Thankful Thursday with Rebecca Jo...

Thanks to Rebecca Jo for hosting our blessings each Thursday at Knit By God's Hand.  You can join in HERE. 

I  am on my way to Tampa General Hospital this morning for my pre-op tests and X-rays.  Joe can't be with me so it's just me and WAZE.  I'm thankful that the traffic will be lite and there will hopefully be a place open in the parking garage!! TGH is huge but they are open again for elective surgeries so it might be hopping! 

I am thankful to see the end of April get here because (here in FL) things are starting to loosen up a bit. Parks & golf courses are open again and next week stores and restaurants are allowed to open with 25% capacity. Not sure how that will work after seeing the long lines at Sam's Club, but it is at least a start.

I am thankful that our county's seniors will get a real graduation at the end of June.  They actually polled the 5,700 seniors and gave them a choice of mailing the diplomas, doing a drive-thru graduation, or actually having commencement ceremonies in June.  Supposedly over 3,500 of them responded to have the actual ceremonies.  They have missed so much. This will be good.

I am thankful for so many things and I am thankful the most for family and friends, including each of you!!

Thanks for your visit today!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Thank you, Joyce, for this week's Hodgepodge!  Y'all can find her and join in HERE!!

Questions For A Most eXcellent Hodgepodge

It's Tuesday which means it's time to come up with the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Before I do that though, I have to figure out how to write a whole entire post on the word of the day. The April A-Z Blog Challenge is winding down, and I definitely don't want to drop the ball at this late date.

Today's word comes from another lake friend and it's a toughie. Did she choose this word because her hubs is a doc or because when it comes to letter X it's either x-ray, xerox, or xylophone?

Day 24-X is for X-Ray 

Yeah. I got nothin'. How about we include the word somewhere in this week's Hodgepodge questions? Works for me and you'll need to make it work for you too.  Here we go-

1. Expect the unexpected on From This Side of the Pond. Here's my x-ray question...when was the last time you felt like Superman?   So long ago that I can't even remember!  What's your superpower?  These days (most days) it is sitting in front of the TV.   Animals seem to like me though, so maybe there is something there.  Explain.  I can't explain it.  Perhaps they just sense when someone cares?

2. Are you a fan of the 'superhero' type movies?  Nope.  If so what's your favorite?  I am not that into sci-fi or superhero things, though when I was a kid, I did enjoy Superman on TV, played by George Reeves, from 1952-58. 

3. Have you postponed or canceled a trip to the dentist in recent weeks, and if so when do you think you'll feel comfortable going back?  Joe and I both have teeth that need to be pulled but we hadn't made the appointments yet when the shut-down happened.  How about other routine medical procedures?  I am not uncomfortable about making appointments with my doctors again.  I saw my chiropractor on Monday and have several coming up relating to my coming knee surgery. If they are good with it, I'm good with it.

4. What's something that makes you feel youthful? Something that makes you feel 'not so youthful'? Tell us why.   Gosh, I haven't felt "youthful" for a long time.  My bad knees (10 years!) make me feel not so youthful. I hope I can begin to walk again without pain once I get my second titanium knee in two weeks!!

5. I feel compelled to include some sort of corona related question in the HP these days. What's the strangest thing you've seen in relation to the virus?  It has to be masks and gloves.  Something that really struck you as odd, made you stop and think, 'Dorothy we're not in Kansas anymore?'  The thing I hate the most is not seeing smiles or facial expressions when you are shopping.  And it wasn't that long ago that someone would be dialing 911 if a person walked into a store with their face covered and with gloves on!!  I know why... you don't have to tell me.  It is just weird to me.

6. Insert your own random thought here.   My lunch bunch girlfriends are planning a tailgate luncheon next week.  Shirley has a very long driveway with lots of shade.  We will bring our own lunch and sit outside at the proper distance and enjoy lunch together.  I'm looking forward to it!!

Don't miss my Whimisacle Wednesday post today!!  

Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Whimsical Wednesday...

There are no rules and there is no linky.

Check out the gown, pick some shoes and let

us know what you think in the comments!

It's just a whimsical thing!!

