled cheese sandwiches. I don't remember ever trying it; if I have anything in my grilled cheese, it's bacon. :-)

Sauces: Also when I was a kid, my mother would melt Cheez Whiz to pour over broccoli or asparagus on toast. Kids will eat anything with cheese on it. :-) My husband introduced me to cheesy peas, where you add a couple of cheese slices to cooked, drained peas and stir until melted.

Enhancing a dish: You can add processed cheese to macaroni and cheese to add a little omph, or to any casserole for that matter. Add it to mashed potatoes for extra flavour or as a topping for shepherd's pie. Throw a slice on top of an omelets.

Snacking: Spreadable processed cheese is great on crackers or as a filling for celery. I have also been known to throw a couple of slices of processed cheese over a plate of nachos and salsa and then microwave it until the cheese melts.

The possibilities are endless!

You can, in fact, make your own processed cheese and I've found a couple of links that give you step by step instructions:

From Living Strong we have: How to Make Processed Cheese

From America's Test Kitchen Feed we have How to Make American Cheese

Metempsychosis Monday

metempsychosis passing of soul after death into another body

Do you realize that the summer's half over? Seriously! Wednesday is August first. How did that happen?

We got a day of the rain we'd been promised for the last several weeks and the lawns are making a valiant effort at greening up again. However, it was only one day and I saw today there's a campfire ban on again. We're supposed to get some more rain this week, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Be still my heart! I got approval from the government of Canada to use a joint services badge on the covers for my veteran's project last week. By Wednesday the project was printed, bound and ready for delivery. Break out the champagne! :-)

Did you see? I got all my posts up on time last week. All of them! Including the first installment on my Cheese series, a new book review, a poetry post, and a new flash fiction. Way to go me! LOL

Unfortunately, that's about as productive as I got during the week. From about Wednesday afternoon until Saturday, I was pretty much a couch potato. I did manage to get my office cleaned up (again!) but that was about it. It wasn't even a case of "the spirit was willing but the body was weak" - the spirit was pretty meh too. It was just one of those times when I was totally unmotivated.

However, Saturday I decided enough is enough, time to suck it up. So I decided to work from my office for the day. It was a pretty productive day too, I'm pleased to say. Sunday was not quite as productive, however I did have my in-laws over for dinner, and that necessitated cleaning up the house, planning and cooking a big dinner, and baking a fancy cake (it was my father in law's birthday) for dessert. And let's not forget the socializing.

So over all, the weekend was pretty good and it gives me hope for getting things done this week. The secret is to write in my office instead of attempting to write in the living room where the easy chair makes me slack off. Yes, that's right, I'm blaming my recliner for leading me into gaming temptation. :-)

This week I'd like to get my posts done ahead of time so I'm not having to stay up so late to finish them. I'm also going to be working on one of my un-serialized manuscripts which needs about 20,000 words added to it before I can call it done.

Another thing on my to-do list is to work on getting my business re-organized and come up with the rates list for the new services I'll be offering so the website can go live. Or if not live, then at least go somewhere on the internet where people can find it.

And my "to be read" pile is starting to stack up, so I need to make some time to read. Gee, now there's a hardship, having to read. So many books, so little time! I'm reading three right now - Denise Grover Swank's Chosen; Twelve Poets; I'll Be Yours For Christmas, by Samantha Hunter; and Gifts of the Crow. I guess that's four books on the go, isn't it? ;-)

What’s Up This Week: The schedule is up on the side bar, so I’m just giving the highlights here.

Tuesday On Random Thoughts I will be posting my second installment of Cheeses of the World. On Random Writings I will be doing a new book review.

Wednesday (on Random Writings) Chapter Sixty-two of Shades of Errol Flynn. I'm wondering what the wizards have been up to lately? On Random Thoughts there’ll be a hunk and a hussy for your viewing pleasure. ;-)

Thursday we have Chapter Twenty-seven of Water (on Random Thoughts) where I think we'll see if Ravi gets caught visiting Nereida.

Friday As far as poetry goes for Random Writings I'll probably be doing another re-post of something you might have missed. I've got a few poems on the go, but nothing finished yet. On Random Thoughts we'll see if I'm up for another new flash fiction.

Flash Me Friday

The Bone Moon

"I don't know about this Butch, maybe we should go back."

"Don't wimp out on us now, Lisa, it's just a little further." Butch pulled her along behind him, the trembling in her hand having nothing to do with the chill in the sea air.

"We could have at least brought a flashlight with us, man," Jay said.

"What do we need a flashlight for? There's a full moon tonight," Butch told him.

"Yeah, where's your sense of adventure?" Tiffany giggled and clutched at Danny's arm as she stumbled over the rocky path.

"Do you know what they call the moon that rises this time of the month? The bone moon."

"C'mon Ashleigh, don't start that mystic shit tonight," Jay begged.

"Fine!" she snapped. "But just remember I tried to warn you."

"Chill, you guys. We're here."

They reached the end of the path down the cliff side and the rocks gave way to a fine, white sand. The moon cast more than enough light to see the empty crates Butch had dragged down earlier in the day to use for seating. He'd also gathered a respectable pile of firewood and dug a fire pit.

"Danny, you want to start the fire while Jay and I break out the beer?" Butch had just had his birthday, which took all the fun out of going on a beer run.

The driftwood was dry and caught fire easily. Butch handed Danny a beer and he took his place in the semi circle around the fire pit, looking out over the ocean. "This is great, man," he said. "The perfect way to celebrate the end of the summer."

"I'm cold," Lisa whined.

Butch put his arm around her. "Don't worry, babe. I'll keep you warm."

"We're not going to get into trouble for being here, are we?"

"Stop being such a drag, Lisa," Tiffany told her. "No one ever comes here, so no one's going to catch us."

"I wonder why they don't come here," Danny said. "This place is great, nice and secluded."

