Review This Reviews!

Saturday, September 3, 2016

A Bacon Review

December 30 is designated as Bacon Day and the Saturday before Labor Day is known as "International Bacon Day!" There are various sources for who decided that bacon needed to be recognized with its own special day.

Residents in Bradford, MA claim to have created this day in 2000. A group of Boulder, Colorado graduate students also claim to have created this special day, in 2004.

Whatever the true source, it's definitely a day to enjoy this tasty treat in your favorite way (breakfast bacon & eggs, a BLT for lunch, or dinner of a bacon cheeseburger or a bacon wrapped steak or scallops).

Today's Motto: Everything tastes better with bacon.

What is Bacon and Why is it so Popular?

Bacon is a pork product that over the years has become one of our most favorite of foods. I'm not sure why this is, but 'Bacon Mania' has certainly taken over in recent years and has spread to more than just a tasty breakfast item eaten plain.

Bacon dishes have evolved into some crazy creations, such as 'chicken-fried bacon' and chocolate-covered bacon. In a recent survey, 65% of Americans would support bacon as their "national food"!

Bacon Themes

Bacon is the Duct Tape of the Kitchen Tee Shirt

Funny Gift for Men who love BaconUnicorn Tees on Etsy

Bacon themes can now be found on games and clothing, bandaids and duct tape and more. There is even a 'Bacon-opoly' Monopoly Game!

Bacon Terms in Other Countries

While we in America call it a bacon slice, several other countries have their own terms.

Canada: Strip
Germany: Speck
United Kingdom and Ireland: Rasher

Cooking with Bacon

Image Source: Pixabay

My daughter cooks her bacon in the oven. She lays the bacon slices on a cookie sheet and bakes at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. This gives her the really crispy bacon she loves, without having to 'watch & turn' the bacon as when it is cooked in a frying pan on the stove.
In our family, we have a 'family joke' about my hubby Bob cooking the bacon. He preferred to cook it in a frying pan, BUT each bacon strip had to lay perfectly FLAT to turn out cooked the way he preferred - nice and evenly cooked all over. Of course bacon likes to 'curl' as it cooks, so this involved lots of turning and flattening each piece using two forks to 'hold' the ends down so they would end up cooking flat. His method also involved a LOT of 'swearing', so the family joke, which my (grown-up) kids like to say today, is that you cannot cook bacon without swearing at it!
It's recommended by cooking shows and website articles to always start cooking your bacon in a cold pan. Lay the bacon strips out in the pan, then turn on the burner to a low to medium temperature. Cook slowly to desired crispness, cook in batches, and drain each batch on a paper towel or brown paper bag. You can also cook bacon in the oven, as my daughter does, or in the microwave (good if only a few slices are needed for a single sandwich or to crumble for bacon bits for a salad). Line a microwave-safe dish with 4 layers of paper towels, arrange the bacon in a single layer, and cover with 2 more layers of paper towels. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute per slice of bacon and check for doneness. If not done to your preference, microwave in additional 30 second bursts.

Bacon Cookbook

And, finally, every bacon lover needs a Bacon Cookbook for times when just a few strips of bacon with eggs isn't enough for our bacon cravings.

From old favorites to inventive new recipes, the 101 Things To Do With Bacon cookbook will give you plenty of tasty bacon dishes to try.

Bring home the bacon with these delicious recipes from appetizers to salads to dinners.... and even desserts!

Happy Bacon Day and "International Bacon Day"!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Friday, September 2, 2016

The Painted Veil Reviewed - A Poignant & Tragic Love Story

The Painted Veil id an excellent movie that caught me off-guard. It is so much more than a romance!

The Painted Veil is an excellent movie that actually caught me quite off-guard. From the cover and brief description, I expected a romance, but found an example of real love. This is definitely a drama movie that will pull at your heartstrings.

