Tuesday, September 30, 2025

September 30th: The Tuesday 4...

 Thanks to Annie for today's questions!  Y'all can join in HERE!



Hooray for Hollywood Part 2

 Back so soon?  Well, weeks fly by it seems.  The Inuit people say that time has sped up, and as they are experts on reading the sky due to their hunting, they offer great proof.   

 Welcome to Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo, its first host and founder.


How about the subject of Hollywood, its 'stars', its products, and its effect on the world?

1.  Which of the big movie stars of the past were your favorites?  Fred Astaire, Donald O'Connor, Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn...

2. What movie is the funniest you've seen? How about the most romantic?  

Funny movies include (silly) Animal House; (sweet funny) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles;  (childishly funny) Caddyshack.  Most romantic would include Pretty Woman, The Holiday, While You Were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle...

3.  Do you watch the Oscars or the Emmy Awards shows?  Nope.  Not in years.

4.  Some movies and plays had a big impact on people.  Orson Welles' radio performance of War of the Worlds was broadcast on Halloween 1938, and people, causing panic and widespread hysteria, especially in the Grover's Mill area of New Jersey, where the "invasion" took place.

Is there a movie that you were greatly influenced or affected by, hopefully in a good way?  I've mentioned before my love for The Wizard of Oz, so that's my answer for today.  There's no place like home....

Peace and Hugs!

"Oh, Auntie Em-- There's no place like home!"

Monday, September 29, 2025

September 29th: Monday Musings...

 









Hmmmm...  Let me think...

Thanks for stopping by to visit on this last Monday of September!!  Good golly!  Where did September go.  For that matter, where did the summer go?!! 

Last Friday, I went to dinner with a lovely group of women from my church.  We used to do that every couple of months, but our leader quit leading, the next one had to move away, and we just got a new Women's Ministry Leader, so the fun has again begun!


I always order spaghetti and meat sauce when I eat at Il Forno.  This time, I asked them to toss in some fresh spinach.  They tossed in a bunch of chopped spinach, and it was way too much spinach.  I won't suggest a change next time.  I do it at home, often, and it is lovely.  I ate half and left it there.  My table-mates laughed about me having Popeye's muscles!  LOL


This is an easy week for me.  I don't have an appointment until Wednesday, when I meet with my insurance agent about my 2026 Medicare coverage.  There are changes to my current plan that don't sit well with me, so I think a change will be necessary.  Matt is a good guy whom I trust, but I also run it by my brother-in-law (licensed in Ohio & Georgia) to make sure it makes sense to him.  Thanks to Greg!

Thursday is Bible Study with our Pastor, and dinner with my Mas Verde group.  Other than picking up Anne from the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa sometime on the weekend, that's it so far.

Speaking of Anne, I took her to Tampa after church yesterday.  On Saturday, I went to the Visitation for my friend's husband at Resurrection Catholic.  She gave me a big hug and asked for my phone number so we can meet for lunch.  She seemed to be doing okay.  Al was not well, and was 91.  God rest his soul!  I hope Lucille calls me!  We met back in the early 90s, when I was the Business Manager at Santa Fe Catholic High School and she was the art teacher.  Her hubby and my Joe were in Rotary and they golfed now and then.  Joe and I used to go to Resurrection, and it was nice to get hugs from a couple of other folks I hadn't seen in ages, who asked how I was doing. 

I did get dusting and cat-hair patrol taken care of on Saturday, and my usual laundry yesterday.  There is a level of peace that goes with routine.

That's all I've got for now!  Thanks again for your visit and comments!  

Peace and Hugs!

Open Bible Info indicates that there are 34 Bible verses 
related to the concept of "routine".  Here is one...

Genesis 8:22:  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.


Saturday, September 27, 2025

September 27th: The Saturday 9...

 Thanks again to Sam for another fun Saturday 9!!  You can join in by clicking HERE!


The Entertainer (Theme from The Sting)

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!

The Entertainer (The Theme from The Sting) 1973

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.
Chosen in memory of Robert Redford: Aug. 18, 1936 - Sept. 16, 2025

1) The Sting marked the second teaming of Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The two enjoyed almost 40 years of friendship. One passion they shared was sports cars. Newman raced Porsches professionally and Redford was deft behind the wheel of a classic Karmann Ghia convertible. Think about one of your longest friendships. What did you two first bond over?  Nancy Drew!!


2) During their first movie together – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Redford was late so often that Newman joked they should change the title to, "Waiting for Lefty." Do you have a friend who is perpetually tardy? Or are you that friend?  I don't have any friends now who are always tardy.  I am usually first to arrive (which isn't always good either).  If I am on time, I feel like I'm late.
 
