Betsy Snow White Bibliophile

Category: Slice of Life

  • Pinball Wizard (Or Something Like it)

    Pinball Wizard (Or Something Like it)

    Today I got a chance to play on my favorite pinball machine for the first time in years. It is this machine:

    This is a machine based off of the Broadway Musical version of The Who’s Tommy.

    First you need to know that when I was eleven or twelve my older sister, Krystie, bought us tickets to the Broadway in Columbus production of The Who’s Tommy. I had never even heard the music and I was blown away by the production, the music, everything was just amazing.

    Later that year we went as a family to Cedar Point. My cousin, Lynsi, and I were given some money (I was given $40) and we were sent off to the arcade to play for an hour. As we walked in I saw it, a The Who’s Tommy Pinball Machine.

    Immediately I walked over and as soon as I could exchange cash for coin I began to play. I am not a pinball wizard, but I love to play and this machine played just the way I liked. And as you played and your score rose the machine would play snippets of songs from the musical.

    Before I knew it I had spent all $40 of my dollars on this machine. My mom came to find us and when she realized what had happened she forbade me from setting foot in an arcade again.

    Now, for most people they would understand that she meant I should never spend money on a game like that again, but my probably neurodivergent ass took it literally. So when my friends would go into the arcade in our local mall I would wait outside for them and read a book or something (I am an elder millenial so there were no smart phones then).

    When my mom found this out when I was 18 or so, she was horrified. She of course did not intend for me to literally never set foot in an arcade again. But, regardless of intention that is what I took from it.

    The Who’s Tommy is still my favorite machine ( The Addams Family is a close second) in spite of all the weirdness. I remain not great at pinball, but I still love it. And I can still sing the whole soundtrack to the musical. ❤️

    This machine was at the Main Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library on loan from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. My husband took me to play it today for my birthday. It was also the Big Book Sale at the Library so I bought a bunch of books too. A good day!

  • 2023 So Far…

    2023 So Far…

    I have read 178 books. I have seen 13 movies in the theatre. I have attended several parties, roller derby, a belly dance show, a burlesque show, a concert, and much more. My dad died. I reconnected with my half sister, Chelli. My dog died. I gained 5 pounds. I met several of my favorite authors. I made a ridiculous tiara out of Barbie heads. I turned 42. I drank mead, wine and cocktails. I learned how to drink water. I applied for a job I really wanted and I didn’t get it. I started a book club. I got sick and then got better. I bought a wonderful turquoise hat. I got compliments from people about my hat, my 80s jingle charm necklace, my hair tinsel, my boots, my general sense of style. A friend told another friend that she loved how brave and creative I was with my style. I didn’t write very much, because I wasn’t hearing the stories in my mind. There was too much static. But it is starting to clear and I am hearing words again. So…here I am.

  • Bibliophilia and the Book Wyrm

    Bibliophilia and the Book Wyrm

    I saw this tweet the other day from SketchesbyBoze on twitter that said:

    Immediately I decided that this is my current situation…I am in my year of reading frivolously. 📚  I have been in school for so long that I have rarely read just for myself in the last 10 years. Now, since my masters degree is complete I am free to read just for the pure joy of reading. As on January first I have already read or listened to 10 books. I feel more like myself than I have in a very long time.

    I am also in a place with my writing where I feel like some writing will help me feel inspired. So I am reading, a lot. I reset my book goal for the year to 72 books, or six a month, with the possibility to change again if my current speed keeps up. I am reading like I am running out of time, or perhaps making up for lost time.

    I have loved everything I have read so far. And I have found several authors who I am eager to work through their other works. Other than A.K. Mulford and T.J. Klune whom I already acknowledged I also enjoyed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue which was absolutely lovely and bittersweet and the first two books of the Paper Magician series by Charlie N Holmberg. I am getting lost in these wonderful worlds and highly recommend the books and authors.

    More books to come, lol.

  • 2023…

    2023…

    Here we are. It is January. The start to a new year is upon us. I have some simple goals for the year: read more 📚, write more ✒️, skate more 🛼, travel more🗺, play more 🎉, laugh more 😂, love more ❤,  witch more 🕯, and be more myself than ever before.

    My 2023 word of the year is:

    To me this means to believe in myself, believe in others, believe in the unbelievable, and just generally believe. I want to try to reconnect with the feeling of truly believing I had as a child. The witch in me is ready for this as well.

    I have already read two books this year to get my reading goals off to a good start. I am participating in the Girlxoxo 2023 Monthly Keyword Challenge. The idea is that you pick a book with one of these words in the title, or a related word to the keywords. The keywords for January are: crown, girl, whisper, black, heart, guide, all, and ever. They also have a group on Goodreads to keep up with others in the group.

    My first two books of the year were The Rogue Crown by A.K. Mulford and Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune. I highly enjoyed both books and I feel like I am off to a very strong start this year. I set a super conservative goal of reading 24 books for 2023, but I am planning to revisit that after this month.

    What are you reading? Do you have any goals? I am also doing this crazy bingo that I found on pinterest. I will keep you updated on how that goes.

  • October 25- 27: October Bucket List, TBR and Book Bingo Check In!

    October 25- 27: October Bucket List, TBR and Book Bingo Check In!

