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Middletown Scarecrows Rule!

 

The 13th Annual Scarecrow Contest!

I heard all about these scarecrows on Main St. in Middletown and I had to go see them for myself! I was pleasantly surprised!  Families and businesses put up their scarecrows in September, voted in Mid October and the winners were just announced over the weekend. Congrats to the family who won first place for their Mr. Potato Head!

I just had to stop and take a photo with the Mandalorian for #MandoMonday! We locked eyes from the start. But the “2020 Y’all” guy was by far MY FAVORITE. Major creative points for being upside down. I’m sure we can all relate.

 

“QuaranTINA,” was super clever and was decked out in the hottest 2020 fashion. This little S’more stole my heart! Fire pit attached was a nice touch. Overall, I AM SO IMPRESSED by Middletown’s creativity and I hope we can find a way to enter the contest next year. On our way out we also spotted my favorite TV character David Rose from Schitt’s Creek, but he seemed too cool to take a picture with me 😉

 

 

Carve Your Favorite Country Artists into Pumpkins!

Did you know you can win a Universal Music Group Nashville Halloween Prize pack by carving your favorite country artists into pumpkins?

Get more pumpkin carving stencils of your favorite country artists HERE

{Katie’s Kitchen} Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Brought to you by Catoctin Mountain Orchard.

I’ve found the secret to roasting the perfect potatoes!

Pre-heat your oven to a high temp… I did 425 degrees.

Wash but don’t peel 2 lbs. potatoes. If you have time, soak the potatoes in cold water for up to 1 hour (It helps to remove the starch). Then, dry the potatoes.

I used gold potatoes and chopped them into 1 in cubes. Then, tossed them in olive oil, parsley, garlic powder, thyme, basil, rosemary and salt and pepper. You can add paprika, too, if you’d like a little kick.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until crispy and tender.

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs. of any kind of potatoes
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 3 tbsp. dried or fresh herbs (rosemary, parsley, thyme, basil, paprika, optional)
  • salt and pepper

 

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Graves Six Feet Deep?

Why are graves “six feet deep”? Who decided that?

 

Well, the simple answer: it started with the plague. The beginnings of the phrase “6 feet under” came from an outbreak of the plague in 1665 England. As the plague devastatingly swept across the country, London’s mayor at the time decreed precisely what was to be done with all the bodies left in the disease’s wake, in order to avoid further infections. Among the specifications he laid out was that “all the graves shall be at least six feet deep.”

 

Over time, though, that law fell out of favor both at home in England & across the pond in the American colonies. Burial laws nowadays differ from state to state, but many states only require a minimum of 18 inches of soil on top of a casket or vault. For a body not enclosed in anything, the required depth is at least 2 feet of soil. So, with 18-inches of dirt as a buffer, combined with the height of the average casket (around 30 inches), a grave as shallow as 4 feet is technically fine.

 

A burial today involves filling a body with chemical preservatives, sealing it inside a sturdy metal casket, then enclosing that casket within a steel or cement burial vault. It’s a much less hospitable environment for microbes now than old graves once were. For non-typical burials (where a body isn’t embalmed, a vault isn’t used, the casket is wood instead of metal, or there’s no casket whatsoever), the less strict burial standards still provide a measure of safety & comfort. Without any protection, though, after a few years of soil erosion the remains of a departed loved one could unexpectedly (and problematically) resurface. You don’t want those remains getting too close to still-living humans, since they could likely spread disease (and, not to mention, scare the living daylights out of you).

 

How human remains are currently processed after having “shuffled off its mortal coil” is currently safe & prudent. And, as you now know, there’s good reason behind why the final resting places of the dearly departed are where they are.

 

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

{Katie’s Baby Blog} Big Sister Lily

Lily is so excited to be a big sister…I think…I’m not actually sure she really knows what it means yet; but I think she will be when the baby comes!

I ask her all of the time if she’s excited and she says yes! Then she says “baby in your belly?” then she pulls up her shirt and looks at her own belly with a very confused look on her face! It’s so cute… 😉

I’m wondering what she’s going to think once I really start showing and my stomach starts growing. Knowing her, she will be too busy playing My Little Pony’s or with her baby dolls to notice.

