I'm So Mad!

Every time I turn around someone is getting mad. Edgar Allan Poe is telling me at least once in each of his tales that someone has gone mad or the character says, that he hasn't gone mad. My son and I are still reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. In the Introduction, it speaks about how all the strange animals in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are mad. They aren't angry mad or crazy mad. But silly mad.

Finally! We have finally reached the chapter, 'A Mad Tea Party.' I have heard so much about 'A Mad Tea Party.' And now, my son and I are headed off to this famous tea party. So this is what I brought along. I made.......

Spinach quiche to bring along to the Mad Tea Party. I've never tried nor made spinach quiche before. I liked it. It was pretty good. Sorry fellow bloggers, you know how I hate writing up recipes. So again, your on your own. But you can find this good recipe in your basic 'Better Homes & Gardens, cookbook. =)

Also, I made some banana nut bread to take along with us to the Mad Tea Party. Again, you can find this delicious recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.

Sorry about the crumbs. I hope Alice doesn't mind that we had our hands in this as well. I wanted to make a Pumpkin Bread as well, (again,I have never tried this or made it before) but I didn't want to be late for the Mad Tea Party. So I wasn't able to make the bread in time.

So we're off to the famous Mad Tea Party.....

So, when we arrived, there was this huge table. There were only three beings. March Hare, Hatter and Dormouse. Alice arrived, just before my son and I did.

March Hare offered Alice some wine, but there wasn't any. Strange wasn't it? The the Hatter insulted Alice by insinuating that she needed a hair cut. The nerve of him! Alice was doing good. She was sticking up for herself. She even told them how rude they were being. You go girl! Then they wanted to tell all of their silly riddles to Alice, in hopes to confuse her even more.....

The Hatter said, "Why, you might just as well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same thing as 'I eat what I see,!"

The March Hare added, "that I like what I get 'is the same thing as 'I get what I like'!"

Dormouse added his two cents in saying, "That I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing as 'I sleep when I breathe'!" Dormouse is so cute. He's always sleeping but he says that he isn't. Strange here in Wonderland.

Then the March Hare was going on and on about his watch until Alice was left completely puzzled. I have to admit, I was left a little puzzled myself. It reminded me of one of those Abbot and Costello comedy clips about who played on first, second and third base. I agree with Alice. Even though March Hare was speaking in English. It still was very difficult to understand. So my son and I just sat there without saying to much at that point. We were just listening in for the most part.

March Hare told Alice to have more tea. But Alice replied that she wasn't offered any so therefore she couldn't take more. Then March Hare said, "You mean you can't take less, it's very easy to take more than nothing." See the craziness in this? March Hare was being such a smart aleck!

Then March Hare and Hatter woke up Dormouse and told him to tell Alice a story. Alice just simply asked why the children lived in the well and Dormouse grew upset. Alice said that she would not interrupt again. So the story continued but, Alice couldn't help herself. I don't blame her. I wanted to know to...."But they were in the well," Alice stated.

Dormouse answered, "Of course they were. Well in." You see what crazy answers Dormouse gives? So confusing. Who could possible follow such a funny tale.

At this point Alice says that she is much confused. Then the Hatter tells her that she shouldn't talk then. Can you believe this guy! The nerve of him. Well Alice just had about enough of their rudeness. And I can't say that I blame her. Poor Alice. She got up and walked away in complete disgust. She looked back once or twice. She was hoping they would call for her but they didn't. When Alice looked back, March Hare and Hatter were dunking Dormouse into the teapot.

Probably from stopping him from falling asleep all the time. So my son and I got up and ran after Alice. "Alice wait up! We're coming with you!" Alice had told my son and I that this tea party was the stupidest tea party that she had ever gone to in her whole life! As we walked, there was a peculiar door on a tree. We went inside which led us down a long hallway. Alice had seen the glass table with the key on it. This time she nibbled on the mushroom that she had gotten previously and shrunk to be a foot tall. Can you believe it?! Then she said she was finally small enough to go through the little door that led into the garden. We told her to tell us what it was like beyond the small door. We heard her say that the flowerbeds were really bright and that there were cool fountains, before the door closed.

So my son and I have since returned from the Mad Tea Party that we had gone to over the weekend. It was complete madness. Mad I tell you! Mad!

Before my blog gets to mad, I'm signing off.......from Peek-A-Boo Street!

That Poe Guy Is So Strange...

