Monday Blessing and Mishmash....

A Blessing for this Monday:

May God fine-tune your spiritual ears so you hear heaven's song above the chaos and the noise. May you rest in the knowledge that God is in control and will have the last say when it’s all said and done. Though the elements rage and the enemy taunts, God is the One who fights for you and He will win for you. He loves you with power and with passion. May His Kingdom come and His will be done everywhere you place your feet today. Have a powerful day in Him!

And now for a little Monday Mishmash.....

Our son, Joey, left yesterday morning.  We were sorry to see him go, but are happy he was able to stay for the whole Thanksgiving weekend.  Darlene was still not feeling 100%, but her brother was there with her so we weren't worried about her. Joey will get her to the doctor this week, if she is still fighting the virus.  We are making plans to go up their way the week between Christmas and New Years!!  It's about time we made it to their new house.

The two Joes....

We took Joey out to breakfast on Saturday morning, to Reececliff Family Diner, then we headed downtown to the Farmer's Market.  We drove around and around and around and couldn't find a place to park within a couple of blocks. It was also Small Business Saturday, so downtown was more crowded than usual on Saturday morning. Since we needed to get to Target before we went to church, we just headed here.  We had two tags from the Angel Tree and two tags for the family that my women's group adopted, so needed four gifts.  We found what we needed (StarWars, Avengers, toy computer and an outfit for a toddler) and were able to turn everything in before the 4:00 Mass.  Next weekend, we will get a grocery bag to fill with Christmas dinner items for a needy family. I'm sure all the churches do similar things and isn't it wonderful when people help people without government intervention!

The leftovers are almost gone. Saturday, I made Williamsburg Turkey Soup.  I make it every year with the leftover dark turkey meat (and sometimes with chicken at other times of the year).  It is SO delicious.  Here is a link for the recipe:  Williamsburg Turkey Soup

I must tell you that I don't use the turkey carcass. I use three quarts of chicken broth. I also don't use long-grain rice. I use Minute Rice instead.  Other than those two changes, I follow the recipe exactly.  Joey had three bowls of it for dinner!

After Joey left, Joe and I were going to start decorating for Christmas.  Neither one of us felt like doing it, so we just put Thanksgiving/Fall decorations away and put up a few things that aren't packed away in boxes, up in the attic.  We put out the Advent Wreath, put Christmas wreaths on the front doors and I hung the beautiful wall hanging my BFF Elaine made for me.

I'm not sure we will even put up a tree this year.  It is so much work and we won't be here for Christmas Eve or Day.  It's not that we aren't excited for the season (and the real reason for the season), we are just tired and would rather not mess with all the fuss this year. Is that awful of us?  Maybe by next weekend, our attitudes will have shifted and we'll climb up in the attic and start dragging boxes down.  We do have a Nativity Scene to put outside. Joe is working on that.

 Back to work today. The long weekend kind of flew by.  Christmas will be here before we know it! Thanks for your visit today!  Peace & hugs.

Sunday Stealing Meme....

Visit Sunday Stealing HERE and join in the fun.  Thanks to Kwizgiver for the great questions!!

Consider Yourself Meme

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme.
Cheers to all of us thieves!!!

Consider Yourself Meme

Stolen from: The Archives 

1) Of the various cultures, ethnicities or nationalities you belong to, which most strongly do you consider yourself?  Baby Boomer, First Born, Christian, American....
2) Is there a culture you cannot claim heritage from but which you feel quite close to?  Italian.
3) What's one language you wish you knew fluently?  Italian.
4) If you could move anywhere in the world and be guaranteed a job, etc., where would you go?  I would stay right where I am.
5) If you had a time machine, and could witness any one event without altering or disturbing it, what would you want to see?  The birth of Jesus; His Resurrection;  Lot's of things,like the signing of the Constitution.
6) Have problems sleeping?  Only on Sunday nights.
7) Are you free with your feelings?  Yes.
8) What is the one outfit/piece of clothing/accessory you own that makes you feel incredibly good whenever you wear it?  Jeans.  Why?  I am most comfortable in jeans and sneakers.
 9) What do you do to make yourself feel better when you're in a funk?  Eat, unfortunately.
10) Has anyone ever surprised you in a way that let you know you were special?  Yes.  How?  Unexpected gifts.  It has happened several times and I am always blown away.
11) When you are having a "good day," how do you spread the happiness to others?  Spreading smiles.
12) What is one thing that puts you in a bad mood, no matter how good you were previously feeling?  Computer trouble, followed by car trouble.
13) Would you rather live in a world with or without technology such as computers, cars, airplanes, bombs? With technology, but you could leave the bombs out.
14) If you had to live without either heating in your house or air conditioning, which one would you keep?  I would keep the AC....we rarely need heat in Florida.
15) If you had to own five dogs, what kind would you get?  The first five that wagged their tails at me, at the SPCA.  Breed wouldn't matter.