    It has been a couple of days so, let’s check in on my October Bucket List, TBR and Book Bingo. I have already blogged about some of these events, but here we go:

    • Witch Walk 2022
    • Dark Market 2022
    • Carve a Pumpkin
    • Go to a Halloween Party
    • Celebrate our 10th anniversary
    • Attend Ren Faire at least once a weekend – It is the final weekend and once I hit October I have gone at least once a weekend.
    • Tales from the Crypt at Green Lawn Abbey – This is tomorrow night.
    • Finish and upgrade Mothman Costume for Faire – Got the final pieces on the way. Debuts on Sunday.
    • Read 4 books – I have read The Last Graduate, Pumpkin Pie, When Life Gives You Vampires and The Kiss Curse
    • Create a great basket for my spooky basket buddy
    • Have a fire and make smores
    • Send out Halloween Cards – Probably Hand delivering at this point. Shrug.
    • Complete the Lionarts Tarot Challenge for October

    So where am I at bookish Bingo:

    I got a Bingo thanks to The Kiss Curse! It put me over with people wearing disguises or costumes! This was genuinely fun.

    And the master video of Halloween Countdown for the 25th thru the 27th:

  • October 12 – My October Bucket List Review

    • Witch Walk 2022
    • Dark Market 2022
    • Carve a Pumpkin
    • Go to a Halloween Party
    • Celebrate our 10th anniversary
    • Attend Ren Faire at least once a weekend
    • Tales from the Crypt at Green Lawn Abbey
    • Finish and upgrade Mothman Costume for Faire
    • Read 4 books
    • Create a great basket for my spooky basket buddy
    • Have a fire and make smores
    • Send out Halloween Cards
    • Complete the Lionarts Tarot Challenge for October

    I have added a couple of items and I am working on some of these but one is down.

    Halloween countdown for the 12th:

  • October 11 – Taking down the Christmas Tree

    October 11 – Taking down the Christmas Tree

    The last couple years with plague, school, work, wenches and life have been difficult. I often felt stretched beyond my limits and the result of that was my Christmas tree staying up since I put it up in December of 2020. Part of it was that it had my favorite ornaments on it which made me happy to look at but part of it was just that at any given time I simply did not have the energy to take the tree down.

    Yesterday, the tree came down. I was doing a general clean up and I said, that tree is coming down today. So I took all the ornaments and put them in the tote that had been sitting by the tree since 2020 just waiting to be loaded back up with ornaments. I disassembled the tree and put it away. I swept the area where the tree had been.

    Today it feels like a weight I did not realize I was carrying was lifted off my shoulders. The tree is down. And I think I will put up the pink tree in its place this year. But I finally had the energy left to do this simple, but necessary task. What other simple things have I been neglecting for myself while filling other baskets with energy. All I know is that the Christmas tree is down. And I feel great about it.

    Also, today Angela Lansbury died. I loved her in so many films, shows and plays. Here is a collage of some of my favorite roles of hers clockwise from top left: As Eglentine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, as Nancy in Gaslight, as Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, as Princess Gwendolyn in The Court Jester, as Aunt Adelaide in Nanny McPhee, and as Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote.

    Halloween Coundown for day 11:

  • October 7 – My Favorite Fall Drinks

    October 7 – My Favorite Fall Drinks

    The other day in celebration of our anniversary Seth and I went to the forge for dinner and to play board games. I got 3 drinks while we were there: Zombie Killer cider, Dryad’s Orchard Sangria (Witches Brew Pumpkin Spice, Captain Morgan Apple Spiced Rum, Apple Cider) and the non-alcoholic Crisp Caramel Apple (Apple Cider, Caramel Syrup and a splash of Ginger Beer).

    In fall, but in general, I love drinks with Apple Cider. I love apple in general, but there is something about apple cider that I just adore! Already this October I have personally consumed about a gallon of apple cider, which is a lot. Damn.

    My grandma always used to make this: a gallon of apple cider. Half a bag of cinnamon red hots.

    Bring to boil in a saucepan on the stove and serve hot. To make this boozy I would add some cinnamon schnapps and half the red hots.

    Another fall favorite for us is cheap butter beer. Use a bottle of beer – Killians is what is called for but this is also a great way to get through bad beer. A generous shot of butterscotch schnapps.

    Pour into a glass and drink. It is delicious.

    I love fancy mixed drinks, but these are some of my favorite fall simple drinks. Do you have a favorite fall drink?

    Here is the Halloween Countdown drawer of the day:

  • October 6 – 10 years of White

    October 6 – 10 years of White

    Ten years ago today Seth and I got married in a ceremony that was so personal to us that we wrote the whole thing, lol.

    Our wedding was largely DIY for Seth, myself and many members of my friends and family. My mom made Seth’s vest and my jacket. Seth made chainmaille flowers, and our chainmaille handfasting cord. I made button flowers and assembled my bouquet, the bouquet for my sister and the boutonniere’s for the guys and lots of little things. My sister in law Niki made our cupcakes. Our friend Cliff made our “wedding topper” diorama and the steps that led to the stage. So many people helped us along the way.

    Our wedding was uniquely ours. There was a bit of us in every aspect of the wedding. Our wedding was even featured in offbeat bride which you can see here: https://offbeatwed.com/columbus-steampunk-wedding/.

    Here is to 10 years of marriage and 15 years as a couple.

    And…The Halloween Countdown drawer of the day: