The Winter Pusheen Box seems to have shipped out pretty close to the Fall Pusheen Box, but I'm not complaining. It's the 10 year anniversary of Pusheen and the theme is food! I like food. So on all of these items you'll see Pusheen holding some kind of food. Unfortunately, I've been really busy with my shop Cats Like Us and didn't have time to film an unboxing, so I hope you like this summary instead.

First off, the box is adorable!

Salt & Pepper Shakers. How did they know we needed salt & pepper shakers?! I imagine they put Stormy and Pusheen on the shakers for S & P, however our set was doing it wrong. Lol. 

Easel Desk Calendar. I still have the one from a few boxes ago that I love. I will def use this one. All the pics are Pusheen with food!

Vinyl Figure. Meh.

A set of 2 Wine Glasses. Yep, they are glass! I've already used these a few times.

Wine glass in action with white bean & spinach burger (I leave out the tomato sauce) and box mix ranch and bacon noodle salad with real bacon and cucumber mixed in!

A set of 2 plastic plates. I've used these a few times already too, but the print does seem off one one of them. Maybe this Pusheen box was a little rushed in production.

Mesh bag with cute keychain. Seems like a handy thing to have. The keychain is cute, but the bag is a little small. I'll use it though.

Light up pom pom garland. Not sure if I'm going to keep this yet. It's cute, I don't really have a place for it.

And finally, a WHITE sweatshirt. Um, it's dangerous for me to wear white when I'm eating food. Bad choice of color. This is going to my husband for layering and wearing around the house. 

Overall this box is NOT as "stellar" as last months box ~ pun intended ~ I got a couple of small defects, and a couple of things I probably won't use. Oh well, that's what happens when you get a surprise box. You can see my other Pusheen unboxings here....

Fall 2017 Pusheen Box
Winter 2017 Pusheen Box
Spring 2018 Pusheen Box
Summer 2018 Pusheen Box
Fall 2018 Pusheen Box
Winter Pusheen Box 2018
Spring Pusheen Box with Jodee Bowie
Summer 2019 Pusheen Box
Fall 2019 Pusheen Box
Winter 2019 Pusheen Box and Soup

Spring 2020 Pusheen Box

Summer 2020 Pusheen Box

Fall 2020 Pusheen Box

I was debating whether or not to blog about this movie, but I've decided I am because I want to spare you the waste of time. It's true I don't write about everything I read or watch, but when a movie sticks with you for a few days after, I feel like it's worth taking the time to share why. I really was so hopeful. The Dead Don't Die is billed as a horror-comedy, my favorite kind of horror, with an all star cast. Sounds great right? Wrong. "This isn't going to end well."

***SPOILER AHEAD***

The basics, which you could have probably guessed from the poster is that it follows a small town police department battling zombies.  *scratch that* it follows people in a small town and how they turn into zombies except for a few kids (we think) and Hermit Bob. So really nothing to do with the poster.

The people in the town notice that daylight savings time is messed up, the news reports the Earth is off it's axis, and polar fracking might have contributed to the change. It's also the reason the dead come back to life. The zombie kills in the movie start pretty quick, and there's a ton of subplots that you wish were elaborated on. So it touched on abuse of the Earth kinda.

The zombies are pretty good, they are the traditional slow moving kind, and killed with decapitation or a blow to the head. What's interesting is that instead of blood gushing out when they are struck it's what looks like CGI black powder. That was a little different. They also "gravitate toward what they did in real life". Maybe a bit of a social commentary on how we are are live zombies.

The characters are a jumble of people you probably know in real life. A horror movie buff that runs a shop (hey that's me!), weird funeral parlor owner, racist, farmer, hippie hermit, teens that are too smart for adults, hipsters on a road trip, the friendly UPS guy, and cops that have worked in a small town too long. I feel like the good the actors weren't utilized enough. There's a bunch of nods to other movies like Star Wars, Night of the Living Dead, George Romero, The Thing, Lord of the Rings etc. that they tried to cram in. All the pieces are there for a good movie but the dialog and plot just didn't complete it for me.

