February 28, 2018

Do You Want Fries with the Wednesday Hodgepodge?

Good morning and welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, created and hosted each week by Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond.  It's currently a beautiful, sunny, and WARM day. The poodle and I took a walk when I got home from the morning bus run. She was so excited to get out there and check out the neighborhood. It is a glorious treat and won't last long as rain is coming tomorrow and snow on Friday. (I said, "Pennsylvania, you can't have all the weather in one week." Pennsylvania said, "Hold my beer.")



1. Are you currently operating at 100% capacity? If not, what % are you? What's keeping you there?  No, I'm not and there's nothing stopping me from it except my own highly developed procrastination skills.  As for what I'm running at....75%? 



2.  Have you done your taxes? Planned/booked a summer holiday? Thought about or started your 'spring cleaning'? Besides what's listed here, tell us one task that needs doing before spring rolls around.  It's a no for the taxes. We tend to be last minute on that...a habit I plan to change, but we had to wait for one last form to arrive and it did over the weekend so, we are good to go. I don't think we are taking a big vacation this summer so, no planning there. Spring cleaning? Ha! Winter isn't done with us yet. I wouldn't dream of doing it before late April. 


What do I need to do before spring? Find out how to kill the roots of a trumpet vine that is growing up through my raised garden beds. I have a sad feeling it's going to mean emptying the beds and digging the roots out. Not a job anyone is looking forward to.

3. What's a favorite food from your part of the country?  Pierogies, kielbasa, halushki, halupki, big salads with meat and fries on top, and Primanti Brothers' sandwiches with fries and coleslaw in them (I don't like those).




4. This isn't a leap year, but let's run with it anyway...look before you leap, a leap of faith, grow by leaps and bounds, leap to conclusions, leap at the opportunity...which phrase might best be applied to your life currently (or recently)? Explain.
  I guess the one that comes closest is "leap at the opportunity," because I leap at any opportunity to spend time with the littlest grandson while he's still kind of cuddly.


Brushing his teeth like a big boy!


5. As the month draws to a close list five fun and/or fabulous things (large or small) you noticed or experienced in February.
  1. Babysat the little one for an entire weekend.  2. My husband is doing great on his diet.  3. The robins are back!  4. Got to go see our son and his family this past weekend and spend time with the other grandkids!  5. It's been warm enough and dry enough a couple of times to take a walk.

6. Insert your own random thought here.
  I am sure praying that the government, the schools, and parents soon find a solution to the violence in schools.  It's no exaggeration when I tell you that since the school shooting in Florida virtually ALL of the local school districts here have either had to cancel classes or evacuate the schools in response to vague threats left on restroom walls.  Or worse yet, deal with a real threat of violence.  For the most part, it has been the former, but still....these kids that think it's funny and a great way to get a day off school need a good, hard dose of reality.  For the others, we must find a better way to deal with mental health issues, bullying, and the like.  It's just such a sad and GROWING phenomenon.  I pray we can find real solutions.


Have a blessed and happy week!

February 25, 2018

Sunday Stealing: Moral Conundrum Edition

Here are some questions Smellyann (one of our regular thieves) found on Pinterest.
(Thanks!) 


1. What is more difficult for you, looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when they are telling you how they feel.  Wow. This is a really hard question. I don't know. Both situations can be rather awkward. I guess, though, if I must choose...I'd rather look you in the eye when I'm telling you what's on my mind than stand there while you tell me. 




2.  Think of the last time you were REALLY angry.  WHY were you angry?  Do you still feel the same way?  I was beyond angry just before Christmas a couple of years ago (I don't get truly angry very often). I invited a woman from my bible study group to go on a bus trip to see the light display at a resort a couple of hours from here. First, she said we should invite our husbands along, so we did. Then she opened the invitation up to everyone in the group. Only one woman accepted and she brought her young daughter and her friend...so she didn't have to entertain her.  The husbands were both not feeling well and not in good moods so they weren't company. The friend I invited decided to sit with the other woman and put me with her granddaughter and the guys together. She said our seats were right across the aisle so we could all talk back and forth. Great plan except she and the other woman talked and carried on non-stop and didn't include anyone else. By the time we got home 7 or 8 hours later I was absolutely livid. 


No, I don't feel the same way. I waited until I cooled off, but then I told them how they had made me feel...on a trip they were only on because I had invited one of them. Things got discussed and hashed out and we are good now. I'd have let the anger go, anyway. It just eats at you and 9 times out of 10 the one you're mad at is totally clueless so it's just pointless.




