SCARIER THAN GHOSTS

A perfect night for Netflix and a pizza delivery, read the post on Facebook.  --  For me, that would be a movie from Redbox and a frozen pizza. I'm not complaining, I can transform a frozen pizza into an epicurean delicacy! My fridge and pantry are filled with delicious ingredients and I am far more generous with toppings than pizza parlors.

And this is October, Halloween month! Even though I no longer dress up or hand out candy I still celebrate with indoor decorations. Also I put black sheets on my bed and am now using my black china set along with my pumpkin-shaped teapot. Plus I can wear my October shoes, the high-heeled, black lace-up ones with the high purple fins in the back that I purchased from the Pyramid Collection.

Scary movies during Halloween week are the perfect combo! And I have plenty from which to choose! Except I'm never really frightened by them. But I came across one DVD last May which actually did and just from the title alone!

In a Thrift Store I found it, package intact, unopened titled: September's Fury 2004 Hurricane Documentary. That year was one for the history books. Florida was hit by 4 hurricanes!!! Here on the Treasure Coast we were hit by 2: Frances & Jeanne 3 weeks apart to the day.

My friend Margaret who lived in the center of the state was hit by all 4! Unlike here, Margaret's electricity never went out once!

"You missed out," she told me, "because you couldn't watch the storm or the aftermath on TV."

I replied that all I had to do was look out my window or drive around to see the damage left behind!

The memory remains vivid and horrifying to me because I know it could have been far worse, especially with Cat 4 & 5 storms becoming the new normal.

I debated with myself whether or not to purchase that DVD, hurricane season would be starting in just days. I decided to buy it, but vowed not to watch it until December after the end of the season.

October also marks the anniversary of 2 major deaths in my life. My father passed Oct 16, 2001 and my mother Oct. 17, 1987. Both died of colon cancer that spread into the liver. And I've had visits from both afterward along with others. If you're familiar with my blog you know this and also that I had a strained relationship with my parents. Death hasn't changed that.

In all honestly, I haven't seen them, but they let me know they were around. Here is just one example: I was preparing dinner and placed a cookie bar on a plate. I walked away and when I turned, the cookie bar was standing on its end. As I stepped toward it, it dropped back onto the plate.

I told myself, "No, I didn't really see that!" Yet I did! Then I tried to position the cookie bar as I'd seen it, but found that impossible. And I've been physically touched a number of times. I can give you plenty of other examples of strange occurrences as well.  

My friend Margaret once told me that her parents, both university graduates and devout Christians used to entertain guests by placing their fingers on tables and making the tables dance. She said one woman fled in horror accusing them of consorting with spirits.

Over the years, a number spirits (not just my parents) have tried to consort with me. I assure you that I am no more psychic than the average person. However, other average people have confided to me of paranormal experiences after I'd shared mine. Others swore they'd never tell anyone for fear of the reaction. I can well understand that!

Someone told me that single people in particular are targets of ghosts. I replied that people alone are targets period! Plenty of the live ones target us too!  With the latter, you must always keep your guard up. As for ghosts, treat them as you would a bully. Stand your ground and you take away more of their power each time.

Unfortunately with hurricanes your fate is determined by the whim of the wind. You have little control beyond boarding up or fleeing. Hurricanes as with many other forces of nature possess a catastrophic power, one that could take you life or destroy it forever, a distinct possibility and one that's chillingly terrifying!!!

AND THE BEET GOES ON

October 1978 I was riding in the back seat of the car. I was 27 years old and we were passing thru Georgia on our way north to see the leaves change color. Just weeks before I had returned from an amazing 3 week grand tour of Europe and was in high spirits.

In the middle of busy traffic I happened to gaze to my left, beside me was a truck filled with cattle going to market. All were crammed tighter together than a bag of grapes. Many of them were making eye contact with me.

Not long before, I learned of the typical slaughter house practices: a nail gun to the head or the sledge hammer between the eyes. I felt sick. It was that moment I decided I wasn't going to be any part of this. I gave up eating all mammals for good!

Yes, I still eat seafood & chicken because I am not a fish or a fowl! But I am a mammal! And my diet these days is mostly vegetarian.

In some countries, dogs and cats are commonly eaten. I see little if any difference between eating one of those than any other mammal. These are all thinking, feeling creatures with emotions similar to ours.

When veggie burgers came out a few decades back, I was thrilled although I'll admit they needed lots of condiments and doctoring to taste good. Thankfully, nowadays they are much improved!