Edward Norton plays the part of the devoted husband who falls in love with Kitty, played by Naomi Watts. Both actors are exceptional in this film. As a matter of fact, I might not ever be able to watch Edward Norton in another part without assigning the attributes of Dr. Walter Fane to him in every role.

I should warn you, this is not a movie that I would have expected to like and review. It deals with betrayal, anger, revenge, selfishness and a lot of really ugly human traits. Unfortunately, it is very realistic. Since I have been known many times to say "I prefer movies for entertainment, not reality", it surprised even me that I would highly recommend this particular movie.

The Plot of The Painted Veil

Synopsis Written by Sylvestermouse

The Painted VeilIt was love at first sight for Dr. Walter Fane when he first saw Kitty Garstin descending the stairs at a party hosted by her parents in London. She barely noticed him and even though she danced with him, he was nothing special to her. She even commented that she didn't really like him when asked.

Kitty is an arrogant, spoiled, self-centered young woman who isn't the least bit concerned about getting married. Her mother, on the other hand, constantly derides her for not being married. It is on one such occasion that Dr. Fane shows up at their door. Kitty marries Dr. Fane to get away from her mother. Such a shame! Dr. Fane deserved someone who loved him and was completely devoted to him. He deserved so much better, so much more. And Kitty? Well, she didn't deserve the man she married, his kindness or his love.

Dr. Fane is a scientist instead of a clinical doctor. He specializes in the study of bacteria and bacterial diseases. Kitty is more than happy to accompany him to China for his work, completely away from her mother's criticism. However, once there, she is immediately attracted to another man. Without one thought of Walter or her marriage, she dives right into an affair. She considers herself to be completely in love with Charles Townsend. When confronted by Walter with a divorce proposal, she naively believes Charles will leave his wife to marry her. Nothing could be further from the truth.

After Charles' rejection, Kitty agrees to accompany Walter to a small town with a cholera epidemic. Since the year is 1925, America and China also have a very strained relationship. However, because of his devotion to a cure and his dedication to the people, he becomes a well respected American in the mist of an enemy.

Throughout the movie, you find many, many reasons to admire and respect Dr. Fane. Even though he feels the complete betrayal of his wife, is hurt and even lashes out in anger at times, he manages to separate his personal life from his work to put a stop to the cholera epidemic that is killing so many people. He still loves his wife, but he recognizes who she really is instead of viewing her the way he wanted her to be.

There is a great irony to this movie, but I won't spoil that for you. Suffice it to say, the movie did not end as you would hope or even as you expect. However, it is a most excellent portrayal of one man who stands heads above the rest. One man who deserves so much more than this life gives him and one man who continues to fight for what is right instead of failing to achieve his destiny even when faced with the greatest of challenges and betrayals.

The Painted Veil is Available in Books, DVD and Amazon Video

The Painted Veil - The Book by W. Somerset Maugham The Painted Veil on DVD or Blu-ray The Painted Veil (2007) on Amazon Video

My Conclusion

I suppose there are times in life that we don't get what we deserve. Sometimes, that is a real blessing. But, there are other times that it is a real shame. This movie depicts a character for each of these circumstances. The unworthy Kitty was greatly blessed while the man who deserved a reward, a blessing, was denied even the very basic need we all possess. To know he was loved.

It is for that reason that one might read this review and wonder why I would recommend the movie. There are lots of reasons I would recommend it, but each reason would be different for each person. I would have to hope that the movie would make everyone stop and think about the consequences of their own actions. I would hope that it would make them more grateful for their blessings, especially the ones they do not deserve. The movie also shows us that everything you think you want, may truly not be what would be best for you.

Quite honestly, I think everyone should watch this movie and take a moment to seriously consider yourself and your own life. Perhaps, you will find that you deserve better yourself as you watch Dr. Fane's struggle. Or, you may find you have more to be grateful for than you realized. Whichever place you find yourself, I hope this movie will touch your heart as it touched mine.