"I think I can answer that, young fella," a voice called out of the dark, startling the six trespassers.

"Jesus! Give a warning next time, would you?" Butch snapped. "Who the hell are you?"

An old man stepped closer to the fire.

"Name's Henry. I was beach combing down thataways earlier today and fell asleep. Just on my way home. Sorry to have disturbed you."

"Wait, Henry," Danny called as the old man shuffled past them and into the dark again. "You said you could tell us why no one comes here. Why don't you join us for a beer, maybe tell us the story?"

"Well, I suppose a beer or two couldn't hurt," Henry said, shuffling back over. Jay and Danny made space between them for him to sit down and Butch handed him a beer.

Henry took a swig of his beer and then started his story. "Well, it would have been about fifty years ago this happened." He glanced up at the moon and back down again. "Would have been fifty years ago exactly, on the night of the bone moon."

"See?" Ashleigh dug her elbow in Jay's ribs. "I told you it was the bone moon tonight."

"Quiet," he told her.

"This was a popular spot back then, specially with teenagers wanting to have a little privacy, if you get my drift."

Butch tightened his hold on Lisa and grinned.

"There was this group of teenagers, not much younger than you youngsters, who decided to spend the night on the beach, celebrating the end of summer or some such nonsense. Next morning, first ones arriving on the beach found what was left of them. There was the bones of one of the boys, tied up with some twine, but only the skulls of others were left."

"Oh my God," Tiffany said. "What happened to them?"

Henry shrugged. "No one knows. There was no footprints, no blood, nothing. Not even a sign of a struggle. Just the tied up bones and skulls. But . . ." his voice trailed off.

"But what?" Danny asked.

"There was this legend . . ."

"What legend?" Lisa asked, fascinated in spite of herself.

"This here is called Imp's Cove, 'cause there was said to be an imp bound to it. You know what an imp is, one of the devil's minions. Every fifty years, under the light of the bone moon, the imp needs to feed."

"And they think he ate those people?" Tiffany asked. "All of them?"

"Well, you'd be mighty hungry too if you only ate once every fifty years."

"But why didn't he just eat the last one," Danny asked. "Why leave the bones all tied up?"

"The imp feeds on fear just as much as he feeds on flesh," Henry said, looking at each one of them in turn. "He ties up the strongest of the lot, 'cause their fear is the richest, and lets them watch while he feasts on the others. Then he sucks the fear-filled flesh off the bones."

"I don't get it," Butch said. "Why didn't the others just run away?"

"They couldn't," Henry said, the moonlight reflecting off his eyes. At least Butch thought it was the moonlight. "The imp used the magic of his eyes to paralyze them."

There was no sound from the others. Butch tried to move his head to look at them, but it was like he was frozen in place. Horrified understanding filled him as Henry's form began to elongate, to morph into something inhuman.

"It's all right if you want to scream," the creature said in Henry's voice. "There's no one else to hear, and I quite enjoy a little music with my dinner."

Water - Chapter Twenty-six

This serial is presented in draft form and will be updated each Thursday. Your comments are always welcome!

Prologue ~ Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~
Ch 12 ~ Ch 13 ~ Ch 14 ~ Ch 15 ~ Ch 16 ~ Ch 17 ~ Ch 18 ~ Ch 19 ~ Ch 20 ~ Ch 21 ~ Ch 22 ~
Ch 23 ~ Ch 24 ~ Ch 25 ~

Despair.

Hopelessness.

Fear.

Ravi woke from a sound sleep and sat up with a gasp. Nereida!

There was no answer. It was the emotions he was sensing, not actual words. Something was terribly wrong, he could feel it in his gut.

Nereida, what's happened? Please talk to me!

There was no answer, but he could still sense her mental anguish. Ravi didn't hesitate. Throwing back the covers he got out of bed and left his room.

Because of the lateness of the hour the lights in the corridors were dimmed, but it didn't impede him in the least. He could find his way to Nereida's room blindfolded if he had to, despite her insistence that he stay away.

The corridors were deserted - normally only the labs and restricted areas were well guarded, the living quarters had only a cursory guard. Ravi looked around quickly before he paused outside the door and knocked gently.

"Nereida," he whispered. "Are you in there?"

He tried the door and it was unlocked. Easing it open he took a step inside and tried again. "Nereida?"

There was a whimper from the far side of the room. He moved forward in the dark until he hit the bed, then felt gingerly around until he located the lump huddled in the center.

"Nereida, everything will be all right," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I'm here now."

"Kairavini?" Her voice was confused as struggled to wake up.

"You were having a nightmare, a really bad one."

"Ravi? What are you doing here?" Her voice was stronger and she pulled away from him. "You can't be here Ravi, you need to go."

"Not until I know you're all right. Lights at thirty per cent."

"No!" Nereida said at the same time the automatic control turned the lights on low. She tried to hide her face as Ravi gasped.

"Oh, my sister, what has happened to you?"

Although more than a year had passed since they'd undergone their tespiro, Nereida still had not regained all the weight she'd lost.

"I didn't want you to see me like this," she whispered.

He pulled her back into his arms, tears pricking at his eyes as she began to cry. Rocking her back and forth, he stroked her hair at the same time, whispering words of comfort. He flashed back to his tespiro, to the emaciated figure in the second tub.

"It was you, wasn't it? They were going to let you die. But why?"

"My gift is very weak, just like me."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"There was nothing you could have done; I didn't want to upset you."

"We could leave this place. We could--"

"And do what, go where?" She pulled away from him and swiped her arm across her eyes. "Even if we were to venture outside we have no idea what direction the nearest people are, nor how far they would be. We would die out there."

He sighed. "It was just a thought. Perhaps some day . . ."

It was her turn to sigh. "Just leave it, Ravi. You can't change the past, you can only look towards the future."