Thanks for your visit today!!  Peace & hugs.

The Saturday:9....

Black Is Black

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Black Is Black (1966)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. 
 

1) Black is this week's signature color because Friday, November 27, was "Black Friday," when retailers cut their prices and consumers flock to the stores. Did you score any "Black Friday" bargains?  Nope. Have never and will never go shopping on Black Friday. I don't do well in crowds.

2) WalMart, Best Buy, Toys R Us and Target have all heavily advertised their "Black Friday" sales. If you could have a $50 gift card to one of those stores, which would choose? What would you spend the $50 on?  From that list of stores, I would choose WalMart and would buy cat food & litter.

3) Star Wars items are predicted to be big sellers this Black Friday. Are you a big sci-fi fan?  No.  Are there any sci-fi fans on your holiday gift list?    We picked two tags from the Angel Tree at church, and one of the children wants Star Wars toys, so I guess we will be looking for something for her...yes, a girl.

4) Feasting and football are also popular Thanksgiving weekend pastimes. Do your Thursday-Sunday plans include pigging out or watching a game?  Both, and almost continuously.....

5) At Thanksgiving dinners, Crazy Sam's homemade gravy is always a hit. (Probably because she's so generous with the cognac, which gives the gravy a nutty taste.) Do you have a signature dish?  Not really, but everything I made was good (if I may say so) and now I want that gravy recipe with cognac!  My gravy was good but didn't have cognac in it.

6) What did you give thanks for on Thanksgiving 2015?  Everything. 

7) Monday is Cyber Monday, when shoppers can save big online. Do you shop confidently over the Internet, or do you worry about security breaches and identity theft?  I shop confidently over the internet all the time. It is the only way I shop....at least 90% of the time.
  
8) This week's featured band, Los Bravos, was international. Their members came from both Germany and Spain. If you could travel to any foreign country in the world, which would you choose?  I've been to Italy, and would love to go there again, but I really want to experience Scotland.

9) The band's name, Los Bravos, can be translated to mean, "The Brave." Do you consider yourself gutsy?  Kinda gutsy, but it certainly depends. I will not skydive or bungee jump, for instance.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks for Samantha for another fun Saturday:9!!  You can visit the Saturday:9 blog, copy the questions, link up and join in the fun!

I appreciate your visit today!  Peace & hugs.

No Shopping For Me Today!

Black Friday has never been something I wanted to participate in.  Stores open before the sun comes up and people who were just thankful are out in the crowds fighting over bargains to put under the tree.  I MAY, however, do a little shopping on Small Business Saturday because I believe in helping out the small businesses.

Wednesday, Joe and I volunteered to deliver meals for VISTE (Volunteers in Service to the Elderly). They serve hundreds of shut-ins every day, but Thanksgiving is special and hundreds of volunteers line up to get meals (and this year, potted mums too) to deliver. We always take two addresses, so had four meals and four potted plants.  The deliveries are separated by zip code so volunteers can pick an area they are familiar with. We just asked for the area needed most. The first home was in a mobile home community and the woman wasn't too friendly. She was thankful but didn't want to visit or have us hang out. She met us outside on the patio. That was fine and we were not going to push a conversation. The second delivery was for an elderly couple. The husband is 98 and the wife is 93. He is blind and she suffers from macular degeneration and can't drive anymore. They are still sharp and we ended up staying for nearly an hour. Can you stay and visit, she said. Of course we can, said we. By the time we were leaving, we got hugs and an invitation to "please come and visit again"!! A wonderful experience!!

This is a photo of the volunteers, at the Lakeland Center, there to deliver meals, and we were 15 minutes early!  By the time the line started moving, there were this many people behind us too.

I started prepping the turkey, made deviled eggs, and a broccoli salad Wednesday night.  Got up early on Thanksgiving Day to do the rest.  We had a table full of delicious food, followed by a choice of three kinds of pie, made by our friend Helen....lemon meringue, pecan and pumpkin. 