3) Back in 1936, when Redford was born, baseball's Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown. Coincidentally, two members of his high school class of 1954 are represented in the Hall: Redford, with memorabilia from his baseball film, The Natural, and his teammate on the Van Nuys Wolves, Don Drysdale. "Big D" was inducted for his stellar Dodger pitching career. Have you recently spoken to, or corresponded with, one of your high school classmates? I spent a week with my BFF Elaine and her hubby last July (we talk every couple of months), but I am on Facebook with lots of high school friends, where we comment back and forth often.

4) Redford admitted he had a few run ins with law enforcement during his teen years. He specifically recalled being picked up for breaking into the neighbors' back yard and swimming in their pool. Were you a mischievous kid?  Gosh, no.  I'm one of those classic first-borns who had responsibilities from a young age and was to always set a good example.  I saved this photo and use it to garner sympathy now and then (giggle)...  I am seven years old, washing dishes! 


5) Redford went on to CU Boulder. He confessed to being a distracted student and only lasted a year and a half. While not good in class, he was popular with his coworkers at his after school job, mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms at a restaurant called The Sink. The restaurant is still thriving, and Redford returned whenever he was in Boulder. He wore a Sink t-shirt during a national press conference in 2018 and when asked what The Sink was, he was happy to plug his former employer. Do you often wear graphic tees, decorated with a favorite band, restaurant logo, team mascot, vacation destination, etc.?  I wear t-shirts most of the time.  Favorites have illustrated Bible verses, another is from New Orleans with cats playing jazz, and one says "I survived the 60s twice," which I got for my 70th birthday. 

6) When he was a struggling New York actor, he and his wife lost their first child to crib death. Redford told AARP magazine that he blamed himself, and said it's a wound that never healed. Tell us about a time you felt guilty but shouldn't have.  There are many times in my life when I've wondered "why" or "if only", but we just have to put it behind us and move on.  Thoughts like that can hurt you and those around you.  God is in control.  Give it to Him. 

7) Legendary costume designer Edith Head said she liked putting Redford in hats because they balanced his strong, square jaw. Do you take your figure flaws into consideration when you choose your clothes?  LOL... yes.  Baggy is better!!


8) Forever fit, Redford credited his physique on exercise and genes, not diet. He said, "Healthy food is good for the conscience, but Oreos taste a helluva lot better." What's the last cookie, candy or treat you indulged in?  I indulge in ice cream most every evening.  Sometimes I consider it my dinner.  I had a cookie at Bible study on Thursday.  It had cranberries in it and was delicious.
 
9) Random question: Do you prefer to bathe or shower first thing in the morning, after work, or before bed?  I shower every morning.  If I've been working or out on a hot day, I might jump in the shower, but I am rarely out on a hot day and don't work outside unless I just have to.  By the way... It's been years since I took a bath.  Bad knees and now artificial knees make getting in and out of a tub impossible.  Walk-in showers are the best invention - maybe second only to air conditioning!













Peace and Hugs!!
  • “Ice cream is happiness condensed.” – Jessie Lane Adams
  • "You can't buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream, and that's kind of the same thing.” ~Unknown
  • “Scoop up happiness, one cone at a time” –
  • "Life is better with sprinkles"
  • "Ice cream is cheaper than therapy"
  • "Pure joy, perfectly scooped"

Friday, September 26, 2025

September 26th: Friday Focus...

Another week with no new photos to share.  I mentioned my doctor appointment, and I mentioned picking up my friend, Anne, from the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa earlier this week.  

Yesterday morning, I went to our Bible study with our Pastor.  It is always a good meeting.  He delves more in-depth with his sermon series, which is based on 1 Peter.  There are some challenging passages to understand in Chapter Three.

Last night, the Mas Verde dinner group went to Cheddar's.  We were planning to go to the Italian restaurant we all like, but they couldn't seat our 10-person group until 7:30.  That's much too late for us old people to be having dinner.  Cheddar's got us right in, and we all enjoyed our meals.  I brought more than half of mine home, so I'll be enjoying it for at least one more day.

This evening, I'm going to that Italian restaurant with the ladies from my church.  There will be 20 of us, and they have a special area for larger groups.  Good that Donna made reservations a few weeks ago!!  I will most likely have more food to bring home from there, which means I'll be set with leftovers for the entire weekend!! Yay!

