Dahlia DeWinters - Author

Quirky Heroines, Happy Endings

Blogtoberfest – Zombie Awareness Month

will-you-be-safe-or-will-you-be-sorryWelcome to October, or as I like to call it, thirty days of Halloween Eve!

This is one of the first posts of “Blogtoberfest” and it’s also Zombie Awareness Month!

So…..are you aware?  More importantly, are you prepared?

Many people are caught unprepared, no matter what the emergency, whether it be a hurricane, snow storm or zombie apocalypse.  This is according to the CDC, which has a page on how to prepare for any emergency event, up to and including a zombie apocalypse.  If you don’t believe me, click here.

Again, are you prepared to “bug-out” at a moment’s notice?  Your Kindle, table or extra-smart phone won’t be of much help when the ravenous, bloody-mouthed hordes of the un-dead start beating at your door.  Well, maybe you can throw your device at them, but at the most it’ll only take out one or two.

Okay, now you’re all asking, Dahlia, what can I do to prepare for the zombie apocalypse or any other emergency that might occur?

Well, I’m glad you asked that.  Here’s a list of items that are essential to surviving those first few days of utter confusion when there is no more room in Hell and the dead begin to walk the earth.

From the CDC Page:

  • Water (1 gallon per person per day)
  • Food (stock up on non-perishable items that you eat regularly)
  • Medications (this includes prescription and non-prescription meds)
  • Tools and Supplies (utility knife, duct tape, battery powered radio, etc.)
  • Sanitation and Hygiene (household bleach, soap, towels, etc.)
  • Clothing and Bedding (a change of clothes for each family member and blankets)
  • Important documents (copies of your driver’s license, passport, and birth certificate to name a few)
  • First Aid supplies (although you’re a goner if a zombie bites you, you can use these supplies to treat basic cuts and lacerations that you might get during a tornado or hurricane)

In addition to having this emergency kit, you should also have an emergency plan for your family.  Zombies wait for no one, so mapping the quickest route out of the infected area (and alternate routes) should be of utmost importance.  Does your family have a meeting place just in case you are separated?  How about an out of state contact that you can either run to or touch base with to ensure members of a family are safe?

Remember, the farther away you can get from a hungry zombie, the better.  And the more prepared you are for any emergency, the better off you and your family will be.  Take the time today because……..

They’re coming to get you, Barbara…

 

 

Blogtoberfest – Mulled Hard Cider

mulled ciderYou can always count on me to be the liquor to your parties.  That was me with the Long Island Iced Tea  and the Vampire Sangria.  So, I’m back with hard mulled cider.  Plain cider is nice, but adding a kick is even nicer.  Prepare to enjoy.

Ingredients

2 quarts apple cider
Dried apple slices
Thinly sliced orange
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (pinch)
1 cup dark rum
cinnamon sticks for stirrin’

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except the rum and bring to a simmer over low heat.  Allow mixture to remain for about ten minutes. Remove from the heat, add the rum. Serve in mugs with a cinnamon stick and enjoy.

If you want to make ahead, put the mixture in a slow-cooker on “keep warm” and add the rum just before serving.

Horror Movie Review: The Houses October Built

Title: The Houses October Built
Genre: Horror, Found Footage-ish
Director: Bobby Roe
Writers:  Zack Andrews
Stars:   Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe
IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1958043/

HERE MAY BE SPOILERS

Portions of the movie may or may not be revealed.

 

Synopsis: Beneath the fake blood and cheap masks of countless haunted house attractions across the country, there are whispers of truly terrifying alternatives. Looking to find an authentic, blood-curdling good fright for Halloween, five friends set off on a road trip in an RV to track down these underground Haunts. Just when their search seems to reach a dead end, strange and disturbing things start happening and it becomes clear that the Haunt has come to them…

 

Today we have the found-footage (i.e. some of the film was shot with a hand-held camera) movie.