3.  You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane.  You have enough time to make one phone call. Who do you call?  My husband.  What do you tell them?  I love you...tell the kids and grandkids I love them, too.





4.  You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live.  Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die?  Yeah, I'd probably tell everyone I'm close to. What do you do with your remaining days?  Spend as much time as I can with my family and friends. Do as many of the things I enjoy or have on my bucket list as I can. Would you be afraid?  No, I have faith in where I'm going.





5.  You can have one of the following two things.  Which do you choose?  Why?  Love and Trust.  Love, because "...now these three remain: faith, hope, and love, but love is the greatest of these."  Love trumps all.





6.  You are walking down the street on your way to work.  There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street.  Your boss has told you that if you are late just one more time you are fired. Do you take the time to save the dog’s life?  Why? Why not?  I would like to say I would save the dog, but I don't know. I guess it would depend on how much I needed to keep my job. I do know that if I couldn't stay, I'd at least call for help.





7.  Would you rather be hurt by the one you trust the most or the one you love the most?  They are the same person, so I'd rather not be hurt by either one.





8.  Your best friend confesses that he/she has feelings for you more than just friendship.  He/she is falling in love with you.  What do you (or did you) say?  That would totally depend on how I felt about them. I've never been in that position, thank goodness.





9.  Think of the last person you know who died.  You have the chance to give them 1 hour more of life back, but you have to give up one year of yours.  Do you do it?  Why? Or Why not?
  In all honesty, probably not. What would be accomplished by bringing them back for one hour? The answer to that might sway my decision.





10.  Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend?
Yes.





11.  Does love = sex?  It should within a marriage (barring any physical problems) the intimacy helps cement the commitment and helps a couple feel closer in other ways, too.





12.  Your boss tells your co-worker that they have to let them go because of work shortage, and they are the newest employee.  You have been there much longer.  Your co-worker has a family to support and no other means of income.  Do you go to your boss and offer to leave the company?  Why or Why not.
   Again, it would depend on the situation. Do I have a family to support? If I do, I probably would not forfeit my job. If I was not dependent on my job, I might. I'd really have to pray about it and look at the co-worker's situation and my knowledge of them. I wouldn't give up my job for someone who has a history of quitting jobs, for example.





13.  When was the last time you told someone HONESTLY how you felt regardless of how difficult it was for you to say?  What did you have to tell the person?  I can't think of anything that was difficult anytime recently.





14.  What would be (or what was) harder for you to tell a member of the opposite/same sex – you love them or that you do not love them back.  If it's someone I care about as a friend, it would be much harder to tell them I didn't love them after they'd said they loved me. I hate hurting anyone and it could possibly mean losing the friendship.






If you enjoyed the questions and answers, please be sure to visit
the Sunday Stealing site to find links to the other bloggers
playing along and leave a comment for our hostess, Bev,
letter her know you appreciate her efforts each week.




HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY, FRIENDS!

February 24, 2018

I Like You, But You Exhaust Me

The Love Club (2013)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

1) Lorde has said this song is about a time when she fell into "a bad crowd." Her high-maintenance new friends were all about their romantic dramas and it overwhelmed her. Have you ever had a friend who was just too much work?  As an introvert, I have to be on guard against viewing everyone that way.  I often find the work of maintaining a relationship to be exhausting, but I do know what you mean. I have had high-maintenance friends (really and not just my perception) but they didn't last long.

2) She sings that she longs to be alone. Where do you go when you want peace and quiet?  Most of the time I don't have to go anywhere special since my husband works 6 days a week and the kids are grown and gone.  If I want peace and quiet when someone else is around I go in my library/office/craft room.

3) Lorde credits her mother for encouraging her verbal skills. "Mum" let her join a theater class when she was just 5 and was always giving her books. Tell us about an encouraging, understanding adult who assisted you when you were growing up.  That would be my grandmother. She always praised everything I did and encouraged me in every pursuit.

4) Lorde is not the only celebrity from her class at Belmont School in Auckland, New Zealand. Olympian Eliza McCartney was a classmate who went on to win a bronze medal in Rio for the pole vault. Did you participate in any sports in high school?  I was the pitcher for the girls' softball team and a guard on the girls' basketball team. My letterman's jacket proudly hung in a closet at Mom's for  32 years until last year when she brought it here. I gave it to the St. Vincent de Paul store.

