Poe, The Raven, and Walking with Ghosts

As the mornings turn chill and breezy in the mid-Atlantic, I find myself thinking that it won't be long until the leaves on the trees change color.  Dying and rattling like miniature bones in the trees, before being dropped to the ground to crunch under our feet.

The Raven

In addition to noting the change of season, I have spent some time reading wonderful blogs and articles about costumes for the fast-approaching All Hallows' Eve. While I have really never been one to dress up for Halloween, I do love the focus on ghosts, spirits, and things that frighten.  I'm not sure why. But I like curling up with a good, scary book and listening for things that go bump in the night.  This year I have thought about ordering a few new decorations.  During that search for decorations, I have run across more than one Raven themed item.

I am referring to the bird that Poe made frightening in his writings.  As I pondered Edgar Allan Poe and his ominous bird I realized how many opportunities for ghostly travel destinations there are in this region.  There are far too many to list in one article, so I will only share a few.

I will begin with the Baltimore Edgar Allan Poe house. Instead of telling you about it, I will show you this three minute tour of the area and the house:

Yes, Poe lived in many places throughout the mid-Atlantic and north east regions.  But he lived in this row house for a bit and eventually passed away while in Baltimore.  He is buried locally.  The Baltimore Poe House has had difficulty remaining open due to funding, location of the home (in a difficult section of town and off the tourist path). It is currently open to the public on weekends. Thank you mnolanporter for this video glimpse of the home and the surrounding area.  After watching the video late last night, I read Poe's short story Berenice. That short and morbid story put me in the mood for more scary stories.  

Are you in the ghostly mood yet?  Do you enjoy ghost walk tours?  I am and I do.  Here are three highly recommended places to walk with ghosts:

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia is a small town with many reasons to visit; history, architecture, and a stopping spot for the hikers of the Appalachian Trail.  I love visiting for the day.  When I stay for a longer period of time, I will take the highly recommended Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry.

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is another  popular West Virginia haunted spot to visit. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum appears to be a bucket list item for folks who are interested in old architecture, Civil War history, mental health history, and ghosts and the paranormal. I'd love to see the building on the outside, but I'm not sure that I'm brave enough to see the inside in person.

Ghettysburg, Pennsylvania.  It is impossible to know where to begin when talking about the plethora of civil war history, old architecture, monuments, and ghost tours when talking about Ghettysburg. Instead, I'll just leave you with a list of the large variety of area ghost tours

Whether you are in the mid-Atlantic or elsewhere, I hope you are able to celebrate the season, however you celebrate, in spooktacular fashion. 

Written by Dawn Rae
Disclosure: In affiliation with AllPosters.com, Dawn Rae is a blogger and content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of AllPosters products.

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Stop for Me, by Carolyn Dawn Johnson - 'I Always Thought This Train Would Stop For Me'

Stop for Me, by Carolyn Dawn Johnson

Upstairs just finishing up some of those much 'loved' household chores with the country music channel playing in the background, I hear these heartbreaking lyrics:

"I had big plans
More powerful than a locomotive
Innocent as a flower growing
In the middle of a barley field
I didn't understand
That you could have pockets overflowing with determination
Give it all you got with no congratulations
And still be at the bottom of the hill
Waiting at the station
With the rails laid out before me
Trying to be patient
Hoping it didn't leave"

I stopped for this song:

Quietly I perched myself on the edge of my bed, and stared at my TV. The

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melancholy words cried their way off the screen and I found myself shedding tears for anyone, myself included, who had moments of  doubt that their work, their dreams, their songs ... all of it..would land in that giant void of 'so what'.

Life is flying by and we have such a short time to leave our mark, no matter what that mark is, our time is limited.

The lyrics continued, and the message of this song, which I further expand upon here, brought about conflicted feelings of  'in the end, we all get to where we're going' to 'it hasn't been easy getting there'

"I had a ticket
That was paid for with my hard earned money
I thought that maybe that would count for something
Wasn't looking for a free ride
But nobody mentioned
ohhh sometimes all the passenger seats are taken
The cars are full and it's a rude awakening
When you're left behind
So disappointed... yeah
I never even got to try
Instead of living in the moment... ohhh
I've been wasting all this time

I always thought this train would stop for me..."

