June 29, 2017

Thankful Thursday: Family, Diets & Books

Good morning, y'all!  Welcome to another Thankful Thursday where I hook up with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand to share some of the things I am thankful for this week.


This week I am thankful...
  • for the beautiful afternoon we had with family on Sunday.  Our son and his family were finally able to come home for a visit (they missed Father's Day because the kids had a strep infection).  The temperature was just right so we were able to sit out on the deck all afternoon and the kids played in the yard.  We even had the Navy's Blue Angels for entertainment thanks to the air show.  The kids climbed up in the back of Pappy's truck to watch...something city kids don't get to do...and thought that was soooo cool!  It's the simple things in life.
  • for the good report at my checkup.  I'm down 12 pounds in the first month on the diet pills.  Imagine how good that would be if I'd actually exercised!
  • for the lack of awkwardness when I went along for our grandson's 6-month checkup.  His pediatrician is also our former pastor.  It could have been uncomfortable, but it wasn't.
  • for the way my little man is growing.  It is looking like he will be tall like his daddy, but where daddy weighs about 100 lbs. soaking wet, I think we are raising a linebacker in our grandson.  Six months old and he's already 27.5 inches long and 18.8 lbs. He's rapidly growing out of his 9 months sized clothes and into 12 months! Slow down, little man, slow down! 
  • to Comcast for having the movie Fireproof in it's free On Demand movie section this month.  It says it comes from the Christian venue UP.com, which I'm pretty sure we don't have so I don't know how Comcast has it, but I'm still thankful.  I think I'm probably about the last Christian to see it. It's been out for nearly 10 years and I've heard so much about it and the Love Dare marriage curriculum it inspired.  I loved it!  So much so that I immediately ordered the book and it arrived yesterday!
  • for absolutely perfect (in my opinion) summer weather all week.  The nights have been cool...we've dipped down into the 40s!...and the days have been comfortable in the low to mid 70s.  I've actually been able to spend some time enjoying my deck during daylight hours.
  • that my new raised garden beds are doing so well.  First thing every morning I snap Daisy's leash on her and we go out for her to do her "business" and for me to walk around the beds.  I pull weeds if there are any, check for growth, check if anything is ready or getting close to ready, and look for potential problems....fungus, bugs, etc.
  • that there is a new Janet Evanovich book out this month.  It's not part of the Stephanie Plum series, the Fox & O'Hare series, or even the Lizzie & Diesel series....it's book two in the Knight & Moon series.  Personally, I think it's time to wrap up the Stephanie Plum series.  The writing just isn't as fresh and fun as it used to be.  Let the girl choose between Ranger and Morelli and move on with her life.  The other three series are really fun and fast paced and I hope she continues them all, though it's been a while since she's released a Lizzie & Diesel story.  Anyway, must get that new release to complete my summer reading list!
  • that, though she has been gone for nearly 17 years, I had a wonderful, loving, and supportive mother-in-law who I absolutely adored.  I think of what a special blessing she was every time my daughter is reduced to tears by her future mother-in-law (pretty much daily).  I am praying God will deal with the woman and either change her or keep her away from my girl. My daughter struggles with depression as it is and the woman's constant harping and belittling does not help.
  • for the book my Bible study group is reading.  It's called Driven by Eternity and it's written by John Bevere.  Oh my stars, is it ever good!  It's pretty much life changing.  It's all about heaven, hades, and hell...about who will and won't be in heaven...and why.  Bevere backs everything he says up with scripture and many cross references.  You can't read it without feeling a new urgency to share the gospel because you can't stand the thought of anyone having to suffer eternity in hell.  It may also open your eyes to an area or areas where you, yourself, need some work.
  • for Countrytime Black Cherry Lemonade.  That stuff is g-oooood!
  • and as always for my God, my family, my friends, and all of YOU!

June 27, 2017

Diet Update

Just a quick note to let you all know how things went at my doctor's office today.  As you know, I asked last month if he could help me lose weight.  He gave me a prescription for Adipex-P, a diet pill with 2 components: a stimulant to get the metabolism revved up, and an appetite suppressant.  Because of the stimulant it's considered a controlled substance and only for short term use.  My doctor says I can be on it for 4-5 months, take a break for a month or two and then go back on it if it's helping.  I also have to see the doctor once a month for evaluation.  If my vitals are good and weight is coming off then he will write me the next month's prescription.

I just wanted to say that at the end of the first month my vitals are good and I lost 12 pounds!!!


i dont even know... photo tumblr_lc43e6YnMu1qceirf.gif


I also drove my daughter and grandson to his 6-month check up today.  Nanny's little man is not so little....27.5 inches long and 18.8 pounds!!!
 

June 25, 2017

Sunday Stealing: Is This The End?

