Thankful Thursday....

As often as I mention retiring, one might think I don't like my job. Not so! I LOVE my job and the wonderful people I work with, and just passed my 19th anniversary at Polk Museum of Art.  So thankful for the opportunity I've had to be part of this great organization and hard-working team of professionals!!

One of our biggest events is Mayfaire by-the-Lake.  This is our new "commercial" for Mayfaire that will play on the local cable TV station.  Y'all come down for a visit!! It is always Mother's Day weekend. I can't get the video to download, but here is the link:  https://vimeo.com/143745628

On this Thankful Thursday, I am also thankful that Joe FINALLY has a date for his cardioversion and they will also do a catheterization on Tuesday, April 5th.  I've already put in a leave slip for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Both of our boys will be here visiting on the 9th and 10th (and Jeff will be here the entire week!), so hoping Joe will be feeling much better and will be ready to enjoy the company.

I'm thankful for old friends and two of them went to dinner with us last night.  Hattie and Murph are down from Michigan to see his mom and brother who aren't doing too well.  They surprised me by stopping in at the Museum on Monday and we decided to get together for dinner one night before they have to head north.  Murph called yesterday morning and it was a go! So great catching up with them!  Murph worked at the Museum for a few years before they went back to Michigan to be closer to the kids and grandkids.

Of course, there are many more things I'm thankful for, but I'll save them for another time. What are you thankful for today, on this last day of March 2016?

Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs!!

Hodgepodge Time!!

Wednesdays are always fun when we have Hodgepodge link-ups!  Joyce gives us the questions, we give our answers and link up over on her blog with all the other Hodgepodgers!!  Join the fun by simply clicking HERE!!

Hodgepodge Questions-volume 261

1. What are two or three expectations you have of yourself?  I have very few (if any) expectations for myself any more.  I expect to be retiring by this time next year!! :)

2. In what way does your outdoor space need sprucing up this spring?  If you could see our pathetic yard!! I loathe outside work. I am not a garden/flower person AT ALL.  Right now we have a yard full of live oak leaves and pollen droppings. We don't rake. Sometimes we take the blower out and blow the leaves around, but within an hour the leaves are everywhere.  Live Oak trees drop leaves in the fall and spring (all year long, actually, but twice it is really heavy). The old leaves fall as the new leaves push them off. The trees are never bare. They are dirty too. In the fall, the acorns fall and in the spring it's the wormy pollen strings. SO-our yard looks terrible most of the time.  Joe can't do it anymore and I refuse.  We have a lawn service to mow and trim. The leaves just have to mulch in. They never stop.

3. According to this site (Roadtrippers), six of North America's most wondrous waterfalls are-Webster's Falls in Ontario, Upper Whitewater Falls in North Carolina,Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, Multnomah Falls in Oregon, The Lower Yellowstone Falls, and Niagara. Have you seen any on the list?  Niagara.  Which one on the list would you most like to visit?  Don't care.  Prettiest waterfall not on the list that you've seen in person?  I am not a hiker.  The only one I've seen in person (five times, on the way to Canada) is Niagara.  I think waterfalls are lovely, but I don't seek them out.

4. Looking back, what's something you wish you'd done as a teenager?  Can't think of a thing.

5. Ham...yes please or no thank you? Yes please.   If you said yes please which of the following do you like best-baked ham with all the trimmings, a ham and cheese sandwich, prosciutto with melon, a ham biscuit, a bowl of split pea and ham soup, or a slice of pizza topped with ham and pineapple?  All but the pizza topped with ham and pineapple.  Have had all the others and love everything but that.  

6. Are you typical of your generation?  Probably not.  How so?  I grew up in the 60s but didn't do drugs or smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol and kept my virginity intact!  LOL  Not typical of the decade but typical of being a first-born who followed the rules and took "setting an example" seriously (too seriously, perhaps!!).

7. April rolls in at the end of the week, and in keeping with that theme...'act the fool', 'nobody's fool', 'a fool's errand', 'could have fooled me'...which foolish idiom most recently applies to you?  Probably nobody's fool.  Explain.  I've been fooled before, but not often; I've been on a fool's errand a few times, but again not often; I rarely act the fool;  that leaves nobody's fool...I misread people and/or situations now and then but not so often anymore.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  Never random, but... Melanie (Lanie) posted yesterday, on Facebook, that she came through the brain surgery okay. I haven't heard more than that, but take it as a good sign that she got online!!  Prayers continue because this is just the first step to get her cancer-free.   No word from Joe's doctor yet, other than waiting on the insurance company.  Maybe we'll hear something this week.  Thankfully, he is doing okay with his BP and heart rate.