6) Lorde wrote music for one of the Hunger Games soundtracks. Have you seen any of the Hunger Games movies, or read any of the books?  No and no.

7) Her favorite candy is Peanut M&Ms. Do you prefer Milk Chocolate, Peanut, Almond, Mint or Cripsy M&Ms? Milk Chocolate.

8) When Lorde was on stage at Lollapalooza, a sudden storm interrupted her set. The music festival was evacuated and her performance was cancelled. Can you think of a time when the weather had a major impact on your plans?  Well, we had absolutely gorgeous weather for our daughter's wedding this past September so that probably isn't what you wanted. Her graduation party comes to mind. We had it here at the house because we still had the pool then. She wanted to wait until evening so all of my husband's family would stay longer than an hour or two.  Unfortunately, a thunderstorm with torrential rain hit just after we put the food out. Everyone grabbed something and ran for the house. Once the food was inside, they ate a plate of food and then left. So, they were only here for a couple of hours after all we planned the party around them.

9) Random question: Please complete this sentence -- Before I leave the house, I always __________________________.  Open the window blinds for the dog, tell the dog I love it before I leave, give the dog a treat, and lock the doors!


That's it for this week. Great questions as usual Sam! Be sure you stop by the Saturday 9 and show her some love.  Have a great Saturday!  My husband actually took the day off and we're heading to Pittsburgh to see our son and his family (and take the bikes we got the grandkids for Christmas down to them).

February 22, 2018

Rainy Day Thanks

What better way to add some cheer to an otherwise dreary (rainy) day, than to count your blessings? I'm joining in with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand in showing thanks to the One from whom ALL blessings flow.



THIS WEEK I AM THANKFUL...

* I had a wonderful weekend babysitting our youngest grandson. Lots of time to play and snuggle. He is walking all over the place now and his little personality is really starting to come out.

All tuckered out from a day with Nanny.
He picked out the triceratops sleeping bag at Sam's Club.

* for a fun afternoon with Mom and a friend at the library's basket bash fundraiser.  I didn't win anything, but it all goes to a good cause.

* to have had the privilege, back in 1999, to work with Billy Graham's organization when they brought a crusade to our town. Billy didn't come here, but did send video encouragement to the team working so hard to prepare the area for his people, as well as written encouragement. It was such an honor to be a part of it. The world has lost a great man this week, but heaven is rejoicing over the arrival of one of the saints. You just know Mr. Graham heard, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

* for a lunch with some of the ladies from bible study on Monday. I usually have to rush through those when we get together because I have to get back to work, but I was off for the holiday and able to linger as long as I liked.

* for Olive Garden's shrimp scampi at the above mentioned lunch. YUM!

* that my husband changed his mind about loading the bikes we got the grandkids for Christmas into his truck and dropping them off on his way home from work some night. Instead, he actually got someone to cover for him at work on Saturday so I can go with him. Yea! I get to see the grandkids, too!

* that winter is beginning to crack. I know we have a ways to go before it's done with us, but we are seeing more and more mild weather and the cold snaps are not quite so cold. It helps me hang in there.

* for an extra day in my weekend. School was cancelled on Friday due to flooding throughout the district. It gave me an extra afternoon with my little guy.

* that it wasn't me driving my bus when it blew a hose...and not a radiator hose, but some other hose that sprayed oil everywhere. The mechanics were taking it to the garage that does our warranty work anyway when it happened, but it had to be towed the rest of the way. Apparently, this is an unusual thing and neither of them had ever had it happen before. I guess it was quite loud and really startled them. I'd have probably had a heart attack!

* that in all the crazy, scary things happening in this world, and all the angry, bitter disagreement and, let's face it, hate, that is resulting from it....I have the hope and peace that passes all understanding that comes from knowing Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

* for all of my blogging and Facebook friends!

February 18, 2018

Tea Time Questions

I guess I wore my grandson out because he's crashed much earlier than he ever does for his mommy. I'm going to use the time to answer this week's questions, but it's going to be another quickie with no fun memes because I'm going to head to bed early, too, so I can keep up with him tomorrow.

Thanks goes out to Bev for once again finding great questions and hosting the fun. Be sure to visit the Sunday Stealing site and check out everyone else's answers and enjoy your Sunday. My mom and I are planning to go to a basket bash fundraiser for a local library...provided we aren't snowed in. It's coming down pretty good out there and we are under a winter storm warning until 10:30 tomorrow morning.