The End of An Era- A note from Bud-

Sometimes I feel like the boy who cried wolf. But when I left Saturday 9to The Gal (who I freely admit improved it - greatly) and Stealing to Mr. L and then Kwizgiver I was so burnt out that I even ended the WTIT Blog at the same time. Now while I won't be doing that, I will be leaving Sunday Stealing after next week. We've had a marvelous run - we are in our 10th year - but if a new host isn't found this week, we will end Stealing. About two years ago I started a book about WTIT. It's a daunting task to cover 50 years of anything, and so I stopped writing about a year ago. And while the hour or so I spend on Stealing doesn't sound like a lot. I'm just not feeling it and I think that now that I am out of work on disability I should start anew on the book. It's not like there's not a lot there, I had nearly 20 chapters written.

During our 50th Anniversary Show I contacted Mike Toscano, an old college friend, who has a golden voice. For the first decade of C-Span, he was the announcer who said "Next on C-Span" and all that 24 hours a day. He did the show intro and stuff I asked him to do. While he has only sat around this table twice, his voice is heard on nearly every tape. Mike in addition to his radio job mornings in D.C. is an contributor to The Washington Post. Which means the dude can write. He told me that he missed the stories I wrote (Under "WTIT Folklore" on my blog if you are interested) on my blog about WTIT. He told me that I am a terrific writer and to finish the damn book. I was shocked on his compliment and I have taken it seriously.

So that is what I'm going to do. I won't be leaving the blogospohere. I will still play Saturday 9. And Stealing if we are lucky enough for someone to take it. It needs to grow. We got hit hard from the social media switch from blogs to Facebook and twitter. But there are thousands who still play memes who need to be contacted. I just don't have the time. But if you do, we could have fifty players a week. See, you don't run a successful meme blog without having to find players. I havcen';t done that since well before I left the first time. If you want to be the host of Stealing either leave me a comment or email me at bud.weiser@wtit.net. It has been an honor to be your host for for so long. But I've got a book to write.

We found this gem  from a blogger and blog named Greenish Lady.She states that Becca invited everyone to do it. But, it was probably stolen at that blog as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Cheers to all us thieves!
 

Sunday Stealing: The Greenish Questions

1. What is your current obsession?  My grandson!





2. What’s your go-to coffee place? I don't have one.  I hate coffee.

3. Who was the last person that you h
ugged?  Either one of the women I was with at a Christian program last night or another woman who was there.  Those events tend to get very huggy.

4. Do you nap a lot?  No.  I still resist them as much as I did when I was kid, which is really dumb on my part because I'm always tired.

5. Tonight, what’s for dinner?  Probably just leftovers.  The whole family is going to be here again this afternoon since our son and his family had to miss Father's Day due to both kids have a strep infection.  We'll have a big meal around 1:00 and that will probably be it.

6. What was the last thing that you bought?  Groceries for today's gathering.

7. What is your favorite weather?
 A perfect Fall day...clear blue skies, plenty of sun, temps in the 50s, and gorgeous leaves.

8. Tell us something about one blogger who you think will play this week?  Zippi comes across as having the youngest soul and the freest spirit among us.  She's gentle and loving, but has some bite when she needs to. She's playful and fun. I'd love to spend some time in her company!

9. If you were given a free house that was full furnished, where in the world would you like it to be?  Chincoteague Island, VA or maybe the mountains of Tennessee.

10. Name three things that you could not live without.  My faith, my family, and I was going to say books, but I think I'll make the third thing my laptop and Wifi access (I could read books online).

11. What would you like in your hands right now?  A nice big stack of money.

12. What’s one of your guilty pleasures?  JIF's whipped chocolate peanut butter.

13. What would you change or eliminate about yourself?  Right now I would love to eliminate the pain I've been having in my back.

14. As a child, what type of career did yo
u want?  Archaeologist, architect, zoologist, world-famous news reporter, magazine editor....

15. 
What are you missing right now?  Well, now that you mention it, I can't seem to find that million dollars I had earlier.

16. What are you currently reading?  Some paperback mystery I picked up at the library's used book sale.  It's centered around a woman of about my age who runs a Greek restaurant in upstate NY.

17. What do you fear the most?  Ending up old and stuck in a nursing home with no one to visit me or care.

18. What’s the best movie that you’ve seen recently?  I finally watched Mama Mia! for the first time since I've been on summer vacation.  Loved it!

19. What’s your favorite book from the past year?  That's like asking me to pick just one favorite song.  I can't do it.  I like books and reading too much.


20. Is there a comfort food from your childhood that you still enjoy? Campbell's tomato soup made with milk instead of water and Goldfish Crackers floating in it.  It's still my go-to lunch on a snowy day.


June 24, 2017

Saturday 9: Listen to the Music

Good morning, peeps!  I'm over here in PA just trying to dry out from yesterday. Too much rain yesterday...lots of flooding...and still a lot of water pooling today. The backyard is one big mud hole.  The sun isn't making much of a showing so far.  I'm hoping that will change.  I need to put the cushions from the deck out in the sun to (hopefully) dry out because the kiddos that didn't make it home for Father's Day are coming tomorrow.  Plus, it would be awesome if the previously mentioned mud hole backyard dried up before the grandkids have at it.  Lots to do inside today, as well.  (I've been a slug all week.)  That said, let's do the Saturday 9! (Cause there's nothing sluggish about that.)


