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About Enchanted Seashells

Also known as Princess Rosebud! MIDlifestyle blog. Mom of Professor Angel Boy and Grandma to Angel Boy 2.0 and Angel Girl 2.0. Love to camp and hike. I've been in a few films, am obsessed with seashells, sea glass, and rocks; gardening and baking, Hello Kitty, Chanel, Leon Russell, and anything sparkly. Veg since 1970 and an ardent animal activist forever. Fashionista...veganista...animal activista. I'm still trying to find the perfect shoe!

Lost

Tell her to hold on. Tell her to hold on tight. Even through the darkest of night.

Sometimes
When we’re lost
We have to light our own candle
And find our way
Through the loneliest of places
Through the darkest of places
And when we’ve learnt from those places
Only then
Do we find our way
Back home to ourselves

Athey Thompson

My Scrub Jay Family Returns!

My blueblue California Scrub Jay family has returned to build a nest in the tree house. While so much is WRONG in this world right now, the fact that these birds reappeared is heartwarming.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

While they don’t use the same nesting material year after year, jays often return to the same location, referred to as site loyalty. They are very attached to their home ranges, and pairs often stay together for multiple years, leading them to build new nests in familiar spots within that territory.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

How lucky am I that these guys feel safe here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells!

Welcome home!

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

I can’t resist a connection to Leon Russell. Although it’s not at all about blue birds, his song, Bluebird, is musical perfection. Sadly, I don’t think there’s a video of a live performance. https://youtu.be/Zhaq-wWykZU?si=6fegLI90ZUqI-N5q

Silence is Healing

“When I am silent, I fall into the place where everything is music.” — Rumi

Whew, it’s definitely time for a Rumi quote to bring down sky high BP.

Today is Martin Luther King Day and that petty psychopathic orange POS removed MLK Day and Juneteenth from the list of fee-free days for our national parks and replaced them with days like Flag Day (his birthday).

My governor, California’s Governor Newsom, countered by making over 200 California State Parks free on MLK Day.

Enjoy this silent and stark tree from Mt. San Jacinto near Palm Springs, California.

Silence is healing.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

Homeward Bound with Leon Russell and Gary Ogan

Written by Paul Simon and originally performed by Simon and Garfunkel, this live version of Homeward Bound by Leon Russell (and Gary Ogan) is a TREASURE I had never heard before yesterday.

Photo credit Gary Ogan

Gary Ogan is a forty-seven year veteran in the music business and an Oregon Music Hall of Fame inductee. He moved to Los Angeles in 1977 to sign with Leon Russell’s Paradise Records.

From Gary Ogan: “As the winter of 1977 approached, I was booked as a solo opener for Phoebe Snow on a short run through the Pacific Northwest, five dates altogether, including Thanksgiving night in Portland at the Civic Auditorium. Once the mini-tour was confirmed, Leon mentioned that he and Mary wanted to fly up for my Portland show. He asked if I wanted him to sit in with me. Then he shared the idea he had hatched. He and Mary would watch my set from the wings, then he would step out unannounced after my last song for a duet of “Homeward Bound.” He would sing lead, I would sing backup, we would do the song in the key of C, I would capo my guitar at the 8th fret and play the song in the G position. Once again, I loved how much thought he had put into such a generous gesture. It came off great too. The place went nuts when he walked out, and the ovation would not stop after we left. Here’s a shot of that performance.”  

This is a long lost soundboard audio of an unreleased performance with Gary Ogan, featuring the Master of Space and Time, Leon Russell.

Leon’s musical genius never fails to bring joy. His interpretation is AMAZING, as is the perfection of his voice for these lyrics. It’s rare to hear him sing without sitting at his piano.

What Do You See

(It’s time to block out harsh reality for a while and return to pretty pictures and words.)

You see
We are all
Nothing but Stars
Passing each other
In the night.

A Little Poem by Athey Thompson
Art by Tijana Lucovik

Terrible Things Are Happening

This is the reality of where we are, and anyone who might disagree is living in a fantasy. It’s time to take off the rose-colored glasses and WAKE UP to things like the murder of Renee Good (and others), Minnesota, ICE, Venezuela, Greenland, and what’s happening in your communities and mine, too.