I will take Anne back to Tampa on Sunday, after church.  She needed a week off, and had doctor appointments and a few other things to do.  Many of us understand how hard it is to stay in a hospital room with a loved one.  I think it will work well for them both for her to be there for a week and home for a week.  They still talk on the phone several times a day.  Keep them both (Anne & Paul) on your prayer lists, if you will.  Paul is fighting acute leukemia.

I spoke on the phone with my sister, Patti, last night. Always good to catch up with her.

Happy birthday wishes this coming week, for my DIL, Darlene, my  SIL, Jo Anne, and my DILove Kali.  Grandson Tristan has a birthday next week!  Whoosh goes the time. 

Thanks for your visit today!  Not much interesting here to impart, but your visit is appreciated!  Have a blessed weekend and week ahead!!

Peace and Hugs!

1 Corinthians 11:33   "Wherefore, my brethren, when ye 
come together to eat, tarry one for another". 

Thursday, September 25, 2025

September 25th: Whimsical Fashion Fun...

 

There isn't a linky, and there aren't any rules.
Check out the dress and help her pick the right purse for her day out.
It's all for fun and just a whimsical thing!
The photos are from the Storybook of Dreams and Beauty!

Perhaps not quite cold enough for this dress just yet, but she wants to be ready!!  Count down on the purses, 1-2-3 (Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Prada), and tell us which one she should carry with her dress. It's all for fun and just a whimsical thing!!


My thoughts:  I would never wear this dress here in Florida!  Not even in February!  But I do love her look and the purses are actually big enough for "stuff"!!  I think I'll pick #2 this week because it seems to match the belt color (but I like #3 best)!!  What are your thoughts?

Peace and Hugs!

Proverbs 10:24
What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

September 24th: The Wednesday Hodgepodge...

 A big thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for today's questions!  Be a Hodgepodger by clicking HERE!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 621

From this Side of the Pond


1. Fall officially rolls into the Northern Hemisphere on Monday (9/22)...what's your favorite thing about fall?  Cooler temps and less humidity!!  And also Thanksgiving!

2. What's one thing on your real or proverbial autumn bucket list?  Exercise.  My new doctor says I need weight training for muscle and bone health.  I liked him, by the way, for those who might wonder how my appointment went.

3. Apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and cranberries are some of the top fall foods. Which one is your favorite, and how do you like it prepared? Any on the list you don't eat? Which one have you had most recently? I love sweet potatoes, and baked with butter and cinnamon is my favorite.  I haven't had butternut squash in years, but not because I don't like it.  I just don't think to buy it to prepare.  I have Granny Smith apples in the house and have been having one a day...

4. 'Fall is proof that change is beautiful' is a popular sentiment. Would you agree or no? Elaborate.  I can agree for the most part, but change can also be painful.

5. Is there a spot near you where people go to see the leaves change color? Will you try to leaf-peep somewhere this fall? Lonely Planet lists the following ten places as the best for leaf peeping...of those listed, which would you most like to visit?  Here in Florida, some trees change color, but certainly not like those "up north."  I have no plans to go anywhere to leaf-peep. I'll pick Tennessee/NC just because they are closest to me.

Stowe, Vermont~Shenandoah National Park, Virginia~Columbia River Gorge, Oregon~Zion National Park, Utah~Tennessee/North Carolina border~West Virgina~Northwestern Wyoming~Wisconsin Northwoods~Northern Nevada~Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway, Arkansas

6. Insert your own random thought here.  I forgot to tell you all about a book I bought at the craft fair I went to last Saturday.  The local author was there with her books, and I bought this one...and she signed (scribbled) it for me.  She also told me that her Christmas mystery is free on Amazon Kindle this week.  I downloaded it and will read it after I read this one.  If you are interested, the name of the free Christmas book (available this week on Kindle) is The Fruitcake.   It was fun meeting the author in person!


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


Peace and Hugs!

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”  Stephen King 


Tuesday, September 23, 2025

September 23rd: The Tuesday 4...

 


Autumnal Equinox


 

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4... are you ready for Autumn?

Monday,  September 22, is the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of the Autumn season.  

Autumn is the name of the season and fall is the term for the time of Autumn when leaves begin to fall from the trees.   Let's discuss it.....

1. Are there pumpkins or chrysanthemums on your porch or are you planning on putting some out?  There are no decorations on my poor little excuse for a porch, but I did hang an autumn wreath on the door, and there are a few pumpkins, goblins, and ghosts placed around in the house.