(Photos are from the Storybook of Beauty & Dreams,)

So many high school girls are missing their proms this year. Sad!

I think this is a lovely prom dress, perhaps reminiscent of days gone by.

She will need some shoes!

Shoe #1 by Sophia Webster

Shoe #2 by Rene Caovilla

 Shoe #3 by (unknown)

My thoughts:  If I had a daughter and she wanted this dress, I would do my best to get it for her.  I love the color and just think it is sweet.  I'll pick shoe#2 because it looks younger than the other two.  None would be right for me, but for a 17-year old going to prom in this dress... #2.  I couldn't dance the night away in any of them, so figure she will kick the shoes off at some point!  What do you think?

I also posted on the Wednesday Hodgepodge today. 

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Tuesday 4 Meme...

Thanks to Annie for this week's questions!  You can find them and join in HERE!

Extremes

Welcome to Tuesday 4 in the memory of Toni Taddeo.

The idea is to get people thinking and talking to one another. The more we talk, the more we learn and grow.  If we have learned anything from this house arrest, it is that people need people and as Barbra Streisand sang, "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world."

This week, let's think about extremes...    

1.      Besides a house or car, what is the most expensive thing you've ever bought?  Probably a purse.  I have a bad, bad, love of purses.  Oh, I forgot about our trip to Italy. Those tickets weren't cheap and neither was the case of wine we had sent home!

2.      What is the coldest temperature you've experienced?  Somewhere below zero. I grew  up in Ohio back when things really did freeze there in the winter.  The warmest?  Now I live in Florida so probably high 90s.  I'm sure it had a "feels like" of over 100.

3.       Can you name a favorite TV/Radio program that you secretly can't get enough of or one that you will watch every chance you get? Perhaps binge watch?  We binge watch a lot of shows but most recently it was season 5 of Outlander.  I have read all of the books and love the way they are doing the TV series.  Each season is one book.

4.      What is very wrong but sounds good to most people at first?  Gambling; or I'll just take one chocolate; or "trust me" from a salesman...

------------------------------------------------------------

I heard from Tampa General Hospital yesterday.  My pre-op appointment with them is this Thursday.  Joe can't go with me for the pre-op but they will allow him to be with me for the surgery on the 12th.  I have to go there on Monday, the 11th, and get a C-19 test done.  That's a lot of trips to Tampa (not to mention my pre-op with the surgeon on May 4th).  I am just happy to be getting it done.  It was in the newspaper this morning that Tampa General only has 12 C-19 patients in the hospital right now and they are in a separate secluded part of the hospital.  Tampa General Hospital is huge... 12.

So, that's the scoop on elective surgeries being allowed again.  I am happy to get the test done, too.  Of course, you will be taking this journey with me through the blog!!

Thanks for checking in!!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Monday's Weekend Recap...

Another weekend like all the rest of late. 

On Thursday, the man we hire each year to pressure wash our house came to get rid of the pollen and grime clinging to our white siding.  It looks so much better now!  Our neighbors might just let us stay around for a few more months now!  (wink)

I did a little cleaning.

We "attended" church yesterday morning.  Our Assistant Pastor had the message this week and it was so meaningful during this time.  We just love it when Brian preaches.

Joe and I took a little ride around town yesterday afternoon. We were only out and about for 45 minutes or so but it felt good to be out of the house.

There was a great deal on Facebook for the Starz app so I took advantage of it and we have been marathon watching Outlander, Season Five, since yesterday afternoon.  We stopped in time to catch American Idol, because our Lakeland girl Kimmy Gabriela is still competing.

I am excited to get back to my chiropractor today!! And I made an appointment for Joe because his back has been hurting again.  Little by little, we are hopefully easing things here.  A week from today, I have my pre-op appointment with my surgeon. Yikes!!

Today is also laundry day... and that's all I have for today!! Thanks for checking in!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Sunday Thoughts...

I am taking a pass on Sunday Stealing today but I am happy to share something that was in our newspaper yesterday morning.