Side note: I try to include animals that die in the movies I review so you can be prepared...In the first ten minutes there's what looks like a skinned cat, and it's mentioned that a lot of the animals go missing or are acting out of character.

Bill Murray's deadpan acting is perfect and Tilda Swinton's alien performance made the movie. There was a couple laughs, but ultimately I felt like I was watching an indie, adlibbed movie that had inside jokes I wasn't privy to. I was left asking what happened to the kids that escaped? Overall I'd give it one coffee out of five. The funniest parts are in the trailer below...

Trailer...

After reading The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires I was intrigued by the writing of Grady Hendrix. As promised, I checked out a couple of his other books. I bought Paperbacks From Hell from a few years back which was more of a compilation of weird books I remember seeing at B Dalton growing up. I found it to be more of a resource book for finding obscure books to read, so I decided to stick to Hendrix's more fictional works and read My Best Friend's Exorcism.

This book went deep into the recesses of my mind. It brought up memories of my childhood best friend and how we made it though the 1980s. We did the same things Hendrix writes about in My BF Ex...we crimped each other's hair, wore too much make up, took best friend magazine quizzes, sang songs, all while underage drinking and partying in fields. (Don't you dare judge me. I was a headbanger in the 1980s ~ that's what you did!) We had air brushed Ts that said we were BFFs, we even had the Best Friends heart necklaces that were split in two. I had the "Be Fri" part of the heart charm. We thought we would rule the world together. Ahh... to be 12 again.

The difference from the book and my life is that my bestie and I grew in different directions. She got married right out of high school to a guy ten years her senior (that I always felt didn't particularly like me) and they moved away. I went to college, then grad school.

We kept in touch via mail and phone calls. She did move back eventually and bought a house, and had two kids. When we did get together she usually had her kids in tow and was distracted by them. She would talk about our "glory days" and how we should have a reunion with old friends, I'd be talking about my Masters thesis. She was looking back and I was looking forward. We drifted apart and didn't have much in common anymore. There was never a "break-up" per se, it just happened.

In my mid twenties, I ran into her at the airport. Both if us were picking up friends there. I found out she worked in a factory, but got in a bad car accident and injured her back so she couldn't work anymore. We said our goodbyes and wished each other well. That was about 20 years ago. I often think of her and wonder what she's up to. 

I didn't want to post a pic of her without her permission, hence the black dot. This was us in 1991. Big hair, too much makeup, stone washed jeans. We probably have slouch socks on and high top sneakers on too. My guess is she was smoking. She smoked like a chimney and we were only 14. I always look really tall in pictures. I'm only 5'6" I swear!

This book took me back there. Of course she was never possessed by an evil demon, but during our angsty teen years I feel like anything could have been possible. We did get into fist fights a couple times, so there's that, but I digress...let's get into the book, shall we?

***WARNING SPOILER ALERT***

So yeah, it takes place in the 1980s and is about two girl friends and one of them gets possessed by a demon, but the power of their friendship saves her. The end.

Comparatively, both The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires and My Best Friends Exorcism have the same themes. The possession in My BF Ex is a slow process and the meat of the book. The horrific things that Abby's best friend does to their friend group is slow and calculated. A dog gets killed too. Abby has to prove to everyone that her friend is possessed, so the same frustration that you feel in the other book ~ of no one listening to her ~ and feelings being ignored are extremely similar. Same type of people and neighborhood in both books too, cul de sac rich kids whose families own multiple homes. There's one part near the end when you think the showdown between both girls is going to happen, then it doesn't. I was psyched out by this part. When the real exorcism happens it's drawn out and ends up being pretty goofy. Not the blood and gore I was hoping for, and rather anti-climatic. Personally, I think the ending is a downer. Major spoiler~ in the very, very end of the book, when they are old and gray, one of them dies, but unlike me and my BFF they are friends until the end! Both are both pretty easy to read and you get hooked because you really want to find out what happens next.

