Eat. Drink. PLAY. And be merry!

Thanksgiving is upon us once again, a time for reflection, a time to show your appreciation, and a time to stuff your face with turkey. Hey, it is tradition, and I’m not one to argue with roughly 388 years of history. Plus, cooking and eating are definitely a few of my favorite things! The other one is, of course, playing games on Shockwave.com.

If I’m not in the kitchen prepping a feast or bellied up to the table, you’ll find me with friends and family visiting Shockwave.com for all the online games I can handle. With temperatures dropping and fires crackling, ‘tis the season to kick back, relax, and play games.

Here are a few of my favorite free online games to share with friends and family before and after our big feast. Some are Thanksgiving-related. Some are food-related. The rest of these flash games are just downright addictive.

Turkey Fling – With turkey overload during Thanksgiving it feels really GOOD to hurl (them)! This game is as hilarious as it is addictive. Launch your turkey and send it flying as far as you can. Grab corn to help your flap meter and crackers for a special boost. Watch out for hazards along the way like snowballs, pointy forks, gooey pies, and jelly traps! The further you fly, the more you’ll discover. There are 17 special landing places. (Hint: Make it to space for more power-ups.)

Cooking Academy – I love this game because it’s like training before the big dinner, but it’s the kind of school that will make you lick your fingers. You’re going to need your oven mitts for this fun-filled game Chop, knead, fry, and mash your way through culinary school as you prepare more than 50 different recipes. Make the grade and you’ll unlock new recipes and earn trophies. There are also food trivia and mini games to keep the fun boiling.

Let’s Get Cookin’ – This is my favorite way to procrastinate before actually making the Thanksgiving feast. Head into the kitchen to prepare delicious meals using just your mouse. First, you’ll find ingredients, then slice them and dice them, and finally blend, fry, boil and bake them into 10 mouth-watering recipes. You can even print them out! This is one of the most delicious multiplayer games  around, so play with the whole family guilt-free!

Jigsaw Puzzles: Fabulous Foods! – Who says you can’t play with your food? Fun has never looked tastier with these popular downloadable games. Arrange and re-arrange pieces of food to your heart’s content, there are 60 puzzles and 4 difficulty levels to satisfy your appetite and no mess to clean up after. Each puzzle features mouthwatering imagery and rewards you with a relevant recipe or fun food fact when you’ve put the pieces together.

Two Minute Football 3D 2010 – I can’t say that I’m a sporty gal, but even I can’t resist two minutes of football. All the action is back with kickoff returns, tap control for realistic tackle breaking and dragging, a wind feature for more challenging passing and kicking, and other features that’ll make you an even bigger fan. Choose College, Pro, or All-Pro mode, and customize your playbook and players. If you’re good enough to score 21 points in 2 minutes, you’ll advance. With Two Minute Football 3D 2010, I don’t want to watch the game, I want to play it!

Family Feud™ – Every family’s got something to feud about and my family and I like to do it while playing another title on Shockwave.com’s list of must-play downloadable games, Family Feud offers hours of fun for all ages. Answer questions and see if your responses match the survey. The more you match, the more points you’ll earn. Race the clock in the Fast Money Round to pick up huge points. You can play solo, with a friend, or challenge other teams in this game show classic! My favorite way to play is to gather the whole family.

With titles like this, it’s hard not to be merry at Shockwave.com, one of the most popular destinations for online games. Not to mention Club Shockwave and Shockwave Unlimited, which take gaming to a whole new level. It’s going to be a good Thanksgiving.

photo credit: lakejunaluska.com

As devastating as the tornado was, the experience once again proved that even Nature’s fury is no match for families and friends tackling things together as a team! Yup, our dear little store is pretty much back to normal, thanks to everyone pitching in and to the relief of loyal customers near and far.

Of course, Will and Peter are beyond exhausted at this point… they worked day and night, side by side, nail by nail. Repairing the roof was a race against time, but I’m pleased to report that at least the weather was on our side this time: It didn’t rain until they’d hammered in the very last shingle…

Another pleasant surprise? Safi’s boyfriend David stepped in to help. Not only is the kid a natural with a hammer, but he’s got pretty good instincts about how to win over a teenage girl’s suspicious father, too David really is a great match for our Safi – he’s steady, he’s funny and he’s got a good head on his shoulders. By the end of the first day, Will had already invited him to Christmas dinner!