Will you join the growing numbers of us who refuse to allow this travesty to continue? When this hell is finally over and we can once again breathe, will you be on the right side of the roaring rapids?

I’m cautiously optimistic that a slight ray of light might be emerging.

According to John Pavlovitz, this will all be over soon, America. The sundowning of the MAGA movement is upon us. The signs are everywhere.

As much as History can be an albatross in moments like these, alerting us to the terrifying ways in which we are repeating the past pathologies of inhumanity, she can also be a source of comfort; a reminder of the inevitability of the endings of all evil things.

If we consult her with a clear head, she’ll remind us that all brutal empires fall,
that all hateful movements dissolve, that every seemingly bulletproof regime reaches its extinction, and that all malevolent momentary victors eventually find themselves defeated and driven out.

Every time the pendulum has swung wildly toward barbarism in a society, it has invariably come back with even greater opposite force to bend the arc of the moral universe back toward justice again.

And History tells us that, despite the story in our heads or the one that comes through the partisan propaganda that we’re continually saturated by, our brutal national nightmare is likely in its final hours.

Few cults survive the passing of their leaders, and MAGA will not outlive the departure of Donald Trump from the White House or from this earth, whichever comes first. Read the full story here: https://johnpavlovitz.com/2025/12/02/the-maga-nightmare-is-almost-over-america/

I have edited this to add an important and powerful letter from Hillary and Bill Clinton to James Comer, responding to their refusal to appear before the House Oversight Committee to testify as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein:

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
January 13, 2026

Chairman Comer,

We want to take a moment, given everything, to address you directly.

This past year has seen our Government engage in unprecedented acts, including against our own citizens. People have been seized by masked federal agents from their homes, their workplaces, and the streets of their communities. Students and scientists with visas permitting them to study and work here have been deported without due process. The people who laid siege to the U.S. Capitol have been pardoned and called heroes. Agencies vital to the country’s national security have been dismantled. Universities, media companies, and law firms have been subjected to threats to their funding, access, and licensing unless they made concessions and surrendered their right to constitutionally protected free speech. American troops have been deployed on the streets of our towns and cities. The Justice Department has been used as a weapon, at the direction of the President, to pursue political opponents. And most recently and searingly, an ICE agent killed an unarmed mother only days ago.

Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences.

For us, now is that time.

We are lucky by virtue of the positions we held, and the protections afforded by them. But we are not blind. Every day we see the country we have dedicated our lives to improving take step after step after step backwards.

As chairman of this powerful congressional committee, you have immense power to target anyone and subject them to closed door interrogation and more. The decisions you have made, and the priorities you have set as chairman regarding the Epstein investigation, have prevented progress in discovering the facts about the government’s role.

The facts speak for themselves: You subpoenaed eight people in addition to us. You dismissed seven of those eight without any of them saying a single word to you. You made no attempt to force them to appear. In fact, since you started your investigation last year, you have interviewed a total of two people. Two.

A legal analysis prepared by two law firms and provided to you yesterday makes clear your subpoenas are legally invalid. You claim your subpoenas are inviolate when they are used against us yet were silent when the sitting President took the same position, as a former president, barely more than three years ago. We call on you to release that analysis to the public to allow them to see how this is yet another example of the casual disregard of the law of the land. All the while, you have done nothing with your oversight capacity to force the Department of Justice to follow the law and release all its Epstein files, including any material regarding us as we have publicly called for.

Over the last year in the House, extending health care for Americans in any state succeeded only because enough Republicans joined with Democrats. The fact that the public and we are seeing any of the Department of Justice’s Epstein files is only because four Republicans, out of 220, joined every Democrat to reach the minimum number of Members to force a vote. You were not one of those four. Even now, despite the Department of Justice’s failure to follow the law the Congress passed, you have chosen not to consider subpoenaing the sitting Attorney General to follow the law.

Despite everything that needs to be done to help our country, you are on the cusp of bringing Congress to a halt to pursue rarely used process literally designed to result in our imprisonment. This is not the way out of America’s ills, and we will forcefully defend ourselves.

Indeed, bringing the Republicans’ cruel agenda to a standstill while you work harder to pass a contempt charge against us than you have done on your investigation this past year would be our contribution to fighting the madness.

