Tuesday 4: Odds & Ends

Linking up with Annie today for the Tuesday 4.

1.  You're having a lovely dinner party for friends and family.  What will you serve for appetizers, main course and dessert?  Wow. This isn't something I can toss out off the top of my head. I'd have to spend hours pouring over my cookbooks deciding on a menu. I love to cook and I'm actually pretty good at it, but I'm not so good at deciding what to make. All I can tell you is that it would most likely be something sort of simple because there'd be less chance of someone not liking it.

2. Snow storm!    You've got house guests and you're all stuck inside for the night. What do you prepare for dinner.  Will you  watch a movie? Which?  Something simple, but filling and comforting like soup, chili, or pasta would be the meal. As for a movie, I'd go for a mini marathon of movies set in beautiful warm locals (My Life in Ruins, Blue Hawaii, etc.) or fun musicals (Hairspray, Mama Mia, etc.).

3. We are going into New York City for the weekend. Where do you want to go?  I want to visit the 9-11 Memorial and see a Broadway musical.

4. You are going to night school.  They offer courses in writing short stories, painting, piano  or guitar lessons, simple home repairs, baking, and gardening. Which do you pick  ( or make up one of your own)  and why?  I'd choose gardening. I probably know most of what they'd teach about writing, I'm not interested in painting or making home repairs, I have zero talent when it comes to music, and I can bake fairly well. I love to garden, but there's a lot to know and I could use some help in that area as I've started to garden in raised beds in the last two years and it's a whole new ball game. Or if it was about flower gardening...even better! I have no talent when it comes to planning out beds.

Tuesday 4: Beauty "Secrets"

Good morning! I'm joining in with Annie for Tuesday 4. Today she asks about cosmetics and toiletries.

1. What brand of shampoo do you think works best for you and what does it do for you?  I use John Frieda Frizz Ease shampoo (and all the other products in the line) because while I am currently wearing my hair straightened, it is naturally very curl, very dry, and very frizzy. John Frieda products do a great job of taming all that without adding weight or making my hair to oily.

  
2. Do you have a favorite brand and shade of lipstick and blush?  I don't. I rarely wear make up and when I do, I go for light, natural looking shades so it doesn't look like I'm wearing any.

3. Is soap your favorite for face washing or do you use other products?  I use a few different Neutrogena products, they do different things, but they all control oil. I tend to have very oily skin.

4. Do you have an all-time favorite perfume or scent that you wear? If you don't wear perfumes, is there a scent you love in general?  I don't wear perfume because it's too strong and kills my sinuses. I do, however, wear body sprays because they are lighter. I use those by Bath & Body, Works because I go before Christmas when they have deals like buy 3, get 3 free. I can stock up for the whole year that way. I usually stick to the scents that smell fruity or like other food scents (vanilla, sugar...). I can't do florals. 

My all-time favorite scent was a Calgon body spray called Hawaiian Ginger. It smelled of ginger and pineapple and coconut. It was heavenly and I got a lot of compliments on it, but I haven't been able to find it for a couple of years now.

Tuesday 4: One for the Books

Today I am linking up with Annie for the Tuesday 4 and a little chatter about books and movies.

1.  Do you have some favorite books to share?(if you don't read, how about favorite TV programs or movies?)  My all-time favorite books (other than the Bible) are Little Women, Lottery by Patricia Woods, and Gone With the Wind. My favorite series are Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, her Fox & O'Hare series, and James Rollins' Sigma Force series.

2.  When looking for a book (or program) what things do you look for?  Excellent writing and descriptions that make me get feel like I am there or a plot and characters I can relate to or something crazy, entertaining and escapist. 

3.  Does the cover of a book make a difference or help you choose? (or do trailers help you decide on a TV or movie program?) Sometimes, but more often a cover may turn me off rather than attract me. When it comes to movies and TV programs the trailers definitely draw me in...or chase me away.

4.  What is your favorite genre of book, TV or movie? That is, is it science fiction, romance, mystery, true story, biography?  My favorite books are cozy mysteries, technical thrillers like the Rollins books (though I also enjoy the really gross ones like the Bones or Body Farm series), and modern literature. If a book can either fascinate me right from the start or make me laugh out loud, it has it made. When it comes to movies I like rom/com and comedies. As for TV, I like off the wall "reality" shows...Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Swamp People, Duck Dynasty, Alaskan Bush People, etc. 

Tuesday 4

Good morning! Today I am linking up with Annie for the Tuesday 4. I hope you enjoy your visit and wish a blessed day.

1. Are you an impulse buyer or do you weigh the value/cost/necessity before you buy?  It depends. I can be an impulse buyer when it comes to smaller things, but I definitely weigh the pros/cons/cost/etc. on larger items.