Thanks for your visit today!  Thanks to Joyce for another fun Hodgepodge!  Peace & hugs.

Tuesday Tidbits....

Since I was off yesterday, we treated it like our usual Sunday. Yep...laundry. Ha!  Got it done.

I also cleaned out my overflow closet and have a HUGE pile of clothing to take to our church's trift store. HUGE pile.  I have been keeping suits, skirts, and dresses that I haven't worn in 10 years. We just don't dress up for work anymore and I don't wear dresses that only look nice with stockings and heels. I kept a couple of suits "just in case" but the rest are going, going, gone.

The most cooking I did was to make us a BLT for lunch. Sleeping in has been such a luxury these past three days!!

Back to work today.  Short weeks always seem so long.  That's really all I have to write about, so I'll leave it at that. I appreciate your visit!!  Peace & hugs.

Monday's Weekend Recap.....

We had a lovely Easter.  Joe and I attended the Saturday Easter Vigil at a different Parish from our own Church of the Resurrection.  St. Joseph's is the oldest Catholic church in Lakeland, and is very traditional inside, with beautiful stained glass windows and a lovely altar with an altar rail. Our church was doing a bi-lingual service, which we don't enjoy.  When we first moved to Lakeland, we joined and attended Mass at St. Joe's.  Joe was even an usher there before we moved our membership to Resurrection. It was a lovely service that started at 8:00 pm.  We got home a little before 11:00. Incense, candles, renewal of baptismal promises, baptisms (4) and 13 brought into the church. Best of all was the light of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, heralded with beautiful music from the choir and musicians in the balcony. He is risen!!

Sunday morning we slept late, had breakfast and enjoyed the Sunday paper before getting ready to be escorted to dinner at Applebee's by our friends Helen and Cheryl.  We enjoyed our meals, and then came back to our house for dessert.  Helen's 88th birthday will be tomorrow (Tuesday) so we got her a birthday cake which we had with ice cream. Yummy!

It looks like we ate half of the cake, but we really didn't!! Helen took half of it home and we had a nice chunk left for us to enjoy later.  It was quite good!

I am off work today.  When a holiday falls on Sunday, we get Monday off.  I'll take it!!

I asked a few days ago for prayers for my friend Lanie (Melanie) and many thanks for those.  She is having a very major surgery today, at noon, to remove one of her tumors.  Please offer a prayer for her and the medical team. Thank you again!

Thanks for your visit!! I'm looking forward to reading your blogs today! Peace & hugs.

Happy Easter!!

Hallelujah!  He is risen indeed!!

Saturday:9 Jesus Christ Superstar

On this Saturday, while we wait for the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, let's answer some questions from Samantha and the Saturday:9.

I Don't Know How to Love Him

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: I Don't Know How to Love Him (1971)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is from Jesus Christ, Superstar. Though now a beloved classic, the play was controversial when it first premiered. Can you think of something else that originally made people uncomfortable, but went on to be accepted?  Oh my goodness...just watch TV these days!  And the commercials!  

2) Jesus Christ, Superstar was originally developed as a "concept album," a collection of songs written to sequentially tell the story of The Crucifixion and Resurrection. Do you remember the first album you bought?  I think the first vinyl album I bought was Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.  Did you download it, listen to it on a CD player, your cassette deck, or record player?  Download it?!!  LOL  No, I listened to it on a record player.

3) When the album's songs were performed live in concert at the Pennsylvania Civic Arena, producers decided to stage it as a play and the rest, as they say, is history. Tell us about a really good idea you've had recently.  Joe liked my idea to have breakfast for dinner on Thursday night. It did taste good!

4) Jesus Christ, Superstar is a truly international phenomenon. During a revival tour that began in 2011, it's been a hit with audiences in the United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Brazil, Hungary, India, New Zealand, Italy, France, Mexico, Chile, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Australia, The Philippines, South Africa, Panama, Colombia, Croatia, Bolivia, The Netherlands and Portugal. Besides the United States, which of those countries have you visited?  Canada and Italy.