The journey is where we find the joy, but we all know the journey isn't always easy. It isn't about adulation, accolades, fame, or even money (although let's face it, money is a necessary part of life) - It's about 'our contribution while we're here'. If we can do something to improve the human condition, we're making a contribution: A smile, a blessing, seeking hope, laughter, a hand-up to someone who needs it ... anything where we're impacting something or someone for the positive.

During a recent conversation with my 22 year old son, in typical mom fashion, there I was emphasizing the importance to encourage good in this world; he's in a local band 'ColdFront' ...and he's in a position to affect people with words. Being 'Mom', I never hesitate to point that out!

When I talk to my sons, I'm reminded just how young they are, and all they have to learn and go through. My biggest hope is that when they're sitting on the edge of their bed 30 years from now, and lyrics like this song begin to play, they can smile knowing the words don't apply to them.

In the end, I do believe we all get to where we need to be, and that no matter how difficult our path becomes, we'll be O.K.  Everyday we wake up, is another chance at life, another shot at getting it right to fulfill our purpose.

So, although this song is a little bit sad, it's a reminder that nothing is permanent, even sadness. As the famous quote says, 'Without the Rain, there Would be no Rainbow'

Here it is: 'Stop for Me'



To Your Success,
By Barbara Tremblay Cipak, Country Music Reviewer
Drageda.com - 'Don't Drive Alone Get Emotional Daily Assistance'

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Reviewing the World of Zombies for Halloween

No way can I resist talking about zombies when it comes time for Halloween planning. That creepy world of the undead fits so well with a party at the end of October. So lets review some of the great options for planning Halloween around zombies.

Zombie Costume Planning

Starting off with my costume is a natural for me. When I know what crazy costume I want, that typically leads to my Halloween party theme. So this year's fun will be all around zombies.

It's pretty easy to buy a great zombie costume for women, men or children. Not only do all the brick and mortar stores carry costumes, but all the online shops do as well. But, I always seem to go way further than the typical ready-made costumes.

So then it's off to find all the extras to make my zombie look truly undead. In effect, I create my own zombie costume, even if I start with the basics.

Adding the Extras

It's the makeup, the hair and the accessories that can go that extra mile. Then I find this great page showing lace collars. You may not think of lace collars for a zombie, but as an undead bride or prom queen, you want those jewelry effects as well. The black and red vampire collar is ideal for a zombie.

Of course, I really can't be a zombie without the gory wounds that caused my death. I found a great set of plastic wounds. They just stick on so all you need to do is add some fake blood around them to make it look realistic.

Plan for Halloween Early

I always recommend that you plan for Halloween, costumes and parties, early. Waiting til the last minute can easily mean settling for what you really don't want just because all the good stuff is sold out. But, there's more. If you discover that you need to return something, you still have time. Planning early means no disappointments for you, your children, even your party guests.

Posted by: BuckHawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.

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

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Fun Halloween Home Decor

 Halloween 2-Pack Towels SetLast week, I shared How to Make a Halloween Pizza.  This week, I want to share how to add a bit of Halloween fun throughout your home.

Halloween has always been a fun holiday at our home.   Part of the fun is surrounding ourselves with Halloween items.  I like to spread the holiday fun to all of the rooms in our home.  I usually start by adding Halloween hand towels in each bathroom.  It is always delightful to hear one of our children yell from behind the bathroom door about how much the love the new bat or ghost towel.

Halloween Decor for the Bathroom

Gifts & Decor 12608 Spooky Toilet Paper Holder MulticolorCheck PriceSeveral of my friends really do go all out in their bathroom decorations.  

Buckhawk, one of my fellow contributors here on Review This, immediately comes to mind when I think of Halloween Bathroom Decorations.  

I don't know how many times I have howled over the years at her Halloween Bathroom Decor and antics.  Some of the ideas and suggestions Buckhawk suggests are downright eerie for those who love the creepy side of Halloween, but I personally love all of the funny stuff she recommends.

Halloween Decor for the Bedroom

 Custom Halloween Pillowcase 20Check Price

 

I also change the bedsheets in our house.

This is probably our son's favorite part of our Halloween home decor.  I love putting Halloween Sheets and Bed Linens on our beds simply because my family gets such a kick out of them.  

I especially like the ones that seem to glow in the dark because of their high contrast of black and white.  You can see some of my favorite Halloween Bed Linen Sets by simply clicking here.