Bev says:

This is from a questionnaire called "Tea and Q&A" that I found on SwapBot. 

1. What is your middle name and what is a middle name you'd rather have instead? Why?  My middle name is Lynn and fine with it. It goes well with my first name and it really doesn't matter, because who pays attention to middle names....except moms letting you know that you have one foot across the line and the other one is on a banana peel.

2. How would you spend $1MM (you have to spend every penny!) First I'd tithe to a favorite charity (since I don't belong to a church right now), then I'd pay off our debt, pay someone to finish the bathroom remodel, add on the extra room we need, and put the rest in savings for the grandkids.

3. Yellow light - speed up or slow down??
  It depends on weather/road conditions and where I'm going and if I'm late.  I might go through if it just turned, but I'm not careless. I won't go through when I know it will be red before I am through. I don't push the yellow when I'm driving the bus, though.


4. What was the last movie you saw and what did you like/dislike about it? 
Mom and I finally watched the remake of Ben Hur on Friday. It's been so long since I last watched the original that I don't really remember it, so I wasn't comparing it like my mom was (she found it very different from the original). It was a good story with a lot of action scenes, though some of them were pretty gory. I guess my biggest complaint was that it was dark...as in some scenes were very hard to make out. I don't like it when they do that to movies. Who wants to watch a black screen?


5. If a movie was made about you, who would portray you in that movie?
  I'd choose Sandra Bullock, but they'd probably cast someone a lot more ordinary looking. I'm just a fan of everything Sandra does. 


6. What is the strangest thing you've eaten and what did it taste like?
  Probably rattle snake. It was cut in sections and grilled in foil with butter, salt and pepper. I guess it tasted sort of like chicken...it's a lighter meat...but it was more like fish in that it was flaky and you had to pick it off the rib bones. It wasn't bad, even though it was a snake (snakes are my biggest fear) but it was a lot of work for just a couple bites of meat (kind of like blue crab).


7. What color is your bathroom? The one in our bedroom has pale yellow walls with cream colored flooring. The accessories are tan/brown with birds on them.


8. If you could vacation anywhere in the world RIGHT NOW, where would it be and why?  Right now...that lets out Chincoteague since it would be cold there, too. So I guess (if money is no object) I'd choose Australia. If money is a problem, send me to Key West. Why? I've always wanted to visit Australia and as for Key West, I've always been interested by Hemmingway's life.


9. What is your least favorite thing to cook?  Seafood. Even though it's my favorite food to eat.


10. What is the dish you make that your family rolls their eyes at?
  I can't think of anything. They usually like everything I make.


11. What are three things on your bucket list? 
Visit Key West, go to the Four Corners region and stand in 4 states at once, and the sky walk at the Grand Canyon.


12. How many skeins of yarn do you think you are currently hoarding?
Since the only knitting I do is on looms and I don't do that very often, I'm not guilty of hoarding yarn. I probably have a skein or two around and that's it. My mom, on the other hand, could probably stock a yarn shop. She does use it all eventually, though. She knits chemo caps, baby afghans, scarves, prayer shawls, and lap robes with her knitting club to be given to charity. She knits so much that she was featured in the paper a few years ago and just before Christmas she was interviewed on the radio.


13. Today is my birthday.  What virtual gift are you going to give me?
  Respect, acceptance in spite of any differences we have, and love.  The world needs a lot more of all three and today I will do my part by giving them to you.


14. What is your favorite candy?  Lindt makes a chocolate truffle candy bar that should be a sin and the tea shoppe I frequent sells bars of white chocolate with bits of strawberry in it. I don't think I can choose between those two.


15. What is your favorite time of the day and why?
The morning, I guess. I'm usually more alert and energetic. Weird since I am actually a night owl when I don't have a schedule to keep.



(My grandson wasn't as worn out as I thought. He got a little fussy with just Pappy to sleep with and I had to go to bed before I finished last night. So, 
now I'm back to finish the job this morning while the boy is still asleep.)

16. If you could call in sick for a day, what would you do with the time?
Probably just get things done around here. My office/craft/library room could sure use some attention. I moved things around in there last month so I could set up the Total Gym and I need to change some of the bookshelves around so that the books and art supplies I use the most for bible study and journaling are more handy to my desk. Right now I have to climb over the Total Gym, so everything ends up sitting on it. Not good at all. And yes, I could just fold up the Gym, but it isn't as easy as it looks on TV.