2. Are stores around you showing Autumn clothing and decor now?  Here in New Jersey, leaves on some trees are changing slowly and temperatures are way down . What is it like in your neck of the woods?  I don't shop in the stores much, but yes, there are holiday decorations all around the shops in our Lakeside Village shopping area.  It is still in the 90s and humid here in central Florida.  It won't be Fall here until mid-October, maybe.  BUT... when the northerners are shivering and shoveling snow, we will be loving our weather!!

3. Do you have plans for Thanksgiving yet?  No plans other than knowing I will be roasting a turkey and will have a house filled with friends, if not family.  I love hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Come on down!!          

4 . If we can arrange an autumn trip or get away for you, where would you choose to go and why?  A trip up through the Blue Ridge Mountains to see the colors would be nice, but I'm not planning a trip again anytime soon.

Peace and Hugs!

Though heavy trials You may send,
The joy You give’s unspeakable,
You cause my heart to rest content,
For I know that You are in control.

Monday, September 22, 2025

September 22: Monday Musings...

 









Four of us spent a great couple of hours at the very big Holiday Craft Show on Saturday, at our local civic center (RP Funding Center).  It was huge (well over 150 vendors), and they had almost anything you might want to look at and hopefully purchase.  I snapped a couple of photos, but they don't really show anything of interest.  We arrived early, before it began at 10:00, and were in line with over 100 who got there before we did.


Judy bought a few things.  Sandy made a couple of purchases.  Sharon looked but didn't buy!  I got four soup mixes and used the potato soup already.  I also bought this cross...




It was just fun to get out and about with some girlfriends.  

Yesterday, after church, I started my laundry, heated up a bowl of that potato soup, and put Charlie Kirk's Memorial Service on TV.  Yes, I watched from 12:30 until it was over, well after 6:00. I am so sorry for our loss of that great man, who was just getting started, but I was very proud of all who spoke, and what they all had to say.  Praise God, and God bless America.

This week, I will pick up my friend, Anne, at the Moffitt Cancer Center.  She is coming home for a few days.  I'll take her back at the end of the week.

On Tuesday, I will see a new doctor.  I'm changing my primary physician and hope this one is as good as my friend says he is.  She and her husband love him.  Fingers crossed.  My current doctor (of 8 years) just doesn't pay attention to me anymore. She doesn't even look me in the eye anymore.  She wasn't like that before the last few appointments.  Not sure what's going on with her.  Maybe she is just tired of 15-minute appointments all day long.

On Thursday, I have Bible Study in the morning and dinner out with friends that evening.  The Women's Group at my church is having a meal out on Friday evening!  I'm looking forward to it!  The Fall Bible Study on Proverbs is starting soon.  I think I will join this year.

On Saturday, I have to go to a visitation for an old acquaintance who died at 91 years old.  His wife was the art teacher at Santa Fe Catholic High School, where I worked for four years before going to the art museum.  I saw them both back in January at the medical clinic just before my foot surgery.  I was sad to read his obituary in yesterday's newspaper.

That's my weekend, and my week ahead. Wishing you all blessings... thanks for your visit!

Peace and Hugs!

John 3:16

Saturday, September 20, 2025

September 20th: The Saturday 9...

 Thanks to Crazy Sam Winters for today's questions!  Join the fun by clicking HERE!


Come See About Me

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: Come See About Me (1964)

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

1) In this song, Diana Ross sings that she's given up her friends for her boyfriend. Have you ever had a lover your friends disapproved of? Has a friend ever dated someone you didn't care for?  If friends ever disapproved of a boyfriend, I wasn't aware of it.  I have to answer a big YES to the last part.
 
2) Without her man at her side, she feels uncertain. Let's be more positive: what's something you're sure of?  I'm sure of Jesus Christ as my savior.  I'm pretty sure my cats will wake me up between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. every morning.  They have no respect for me sleeping in.

3) When this song was popular, the Supremes were known for their elegant hair and wardrobe. When was the last time you got dressed up? Probably last October, for my nephew's wedding.  I wore a dress and a corsage to church on Easter Sunday (my church is very casual).  It seems sad to say that wearing a dress is dressing up, but I did wear a dress for Lauren's wedding shower last week.  I'm a jeans and t-shirt girl.
 
4) The Supremes went on to have a dozen #1 hits. This must have been hard for Betty McGlown, the fourth Supreme, who left the group before they recorded their first song. Can you think of an opportunity you missed?  No, I really can't.  I don't look at life like that.  God is in control.

