Star Trek Enterprise D Transporter. Photo credit- Konrad Summers
These past few weeks I’ve been rewatching old Star Trek episodes from many different eras and series even though I have plenty of other shows that I haven’t seen for the first time yet.
I don’t know about you, but I crave certainty in uncertain times.
Star Trek has filled many niches over the years. Sometimes its stories are a reflection of controversial issues we deal with in the real world that don’t have simple solutions.
Other episodes might humorous, poignant, hopeful, silly, or any combination of these and many other themes.
There have been Star Trek characters and episodes whom I loved immediately, slowly grew to have a deep appreciation for once I got to know them better, or, in a few rare cases, honestly never connected with much at all. (Not everything appeals to everyone!)
Star Trek itself is comfort food for me, and it’s been this way since my first experiences with it through reruns of The Next Generation. No matter which episode or series you pick, there are some things that almost always remain the same in this franchise.
Hope
There are many excellent science fiction books, stories, and TV shows out there that do not necessarily hold a hopeful perspective of human nature or the future. This isn’t one of them.
While Star Trek writers have occasionally strayed from this theme in the more modern versions of it, this franchise in general takes a hopeful stance on what we are capable of and what our future might hold.
Perfection doesn’t exist in this or any other universe, but human society has changed for the better in so many different ways between our era and theirs.
Every time I see characters greet living beings from other planets, order a meal from a replicator, or be treated for an illness or injury that would be fatal in the twenty-first century, I feel another pulse of hope that we’ll someday create versions of these futuristic wonders for ourselves in the real world.
Certainty
Yes, there are plenty of obstacles along the way in just about any Star Trek story arc, and they can be difficult to resolve depending on the series and the specific conflict in question.
Sometimes these conflicts are so complex they take up multiple episodes or seasons (see also: Deep Space Nine), but viewers always know there is a solution on the way eventually if they stick with it to see what the characters do next.
That certainty is a breath of fresh air now more than ever.
Call me an idealist, but I believe there’s something to be said for losing yourself in a storyline that will be resolved satisfactorily at some point.
Humour
By far the biggest reason to think of Star Trek as comfort food is all of the humour tucked away into it. No matter which series we’re talking about, there are reasons to smile when watching all of them. Yes, even Picard and Discovery if you look closely enough!
You may have noticed that I avoided mentioning specific Star Trek episodes in this post until now. That was done on purpose in order so that I could talk about the over-arching themes of this universe. Discussing a particular episode was less important than knowing there are many options to choose from when you’re a Star Trek fan who wants something warm and reassuring to watch after a long day.
With that being said, I’ll now provide a short list of my favourite humorous Star Trek episodes and provide one reason each for watching them. If you’re also a fan of this franchise, feel free to add your own suggestions below.
Episode: The Trouble with Tribbles
Series: The Original Series
Why You Should Watch It: Not only was it the funniest TOS episode in my opinion, it’s also aged the best since first airing. The idea of Kirk being outsmarted, if only temporarily, by what are essentially extremely fertile hamster-like creatures called Tribbles makes this a must watch for anyone who hasn’t seen yet.
Why You Should Watch It: After being transported to a Robin Hood storyline, Worf dryly exclaimed, “I am not a merry man.” Watch the expression on his face below. It’s comedy gold.
The telling or reading of ghost stories during the Christmas season was once a tradition in Victorian England. This series of books seeks to revive this tradition. Beginning this year, I hope to review all of them during the month of December for as many years as it takes to finish this project.
Title: The Red Lodge – A Ghost Story for Christmas (Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories)
Author: H.R. Wakefield
Publisher: Biblioasis
Publication Date: 1928 and 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Historical
Length: 32 pages
Source: I borrowed it from the library
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Blurb:
Reading a ghost story on Christmas eve was once as much a part of traditional Christmas celebrations as turkey, eggnog, and Santa Claus.
The Red Lodge is a magnificent Queen Anne house, the ideal rental for a young family on a much-needed holiday. But something is wrong at the Red Lodge. What caused the drownings of so many previous occupants? What dark presence lurks in the river? Why has the son grown sullen and afraid?
Review:
Some places are too evil for human occupancy.
One of the most fascinating things about living in or visiting an old house is researching the former owners and what their lives were like. Generally, this sort of search yields pretty mundane results, but as you’ve probably already gathered this isn’t one of those occasions. I won’t go into details about how and why The Red Lodge became such a restless and malevolent place, but that backstory really made the plight of the newest occupants even more poignant.