My last dog used to go crazy whenever I ate a Boca Burger. To shut her up, I always ended up nuking one for her, too. Ditto for veggie frankfurters! She would have never believed that she wasn't eating meat!

A previous dog we'd raised from a puppy loved a product made of soy that looked like chunks of red meat. This was his favorite food! Dad used to laugh that he'd cut a piece of steak or a pork chop for him and the dog would stand there and sniff it for 10 minutes as if he was trying to poison him. And then do a dance of joy when I brought out the bag of soy cuts. He'd quickly gobble those down.

In my family, dogs & cats were never denied anything from our table. I've known people who do and it's cruel! Animals enjoy variety just as we do.

I was eager to try Burger King's Impossible Burger. It tasted just OK to me. I'd order it again if I happened to be at a Burger King, but I wouldn't drive out of my way for one, again.

Recently, I purchased Maika Beet Burgers. Now I hate beets, but we taste with our eyes and I loved the burgundy color. Besides, I thought it would contain other ingredients to mask that awful beet taste. I was wrong! However I hate to waste food so I just add lots of condiments & cheese to make it palatable.

A friend raved about Beyond Burgers! But they're a little too much like the real thing for my taste. For one thing, they're greasy! And another, one burger is 250 calories with 160 from fat! Eeeewww! I felt as if I was eating glorified junk food.

My favorite is Field Roast Burgers! They are delicious and made from barley, carrots, & celery. They're moist and tasty without being greasy. Also you get 4 rather than 2, plus they don't come packaged in that space-hogging, planet-killing plastic container that Beyond Burgers do.

I would still buy the Beyond Burger if I happened to come upon a great coupon. However I'd be sure to eat a healthy salad with it! And that unnecessary and needlessly wide plastic container will go straight into my recycling bin!

ANOTHER BRIDGE IS GOING UP

My third, to be exact! The good news is that I don't need a dental implant, but I still require a tooth extraction and bone graft.

The specialist gave me a different diagnosis than the dental clinic. In fact, it was one that gave me chills! He said that due to trauma in that area, my mouth no longer recognized the tooth as part of my body and was eating it!

HORRORS!!! That sounds like a cheesy science fiction movie, something with a stupid title such as The Face From Outer Space That Feeds On Flesh & Bone.

I recall my shock a few years back when I overheard a hygienist telling the dentist that I had a "Torn Eye" in my mouth! -- That's a slang term for an abnormality of the inner lower gum line.

As to any severe trauma in that area, the only one I recall is an injury I experienced as a 3 year old. As a result, my bite doesn't line up properly. This has been the cause of many problems with my teeth. More than one dentist has asked who punched me in the mouth as a child. Actually, what happened was that I fell off a rocking chair!

Of course I was standing backwards on the armrests rocking wildly; yahoooo!  Rid'em cowboy! And the chair tumbled backwards and I landed on my chin unconscious. My parents rushed me to the doctor! Stitches were taken and I still have the scar under my chin to this day.

However the D.M.D. said the trauma had to be more recent. The only recent one was to my foot and I didn't land on my face when I fell. Also my jaw was hurting before that!

Perhaps I was teleported aboard a UFO for one of those notorious medical exams and an alien punched me in the jaw to stop me from screaming! Afterward, my memory was erased. Those space aliens can do that, you know!

Or I could have fallen into a portal to another dimension and had to fight off a scaly, horned beast! The experience was probably so traumatic that my mind blocked it! Gadzooks! Anything is possible!

Hmmn, I do recall something that happened late last spring. I was eating mushrooms I'd sautéed in garlic butter over veggie pasta when suddenly it felt as if I'd bitten into a stone. My entire lower right jaw began to ache! However I had washed and scrubbed those mushrooms with my bare hands and not one felt petrified. Also the pasta was soft! I doubt this was the cause of the problem, just the effect.

Well I am certainly no stranger to dental surgery. I've had work done galore, far more than bridges! Whenever anyone complements my smile, I always say it should be nothing less than gorgeous for what I paid!

I recovered well from the majority of previous work with little distress. The most excruciating pain that I've ever experienced was in 1979 when my wisdom teeth were removed. I was in dire agony for a month afterward. I'm allergic to codeine (learned that the hard way) and aspirin didn't do a damn thing! One tooth was impacted (never broken the surface) and the roots of another were wrapped around my jaw bone.

The maxillofacial surgeon actually told me that my mouth had given him nightmares. Knowing what I do now, I'd say he had good reason. Since his fingers weren't part of my body he's darn lucky my mouth didn't start eating them!