The Painted Veil Movie Review Written by:

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Thursday, September 1, 2016

Home Remedy for Wart Removal

Reviewing How to Remove Warts With Duct Tape

One of the most frustrating of all skin conditions is the common wart. Though many of us were raised to believe warts are caused by handling frogs or toads, the truth is that warts are caused by viruses that get into the skin. They're especially common in children, though they can occur at any age.

Warts commonly occur on the fingers or on elbows and knees. Warts on the bottom of the foot are called plantar warts and can be painful when walking.

Common warts are harmless, but they can be very annoying and unsightly. Wart removal can be an uncomfortable process consisting of burning, freezing, use of acid, or cutting and paring.

Instead of paying for these painful and sometimes expensive treatments, try this home remedy for wart removal using something you probably already have in your home, duct tape. While not guaranteed, this method is easy, painless, and often suggested by medical doctors.

Worth a try? Having suffered from warts as a child, I'd say definitely so.

Here's what you'll need:

A roll of duct (or duck) tape
Scissors
An emery board or pumice stone

Here's how to do it:

Cut a piece of duct tape just larger than the wart. Apply the tape to the wart. Wait six days. If the tape comes off during the six days, replace it with another piece.
After six days, remove the duct tape. Use an emery board to gently and painlessly smooth down the spot.
Repeat the process with another piece of duct tape for another six days. Often, when it comes time to remove the tape the second time, the wart will come off with the tape. If not, repeat again. Note that plantar warts can be deep and often take longer to remove, but be patient and watch for progress.

Tips:

You can buy duct tape at the local discount or hardware store.
For reluctant kids, use colorful duct tape cut in fun shapes to cover the wart.

Caveat:

I am not a doctor and this home remedy recommendation is not to be taken as medical advice. There is, however, plenty of anecdotal evidence that the duct tape method does work to remove common warts and I learned this from a medical doctor.
The duct tape method is for use with warts, not moles or skin tags. See a physician for an expert opinion on the status of moles and for simple removal of most skin tags.
If after a reasonable period of time the wart remains or is painful or bleeds, seek a medical opinion.

How do you feel about home remedies for common problems such as warts? Think this method will work?

If you'd like to read more about natural home remedies, you might want to start with this bestseller, The People's Pharmacy Quick and Handy Home Remedies: Q&A's For Your Common Ailments. If you can remove warts with duct tape, just think of all the other natural possibilities out there!

More Related Reading:

~Susan

Read more of my reviews.

Frog photo from Wikimedia Commons

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Review This! Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat

I don't know whether to say Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary, because each one of them would be correct. Curious George is still looking really good and he's only 75 years old!

Curious George books have been making children happy for a long time. They have been favorites of children since 1941. Margret and Hans Augusto Rey were the author and illustrator of the books. They fled France, on home made bicycles, carrying the manuscripts for the first Curious George book with them. In those times, only H.A. Rey was credited with the work on Curious George because there were already a large number of children's books written by female authors. Even then, marketing was everything and giving the credit to Hans, seemed to give Curious George more "attention". As he (Curious George) became well known in the literature world of children, credit was given back to Margret and Hans was cast as the illustrator.

The Original Curious George

Curious George Around Town (6 Volume Set)

The Complete Adventures of Curious George: 70th Anniversary Edition

The original book started with George's capture in Africa by the man with the Yellow Hat. He takes George on a voyage to the 'Big City" where he will live in the zoo.

Much to George's dismay, zoo life was not for him and he escapes. But George and the Man in the Yellow Hat (who never has a name) are reunited and thus begins all of George's adventures.

In 1947 George gets a job. In 1952 he learns to ride a bike, in 1957 he get a medal and so his adventures are all about things that would interest and garner the attention of post war children. Three more books would follow, George Flies a Kite (1958) Curious George Learns the Alphabet (1963) and Curious George goes to the Hospital (1966). The years were full of changes and prosperity and relative peacefulness. So the world as a whole was much more relaxed. Stories of George and his antics were welcomed stories, read to children everywhere.