And what about me?

Well, to be honest, dear friends, I’ve been running on adrenaline all week and I have that nervous feeling I get when I’m about to crash. It’s not just the physical exhaustion… emotionally, I feel a bit fragile, too. Like something’s been bugging me, like something’s still missing from my life, but I can’t quite put my finger on what that may be. I think I’ll try talking to Grettle about it. She always knows how to get to the truth.

As much as I’d love to fill you in on all the rest right now, I think I’m gonna go get my guitar and just play for a while instead. The evening is unseasonably warm and the porch swing is beckoning…

G’nite!

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More upcoming releases are coming to Shockwave. Soon, you’ll be able to enjoy these great new games:
• Age of Oracles: Tara’s Journey
• Quantz
• Nat Geo Games©: Mystery of Cleopatra

We appreciate your feedback and game suggestions and want you to know that we read every single one of them. While we strive to respond to as many requests as possible, we will not be able to respond to everyone individually. Check back here next week, and we’ll post a response addressing the week’s most commonly requested games.

With all my talk of glorious fall weather these last few weeks, the last thing we were expecting was this – a freak tornado tearing through town! Even though the storm season is supposedly over, we had a real doozie here a few days ago, in case you didn’t hear. It was beyond terrifying… I seriously thought our whole house was going to blow away. Luckily, nobody in the area was hurt, but property damage is pretty extensive. Our beloved store is a natural disaster in its own right. The inventory of jars was destroyed, and the roof is half gone, but the show must go on.

Yes, we’re staying open… mostly because the thought of letting all that fresh fruit go to waste is so dreadful. Amazingly, we have more customers than ever. I guess people need a place to congregate and support each other, and that’s what our dear little store has become over the last few days. So we’re cleaning up as best we can now, and plan to do major repairs on the go.

Although the phone lines are still down, I’m also quite relieved to report that our internet access is still okay. I can’t imagine how disconnected I’d feel without you guys out there supporting me every step of the way I guess sometimes, when the worst happens, it’s a reminder to be thankful for the blessings we do have: Family, friends – both online and offline – as well as an orchard full of fruit to sustain us, and of course our health. Yes, this tornado could have been so much worse.

Today, even with only half a roof over my head, I am somehow feeling more grateful than ever.

Gotta run… we’re giving out free juice all day and I have a feeling Will and the kids could use some help!

———-
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Avenue Flo™ is an exciting, hands-on adventure set in DinerTown™, home of the Diner Dash® series. Mysterious events are threatening DinerTown’s biggest wedding in history. As Flo, you will explore the town, interacting with neighbors that help you solve puzzles, collect missing items, and complete activities to set things right. Can you help Quinn save the wedding?

More upcoming releases are coming to Shockwave. Soon, you’ll be able to enjoy these great new games:
• Autumn’s Treasures: The Jade Coin
• Wisegal
• Elementals - The Magic Key
• Agatha Christie: Dead Man’s Folly

We appreciate your feedback and game suggestions and want you to know that we read every single one of them. While we strive to respond to as many requests as possible, we will not be able to respond to everyone individually. Check back here next week, and we’ll post a response addressing the week’s most commonly requested games.

- Control is key when you are flying through the air and I have discovered that Sir Colon has a really tight flip radius which makes him spin a lot faster. This, my friends, can help you shave valuable seconds from your race time! I also found out that he is an ace when it comes to popping wheelies, which means more than just sticking sweet stunts — it can also send your score soaring. So give Sir Colon a try and see if you don’t start winning more races!

- Chose your upgrades wisely! When you get the opportunity to tweak your bike, focus on the important upgrades first. In this game, speed and agility rule, so upgrade your speed and spin first before worrying about other upgrades, like your brakes.

- Stay focused and keep your hands steady. Try not to anticipate too much, and instead, focus on the obstacle in front of you. A clear mind and steady hand will lead you to victory lane!

I hope these tips will help you unlock at least some of the game’s sweet extra features – and even more of its amazing potential. Keep on riding and racing and I’ll be back with more tricks and tips soon!