Halloween Decor for the Den or Entry

I also rely on my friend and co-writer, DecoratingforEvents, to come up with more great ideas for decorating for Halloween throughout the other rooms of our home.  Some of her suggestions really knock me off my feet, especially when they are so fast, easy and awesome!

I know you will want to check out Mandee's great recommendations by visiting her at Halloween Haven. 

Do you have an article you have published on your favorite Halloween Decoration?  We would all love to see it.  Please leave the link to your article in our guestbook below.  I will be happy to "haunt" your Halloween home decor suggestions. 

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Photographing Special Family Events

Have you been to a family reunion or other special family event where you want to get some great photos to document the event.  Yes, everyone takes photos, but to really get some good ones you need to do a bit of pre planning.  Last weekend we had a family reunion at Table Rock Lake.  On this page I will share with you some of the photos and the tips I used in capturing them.

The Group  Photo

It is great to get a photo of the entire group.  We had 29 people in our group and I wanted to get them in to a group photo.  Here are some of the tips that I used.

• Use a tripod and set your timer on your camera..that way you  can be in the photo too.
• Before you gather everyone together first try out a few shots with a smaller group to make sure where you want to place your camera.
• Take the time to arrange everyone in an eye pleasing arrangement.  I first had everyone standing with the tallest in the back.  But as you can see here that was not as appealing as when I had some sitting and some kneeling.
  

Take some Smaller Group Shots

I took photos of several groups: the siblings, the cousins, the grandchildren and individual family groups. Be sure to include both serious and fun shots.  The cousins had a fun pose they had done 10 years ago at a wedding so I had them do that again.  

Candid Shots

You will want to include photos of people participating in activities and also of people just sitting around and visiting.  Some tips to remember.

• Watch your lighting....you want to be able to see the faces
• Be careful not to snap shots of the backs of people
• Try to make sure everyone is included in a couple of shots
• Capture the activities that everyone is enjoying
• Have someone snap a photo of you...after all you were there too

Be sure to Include Photos of Your Location

You will want to include some photos of the location where you held the event.  I walked around the property and took photos of the cabins we stayed at, the boat docks, the swimming area, the meeting area, and the playground.  I also went down to the lake at sunset to capture some images of the sun setting and the beautiful clouds over the lake.

Consider Making an Online Photo Book

When you get home from your outing consider making an online photo book.  You can share the book with all of the people from your event and they can choose whether or not to order it in paper form.  I like to use the service of Shutterfly .  They have an easy to follow program to help you put all of your memories into a book.  They also have various sizes that you can order.  Here are some tips to use in getting ready to make your photo book.

• First you will want to download all of your photos into your computer
• Next you will want to determine which ones would work best for your book and do whatever editing is needed for those photos.  I started out with 287 photos and narrowed that down to about 80 that I used in the book.
• The next step I do is to  make a folder on my desktop of the photos I want to use in the book
• I then download these photos into the Shutterfly program and follow their instructions to make my photo book.

Here is a copy of the book that I made.

Click here to create your own Shutterfly photo book.

I hope these tips have helped you and that you will capture some wonderful  memories from your next reunion or event.

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Waste Not, Want Not

Re-use your food and stretch your food budget

Volunteers load a truckload of oranges
for local food banks and pantries.
Learn how to donate at endhunger.org.

Wasted food is wasted money. Every time edible food is thrown in the garbage can, a few pennies get thrown away with it. Get more bang out of your grocery budget by reducing the amount of food you throw out. And, when you have extra food that you just can't use, donate to your local food bank.

This morning I sat for a few minutes and watched the Food Waste Ticker at EndHunger.org. The ticker showed that over 91 billion pounds of food have been wasted in the U.S. since the beginning of 2014. For every second that ticked by, I saw another 200 pounds of food being sent to our municipal landfills.

In February, 2014, the USDA released a report showing The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States. The report shows that in 2010, the US produced 430 billion pounds of food. Of this available food supply, 31 percent went uneaten. Think about the impact of this unnecessary food waste.