George and his "man in the yellow hat" are really almost like a father and son. The man, as he is referred to in many of the tales, takes George into situations where he will learn something new. While the original Curious George was only made into 7 different stories, the publishing company adapted several of the Telefilm series into books edited by Margret Rey. Most of these are out of print, but had been re-released with some new cover art. (For you collectors, keep your eyes open for these 1984-1993.)

A third series called the New Adventures of Curious George appeared in 1998, and still continues to the present day. New illustrators continue the art work in the same vein as was started by Hans Rey. Children all over the world still seem to love Curious George.

Since his original release, Curious George stories have been made into two movie shorts. He has been featured at water-parks, a Christmas film, and video games. In 2010 Curious George was still being used for a live-action/computer-animated series. Public Broadcasting Systems loves Curious George and you can still see him on their PBS channels. To this day, there is still one toy store that carries everything "Curious George" and that is in Cambridge Mass. If you get a chance, go for a visit, I'm sure that some childhood memories will be rekindled.

The Only Curious George Store , Cambridge Mass.

Photo credit: http://www.massvacation.com/

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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Soft Foods: Sweet Potatoes Reviewed

When Cooked Sweet Potatoes Are A Great Option For Soft Foods

Image by Llez

Continuing in my series of soft foods for those who are going through the process of getting dentures, today we review the options of the wonderfully nutritious sweet potato.

I have a couple of ways that I serve the tuber root that is naturally sweet in my home. I will share both ways with you in this article. One is extremely simple while the other takes a little preparation; both are really good!

Before we get to a couple of ways to enjoy the sweet potato, I thought you might be interested in the nutritional values of the sweet potato. It is a good source of simple starches, complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, vitamin A, several of the B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin E. It contains the minerals of calcium, iron, potassium and a few others. Did you know that a sweet potato has more potassium than a banana?

OK, so one of the simplest ways to serve sweet potatoes to your family is to use a can of the item shown below.

Bruce's Candied Yams

I know the can says "yams" but they actually use sweet potatoes. Many people interchange the words yams and sweet potato incorrectly. They are not really the same thing but that is another topic for another day.

I will tell you these canned sweet potatoes are seasoned so deliciously that all I do is just heat them up. The syrup has cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar...no need for anything else! They are really tasty just as they are.

The darker the color of the pulp of the sweet potato ... the more beta-carotene (vitamin A) it has.

The Sweet Potato Recipe That My Daughters Love The Most

I've been fixing this Sweet Potato Casserole for about 36 years and my daughters just absolutely love it. I didn't make it for Thanksgiving one year and I was just about disowned by my oldest daughter. She now makes it for her family, too.

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz) cans of sweet potatoes

1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits, (undrained)

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Butter

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the sweet potatoes and discard the liquid. Drain the pineapple tidbits, saving the juice from the can.

Melt the 4 tbsp of butter.

In a medium sized bowl mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add the melted butter and brown sugar. Stir until it is combined well.

Stir in the pineapple juice until you have the desired consistency. Fold in the pineapple tidbits and the marshmallows.

Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and spoon in the potato mixture.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

You might not think that pineapple would be good with sweet potatoes but you would be incorrect. This is really a delicious addition to the typical sweet potatoes that have the melted marshmallows we are accustomed to. The pineapple adds a bit of tartness that works well with the sweetness from the brown sugar and marshmallows.

Whether you need soft foods in your diet or not, sweet potatoes are an excellent choice to include with your meals. In fact, the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) rated the sweet potato the most nutritious vegetable of all to eat.

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Monday, August 29, 2016

Brooklyn Movie Review

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a beautiful romantic period drama set in the early 1950's. We watch as Eilis, a very young Irish woman, prepares to leave her country and her family in order to build a life in America. We are present as she struggles with the trip, the transition, and finally with the definitions of home and family. Brooklyn is a movie that I will need to purchase as I find myself wanting to watch it again and again.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn was released in theaters in the US on January 26, 2015 and released on DVD in 2016. The movie was directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby. The movie was based on the book Brooklyn written by Colm Toibin.