17. How much did your last crafting run cost you?  I don't know. I'm not particularly crafty, at least not on a regular basis, so I don't need craft supplies all that often. I'm thinking the last time may have been to buy flowers and such for our daughter's wedding. I think I spent about $170 on that trip, if it counts towards crafts.

18. Can you play a musical instrument and if so, which one?
No. I don't have any musical talent. I wish I did. I'd have learned to play either the piano or the guitar if I had any talent.


19. What is your least favorite craft that you still do? Why? 
I can't say that I have one. I don't do a lot of crafts because I just don't have that kind of patience. If I don't like something to begin with, I'm certainly not going to keep doing it.


20. If you could have any job for just one day, what would it be and what would you do?
  As long as you're guaranteeing it's only going to be for one day (because I surely wouldn't want it longer than that), I'd like to be the President of the United States. I would like to see, for real, rather than what the media or the White House wants us to see, what the life of a President is like. I think it would give me a lot more understanding and compassion towards all Presidents past and present as I suspect they find once they are in office their hands are tied more than they could have imagined.  Both of the parties in our two party system are so hell bent on "winning" that I think they not only throw the rights of the people on the fire, but seek to manipulate the executive office. 


Or maybe...I'd like to be someone prominent in Congress and have the chance to speak and really ream my fellow congressmen and women out over their behavior.

Or maybe while I'm there I could just spread some love and try to get the whole darn country to do the same. I just can't understand why having different opinions suddenly means we have to hate each other so much. 

February 17, 2018

Saturday 9: Baby Love

Good morning! My grandson seems to be content to eat Cheerios, play with his toys and watch his favorite show at the moment, so I'm going to try to join in with you all and get a post up. Cross your fingers!

*SORRY, NO MEMES TODAY, BECAUSE...





Saturday 9: Baby Love (1964)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) When this song was popular, the Supremes were known for their elaborate hairstyles, make up and full-length gowns. When was the last time you got dressed up?

Like really dressed up, in a dress and everything? Um...pretty sure that would have been my daughter's wedding back in September.  We are pretty casual people most of the time.



2) "The girls," as they were known to the engineers and executives at Motown Records, were Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross. They began singing together when they were high school classmates. Are you still in touch with any friends from your high school days?

There are only a couple that I actually see face-to-face, but thanks to Facebook I keep up with quite a few people from high school, including quite a few that weren't friends when we were in school.

3) Mary Wilson was born in Mississippi and her family moved a great deal before settling in Detroit, where she fatefully met Florence and Diana. Were you uprooted often when you were a child? Or did you spend your school years in the same neighborhood?

We moved a lot up until I started junior high. I went to 4 different elementary schools and lived in 6 different houses during those years. We moved to the neighborhood my dad's family lived in right before I started junior high and while we did move once more, it was only one street over and I didn't have to change schools. I left for several years, but we moved back to the old neighborhood 24 years ago and this is where our kids grew up. 

My dad's family was one of the first families here and we've been part of the neighborhood since 1930. It was great being part of a neighborhood that was more like family. Everyone knew everyone else and all the immediate neighbors were more like family...so much so that I grew up calling them all Aunt or Uncle. My kids had that, too. It's changing rapidly, though, as all the older generations pass away and the houses are sold to young families with no ties to the neighborhood.

4) The Supremes began as a quartet called the Primettes. In addition to Mary, Flo and Diana, there was Betty McGlown. In 1960, Betty left the group to get married and was replaced by Barbara Martin. In 1962, Barbara left the group to have a baby. They quit trying to replace the fourth voice, soldiered on as a trio, and made pop history. Have you ever found yourself in a position similar to Betty's or Barbara's, where you had to make a difficult decision and choose between your personal life and your career?

No, I can't say that I have. I haven't really had a career, though, just jobs. I do know, however, that if it came down to my job or my family, my family would always be the priority.

5) Thinking of babies and "baby love," is anyone in your life expecting a baby in 2018?

Not that I know of. I know our daughter is making noises about wanting another baby, but I really hope she waits just a little bit longer.

6) With twelve #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, The Supremes remain America's most commercially successfully recording group, and this song (along with "Stop! In the Name of Love") is one of the most popular karaoke songs. If we handed you the mic this morning and absolutely insisted you perform, what song would you choose (any song, any genre)? 

