Welcome! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so you won't miss the Blarties (=blog+party) on the weekends. To find out more about our Blarties check out this post, too. Looking forward to seeing you on the weekends!

Say what?! No, I’m not talkin’ ’bout cereal! But, if you REALLY wanna understand, you ABSOLUTELY MUST go visit the blog of the Pop Art Diva! Hope sent me over there today to check out the bell bottoms on the Pop Art Diva’s blog.

When her blog loaded up on my screen I felt as though I’d entered a time machine and had been taken back to the time and place of blacklights and neon colors shining brightly inside a room that had been painted black! Remember those?! I do!

Fascinating how seeing something like that can bring back a flood of memories. Imagine the scent of incense burning…the music in the background…imagine…you tell me….

Bell bottoms? Hmmm…still have any of yours collecting dust in YOUR closet? Me neither, but, oh, the memories of ‘em! I had bright canary yellow ones, lime green ones, and, get this, a pair that were patterned after the American flag! They were red and white striped from the hips to just below the knee where the navy blue background with white stars took over the BELL. I can’t BELIEVE I wore ANY of those in PUBLIC!

Oh, and then, of course, there were the Levis that I had inverted the outer seams along the legs and re-sewn (does that make sense?) and ripped out the hems to make ‘em have fringe down the sides and on the belled bottoms. My Mama was ready to gimme a lickin’ for THAT one…LOL! Told me that if my denim jacket sprouted fringe, I wouldn’t live to wear it.

Git on over there and check it out! You’re gonna love this gal and her pop art, I’m tellin’ ya!

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…5 o’clock Blarty time SOMEWHERE! Have you had one of THOSE weeks? Well, it’s ok cuz,…ARE YOU READY?…we’re gonna buzz on down to Margaritaville and git on nup and dance as soon as we get on our boogie shoes. Sly’s gonna add a little good talk and make it easy to move your feet as tear the house down while you twist with Chubby. But, now, after that Jackson Browne wants you to stay cuz the Soul Man’s comin’ up right after that!

Oh, hey! I almost forgot! If you’re up around Portland, Maine ya oughtta catch up with F.I.N.E.. From the looks of their songlist it oughtta be well worth it for ya! How do I know? I don’t live anywhere NEAR there nor have I ever been there. Well, Gina, Joe’s wife and I connected this past week on a business related webinar and quickly hit it off. *Waving* Hey Gina! Hope to hear from you again sometime!

UPDATE: For those of you looking for songs you previously enjoyed, you can scroll through the list of songs on the player and just click to highlight the one you want to hear. Every song you’ve heard here is still listed on the player song list. Enjoy!

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The kiddies are back in school once again, signifying that I have to get my act together and get out the door earlier to get ahead of the big yellow busses. And I’m NOT a morning person, know what I mean?

Passing by the apartment complex on my commute to work, I observe tomorrow’s future, the Classes of the 2020’s, waiting patiently for their ride. Boys and girls equipped with books, sweaters, and backpacks, but never a visible lunch box or brown bag. Makes me wonder how many kids take their lunch any more? Maybe I’ll send that in to Drew Carey for CBS’ The Power of 10 TV show; “What Percentage of School Children In America Today Take Their Lunch?”

Packing lunches previously required a lot more thought and planning. My Mom didn’t have the conveniences of today’s more sophisticated lunch boxes and gel packs for keeping things cold or hot. I carried a metal dome-top yellow school bus lunch box with thermos. And it leaked!

Curious, I did an eBay search on metal lunch boxes and found one just like I had. Awwwww…I Want IT! No, I didn’t bid. I got to thinkin’, “What am I gonna do with that? I can’t take it to work.” Guess I was having a Blonde moment? I KNOW I DIDN”T JUST SAY THAT!

Hey Boomers, clean out those Attics! If you have a metal lunch box in your possession, pre-1970, it might be worth a nice chunk of change. I saw a 1968 Beatles Yellow Submarine lunch box and thermos on eBay, bidding was at US $725.00!

Brown bagging it, preparing school lunches, or planning a party? Check these out!

Pinwheels

8-Ounce Cream Cheese, 1/3 less fat, softened
1-Small Jar Diced Pimentos
1-Envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix
1-4 Ounce Can Diced Green Chiles
1-Small Can Chopped Black Olives
¼ Cup Green Onions, chopped
Flour Tortillas (about 8 to 10 burrito size)
Thin-Sliced, Sandwich-Style Turkey Breast, (or Ham), optional

Cream together cheese and dip mix, add pimentos, chiles, olives, and onions. Spread a thin layer over tortillas, if desired, layer a slice of Turkey or Ham over cream cheese mixture. Roll up tortillas, place on a sheet of Plastic Wrap and cover tightly with another sheet to keep tortillas soft. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, cut in one-inch slices, discard ends. Pinwheels make a great appetizer for holidays and parties too.

Serve with your favorite Salsa and baked chips. Be sure to use an insulated lunch box and pre-frozen gel pack if brown bagging it. Throw in some baby carrots, fruit, yogurt, and a cereal or granola bar. Now all you need is something to wash it down with.

Bon Appetite
The Backseat Gourmet

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