In the movie, we watch as Eilis learns that she is being sponsored by a Irish priest in America. On her first trip over, she is fortunate that her roommate is a more seasoned traveler and a more out-spoken woman who is not at all afraid to advocate for herself and Eilis. She gives Eilis helpful information about traveling by ship, how to combat horrible sea-sickness, and how to handle herself upon arrival at Ellis Island.

Although a very quiet and gentle movie, there is enough tension to keep me glued to the screen. Eilis arrives at the boarding house and we meet the characters there. She obtains work at a department store, and we watch as she transitions from her job in a very small shop in Ireland to a huge department store in the US. We watch as she meets Tony, a handsome and hardworking young man, and meets his Italian family. During all of this, Eilis is balancing severe homesickness with feelings of success in America.

Eilis is suddenly called back to Ireland. While there, we get glimpses of the conflict between her feelings of home and the familiar with feelings of doing well in America. She loves both Tony and yet has met a man in Ireland who quickly develops feelings for her. She has a secret, and as her mean-spirited boss in Ireland threatens her with this secret, Eilis has a decision to make.

Will she make the decision that you want her to make?

What Others Are Saying About Brooklyn

The film and/or the cast has been nominated for, or has won, more awards than I care to list here. A few of those awards and nominations are from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and many more.

On Amazon, there are currently 2,119 reviews that result in 4.5 out of 5 stars. And on IMDb, over 75,000 reviews result in a rating of 7.5 out of 10 stars.

There are some folks who refer to this movie as a "chick flick", not their cup of tea, and as a film with under-developed characters. I have to say that I agree with those opinions to a certain extent. Yes, it is a young woman's love story. A coming of age tale of a woman. It is also a movie, which is relatively short in length compared to books, and it is difficult to "know" the characters in a deeper sense with such a large cast. I would have liked to know more about the other gals at the boarding house. And I would have liked more reasons to dislike the difficult boss in Ireland. The glimpse into Tony's family was the briefest peek, leaving me wanting more. But these things did not distract from the movie for me. I still enjoyed the movie very much. So much so that I plan on reading the book.

Brooklyn - A New York Time Bestseller

Many, many reviews commented on the excellent production design. From the streets and stores, to the automobiles, the dresses, and newly redesigned women's bathing costumes... we are whisked fully into the 1950's. And oh, that polka dot dress! I thought of the stories of my grandmother taking on boarders. And remembered photos of my mother in her dresses in those old black and white photos. Right down to the shoes - Brooklyn seems to have gotten the details right.

I don't know why I did not take note when this movie was in the theaters. Although, I often wait for movies to be released on DVD before I see them. I randomly chose to watch this movie and I'm so glad that I did.

Official Movie Trailer

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Sunday, August 28, 2016

Before You Decorate, Learn the Top Color Choices for Fall 2016

Top 10 Fall/Winter 2016 Pantone Colors
in Headband Hair Ties

It seems ridiculous to decorate for a trend or season doesn't it? Not necessarily.

It can be done without spending a fortune in time or money. As an example, here's how to temporarily make a bedroom change for Halloween.

To be all-up-in-what's-current in your decor with Pantone's fall and winter colors, add pieces that include some of their ten choices into various accessories.

That way you're not doing a complete overhaul but can still show your friends and guests what the current seasonal colors are ... and for Fall 2016, they're calm, appealing, and gorgeous!

A REVIEW of PANTONE'S TOP COLOR CHOICES for FALL 2016

You can see the specific color choices here on Pantone's website.

They're beautifully presented and you'll get a real sense of their true color tones. The headband hair ties featured here are the colors listed below, however they're not in order.

When you visit the Pantone website or watch the video featured below you'll see exactly the color name as it relates to the actual color.