Our son came, but Darlene decided to stay home. She has been fighting a virus all week and just didn't feel up to the trip.  We are all missing her and the puppies, but will send some leftovers home with Joey for her.  There were only five of us at the table, but there were plenty of leftovers to share (which is why we make so much anyway).

We had a very nice Thanksgiving and will have a good couple more days with our son.  Our other son, Jeff, called us on his way home from work. He was joining friends for a Thanksgiving dinner so we were happy he would be with friends since he couldn't be with us. I spoke with my sister, Tammy. They are celebrating with family today.  Text messages came from my sister and sister-in-law, our niece and several friends. Praise God.  Being loved is the best blessing!

Thanks for your visit today!! If you braved the crowds for Black Friday, I hope you got all you went for!  As for me....sleeping late and warming up leftovers!!  Peace & hugs.

Our Thanksgiving Hodgepodge is Here....

Many thanks to Joyce for yet another fun Hodgepodge!  Do join in the fun. Visit her site, answer the questions on your blog and then link up with all of the other Hodgepodgers!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 245

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Why not take five from the craziness that is menu planning/grocery shopping and play along? Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow (Thanksgiving Eve) to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1.What's something you wish you knew how to do, but feel like it's too late to learn?  I've mentioned this one before....play the piano.  I took too few lessons and had no interest at age 12-13.  Could kick myself now for not sticking with it.

2. Your least favorite thing to shop for?  Shoes.  Why?  Because I have big feet (size 12) and shoe stores rarely carry my size. For some reason they always stop at 10 or 11. Now I know I am not the only woman with a size 12 foot.  When I do find a pair that are in my size, they are usually too expensive or have a very high heel.  I don't wear heels anymore.  I order most of my shoes online and then end up sending them back or just wearing them even though I don't really like them.  Shoes.

3. How has the celebration of Thanksgiving today changed from when you were growing up?   Growing up, Thanksgiving meant cousins, aunts & uncles and grandparents....there would be 30 or so of us gathered together.  I really, really miss it.

4. What's something that when other people see it, reminds them of you?  Cats would have to be my answer.  Explain.  Most everyone knows I am a "cat lady" and I get forwards in my email and posts on my Facebook  homepage all the time about cats, with a note that this made (them) think of me.  

5. If you could guest star in a TV show, what would it be and why?  First of all, I am NOT star material and would make a terrible actress.  But if this is just for fun, I would love to be an extra on Grey's Anatomy for just one episode.  My cousin is a star on that show (Justin Chambers) so that would make it fun.

6. Have you ever farmed or spent any time on a farm?  Yes.  My grandparents were farmers, though they retired when I was six or seven.  I have a few memories from their farm, but I had cousins who lived on a dairy farm and I would spend a week in the summer with them, which was always fun.  Are there farm stands in your little corner of the world and do you make it a point to shop there?  Yes.  If so, what item do you particularly like to buy from a roadside stand or farm shop?  Lots of wonderful produce, but especially tomatoes.   

7. What's something you've experienced recently that made you feel a sense of awe or wonder?  Visiting my sister in Georgia two weeks ago and seeing how well she is working with Bruce as he recovers from his stroke of nearly a year ago.  She is pretty darn amazing and I wonder if I could do as well.  She is so strong and so capable.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  I just want to wish everyone who stops by for a visit today a safe, healthy, happy and very blessed Thanksgiving!!  I won't be posting tomorrow, but will have photos to share on Friday.  I do have a couple of friends who do not live in the USA, so to those dear friends I wish you a great Thursday!

Thanks for coming by!  Peace & hugs.

Blessed Tuesday!

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melody Beattie

I've started counting my blessings a few days early and am humbled by it.

Thanks for your visit today!!  Peace & hugs.

Monday Mishmash...

We spent another unrushed weekend and it sure felt good!

Friday evening we went to Sam's Club for things we always get there.  I think there were 26 items in the basket when we left. We have learned that - no matter what you get at Sam's Club - take the number of items in your basket times $10 and you will be real close to the cost at the register. It works nearly every time for us.  Try it if you shop there.  Now you know how much we spent Friday night.

Saturday we slept in (late for us!).  I cooked breakfast, we read the paper then got cleaned up and headed out to Publix for the rest of our Thanksgiving and company-coming grocery list.  We didn't spend quite as much there as we did at Sam's Club, but did find a 22-pound Publix brand turkey for 59¢ a pound - SCORE!  It is thawing in the refrigerator.  Joe has a short list of things to get on Wednesday morning that I didn't want to keep in the house for so many days before using it....bagels, fresh broccoli, etc.