The Houses October Built is quite a creepy movie.  The gist of the movie is that five friends travel in an RV  on old back roads of the countryside(you know that’s already trouble) to find the underground haunted houses which contain the REAL scares. Because, you know, the extreme haunted houses just aren’t enough scares for these people. And, I supposed bored twenty-somethings need a “real scare” to wake them out of their stylish boredom.

Of course, on the way, they’re asking the haunted house actors about the underground haunted houses where the terror is real.

Sigh.  Mind you, the movie is framed as a documentary.  Just seeing the interviews with these haunted house “players” was enough for me.  Some of these folks presented a scary presence even without the makeup.  In addition, it’s implied some of these folks are on the shady side of the law, and might not be the best folks to be trusted.

Eventually, the trip turns weird.  They are being followed by a creepy crew who don’t speak but just stare, a la The Strangers.  Instead of turning around and driving all night to get home, (because, movie) they continue on this trip and are stalked by some nefarious miscreants.

All in all, the movie was averagely (is that a word) satisfying and the haunted house themselves give you a bit of a scare, while the people they interview give you an overall uneasy vibe.

I do wish the ending had been different.  If you want to know what I’m talking about, scroll past the trailer.

All in all I say, take the ride with the movie.  If you resist the urge to get annoyed at some of the actors’ decisions, you’ll finish the movie with a couple of genuinely creepy moments.

Grade: B– The characters grew to be rather stupid and thus unlikable, but as a horror movie, they do deliver on the scares.

Note:  There is a film of the same name from 2011.  I have not seen that one, but from what I read about it, it’s more of a documentary than fictionalized horror movie.  The same people are in it and they use some of the real clips of the interviews in the 2014 film.

 

 

 

 

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

 

The ending was a flop for me because it ended up being just a bunch of killers.  I would have liked it to be just an extreme haunted house experience.  I think that would have made the entire movie much more interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

More than 28 Days

Emmett Chappelle, inductee for 2007 into the National Inventors Hall of Fame Photo Courtesy of NASA.gov
Emmett Chappelle, inductee for 2007 into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
Photo Courtesy of NASA.gov

 

More than 28 days is a hashtag that caught my attention on Google+ during the month of February. The poster, Kymberlyn Reed, took a unique approach to Black History Month. Instead of using the #blackhistorymonth tag, she used her tag to hammer home the fact that Black History Month should certainly be “observed” longer than twenty eight days.

Ms. Reed has the right idea. While Black History Month,(just like Women’s History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and other months/observances I’m sure I’m missing), serves to highlight some the achievements of Black people, it shouldn’t stand out like a sore thumb. Black people helped build the United States, and often their achievements were either swept under the rug or stolen by whites.

When I had a classroom of eager to learn fourth and fifth graders, I certainly didn’t wait until February to tell them about what is basically the history of the United States. In addition, I made a distinct effort not go for the “easy” ones – Dr. King, Harriet Tubman and good old Garret Morgan and his traffic light.

 

 

Katherine Johnson Collage

 

Even if the history books don’t fully acknowledge it, Black people were and still are an integral part of our heritage here in the U.S. Without them, there would be no dustpans, ironing boards, printing presses, typewriters, automatic elevator doors, mops, clothes dryers, pencil sharpeners or gasp! fountain pens!! Not to mention, the various colleges and universities dotting our great country.

People ask – Why is there a Black History Month? Well, there shouldn’t be. However, if the contributions of all Americans were acknowledged fairly in American history books, there wouldn’t HAVE to be a Black History Month.

So if you’re on Google+, or even if you’re not, stop by and check out the #morethan28days tag. You might learn something. I know I did.

 

Learn More:

http://www.blackpast.org/

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/101-african-american-firsts

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/national/unpublished-black-history

http://blackinhistory.tumblr.com/

Blogtoberfest – Weird New Jersey

It’s only fair, since I’m writing about scary stuff this month, is to highlight some spooky places in New Jersey.  Despite being the Garden State, there’s a ton of mysteries surrounding some of the horse pastures and lovely farms.