"All right, if that's what you want," he agreed reluctantly. "Do you want to talk about what got you so upset tonight?"

She shuddered. "It was a dream, unlike any other I've had before. I couldn't seem to wake up and it terrified me."

He took her thin hand in his. "Tell me."

"It seemed so real at the time, like I was living it. But now I can only remember bits and pieces. There was fire, a terrible fire. And explosions, the ground was shaking. I think the volcano was erupting. There was this girl . . . she seemed familiar somehow. And a man who belonged to her. He was standing in flames . . ."

"Do you know how far into the future this could be?"

"I have no idea," she admitted. "It could be days, it could be years. But the one thing I'm certain of, many people are going to die."

Hump Day Hunk and Hussy

Today's theme: Nice tats!

History of Cheese

~ photo by Eva Kröcher

If you've ever read the Little House on the Prairie books you might remember when Ma made cheese. Ever since I first read that, I've always wondered what it would be like and who first came up with the idea. So rather than just dive on in with a different kind of cheese each week, I thought it would be interesting to uncover a little history on cheese.

It's believed that cheese first appeared between 7000 and 6000 B.C., about the same time man first began to domesticate livestock. The legend goes that cheese was discovered by a desert nomad who was carrying milk in a bag made from a sheep's stomach. The lining of an animal's stomach contains the coagulating enzyme rennet, or rennin, which is necessary in the formation of cheese. The rennet in the sheep's stomach combined with the milk and was heated by the desert sun. When the nomad stopped for a rest, he found the milk had separated into solid white lumps and a pale, watery liquid. He drank the whey and tasted the curds and found them both delicious.

Of course there's no evidence to support this legend, and it's unknown exactly where cheese making originated, either in Europe, Central Asia, or the Middle East. The earliest archaeological evidence of cheese making was found in Egyptian tomb murals. The method of transforming milk into cheese was a closely guarded secret and only priests knew how it was done. The earliest cheeses were likely to have been both bitter and salty, similar in texture to a coarse cottage cheese or feta cheese.

To the Romans and the Greeks, cheese was at first considered a luxury food, available only to those who were wealthy enough to afford it. Many of the noble Roman houses had a separate kitchen for the making of cheese, as well as special store rooms where the cheese could mature.

It was determined that the quality of the milk used affected the quality of the cheese being made, and often herds were set to graze in flower-filled meadows to improve the value of the milk. And it was not just cow's milk or goat's milk that was used for cheese, there was also milk from sheep, horses, and donkeys.

Cheese making was considered a fine skill. By experimenting with various treatments and storage conditions, many distinct varieties of cheese were developed. The Romans are credited with inventing the cheese press, in an effort to perfect a way to drain the curds.

By the middle ages, monks became the creators and developers of cheese. They developed many of the cheeses we are familiar with today. They invented the ripening and ageing methods for cheese and were able to produce milder tasting cheeses. Many cheeses became known by the region they were produced in - Munster, Gorgonzola, Limburger . . .

During the Renaissance period, however, the popularity of cheese declined. It was believed to be unhealthy. But by the 19th century it became increasingly popular again when it began to be produced in factories, instead of farms.

Mabble Monday

mabble ~ to wrap up

Still waiting on the cover art for the covers of the OTF project, but for all intents and purposes the project is done. And just so you know that I haven't just been slacking off for the last eight months, I have the pictures to prove it.

I don't know how well you can see this, but this shows that even when printing black and white pictures my printer insisted on adding blue . . . unless I switched from printing in colour to printing in greyscale.

This is a picture of the finished project

The project consists of:
32 interviews between veterans and local high school students
19 hours of recordings (edited down from 26 hours)
877 hours of audio editing/mastering (hubby did this part over 20 months)
224 hours of transcribing interviews
over 190,000 words transcribed; 475 pages split into 3 volumes

This does not include time spent searching for the correct spelling of names of battles, places, military terms, etc. Nor does it include time spent printing, re-printing, and photo editing.

And this is a picture of the amount of shredding I have to do. It was really tempting to do all the shredding myself and then take a picture of all the bags stacked up, however the last time I had a pile of shredding to do (a much smaller pile) it took forever and I burned out one of my shredders (I had two). This time I'm shoving everything into a box and then taking it to my husband's office to add to their pile of shredding. Every once in awhile a truck comes and pretty much shreds everything in a manner of minutes. Apparently it acts something like a wood chipper. :-)

Got my serial posts both written and up on time, as well as my book review and poetry post. Go me! LOL I even updated my Goodreads and my Reading Challenge page. I did not get a Flash Fiction posted, however, nor did I make it to the poetry reading (not feeling well)

Did you participate in the poll I put up Tuesday? Too late, poll is closed now. Blogger wouldn't allow me to add choices to their poll (their maximum was four and I had six) so I had to put two polls into the sidebar. I can't believe it - the cheese won! So this week will be the first installment of cheeses of the world. *shakes head sadly*

My weekend did not go as planned. While I did spend some time outside on Saturday, it was at a great-nephew's first birthday party. Granted he's a cute little gomer, but I find a little bit of kiddie time goes a long way. Then Sunday I was at a bridal shower for my husband's cousin's son's future bride. I'm not even sure why I was invited. It was a very elegant affair though.

Hopefully this will be it for this kind of thing for a while. It's not that I mind doing family stuff so much, it's just that it's always smack dab in the middle of the day. And . . . I spoke too soon. Next weekend is my father-in-law's birthday so I expect there'll be a get-together for that as well. *sigh*

I pulled out one of my almost finished manuscripts between parties on the weekend and got a little bit of work done on it. This week I'd like to get a bunch more work done on it. My work room isn't looking too bad, but my office is in sad shape . . . again. I'm hopeful it won't take too long to whip it into shape again because I think I'll get more accomplished if I work in there than in the easy chair in the living room.