Sunday we got up early for the 8:00 Mass. I helped sell pecans after Mass for my women's group.  Afterwards, we went out to breakfast at one of our "locals" places. It was crowded with the after and before church crowd, but we found two seats and enjoyed our $5.99 breakfast.  Two eggs, hash browns, sausage, a biscuit and coffee for $5.99.  Delicious.

Picture from the Cloud
Reececliff Family Diner

Got home and started the laundry. We have someone coming today (Monday) to steam clean the floors and grout (tile throughout the house) and the sofa and loveseat.  Our son, Joe, is allergic to cat hair, so we do our best to make him comfortable.  I'll get the guest room ready for the kids on Tuesday evening and do some last-minute cleaning, then shut the door to keep the cats out. Wednesday evening I'll start prepping for Thanksgiving dinner!!  I LOVE cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  It's a happy place for me!!  :)

I've been Christmas shopping (on-line).  So thankful for Amazon Prime!!  Tis the season.....

Thanks for stopping by and reading my weekend recap and plans for the week! Peace & hugs.

Another Sunday Stealing Meme....

Would You Rather Meme

It's Thanksgiving in the States! Wishing everyone a lovely holiday! 

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme.
Cheers to all of us thieves!!!

Would You Rather Meme

Stolen from: Would Your Rather

1. Would you rather be stuck on an island alone or with someone who talks incessantly?  Alone!!!
2. Would you rather be too hot or too cold?  Neither, but I guess cold. When you are too hot, you can only take off so many clothes.  When you are cold, you can layer them on!
3. Would you rather have a cook or a maid?  Maid.
4. Would you rather be the youngest or the oldest sibling?  I'm okay as the oldest.
5. Would you rather get rich through hard work or through winning the lottery?  LOL - lottery!
6. Would you rather have a 10-hour dinner with a headstrong politician from an opposing party, or attend a 10-hour concert for a music group you detest?  The concert, if I have to choose
7. Would you rather be an Olympic gold medalist or a Nobel Peace Prize winner?  Nobel Peace Prize.
8. Would you rather have a desk job or an outdoor job?  Desk job, since that's what I know.
9. Would you rather live at the top of a tall NYC apartment building or at the top of a mountain?  Mountain, definitely the mountain. 
10. Would you rather have Rambo or The Terminator on your side?  Rambo, I guess.
11. Would you rather be proposed to in private or in front of family and friends? Private. 
12. Would you rather have to sew all your clothes or grow your own food?  Grow my own food.
13. Would you rather hear the good news or the bad news first? Bad news.
14. Would you rather be your own boss or work for someone else?  I've done both and like working for someone else better.  The benefits are definitely better.
15. Would you rather have nosy neighbors or noisy neighbors?   Have had both - how about neither!  Think of my answer to #9.... (We are blessed with wonderful neighbors, by the way.)
16. Would you rather be on a survival reality show or dating game show?  Too old for either!! Ha!
17. Would you rather be too busy or be bored?  I'm never bored but am frequently too busy, so let me try bored for a change.
18. Would you rather watch the big game at home or live at the stadium?  At home!
19. Would you rather spend the day with your favorite athlete or you favorite movie star?  If it can be Sam Elliott or Andy Garcia, I'll take the movie star!!
20. Would you rather live where it is constantly winter or where it is constantly summer?  Summer, and that is exactly where I live.

Thanks to Kwizgiver for another Sunday Stealing Meme!!  You can find it HERE and join in the fun!

Thanks for your visit today!  Peace & hugs.

Sam's Saturday:9....

Perfect Storm

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Perfect Storm (2014)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about "the thrill of a lifetime" kind of love. Do you believe we each get one great love? Or do you think it's possible to fall in love more than once?  I think it is certainly possible to fall in love more than once, and am living proof of that!

2) Brad Paisley endured his own "perfect storm" in 2010, when he lost his guitars in the massive flood that hit Nashville. Tell us about a time when you had to clean up after Mother Nature.  Thankfully, we haven't been hit too hard by hurricanes or tornadoes, but we sure do clean up Live Oak Tree leaves and acorns this time of year, and ugly green pollen in the spring.