5) After she left the Supremes, lead singer Diana Ross went on to have a successful solo career. But it hasn't always been easy. She stumbled in her high heels and broke her ankle as she left the stage after a November 2012 concert. Have you taken a tumble recently?  No, thank goodness!  It's been a few years.  With two artificial knees and an arthritic back, I try to be deliberate in where I step and how fast I walk.  I have also stopped wearing Crocs, which have tripped me a few times for not placing my foot carefully.

6) Ever the trooper, she honored her commitment to perform at a White House-sponsored Christmas concert just weeks later, even though her leg was still in a cast. Tell us about a time when you "played hurt."  Back in 1999, I had a total hysterectomy and was told I wouldn't be able to go back to work for six weeks.  I didn't have that much sick leave, so I was back at work after two weeks.  It was fine.  I sat at my desk all day, and the restroom was in the hall right outside my office.  I did it and was okay.  I healed well and had no trouble, thank God!

7) In 1964, when this song was popular, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was born. What was in your most recent Amazon shipment?  It was on Wednesday and included a new stick vacuum cleaner.  My old one won't hold a charge for more than 10 minutes, and the batteries aren't available anymore.  I don't spend a lot of money on them because they have shown me they have about a two-year life.  I've been through three... my new one makes the fourth.  I welcome your advice and experience because I'll need a replacement again in 2027, I'm sure!  I do have a corded Oreck that works well, even after nearly 20 years, but it is heavy and large, and I vacuum cat hair every couple of days...

8) Also in 1964, women still routinely wore white gloves to complete an outfit. Short gloves that ended at the wrist were popular for everyday wear. What fashion trend do you wish would come back?  Not gloves!!  Not pantyhose!!  I don't follow trends anymore.  I'm soon to be 74 and live in denim and t-shirts.
 
9) Random question: If you were in the witness protection program, what new name and occupation would you choose for yourself?  I would stay retired (please!).  My dad wanted to name me Paula, after his favorite Uncle Paul.  Mom nixed it because she wanted more kids and said to save it for a boy (which they did).  I've always thought I would like to be a Paula. 

Peace and Hugs!
A rose, by any other name would smell as sweet...

Friday, September 19, 2025

September 19th: The Friday Focus...

 


My week has been pretty chill, and that is quite good!  Kroger delivered groceries on Monday.  I did all of my bedding laundry (spread & blanket & sheets) on Tuesday.  Oh my goodness, the cat hair that was caught in the dryer's lint screen!!  Both of my boys sleep on the bed with me.  On Wednesday, I did a quick load of clothing (usually one load on Wednesday, and two on Sunday).  I vacuumed and dusted a bit.  The cat hair doesn't stop.  

Yesterday, I attended Bible study at church with our Pastor and 10 of our usual 11 or 12 members.  Last night, the dinner group went to Reececliff.  There were seven of us, and it is always fun.  It's diner food and always just okay, but the company makes up for the food.  Reececliff is known for its pie, so I had to bring a piece of coconut custard pie home with me, and it was yummy!

I received phone calls from my sister, Patti, and my son, Joey, last night.  It was fun catching up with them.  Patti, hubby Greg, and their daughter, Kelly, went on a little long weekend vacation. She posted a few photos on Facebook.  I lifted this (candid) one to share here.  I don't get to brag on my niece, Kelly, often.  She is a professional graphic artist (quite good) and loves animals (like her Aunt Terri).  Patti said it was so nice having a long weekend with just the three of them.  It's been a long time since they did that.  


I've got nothing going on today, but I will find something to get into, I'm sure!  Tomorrow, there are now four of us going to the craft fair at our civic center.  It will be a fun getaway with Sandy, Sharon, Judy, and me.  More about that on Monday!  Thanks for your visit!!

Peace and Hugs!

Beneath the cross of Jesus,
See the children called by God.

Thursday, September 18, 2025

September 18th: Whimsical Fashion Fun...

 

There isn't a linky and there aren't any rules!
Check out the dress and tell us which shoes you like best for the model.
It's all for fun and just a whimsical thing!
Photos are from The Storybook of Dreams and Beauty.


Basic black, and quite classy.  She looks great in this dress.  Count down on the shoes, 1-2-3, and tell us which ones you think she should choose!  It's all for fun and just a whimsical thing!

My thoughts:  I do love a basic black for a dressy occasion.  I couldn't pull this one off now, but maybe 30 years ago!!  As for the shoes, they are all too high for me, but I would pick #3 for the model.  What are your thoughts?

Peace and Hugs!

By grace alone I'm saved from my sin.
To God alone be glory! Amen.
By grace alone I'm saved from my sin.
To God alone be glory! Amen.