The narrator of this tale deeply loved wife and his young son, so it struck me as odd to see how quickly he brushed away their anxiety about living at The Red Lodge. Change is hard for everyone, so I would have understood if he hadn’t listened the first couple of times. It did feel weird to have a six-year-old and a cherished wife talk about odd things happening in their home and change their habits as a result of them without the father and husband taking note of that. I sure would have liked to have a clearer explanation for whether this was a common occurrence in their family or if the spirit had already begun to warp the main character’s perspective so early on.
While this wasn’t a gory story, there were definitely some awful things that happened at the lodge. I appreciated the way the author hinted at how folks died there instead of describing it in elaborate detail. This was definitely one of those cases where less was more, especially given how reluctant folks would have been to discuss this sort of thing in the 1920s in general.
If you think a property can be stained beyond all hope of repair from the awful things that happened on it, I’d recommend checking out The Red Lodge.
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
My answer to this prompt certainly isn’t what I was expecting it to be when I first saw it about eleven months ago, but I’m sure you all can say the same thing.
Most of my time is spent at home or outdoors.
I’m lucky to live in a walkable, safe neighbourhood. Practically all of errands I need to run can be accomplished without using public transit, a cab, or a private vehicle. My biggest hurdle there is only buying what I can comfortably carry.
I add things to my shopping list before they run out, and I consolidate trips as much as possible. If paper towels are on sale and I know I’ll need them next week, I’ll pick up a package of them during a normal grocery store run. For heavy items, I buy what I can and try to remember I’m not superwoman.
This has been a good way to develop my muscles! My arms do a lot of lugging stuff around for my household, and I’m grateful for my ability to act like a human pack mule when necessary.
Much of my time at home is spent typing up blog posts and stories. The gentle clicks of a keyboard is one of the most common sounds you’ll hear here. it’s so common that sometimes I dream about it.
Someday I’ll be this flexible!
Home workouts are another way I pass the time. Lately, I’ve been doing lots of yoga while a knee injury heals and trying not laugh too much when my spouse tries to distract me during the most pretzel-like moves. He likes to poke gentle fun at the instructor.
This is the beginning of the coldest months in Ontario. When the weather allows for it, I love going for long walks at the park and seeing the first signs of winter and the last signs of autumn in the land.
On freezing days, I stay home and watch television instead. I enjoy sitcoms like Kim’s Convenience, science fiction like Star Trek: Discovery, and nonfiction science/history shows like Cosmos.
I’m the sort of reader who bounces between doing many rereads and only wanting to read books that are new to me.
The next time I’m in the mood for a reread, these titles will be at the top of my list because of the sense of wonder I felt when discovering their marvellous plot twists and character development for the first time.
Each month I share photos from one of the parks in Toronto to show my readers what our landscape looks like throughout the year. This is the tenth instalment of this series and will be a bit longer than usual.
Welcome to November in Toronto! It was between 16 Celsius (60 Fahrenheit) and 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) on my visits this month. Temperatures are traditionally supposed to reach highs of 7 Celsius (45 Fahrenheit) at most now, so these numbers are quite out of the ordinary for us. Climate change is quickly altering our seasonal weather patterns.
This month is generally one of our rainiest ones. Nearly half of the days in the average November are rainy ones here. Sometimes it snows, too, although such early snow melts within a day or two.
The sunshine you’ll see in most of these photos is unusual, too. Our more typically overcast days were also pretty stormy this month, or I would have included examples of them as well.
It was raining heavily when the leaves were at their peak, but the rain luckily stopped in time for me to get some nice shots of the autumn foliage.
The evergreen bushes are still looking good. They must not go dormant until December or January. I’ll check back again with them then.
The running trail always shows signs of recent rainfall now, but it’s still firm enough to jog or walk on. This particular tree has such a nice rustle of leaves when you pass it. I wish I could stand there all day and listen to it’s melodic little song.
We saw the canopy of leaves thin last month, and that pattern continues this month. There are still green leaves to see if you look closely.
Who will nestle up here this winter, I wonder? It looks cozy.
These are the three faces of November. Some trees are mostly to partially still green. Most trees are at or just past their peak of colour. Some trees have lost most to all of their leaves and are prepared for winter.
And these are the two legs of November.
It’s a marvellous feeling to walk through so many leaves that you can no longer see your feet. Every step makes delightful crunching noises. I always have to fight the urge to dive into the leaves and do whatever the equivalent to swimming in them might be.
Our tree friend who lost half of its branches in that storm last winter is quickly shedding leaves.
