Hi and welcome to Episode Six of Forecast Stormy. I have lots of things in store for you this podcast and I’m starting it off with this joke:
Three men die in a car accident on Christmas Eve. They all find themselves at the pearly gates waiting to enter Heaven. On entering they must present something relating to or associated with Christmas.
The first man searches his pocket and finds some Mistletoe, so he is allowed in.
The second man presents a cracker—not the kind you eat, the kind you pull apart--, so he is also allowed in.
The third man pulls out a pair of stockings.
Confused at this last gesture, St. Peter asks, "How do these represent Christmas?"
Answer... "They're Carol's."
Okay, okay, on to movies:
Since the holidays are coming up, I thought I’d discuss the two most recent family movies we’ve seen: CHICKEN LITTLE and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
CHICKEN LITTLE is a cute, funny film. Our children loved it. It isn’t on the level of FINDING NEMO, but it has its moments. One tip of the hat to adults is the Pig who enjoys musicals and disco.
We rented CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, watched it twice that day and then went out and bought it. Neither my husband nor I thought we would like it, but we did. Johnny Depp is excellent, of course; and though I know it’s been debated time and again, I feel this version is better than the original. It’s much funnier. I laughed out loud when Willie Wonka told the children everything in the meadow was edible and then went on to say, “Even me, good children, though that is called cannibalism and is frowned upon in most societies.” It’s quirky and fun and tries to teach your children not to be selfish and to be thankful for what they have. And if they aren’t living in a two-room tilted house with both sets of grandparents in a bed in the living room, then they’re probably better off than Charlie.
I began reading the book WICKED by Gregory Maguire thinking it, too, might be funny –perhaps a WIZARD OF OZ parody. The subtitle of the book is “THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST.” Instead of a parody or an amusing prequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ, this book is more of a social and political commentary. The book is weird, with disturbing passages that could have been left out without changing the tone of the book, but I found myself compelled to finish it. I have to say this book makes you think about perspective. In the book, Elphaba, the Wicked Witch (who never studied sorcery nor ever intended to be a witch at all) was always an outcast and an oddity because of her green skin. Glinda, the Good Witch, however, was a lovely young woman who was vapid and cared only about her looks, fashion and her place in society. Again, the book makes you think about the narrator’s viewpoint in the stories you read or hear. This certainly is a new take on the themes of THE WIZARD OF OZ. I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel to WICKED, but I’m glad I read this one. It certainly gives you food for thought.
Elphaba in WICKED is a strong character…as is Marissa Scott in THE SCENT OF MURDER, by Jeffrey Marks. In THE SCENT OF MURDER, Marissa finds her ex-husband’s fiancée murdered in her office. Since Marissa is the police department’s number one suspect, she needs to solve the murder before she becomes the next victim. Here is an abbreviated excerpt:
“There’s been a murder in the store.”
Marissa waited for Ellen to continue, but the security person stayed mum, lips pressed together in a pale pink line and her hand resting on her pudgy hips. “So you think I killed someone? You brought me back here to check my alibi? I admit I have a temper at times, but I don’t kill people, Ellen. You know me. I thought we were friends.” Marissa’s voice rose slightly and Bonnie, one of the new clerks, turned to look at the pair. The clerk shrugged and went back to stocking a display.
“I do trust you. It’s just that the circumstances were such that I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be implicated. Bandarra let me call you to the store, instead of the police dragging you out of the seminar. I said it would be bad press for the store. Plus I thought I’d get a chance to warn you to be on your best behavior. This is serious.”
“Who am I supposed to have murdered?”
“Tiffany Wong.”
Marissa shook her head, the black strands swishing slightly past her green eyes as she did. “I don’t know her.”
“Dan’s Tiffany.”
“Let the police ask my ex about his mistress…the woman he said he wanted to marry. Maybe he killed her, but I didn’t. I don’t want any part of this. I had nothing to do with it.”
“You don’t have a choice. Tiffany was stabbed to death at your desk.”
You can learn more about this cozy mystery set in Ohio at Grace Abraham Publishing’s site: www.graceabraham.com.
Speaking of Grace Abraham Publishing, they’re offering the first Forecast Stormy listener to respond to this offer a copy of THE SCENT OF MURDER. In addition, FIVE Forecast Stormy listeners to respond to this offer will receive free leather-bound 2006 pocket planner. Just e-mail me a snail mail address at [email protected] with GIVEAWAY in the subject line.
One more thing: if you forget about the office party or a gift for Uncle John up until the night before, here’s a quick treat you can make. Take one can of sweetened condensed milk and pour it into a saucepan. Add a 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir over medium heat until the chips are melted. Remove the saucepan from the stove eye and stir in a 12 oz. bag of peanut butter (or mint or white chocolate) chips. Stir just until blended – you don’t want these chips to melt – and pour the mixture into a foil-lined 9 x 9 inch pan. Put the pan into the refrigerator for at least an hour. After the candy has set, turn it out onto a glass cutting board and peel the foil from the back. Cut the candy with a pizza cutter and voila! You have a potluck dessert or the sweet gift of homemade candy.
I plan on getting one more podcast in before the holidays. In case I don’t, I hope all of you have a wonderful, blessed holiday season!
As always, if you have any ideas for me, or any movies, books or TV shows to recommend, please e-mail me at [email protected].