2. What do you really resent having to pay for?  The only things that come to mind are driving on the PA Turnpike (I used a bypass section near me last week and they don't accept cash any more, they scan your plate and mail you a bill...$3.60 to go about 10 miles!) and an awful lot of what the folks in Washington spend my tax dollars on.

3. Do you have favorite brands of household cleaners, detergents, soaps? Can you tell us why you like them? Maybe you will give us better ideas.  I'm not rabidly loyal to very many brands, but I do always use Tide detergent because its Oxi version gets my husband's work clothes clean and keeps them smelling better. They also have a lot of scent options in those little scent booster beads. I also swear by Mr. Clean Magic Erase pads...those things are amazing. They will clean ANYTHING!

4. What is a typical day of housekeeping for you?  I'm still kind of sorting that out now that I'm only working part-time. Usually, I get up and throw a load of laundry in the wash, put any dirty dishes in the dishwasher, wipe the counters, and do any dusting and vacuuming that needs done. I do dishes before or after supper and I try to straighten up...put things back in place before I go to bed. Bigger cleaning projects usually happen on the weekend or whenever it needs doing. 

Tuesday 4: Snowmen

It's Tuesday so I am linking up with the Tuesday 4 for some winter fun today. Thanks to Annie for carrying on the tradition.

1. Have you built snowmen, women or even entire families of snow people like little sister Tootie did in Meet Me in St. Louis? Did you use a carrot for the nose? Tell us all about how it .  It's been a long time since I've built a snowman. I haven't since my kids were young and they are 27 and 33 now. We used to go all out and build an entire family of snowpeople...usually representing our family, including the pets. I'm sure we used carrots some of the time, but not all the time. I'm looking forward to building snowpeople with the grandchildren.

2. Are you hoping for snowmen to melt soon in hotter weather?  Tell us about your favorite time of year and please let us know why you love it. List some ingredient of that season that makes it special for you.  I would be okay with all the snowmen melting. The older I get, the more I am not a winter person. Autumn is my season. I love the colors set against clear blue skies, all of the activity and festivals, the coziness of everyone coming inside, the heartier meals...pretty much everything about it!  

3.Remember bundling up as a child? It took so long to do then you had to go potty and all those layers had to come off again! Is dressing up something you enjoy doing ?  Why?  I still like dressing in layers, but I don't do it as much since I started working at the nursing home. It is always soooo hot there! I haven't even gotten most of my warmest clothes out this year. Now, when you say dressing up...do you mean like that or do you mean in formal clothing? If it's the latter, I guess I don't mind it once in a while. I wouldn't enjoy having to do it all the time, though. I am casual and comfortable in style.

4. In Frozen, the little girl desperately wants to reconnect with her sister and reminds her of the happy times of building snowmen.  Are you disconnected from anyone you'd love to reunite with? What happy times with friends and siblings brings you fond memories and smiles to you?  I miss the group of friends we had at a former church. There were about 7 families in the group. We were all in leadership and all of our kids were around the same ages and friends, too. We would get together to celebrate all the holidays and at other times just for fun. There was always someone to talk to, someone to do something with. It all came apart, though, when church politics reared its ugly head. We ended up feeling betrayed and I'm telling you there is no betrayal like the betrayal of people you've made your chosen family, who are your spiritual family...maybe because they are the people you least expect it from as you think they know better. Anyway, I miss those days and have fond memories of them, but in all honesty I don't want to go back. I've forgiven them and moved on and so have they...mostly they all scattered and go to many different churches now...it wouldn't ever be the same.

Around the House with Tuesday 4

I already did an earlier post, but since Annie has been kind enough to carry on the Tuesday 4 torch, I'll do another. Thank you, Annie.

Around the House

1. Do you have any pets? What kind of pets do you have? Photos?  I have had many pets over the years and rarely just one, but currently we have only Daisy, a 10 lb. diva of a Toy Poodle.

My daughter took this photo a few years ago.

She was trying to do her hair and Daisy was

jumping and barking and wouldn't let her be.

So she picked her up and sat her in the sink.

Daisy was then happy.

2. Do you have a weekly menu you plan out? Would you share it with us, or perhaps a short list of meals you make often? It gives other people ideas!  Tonight I am making 50/50 sliders. They are normal sliders, but I get the 12 pack of Hawaiian rolls and I make half as turkey/swiss and half as ham/cheddar. I don't have a recipe. I just look it up on Pinterest if I need some hints or ideas.