1. Riverside Blue
2. Airy Blue
3. Sharkskin (grey family)
4. Aurora Red
5. Warm Taupe
6. Dusty Cedar
7. Lush Meadow
8. Spicy Mustard
9. Potters Clay
10. Bodacious

The Zeitgeist and Color

Upon reviewing Pantone's top color choices for fall 2016, their main theme of consistency, confidence and strength certainly fits the emotional and even uncertain times we currently find ourselves living in.

The emotions exuded by Pantone's color choices reflect the times, however they do so in a way that encourages a sense of calm in a world where division and hardening of positions have taken root. The certainty of Riverside Blue is meant as an example of something you can count on.

Of course that's not by coincidence, as Pantone connects it's color selections to the Zeitgeist, which in simple english means it reflects the mood, emotions and beliefs of society for the current time.

Pantone's Color of the Year for 2016

Pantone announces a color of the year every year and puts out the top 10 color choices for both spring and fall. This year was the first time two colors were selected as color of the year; Rose Quartz and Serenity. Of course, the need for calm and steadiness in a divided world is reflected in this choice.

Seven Ways You Can Incorporate any of the Above 10 Fall Colors for 2106 into Your Current Decor:

1. Use slip covers over pillows
2. Add a throw blanket to a room
3. Have your child/children create a piece of art with any one or all of the ten colors then frame and feature it
4. Create a fall center-piece using the lovely fall shades of spicy mustard, aurora red, lush meadow, and warm taupe
5. Put lush green plants throughout your home or add several to one room
6. Incorporate Aurora Red and Lush Green into your holiday home decor
7. Set your Thanksgiving Table with each of these colors in mind; glasses, mugs, plates, napkins, the tablecloth and center-piece

Of course you'll find most of these colors reflected in fashion, however, they also extend to our working and living environments. After all, color selection is based upon society's current 'mood' and that mood makes itself visible in every aspect of our life, from where we live, to where we work, to what we wear.

Here's a video that shows you the fall color choices reflected in clothing. Go ahead and use these as your guideline should you decide on home decor accessories in these shades:

Color is a very personal choice, and in the end, our room and our clothes have to reflect who we are inside. With the mood of society ever changing the one constant we can confidently call upon are the things and colors that make us happy.

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Saturday, August 27, 2016

How to Remove Blemishes From Photos Using Photoshop

How to restore old family photos using photoshop

©Louanne Cox

Let's review how easy it is to use Photoshop to remove blemishes from photos, trust me it's really simple and well worth the time spent to restore old family photos.

As one of the genealogists in our family I have been given a number of photographs over the years that have been in shocking condition from one that was ripped in half to countless that have age spots and blemishes on them and then there's the creased photos! The positives is that today's photographs will all be preserved in a digital format so that future generations can see what their ancestors looked like.

I digress, this is supposed to be about removing blemishes (by which I mean the age spots that older photographs sometimes get, NOT grandma's birthmark or grandpa's big ears!) with Photoshop.

To begin I'm going to show you two versions of a photograph of my great grandmother -

How to remove blemishes from old photos using photoshop

The original photograph was on a piece of card with the photographers name on it - this had actually been cut or broken off so you couldn't easily read it. The first thing I did after I had scanned the photo was to crop it so that we were left with just the photo and no evidence of the 'card'.

Using the picture above you can see the Image drop down menu button is circled with the number 1 next to it. If you click on here it will show you the option to crop your photograph, if you want to.

The number 2 circle is around the Enhance drop down menu and I went to this and clicked on the auto smart fix button. Now why did I do this? A number of older photos that I have which are in the sepia tones tend to be really light when I scan them in and the auto smart fix just seems to darken them slightly without over correcting. If you don't like the result just click the undo button and miss out this step.

On the left hand side of the image you'll see the number 3 circle that is around an icon that looks like a band aid, this is the spot healing tool aka our best friend!

Now if you're into 'airbrushing' your photos this is the button that can get rid of wrinkles etc, but for our purposes we're just using it on age spots, spillages and creases that were on the photograph.

Once you've clicked on the icon and you move your mouse back to the picture you'll see a circle appear. Move the circle around a 'spot' and click it, the 'spot' will disappear just like magic.

Restoring old family photographs with photoshop - a how to guide

When you've clicked on the 'band aid' you'll find that a sub menu appears at the top - see the red circle in the above picture. This is where you can adjust the size of the circle that appears.

So now you know how to remove blemishes in Photoshop, let me give you a few more tips that I've found helpful.

Zoom in on the photo - just use Ctrl + to make the photograph a few sizes bigger and then remove the blemishes. It can make it easier to see them, especially creases in photographs which can really show up once you get rid of the brown age spots.

When working on the face make the circle as small as you can so that it just covers the blemish you want to remove. I had a photograph of my grandmother as a teenager and something that looked like coffee had been dripped onto it at some stage of it's life (before it came into my possession). One of the splashes was over her eye and when I clicked on it her face just looked strange - I have no other words! I zoomed in on her face, made the circle smaller than the stain and clicked on it from the outside of the stain in - that worked out really well and it's one of my favorite photos now.

Don't work on too many photos in one sitting. When you're zooming in and doing a good job you don't realize what a strain on your eyes it is. If you sit there and do half a dozen photographs once you walk away from the computer you'll realize that your eyes have been strained and they can really ache, so can your head! It is quite addictive though, just make sure you only do a few photos at a time.

Now that I've shown you how easy it is, you might just be thinking - I need Photoshop! Trust me you'll use it for far more than removing blemishes from old photographs, so I've added the link to purchase it just below.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021
I have Photoshop Elements, although not the 2021 version yet, I hope to get it upgraded for Christmas this year.

Having Photoshop is fun and addictive as there's so many different effects you can create with your images. I do have to share a funny story about my daughter a few years ago. It wasn't long after I first got Photoshop and she was looking at some photos I'd taken of her and didn't like any of them because she had a pimple and she was showing too much gum in some of them ........ personally I thought they looked great, but I'm just mum!

Anyway I asked her if she'd like me to Photoshop them, her eyes opened wide and she said, "can you do that mum?", I replied of course I can or words to that effect and she left me alone to work on it. She wasn't impressed with my results - I gave her elf ears and a wavy nose - her dad thought it was hilarious, but my pre-teen (at the time) did not appreciate my idea of photoshopping! I'm not suggesting other parents do this, but it was funny and even she tells the story of mum photoshopping her nowadays.

I hope that I've helped you to remove blemishes from your old photographs as they are precious. Looking at photos is a great way of triggering memories, I love pulling out our photo albums with my mum and reminiscing. It's funny how everyone remembers things differently and you can go off on a number of different tangents just from a single photo.

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Friday, August 26, 2016

Windigo Fire Book Review

Murder. Mayhem. Fire. When I proposed Windigo Fire by M.H. Callway to my book club a year ago, they were instantly taken by the action-packed storyline, which goes as follows:

Native Canadian Danny Bluestone, takes a job for some easy money at a kid's retreat in Red Dog Lake in Northern Ontario. A local offers him the chance to be a scout for wealthy tourists and hunters. Danny realizes that this business is a cover-up for a grow-op but he takes the job anyway and it turns out that he has been recruited for a bear hunt that is illegal. However, he awakens and finds all of the tourists except one dead. The two survivors have to join together to escape even though the other might be the murderer. He uses his shaman knowledge to survive in the bush and from the Windigo, an evil spirit.

Little did I know that when I read this book I would be vacationing on a remote and isolated lake in Northern Ontario not far from Timmins where this story is set. I was lucky though that I did not experience any murder, mayhem or fire. I did, however, encounter the beautiful wilderness outdoors that is part of Canada's north. There were other cottages on the lake but we could not see a single one of them from my sister's cottage. We spent many hours swimming, canoeing and yes, reading Windigo Fire.