3) He is married to actress Kimberly Williams, who played Steve Martin's daughter in the Father of the Bride movies. He has admitted he was a little in love with her before he met because he'd seen her on screen. Do you have a crush on anyone right now?  Well, I still have a huge crush on my husband, Joe.  I get the silly chills when I look at him now and then. I did tell him once that if Andy Garcia or Sam Elliott came to our door, he should just look the other way for a few minutes....LOL.

4) He's a passionate Cleveland Browns fan. Are you following the NFL this season?  Joe is still an Eagles fan, so I follow them with him.

5) Brad has developed his own line of western wear for Boot Barn, including some pricey items. (A "Perfect Storm" felt hat goes for $230.) What's the most expensive item you've added to your wardrobe recently?   I don't buy "expensive" ever.  I go into a store and head straight for the sale racks. I compare on-line prices before buying, too.  No way would I spend $230 on a hat. 

6) "Paisley" is also a term for a popular print. Are you wearing a print or solid right now?  Print top, solid slacks.

7) Crazy Sam is not a big country fan, but she can sing along with this song because it played so very often at a bar she frequents. What's the last song you sang?  If you saw my post yesterday, you saw my 'turkey' song and that would be the last one I (kind of) sang along with.

8) Though Brad Paisley has recorded songs about drinking, he never touches alcohol. His favorite beverage is Yoohoo, a chocolate beverage bottled by the Dr. Pepper/Snapple Company. What's the last beverage you drank directly from the bottle?  Spring Water. I don't care for carbonated beverages.

9) Random question from a Sat9er: What's your favorite handmade item?  Since my mom is gone now (she made SO many things for us) I guess it would be a counted cross-stitch item made by my friend Shirley, or the quilted coasters made by my friend, Melody.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Big thanks to Samantha for another fun Saturday:9.  Visit her site to join in on the fun!

Thanks for your visit and I wish you a great Saturday!  Peace & hugs.

Friday Fun!

I have watched a few very fun videos on Facebook over the last couple of days.  Most of them have been cat videos (go figure! LOL).

This is one of my favorites though.  It is clips from many of the wonderful old musicals, with wonderful choreography, that have been set to a modern song.  Great job and the clips bring back great memories of the old movies.  I love Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, Ann Miller and so many others.  They are all here!  Enjoy!

I'm so glad it is Friday.  Time is flying by, but this week has been a long one.  I need to finalize my Thanksgiving dinner menu and get to the grocery!!  Wednesday, Joe and I are delivering Thanksgiving meals to shut-ins for a local organization called VISTE (Volunteers in Service to the Elderly).  We enjoy helping, along with hundreds of other volunteers.  We will also drop off rolls and pies at our church for the Knights of Columbus to deliver to the sick and elderly of our parish.  My church women's group provides the rolls and pies.  Then I will start preparing for our company and getting a head start on our meal. All the while, giving thanks for our many, many blessings.

I'll leave you with this little ditty that I sang as a child and also sang to our grandkids.  Have you heard it before?

Wishing you a great Friday and weekend ahead!  Peace & hugs.

Thankful and Throwback Thursday

Two weeks ago (November 3rd), I posted a tribute to my dad on what would have been his 89th birthday.

Today, November 19th, would have been my mom's 85th birthday.  She was born in 1930.  I miss her every day. Cancer took her from us when she was just 65.

Mom was a gentle woman. She was a woman of God. She was an excellent cook. She had understanding well beyond most others. She loved with her whole being. She put all others ahead of herself, always. She was selfless.

Mom was popular in high school and had a group of girlfriends who were still loyal friends to the end.  She played cornet in the high school band. She bought her mom a dress with her first paycheck (and my grandma still had that dress packed away when she died).

Mom worked at the Post Office until she retired. She also sold Avon for years and years. After she retired from the Post Office, she worked in the church office for a few years.

We had fun together. I have memories of Mom singing in the kitchen as she worked. She loved to sing and had a wonderful alto voice.  She sang in the church choir (and the choir sang at her funeral). Everyone who knew her, loved her. We were so blessed and I am so thankful for the childhood I had with parents who were always there for us. Always.

Mom, on her wedding day in 1949. 

 Mom and my sister, Tammy, on one of our fishing vacations in Canada.

 Mom, on a boat ride on Buckeye Lake.

 Mom and Dad's 40th-anniversary photo (3 months before we lost dad to cancer).

My dear parents in another photo for their anniversary.