This time around is really kicking my butt! Like I said last week, keeping up with a 2 year old while your pregnant is CHALLENGING. I’m still waiting to get that “2nd trimester energy” back (I don’t think it’s coming).

The BEST part of pregnancy this time around…the weeks seem to be flying by. Chasing a 2 year old also helps you to not focus as much on how lonnnnng 9 months can be until you meet baby. I find it going by quick this time and am surprised that I’m already at my next appointment and 4 weeks have gone by.

15 weeks and counting…

<3 Katie Ryan

 

 

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Do People Love Horror Movies?

It’s that time of year: horror movie time! Now I think we can all agree that, when it comes to scary movies, people either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Not too many people are neutral on the subject. But for those of us who love terror flicks, the question usually asked by those who don’t care for them is: “Why?” Well, if you’re a fan of scary movies (as I am), there are some possible reasons why:

 

Experts agree:

 

  • Horror movies trigger your brain’s fight or flight response. So, being scared gives you an adrenaline rush.

 

  • Even though you’re terrified & your heart’s racing, you know you’re safe. There’s something about getting to that edge…then turning back, knowing you are not in any real danger.

 

  • Watching fictional characters deal with terror helps us learn how to deal with our own fears & anxieties. The world can be a scary place sometimes, so watching scary movies can help you prepare for the worst & learn how to cope.

 

  • It lets you explore your own dark side. While people may not want to admit it, there are parts of ourselves that intuitively want to lash out sometimes. Watching horror movies allows a person to do that in a non-harmful way.

 

  • It makes you think you’re different than the victim, and therefore more likely to survive. Watching people in horror movies make stupid moves & decisions convinces us that, if we were in those situations, we wouldn’t make those poor choices & would likely survive.

 

So binge on a good horror flick marathon tonight or this weekend…in a weird way, it’s good for you! (Sort of.)

 

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Does My Arm Hurt After Getting A Flu Shot?

Gotten your flu shot yet this year? If you have, good on you! If you haven’t…do it!

 

If you’ve ever gotten a flu shot in your life, though, your upper arm probably felt sore for a day or two. And, according to immunologists, that’s just a sign that the vaccine’s doing what it’s supposed to.

 

The way the influenza vaccine works, it introduces a foreign substance called an antigen into your body, which, in this case, is a deactivated/“dead” virus similar to the flu. When you expose cells in your immune system to an antigen, it “primes” them to create antibodies if/when they ever encounter that foreign substance again. Because it’s an inactive virus in the vaccine, it can’t make you sick. But, it does sensitize your immune system to potential threats. So, basically, the vaccine puts your body on high alert for anything resembling the flu, which enables you to fight off infections & illnesses faster & more effectively than without the vaccine.

 

When it takes on that inactive flu virus, your immune system also puts out histamines. They cause inflammation, which is important during an infection, since it helps your body fight off the bad stuff & repair damage. But, that’s also what causes soreness. The flu shot, usually injected into your upper arm, is why your body’s early immune response (and pain) tends to be concentrated there.

 

Around 1-in-5 people have this sort of painful reaction. But, if you tend to be sore after receiving a flu shot, there are a few things you can do to alleviate the pain. Doctors advise taking ibuprofen about 2 hours before getting the shot. Also, try putting ice on the injection site to reduce redness & swelling. Be sure to move your arm around after getting the shot, too, so the vaccine isn’t as concentrated in just the one place. Aside from that, try getting the vaccine in your non-dominant arm so any pain doesn’t interfere with your everyday activities.

 

Any pain is worth it, though, since odds are that you could get the flu in the future, even if you’ve never gotten the flu before. And, getting a flu shot contributes to herd immunity, as well, helping to protect those around you at higher-risk like children, older adults, and those with chronic illnesses who often can’t get the flu vaccine themselves. Keep your vaccines up-to-date! It’s an easy way to help keep your community healthy, and, with most insurances, it’s free!

 

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

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