Good Photo Fun for When You're Feeling Bad

Oh my goodness! It's been forever since I've posted on this here blog. That's a bad thing but not as bad as the shingles which had me down for the count for more than two months with horrible pain, terrible itching, and extreme fatigue. Yikes! Thankfully, it's just about resolved and spring is finally here!

Besides sleeping and watching bad daytime TV, I kept myself busy wasted time during my home confinement by surfing the net on my iPad (love that good thing!) Yep, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and more right at my fingertips!

What kind of entertaining things did I find out there on the World Wide Web? Photos of course! Lots and lots of photos - some good, some bad, and some ugly. Some funny, serious, or stupid. Many photos made me shake my head in disbelief, while others made me smile for a moment when I really didn't feel like it.

Since smiling is supposed to be good for you, I encourage you to check out these three types of photos if you need a little bit of "cheerapy." Yes, I just made that word up. If you disagree with my choices, no worries. There's something for everyone out there.

 2. Animals and pets: While I'm not that fond of cats, I do enjoy cute pictures of pups. I also enjoy photos and captions from Casey's Safe Haven, a rescue shelter where my friend Barb volunteers to help horses, ponies, and dogs. Another fun Facebook page to check out is The Daily Puppy, shared by my friend Ronda.

3. Food glorious food: Need I say more? I'm guilty of posting foodie photos myself like this huge breakfast I enjoyed for my birthday a couple years back. Yum!

1. Babies and kids: I'm not just talking about photos of my cute kids or those of friends and family, but adorable snapshots of children from all over the world. Precious!

* Bonus good thing: If you like to people watch but you're like me and sometimes need to do so from the comfort of your couch, check out
Humans of New York., it's a creative site with awesome photography and interesting people. HONY is on Facebook too!

Good Things Readers: Do you have fun, family-friendly photos you would like to share? Let us know in the comments section and will be in touch with the details. Thanks!

Good Ol' Childhood Games

"With a dirty, dirty dish rag on your toe . . ." Sometimes random thoughts pop into my head. This ending to the IT-identifying chant came to me as I washed the dinner dishes a few weeks back. It's one of those childhood sayings that sticks with you for a gazillion years just like, "I'm rubber and you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me, and sticks to you" or "Not IT!" Of course in my mind, one random thought leads to another, and before ya know it, a Good Things post is born.

Well, it sort of works that way. In this case, I needed a little help from my friends, and Brian's friends too. With the magic of social networking, I recruited contributors to tell me one good outdoor game from their childhood. The graphic above is the product of their responses. Some games are familiar like Dodgeball or Hopscotch, others are not so well known like Dr. Tangle or Hunt for the Ol' Gray Woolie?!?

In this tech age, kids are most likely to be attached to something digital or electronic, rather than gathering up the neighborhood gang for a friendly game of Kick the Can, which by the way was the game mentioned more than any other in my unscientific poll. Wacky!

What was so good about these outdoor games from our childhoods? I'll tell right now:

3. Little or no special (expensive) equipment needed: A ball, a can, a flashlight, a stone and some chalk, a doorbell . . .

2. Mom or dad did not have to drive any kids here or there to take part: Go outside. Find some friends in your neighborhood on foot or by bike. Round them up in a backyard, an empty lot or field, or in the alley if you had one. Play a game or two, or more. There ya have it - no seatbelt required.

1. These games were actually fun despite the potential risk for injury. (I'm not a big fan of Dodgeball for that very reason) Good times were had by all, OK, maybe not by the kid who always was IT, but heck yeah, simple summertime fun!

Unplugged.

Kudos to the following folks who shared their favorite childhood games with me, not in any particular order: Kevin, Deneen, Kristen, Jeff, Kelly, Joe, Beth, Donna, Joan, Narda, Marianne, Donna, Kim, Daphne, Greg, Ruth, Connie, and Dana. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now get out there, grab some friends, and go play!

Celebrating Seuss

Today would have been Dr. Seuss' 108th birthday. Born, Theodor Seuss Geisel, he also wrote under the name Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone. Regardless of the name, we miss one of our beloved children's authors, who passed away in September, 1991.

Dr. Seuss authored 46 children's books and there wasn't a dud among them. His simple wisdom rings true today with moments like:

Be who you are and say what you think because those that care don't matter and those that matter don't care. ~ Dr. Seuss

The good Dr. didn't actually coin that phrase, but he did improve on it. It originally appeared when a society columnist asked the financier and statesman, Bernard Baruch (1870-1965), how he arranged seats for the notables attending his dinner parties, Mr. Baruch replied, "I don't bother about who sits where. Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter."

Seuss made that sound less-cranky, and less aloof. He made things accessible to people and that may be part of why his works are classics.

In his quirky, sing-song way, Seuss offered up not only Green Eggs and Ham, but a plateful of life lessons as well. Here are three good servings of Seuss' sayings from our table to yours:

2. Be Yourself

3. Follow Your Dreams

1. Care enough to promote change



Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

So, all you Lerkim and Snuvs, you Nerds and you Zax with your kwiggers and wisper-ma-phones, gather up your bar-ba-loots, your wumbus, your thnadners and hump-humf-a-dumpfers, put on your midwinter jickers or floob-boober-ba-boober-bubs and have a sensational Seuss-tacular celebration!


