Betsy Snow White Bibliophile

Category: Slice of Life

  • Rasputina…Powerful, Unusual Cello Rock

    I can remember the first time I heard the band Rasputina. I had read about the band in Entertainment Weekly, and then their album Thanks for the Ether arrived via Columbia House (This is also how I found and fell in love with Tori Amos). I asked to be allowed to keep it and thus began a love affair that has spanned two decades. I fell in love with the heavy cello, beautiful melodies and unusual lyrics. The first song to stand out to me was “Transylvanian Concubine” a lovely song about Vampires; Lyrical standout “Transylvanian Concubine, You know what flows here like wine.” I also loved the song “Stumpside” and “My little Shirtwaist Fire.” The band, well Melora Creager the lead singer/cellist, wrote a song about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire! A tragedy that had long fascinated me.

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    I eagerly awaited their next album How We Quit the Forest and snatched up the interim release Transylvania Regurgitations which featured songs from Thanks for the Ether remixed and remastered by Marilyn Manson and Twiggy Ramirez. How We Quit The Forest brought more unusual and wonderful music. Songs like “Leechwife” and “The New Zero” caught me and had me singing along. “Rose K” had me looking into the story of Rose Kennedy, the matriarch of the Kennedy’s as well as her lobotomized daughter Rose Marie.

    I am ridiculously excited that I get to see them in concert again tomorrow night. I saw them once in 2004 or so when they played at Little Brothers (now closed) in Columbus. Tomorrow they are playing Rumba Cafe which is a lovely and intimate space for a show. I am trying to decide what I want to wear to the show. Rasputina is famous for their Victorian style so it is tempting to break out a corset for the event. I have a gorgeous brown corset from Damsel in This Dress with a layered cream colored cropped bodice that would look good with a skirt or jeans, so I may go with that look. We shall see.

     

     

  • Celebrating the Last Day of Festival

    Today was the last day of the Ohio Renaissance Festival for 2019. This was an amazing year for me. The wenches guild is growing and developing into something wonderful and the fact that I am a part of that is a massive source of pride for me. The wenches of Local 73 are some of the loveliest and kindest women and I am proud to be among them.

    I tried to get photos with as many wenches as possible today, and I have a collection of photos to share. I am sharing here first. 🙂

  • Things that I want to do someday

    Do you have a list of things that you would love to do when you have the money, bravery or opportunity? I certainly do. So here are some of the things I have always wanted to do/try:

    1. Burlesque – I love to watch burlesque and have always wanted to perform. Maybe one day. I did just get VIP seats to an amazing burlesque show in January!!
    2. Fire Eating/Breathing – The two kinda go hand in hand and I would love to take a class to learn it.
    3. Skydiving – Strictly tandem, but I have always wanted to try.
    4. Roller Derby – I am a Ohio Roller Derby super fan, and would love to be able to play. I roller skate well, but I am not sure if I am fit enough for that.
    5. Play the Ukelele – I have the ukelele, but I am not great at it. I need to learn to play it. This is probably the most doable.

    Do you have any dreams like this? What would you love to do?

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  • Cinnamon, Spice and Everything Nice

    Cinnamon, Spice and Everything Nice

    Fall enters on a breeze scented with cinnamon in my world. Cinnamon, clove, ginger and the smell of piles of falling leaves kicked up when you walk in them. The autumn brings with it candles, wax melts, pine cones and so much more in all the spicy wonderful scents that I cannot get enough of.

    I am a basic witch who loves all things pumpkin spice, but that is because it is spice. The spices used in typical Pumpkin Spice are cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and sometimes allspice. All the yummy spicy goodness leads to wonderful smells.

    There are few smells in this world that make me feel as cozy as the smell of cinnamon. It brings me back to days baking with my grandmother for the fall; making cooked apples or pumpkin pie. Sometimes baking cookies with snickerdoodles rolling them in cinnamon sugar and having cinnamon fingers for the rest of the day.

    There is a cookie I love to bake, that I found in the Witches Datebook from Llewellyn several years ago. They are called Beltane Passion Cookies, but they smell and taste of  autumn to me.

    Beltane Passion Cookies

    3/4 cup unsalted butter

    1 cup brown sugar

    1 egg

    1/4 cup molasses

    1 3/4 cups whole grain flour

    1/2 tsp salt

    3 tsp ground cinnamon

    1 1/2 tsp ground cloves

    5 tsp powdered ginger

    1/8 tsp granulated sugar

    2 tsp baking soda

    1/2 cup crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped (optional)

    Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a hand mixer cream the butter with the sugar then beat in the egg and molasses. Sift all the dry ingredients into a medium bowl, then stir into the wet batter. Add crystallized ginger. Roll batter into 1 inch balls and dip one side into granulated sugar. Place sugar side up on baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

    I may have to whip some of these up next week for Samhain. A little passion never hurt at any time of the year.

    What smells are fall to you?

  • Ready to Write

    Ready to Write

    I am working on getting myself geared up for NaNoWriMo and starting classes in my new major next week, so I have been looking on Pinterest for inspiration from other writers to get me geared up and ready to go. I have already read through the syllabi for my classes and feel like I picked up some really interesting advice from that.

    I am the kind of reader who once I have fallen in love with a book I will read that book again and again. In an announcement for my class English 510: Studying the Craft my instructor Amy Myer advised us:

    “Chances are, you’ve all heard that adage that a good writer is a good reader. True. But does that mean to be a good reader means to read all the classics? To read all the yearly award winners? To read book after book after book after book? 

    No. 

    To be a good reader is to read widely …within reason. But more importantly than that, it’s reading repeatedly those books that call to you. The ones that told you you want to be a writer. The ones that you read and sigh and say, “I hope I can write like this someday” or “I hope I can craft a story this thrilling someday.”

