Friday Unwind #9: Nomophobia, The Pope's Exorcist, French Onion Soup, A Spotless Giraffe, 19th Century Maps for the Blind, Acronym Quiz

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📳 NOMOPHOBIA

It’s a thing. Nomophobia. There’s acrophobia, aquaphobia, claustrophobia, dentophobia. And plenty of other phobias. Now there’s Nomophobia.

Phone dropped in water

I tried to guess. Nomophobia. No more phobias? A fear of not having any phobias?

Nope. It’s the fear of not having a mobile phone connection. No Mobile Phobia. Personally, I would have chosen NoMoPhophobia. It has a certain ring to it. 🤣

Researchers aren’t sure if nomophobia is caused by an addiction to cell phones. But one thing is certain. Nomophobia can cause changes in breathing, sweating, agitation, and disorientation. Nasty.

Most of us have experienced that momentary panic when we can’t find our cell phone. Did I leave it at the restaurant? Put it in the refrigerator? Things like that. But when you worry that it isn’t under your pillow when you drift off to sleep at night, you might have Nomophobia.

🎬GROOVIE MOVIE: THE POPE’S EXORCIST

Twenty-three years have come and gone since Russell Crowe played Maximus in The Gladiator. Heart throb. 💚 Also an Academy Award for Best Actor.

The real Father Gabriele Amorth gained recognition for his work in demonology and exorcism. He was an exorcist for the Diocese of Rome and formed the International Association of Exorcists. He performed more than 100,000 exorcisms during his lifetime.

In The Pope’s Exorcist, Crowe plays Father Gabriele Amorth, the Pope’s official exorcist. On the Pope’s instructions, he travels to a dilapidated Spanish Abbey to exorcise a young boy, Henry, who has traveled with his Mother and sister from America to the abbey, which is their family’s inheritance.

Henry hasn’t spoken since witnessing his father die in a car accident the previous year. Satan possesses his body, but the demon’s real goal is to inhabit Amorth so he can use him to bring down the Catholic Church.

Explosions, a secret underground crypt, secrets of the Spanish Inquisition, and some pretty scary special effects keep you on the edge of your seat for much of the movie.

Although Rotten Tomatoes only gave The Pope’s Exorcist a 48%, I’ve watched plenty of movies that RT gave the 👎 to and really enjoyed them. This movie was one.

🍲 FRENCH ONION SOUP

Two things I love to smell cooking in my kitchen…garlic and onions. This French Onion Soup Recipe has both. Although I found a soup recipe that I liked, I made a few changes and additions. I hope you like it!

Photo by Dana DeVolk on Unsplash

Ingredients

• 6 large onions (I used Western Sweet Onions)

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons salted butter

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire

• Sea salt for seasoning

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 Cloves fresh garlic, minced

• 5-6 Cups Better than Bouillon Chicken Stock

• 1/2 Cup white wine

• 2 tablespoons Sherry

How to Make It

Put 3T of olive oil in a large, deep pot and heat on medium.

Slice the onions about 1/2 inch thick and add to the pot. Cook until translucent (about 20 minutes)

Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil and 2T butter and turn the heat up to medium high.

Continue to cook the onions, stirring often, until they brown (not burn). About 20-40 minutes. I turned the heat down a bit so I could watch the football game and let them go for a little longer…but that’s just me. 😁🏈

Add the sugar and a sprinkling of salt and continue to cook until the onions are a golden brown.

Toss in the minced garlic and stir for about one minute.

Add the wine, the chicken broth, the thyme, and the Worcestershire and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare slices of french bread in the oven. I used Kirkland’s frozen garlic toast, then added slices of gruyere cheese with parmesan sprinkled on top.

I don’t like to put my soup bowls under the broiler, so I simply ladled the soup into the bowls and placed the cheesy toast into each bowl.

Although this recipe may sound like a lot of work, it’s actually easy. Most of the time is just the onions cooking. Plus, you can enjoy the amazing aroma while the soup is simmering away.

Let me know what you think in the comments. 💚

🦒 A SPOTLESS GIRAFFE

On July 21, the world’s only spotless reticulated giraffe was born at the Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee. The last known spotless giraffe was in 1972 in a zoo in Tokyo. Reticulated giraffes are native to the Horn of Africa and are known for their reddish brown spots with cream colored borders. They are currently endangered, with just 8,500 still in existence. This little (sort of) guy is soooo cute.

🗺19th CENTURY MAPS FOR THE BLIND

The “Atlas of the United States” created for blind students in 1837. (Photo: David Rumsey Map Collection)

I’m fascinated by history, so when I stumbled on the history and purpose of Boston Line Type, I just had to share it.

In the early 1800’s blind children and adults were unable to go to school. There were no books for the blind.

That changed when The New England Institute for the Education of the Blind started producing books with embossed font called Boston Line Type. One of the most amazing works produced was an Atlas which gave blind students the opportunity to feel the changing landscape of 19th century America with their fingertips. If you click that link, you can see maps for 28 states or territories.

The New England Asylum for the Blind, Boston, founded 1829

Although Braille was invented in 1824, it didn’t become popular in America until decades later.

Atlas showing the state of Michigan using Bold Line Type, courtesy David Rumsey Map Collection

🥳ACRONYM QUIZ

We’ve come along way from the days of LOL. There’s a whole new slew of acronyms for your to learn. Yippee! (That’s not an acronym….just sayin’).

Test your acronym skills with this list of 18. If you know them all, let me know in the comments. (Of course, I trust you…) The answer key 🗝 is at the bottom. (no peeking…😁)

FOMO

IYKYK

TNTL

G2G

YNK

OTW

WTV

JFF

BBG

IDK

BTW

GOAT

ICYMI

IMO

IRL

KK

TBH

IJBOL

COMMENTS:

1. Do you have a phobia that is as yet, unnamed? What would you call it?

2. Halloween’s coming. What’s your favorite exorcism movie? 🎃

3. Wanna say ‘Hi’? (I need friends….🤣)

4. Soup to Nuts… I provided the soup, so you all must be the nuts. Kidding, kidding, kidding…🍲🥜

5. Did you cheat? 🗝

6. What’s up for your weekend? 🥳

💡 Your Ideas Are the Best

If you have a topic you’d like me to explore, or you’d like to talk about submitting a guest post, please send me a note at heather@thebrebaughs.com.

Also, I’m considering occasionally including something a little more serious for us to talk about together. What do you think? I am an open book with a blank page…

Special thanks to those of you who are subscribing to After 21 Club. After 2 years writing Kindness Magnet (and still going), I’m excited to start this community of generations. I hope it’s a place where we can come together to share ideas and recommendations for leading happy lives. You can help After 21 Club grow by sharing this post with your friends. I hope you will. Thank you.

Whatever your generation, if you’d like a little sweet retreat where Friday meets you on the way to little pleasures…..I hope you will Subscribe to After 21 Club. You’ll get a little treat in your Inbox each Friday.

Wherever you are, I hope life is sunny. 🌞❤Heather