As is our tree friend who lost about a third of its branches and has been droopy and strangely damp in its trunk this autumn.
The trunk of this one looks a little less damp now, but I see no other obvious changes in it for better or for worse. May both of these trees do well this winter.
It’s hard to know when to stop sharing photos with you. The landscape is filled with beauty now in every direction you look. This tree looked like it was glowing when I snapped a photo of it.
Don’t you want to go run into the centre of the park and twirl around with joy? I sure do.
There’s something remarkable about being surrounded by so many picturesque scenes.
As hinted above, November is one of those months that changes rapidly. Some trees are bare while the ones next to them still have some to most of their leaves attached.
I don’t know about all of you, but I still find beauty in trees that are past their peak autumn colours.
There’s something marvellous about watching autumn leaves dance on the ground when a stiff breeze hits them, too. I tried to film them to share on social media, but they stopped every time I hit the record button on my phone.
We’re also just begun to reach the time of year when the trees reveal their secrets.
I hope to share more photos like this next month. It’s fascinating to see where the bird nests were last summer when you couldn’t directly see the nests for yourself.
If we were walking through this park together, I’d stop and show you many nests like these. I think we should admire the birds’ hard work over the summer. The park, and the ecosystem in general, wouldn’t be the same without them. My ears sure appreciate their songs as well.
As always, I’ll end this post with the famous bench-lined walkway in the park. Isn’t it beautiful in autumn?
Stay safe, friends. Winter is right around the corner.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a 1973 animated Thanksgiving film about Charlie Brown, the famous animated character from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, throwing an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner for all of his friends.
The other films in this holiday trilogy in it include A Charlie Brown Christmas from 1965 and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown from 1966.
They all work as standalone stories. There is no need to watch them in a specific order.
I decided to review A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving because it’s the least well known part of this trilogy. It wasn’t something I was aware of growing up even though I knew about and liked the other films.
This review won’t contain a list of characters for spoiler reasons. The run time was only 25 minutes for this film, so I don’t have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to discussing the plot without giving away what happens in it.
My Review
The premise was one of the other reasons why I wanted to review this film. I can’t imagine throwing together a Thanksgiving dinner on the same day I discovered such a thing was expected of me. Ugh!
Charlie Brown (who is pictured in the film poster above) didn’t even have the advantage of knowing how to roast a turkey or make all of the traditional side dishes for this holiday. He was a child who was just beginning to learn to make simple dishes like toast and popcorn, so his predicament was even worse than I originally assumed it would be.
I was intrigued by what a Thanksgiving dinner cooked by a kid his age would be like and if he’d figure out how to get everything warm and on the table at the same time. Seeing what that process was like for him was a great deal of fun.
One of the other unexpected twists in this film had to do with what happens when Thanksgiving doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would. That message is just as relevant now as it was nearly fifty years ago. Honestly, it’s even more relevant now in some ways than it was when it first came out!
I loved the way the filmmakers approached the concept of feeling disappointment about the holiday festivities you’d planned and how to handle that emotion.
There are so many more things I want to say about the expectation of having a “perfect” Thanksgiving…but they’ll quickly wander into spoiler territory if I’m not careful.
It was also interesting to note how the culture of Thanksgiving has evolved since 1973. The ways the characters talked about the first Thanksgiving and this holiday in general weren’t exactly the same as they’re often discussed these days, although they did remind me of how these topics were handled when I was a kid.
I wonder what kids today would think of this tale?
Do note that the preview I included below for this short film is an original one from 1973 and does include some spoilers.
Long and Short Reviews is a large, well-respected book review site that has been around since 2007. They are currently seeking out guest bloggers for their Winter Blogfest which is scheduled to run December 21 through January 1.
This is an amazing free opportunity for authors from any genre to meet likeminded writers and introduce yourselves to new potential readers.
Here’s what you’ll need to do to participate:
Write a 250-500 word guest post that is holiday or winter themed
Offer a small prize (for example, a free copy of one of your ebooks or anything else you choose to offer)
It’s that simple.
The Winter Blogfest is open to everyone and every winter holiday. You could write about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, the Winter Solstice, New Year’s, other winter holidays/celebrations, or the winter season in general.
In past years, they’ve published guest posts about special holiday recipes, people’s favourite memories of the season, funny stories about celebrations that maybe didn’t turn out the way the author thought they would, the history of certain holiday figures, foods, songs, etc., and so much more. As long as it’s not pure promo, let your imaginations run wild.
Participants also have the option of including links to their website, social media accounts, etc. if they wish.