3.Where do you do your grocery shopping? Do you like that store or do you go to others to fill in the gaps?  I am all over the place for groceries. I go to Walmart for household supplies, paper products, packaged foods, drinks, and deli meats and cheeses. I go to Giant Eagle for produce, the frozen dinners Tim and I like to take to work for lunches (Walmart doesn't have much of a selection), seafood and some other meats if they are on sale. If Giant Eagle's produce doesn't look good or they are picked over I will get produce at Aldi's. For meat I usually go to one of two local places...Nazer's Grocery and Bardini's Country Smokehouse.

4.  What kind of house do you live in or is it an apartment. Describe it. What changes would you make to it if you could?  We live in a manufactured home that we never expected to be permanent. It was a quick solution to get us settled by my mom right after my dad passed away. But then life went on and the kids grew up and here we still are. After 25 years it is home. It needs some remodeling and I really want to add a large family room on so we have room to have the whole family here and thanks to the generosity of my biological father, that just might happen this year.

Now, since I did a pretty big grocery shopping trip after babysitting the grands for a bit this morning, I'm going to go finish putting everything away, do up the dishes, and throw some laundry in the wash. Gosh, but my days off are super exciting. Ha! 

Have a great day, friends!

Favorites & Thanks

Good morning and happy Tuesday! Can you believe Thanksgiving is just 9 days away? Can you believe the Christmas shopping craziness has already been going on for a week or two?? We were out shopping this past Saturday and the stores were packed and the lines were long! I guess that means the retailers, who were so worried about the shorter time between Thanksgiving and Christmas hurting holiday sales, can breathe a little easier.

Today I am linking up with Toni for Tuesday 4 and answering Tell Me Something Tuesday just for fun.

Tuesday 4: Holiday Favorites

1. Favorite holiday of yours. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I try to practice gratitude all the time, but I like the reminder to be extra mindful of being thankful and I love how many folks jump on the bandwagon for the month of November. I also like that beyond giving thanks, the holiday is a relaxed one. It's about family and friends getting together, eating yourself silly, watching football, etc. It's the last deep breath before the insanity of the Christmas season starts. Unless, of course, you are one of those who begins your Black Friday shopping ON Thanksgiving. I am not. I don't even do Black Friday shopping on Black Friday.

2. Favorite holiday character in a movie.  Ralphie from A Christmas Story is my favorite character and that's also my favorite Christmas movie. Our whole family watches it together at least once on Christmas Day. Most of us can probably quote it word for word. And Ralphie? Well, who hasn't been in his shoes as a kid?

3. Favorite holiday dish or dessert to make? My grandmother's corn spoonbread.

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

2 eggs, beaten

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can cream style corn

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup melted butter

1/3 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp sugar

Grated parmesan cheese, to taste 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 2-quart casserole with Pam.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients but the muffin mix.  Stir to mix.  Add muffin mix.  Stir well.

Pour into casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove.

Sprinkle with cheese.  Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes or until center is firm.

* It's very easy to change this recipe up. I've added a variety of cheeses to the mix. A small can chilies adds a little zip. Go ahead. Experiment.

4. Favorite holiday weather you wish for.  For Thanksgiving I hope for clear and cool. For Christmas I hope for snow...not enough to cause any problems, but enough to make it pretty.

Tell Me Something Tuesday

What are you thankful for this year?  Well, a lot of things, but for the sake of time (or rather a lack of it) I'm just going to say I'm thankful for finally finding out about my biological father and my half-siblings. After a lifetime of wondering I finally have some answers. 

Tuesday 4: My Dream

Good morning! How are you doing with the time change? Unless, of course, you are one of those lucky enough to live in one of the 2 places that don't do daylight saving time. Me? I'm up for the second day in a row an hour before the alarm clock. 

With all this extra time in the morning I can at least get my blog post done. So, without further ado, the Tuesday 4.


1.   My dream house is?  A genuine craftsman cottage.

I adore all the woodwork and natural materials. I find Craftsman cottages very soothing and calm.

2.   My dream car is?  The same one it has been all my life. I want to drive a Ford Mustang.

3.   My dream vacation is?  My first choice will probably never happen because I worry about the safety of the region, but if that wasn't a consideration I would move heaven and earth to visit Egypt and Israel. I want to experience such ancientness.

I want to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

4.   My dream life is?  One in which I have a fulfilling purpose and make a difference in the lives of others.

And right now my purpose is to get ready for work. Have a blessed and joyful day!

A Halloween Tuesday

Linking up with the Tuesday 4 for this Halloween edition.

1.   Believe in ghosts, spirits, or the supernatural?  I believe in angels and demons, but not in ghosts. I guess that means I believe in the supernatural.