I love writing about Helen Louise Cameron Kelly. Of course I miss her, but more than anything I just count my blessings, and my heart is still full of love for her. Blessed.

Thanks for your visit today!  Peace & hugs.

Wednesday Hodgepodge Monopoly....

Many thanks to Joyce for giving us such fun questions every Wednesday!  Grab the questions on her blog, answer them on yours, then link up to share with all the Hodgepodgers!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 244

1. What's surprised you most about your life, or about life in general?  It is surprising how much easier it is to "be" when you don't let things steal your joy.

2. Among others, these ten words were added to the Oxford English Dictionary this year...awesomesauce, beer o'clock, brain fart, buttdial, cat cafe(apparently this is a real thing), fatberg (gross-read the definition here), fat shame, hangry, Mx (gender neutral), and skippable. 

Your thoughts?  I've heard them all, except fatberg, so I'm not surprised.  In looking over the list, which word do you find most ridiculous? Mx. Which word would you never in a million years say out loud?  Mx - how do you say it anyway?  Which word would you be most likely to use in conversation?  I HAVE used buttdial and brain fart so either of those might find their way into my conversations again.

3. Do you like gravy?  Yes, I do.  Is there a food you'd rather not eat unless it comes with gravy?  Dressing (stuffing).  Do you make your own or buy the canned or store-made variety?  I can make good gravy, but do purchase it canned now and then.  Turkey and gravy, sausage gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy, country ham and red eye gravy, biscuits and chocolate gravy, pot roast and gravy...which one on the list is your favorite?  Probably sausage gravy. I've never heard of biscuits and chocolate gravy....sounds terrible!!  I have to say that the only "gravy" you will find at our house (except on Thanksgiving) is red gravy (spaghetti sauce).  Joe will not eat meat gravy or sauces of any kind, other than the red (tomato) gravy he grew up on.  Silly boy.

4. Do you have a plan?  I always have a plan.  Do you need a plan?  Not really, because even when I do, it can go awry quickly.  Have you ever had a plan fall into a trillion pieces?  Often!  LOL  Explain.  Having a plan doesn't mean life will comply. I've learned to go with the flow and just abandon a plan in favor of having fun or letting someone else (or God) take over. 

5. November 19 is National Play Monopoly Day. Do you own the original or some version of the game?  Yes, the original and Cat-opoly (big surprise!).  Do you enjoy playing Monopoly?  Yes, I do.  How likely is it you'll play a game of Monopoly on November 19th?  Not likely because it's not so much fun with just two people.  We usually play with the grandkids or nieces & nephews.  Ever been to Atlantic City?  Yes, a few times actually.  Ever taken a ride on a railroad?  Yes.  Is parking in your town free?  Only after 5:00 pm and on weekends.  Last thing you took a chance on?  We took a chance on going to Mazzaro's Italian Market at lunch time on Monday. We were afraid it would be busier than usual, but we were pleasantly surprised.

6. A song you like that has the word (or some form of the word) thanks in the title, lyrics, or meaning?  How about  Wayne Newton's - Danke Shoen.  That one goes WAAAAYYYYY back.  I remember seeing him sing it on the Merv Griffin show, in black and white!!  1963...

7. In keeping with this month's theme of gratitude....what is something you're taking for granted that when you stop and think about it, you're grateful for?  A car that starts when I turn the key (first thing that came to mind).

8. Insert your own random thought here.  I get Susie Larson's Daily Blessing by email everyday.  It is always something I need to 'hear'....

• Daily Blessing (link here):  May God, this very moment, lift your heavy load and breathe fresh life into your weary sails. May He give you relief from your pain, rest from your fears, and refreshment in your perspective. Sometimes we just need to pause, open our hands, and give back to God the things we’re holding so tight. May Jesus help you! May the Holy Spirit infuse you with power, ignite you with faith, and inspire you to trust Him more fully. May your mind, body, soul and spirit experience rest and refreshment as you trust Him with your cares and take Him at His Word. Exhale and rest. He’ll do the rest. Have a good day.

Thanks for coming by today!  Peace & hugs!

Monday and Tuesday Together....

On the way home from Georgia yesterday, I realized I had not taken one picture. Not one. Could have slapped myself. Seriously.

We had a wonderful time. Tammy is taking such good care of Bruce and it shows. He is progressing and is doing well. His speech is still a problem, but he is working hard on it and I actually had two conversations with him and understood his comments.  Tammy was happy to hear we could see such a great improvement. She misses it sometimes, being with him all the time. My sister is pretty amazing.