An unresolved question that I was hoping to find out by the end... What happened that night they took LSD? I guess we'll never know.

This past Halloween was certainly different, but still really fun. Halloween is my anniversary and Andrew and I always have a party, except this year. We have been limiting our exposure to people with the pandemic going on and knew a party would be a bad idea. Andrew works from home and I still go to work BUT my shop ~ Cats Like Us ~ is only open weekends and by appointment. So we are trying to be safe. I thought to myself, "How can I still see friends on Halloween but make it an environment that everyone will be comfortable in?" My result: porch hang out!

We transformed our front porch into a fortune teller carnival car, so we were outside and limiting the amount of people on the porch at a time, they had to wear masks when not drinking tea, and our porch is big enough to distance more than 6 feet. I made an event out of it where a few near and dears could sign up for a 30 min. tea leaf reading by me. (I've only ever read my leaves, so this was really fun. If you know me, you know my love of tea. AND even if you don't know me, you know I've blogged about it several times. lol... Tea Blending Class Brutaliteas Tasting Party The Witches of New York) 

(Notice the Pusheen tray from the Spring 2020 Pusheen Box holding 

loose tea jars, napkins, hand sanitizer, & spoons.)

 

Only two other people aside from Andrew and I would be on the porch at the same time. It worked out beautifully. My friends got a reading under the full blue moon and we were able to visit and chat. Bonus: we pulled our costumes from our closet and didn't have to buy anything. 

(Photo credit: Andrea P.)

Because of the outdoor to-do, no one got to see our Halloween tree! Andrew and I have been putting up a Halloween / Christmas tree for years. We usually put it up at the end of October and leave it up through out the Christmas season. It's just easier because we get so busy with our business this time of year we don't have time to put one up in December. So I've included a picture of it so everyone can see.

We added the hanging witch this year.

Now let's get to the unboxing! The theme for the Fall 2020 Pusheen Box is stars and astrology. It matched my Halloween theme perfectly! A couple friends messaged me asking if I had gotten the box yet and I received it 4-5 days after them, so I apologize that this blog is late, my box came late!

Here's the video of the unboxing. I'm wearing the T shirt I bought when I met Lil Bub...Stay Home Bub. I'm getting a lot of use out of it now.

Stellar Face Mask. It feels a little cheap. I don't always do well with eye masks but I'll try again. I don't like things on my face at night, but if I take a nap this might work.

Coasters! I love coasters and I use them all the time. These will live in the TV/ "cat" themed room in my house.

Trinket Jar. This now lives on a shelf in my vintage blue bathroom.

Pillowcases. The print on them feels like it will come off in the wash, but I like that you get two. I've never had a satin pillow case before but I hear that there's lots of benefits to sleeping on one.

Alarm Clock. I've decided that since I already have an alarm clock to wake me up, it would be nice to have a clock in my bathroom. This also lives on a shelf in my blue bathroom.

Pusheen Stardust Night Light. I have one that you can see me holding in my Halloween costume picture. It looks like a crystal ball and projects stars on a timer. I used when I had my friends on my porch at 30 min intervals. It also has different color stars and moons that can rotate. This one is not as advanced. It is very pretty lit up though and has two settings. You can have it project Pusheen Stardust on the ceiling or have it flash back and forth Pusheen Stardust. I like the non-flashy setting. Hopefully my little Ginger won't be terrified of it like she is of my star one. (I mention in the video she has dementia. She's a nervous cat to begin with so flashing lights don't help.)

Vinyl Pusheen on a moon. Meh.

Hanging Wall Art Pusheen. This was a little weird and took me back to grammar school with art project mobiles made of old spoons and straws. Not my favorite item in the box.