Go to Long and Short Reviews for instructions on how to submit your entry and for more information. I look forward to reading your entries if you decide to join in.
The deadline to submit a guest post to this event is December 11. Spread the word!
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
Honestly, it’s been years since I read a book that included actual recipes in it, But I do love stories that describe food, especially when they goes in great detail about it.
All of these dishes seem simple enough to reverse engineer recipes for, so I figured that’s close enough for this week’s prompt. 🙂
Tarts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland:
In the next moment, her eyes fell on the White Rabbit that was serving the court as a herald and was reading the accusation that the Knave of Hearts had stolen the Queen’s tarts. In the middle of the court, a large platter of tarts was on display.”
(In my imagination, they’re strawberry tarts!)
Roasted potatoes from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett:
“Dickon made the stimulating discovery […] there was a deep little hollow where you could build a sort of tiny oven with stones and roast potatoes and eggs in it. […] Very hot potatoes with salt and fresh butter in them were fit for a woodland king—besides being deliciously satisfying.”
Blueberry Pie from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White:
“The children ran for the kitchen. ‘Just in time for a piece of blueberry pie,’ said Mrs. Zuckerman.”
Clam Chowder from Moby-Dick:
“However, a warm savory steam from the kitchen served to belie the apparently cheerless prospect before us. But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh, sweet friends! hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuit, and salted pork cut up into little flakes; the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt.”
This entire amazing meal from Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg:
“Idgie and Ruth had set a place for him at a table. He sat down to a plate of fried chicken, black-eyed peas, turnip greens, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, and iced tea.”
Last year I used the Thanksgiving prompt to discuss Native American authors and books. This year I decided to share some of the things I’m grateful for.
Answer #6 mentions Covid-19, so feel free to skip it if that’s a sensitive topic for you. I’m sending virtual hugs to everyone who has had their heart broken by this awful illness this year.
1. Canadian Healthcare
I grew up in the United States in a family that sometimes struggled to pay medical (and other) bills, so it blew my mind to immigrate to a country where you can make an appointment with your family doctor (or even a specialist) without ever having worry about how you’ll afford to pay for that visit.
Canada definitely isn’t a perfect country, but I love the fact that everyone here has the ability to get that suspicious mole/lump checked out or find out that they have high blood pressure/diabetes/other chronic health conditions before those diagnoses balloon into something life-threatening and very difficult to treat. I wish everyone on Earth had this same access to decent medical care.
2. Jana, Top Ten Tuesday, and You
Thank you, Jana, for hosting Top Ten Tuesday. I’ve met so many wonderful people through this blog hop, and I’m grateful for all of you.
3. A Quiet, Warm, Safe Place to Live
4. A Kitchen Filled With Food
5. Clean Clothes and Comfortable Shoes
There are far too many people in this world whose basic needs aren’t being met. I do what I can to help them and only wish I could do more.
6. My Parents Surviving Covid-19
Both of my parents caught Covid-19 this year. I am so grateful that they are still around. May next year bring a vaccine that will grind this illness to a halt.
7. The Internet
How many of you remember what life was like before most people had access to the Internet? I do, and I’m glad we have ways to digitally reach out to one another during this pandemic. Life would be much sadder and more isolated if we were all stuck at home without it.
8. Humorous Pet Videos and Gifs
This list needs something silly on it.
Humorous animal content brings so much joy to my life. When my parents were sick earlier this year, I relied heavily on stuff like compilation videos of cute baby rabbits to distract me while we waited for updates about their health.
9. Front Line Workers
I deeply appreciate all of you. Thank you for working so hard to keep everyone healthy, safe, and stocked up on all of the necessities of life like food and medicine.
You are the true heroes of 2020.
10. Exercise
A good workout does wonders for my mind and body!
11. Dairy-Free Treats
2020 has felt like it lasted a decade, so I’m sneaking one last item onto my list.
I love the fact that there has been a surge of companies offering dairy-free ice cream, cookies, chocolate bars, and more. These items used to be much harder to find, so it’s marvellous to have such a big selection of them now when I want a treat.
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Oh, how I wish that all of these songs could be turned into books.
Yes, there are plenty of obstacles along the way in just about any Star Trek story arc, and they can be difficult to resolve depending on the series and the specific conflict in question.
I’m the sort of reader who bounces between doing many rereads and only wanting to read books that are new to me.
Tarts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland:
Blueberry Pie from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White:
2. Jana, Top Ten Tuesday, and You
9. Front Line Workers