It is rare to have a consensus at my book club, especially one that is positive. This time everyone, bar none, enjoyed the book. It is an action packed book that was hard to put down. Perfect for an entertaining summertime read and for time spent in the wilderness.

Do not get me wrong though. This book was not perfect. Members of my group found a few inconsistencies or missing points in the book, and decided that it seemed almost like little bits had been removed, perhaps to make this story "book size."

In terms of what to be aware of, know that this book has drugs, alcohol, sex, a strip club, language, fighting, murder and fire. However, I have certainly read many books that are worse. It definitely has an interesting variety of characters that range from vulnerable to flawed to incorrigible and leaves you with a few puzzles to decipher at the end.

Is Windigo Fire recommended? Yes, it is by me and by the other members of my book club. I will be passing it around to all of my family members some of who live in the north, others who love camping in the wilderness or at least the campgrounds of northern Ontario.

Happy Reading!
Brenda

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Thursday, August 25, 2016

Reviewing Tips Learned on Photographing the Moon

Moon framed by clouds and tree photo by mbgphoto

Photographing the Moon on a Cloudy Evening

On a partly cloudy summer's evening in August, I walked out into my front yard about 11:00 pm and was greeted with the beautiful sight seen above. The full moon was peaking out above the clouds and was framed by my neighbors tree. I went back into the house and grabbed my camera to shoot a few photos. I wanted to get the moon, trees, and clouds into focus so I played around with several settings. My first shots came out rather blurry and that leads me to tip #1

Use a Tripod when shooting at night

I know I should use a tripod more often but I always seem to first try without one. Sometimes if you have something to steady the camera on you can get away with out a tripod, but I have found that the shots come out much clearer when you use a tripod. In the photo above I used a tripod and shot the photo using the following settings Aperture-5.6, Speed 2.5 seconds, ISO 320, lens length 150mm. I used an SLR camera, but I do believe the above shot could also be taken on a good point and shoot camera.

Moon August 21, 2016

Learning from my Peers-a Moon full of Details

Although I was happy with the first photo, I really wanted to take a photo showing more of the details on the face of the moon. I wasn't sure how to accomplish this, so I went online and did a bit of research. I gained the knowledge that helped me the most from a Facebook photography group called Digital Photography School. The people on the site were wonderful. I posted my first photo and then told them what I wanted to accomplish with my photo. Here are some tips they gave me that I then used the next evening when taking the detailed photo of the moon above.

In addition to a tripod use a remote shutter
Set the ISO to 100
Use a faster shutter speed (the slower speed tended to make the light from the moon blowout the photo)
Expect to take many photos to get one good one
It is nearly impossible to get both detail in the moon and foreground in the same shot. (I found there are ways to get around this but that is a bit more complex).

With these tips in mind the next evening I waited for the moon-rise and then got out my tripod, my shutter release and my new 150-600mm lens. I set my camera with the following settings ISO 100, speed 1/125 sec, aperture 6.3, and lens length 600mm. The moon was a bit less than a full moon on the next night, but I had also read that the waxing or waning moon can give you better details. I was very pleased with my resulting photo that you see above. You can even see some craters on the surface of the moon.

If I were to get foreground in the same photo I could possibly use Photoshop to combine two photos or there are some techniques using filters which I haven't tried yet. Just leaves me with more to learn another day.

Fun in Lightroom- Adding a bit of drama to my photo

I like to have my photos look as close to real life as possible, but sometimes it is fun to add a little drama from a photo processing software like Lightroom. In the photo above I slid over the slider for tint in Lightroom giving a blue cast to the photo.

Zazzle Products from my Photos

I enjoy taking my photographs and making them into cards, magnets, posters and other products on Zazzle. These are available for sale. The first product below was taken of the Super Moon in March of 2011.