Saturday 9: Listen to the Music (1972)
Because Zippi requested it.

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


1) The lyrics say, "What the people need is a way to make them smile." What song lifts your spirits and makes you smile every time you hear it?

Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves.  Happiest song ever.



2) Lead vocalist/composer Tom Johnston reports that he's made a lot in royalties because so many radio stations use this as a jingle. Tell us a jingle that sticks in your head.

Geez...there are a lot that I still know the words to even years later.  Thanks to jingles I grew up wanting to "be a Pepper," "stuck on Band-Aid...cause Band-Aid stuck on me," wanting it my way at Burger King, and knowing exactly what's inside a Big Mac (2 all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun!).

However, this is probably the one you'll still catch me singing today.



3) The Doobie Brothers got their start in San Jose, California. San Jose is the largest city in Northern California, thanks to all the tech companies that have headquarters there. Let's talk about the device you're on right now: are all your applications up to date?  

They should be.  Everything is either scheduled to update automatically or tell me when it's time.  My phone is a different story.  It is constantly updating and I HATE it!  Every time it updates something else changes and it un-synced my email a few updates ago and I haven't been able to access it from my phone since.  I guess I'm getting old.  Sometimes change just for the sake of change really ticks me off.

4) When they were still a local band, the Doobie Brothers had a strong following among bikers. Are you attracted to biker culture?

Not particularly, but I have lots of friends and family that ride.  If you're meaning more like Hell's Angels or Pagans kind of bikers, I think they're probably like pirates....maybe sort of romantic characters from far away, but kinda smelly and gross up close.

5) This week's song is from Toulouse Street, which is considered their "breakthrough" album. Tell us about a moment in your own life that you consider a "breakthrough."

Potty training?  Okay, seriously....probably when I became a Christian.  That's definitely a game changing moment.

6) In 1987, the Doobie Brothers did a benefit performance for Vietnam Veterans at the Hollywood Bowl. Next to the Beatles, it was the fastest-selling ticket in Hollywood Bowl history. Which group do you listen to more often -- the Doobies or the Beatles?

Probably the Beatles just because their music is so imbedded in our culture and is the background music for so many things.  If I'm choosing one to listen to it would be the Doobies.

7) In 1972, when this song was popular, Wranglers were America's best-selling jeans. Are you brand-loyal to one jeans manufacturer?

Nah, just give me a pair that fits, is comfortable, and that I don't need to take out a loan to pay for.

8) Grocery stores saw seafood prices fluctuate wildly in 1972 because of a series of confrontations between the United Kingdom and Iceland regarding fishing rights in the North Atlantic. (Iceland won.) What was the most recent seafood dish that you enjoyed?

We grilled shrimp along with the ribs on Father's Day.  They were pretty darn good!

9) Random question: Which of these "top ten" lists would you prefer to be on -- the sexiest, the smartest or the richest?

Long-term I'd want to be one of the smartest people so I could invent something or solve some problem and make boatloads of money.  For the short-term, make me one of the richest right off the bat....for just long enough to pay off all our debt and fix up the house.



Well, that's it for this week's Saturday 9.  Don't forget to head over to the site and visit Sam, our hostess with the mostest, to join in the fun and find links to the other players.

Me?  I'm going to get at those earlier mentioned chores...at least until this afternoon.  It's air show day here and we live under the approach path for the airport (maybe a mile or two from the airport as the crow flies).  It's like having a front row seat for the Blue Angels. I could see the pilots in them when they were practicing the other day.  I didn't wave at them, though....no distractions, please, when they are flying that close to the ground!

June 22, 2017

Friends, Gardens, Smiles & Rainbows


Good morning! I got to sleep in a bit so I'm a little later getting to this today. It's not as sunny here as it has been and there is a promise of rain later, I believe, but it's still in the 70s and expected to get into the low 80s this afternoon, so.....perfect summer weather!

I'm expecting to hear the Blue Angels flying overhead later today as the local airport is hosting an airshow this weekend.  They usually practice for a couple of days ahead and our house sits under the approach path so we get a pretty good show for free.  Not that the dogs are fans of those loud engines.

Nothing else that's exciting going on today.  I'm staying home and getting some work done.  Our son and his family are coming to visit this weekend since they couldn't be here for Father's Day (our granddaughter came down with Hand, Foot & Mouth).  That means our daughter's crew and my mom and stepdad will be here for a cookout, as well.

The clock is ticking so let's get this show on the road.  As always, I am joining in with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand and the rest of the lovely ladies who play along for Thankful Thursday.

This week I am thankful....

  • for a very nice visit with family and my mom's best friend (since jr. high and they are 73 now!) on Father's Day.
  • for a friend who will drop everything to make a 2 hour drive (one way) with me when I have to take my husband the cell phone he forgot and needs very much.  We delivered the phone and made a day out of it, having lunch at a wonderful Chinese buffet and doing some looking around for wedding ideas (this friend is doing all the flowers).
  • for the raised garden beds my husband built for me this year.  They make it so much easier to take care of the plants....less bending to weed and we don't have to mess with fencing to keep the bunnies out.  Oh my, they are loving all this rain we've had and the perfect temperatures.  They've really taken off this past week.  Just look....


From front to back this one contains cucumbers,
watermelon, zucchini, yellow squash, bush beans,
Better Boy tomatoes, and heirloom Golden Jubilee tomatoes.

This bed was planted a week after the other so that's why it isn't quite
as lush yet.  It contains cucumber, zucchini, bush beans, cantaloupe,
onions, green peppers, yellow peppers, red peppers, sweet banana
peppers, Golden Jubilee and Better Boy tomatoes, yellow pear
tomatoes (a cherry variety), black cherry tomatoes (cherry variety),
sweet basil, purple basil, and rosemary.
  • for the unbelievable joy and light Colton brings to the world.  I really have never seen such a happy baby.  He gives these amazing smiles to everyone and it's funny, but he seems to know who really needs to be on the receiving end (like my mom's friend who is still grieving the loss of her daughter or our neighbor who recently lost her husband) and turns it on full power...just showering them with all the love in his little heart.  It is so awesome to watch.


  • that some wedding stuff is coming together and the rest is at least firming up in our minds so we know what we have to get and what we have to do.
  • for the sounds of summer...the concert of birds early in the morning, the buzz of lawnmowers, the whir of a bicycle flying by, rain on the roof....
  • for plenty of light, fun, summer fiction stacked up and ready to be read thanks to the library's used book sale.  I've read one already and am working on the second.
  • for the rainbow in yesterday's sky.
  • for all of you!
Have a blessed day!



June 21, 2017

Hello Summer Hodgepodge

1. The first day of summer rolls in later this week. What are ten things you'd put on your list of  quintessential summer activities? Will you try to manage all ten this summer?

  • Walking on the beach...probably won't happen unless I can get away to Lake Erie for a weekend (which isn't quite the same, but not bad).
  • Grilling...we've already done that and will do it many more times before summer is over.
  • Bonfires...probably not since Hubs took our fire pit out last year and the yard is still a "work in progress."
  • Catching lightning bugs...possibly if the older two grands are here when it gets dark.
  • Gardening...the Hubs built me two raised beds this year and they are doing great!
  • Fireworks...doubtful since my husband usually doesn't stay awake that late because of having to get up so early for work.
  • Fourth of July parade...our town has a doozey, but the grands won't be here so I doubt we'll go.  No other adults in the family besides me are really parade fans.  I get it from my dad.  When he was alive we went to ALL the local parades.
  • Auctions, flea markets, and yard sales...I won't have a yard sale, but I will get to plenty of all of those.
  • Swinging on the deck...I've gotten to a little bit, but so far it's either been raining or too hot to sit out there.
  • Family reunions...No, we'll not get to any this year.  My dad's family quit having them (after nearly 100 years!) when my aunt, who was the driving force behind them, died.  Mom's family had it's first one two years ago on the 4th of July and is having another this year, but it's far enough away and so late in the day that it isn't doable for any of our clan this time.


2. Do you collect seashells when you're at the beach? What do you do with them once you get them home? What's your favorite place to comb for seashells? How many of these 'best beaches for hunting seashells' have you visited? Which one would you most like to visit?

Calvert Cliffs State Park (Maryland), Jeffrey's Bay (South Africa), Sanibel Island (Florida), Shipwreck Beach (Lanai Hawaii), Ocracoke Island (North Carolina), Galveston Island (Texas) and The Bahamas


Walking along picking up shells, beach glass and other interesting things is my favorite thing to do at the beach.  I usually just put them in a big jar at home or a big one might find a place on a bookshelf.

I may have visited Sanibel Island, but I'm not sure.  Of the rest, I'd most like to visit Ocracoke Island...it was featured in a book I once read.

3. At a snail's pace, shell out money, come out of your shell, go back into your shell, drop a bombshell, happy as a clam, clam up...which 'shell' phrase could most recently be applied to some event or circumstance in your life? Explain.


Shell out money is definitely this summer's theme with our daughter's wedding only 3 months away.

4. What summer activity do you dislike? Why?


I can't really think of anything I dislike except weeding the garden (and the raised beds have made that easier) and mowing the grass because they are never ending chores.  Otherwise, I'd probably enjoy just about anything.  It makes me pretty sad sometimes that we don't actually do much because one, my husband just doesn't feel up to it a lot of the time, and two, he's a workaholic who doesn't know how to relax.

5. What's something you see as quickly becoming obsolete? Does that bother you?


Probably a whole lot of stuff, but I have to admit that this early in the morning I'm drawing a blank on anything specific.  I don't think I'm really bothered by any one thing becoming obsolete...except maybe manners and common courtesy.  It's more of a general sadness at the fading away of a whole way of life.  The world is a very different place than the one I grew up in and I kind of worry about where it is going, what will life be like for my grandkids, that sort of thing.

6. Insert your own random thought here.


Apparently I am going to look at wedding decor again today.  My daughter texted last night to ask if I wanted to.  I told her I can't buy today, but I guess she still wants to show me a bunch of stuff.  Oh well, I won't turn down time with her and the baby.


Have a blessed and wonderful Wednesday
and don't forget to stopover and visit Joyce's
blog, home of the Wednesday Hodgepodge!

June 20, 2017

Father's Day, Road Trips, Wedding Decorations....

Good morning! God has created another perfect summer morning here in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania.  The humidity is low and the temperature is mild.  You have to love that!

I had planned to catch up with you all yesterday, but my husband called from work before 8:00.  He forgot his cell phone and really needed it.  That meant an unplanned road trip for me since he works about 1.5-2 hours from home.  I called up my friend, Fran, and asked her to ride along and keep me company.  We got the phone delivered and then went on to lunch at an amazing Chinese buffet and browsing at Jo-Ann Fabric Store and Pat Cataan's for ideas for my daughter's wedding.  Fran is one seriously gifted and crafty lady and she is doing all the florals for us as a gift.

We found a few sample flowers to show my daughter and at Pat Cataan's I found canning jars in several tints and solid painted colors for only $1 each.  We lined them all up on the shelf, took a picture and sent it off to my daughter to see if any of them suited her.  She chose white so I snapped them up.

For wedding favors, my daughter had the idea of putting packets of sunflower seeds (her wedding flower) on popsicle sticks and "planting" them in something with a sign that reads "Pick one and watch love bloom."  I found a really cute planter that looks like a shovel when you put the stakes in the ground and it has three pots attached.  I think we can put the flower seeds in the pots and decorate the planters and hang the sign on it.

It wasn't a planned day, but we had a fun time and it was a nice escape.  I was just worn out by the time I got home and had no oomph left to write.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed your Father's Day celebrations. Our son and his family weren't able to come home after all because our granddaughter got Hand, Foot & Mouth "disease."  I don't think it's terrible for her, but it is contagious so they don't want to spread it around.  They are supposed to come home this coming weekend instead.

We still had a lovely day.  We cooked out and picnicked with my mom and stepdad, my mom's BFF (who was in town for the day), and our daughter and her family were here for part of the day before heading out to celebrate with her fiancee's family.  It was awfully hot and humid, but we were fairly comfortable under the generous shade of Mom's massive Toby tree.

In other news, it appears our daughter might finally be on the mend.  I believe I shared last week that she'd been diagnosed with a pretty bad urinary tract infection and put on antibiotics.  Well, she didn't get any better after that.  In fact, she was back at the ER Friday night because of sharp, stabbing pains in her back.

MedExpress called Sunday during our picnic and told her they got the results of the lab work on her urine sample back.  It turns out she had a severe infection and they had to change her antibiotic because what she was on wouldn't do anything against it.  They told her it was very important to get her on the new medicine right away because the type of infection she has is prone to moving into the upper urinary tract and affecting the kidneys.  They told her if she felt any sharp pains in her back that's what it would be.  She told them she already had that so it's a good thing they called even on Father's Day!

Today I am hoping to stay home and be a hermit until I leave to go to Bible study tonight.  Well, maybe not a hermit, but I don't want to go anywhere and I have plenty of chores and homework for Bible study to get done.

You all have a blessed day!

June 18, 2017

Sunday Stealing: The Ginormous Questions

We found this gem this meme off a blogger called Sama at Lazy Artist Girl. She doesn’t say from where she stole it. But, it was probably stolen at that blog as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Please consider liking WTIT on Facebook. Click here.

Cheers to all us thieves!



Sunday Stealing: The Ginormous Questions 

1. Are you single?  Not in the last 33 years.

2. Are your parents still married?
 My actual parents were never married.  My mom and the man who adopted me are no longer married because he passed away nearly 24 years ago.  Mom and my stepdad have been married for 12 or 13 years and they are in their 70s...I'm feeling pretty confident they will go the distance.

3. Are you in love?  Yep, totally head over heals in love with our grandkids.

4. Do you believe in love at first sight?
 We'd have to get into an explanation of what I believe love is (hint: I don't believe it's the emotional warm, fuzzy feelings our culture promotes) and that would take a while.  I'll just say that while I don't believe in love at first sight, I do believe that sometimes people meet and just KNOW they've met THE ONE.

5. Who ended your last relationship?  I'm still in it and after 33 years I hope nobody's going to end it except by natural causes and I'm not looking forward to that.

6. Have you ever been hurt by a break up?  Nope.  I never had that serious of a relationship before I met my husband.

7. Have you ever broken someone’s heart?  Not that I know of, but I guess it's possible.

8. Have you ever had a secret admirer?
 Seems to me that I did, but I don't really remember anything about it.

9. Prefer love or lust?  Love lasts.  Lust is fleeting.

10. Prefer a few best friends or many regular friends?  A few best friends.

11. Wild night out or romantic night in?  My days of appreciating wild nights out are long gone.  I wake up with enough aches and pains without adding to it. Hangovers stopped being fun a long time ago.

12. Back in the day: Been caught sneaking out?
 No.  I don't think I ever tried slipping out.  Now, slipping back in....that's a different story.