Well, for starters, I wouldn't sing at all. Remember? No musical talent whatsoever over here. I would find a way to bolt. There is no way you could MAKE me sing. However, if I could at least carry a tune and you put me up to it, I would probably choose Billy Joel's Piano Man. It's a great singalong song and I sing along when it comes on in the car.



7) Original group member Florence Ballard left the group in 1967. She died of cardiac arrest in 1976 at the age of 32. Since February is National Heart Month, it seems appropriate to ask: Is anyone in your life battling heart disease? 

My stepfather had bypass surgery last year and my mom has some weird echo or something (don't know that it's actually heart disease) and both have to watch their cholesterol. He takes meds for his. Mom controls hers pretty well with diet. My husband has to keep an eye on his cholesterol, but his heart and arteries are apparently just fine. So far I am good on all accounts.

8) Florence Ballard's brother, Hank, wrote Chubby Checker's famous dance song, "The Twist." When did you last dance?

Yesterday. Our grandson likes to dance so I'm always dancing with him.

9) Random question: Close your eyes and visualize the most beautiful place you've ever been. Now describe it to us.


I don't know that anyone else would choose it as the most beautiful place, but I choose my grandmother's yard. Nana loved flowers and she surrounded her tidy white Cape Cod style house with flowerbeds that were mixed jumbles of flowers. There was no rhyme or reason, she just planted what she liked. She also had just about every kind of tree that flowered planted around the yard.

Any time I was there we started each day sipping tea on her front porch. She had all kinds of potted plants, climbing Clematis and Morning Glories, and a hummingbird feeder that drew them like flies. We'd sit out there and watch the sun come up and listen to the birds wake up.

And speaking of birds, Nana's house was in the country to start with, but there was a swamp in the woods across the road that was a National Wildlife Sanctuary so there were a lot of different species of birds around. Nana put out feeders in the winter and we'd sit at her dining room table and watch hundreds of birds come and go.

The little guy is getting restless so it's time for me to get moving and find something for us to do. At least I got this done.  

Learn a lesson from this week's school shooting....Tomorrow is not promised. Live and love fully today. Have a great Saturday and enjoy whatever it is you have planned.

Visit the Saturday 9 site to join in the fun
or find links to more posts.

February 16, 2018

Currently...On a Rainy Day

I am...

ReadingOrigin by Dan Brown and Why I Hate Green Beans by Lincee Ray

Listening to: the local news...lots of flooding going on around here today.

Loving: having an unexpected day off due to the above mentioned flooding.

Thinking: about all the things I need to get done before my grandson gets here to spend the weekend.

Feeling: like I could use a nap.

Celebrating: my friend's birthday today.

Grateful for: God's swift answers to prayer.

Weather: 50 degrees and falling to the 20's by suppertime with rain, rain, and more rain becoming snow later.

Enjoying: my Poodle's silly quirks. She has been burying the new treats I got her...in the laundry I have sorted, under my pillow, between the sofa cushions, among the shoes in the closet, in my work shoes....

A quote I want to share






February 15, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Winter Is Cracking

Sorry for the lack of "real" posts lately. Things have been, not so much hectic or busy, as...derailed. When bad weather strikes and school goes on a 2-hour delay the best laid plans go out the window. When your husband turns the house into a construction zone, plans go out the window. When your daughter is bored and lonely and longing for company and asks you to go shopping with her and her son, plans go out the window. When it's February in Pennsylvania and the sky is gray, the ground is gray...when it seems like the very air you breathe is gray, the cold wind howls like a wolf at the door, and something wet, frozen, or wet and frozen is always falling from the sky...plans don't go out the window, THEY DIE a tragic death because all you want to do is hibernate and get lost in books and movies.

That's my excuse. And I'm sticking to it.

Today, however, though it is still RAINING and GRAY, it is warm. Unseasonably so at 63 degrees. Everyone has come out of hibernation and is outside doing something or going somewhere.

FYI: Today is NOT the day to take a spontaneous trip to Walmart. Everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY, is there. Of course, that may also have something to do with tomorrow's weather forecast of rapidly falling temperatures and the rain turning to snow. Gotta get toilet paper and milk, you know, in case we're stranded and have to resort to cannibalism...at least we can wash it down with a cold glass of milk and 'take care of business' like civilized people.