I enjoy a weekly op-ed piece by Marc Thiessen, who is a thoughtful conservative.  His article was about tweets and asking for prayer.  It is HERE if you want to see it (hopefully it will open for you)  He quoted Monsignor Charles Pope who spoke at the National Day of Prayer event.  This isn't quite verbatim because I jotted it down on a piece of scrap paper, but: "...one of the joys of Heaven will be that we will be able to see what a difference our prayers made! We will see that we changed world history by our prayers working with God's Grace."






Wow.  We talk about seeing our loved ones again, in Heaven, but I have never really thought about being able to see the effect of our prayers.  How wonderful and amazing is that thought?!  Just wow.

I will leave it at that!!  Have a blessed Sunday!!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Pray!!

A Musical Saturday 9...

Thanks to Crazy Sam for this week's Saturday 9!  You can link up and join in HERE.

All Right

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: All Right (1983)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song has an optimistic message about love: "It gets tough sometimes, but you can give it one more try ..." Do you tend to take an optimistic look at life?  I try my best to approach life optimistically.  It makes it a lot more fun and interesting than being down all the time.

2) In this song, Christopher Cross sings, "Time and time again I see people so unsure like me ..." Tell us about a recent time when your confidence could have used a boost.  I am pretty confident in myself unless I am asked to speak in front of a crowd of people I don't know. My knees get weak, my hands sweat, and I probably turn paler than my usual pale. I hate it.

3) The Doobie Bros.' Michael McDonald plays on this record. Do you have a favorite Doobie Bros. song?  I used to love the Doobies and had 2 or 3 of their albums (vinyl). I like many but will say China Grove and Minute by Minute.  Oh and Black Water!! Good stuff!!

4) Though no longer making hits, Christopher Cross still has loyal fans who attend his concerts. Time permitting, he spends time after each show signing autographs. Have you ever asked a celebrity for his/her autograph?  Nope, but my mom used to have photographs of movie stars that were autographed to her... back when movie stars actually signed their photos.  Mom gave them to me and I gave them to my niece, Sara. 

5) Christopher Cross' dad was an Army doctor stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC. With all the museums and monuments, our nation's capital could be a great place for a kid to grow up ... except sometimes we take the advantages of our hometown for granted. Tell us about a nearby museum, park, theater, etc., you'll visit again when this period of crisis is over and it's agreed that it's safe to do so.  Of course, I have to say the Polk Museum of Art!  I don't' go there often since I retired... it actually feels funny to me, but I miss it and will go as soon as it opens again!

6) In 1983, when "All Right" was popular, Flashdance was a hit in movie theaters and on the radio. What's the most recent movie you watched? Most recent song you heard on the radio?  I don't listen to the radio but Joe and I watched August Rush again the other night. I love that movie! Have you seen it?
 
7) Also in 1983, America West Airlines took off, flying between Las Vegas and Phoenix. They went nationwide in 2005 after they merged with US Airways. In 2013, they merged again, this time with American Airlines. Do you collect miles in an airline loyalty program?  I don't like to fly.  If I can get there by car, I am driving.  So no, I have never collected airline miles.

8) Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1983. Can you name gaming's most famous siblings?  No, I am not familiar with the Super Mario Bros.  BUT, August 1, 1983, is when Joe and I met for the first time, so 1983 is a somewhat memorable year for me!!

9) Random question -- Under hypnosis, you discover you lived three past lives. In the first, you were wealthy beyond your wildest imaginings, thanks to a loveless marriage. In the second, you were a star on the roller derby circuit who had earned the nickname "Smasher." In the third, you were a brilliant mathematician who worked your way through school as an exotic dancer. Which of these would you find most shocking?  Ha... definitely the mathematician and exotic dancer!! I am terrible at math!  If I was really "the Smasher" it would explain my bad knees, though!

Thanks for your visit today!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Friday Fotos...

Carrying on the Friday Foto tradition from our blogging friend, Miss Debbie at Breathing In Grace!

On Tuesday, Joe had two of his prescriptions ready at the 

pharmacy.  The rest are at Publix so this one is

a little farther away and made for a little get-away!

(The pharmacist is a friend of the doctor I worked for last year.)