 

So light the lantern and let’s take a closer look behind the cobwebs.

The Jersey Devil

Picture Courtesy of WeirdNJ.com
Picture Courtesy of WeirdNJ.com

From Wikipedia: 

 

The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flyingbiped with hooves, but there are many different variations. The common description is that of a kangaroo-like creature with the head of a goat, leathery bat-like wings,horns, small arms with clawed hands, cloven hooves and a forked tail. It has been reported to move quickly and often is described as emitting a “blood-curdling scream.”[1][2]

 

From Me:

I’ve seen some pictures of the Jersey Devil that looks my dog trying to dress up for Halloween.  There is even reported “video” of the Jersey Devil.  Obviously, is a legend and a kinda corny one at that, but still, it makes me laugh to see the claims.  If you happen to see the Jersey Devil while you’re wandering around in the Pine Barrens, give him (or her) a carrot and a cube of sugar.clinton-road-nj

Clinton Road

Snippets from the New York Daily News:

“It’s like a dark highway into people’s innermost fears.” That’s how Mark Moran, publisher and co-creator of the Weird NJ magazine and website, sums up Clinton Road, a quiet and twisty stretch of road roughly 55 miles northwest of New York City.

“People definitely play on the legend [of Clinton Road],” said Mark Moran. He mentions the menacing black truck that lurks on the road.  Appearing out of nowhere, the truck gets extremely close to your rear bumper, flashes its lights, and then suddenly disappears into the night.

From WeirdNJ.com

This rugged ten mile stretch of deserted road is so rich in lore that it has been attracting late night visitors for generations.  The stories that these sightseeing sojourners have brought back with them of their adventures are sometimes harrowing, often terrifying, and almost always intriguing.  Many of these tales of midnight joyrides may seem unbelievable, while others leave one wondering just where truth ends, and an overactive imagination begins.

If you ever decide to travel down Clinton Road at midnight, stop at the bridge by dead man’s curve.  As the story goes if you sit on that bridge and throw pennies into the river, the ghost of a young boy will throw them back to you.  –Anonymous

My friends and I decided to find out for ourselves what is true and what is not.  We went to the bridge and threw a quarter off.  Not but a minute later you hear the bloop, as if you dropped the quarter in again. The water filled with ripples and a child’s reflection appeared.  I flew back to the car.  That scared all of us.  –Dina, West Milford

 

The Devil’s Tree

From Wikipedia:

Local legend suggests the tree is cursed: those who damage or disrespect the tree (usually by urinating on it, or making disparaging remarks about it while nearby) will soon thereafter come to some sort of harm, often in the form of a car accident or major breakdown as

Picture courtesy of Weird NJ

they leave.[1] The tree’s history is surrounded by superstition, and common theories claim that Bernards Township was one of the central headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey and that the tree had been used to lynch African Americans and rebellious slaves since Colonial times.[2][3][4] Another theory claims that a farmer hanged himself from the tree after killing his family and that anyone trying to cut the tree down will “come to an untimely end”.[5] Other urban legends surrounding the tree allege that visitors who get too close to the tree will get chased by a black Ford pick-up truck that will then disappear at a certain point, or that anyone who touches the tree will find that their hands have turned black if they try to eat at a restaurant.[4][6]

In winter, the ground beneath the tree is allegedly free from snow, no matter how much has fallen or how recently.[1] A nearby boulder called “Heat Rock”, and sometimes the tree itself, are said to be warm to the touch regardless of the season or time of day,[7] and is believed to be a portal to Hell.[1]

The township’s plans to develop the land might have required the tree’s removal, but it decided to protect the tree and keep it intact. In 2007, a sign was posted at the site stating when it is open to the public. The Devil’s Tree is currently surrounded by a chain-link fence due to vandalism.[4]

 

There are so many other scary/haunted places in New Jersey!  Check out WeirdNJ.com if you want to read more.