• A total of 133 billion pounds of wasted food was sent to municipal waste facilities. Landfills collected over $2 billion from taxpayers and consumers to dispose of this food waste. 
• If you purchased this 133 billion pounds of food from a grocery store, it would cost $161.6 billion.
• It's not just money that is wasted. This 133 billion pounds of food waste coverts to 141 trillion calories. That's enough food to supply each person in the US with 1,249 calories of energy per day.

What can you do to prevent food waste?

Start in your own kitchen. There are many ways to get the most value out of the groceries you buy.

• Look in your refrigerator before heading to the store for a quick dinner. Find ways to cook what you already have at home. The longer it sits in your pantry, the more likely it is that the food will go to waste.
• Plan your meals before you go shopping and make a shopping list. When you're at the grocery store, only buy those items on your list. Resist the urge to impulse buy.
• Don't buy more than you need. Buying in bulk only saves money if you are able to use the food before it spoils.
• Reuse food scraps. Fruit skins can be turned into pickles and jellies. Vegetable peelings make a tasty vegetable soup stock. Stale bread can be used to make croutons.
• Freeze, preserve, or can surplus fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are abundant during harvest season. Stock up on your favorites.

Our Favorite Food Saving Tips

It's 3 p.m. and your family asks, "What's for dinner?" If you haven't thought ahead, take a quick inventory of the food in your pantry and refrigerator. Even if you don't have the right ingredients for your favorite dish, it's always possible to substitute. Ruthi uses whatever leftovers she has in the refrigerator for a Chicken Not Quite Paella Surprise Recipe.

Winter will be here soon and that means soup season is just around the corner. Around our house, there's always a quart of homemade vegetable soup stock in the freezer and a quart of vegetable peelings waiting to be cooked into stock. We save so much money when we Recycle Food Waste and Make Soup Stock.

When our favorite fruits are in season, we buy extra to freeze. Frozen fruits are are perfect for smoothies and ice creams. On the FoodFAQs blog, Regg and I share directions for how we freeze fruits without adding any extra sugar.

End Food Waste and Stop Hunger

Do you have food to spare? Not everyone is so fortunate. In 2012, 15.9 million children lived in food insecure households, homes where there is not enough nutritious foods for those children to grow up strong and healthy. Donate your excess food to your Local Food Bank.

Please help put an end to food waste.

Posted by Coletta Teske

About This Contributor

Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.

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Getting Ready for a Wonderful Winter with the Birds!

The year is very quickly coming to an abrupt halt!  What I mean of course is the summer of 2014!  It seems like just yesterday when we were all out in our gardens looking for signs of life after a winter that left most of us feeling very, very cold.

Because last years winter was so cold, I decided it's time to review what we should be doing to help our little feathered friends make it through another winter season, so that when it is finished, they can herald in the spring of 2015!

Keeping the birds happy through the winter months really isn't too difficult.  Just make sure that if you start a routine of feeding the birds, please continue it throughout the whole year.  Many people don't believe in feeding the birds, they are of the mind that there is plenty out there for them already.

I personally think, that if I feed the birds, they will know that my yard is the one that they should keep on their radar, because I like them so much, I will do whatever it takes to keep them coming back!

So without further adieu, I'd like to present some reading material that you should find interesting and helpful.  Hopefully it will result in you making the effort to see what you can see, when you put out some food for the birds.
The Best Bird Feeders Ever

And then when you are at a comfort level with that kind of bird feeder, there are always some Suet Feeders and Suet Cakes to make for our feathered friends.  Here you will find a basic recipe for Suet cakes, and lots of additional items for your special little friends.

Super-Easy-Suet-Cakes-for-Winter-Bird Feeding

The hope is that with more people feeding the birds through the year, we will have a great time seeing and watching our native birds, even as they entertain us through the coldest months of the year.

Hope you are on board to enjoying just a little bit of Mother Nature's gifts to us.

Elk Neck State Park and Turkey Point Lighthouse

Located in northeastern Maryland is a nice place to visit called Elk Neck State Park. Perched high atop an overlook, at the southern edge of the Elk Neck Peninsula, is the Turkey Point Lighthouse. It has stood watch above the North East River, the Elk River, and the Chesapeake Bay since 1833. 

We found this park by chance during one of our Sunday drives.  And I am so glad we did. We have returned several times through the years in order to walk out to the overlook area and then to meander along the trails along the bluff.  I supposed I shouldn't call it meandering. The trails we choose can be very steep from the lighthouse to the water.  It is an interesting terrain filled with tree roots poking out from the hard-packed soil banks.  At some points, we climbed down the bank and walked along the rip-rap at the water's edge. 