Cosmic Blue Velour Hoodie, perfect for lounging around under the Stardust Pusheen light!

(Mug from Fall 2019 Pusheen Box.)

I'd say this box was a win except for the weird mobile. Thanks for reading be safe, wear a mask.

You can check out my past Pusheen unboxings here...

Fall 2017 Pusheen Box
Winter 2017 Pusheen Box
Spring 2018 Pusheen Box
Summer 2018 Pusheen Box
Fall 2018 Pusheen Box
Winter Pusheen Box 2018
Spring Pusheen Box with Jodee Bowie
Summer 2019 Pusheen Box
Fall 2019 Pusheen Box
Winter 2019 Pusheen Box and Soup

Spring 2020 Pusheen Box

Summer 2020 Pusheen Box

While not necessarily in the "horror" genre, I took interest in the movie Shirley (2020) which is very loosely based on the writer Shirley Jackson, who is most famously known for her book The Haunting of Hill House. Shirley is less a biography, and more a story derived from a book written by Susan Scarf Merrell with the same name. There is a little truth weaved in through the movie, but for the most part it's fictional.

A couple things that were accurate ~ from what I've read ~ Shirley Jackson had a tumultuous relationship with her professor and literary critic husband Stanley Hymen. She struggled with his infidelities, most notably with his students, and from his dealings he convinced her to have an open marriage. He controlled their finances even though she eventually surpassed his earnings after the publication of the short story The Lottery. Shirley was an introvert, that eventually succumbed to agoraphobia, heavily smoked, which had it's own health problems, had colitis, was depressed, took barbiturates for anxiety, amphetamines for weight loss, and had a mind of her own that refused to fit in with the ladies in town. 

The real Shirley and Elisabeth Moss as Shirley.

The movie begins with newlyweds Fred and Rose coming to live with Shirley and Stanley, while Fred works on his dissertation at Bennington College where Stanley works. The influence of Shirley and Stanley on the new couple engulfs them and their relationship suffers, while Shirley and Stanley continue to thrive in their own unconventional way. Plus, Shirley has a lot of one liners in the movie that are really fun. She has no filter and I can relate. Before I opened a shop I had no filter too. It's like when you know you're being a bitch but just don't care.

***WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD***

In exchange for free room and board, Stanley asks Rose to cook and clean a little bit. Shirley is angry that this young couple is staying with them. She is dealing with writers block, lays in bed all day, and doesn't want to be around people. Her response to Rose staying with them is, "A clean house is a sign of mental inferiority." She also guesses that Rose is pregnant at their very first encounter. While all four are sitting around the dinner table Shirley says, " When's the baby due?", looks at Fred and says, "I hope it's yours." At this point you get a feeling that Stanley has cheated on Shirley with students before and she might be thinking that's why he invited the couple to stay with them. So this is the couples first real introduction to Shirley. Naturally, they can't stand her and want to leave. 

Rose isn't too happy about being told she has to cook and clean, 

while both men are in agreement she should.

The book Shirley is writing is about a real life missing college student named Paula. She's having a hard time working through the plot, but Rose becomes her muse and stand in for Paula. At one point Shirley claims to be a witch and reads Rose's tarot cards, but has a vision of Rose as Paula instead. The two women make thoughtful connections and become friends. Shirley asks, "Why would Paula would disappear?" and Rose replies, "Disappearing is the only way anyone would notice the missing girl." This movie deals a lot with the passive role of women in the 1940s and 1950s and their gender relations compared to men. All the female characters seem stifled in some way, but Shirley is the one that is free compared to them. She encourages Rose to question things and that it's truly ok to have "dark thoughts". They rely and strengthen each other, to which Rose is told, "Women like Shirley don't have friends." 

Shirley is reclusive, while in the beginning Rose is the opposite ~ a good "wifey". Shirley knows that people in town revile her and her mystery/ horror works, and don't want to associate with such an eccentric woman. But now she and Rose relate to the missing girl because they both want to be seen and carve out their own reality.