5) Peeps are big sellers every Easter. Would you rather have yellow chicks or pink bunnies? I don't care for the marshmallow peeps, so none is my answer.

6) Jelly beans are also popular this time of year. One theory says they were introduced in Boston during the 19th century. What else comes to mind when you think of Boston?  Lobster.

7) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween?  Probably Easter. We don't buy candy for Halloween anymore, but our friends usually give us an Easter basket when we gather for Easter dinner.

8) Easter lilies will adorn many churches this Sunday. What's your favorite flower?  A simple daisy. Fragrant flowers give me migraines.

9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated?  Enough sleep.  I rarely get enough sleep.

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!

I wish you all a Blessed Easter (if you celebrate).  We will go to the Saturday Easter Vigil tonight. It is usually two hours long (or more) but is such a beautiful service. He is Risen Indeed!!

Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs!

Friday Foto Friends Time!

I have new photos (fotos) to share today on the Friday Foto Friends link-up!!  Yesterday, I had lunch with my girlfriends at a new restaurant (for Lakeland) called Cheddars.  It was a spur-of-the-moment gathering and worked out well (except there wasn't time to get Melody down to join us). We went early and it was still crowded. It just opened on Monday. I have said before that I don't think anyone in Lakeland makes dinner (or lunch) anymore. Our restaurants are always crowded...even when the snowbirds aren't in town.

I splurged (calorie-wise) and had a Monte Cristo sandwich with coleslaw.  It was YUMMY and I couldn't finish it.  All the other girls loved what they got, too.  I think we have another good restaurant to enjoy now!

My Monte Cristo Sandwich

 Heather and Terry

Shirley and Cindee

All five of us. Our waitress was great!

Seems I am always asking for prayers, but this quick get-together was so we could all see Cindee before her surgery in two weeks.  She has Parkinson's Disease and is having brain surgery on April 6th.  Pre-op stuff is next week.  She is nervous and scared. She knows we love her and will all be praying for her.  Her family will be gathering to take care of her (and hubby).  They have three kids, two are close to Lakeland, and her sister is flying in from Minnesota.  Extra prayers for her will be appreciated over the next few weeks!  Thanks!!

On this most blessed weekend, have you ever wondered why Good Friday is called "Good" when it is the day Jesus was crucified?  There are several theories, but the one most agree upon is that in ancient times "good" meant holy or sacred. That makes perfect sense to me. 

Wishing you all a very blessed Easter weekend.

Thanks for your visit. (Nothing new from Joe's doctor yet.)  Peace & hugs for all!  

Thankful Thursday....

I have so many blessings to be thankful for, including my blogging friendships here! Thanks for coming by today!!  Peace & hugs.

A Springtime Hodgepodge!!

Another fun Hodgepodge from Joyce!  Join in the fun HERE and link up with other Hodgepodgers!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 260

Welcome to the first Springtime Hodgepodge of 2016! I hope there's not snow where you are, but if there is the Wednesday Hodgepodge is a happy distraction. Here are this week's questions.

1. Has spring sprung in your little corner of the world? Yes indeed!  Other than the calendar how would I know? We had to turn the AC back on.  What's your favorite thing about spring?  The beautiful flowering trees.

2. Besides the weather, what's put a spring in your step recently? Seeing my dear friend Elaine for a long 5-day weekend.

3. How does Easter impact you?  It makes me feel even more humble than usual, starting with the Passion of our Lord on Palm Sunday and all through Holy Week.  What He endured for me is beyond anything I can imagine.  Humbled and blessed.

4. I saw this somewhere on Facebook and thought it would make a fun Hodgepodge question. Which of the following would you find most disappointing...

a just stuffed taco shell breaking open and spilling out before you take the first bite? dropping a just-purchased Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts coffee? opening the peanut butter jar and finding it empty? upending onto the sidewalk a just-purchased ice cream cone? a burnt bagel popping up in your toaster when you're rushing breakfast? or cutting into an avocado and finding out it's rotten?  Dropping my ice cream would have me seeing red!  LOL

5. What's something held together with tape at your house? Or a paper clip? Or a wing and a prayer?  Actually it would be my old cellphone case being held on my new cellphone with a rubberband. The new case should arrive from Amazon today. 

6. Do you feel underappreciated?  Sometimes I do.  In what way? It's not a big deal.

7. What's something you'd build if you knew how?  Cat tunnels throughout the house for my fur-babies!  I've seen some pretty elaborate ones online and it looks like the cats would have so much fun!

