• 1litchick
      • hello Beth Seaman
      • Username: 1litchick
      • In response to: "Who are you?" I'm a girl who was lucky enough to marry the man of my dreams. I'm the mother of an amazing little boy who tests my knowledge and understanding of life every single day. And I'm a writer.
  • 1litchick's latest answers
    • Gimme the Sweet Stuff

      • Wherein I could not, would not make a choice and it would take you and a slew of Dr. Seuss characters to make me.


        Cake and, yes, Pie.JPG

        I love desserts. I come from a family of dessert lovers. Nana's coconut cake, Aunt Dorothy's pineapple upsidedown cake, and Mama's pumpkin pie were staples of family get togethers and holidays.


        Today, Thanksgiving or Christmas without my mother-in-law's sweet potato bread would be devastating, and I still can't function during the holidays without pumpkin AND apple pie.

        I have such wonderful, comforting memories with cake AND pie that I'd never be able to choose a favorite. What I eat depends on what I'm in the mood for, where I am, what season it is, and what's available to me at the time it's to be consumed. Which reminds me, there's a key lime tart in the fridge. Well, gotta bounce!

      • answered by 1litchick on 09/15/2011
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    • Moore or Less?

      • Wherein I discuss how Nathaniel Hawthorne rolls over in his grave every time someone watches The Scarlett Letter with Demi Moore and Gary Oldman.


        Nathaniel Hawthorne

        The first movie I ever saw that was adapted from a book was the 1995 adaptation of The Scarlet Letter starring Demi Moore and Gary Oldman. I left the movie theatre completely disgusted--and not just because Gary Oldman is the ugliest man alive.

        I adored that book. ADORED IT. How could anyone dare rewrite such a perfect story? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Especially if, by "fix", you mean "completely ruin". It was so ridiculously horrible that it won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Remake or Sequel and was nominated for Worst Actress, Worst Director, Worst Picture, Worst Screen Couple (Which one? They were both TERRIBLE.), Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actor.

        I have spent my entire life scoffing at movies adapted from novels and Demi Moore, Robert Duvall, and Gary Oldham are to blame. The only silver lining in my "Books Made into Movies are Shite" cloud is that no book adaptation will ever be that bad. EVER.

      • answered by 1litchick on 07/19/2011
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    • Why Bother?

      • Wherein I discuss the (un)importance of finishing a crappy book.


        Books behind the bed

        I had a conversation with a friend a while back and I she confided to me that she just skimmed or skipped parts of a book that she thought were boring or unnecessary to its understanding. I was appalled. What if she missed something important?! If she didn't need to know it, surely author wouldn't have written it?! How could she skim in books that she was really enjoying?! Then I got a grip on reality.

        I used to start a book and then force myself to finish it, regardless of its horrible content. I felt obligated to stick it out to the bitter end. Then I decided to create a list of all my friend's favorite books and attempt to read them. I realized something while trying to plow through Suttree. If I read for pleasure, why in the world was I torturing myself by reading something that I thought was really awful and essentially plotless? (Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE McCarthy fan, but come on, was there a point to Suttree?)

        I also gave into the concept that, even in a good book, there are things you don't really need to know. I can't tell you how many pages I've skimmed or skipped in books I love because I wanted to get back to the action and not read a bunch of whining or arguing. Honestly, I could listen to that garbage out loud in my own home!

        After that, which I suppose I should consider a blessing in disguise, it was much easier for me to skim boring parts of a book or just quit reading a terrible book altogether. There are plenty of other books I haven't read since then, and I enjoy being able to skip over novels I don't like to move on to the ones I do.

      • answered by 1litchick on 07/15/2011
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    • Waves

      • A short little post on the sound of waves.


        Best summertime sound? Waves. Before our vacation this summer, I thought there was no way that the sound of a lake could possibly be as soothing as the ocean. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.

        We spent a week on Cross Lake in Cato, NY. Just listening to the waves lap up on the shore and hit the docks was enough to make me want to move there (although I'd die of hypothermia in winter because there is no heat or insulation at camp). The waves on the lake were much more subtle, but it was just enough that you could hear them in the background all the time. It was the perfect soundtrack to my summer, and I can't wait to hear them again next year.

      • answered by 1litchick on 07/14/2011
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    • Zumba: It's Air Conditioned

      • Wherein I discuss my love of zumba.


        Zumba crowd

        I live in the South. We have about 6 weeks a year when it is actually bearable to be outdoors. It's either ridiculously hot or just plain cold. Humidity is a horrible thing in the summer as well as the winter.

        About a year ago, the woman who owns the dance studio in our little hamlet started a zumba class. I had seen the infomercial (all those high energy, really skinny, toned and tanned ladies and gentlemen making it look really simple) and was pretty skeptical. I mean, I hadn't ever exercised like that in my life. I was a smoker, a drinker, an eater of really fatty, fried foods; in other words, I generally loved living my completely unhealthy lifestyle.

        I was hooked after the first class. It was actually fun. I got to hang out in a room with a bunch of women who I adore (colorful, eclectic group, those ladies) and dance to popular music that I love. It took a few classes to get the routine down, but after that it was smooth sailing (unless you count the fact that I could barely breathe after it was over).

        Once I quit smoking and learned that not eating crap and drinking Cherry Cokes all day before class was a terrible idea, it just got easier. And I loved it even more.

        I fractured my foot recently and haven't been able to attend in a few weeks, but I'm aching to get back to the fun. I hear my instructor has added a few new songs and I'm excited to learn them. I never thought I would enjoy exercise as much as I enjoy zumba.

        And the best part? I get to exercise in AIR CONDITIONING in the months when the heat index is 115. That alone it worth the cost of the class. If you live in the South, you know how wonderful that is.

      • answered by 1litchick on 07/13/2011
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