My trip to Wally World was not spontaneous. Our grandson is staying with us this weekend while his mommy and daddy enjoy a weekend away. I had to get diapers, wipes, bowls with suction cup bottoms, wavy toddler utensils so he can practice feeding himself (Momma doesn't like the mess so she hasn't let him do too much of that), sippy cups that don't spill, and anything and everything I saw that looked like he might eat it.  I could have gone tomorrow morning in between bus runs, but...bad weather, remember?

Anyway, I'm not really sure how much, if any, posting will get done between now and Monday so I wanted to pop in and say "DON'T PULL THE PLUG!" I'm alive and well.  To prove it, I'm joining in with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand for Thankful Thursday.

This week I am thankful...

* for this little respite from winter weather. It's not much, but it goes a long way toward reviving the soul. Winter is beginning to show cracks now and then and though it's not done with us yet, God is kind enough to remind us of what's soon coming with little sneak peeks.

* that I haven't ended up stranded up on the ridge because my crappy old bus died. It's actually one of the newer ones in the fleet until the new ones arrive this summer, but it and most of the others bought at the same time are having all kinds of problems. Mine was in the shop in January for a major fix and it looks like it may be having the same problem again. PLUS, the ignition doesn't want to work. At least not right away. I have to turn the key and crank it repeatedly for a couple of minutes before it finally catches and starts. It's so bad all teachers who are out on bus detail have begun to clap and cheer when it starts. I finally got the okay today to keep it running all the time until they can figure out the problem and get it fixed. So, yeah, really glad it hasn't left me sitting along the road somewhere.

* for not one, but two good books being read at this time and another bought today to read next. Reviews will be coming next week (sooner if I'm able to find the time).

* my Bible study group finally got to meet! It was the first time in a month due to weather (we meet at our teacher's home waaaaaay out in the boonies) and our teacher being away. It was so good to get together with everyone and catch up in person. Even our teacher's snooty cat was glad to see us all.

* for my new parallel Bible. I love being able to open it and have the NIV, KJV, NASB, and the Amplified texts side by side for comparison.

* my husband has made some progress on the bathroom re-do. Not as much as I'd like, but it is more substantial forward progress than I've seen in the last year, so I'll gladly take it!

* for the rain washing away all the nasty salt. Now, if only I could catch the car wash when the line isn't an hour long and get the salt off my car.

* for continued good health. Even though the flu and multiple types of nasty intestinal bugs are all around us, we have managed to avoid being hit. I am sure hoping it stays that way.

* for encouraging reports about our brother-in-law, who is currently deployed in Afghanistan. He is in the hospital over there with pancreatitis. They have him on pain meds while they try to get him straightened out so he is feeling a bit better. They are thinking his cholesterol medicine caused it.

* that it is Thursday. Only one more day to go to get to a 3-day weekend. Woohoo!

* as always, for each one of you!

Love & Blessings

February 11, 2018

Oops, I Did It Again!

In honor of the Olympics starting, here are some winter-related questions stolen from Bogglesworld

1. Do you prefer winter or summer? Why?

I always used to say winter because no matter how cold it gets you can always put on another layer of clothes, pull up another blanket, toss another log on the fire, etc., but when it gets too hot there is only so much you can take off. 

I've changed my mind in recent years. I still don't like extreme heat, but I'd rather suffer through it than extreme cold. I've gotten old, I guess, because the cold makes my bones hurt! I'm also not (and never have been) a fan of winter activities.


  

2. What are your favorite winter activities?

Hibernating. Also known as reading, writing, watching movies, and eating oh-so-yummy-but-oh-so-bad-for-me foods.




3. Can you tell me about a time you went skiing or skating?


I've only been on ice skates a couple of times as a kid.  Once at a birthday party and once at the private school I attended (the maintenance man built a rink on the playground). It didn't go well either time. I have really crappy balance and weak ankles. As for skiing, nothing would make me strap a couple of boards to my feet and slide down a mountain on them.




4. Have you ever made a snow angel?


Yes, many times as a child...and quite a few as an adult.




5. Is your house cold?


Not right now. The outside temperature got up near 60 degrees today (Saturday) and while it's raining and the temperature is beginning to drop, the house is comfortable. That's specific. In general, our house can be a bit on the chilly side at times. It sits higher on its foundation and we are located on a small plateau. The wind seems to roll around in the valley below and then rip up the hill and race across the flat. It is very nearly always, at least, breezy here. When it is cold outside that can make it hard to keep the house feeling cozy. That's why we bought a pellet stove a few years ago. It has a thermostat so we can set it for the desired temperature and it will regulate itself. I love that it is a constant heat, not like the furnace, which runs until the desired temperature is reached then shuts off until the house cools back down. 