What’s Up This Week: The schedule is up on the side bar, so I’m just giving the highlights here.

Tuesday On Random Thoughts I will be posting my first installment of Cheeses of the World. On Random Writings I will be doing a book review - hopefully of a book I've just finished reading.

Wednesday (on Random Writings) Chapter Sixty-one of Shades of Errol Flynn. I think it's time to check in on Howard and the wizards, don't you? On Random Thoughts there’ll be a hunk and a day hussy for your viewing pleasure. ;-)

Thursday we have Chapter Twenty-six of Water (on Random Thoughts) where I think we'll see how Nereida is doing . . . maybe.

Friday I've run out of poetry from the PAD challenge, so on Random Writings I might have to come up with a fresh poem. I've actually had a couple of flash fiction ideas rattling around in my head, so perhaps I will get one written for Random Thoughts this week.

Water - Chapter Twenty-five

This serial is presented in draft form and will be updated each Thursday. Your comments are always welcome!

Prologue ~ Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~
Ch 12 ~ Ch 13 ~ Ch 14 ~ Ch 15 ~ Ch 16 ~ Ch 17 ~ Ch 18 ~ Ch 19 ~ Ch 20 ~ Ch 21 ~ Ch 22 ~
Ch 23 ~ Ch 24 ~

It felt like the lesson continued for hours, but by the time it was finished, each of the boys, including Ravi, was able to manifest a sphere of water in front of them. The balls ranged in size from the size of an eyeball to the size of a man's head. When their Elemental instructor was satisfied they could call up the balls and hold them for several minutes, he finally allowed them to relax.

The air in the chamber was damp and cooling fast, but the dampness covering the boys as they dropped to the sand was sweat, not water.

"You have done very well for your first lesson," he told them. "You may not believe it now, but it will get easier with time."

"Will it always be so exhausting?" one of the boys asked. He seemed to have trouble catching his breath.

The Elemental frowned. "Think of your gift as you would a muscle. You must exercise your muscles to make them stronger. So it is with your gift. You need to exercise your gift to make it strong. But I want to make something clear." His icy gaze swept along the line of boys sprawled on the ground in front of him. "You are not to attempt to exercise your gifts outside of this chamber."

"But how are we supposed to gain control if we aren't able to practice?"

"You will practice here, under my supervision. One you have gained mastery over your gift, our lessons will be done and you will be true Elementals."

It was on the tip of Ravi's tongue to ask what the point was in learning to master their gifts if they weren't able to use them outside the chamber, but some inner caution stopped him.

The Elemental shut the control device off and again Ravi felt the ghostly fingers, but this time it was a distinctly uncomfortable feeling, like his skin was too tight for the rest of his body.

"On your feet everyone, time to go."

With assorted groans and complaints, the boys climbed to their feet. Ravi wasn't the only one who was soaked to the skin. He shivered in the cool breeze as they trekked back towards the compound, pausing only slightly when they reached the branching of the tunnels.

Some day, he was going to find out what lay at the end of that passage.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Report!" Dr. Arjun snapped.

The Water Elemental standing in front of him was not intimidated in the least. Unlike the other three Elementals in the doctor's office, he was confident his report would be well received.

"By the end of the first class, the boys were each able to manifest their element and sustain it for several seconds."

"All of them?" The doctor leaned forward.

"Yes sir."

"Excellent! Were there any problems with AE-03-85-07?"

Here the Elemental hesitated. "It took many attempts before he was able to sustain the sphere of his element."

"What was the problem?"

"The amount of water he would draw towards himself was too large to be contained."

"Indeed. And did anyone else have this problem?"

"Yes sir. AE 03-91-05 and AE 03-94-05."

"Hmm, all third generational Water. Excellent indeed. It means we are on the right track. With Water at least. You are all dismissed."

He flipped through the written reports the Elementals gave him and frowned. There were more Earth Elementals than any other, but they appeared to be the weakest of the lot. The next weakest were the Fire Elementals, and there were only a few of them. It made no sense.

Accessing the breeding records he began comparing that of Water to the rest of the elements. There had to be something he was missing. Perhaps he should put together a laboratory team to investigate the possibilities of using enhancements on both the breeders and the foetuses. He could experiment on the Earth Elementals, since there were so many of them.

And if that didn't work there was only one thing left to do. They would need a new infusion of DNA in the gene pool.

Hump Day Hunk & Hussy

As promised, starting today I'm featuring a little something for the men as well as the women to enjoy. I can't promise to always have a theme, but the one for today is the great outdoors.

Time For a Poll

As I said yesterday, I'm pretty undecided about what series to try next on this blog. So, I'm putting up a poll to let you help me decide. :-)

In the interest of encouraging you to make an informed decision, I am including a description of each of your choices. The poll will be open for a week and I'll let you know the results on Monday.

Good Fairies/Bad Fairies
This will be loosely based on the book by Brian Froud, which I just happen to have a copy of. While I'll be using the book as a guide, I'll be widening the scope of my research to include other books, articles, etc.

Gods and Goddesses
This might be a tricky one. I'd like to skip over the major gods and goddesses and focus more on the little known deities from a variety of mythologies.

Man, Myth and Magic
This would be a hodge podge of the weird and wonderful.

Mysteries of the Unknown
This would be just what it sounds like. Each week I'd feature a different unsolved mystery. Who knows, maybe it will spark a creative idea.

The Zodiac
Have I really not done this already? How terribly remiss of me! Each week I'll focus on a different sign of the Zodiac. Hey baby, what's your sign? ;-)

Cheeses of the World
So, yeah. This one is my husband's idea and I like to humour him sometimes, so here it is. Each week I'll explore a different kind of cheese - how it's made, what it's used for . . . You'd be surprised how many kinds there are out there.