We have tried to give you the little information we have. We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific. If the Government didn’t do all it could to investigate and prosecute these crimes, for whatever reason, that should be be the focus of your work – to learn why and to prevent that from happening ever again. There is no evidence that you are doing so. Instead, you have forced the victims to relive their painful experiences, while doing little to give them and everybody else what’s deserved: truth and justice. There is no plausible explanation for what you are doing other than partisan politics.

You accepted the least from those who know the most but demand the most from those who know the least. To say you can’t complete your work without speaking to us is simply bizarre.

You have asked what we know. To answer your inquiry, we are providing you with the same or more than seven of the other eight individuals you subpoenaed regarding the handling of the Epstein investigations and prosecutions, which may be why you have not publicly released their written statements.

We expect you will say it is not enough. We expect you’ll reject it. You may even set out an empty empty chair chair o or stand in front of the cameras and outright dismiss what we have provided. We expect you will direct your committee to seek to hold us in contempt. You may even release irrelevant, decades-old photos that you hope will embarrass us. You will say your caucus, and the Speaker and the President are behind you 100%. We hope, perhaps in vain, that they will not allow you to singlehandedly hijack the Congress by unilaterally making this decision for your colleagues, your party, and our country.

You will say it is not our decision to make. But we have made it. Now you have to make yours.

We are prepared to make our case to your 45 committee members, and if need be, more. Importantly, we also will defend ourselves in the public arena and ensure this country knows exactly what you are doing and why you are doing so, instead of helping the American people who need this Congress’s work and protection.

For most people, maybe even the bulk of the Congress, today will be the first they learn of this dispute. We are confident that any reasonable person in or out of Congress will see, based on everything we release, that what you are doing is trying to punish those who you see as your enemies and to protect those think are your friends.

Continue to mislead Americans about what is truly at stake, and you will learn that Americans are better at finding the truth than you are at burying it.

Continue to pursue autopens instead of penning laws Americans need, and you will learn that you are signing away any remaining chance of being on the right side of history.

Continue to abet the dismantling of America, and you will learn that it takes more than a wrecking ball to demolish what Americans have built over 250 years.

Sincerely,

[signed] Bill Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinto

Leon Russell Memories by Ann Bell, The Queen of Tulsa Sound

The “Queen of the Tulsa Sound” is Ann Bell, a pioneering vocalist and performer instrumental in defining the unique musical style known as the Tulsa Sound alongside legends like Leon Russell, the one and only Master of Space and Time, and J.J. Cale.

Inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, Bell’s distinctive voice and deep involvement with the scene earned her that title for her significant contributions and ongoing legacy.

As a backup singer for the original Joe Cocker and Leon Russell Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour and album, she was an important part of the band and is remembered for her contributions to the “Tulsa sound” that Leon Russell helped create. She has also participated in reunion and tribute events in the years since.

I never get tired of hearing this story. I surely wish there was a recording of Leon that night….

Ann is one of the very talented backup singers here (wearing an awesome outfit), along with the GAP Band. I love this comment: “No matter how cool you think you or your band is, you will NEVER be as cool as Leon Russell and the Gap Band doing this Marvin Gaye classic.”

Sunglasses off, shirt open, those EYES...”Wait now. WAIT!” So much Leon joy…

Recorded for the TV show, Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack, “Ain’t That Peculiar” is a classic Motown song originally by Marvin Gaye, but Leon Russell turned it into something spectacular with his signature energetic performance. Watch the entire show here: https://youtu.be/19z9JSaTm8c?si=n96fSGGrQxQuer2R

Easy Homemade VEGAN English Muffins

I love soft and chewy English muffins but they seem to be full of chemicals and dough conditioners and preservatives, so I thought I’d bake a batch of them since I’ve lately had some baking successes.

Did you know that English Muffins need no oven? They cook on the stovetop and it couldn’t be easier to whip up a batch.

In fact, it’s SO easy. I’m not going to bore you with too many photos to document every step; you can find them all over the internet if you need a more in-depth how-to.

Homemade English Muffins are crispy, chewy, golden brown, and full of nooks and crannies.