Friday night, we went to a local seafood restaurant and picked up dinners for us. Delicious, and fun to share a meal with them back at the house.  Saturday morning, granddaughter Morgan came to stay with her grandpa while Tammy, Joe and I went to the craft show in Moultrie.  It was HUGE!! I've never been to a craft show that big. Thousands of people were there as were hundreds of vendors. Oh my goodness, we didn't even try to see it all. The crowd was so bad in one of the buildings that all you could do was move along with the people and hope you could see the booths on each side.  Here is the website for it, if you are interested:  http://calicocrafts.com/

We had lunch at the craft show. I had chicken fingers, Joe had a steak sandwich and Tammy had teriyaki chicken. When we decided to head home, we went by the restrooms. Joe was able to walk right into the men's room. There were at least 40 women in line for the ladies. Decided we could be home in the time it would take to stand in line.

Before we got home, Tammy took us to a pecan farm that we went to a couple of years ago when we were there visiting. They have a little store on the farm and have all kinds of goodies. Since we didn't buy anything at the craft show (prices were crazy high), I went a little crazy at the pecan farm.  I took this photo when we got home and I put the pecans in containers....

 Chocolate covered, Praline covered, and Cinnamon Covered Pecans

All Delicious!

We also purchased a flavored sea salt and a jar of Mayhaw jelly.  The owners are very nice and we spoke with the wife, who was working hard 'in the back' that day. Met her on our last visit. She is an art teacher and was interested in Polk Museum of Art. Always fun to talk with art people!

Saturday evening, Tammy had made broccoli-cheddar soup which was delicious. I took two loaves of pumpkin bread that I made, so we worked on that too. Later she made pizza rolls and we had chips.... I did not stick to my LCHF diet at all.

Sunday morning, we slept in a bit, then Tammy made us a delicious breakfast to send us off and back to Florida. It was hard saying goodbye, but we had a great visit and Tammy had some much needed time away from the house.  Speaking of pecans (pee-cans), Tammy and Bruce have a few pecan trees in their yard and this is pecan season so she had been harvesting the nuts to sell and is doing quite well with it. It is extremely hard work - backbreaking - but she can take Bruce out in the yard to help clean the nuts before they bag them (of leaves and dirt). It has been good for him to be outside in this beautiful weather we are having.  He really moves around and walks quite well.  Praise God.

I took today (Monday) off so I could get laundry done. We also drove over to Mazzaro's Italian Market, in St. Petersburg, to pick up some pasta (imported from Italy), restock our wine rack with some Italian wine and pick up a few pastries that we shouldn't be eating....

My church women's group meets tonight, so I'll be attending that. We're selling pecans and cashews after all the Masses. I missed helping this past weekend but am scheduled for this coming weekend.

Back to work tomorrow.  Thanks for your visit!!  Peace & hugs.

A Late Sunday Stealing....

Cookie Meme

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme.
Cheers to all of us thieves!!!

Cookie Meme

Stolen from: Love me some surveys

Are any of your friendships on a fine line?  Not to my knowledge.

Have you ever witnessed a birth?  Not human, but I saw baby pigs being born once.

Where’s your favorite place to be when you feel depressed?  I don't get depressed.

Are you currently looking forward to tomorrow?  I actually am looking forward to tomorrow.

When was the last time you held someone’s hand? Just today!

Have you ever faked sick?  Not in a long, long time.

Are you currently wearing jeans?  I was today, but am in my jammies now.

Have you gone to a coffee shop within the past week? [i.e. Starbucks]  Nope.

Would you like to be able to read thoughts?  Not really.

Do certain swear words just roll off your tongue?  I confess that I say SH*T more than I should.

Are you often the last one to understand a joke?  No. I'm pretty quick.

Can experience be gained just by reading?  For some things, I think yes.

Does playing the guitar make a person more attractive?  I would say no.

Have you ever slept in a tent, indoors or out?  Yes, a long, long, long time ago.

What does your hair look like at the moment?  Like it always does. Curly.

Are you mad right now?  No. I'm tired.

Who did you spend your summer with last year? My dear husband!

Did you eat a cookie today?  Not today, but I sure ate more than one yesterday.

Thanks to Kwizgiver for another fun Sunday Stealing Meme.  Thanks for visiting... I'm late posting, after our weekend in Georgia.