So there you have it. Like I say, the poll will be open for the week, so don't forget to vote. And as you can see, blogger wouldn't let me have six choices on my poll, so I had to put two polls instead. It ain't pretty, but it works. :-)

Multiplicative Monday

multiplicative ~ indicating repetition or augmentation

I can see the light at the end of the OTF tunnel. What I'm waiting on now is permission from the Canadian Government to use a specific military badge on the cover of the CDs and books. I've been in touch with four different departments so far and the last one sent me a request for more information, but it was late enough in the day (on Friday) and I knew I'd be waiting for the reply. Hopefully I'll hear back today.

Once I get permission for the cover art all that's left is printing the covers for the books and the CDs. And if I don't get permission? There's another version of the crest that I can buy online, but it's not as nice. I'd really rather use the official one though, so cross your fingers for me.

My printer has been suspiciously well behaved. No more smudging on the sides of the pages. Well, unless I have to print with the blue. Although I printed a colour picture today (for my cork board) and it came out beautifully. Perhaps it's only photographs it doesn't like. Unfortunately, towards the end of printing yesterday the ink was kind of fading a bit. I hope that's because I coaxed the poor thing into printing 1,000 pages today and not because I'm running out of black toner. The cartridge is supposed to be good for up to 5,000 pages and I've probably only printed two or three thousand so far.

Despite being immersed in the OTF project last week, I still managed to get my two serial posts written and posted the bonus story (Tuesday) written by my writer's group. I also finished the edits on an awesome novel and got it back to the author.

Here's a question for everyone, do novels you read whilst editing count towards the Goodreads reading challenge? Good question. I guess technically they do, but I'd have to wait until they're available for sale. What do you think?

In case you're interested, the group has started a second progressive story. The numbers were drawn on a night I couldn't be there and I found it a little suspicious that I was chose to go first. However, I got the group back by creating an opening paragraph that had as many fantasy elements as I could manage (and still have it make sense). I won't see the story again until it's done and I can't wait to see where the group takes it. :-)

This week I will finally be starting to emerge from my hermit's cave. Maybe. There's a Scribe's meeting on Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday evening there's a poetry reading. I can't remember the last time I made it to a poetry reading.

So . . . what else will I be up to this week, now that I have all this free time? LOL Well, I'd like to spend a little time outside reading, and I have another book coming to me for edits. This is by a local author and she likes the edits done on hard copy, which means I can use my coloured pens and matching stick notes. And I should probably spend a little time cleaning up my office and work rooms . . . again!

Now that my husband has been dragged kicking and screaming into the computer age (although he still maintains that computers are just a fad), he occasionally checks out my blog. Usually his comments are pretty positive, except when it comes to Wednesdays. He insists that I play fair and start posting eye candy for the gentlemen out there. So, starting this week I will be adding a Hump Day Hussy to the Hump Day Hunk.

What’s Up This Week: The schedule is up on the side bar, so I’m just giving the highlights here.

Tuesday I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do here. At least on Random Thoughts. Maybe I'll put up a poll since apparently people are too shy to comment. ;-) On Random Writings I will probably be doing a book review.

Wednesday (on Random Writings) Chapter Sixty of Shades of Errol Flynn. Jeez, just how long does it take one woman to get ready for a dinner? On Random Thoughts there’ll be a new hunk plus a hump day hussy for your viewing pleasure. ;-)

Thursday we have Chapter Twenty-five of Water (on Random Thoughts) where we see a little more of Ravi's training as an Elemental.

Friday My self-imposed holiday is winding down, so I will most likely be posting some kind of poetry on Random Writings. Whether or not I'm up to posting a flash piece on Random Thoughts is anybody's guess. :-)

Water - Chapter Twenty-four

This serial is presented in draft form and will be updated each Thursday. Your comments are always welcome!

Prologue ~ Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~
Ch 12 ~ Ch 13 ~ Ch 14 ~ Ch 15 ~ Ch 16 ~ Ch 17 ~ Ch 18 ~ Ch 19 ~ Ch 20 ~ Ch 21 ~ Ch 22 ~
Ch 23 ~

The six boys stood in a semi-circle in front of the still pool. Ravi strained to see the other side of the cavern, but the lighting didn't extend back that far. It almost appeared as though the water passed right through the back wall.

"This is a specially shielded cavern -"

"Why?" asked one of the boys.

Ravi couldn't remember his name, but he remembered the boy was from the year group that came after his. Because he'd passed his tespiro early, he was advanced ahead of his year mates. He felt a wave of sympathy; it must be hard to have to leave your year mates behind.

The Elemental appeared to be a little more open to questions than their instructor would have been. "Newly gifted Elementals can be a danger to themselves and others. We shield the areas used for training to prevent any accidents to the rest of the compound. As well, there's the added danger of someone extending their power too far and creating a problem with the volcano we're living under."

The Elemental paced in front of the group. The boy from earlier shifted and looked like he was about to ask another question, but the boy beside him poked him in the side.

"Can anyone tell me what a Water Elemental can do?"

"Put out fires?" the boy at the furthest end of the line suggested.

"That's pretty obvious, but true. What else?"

"Cause it to rain, to irrigate crops?"

"They can also cause it to stop raining by redirecting the storm somewhere else," the Elemental added. "Over the next few weeks you will learn to become one with your element. You will be able to manipulate the water in the pond behind me, and you might even be capable of pulling moisture from the air around us."

The boys looked at each other, whispering.

"Another reason this area is shielded is because in order to learn to control your element, you must be able to reach it. And to do this we need to amplify your gifts with this device." He set what looked like a black metal box with a glass egg on top on the rock beside him.

"When I turn the device on, you will feel a slight change. Don't be alarmed, this is perfectly normal. It's the amplification of your gift."

This was only a partial truth. Instead of amplifying the boys' gifts, the device would actually reduce the effect of the suppressors implanted in their heads, allowing them the full use of their newly awakened gifts.