(We get a better deal here through GoodRX than we do at Publix.)

It was a beautiful day at the farm (Joe's client).

Vanna (in front) and Majesty got carrots.

Linny & Baloo were nowhere to be seen.

Doc & Pistol are still in a pasture farther away and I didn't drive to them.

So the goats got the rest of my carrots and apples.

The four birds also got treats.

This is Tex.  He and Roho got lots of doggie treats.

I noticed a few lovebugs flying around and am not looking forward

to this on the front of the car... then I remembered that we

won't be driving anywhere that far away so we might avoid this mess this year!

(not my picture... from google)

Thanks for your visit today!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Thankful Thursday with Rebecca Jo...

Thank you, Rebecca Jo, for hosting us to share our blessings at Knit By God's Hand.  You can join in HERE!!

** I am thankful that we got out to the farm yesterday (Joe's client).  It was good to see the owners (at a safe distance) and of course, to see all the animals.

** We stopped by Helen's house and they had an early dinner for us from Burger 21.  It was good and good to see them.  Helen is beside herself to get her hair done. She is 92 and still has her color done.

** Our community group from church finally had a Zoom meeting last night! It was so good to see everyone. We have all been in touch by phone or social media but it was great seeing most of them and ending the meeting with prayer.  We are so blessed and thankful for our church family.

** Our house is being pressure washed today!!  Just hosing it off doesn't get rid of all the dirt and pollen (especially the pollen) on the white siding.  The house will look pretty again!!

** My chiropractor called yesterday to schedule a new appointment with me on April 27th. It seems the chiropractors are going back to work!!  Thank goodness!!

** So, Florida is beginning to loosen things up a bit.  I think the parks will reopen May 1st.  My hope is that people will be sensible and use common sense as we venture back out.

** And, as always, I am thankful for family and friends, which includes each of you!

Be safe!! Thanks for your visit!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge!!

Thanks to Joyce for this week's Hodgepodge!  You can join other Hodgepodgers HERE!

Questions for the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Volume 123

If you're looking for the final installment of my A-Z blog challenge posts you'll find it by clicking here. Of course, you're all welcome to join in the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge...here are this week's questions-

1.  This week's Hodgepodge is Volume 123.  What's something you've done recently that was as easy as 1-2-3?  I made vegetable soup in the crockpot yesterday with leftovers from a pot roast.  It was good and easy as 1-2-3!

2.  The Wednesday Hodgepodge also happens to fall on the first day of May ...what is something you may do this month?  Your calendar must be different from mine but I MAY get some extra cleaning done before my knee surgery on May 12.  I have some motivation to get some things done now.  Time is ticking.

3. The Englishman Horace Walpole is credited as saying, "The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think"  How do you see it?  Well, I feel pretty deeply but do not see life as a tragedy. I do like to laugh but I am not at all sure I agree with Mr. Walpole.  It is not that cut  & dry/black & white!

4.  May is National Hamburger Month...how often do you eat a burger?  Joe and I both enjoy hamburgers and we have them a couple of times a month. What are your must-haves when it comes to burgers?  Onion, tomato, cheese, ketchup, and a little mayo!  I assume you vegetarians won't be celebrating so tell us what you'd like instead?  I am a meatatarian!

5. Pansies, petunias, geraniums, impatiens...of the four mentioned, which is your favorite in a patio pot?  I always think the impatiens look so pretty in hanging baskets.   Will there be pots on your patio this spring? (Or whenever spring comes to your part of the globe?)   Nope.  I kill plants.  Who does the gardening at your house?  Neither of us cares for yard work or plants. 

6. When did you last (literally or figuratively) shout "Mayday, Mayday!"  Gosh, I don't even remember.  Maybe last year when Lucy got out. I was pretty panicked then.

7.  Say farewell to your April in ten words or less.  April?  What happened to March?  What day is it?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  Things are beginning to loosen up a bit here in Florida. I just hope folks remember to still be cautious and careful with their health and that of others.  We can't rush back into life like gangbusters.  Take it easy and use some common sense.  I'm ready!!

Thanks for your visit!!

Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!