Play CycloManiacs

Is it just me or do grown-up men have a tendency to act like little boys when they’re sick… or when they don’t get their way… or when they’re hungry… or tired… or when it’s Tuesday

Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining. I truly wouldn’t know what to do without my dear sweet Will, but lately I feel like he needs my guidance more than the kids do. (Darling, if you’re reading this, I wouldn’t have it any other way!)

In a nutshell, the problem is David, Safi’s new boyfriend. Well, not so much David himself – he’s a great kid, no doubt about it – but rather the idea of him.

Ever since we heard about David, I’ve spent countless hours convincing Will to accept the fact that yes, his little girl is growing up, that it was bound to happen sooner or later, that it’s nothing to worry about, that we raised her right and we have to trust her, and so on and so forth. But he just doesn’t seem to be getting it.

My normally upbeat and cheery husband has been moping around day and night, dragging his feet, and sighing loudly for no reason. It’s putting all of us on edge… especially Safi. And the last thing I want is for her to clam up and stop talking to us about this. I keep trying to impress upon Will the importance of open communication, and finding the right balance as her parents between firmness and understanding, between offering guidance and fostering independence.

Honestly, I’ve never seen him like this before. David has seriously thrown him into a depression! He’s exhausted, he barely eats and he’s become totally forgetful about the chores. This morning, there was hardly any firewood ready for what we knew was going to be a really busy day. And when we get off on the wrong foot at the store, it can take hours to catch up.

If anyone out there has any ideas on how to handle this, please do share. Maybe I’ll get Grettle to talk to him, too… it’s not just me she has a knack for calming down!

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From the creators of the #1 selling-PC adventure games comes a new Nancy Drew story-driven casual series that is Fast Fun for Busy Detectives. Nancy Drew Dossier hidden-object games immerse you in a suspense-filled hunt to piece together concealed clues as you search and seek to crack the case. A bomber plagues the Redondo Spa! Can you defuse the situation? The annoying explosives are pranks, but it could drive away the Redondo’s clients and celebrities. Nab the culprit or you’re out of business!

More upcoming releases are coming to Shockwave. Soon, you’ll be able to enjoy these great new games:
• 10 Days to Save the World
• Paradise Beach
• Insider Tales: The Secret of Casanova
• Enlightenus

We appreciate your feedback and game suggestions and want you to know that we read every single one of them. While we strive to respond to as many requests as possible, we will not be able to respond to everyone individually. Check back here next week, and we’ll post a response addressing the week’s most commonly requested games.

If you’re not scarred enough, there are some Spooky Download Specials.   I’m enjoying some legendary stories by the campfire, peeking into the Dracula Files and getting hooked on the spooktacular Fishdom sequel.

However, I must confess that my all-time Halloween game favorites are the special treats found in Daily Jigsaw and The Daily Diff.  Check ‘em out, ‘cause the special images and game trophies will be gone once the ghosts and zombies return to their graves.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Hey everyone…hope you’ve all been enjoying the gorgeous fall weather as much as we have!

Everything’s fine with us… working, playing and generally just loving the season. One thing on my mind lately, though, is that the kids actually seem to be getting a bit jealous of all the time Will and I have spent together alone these last few weeks.

All I can say is that this NEVER would have happened back in Northwood, when we were all running off in different directions doing our own thing. Back then, getting the gang together for dinner was next to impossible… and now that’s something we do almost every night!

Anyway, I’ve been missing them too, so Will and I decided to divide and conquer. He’s got a ton of father-son stuff lined up this week with Peter – fishing, basketball, even some driving lessons. (Hopefully, that’ll include chopping some wood for the stoves, too!) That leaves Safi, Grettle, Pearl and I together for some serious girl time.

I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to it… especially since I want the chance to hear a bit about Safi’s new boyfriend. Yes – it’s true! My little girl has her first serious boyfriend Of course, Safi being Safi, we had to hear about it from Peter. They met when Safi started working on the school paper last month – David’s the editor, in fact – and Peter thinks he’s a really great guy. He’s a tough brother to please, so that makes me feel a lot better.

I know Will won’t be thrilled that David’s a year older than Safi, but I doubt he’d be totally happy with any boy she would bring home. Nobody’s good enough for his girl, I guess!

Will let you know what I can find out… Gosh – I can’t believe what a meddling mum I’ve become

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