The Elemental turned the switch and there was a ripple of movement through the line of boys. Ravi shivered as a sensation like phantom fingers brushed over him.

"Search within yourself, feel your element," they were instructed. A ball of water formed in the air in front of him. "This is what we are aiming for today."

Ravi tried to do what he was told but to be honest, he'd never really thought of his element before. What was the point? They were here for the breeding program and when they were gone there would always be other to take their place.

"Think of water, the soft silky feel of it, the coolness. Think of the individual molecules and draw them towards you."

The Elemental's voice was sonorous, mesmerizing. Ravi sank down into his own awareness and tried to do was he was instructed. He could sense . . . something, but every time he got close it shifted away.

He opened his eyes, not realizing he'd shut them, and looked towards the Elemental, intending to ask for assistance. From the looks of it, the other boys weren't having much luck either. Ravi decided to give it another try before giving up.

Again he reached, deep down inside of himself. There was a flicker of awareness. He could sense the body of water in front of him, the water molecules in the air surrounding him. What had the Elemental told them? Reach and pull. He reached, grasping the fat molecules that represented water, and pulled them towards him.

His concentration was broken suddenly as he was dowsed in cold water. The shock and the volume was enough to tumble him to the ground. Chest heaving, he gasped for air. He wasn't the only one. The boy on the end, and the younger one, were also wet, though they were still on their feet.

The Elemental sighed. "Again everyone."

Hump Day Hunk

Hmmm. He looks like he's waiting for someone to wash his back. Any volunteers? ;-)

Tuesday Treat

Progressive Story - Part Two
(for part one and the explanation, go HERE)

I can't let them do this, I thought. This isn't some whacko Stephen King nut-book, this story now being told by me, not one of those movies where pallid teen-agers gaze soulfully into each other's khol-rimmed eyes. Screw these guys.

"You're no more a doctor than my Aunt Freda," I said to the guy in front of me. "And you, moose-breath, take your filthy hands off me." The Doctor recoiled. Smith gasped.

"Now you sit, both of you, and listen and listen good, 'cos I'm only gonna tell yer the once." I'd always wanted to use my John Wayne. Damn, it felt good.

"You gotta be nice 'cos you know damn well you won't get it otherwise. The only smart thing you've done is set this up in a hospital. So give me the money first."

Michael Hanlon

To think that I got into this mess, all supposedly for the betterment of humankind.

My guts were screaming "no" when they inserted the computer chip under my skin. Why didn't I listen?

"Leading-edge technology" they told me. "Help us test it. Be the guinea pig. Think of the ultimate good."

Better than a Medic Alert bracelet, my medical history would be immediately scan-able. It made sense then, especially in my line of work.

But who knew what actually encrypted on the thing? Why did everyone want it? What relevance did it have to the upcoming election? And now, these two men hovering over me, simply expected to carve it out?

What about gloves? What about antiseptic? What about washing their hands, at least? No wonder they thought they needed the restraints. Thank god, we were in a hospital.

I wanted the damn thing out of me, true enough.

Christine Sharp

Suddenly a phone rang. It must have been in someone's pocket, for there was no sign of one in the bare, frightening room. The man in black spoke abruptly into a cell-phone he pulled out of his jacket.

Pretending to massage my aching knee, I listened hard, the phone in his hand only inches from my face. The excited voice at the other end was gabbling, a torrent of words from among which I was sure I heard "police", "abort", and "hurry!"

"That will be all for now, Miss Jones. You are free to go," the man in black almost yelled at me as Mr. Smith hurriedly stuffed his pockets with papers from a drawer he'd unlocked after one long stride to the desk.

"But, but . . ." I stammered.

"We'll call you, Miss Jones. This interview is over."

Who were these people? Doctors? Surely not. The Mafia? Terrorists?

I was petrified.

Margaret Bain

The air seemed to get sucked out of the room as the fleeing men slammed the door shut. Then just as harshly the door slammed open again to reveal a bow legged man dressed all in white. "Yes," my inner John Wayne cried. "The cavalry has arrived."

"We must leave at once," the stranger intoned raising his arm. The room started to spin and everything went a misty gray then nothingness.

I awoke in a dark cave to the smell of fresh chocolate and the warmth of a bon fire.

"Welcome back," the stranger said, handing me a cup of steaming cocoa. "Do you know who you are? Why those men want your chip? Or who you carry in your womb?"

"Wwwww . . .what?" I stammered.

Smiling kindly, the stranger explained my destiny to me and why parting with my chip would cause the world as I knew it to end.

C.L. Hannah

"My child will be . . . ?

"The king, in a new world order. No more elections or wars. One world currency. All swearing allegiance to your child."

"My memories . . . they're gone. I know only what you're telling me."

"That was necessary, along with the chip. There is an active resistance. Your life is in danger, and your child's. You did agree to be inseminated. I promise you that."

"But who is the father?"

"In science, it is neither necessary nor desirable that identities be known, although he certainly knew you."

"What happens now?"

"We hide you. Then we induce labour."

"And my future?"

"At present, you're this world's most wanted person. That chip contains DNA information. Armed with this, the resistance could make legions of identical offspring. You're our best hope for world peace."

"But . . . my future?"

"My dear, this is your finest hour. Be grateful for what you are giving to the world."

Laura MacCourt

"I am still not sure that I want to go through with this."

"Too late now, you choose the right door. Now you must do exactly as I tell you, one little mistake and this world can be blown to smithereens. So pay close attention.

"Go straight home, do not turn any of the lights on except the bathroom. Wrap your two index fingers in cotton wool and then tissues. Take a 45 minute shower, making sure that the hot water runs over the chip implanted in your side. Keep your wrapped fingers on either side of the chip, it will just slide out of you, leaving no scar. Make sure that you hold the chip between your covered fingers. At no time allow your flesh to come into contact with the chip. On the bathroom vanity you will find an open box of M&Ms, place the chip inside with the multi coloured M's, they represent all the colours of the World's Nations. Climb into bed and place the box in the centre of your breasts. Close your eyes and start to meditate, until you fall asleep.