With joy,
Thing 1 and Thing 2
You can decide which thing is who . . .

If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good ~ Dr. Seuss

Poppity Pop Pop Pop - Can't Stop!

Raise your hand if you adore Bubble Wrap.

It's irresistible, isn't it?

That is why this fun-filled, cushioned packing material has it's own holiday - today!

Yes, It's National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. Woo Hoo!

Bubble Wrap (which is a brand name by the way, like Kleenex is to tissue, Coke is to cola) was invented more than 50 years ago by Al Fielding, an American engineer, and Marc Chavannes, a Swiss inventor, who set out to create a textured wallpaper of some sort, but ended up with a very popular packaging material instead. Go figure.

The only bad thing I can come up with about Bubble Wrap is that if we happen to have some in the house from a package or what not, there needs to be enough so each child gets their fair share. If you have children, you know what I'm talking about.

Bubble Wrap is just plain fun!
That's a good thing, and so are these three things, too.

2. It is useful. Stating the obvious. If you are packing and shipping something fragile, it's a must-have. It also can be used to insulate windows during the cold winter months. Hmmm, perhaps we should try that?

3. It sparks creativity. You can get your craft on with Bubble Wrap. You can paint with it or on it, you can create weird and wacky costumes or clothing, or you can whip up some fanciful decorations.

1. It is a stress reliever. A recent survey revealed that just over one minute of popping Bubble Wrap provides stress relief equivalent to a 33 minute massage. Wow, that's interesting. Perhaps I should have T pick me up a giant roll to keep on hand at all times. Or I can just try this little box.

If you're looking for some Bubble Wrap time-wasting fun, click POP! You can thank me later.

Happy Popping!

Going to the show with Sue and Brian

It's Friday Dec. 9!

16 more days 'til Christmas. There's still time for shopping, wrapping, baking, caroling, eating cookies, sipping eggnog, ho ho ho-ing, mistletoe-ing and more!

Amidst all the holiday hoopla, it's nice to sit back, relax, and take time out to watch a good Christmas movie. Most likely, you have your favorites, so do we here at the 2-3-1 blog.

Let's begin . . .

Suzi Snowflake

2. A classic classic - Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, the 1938 black and white version presented by Family Classics with Frazier Thomas on WGN/TV-Chicago back in the day when me and Brian were just tiny tots with our hearts all aglow. My favorite scene is when Bob Cratchet hits Scrooge with a snowball knocking off his hat!

3. A magical journey - The Polar Express, the 2004 motion-capture, computer-animated film based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg. An enchanting story capturing the spirit of Christmas, and the notion that you're never too old to believe. My favorite scene - Hot Chocolate!

1. A delightful comedy - A Christmas Story starring the bespeckled Peter Billingsley as nine-year old Ralphie whose ultimate Christmas wish is to receive a Red Ryder BB gun. Too many funny scenes to list. If you haven't seen this 1983 film, you've truly missed one of the greatest holiday movies of all time. Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra!





Merry and Bright Brian

Sue called *dibs* on my favorite version of "A Christmas Carol" above, but that doesn't mean I don't have some good stuff too!

2) Scrooge - it's the 1970 musical version of "A Christmas Carol" with Albert Finney, who won a Golden Globe for his performance. The film earned 4 Oscar nominations and a slough of others, but only one win. The music by Leslie Bricusse, known for music in over 100 movies and television shows from the 1950s to present day - from Goldfinger to Glee, is infectious! I defy you to get "Thank You Very Much" out of your head once you've heard it.

3) Elf - I just love that movie. Sure, it's newer (2003) than our others here, but it's become part of Christmas for me. Will Ferrell is simply amazing as the wide-eyed innocent Buddy the Elf (what's your favorite color?). His performance makes the movie. The rest of the cast, including James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Asner and Bob Newhart ain't too shabby either.

1) Quick list of "I'll bet you didn't think of these as Christmas movies"
Sure - anyone can like the Christmas movies with a clear message - but what about the ones that slip under the Christmas radar?
The Godfather - Key plot line develops when "The Don" is the victim of an assassination attempt at Christmas. Meanwhile, the adopted son, Tom Hagen, is held captive in a trailer at a Christmas Tree lot while the family gathers to war.
Citizen Kane - Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance. (Spoiler Alert) Hint - there's a Christmas present involved...
Die Hard - New York City Detective John McClane has just arrived in Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his wife. Unfortunately, it's not going to be a Merry Christmas for everyone. Plus, you get Alan Rickman as The Grinch! "Die Hard so perfectly represents the Christmas spirit, it makes It's a Wonderful Life look like a brutal Nativity-themed snuff film by comparison." (5 Reasons Die Hard Is The Best Christmas Movie Ever Made - Don't follow this link - not for the faint of heart)




AND not to mention... The Shop Around the Corner, Anne of Green Gables, The Thin Man, Rocky, and Twelve Monkeys!

Okay... despite what Brian likes to call Christmas movies, what's on your must-see Christmas movie list? Do share your thumbs-up choices with us, and your popcorn, too!

The Cure for the Summertime Blues

Are you ready folks? It's that time again, Friday's good things list of lists day!

With the kids already headed back to school, and the stores stocking up on Halloween candy and what-not, summer is sadly drawing to a close. Now, I know you purists out there will say summer's not over to the official start of fall on September such and such, but let's face it - It's over!

So today our list of lists features S U M M E R! Let's begin . . .

Good songs with the word "summer" in them:

Sue

1. Summer Nights (Grease)
2. Hot Fun in the Summertime (Sly and the Family Stone)
3. The Boys of Summer (Don Henley)

Brian

2) Summertime (DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince)
3) Summer of Love (John Mellencamp)
1) Summer Wind (Frank Sinatra)









Good foods to eat in the summer which may not be as tasty at other times of the year:

Sue

1. Seedless watermelon
2. Fresh sweet corn
3. Lemon Italian ice


Brian

2) Peaches
3) Fudge sicles
1) Bratwurst

Good activities to do in the summer, but not during other seasons especially where we live:

Sue

1. Visiting the beach
2. Catching fireflies, then letting them go
3. Roasting marshmallows to make S'Mores

Brian

2) Swimming/water parks
3) Softball
1) Street Fairs

Show us some summer lovin' and share your good thoughts about summer. Come on, we know you can do it!

Good Weekend Happenings

Company is coming!

It was a busy, but fun, summer weekend at the Borowiak household this past week in preparation for a visit from an out of town guest. Not just any guest, but resident good guy and funny man, Brian Atkinson. Yes, THE Brian Atkinson who took some time out of his "Eating My Way Across the USA" road trip to stop in our neck of the woods to meet the fam!

*This pic of us cracks me up. Oh, Brian, you're so . . . goofy!

Mr. A not only brought a big smile and lots of laughs, he brought ingredients for his famous guacamole recipe! Yippee! Guac is one of my most all-time favorite things to eat so when I heard he had a famous recipe, I made him make it! And just like a Food Network star he whipped up a batch in my humble kitchen just for me! For the record, I did share.

Besides tasty guacamole and chips, the weekend was filled with many other good eats, drinks, and entertainment.

1. More good eats: Because Brian likes to eat, and so do we, after snacks and sangria at the homestead, we all piled into the Subaru to treat Brian to some delicious homemade enchiladas at a nearby church festival followed by fab frozen custard for dessert. We also gave him an "exciting" tour of where we live as in there's some corn on your left, soybeans on your right.

2. Can you canoe? T's been thinking about buying a canoe, so for a trial run, we headed out to Starved Rock State Park so he and the kids could take a paddle down the Illinois River. While they rolled down the river, I relaxed on the shore listening to tunes on my iPod. After their canoe trip, we went up to lodge to have a cool drink on the patio. I had a Blue Moon - a refreshing drink for a summer's afternoon

3. Tim-isms. T always keeps me and the kids laughing. Here are a few silly quotes from him from Sunday's trip to Starved Rock.

While he's acting goofy on the lodge patio:
Me: I wish I had a video of this. T: You just need to keep a camera on me at all times. Me: I don't have enough batteries for that!

After making a pit stop on the way home. A neon sign at the BP station/Jimmy Johns advertises "Free Smells." T goes in to use the facilities. Me: Did you get a free smell? T: Holy Crap! I thought an outhouse smelled bad!

One of his many thoughts on canoeing with the kids: "You don't realize how small their butts are until you see them sitting on that big canoe seat!" As he is speaking, he's making hand gestures to illustrate his point. Too funny!



Ah, summer weekends . . . good friends, food, and fun!

Bubbles!

You just can't go wrong with bubbles. Well . . . you can if you blow a ginormous bubble and it pops all over your face and hair, but other than that, bubbles are a good thing!

1. Bubbles are cleansing. You can get many things squeaky clean with bubbles: your body, a baby, the dishes, some laundry, the bathtub, a car, your hair, a dog, dirty hands. You get the idea.

2. Bubbles are relaxing. I like to take a nice, relaxing bubbly-bubble bath. It washes all your cares away, and makes you and the bathroom smell pretty, too.

3. Bubbles are entertaining. For young and old alike. You can blow them, chase them, pop them. Make your own, or buy them at the dollar store. You can give them out as favors at weddings and birthday parties. You can visit a children's museum where there always seems to be a hands-on display of giant bubbles that can envelop a small child or two. Of course, there is the ultimate in bubble fun - bubble wrap!

On the 4th of July, T entertained the kids a bit by blowing bubbles. Funny, even as they grow older, they still enjoy catching and popping them. Note: If you don't wish to hear our banter about our neighbor across the street blowing off cool fireworky things, then hit your mute button.