ENGLISH MUFFINS

-3 cups all purpose flour
-2 teaspoons yeast
-2 teaspoons sugar
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda (this is what creates the nooks and crannies!)
-2 TBS neutral oil
-1 cup + 2 TBS warm water
-1/3 cup cornmeal. (cornmeal gives muffins their authentic texture.)

I used my stand mixer which made the whole process way less time consuming, but you can definitely use a hand mixer or go totally old school and mix it all by hand, which will take longer, but is actually quite satisfying…your choice.

  1. Add all ingredients EXCEPT the cornmeal to the mixing bowl. I used the dough hook. Mix on medium for about 7-10 minutes until the dough comes together in a sweet little elastic ball. Only add a drop or two of more water if it looks too dry.
  2. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for about an hour or so until doubled in size.
  3. While the dough is rising, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and coat it with the cornmeal.
  4. When the dough is doubled in size, it’s ready to roll out. Empty the dough onto a floured board and roll out to about an inch thick.
  5. Using a three-inch cookie cutter or a glass dipped in flour to prevent sticking, cut out about eight muffins. You can re-roll any remaining dough to use it all up.
  6. Place on the cornmeal sprinkled baking sheet, and dust the tops of the muffins with more cornmeal.
  7. Lightly cover with a towel and let rise again for about 30-45 minutes.
  8. Toward the end of the rise, heat a griddle, cast iron pan, or frying pan over medium heat. Do NOT oil the pan.
  9. When the muffins are puffy, gently place the muffins on the griddle. Cook undisturbed for about 7 minutes until a peek reveals the proper deep golden brown color. Turn and cook for another 7 minutes or until you see that same mouthwatering color.
  10. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. You can refrigerate or even freeze them, but trust me, they won’t last that long.
  11. They’re easy to fork-split and toast.

I was in a hurry to taste the finished product so I didn’t take the time to perfectly roll and cut, so they’re not uniform in size.

They’re easy to fork-split and toast. These are definitely not the prettiest English Muffins, but they’re oh so delicious with vegan butter and raspberry jam.

K Pop Demon Hunters

First it was a unicorn obsession, now it’s this…have you heard of K Pop Demon Hunters? It’s a global phenomenon.

K Pop Demon Hunters

Up until a couple months ago, I never had heard of them, but it became front and center on my radar because of Angel Girl and what she wanted for Christmas and Hanukkah.

That’s all she asked for–ANYTHING Demon Hunter-related, and those are the songs she wants to listen to (NOT Leon Russell lolz), which meant I had to educate myself FAST so I would know what it’s all about.

K-pop stands for Korean Pop, referring to popular music originating from South Korea, known for its blend of diverse musical styles (pop, hip-hop, R&B, electronic) and highly visual, performance-focused productions, often featuring idol groups with synchronized choreography and elaborate fashion. It’s more than just a genre; it’s a cultural phenomenon with a massive global following. 

KPop Demon Hunters is about a world-famous K-pop girl group — Huntrix — who secretly use their music and powers to fight demons and maintain the magical barrier (Honmoon) protecting the human world. Their mission becomes complicated when a rival demon boy band, the Saja Boys, tries to steal their fans’ souls, especially as one member, Rumi, grapples with being half-demon herself. The film blends K-pop, action, comedy, and Korean folklore, exploring themes of self-acceptance, shame, and finding strength in community, all set against the backdrop of a musical battle for humanity’s souls. 

Some online pearl clutcher types have expressed concern about of the Demon Hunters messages but there are far more important things to worry about in this world, in my opinion. I’m not all that happy about the merchandising aspect of it, but I’ll support what the Angel Kids like, whether it’s unicorns or skateboarding, ‘cos that’s what grandmas do.

Angel Girl’s favorite character is Zoey, and I was able to procure a Zoey bobblehead that she adored, along with some of the figures to hang on her backpack, and posters for her bedroom wall. Other family members gifted her with sweatshirts and clothing, so I think she’s a happy Angel Girl.

And now you know about as much as I do about K pop Demon Hunters. Let’s just hope I can figure out how to create a Demon Hunter birthday cake when it’s that time again…

Cloud Art

These clouds are works of art.

I like what Bob Ross said about painting clouds: “Let’s build us a happy, little cloud that floats around the sky.”

At the beach.
Looking east.
From the front door.
Clouds of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

(Photo credit to Enchanted Seashells)