"At daybreak you will wake to find the most beautiful piece of eye candy laying beside you. Look, but don't touch. He will be the most beautiful person any one has ever seen.

"He will have the looks of Clark Gable, the eyes of Paul Newman, the voice of Sean Connery, the build of John Wayne, the hair of Justin Bieber, the personality of Prince William, the heart and soul of Mother Teresa, and best of all the brain of Albert Einstein.

"And as the eyes are the windows to the soul, nothing but love will shine from him. He will rule the world with love and kindness.

"There will be no more fighting, no wars, no anger. And the world's motto will be love one another, and do unto others as you would have them do to you. There will be peace in all the world."

The End.

Ellen Curry

Maquette Monday

maquette ~ small model of something to be made on a larger scale

So . . . just when I thought I could call the OTF project done, I had a couple of days worth of going through the transcripts to decipher some of the less . . . understandable words/passages, but with the help of my son in law and my husband we pretty much figured out what everyone was saying. Then I had to go through and double check everything, which meant listening to the recordings whilst reading the hard copy. Interesting, to be sure, but very time consuming.

This week I have one more batch of read-throughs to do, type out the tables of contents, and then print the hard copies and CD covers. Oh, and cross your fingers for me that I get permission from the Governor General to use the joint operations group badge for the covers. There are sites where I can purchase a reasonable facsimile, but I'd much rather use the real deal. It looks nicer too.

Oh, and my printer? The hubby carried it out to the dining room table last week (it weighs a ton) so I could get at it to clean it. I opened every orifice it had and swabbed, brushed, and polished, then put it back together and he put it back in my office for me to test it out. I no longer have smudging along the left side of my pages. Instead I now have smudging along the right hand side. *sigh* I should have left well enough alone. No one would have seen the smudging on the left because that's the edge that will be bound. If the smudging doesn't go away during the printing process, I'll have to get the books trimmed after they're bound.

Whether you were a Canadian or an American you had a day off last week. I hope everyone made good use of it. Myself, I was under the weather on Monday, so I didn't really get to enjoy the peace and quiet after my company left. I was sick a day and a half this week too, and the heat didn't help at all.

I've been seeing news bits on TV about how the unseasonably warm temperatures have accelerated the crops, and I have to agree with that. My next door neighbour has a bumper crop of green beans which she's very generous about sharing. I love fresh green beans, but we've had them with supper for three nights in a row now.

This week is going to be another short week as far as posts go, I'm afraid. Still too much other stuff on my plate right now. Besides getting the OTF project printed, sealed, and delivered, I have a book I'm editing that I vow to get finished ASAP. It just needs one more read through (because I'm anal about things like that), then it's back to the author. And whether I've got time for it or not I need to weed my gardens - what's the point in planting flowers if they just get choked out by the weeds? There's a few other things I keep forgetting about . . . I really need to make a list.

Oh, one of the things I need to do is make time to read a book that was sent to me for review. It's a non-fiction about crows, which is rather timely because I have a family of crows that comes to visit on a regular basis for peanuts. Actually, one of the blue jays starts caterwauling and when I come out with the peanuts he flies away and the crows swoop in before he comes back. I'm going to go broke feeding all my little forest creatures. :-)

What’s Up This Week: The schedule is up on the side bar, so I’m just giving the highlights here.

Tuesday On Random Thoughts and Random Writings I am taking a break . . . still. Hey, it's summer and I'm entitled! :-P

Wednesday (on Random Writings) Chapter Fifty-nine of Shades of Errol Flynn. Are you beginning to think this is the serial that never ends? Well it is fantasy, and fantasy tends to run longer. On Random Thoughts there’ll be a new hunk for your viewing pleasure. ;-)

Thursday we have Chapter Twenty-four of Water (on Random Thoughts) where we see a little more of Ravi's training as an Elemental.

Friday Sorry folks, I'm still on holidays here as well. I have some ideas for poetry and flash fiction, just no time to write them down.

Water - Chapter Twenty-three

This serial is presented in draft form and will be updated each Thursday. Your comments are always welcome!

Prologue ~ Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~
Ch 12 ~ Ch 13 ~ Ch 14 ~ Ch 15 ~ Ch 16 ~ Ch 17 ~ Ch 18 ~ Ch 19 ~ Ch 20 ~ Ch 21 ~ Ch 22 ~

A few weeks after the disappearance of Yuri and Akash, Ravi's class was separated into the four elements. He looked over at Zephryn who mouthed "what's going on?" to him, but he could only shrug and shake his head in reply.

Nereida? Do you have any idea what's happening? Is your class being divided up too?

Maybe you should try paying more attention in your own class, she told him.

What?

Seriously Ravi, do you really expect me to keep track of what's going on in your classes as well as mine?

But --

It was okay when we were kids, but we're almost adults now and I've got my own stuff to worry about.

But I just --

Figure it out for yourself for a change!

Ravi was stunned and hurt. Ever since passing through their tespiro Nereida had been increasingly short with him, shutting him out more and more from her life. He wished there was some way to see her face to face to talk to her in person, but it was too dangerous for them both. For now all he could do was take her advice and try and focus on what the instructor was telling them.

"Several of you have come to me over the past few weeks with concerns regarding your status as Elementals," the instructor was saying. "As you know, the purpose of the breeding program is to increase the abilities of the Elementals and as such it is to be hoped that each generation is more powerful than the last."

A quick glance at his fellow classmates showed Ravi that he was not the only one who had forgotten that with his transition through tespiro came elemental abilities.

"Some of you have been attempting to use your new powers and there have been several accidents as a result of this. It has been decided that you should all have a basic understanding of your abilities and how to control them."