I should point out that the trail from the parking lot to the lighthouse is a somewhat long, but an easy and wide gravel path.  I did read some reviews about complaints at the length of the this path. This lighthouse overlook is definitely not an area where you park next to the attraction. There is a bit of a walk. So wear your comfy shoes and bring the good stroller if you have a baby.  When I go, I bring my back pack with water, snacks, a blanket to sit on, and as always, something to read.

The Turkey Point Lighthouse provides a peek into history as well as an area for camping, swimming, fishing, and hiking.  The accompanying home was razed in 1972 but fortunately, the lighthouse and one small outbuilding remain. During the weekends April through November, you can climb the inside of the lighthouse.  I have not yet toured the inside of the lighthouse.

I have not yet ventured into the park for more than day trips so I do not have first hand experience with the recreational beach, and camping areas. However, many local residents go there and recommend it to others.  Overall, it seems to be a well-liked camping area; complete with tiny rustic cabin rentals, an easy access swimming beach, and plenty of less treacherous hiking trails to choose from.  For some of these first hand reviews and  photographs about the camping area I suggest that you read the reviews on TripAdvisor.

Finally, I was thrilled to find Glen Fortner's video of the lighthouse area.  It is a very brief video (under a minute) that will give you a sense of the beauty of the lighthouse, overlook, and flora and fauna.  

Written by Dawn Rae

Image Credit: Skip willits (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Brad Paisley Does it Again with Another Great Love Song

Don't miss 'Perfect Storm' by Brad Paisley  

Brad Paisley hits another home-run with the descriptive emotion he paints as he sings about how much he loves her. It's hard not to think that he was inspired by his relationship with his beautiful wife during the writing!

In true Brad Paisley style, the song is mixed with charm, captivating cuteness and passion. There's something different about the approach to this one. As a woman listening to the song, it really makes you think about what it's like to be appreciated and accepted for both your good and bad qualities by the one you love.

(Lyrics) She Destroys Me in that T-Shirt! 

The lyrics talk about how he loves her so much it hurts! Everything about her is what he adores; her highs are high and her lows are low, and he's o.k. with that. He can make her laugh or make her mad, and he loves her no matter her mood, even if she's angry.

(Lyrics) She's Sunshine Mixed with a Little Hurricane

As I talk about in a more in-depth song review of 'Perfect Storm', I had to laugh when I first heard this lyric because my husband pretty much describes me this way. Sometimes he's too smart when I get angry with him, he knows how to diffuse the situation pretty quickly (when he wants to)! He'll look at me and announce 'that's why I love you!' <---sheesh, gets me smiling even when I wasn't planning on it!

Personally speaking, I find the song incredibly soothing. For some crazy reason, it cheers me up; but Brad Paisley has an effect on the listener in just about everything he writes and sings!

Hope you enjoy the song as well:

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The Beauty of Fall Home Decor

Every September heralds the coming of the beauty of the Fall season. Every September it's time to think about bringing that beauty into our homes. Even a little Fall home decor can add a fresh look to our homes. Just the simple act of changing a picture or two, adding in a new decorative pillow or replacing a lamp shade can bring that Fall beauty inside.

The Colors of Fall

The vibrant oranges, reds, yellows and even browns are those that we associate with the Autumn season. Those colors of leaves as they prepare to drop off the trees. Through the talents of many artists and photographers, Zazzle has brought us a wealth of these color to use in our home decor.

Some of my favorites are represented in articles that I write. I do enjoy reviewing all the options and then narrowing them down to those that delight me. Decorative Pillows for Fall Home Decor Accents is one of those such articles.

Home Decor Inside and Outside

I don't stop at reviewing beautiful Fall decor items just for the inside of your home. I also love Welcome Autumn with Garden Flags shows other ways to decorate your home with the beauty of Fall.
sharing that decor for the outside as well.

These are just a few of the ways to add more of the Autumn colors to your home decor. Simple accents are my favorite way to decorate. So I'm continuously looking for great home accents to review. Should you run across other items, please share them. I'm always happy to include what others see as the beauty of Fall in home decor items.




Posted by: BuckHawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.

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

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