13. Ever wanted something/someone so badly it hurt?  Oh, I'm sure I had a crush or two back in the day.

14. Who are/is your best friend(s)?  Why do we always ask this?  It isn't like you know my friends or I know yours.

15. Ever wanted to disappear?  Sure.  I think at one time or another everyone has a rough patch when they'd like to be the face on the milk carton.

16. First attraction: Smile or eyes?  Probably eyes, but I then immediately shift to the smile....is it genuine (does it reach the eyes), is there a good laugh connected, is there a sense of humor, a positive outlook?

17. Prefer intelligence or attraction?  It's nice to have both, but if I could only choose one it would be intelligence....and if you love someone's mind then I think the attraction will follow.

18. Last phone call you received?
 My daughter asking about some survey she got from the Dept. of Commerce and if they had to fill it out because it's really long.  I have no idea what she's talking about so she's bringing over today for me to look at.

19. Last thing you drank?
 Diet Coke.

20. Before your current one, when was your last relationship?
 Back in college.

21. Do you and your family get along?  Mostly.  I have one cousin who is extremely liberal, which while I disagree with, I believe we all have the right to our own beliefs.  I ended up unfriending him on Facebook because he was attacking people on my page and being really nasty, he encouraged my son to think of himself as the black sheep of the family, and while my mom was good enough to take care of his mom during the final years of her life he can't be bothered to ever visit her when he is in town (which we know to be quite frequently).  I don't need anyone that ugly in my life.

22. Would you say you have a "screwed up life"?
 Sometimes I kind of think so, but then I look around at what's going on in the lives of people I know and realize that my life is so normal it's boring by the world's standards.

23. Have you ever gotten kicked out somewhere? If yes, do tell.  No, but it was touch and go one time when my husband's mother was in the hospital and my sister-in-law wanted to have the whole family (at the time about 30 people) in her room to celebrate her birthday.  My SIL got permission from the doctor, but she didn't clear it with the head nurse on the floor who got REALLY upset about all these people.  SIL wasn't about to back down and was right up in the nurse's face.  Security got called and it was looking for a minute there like she was going to get arrested and the rest of us were going to get the boot.  One of my BILs and I took all the kids and went down to the main lobby so they wouldn't be caught up in the mess.

24. Do you trust all your friends?  Yes, or they wouldn't be my friends.

25. Who knows the most about you?  My husband, but my current best friend comes close...we have a deeper level of trust than I've ever had with any other friend.

Happy Father's Day! 

June 17, 2017

Saturday 9: As Long As We Got Each Other

Good morning!  I'm joining in with Sam and the gang over at Saturday 9 for a little light-hearted fun before jumping into the long list of things needing to be done today.

I'm feeling more than a bit tired after a week of dealing with my daughter's health issues that had me at the ER with her one night (baby in tow), spending the night at her apartment one night, her and the baby "camping" out on our living room floor another night, a visit to MedExpress (baby in tow), and baby sitting till late last night while her fiancee took her to the ER again.

I guess we should get down to business before I accidentally fall asleep!



Saturday 9: As Long as We Got Each Other (Theme from Growing Pains)
... because it's Father's Day weekend 

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

1) This is the theme from the 1980s sitcom, Growing Pains. Alan Thicke played Dr. Jason Seaver, one of TVs popular dads. Who is your favorite TV dad?

I'm a child of the 70s. I adored Mr. C...Howard Cunningham of Happy Days!



2) Joanna Kearns, who played Jason's wife, reports that she teased her costar by calling him, "Al," a nickname he hated. Is there someone in your life that you enjoy needling?

There's this one goofy guy I work with...we all tease him a lot.  He's a good sport about it and plays along.



3) For most of the series, the Seaver children each represented a "type." The oldest, Mike, was the trouble maker. The daughter, Carol, was the brainiac. Young Ben could be very high maintenance. Which of the Seaver kids were you most like when you were growing up? 

Probably somewhere between Mike and Carol. I was a very good student, but I had a rebellious streak at home.

I would have totally identified with this song had it existed back then.



4) In the song, BJ Thomas sings about being "the luckiest dreamer who never quit dreaming." If you could have any dream come true this Saturday, what would you wish for?

To be completely out of debt.



5) When he mans the grill, Sam's father proudly wears the "Kiss the Chef" she gave him for Father's Day years ago. Tell us about a gift you gave someone that was a hit.

My daughter struggles with depression and anxiety.  A couple of years ago she was in a bad place, feeling very down on herself and at loose ends.  The one thing she loved was photography (and she was good...with an excellent eye for the good shot).  She wanted a good camera for Christmas.  I couldn't afford to buy what she was asking for at the time, so after speaking to my husband, we gave her the big expensive Nikon set up he had given me a couple of years previously.  She bawled when she opened it.



6) Sam's dad takes his grilling very seriously and jealously guards his special marinade recipe. Do you have a secret you haven't even shared with family members?

Nah...if I find a good recipe I share it.



7) He recommends using a grill basket when barbecuing vegetables so you don't have to worry about them falling through the grill. Share one of your culinary tips with us.

I'll do you one better.  I'll share my "recipe" for Crack Zucchini.
Lightly spray a cookie sheet with PAM.  Slice a zucchini (not a huge one with seeds and not a fingerling) and place the slices in a single layer on the cookie sheet.  Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over zucchini.  Sprinkle Panko crumbs over all.  Sprinkle with cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste.  Optional: sprinkle crumbled bacon over all. Broil until cheese melts and Panko is toasted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chives. 


8) Sam's father hates it when she swears. What's the last curse word you used?

I don't know.  I try not to swear.  When I'm frustrated I tend to use a phrase my son used back in high school..."Poop on a stick!"



9) Sam's father satisfies his afternoon sugar craving with an almost endless stream of Butter Rum Lifesavers. When you crave a snack, do you usually want something sweet or salty?

Salty.  I am all about the crunchy, salty snacks.



Have an awesome Saturday!

June 14, 2017

Hooray for the Red, White & Hodgepodge

1. The Hodgepodge lands on June 14th this week, Flag Day in the US of A. Do you fly your country's flag at home? Yes, we do. We have a regular flagpole in the front yard and I have a bracket mounted on the deck that holds 5 smaller flags (3 U.S. flags and 2 Marine Corp flags). Sometimes, often, or every single day? The smaller ones on the deck usually go out around Memorial Day and stay out all summer. I get new ones every year. The one on the flagpole is up everyday unless it's super windy or other nasty weather. Wind is a consideration because we've had one pole blow over in the past. Have you ever visited the city of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia)? I guess I was there as a baby or toddler. My mom took me to visit relatives. I've never been there since and honestly don't really have any desire to visit. Did you make a point of seeing The Betsy Ross House?  No. Have you ever made a trip to Baltimore? Yes, once when the kids were young. If so, was Fort McHenry on your itinerary? (where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write The Star Spangled Banner) No, it was a short weekend trip.  My husband had to go for work and the kids and I rode along, which was not the greatest idea since our daughter and I were sick with terrible colds and it was like 95 degrees and as humid as it could get without being rain.  The only "big" things we did were tour the boats and submarine at the harbor and the aquarium. LOVED the aquarium...would like to go back there again.

2. Red flag or white flag? Which have you encountered most recently? Explain. Maybe a combination of both? Our daughter tends to get worked up over everything. So a lot of things I think are nothing are kind of like waving a red flag in her face. It wears me out some times so I just wave a white flag to keep the peace.

3. Are you a stay in the car listen to the end of a song kind of person? I've been known to sit in the driveway till a song is over.  What kind of person is that? A person for whom music elicits strong emotions and memories. I identify most times in my life with certain music and nothing can take me back quicker than hearing a song.


4. What are some of the traits or qualities you think a good dad possesses? In other words, what makes a good dad?  Patience, unconditional love, availability, involvement, and someone of good character who respects the mother (whether they are together or not) and who teaches a child with love and discipline.What's an expression you associate with your father? Oh, there are many I associate with my dad. I know he loved me, but he was a harsh and strict disciplinarian and didn't balance that out with any shows of love or support so I didn't always know that.  Mostly life with him was full of rules...Children should be seen and not heard. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing right (which meant his way). You'd better get good grades so you can go to college...if you don't go to college you'll spend your life cleaning other people's toilets. If your mother cooked it and put it on the table you will eat it. And my personal "favorite"...Do as I say, not as I do.

5. What's one rule you always disagreed with while growing up?  Oh wow, I disagreed with most of them while growing up with probably Children should be seen and not heard and Do as I say not as I do winning for most hated. Is that rule somehow still part of your adult life? I understand his thinking behind the one about children being seen and not heard now that I'm an adult and have raised my own kids. He wanted me to be well behaved in social situations. He just took it too far.  I think kids can learn to behave well and still speak up around adults.  The do as I say not as I do one...no, still not okay with that one.  I can't see anything okay with having a higher standard for someone else than you have for yourself.  Is that a good or bad thing? I think it's a good thing that I didn't carry those over to my parenting of my own kids. 


6. Insert your own random thought here.  I spent most of the night at the ER with my daughter and grandson.  The baby is fine, I just had to take my daughter and was the only one able to watch him, too.  She, too, is fine...just needs to let her body adjust to an increased dose of one of her meds...or maybe cut it back again.  Time will tell if her body is going to adjust.  Anyway, I'm too tired to think up a random thought so I'm just going to share two of the Father's Day pictures of our grandson. And yes, that is his daddy's banjo. He does play, but other than a short video our daughter took I've never heard him. He's very shy.




That's all for today. Please be sure to
visit our hostess, Joyce, over at
to find links to other posts or to
join in the fun. You know you want to!

June 13, 2017

Tuesday Takes

Life is slipping into a summer groove here....or maybe it's just melting into it, since we've done it again. Skipped from wet and chilly straight to sweltering. What the heck?!  When did June with its mild and comfortable weather become obsolete?

Anyway....

Sunday found us working out in the yard in spite of the heat.  The hubby got a load of mulch and we finally got the raised garden beds and other areas covered.  It's a good thing, too, as the garden was beginning to bake.  It looks pretty good now...just a little behind because of the late planting due to cold, wet weather.

This raised bed contains tomatoes (Better Boy and Golden
Jubilee), bush beans, zucchini, squash,
cucumbers, and watermelon.

This bed has more tomatoes (Better Boy, Golden Jubilee,
Chocolate Cherry, yellow pear), several kinds of
sweet peppers (green, red, yellow, banana), more
zucchini and cukes, more beans, onions, sweet basil,
purple basil, rosemary, and cantaloupe.

My little shade garden by the deck.

I just love "Billy" the goat. I got him on clearance at
the farm supply store last year.  Putting the fairy garden
in an old suitcase was my hubby's idea after
seeing something similar in a magazine.

Love the striking color of this Petunia.

Yesterday life was all about "The Wedding."  Our daughter and I went to the rental place and put down half on the tent, tables, chairs and dance floor for her wedding in September.  

Then we met with my friend who is going to do all the florals for us.  She got us organized and thinking about stuff and we now have a decorating plan not just a bunch of random ideas. She is also really good at getting our daughter to think reasonably about cost....whereas, when I bring up that particular topic I get Bridezilla in return.

A little over 3 months to go.  I might live through it.  LOL

Today I am looking forward to a quiet day at home and tonight going to Bible study...I've missed the last two weeks!  Tomorrow it's back to wedding planning.

Have a blessed day, my friends!

June 10, 2017

Sunday Stealing: The High School Questions

 We found this gem from blogger called Diana Pharaoh Francis from the blog "Mad Libs".She explains that the questions came to her by way of R. Clement Moore. But, they were probably stolen at that blog as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Please consider liking WTIT on Facebook. Click here.
Cheers to all us thieves!

Sunday Stealing: The High School Questions
  
1. Did you date someone from your school?

Hubby and Me in 1984

I went out with a couple of guys from school.  Nothing serious, though.  At least not until I met my husband. He was two years ahead of me in school and I never knew him until two years after I graduated.

2. Did you marry someone from your high school?


Oops...got ahead of the questions.  As mentioned above, I did.

3. Did you car pool to school?


No, it was the bus for me.

4. What kind of car did you have?


I didn't have one.

5. What kind of car do you have now?


A sparkly, red 2015 Toyota Camry.

6. Its Friday night...where are you now?


Probably at home reading, watching TV, or playing on Facebook because my husband is already asleep.

7. It is Friday night...where were you then?


With my friends cruising the shopping center or at a football game or just hanging out or if I could get away with it, at a party.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school?


Just a little bit of babysitting here and there and I spent the summer before my senior year working for the Youth Conservation Corps in the Pocono Mts.

9. What kind of job do you do now?


I've been a school bus driver for the last 14 years.  I keep looking around...hoping to end that run one of these days.

10. Were you a party animal?

A totally staged photo of some
real party animals.  LOL

Maybe at heart, but not in reality.  My dad was much older than my mom and very strict.  He kept me on a very short leash.

11. Were you considered a flirt?


I doubt it.  I was too shy.

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?


No. There isn't an ounce of musical talent in my body.

13. Were you a nerd?


I didn't feel like one, but I was in all advanced classes so I guess maybe I was.

14. Did you get suspended from school?

No.  My dad would have grounded for like a million years!

15. Can you sing the fight song?


Badly, but yes.

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher?


My homeroom teacher, who was the boys' gym teacher, because he was like a big brother to all of us kids in his room and Mrs. Werner, the teacher for several of my elective English courses.  I just saw Mrs. Werner yesterday and the library's used book sale.  She works cuddling babies at the hospital these days and was only too happy to cuddle my grandson for a while.  I think he likes Mrs. Werner, too.

17. Where did you sit during lunch?


At a table with friends.  I don't really remember much about it beyond that.  It must not have been that big of a deal or all that traumatic.

18. What was your school's full name?


Derry Area Sr. High School.  Go ahead, say the name in your best French accent.  I've heard all the jokes.

19. Where did you party the most?


I didn't really do much partying...the strict dad thing.

20. What was your school mascot?


A trojan.  Again...I've heard all the jokes.

21. Would you do it again?


Not by choice.

22. Did you have fun at Prom?


I didn't go to Prom.  By choice.

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with?


Obviously, not.

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion?

Me on the right with a friend who died
just a couple of years later from
a brain tumor.

No.  I never went to any until the last one (30th).  Many members of my class are on Facebook and it got started on there. Somehow they nagged convinced me to go.  Out of 365 in our graduating class there were about 20 of us on Friday night for pizza and counting spouses there may have been about 45 on Saturday.  I don't have any desire to go to another one and many people told the organizers that they never wanted to be contacted again.  I think Facebook has killed reunions...we all know each other's business in real time.

25. Do you still talk to people from school?


Just a few in real life and a slightly larger number on Facebook.

26. What are/were your school's colors? 


Blue and gold.


That's it for this week. Please visit the
Sunday Stealing site to read more
posts or to join in the fun yourself!