This was only a partial truth. There had been a glitch in the inhibitor implanted in one of the newly transitioned Earth Elementals, who had a nightmare that resulted in him panicking and causing extensive damage to the walls and floor of his room. Dr. Arjun decided it would be prudent to have the class schooled in the rudimentary use of their abilities to prevent such an accident from happening again.

He had never felt the need to do this before, the inhibitors were more than sufficient to take care of any problems, and the fact that he needed to do so now put him in a good mood. It was just another sign that he was on the right track with his breeding program. Perhaps it was time to start working on a design for a more powerful inhibitor. It would not do for the Elementals under his control to learn their full potential.

The door to the classroom opened and four men entered, dressed in the colours of their Element - blue for Water, green for Earth, red for Fire, and grey for Wind.

"These are your instructors in the use of your Element. Twice a week, for the next several weeks, you will go with them to the specially designated areas for your Element. When you are finished each of your lessons with them, you will return to your quarters to meditate on what you have learned. You may proceed." This last was said to the four Elementals.

"Water Elementals, you're with me," the severe man dressed in blue said. The boys had barely risen to their feet and he was already out the door. "Keep up," he told them.

Ravi and the other five water elementals were led out of the classroom and down one of the long corridors. To his great excitement they were shepherded through the metal door with the electronic lock that barred them from wandering deeper into the mountain. There were lights, every few feet, but they were very dim, throwing just barely enough illumination to keep them from tripping over their own feet. At first the walls were polished smooth, but the deeper into the tunnels they went, the rougher the stone surrounding them became.

"Stay close," the instructor snapped. "If you become lost you could end up wandering around in these caves until you die."

Ravi snorted softly. He never got lost, no matter how many midnight excursions he made. His sense of direction was uncanny.

After passing several dark tunnels and what looked to be store rooms, the new instructor slowed, paying close attention to the left wall of the tunnel. There was a sign etched in the rock beside an opening and the instructor ducked inside without pausing in his stride, Ravi and the other boys close on his heels. It was so dark they had to feel their way. Just before they got to the end the tunnel branched.

"Stay to the right," the instructor ordered.

Ravi had a burning curiosity to know what lay down the left branch, but he suppressed it for now. He was close to figuring out how to by-pass the electronic lock to the main tunnel and once he did he would definitely be back this way.

A few more feet and there was a faint light. The tunnel opened up into a large chamber that looked natural with the rough hewn walls, stalagmites and stalactites. While the boys clustered around the entrance, the instructor flipped on the lights that were attached to the walls, illuminating the large pool of water in the centre.

"For the next few weeks, while you have lessons on the use of your Element, this will be your classroom."

Post Delay

Sorry folks, but due to drought there will be a slight delay in the posting of this week's installment of Water. Never fear, I hope to have it up by noon so please check back later. In the meantime, you can scroll down and have a look at yesterday's hunks again. ;-)

Hump Day Hunk

Here's a little something for all my Yankie friends. Happy Independence Day!

Myrmecophagous Monday

myrmecophagous ~ feeding on ants

I hope all my Canadian friends are having an excellent wrap-up to the holiday weekend. For those of you who are not Canadian - I'm sorry, you have to work today while we get the day off to celebrate Canada day. However, you get Wednesday off and while it's not as good as a long weekend, you gotta admit, having a day off in the middle of the week is pretty awesome too.

Our town celebrates the holiday by holding a three-day festival on the waterfront. I won't bore you with the details, but you can check it out here. My favourite has always been the Fine Art tents, which I managed to visit yesterday afternoon. I had out of town family visit for the weekend, which did not make for a very relaxing weekend, but I get a good chunk of today to relax and trust me, that's what I'll be doing. ;-)

The OTF project is done, except for the printing. I guess I will be stirring my tired butt after all - I still need to clean my printer. Cross your finger for me that cleaning is all it needs to get rid of the dark streaks it leaves along the left hand edge of the pages.

The duplicator we bought online worked good for copying the CDs, but the lightscribe part was a whole different story. It would not do what it was supposed to and neither sweet talking nor threats worked to change its mind. After considerable time spent on the internet researching the problem, I came to the conclusion that pretty much anyone who's ever bought a duplicator with lightscribing capabilities has run into the same problem. A few people have been able to solve the problem, but I, unfortunately, was not. So I had to use my external CD/DVD drive with lightscribe to etch the titles on the CDs one at a time. All 192 of them. *sigh*

As mysteriously as it vanished, the sidebar on Random Writings has reappeared. I still don't know why it was gone in the first place, but it's back and I guess in the end that's all that matters.

For the second week in a row I got all my posts up on time. It made for a couple of late nights, but hey, whatever it takes. Right?

I wasn't on Facebook a lot last week, except for the occasional ninja-like drive bys and Castleville breaks. Kind of a deja vu of the previous week.

This week . . . I'm going to have to make a list of things I want to get done, you know, things I've let slide while I was so focused on the OTF project. One happy side note of all my company over the weekend, I got my office picked up, so I can cross that off my to-do list. And one of the things I came across during the cleaning of said office was the notepad I use for my to do lists. :-)

What’s Up This Week: The schedule is up on the side bar, so I’m just giving the highlights here.

Tuesday On Random Thoughts and Random Writings I am taking a break. Hey, it's summer and I'm entitled! :-P

Wednesday (on Random Writings) Chapter Fifty-eight of Shades of Errol Flynn. So . . . how does Howard really feel about Jessica sharing her secrets with Alexandre? And how will Paran and Thackery feel about it? On Random Thoughts there’ll be a special set of patriot hunks for my Yankie friends. ;-)

Thursday we have Chapter Twenty-three of Water (on Random Thoughts) where life goes on for Ravi.

Friday I'm going to take a holiday here as well. Honestly? I'm not ready to start my Flash fiction yet, and I'm running short on poetry.