    She would go on to explain that the first time we read a book or story all we read is plot. On second and third readings we can find more and really examine the craft in the piece. For the class we need to choose two books one classic (30 years old or more) and one contemporary and she recommends choosing a book you have read before, as both books have to be read during the course. I have a couple of ideas on which books I may want to use; The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern for my contemporary and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath as my classic. These are subject to change, but were my initial thoughts.

    Are there books that you have read again and again? What are they and why do you love them? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo?

  • Rest of 2019 Bucket List – Updated With Pictures!!

    Rest of 2019 Bucket List – Updated With Pictures!!

    • Wench photo with the Queen!

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    • Get my major changed to creative Writing.

    Done!! I am beginning my classes on Monday!! I am so excited and feel so positive about this. I also designed and ordered myself some business cards with my website and social media info on them.

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    • Attend both days the last weekend of Ohio Renaissance Festival
    • Get autographs from Rasputina (Melora Creager)
    • Finish Blogtober strong (I get a book if I do)
    • Rennie outing to Book Loft?
    • Participate and succeed in NaNoWriMo (Are you participating? Link me BetsySnowWhite)
    • Photo with Krampus!
    • Photo with Santa and the Wenches
    • Wench invasion of Columbus and Cincinnati Zoo.
    • Wench invasion of Kentucky Dickens Festival
    • Set up Christmas trees
    • Christmas Party
    • Attend Roaring 20s New Year Party
  • Witch Baby Soap and My Favorite Bath Bombs

    Witch Baby Soap and My Favorite Bath Bombs

    I am a pisces and my watery nature makes it so I love to take baths. I would take one every day if I could. And in those baths I love to use bath bombs. I am particularly fond of the bath bombs from Witch Baby Soaps. My personal favorite is the psychic which has a chunk of amethyst inside. I also love the Rune bath bomb which has a stone rune inside and comes with a list to tell you what your rune means. I recently bought the autumn spell box which came with a bar of soap, three bath bombs (one for each of the full moons in fall), a body scrub, a pretty wooden spoon with moon phases burnt on it and an apron with their tagline “Get Naked. Do Witchcraft” on it. I love very piece. I have recently tried most of their Halloween bombs and recommend them highly as well. Here are some photos of bath bombs in use.

  • David Sedaris and Accidental Synchronicity

    David Sedaris and Accidental Synchronicity

    This afternoon Seth and I headed downtown to the Palace Theatre for An Evening with David Sedaris.

    Last year around October we saw him for the first time, and got to meet him and have him autograph books for us. My friend from high school, Julie, works for the bookstore that always sponsors his appearances (The Book Loft. I am planning a whole post⁸ dedicated to that later.) She walked us up and introduced us a s friends of hers, and we chatted with David and he signed our two books as follows.

    This year we also saw Julie, and walked to say hello to David. We introduced ourselves and David said something to the extent of “Betsy , I remember Betsy. She was a nice girl but smelled a bit like a public toilet. You know bath and body works. And Seth.” And then he drew…a hand flipping the opener of the book off. I laughed and told him we had another book signed by him with a similar drawing and he said “oh, no!” I told him it was perfect and a bizarre coincidence.

    Walking away Seth and I mused that we must just look like we need to be flipped off. Lol.

    He was funny, poignant and generally wonderful to see a second time. I will certainly go again if I have the chance. If you have never read his work I reccomend starting with Holidays on Ice which combines his essays with fiction to make one quirky and wonderful holiday experience. It includes the famous, Santaland Diaries, which has been mafe into a play as well. If you can get his books on audio I also recommend it because he usually reads them and it is a joy to hear.

    Are you a David Sedaris fan?

  • Bucket List For the Rest of 2019

    This is the list of things I would like to do before the end of 2019. Some of these may seem easy, but have issues associated. Many involve a lot of moving parts, so that makes them challenging. Let’s see how many I cross off. I will revisit as I get things done.

    • Wench photo with the Queen!
    • Get my major changed to creative Writing.
    • Attend both days the last weekend of Ohio Renaissance Festival
    • Finish Blogtober strong (I get a book if I do)
    • Rennie outing to Book Loft?
    • Participate and succeed in NaNoWriMo (Are you participating? Link me BetsySnowWhite)
    • Photo with Krampus!
    • Photo with Santa and the Wenches
    • Wench invasion of Columbus and Cincinnati Zoo.
    • Set up Christmas trees.
    • Christmas Party
    • Roaring 20s New Year Party

    I think that is it…though I may add and subtract things as I go along.

  • Elvira, A Love Letter to the Mistress of the Dark.

    Elvira, A Love Letter to the Mistress of the Dark.

    Elvira,

    I do not, in fact, remember the first time I ever saw you. I suspect it was watching the movie Elvira, Mistress of the Dark at an age that was far too young. It could also have been  when you hosted a horror movie late at night, or a guest spot on a show. What I do know is that immediately you had an effect on me. You were beautiful, and funny, and macabre which was not a common combination in the world. In coming years we would have Morticia Addams as played by Angelica Houston and Wednesday by Christina Ricci, but in the late 80s there was only one prime time ghoul for future goth girls to emulate and it was you.

    To this day you remain a treasure to me. Your campy, spooky sensibility never ceases to make me laugh. Your sexy to the point of hyperbole clothing is witchy clothing goals. Your bad ass never give a crap what people think attitude is something I aspire to.

    Though you had a competition once to find a replacement, I knew there was just no way to find someone who could so perfectly embody all the heart, innuendo and horror you imbue Elvira with.

    Please keep being you, and your alter ego, for as long as it is fun to do so. I will be right here cheering you on from Columbus, Ohio.

    Unpleasant Dreams,

    Betsy

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