That's Edgar Allan Poe of whom I'm talking about.
Sorry I've been absent for three weeks. But I think you've got a sense of what I've been doing.
Reading, reading and more reading. I can't get my nose out of these classic stories.
I finally got me a nice reading chair for my office. I like to call it my parlour now because it turned out so nice and cozy. I'm surrounded by all my favorite things. I'm constantly in this room.......reading. I have a stack of books to finish through. My husband complains that I'm always reading and that he never sees me. Oh he'll be fine. He's got his football now so I don't feel so bad. :) If he wants to spend his time rooting for the loser Lions...well that his prerogative. I need to catch up on my reading. It's just a nice little room. I like to just close the door, and shut the world out, and read to my little hearts content.
I have been getting into some of the classic stories and classic authors. I decided that I needed to broaden my horizons and my brain with some good old fashion literature. And I'm so surprised that I'm really loving it and enjoying it. I just love how one book, leads you to another book.
Stemming from the book I'm still reading, 'The Treasures of America's Short Stories,' has the short story 'Ligeia' by the author...Edgar Allan Poe. I liked it. It peeked my curiosity.
When I was up at Barnes and Noble, I found this book for only $9.99.


Edgar Allan Poe's poems and tales. Well I surely picked it up. Someone had told me to read the 'Raven' poem. Well I did. It was strange. I'm 40 years old and have never read that poem. It's his most popular poem.




Then someone else said that I just had to read 'The Tell-Tale Heart.' I read it and it was indeed, very strange. Kind of a sick story actually. Then I came across another tale, 'The Black Cat.' Man was that a sick tale as well. I thought oh my, this Poe guy sure is strange.
Then I heard someone else say that he wrote 'The Pit and the Pendulum." I looked it up in my book and sure enough it had it in there. So I read that as well. I really liked that one. That to was sick and strange.
I haven't read to much about Edgar Allan Poe as of yet but I did read somewhere that he was an alcoholic. Maybe mister Poe, should have laid off the sauce a little bit. Some of his tales are very sick and strange. But he peeked my curiosity and I'm continuing reading his crazy tales.
I'm getting ready to read, 'Hop-Frog.'
My son has to read every night for about 15 minutes for school as part of his homework. He's in third grade. So we have been reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. And I really like that one. It's pretty good. I'm 40 years old and have never read that story. After Alice, my son and I are going to read Huckleberry Finn. I can't wait for that one. Again I've never read that story either.
After I finish reading this guy's Poe's tales, I want to read 'Little Woman.' Again, a classic that I have never read.
So that is what I've been up to these past few weeks. I've had my nose in a bunch of books. In between these readings, I have been reading other books that I am trying to finish in between the classic stories.
I've also just begun a subscription to National Geographics.
Boy I hope I can keep up with all of this reading. I know what I'm going to be doing a lot of this autumn. Speaking of autumn, tomorrow's the first day of autumn.
I can't believe that another summer has past. Our leaves have been falling for weeks now. We are losing then early this year probably because of the cool summer we had. But the colors are really vivid this year on the falling leaves.
I'll be stopping by all of your blogs to see what you've all been up to!
I'm signing off.........from Peek-A-Boo Street!

Country Tea in Sleepy Hollow

~Fain would I pause to dwell upon the world of charms that burst upon the enraptured gaze of my hero, as he entered the state parlour of Van Tassel's mansion. Not those of the bevy of buxom lasses, with their luxurious display of red and white: but the ample charms of a genuine Dutch country tea table, in the sumptuous time of autumn. Such heaped up platters of cakes of various and almost indescribable kinds, known only to experienced Dutch housewives. There was the doughty dough nut, the tenderer oly koek, and the crisp and crumbling cruller; sweet cakes and short cakes, ginger cakes and honey cakes, and the whole family of cakes. And then there were apple pies and peach pies and pumpkin pies; besides slices of ham and smoked beef; and moreover delectable dishes of preserved plums, and peaches, and pears, and quinces; not to mention broiled shad roasted chickens; together with bowls of milk and cream, all mingled higgledy-piggledy, pretty much as I have enumerated them, with the motherly tea pot sending up its clouds of vapour from the midst-Heaven bless the mark! I want breath and time to discuss this banquet as it deserves, and am too eager to get on with my story. Happily, Ichabod Crane was not in so great a hurry as his historian, but did ample justice to every dainty.

-Excerpt from 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.' Written by Washington Irving in 1820.

Can't you just picture that tea table with all of that food on it?

I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow out of the book, 'American Short Stories,' I bought at a thrifty shop last week. It's a thick book filled with short stories and I'm glad I purchased it because I have been really enjoying the wild short tales in it. It cost me only $2.99.

So I did a little research on the tale of 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.'

By golly, did you know that there is such a city called, Sleepy Hollow, New York? I did not know that.

Also, the Old Dutch Church that is mentioned in the tale is a real church!

Again, I did not know this.

I watched The Legend of Sleepy Hollow movie in 1999. You might remember it. Johnny Depp starred in it.

Although I would like to watch it again now that I've read the story. All though it was said in the reviews that the movie was much different then the short story tale. In the movie, Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) was a detective trying to find out who was doing all of the killings in Sleepy Hollow. Where the book, Inchabod was trying to win over the farmer's daughter, Katrina Van Tassel's love. He was competing with another gentleman, Brom Bones. The story was set in 1790 in the Dutch settlement in Terry Town, New York. And Sleepy Hollow is inside that city.

After I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, of course I wanted to read reviews about the story from other readers. Again, I looked up some reviews on the Internet. I wanted to see if the comparison of what I read and what another reader might had picked up on the tale that I did not. And sure enough, Ichabod was a teacher in the short story. I thought he was a student. Don't no where I came up with that. =) But none the less, I'm glad I read it. I liked how it did have a little bit of some true history. Well maybe not the headless horseman or if you'd like to believe otherwise. =) It wasn't to scary of a tale. Just make sure when you snuggle up onto the chair tonight with your tea, and your little dog next to you....you might want to leave some extra lights on. Oh make sure all the doors are locked. Oh, and all of your curtains are closed. I think you get my drift. Oh and don't forget, you must grab a quilt to. =) And enjoy.... 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.'

I'm signing off...........from Peek-A-Boo Street!

Miserere Psalm

So I'm continually going on with the book I'm reading, The Charms of Tea. When once again, something caught my attention.



There was a little quote inside by Sir Kenelm Digby from 'The Closet Opened. Who or what is that, I have no idea. Here is his quote about tea....

"The hot water is to remain upon the tea no longer than whiles you can say the Miserere Psalm very leisurely."

Well of course I was wondering what the Miserere Psalm is and I did happen to find it on the world wide web. Here is how it goes.

Psalm 51-The Miserere:Prayer of Repentance (kind of long, sorry)

Have mercy on me, God inour goodness
in your abundant compassion
blot out my offense.
Wash away all my quilt;
from my sin cleanse me.

For I know my offense;
my sin is always before me.
Against you alone have I sinned;
I have done such evil in your sight
That you are just in your sentence,
blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty,
a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
Still, you insist on sincerity of heart;
in my inmost being teach me wisdom.

Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure;
wash me, make me whiter than snow.
Let me hear sounds of joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins;
blot out all my guilt.

A clean heart create for me, God;
renew in me a steadfast spirit.
Do not drive me from your presence,
nor take from me your holy spirit.
Restore my joy in your salvation;
sustain in me a willing spirit.

I will teach the wicked your ways,
that sinners may return to you.
Rescue me from death, God, my saving God,
that my tongue may praise your healing power.
Lord, open my lips;
my mouth will proclaim your praise.
For you do not desire sacrifice;
a burnt offering you would not accept.
My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit;
God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.

Psalm 51:3-19

Apparently it's used in the Catholic church and I didn't even know that.
A famous story about this song is that Mozart at the age of 14 heard this song once and then went back to his room to write it down. He then went back to hear it again two days after to fix only a couple of errors! You got to love Mozart! And I do love Mozart.
Now the next time we are brewing our tea, we can all recite this psalm leisurely, and then our tea will be done! Oh and Maybe put on a little Mozart.
I'm signing off.......from Peek-A-Boo Street!

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens has peeked my curiosity. A few weeks ago, I watched a 1938 movie by Charles Dickens......The Christmas Carol. I think that this is the best movie I've ever seen! I absolutely loved it and I will continue to watch it with my other favorite movies at Christmas time. I couldn't find a movie clip to add to my post, sorry. I really wanted one for that movie.
I've started reading a tea book, The Charms of Tea. Don't you just love that tea pot on the cover of this book?




Oh but anyway, inside this book it had a quote from Charles Dickens or it mentioned him or something. So I looked him up on the computer and sure enough, he lived in the Victorian Era. Also was the time that he wrote many of his books. The Christmas Carol he was not a book he was intending to write by the way. That was a book to help him and his wife out financially. They had 10 children!
While looking up Charles Dickens on the world wide web, I also connected up with Queen Victoria.
Also there is another book written by Claire Tomalin called The Invisible Woman. This was supposedly Charlie Dickens mistress on the side whom they secretly lived together during the last 13 years of his life. That part made my cringe a little, being I'm married. Sorry Mr. Charlie but that part doesn't fly well with me but none the less, the story sounds juicy and scandalous. Has anyone read that story by the way?
Also while doing some research on the world wide web, I confirmed that the Christmas Carol took place in Victorian London, in year was 1801. The Spirit of Christmas Present said that it had 1800 brother's because he lives for only one year. I thought that was an interesting tid bit.
Here is the original preface of the book.



Charles Dickens was working in some shoe factory where the middle class weren't being payed very well and his mother told him that he had to keep working there when the family inherited money. Charles Dickens father was able to get out of prison with the money that the family inherited. John Dickens went to prison for reasons of debt. But Charles Dickens held resentment to his mother for a life time. Here is a quote I seen by Charles Dickens.
" I had no advice, no counsel, no encouragement, no consolation, no assistance, no support, of any kind, from anyone, that I can call to mind, as I hope to go to heaven."
Charles Dickens...you gotta love him.....unless I come to find out he's a devil worshiper or something, lol.
I'm signing off.....from Peek-A-Boo Street!