8. Insert your own random thought here.  I haven't mentioned lately that I am really looking forward to retirement.  But I am!!  Bring it on!!

Thanks for your visit!! Thanks to those who have added Melanie to your prayer list (yesterday's blog) and for my Joe. Thank you.  Peace & hugs!!

Tuesday Tidbits.....

I heard from our friends, Elaine and Jim, that they arrived home safely yesterday afternoon. So happy they traveled safely but sure do miss them!

The Easter Egg Wreath above was such a nice surprise in yesterday's mail!  I won it from blogging friend, Brenda over at Mamaw's Place.  She is quite the crafter and offered the wreath as a gift.  I won!!  I won!!  I won!!  (This is someone who rarely ever wins!) Isn't it cute?!  Thank you, Brenda!!

Joe and I went to the Sprint store last night to get new phones.  Our contract was up, and his old phone (which was MY old phone before it was his old phone) was on its last legs.  We both now have the new Galaxy s7.  It is always fun to have new technology to play with.

I heard from a dear friend and former Multiply blogger that she just got a very tough diagnosis. She has cancer in her lung and it is also in her brain.  She called me last night to request prayers and specifically asked that I get her out on lots of prayer chains.  Please add Melanie Jenkins to your prayer list and/or church's prayer chain.  She believes in the power of prayer.  Thank you!!

I also ask you to keep Joe on your prayer list. We haven't heard from his doctor yet, about another procedure.

I appreciate your visit today!  Peace & hugs!!

Monday Weekend Mishmash....

Our guests left early yesterday morning. Sure hated to see them go. We had such a good time! They introduced us to a game called Blockus.  Lots of fun if you like strategic puzzles.

So, let's see...we left off on Thursday with pictures of the ballgame.  Friday, we went to the Auburndale Flea Market, then went to the Lakeland Brewing Company (craft beers). We had a 5-cheese toasted cheese sandwich and some beer was tasted.... 

From there, we made a stop at the Museum. I'm always proud to take visitors to our wonderful art museum. Elaine shopped in the gift shop, too.

Lakeland Brewing Co.

What should we try?.....

Outside seating (we sat inside) with a beautiful view of Lake Mirror.

Saturday, we took Jim and Elaine to breakfast at Reececliff, then went to the Downtown Farmers' Curb Market.  It was getting ready to storm, so the vendors were packing up. We hurried for some tomatoes and bread, then headed to Sam's Club for a few things we needed.  I had spaghetti sauce (gravy) in the crock pot.  While the men watched basketball, Elaine and I headed out again in the rain to do some shopping at Bealls. She ended up not getting anything, but I bought a new purse.

We opened a bottle of red wine and dined on linguini and meatballs for dinner. Had a nice tossed salad too, and later we had ice cream and fresh strawberries.

They pulled out Sunday morning, just after 7:00.  Heard from them off and on by text messages as they headed to Tennessee for their first stop on the road back to Illinois.

Back to work for me today. We are waiting to hear from Joe's doctor about a possible procedure or procedures this week (maybe Wednesday).  He is back in AFib and because he has also been a bit short of breath, the doctor mentioned a catheterization and/or cardioversion. Prayers appreciated. We need to get his heart back in rhythm!!

That's my Monday Mishmash!! Thanks for stopping by.  Peace & hugs.

Currently I Am.....

Currently 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!!! 

Currently Meme

Stolen from: The Archives

Currently, I am...

Reading Nora Roberts' "In The Garden" trilogy on my Kindle.

Writing this blog.

Playing nothing, but we did play a new game with our company called Blockus. Fun!!

Watching way too much basketball....March Madness!

Trying to relax a bit before starting some chores.

Cooking leftovers today.

Drinking my first cup of coffee.

Calling my Grandma later today. I try to do it most Sundays.

Pinning nothing. I haven't been on Pinterest in ages.

Tweeting nothing.  I'm not on Twitter.

Crafting nothing.

Doing my nails later today. They are a mess.

Going back to work tomorrow. Sigh.

Loving my husband; and also that we had such a great time with friends.

Hating that Elaine and Jim had to leave this morning.

Re-Discovering again that "old" friends are the best friends!

Enjoying having the doors open to the pool area this morning.

Thinking about Joe. We're looking at another visit to the hospital this week.

Feeling discouraged about Joe's health. 