6. Do you have a fireplace in your house?


We used to, but opted to replace it with the pellet stove.




7. What do you usually do to keep warm in the winter?


I wear lots of layers for work. My wardrobe contains lots of fleece, sweaters, and turtlenecks. I've become a huge fan of fleece-lined leggings. I wear them for pajamas and even under my jeans for work as they are warmer and fit better than longjohns. I also own a lot of thick socks and fuzzy socks. If the feet are cold, the whole body is cold. At home in the evenings the Poodle and I snuggle up in the recliner with a thick, fuzzy throw or if I'm reading or on the laptop I'll break out the Snuggy (yes, I own 3!!!...all gifts).




8. Have you ever gone hiking in the snow?


Yes, when I was younger. I was in the Civil Air Patrol all through high school and our leaders loved to schedule encampments and training weekends in the snow. It was great fun back then.




9. Tell me about a snowball fight you had.


I don't remember ever having one.




10. Have you ever looked at a snowflake carefully?


Yes. I remember learning about them in a science class somewhere along the way. We learned about how they are formed and how they get their design and of course, we looked at quite a few of them with magnifying glasses.




11. Do you have a sled? Have you been sledding?


I do own an old wooden sled and a 2-person bobsled. Neither has seen the light of day in years.




12. What do you usually do after a big snowfall?


Well, if the timing's right it usually means school is cancelled so I have a day off. When the snow is done I shovel the sidewalk from the backdoor to the driveway and the cars (clearing an area for the dog to take care of business) and then I clean off my car.  I don't usually try digging out the driveway because if I wait long enough someone usually comes along and offers to do it for $20 or so. When the digging out is done, I enjoy my snow day by reading, watching a movie I know my husband would hate, maybe taking a nap, and probably cooking a hearty, comfort food kind of dinner.




13. What’s the best thing about winter?


When it's over!




14. What’s the worst thing about winter?


Driving on icy roads.




15. Have you ever been in a blizzard?


Quite a few times.  The worst was in 1992.  I was at home alone with my kids (ages 5 months and 6 years) and once the snow started it never stopped until it had dropped 3 feet...all in less than 24 hours!  My husband was a supervisor at a stone quarry then and the company sent out its men and equipment to help the town dig out. Nobody had cell phones then so I had no way of knowing. I finally reached someone at the company offices the second day and got the story. It was 3 days before he came home and the kids and I were dug out. Thank goodness the power stayed on. 

We were hit again nearly as bad just a couple of months later in 1993, but my husband was at home for that one...a good thing because I came down with strep throat just as that one was getting started.




16. Can you describe ice for me?


Cold water molecules that have swelled up and bonded together so densely that they form a solid surface.  It's cold, hard, generally clear, and slick.  It hurts like heck to fall on it (trust me, I'm an expert who only recently got smart enough to buy ice cleats) and is best used in cube form to chill drinks.




17. Have you ever slipped on ice and hurt yourself?


Oops! I kind of hinted at the answer to this one up above. The parking and bus lots at the bus garage are gravel (really more dirt than gravel is involved) and my employer doesn't allow the lots to be salted because the salt softens the ground and makes for a muddy mess.  They may or may not plow the snow and then they scatter pea gravel for traction. It works okay if you're a bus...not so great if you're the person trying to get to the bus or your own car.  I have wiped out several times over the years. One fall was particularly bad and I still get a little fluid build up on my knee from time to time. I have been lucky this year so far and since I just bought a pair of ice cleats I expect my streak to last. 

I did fall once at our daughter's house this winter. I landed on my hip (a first as my knees seem to be my preferred landing gear) and was sore for a couple of days, but that was it.




18.Have you ever had to shovel snow?


Ha! Only every time it snows.




19. Will you be watching the Olympics?


I watched a couple of the men's figure skaters the first night, but I haven't watched anything else. I don't know if I will or not. If I know when the luge and bobsled events are on I might watch those.




20. If yes, what are your favorite events? 


Oops, again! I just told you in #19.




That's all for this week. Be sure to stop by the Sunday Stealing
site and say thanks to Bev for finding the questions week
after week and to find the links to all the bloggers
playing along this week.  I probably won't be playing next
week as our youngest grandson will be spending the 
weekend with us. I'm pretty sure it's going to take 
ALL my time and energy to keep up with a 1 year old!
Have a great week!