Shirley and her sassy face.

Stanley is abusive to everyone in the house. He encourages Fred to cheat on his pregnant wife with students, while denying him tenure. Stanley gets mad that Shirley doesn't share her work-in-progress writing with him, and he treats Rose like a maid that he can flirt with. He gets mad when Shirley stays in bed and he gets mad when she works through dinner. She can't win.

In the end the couple moves out and become a version of the people they lived with. Rose refuses to go back to being "wifey" and Fred will always be marked as a philanderer. And Shirley finishes her book to which Stanley calls it "brilliant" and calls her his "horrifically talented bride". 

Honestly, this movie is a little slow. I love documentaries and I was hoping for a more authentic depiction of Shirley Jackson's life. For example they completely leave out her four kids! That being said, Elisabeth Moss is wonderful in the role of Shirley and portrays her exactly how I always thought she would be. There's a black cat in the movie but not given enough airtime. I give it 3 out of 5 death cap mushrooms.

Here's the trailer...

When my husband Andrew began working from home at the end of March, he was home with our cats ALL the time. (I'm so jealous.) He heard our little Ginger scream-meowing in the early afternoon one day, and thought that she's just meowing because he's home, but then it started to become a daily occurrence. He felt that something was wrong with her. I took her to the vet and she still has some health problems and was prescribed special food (that she will only eat if I mix it with her regular food, because she's a stinker!) Both our cats Ginger and Vicktor are about 18 or 19 ~ we aren't sure because Ginger was a stray and Vicktor was abandoned. They are super seniors now and we are concerned for their health. 

Synchronized lap sitting.

Ginger's meowing has become more frequent and louder. I call it her "cat-hartic wailing". It happens in the early afternoon, while she eats, and in the middle of the night. Did I mention I haven't slept in years?! I think this might also have to do with her not being able to hear how loud she is too. We also noticed Ginger doesn't respond to her name anymore and will walk around the house meowing at nothing. She just wanders about lost when she's not sleeping. We're convinced she has kitty dementia or feline cognitive dysfunction and is loosing her hearing. She can sense vibrations and sits in between the kitchen and living room so she doesn't miss any of the action in the house. 

Ginger looking sad.

How do you know if your kitty has dementia? Here are some of the signs...

Spatial Disorientation- They will wander around a familiar place confused. They might forget where the litter box is or their water.

Sleeping Pattern Changes- They might be up at hours they normally sleep and vice versa. They might be sleeping longer and deeper when they are asleep.

Appetite Changes- Either they are not interested in food or they visit their bowl when feeding time is over.

Increased Irritability- They might swat at you or be aggressive when they never were before.

Unusual Vocalizations- They start making loud yowling sounds, often at night.

Decreased Grooming- Not interested in cleaning themselves.

Decreased Responsiveness- Not responding to their name, or the sound of a can opener, etc.

Add extra places for them to nap, it can be as simple as a box and towel.

So how can you help makes cats with dementia more comfortable? (because it's not something that can be necessarily diagnosed and treated.)

Avoid Changes to their Environment- Don't move their food bowl or furniture, add a new pet or move. Keep rearranging to a minimum.

Routine- Keep on schedule for feeding times so they don't get confused.

Ramps- Add ramps if they suffer from arthritis so they can get to their favorite perch.

Play- Keep their mind active with toys.

Rest- Create additional resting spaces and warm spots, or just put down an extra box and blanket in a corner.

If They Have Accidents- Consider making the litter trays bigger or more shallow or adding a ramp.

Give them a Space Away- Give them a space they can escape from loud sounds, kids, and other pets.

Always talk to your vet about options. They might recommend vitamin E for brain function or anti-anxiety meds. After what I went through a few years ago, I really think this is borrowed time with her. We are very lucky to have her this long. Please be gentle and hug and kiss your cats. Don't forget, YOU are their world.