Missing our boys!  Jeff is coming down in April. Can't wait! Joe & Darlene may come too!

Hoping our friends have safe trip home!

Listening to birds singing and a soft rain falling.

Celebrating the first day of Spring!

Smelling fresh air....and coffee!

Thanking Jesus for so many blessings.

Considering what to make for breakfast when Joe gets up.

Starting the laundry!  It's my every-Sunday chore.

Thanks for Kwizgiver for this meme on Sundays!  Join the fun HERE and link up!!

Thanks to you for coming by today!  More about our weekend tomorrow! Peace & hugs!

Saturday:9 Kiss from a Rose.....

Thanks again to Samantha for another Saturday:9.  Join the fun and link up here!

Kiss from a Rose

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: Kiss from a Rose (1996)

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

1) This song is from the movie, Batman Forever. The movie Batman v. Superman will be out later this month. In that matchup, who do you support -- The Caped Crusader or The Man of Steel?  Well, since I grew up with Superman on TV, I'll have to go with The Man of Steel.

2) "Rose" became a popular name in the 19th century, when parents also began naming their daughters "Iris," "Violet," "Daisy" and "Lily." Do you know anyone who has a flower name?   I know a couple of women named Iris.


3) This week's artist, Seal, has something to fall back on. At his parents' insistence, before he pursued music he got an associate degree in architecture from a small college in Westminster. What's the last grade you completed?  I have a BA Degree.

4) Seal wrote this song back in the 1980s but didn't really like it very much. His producer discovered it when they were looking for material to complete Seal's second album and the result was several Grammys. Tell us about a time when something turned out better than you thought it would.   When I tried a new marinade for beef a couple of days ago.

5) Ex-wife Heidi Klum is not the only model in Seal's life. He also dated Tyra Banks. Can you name another famous model?  Cheryl Tiegs.  

6) Seal is currently involved with yet another model, Australian Erica Packer. Between them they have seven children. How many siblings do you have, and are you the oldest, youngest, or in the middle? I'm the oldest of four children. My younger brother died of cancer, so I have two younger sisters, Patti and Tammy.


7) Seal's birthday was back on February 19. Let's think about your birthday. If you could have any type of cake you wanted, what would you request?  Red Velvet with my mom's butter icing recipe dripping off of it.

8) In 1996, when this song was popular, Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of murdering their parents in a crime and trial that dominated the news in Los Angeles. What are people in your town talking about?  What else...Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

9) Random question: There's an old saying, "Like nails on a blackboard." Sam can't recall ever hearing nails on a blackboard, but she knows she hates the sound of a dripping faucet. What sound bothers you the most?  That nails on a blackboard makes me cringe, but so does most opera singing.

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 peeking in today!! We are enjoying our company.  I'll have some photos to post with my weekend recap on Monday.  Peace & hugs!

Friday Fun....

Having a great time with our friends, Elaine and Jim!!  Yesterday we went to a Spring Training Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Tigers won, 5 to 4, but it was a great game. The weather was beautiful and the stadium had standing room only.

The stadium was FULL. We had great seats, right on the field at first base. 

Both teams walking onto the field and warming up...two by two, three by three.  It was nice that some of them stopped to sign autographs.  Jim had his hat signed  by Sierra.

 Elaine and I both had our floppy hats on because of the sun.

This guy was selling lemonade and he gave us a great performance.  Not enough to buy a cup of lemonade for six bucks, but we enjoyed listening to him.

 Jim and Joe, watching the game and watching me take a photo! LOL

We all had a hotdog, chips or potato salad and giant pretzels. Joe likes his with mustard. 

Jim spent some time talking with a Tigers fan. Opposite teams, but baseball in common.

Jim and Elaine took us out for a delicious dinner at Grillsmith restaurant, after the game.  Then we came home for some basketball games on TV, some strawberry shortcake with ice cream and more talking....we've been doing lots of talking!!

Today we are off to the flea market (next town over), the Lakeland Brewing Company (Jim likes craft beers) and then a quick stop at the Museum.

Joe is doing well, but he is still in AFib.  He saw his cardiologist early yesterday morning and it looks like they will be scheduling a catheterization and/or another cardioversion for next week. We're waiting to hear. Sigh. Your prayers are appreciated! Just happy he is feeling okay and his BP is okay.

Thanks for checking in with me today!  Peace & hugs.