2.   Ever had a supernatural experience?  I've had a few.

3.   Favorite horror film?  I loathe horror films so no favorite.

4.   Finish this line: Silently I walk in the moonless night____?  with a very bright flashlight! And a friend!


Also linking with Tell Me Something Tuesday for the weekly question.

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?  I'm not really a big fan of Halloween these days. Oh, I was when I was younger. I used to go all out for the kids when they were growing up and I did dress up when I drove the bus. I can dress up at the nursing home where I work, but I will probably just stick to a Halloween shirt. I'm all for the kids trick-or-treating, but the rest of Halloween isn't for me. I don't do horror films or haunted houses. 

**I have my first appointment with the new doctor today. After a night of    tossing and turning with my aching hip, I'm looking forward to it. This is also the  day the final part for Tim's truck is due so maybe by tomorrow or Thursday I will have my car back. I've been begging rides to work and grounded otherwise for 3 weeks at this point.** 

Have a blessed and beautiful day!

Something New for Tueday

I've decided to table the 10 On Tuesday lists for now. I'm finding that it takes way too much time to find a topic and make a list. Instead I'm going to join in with the Tuesday 4 and Tell Me Something Tuesday.

Tuesday 4   

Over & Over Again

1. One movie you'd watch over and over again.  Only one? I'd have a hard time narrowing it down from choices like Dirty Dancing, A Christmas Story, While You Were Sleeping, Christmas Vacation, The Great Outdoors, and Home for the Holidays.

2. One book you'd read over and over again.  The Holy Bible. Duh. Other than that it would be Little Women.

3. One TV series you'd watch over and over again.  The Big Bang Theory. I love to laugh and I can't think of any other show ever that made me laugh so hard or so consistently.

4. One song you'd listen to over and over again.  Again, how to choose just one? For a hymn I'd choose How Great Thou Art, for contemporary Christian I'd choose God of All My Days by Casting Crowns, and for other music I'd probably choose Piano Man by Billy Joel.


Tell Me Something Tuesday   

Would you spend a full night inside of a haunted house if someone paid you?  Well, here's the thing... As a Christian I don't believe in ghosts. The Bible tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with God and I believe the Bible to be true, which means the souls of the dearly departed aren't hanging around yelling "BOO" in scary old houses. I do believe, however, in a spiritual realm populated by both heavenly and hellish beings.

That said, nothing from heaven is out to terrify us in such a way. That leaves the things of Satan...demons. Those dark things are evil and exist to scare and torment us. 

So, as far as I believe, a true "haunted" house is a thing of darkness and evil. I would not put myself in a place to be near them. Why ask for trouble?


It's a rainy morning and I'm off to get ready for work and then I hope I can get to Bible study tonight. (Tim's truck isn't quite done, but should be in the next day or so.) I may have to beg a ride with someone. Y'all have a blessed day!

It's a 2-fer Tuesday

Good morning! I'm off today (some might argue I'm a bit off every day) so there's plenty of time to blog. I thought I'd do my regular 10 On Tuesday and join in the new Tuesday 4 everyone is joining in on.

First the 10.

10 Things You Must See In My Town

1. Fred Rogers was born here and grew up here. We are the original neighborhood. You can check out the Fred Rogers Exhibit at St. Vincent College while you are here.

2. Saint Vincent College was founded in 1846 by Benedictine monks led by Boniface Wimmer, who became the first Archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey, now the largest Benedictine archabbey in the world.

3. The St. Vincent Gristmill is a leftover from the days the Archabbey was also a self-sufficient farm. Today it houses a gift and coffee shop.

4. Another native son the town is quite proud of is Arnold Palmer. He maintained a home and office here his whole life. You can visit the Latrobe Country Club where he learned to play golf.

5. The Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve was the dream of Arnie's wife to preserve the native scenery, plants, and animals. It was a response to the development taking place along Route 30. Today the 50 acre reserve showcases a native landscape with trails, meadows, gardens, wetlands, a pond, and more.

6. The Lincoln Highway Experience is a museum that showcases all that was great about the nation's first coast to coast highway. Pay a visit and see why people still choose to travel this scenic highway when interstates are nearby.

7. Latrobe is also the official birthplace of the banana split. It was created by Dr. David Strickler at Strickler's Pharmacy in 1904. Today you will find a banana split statue in the downtown area and each year the town hosts the Great American Banana Split Festival. You can enjoy an authentic banana split any time you visit at Valley Dairy.

8. The Pittsburgh Steelers hold their training camp on the campus of St. Vincent College each July-August. There are public scrimmages, fan fests, photo and autograph sessions, activities for the kids, and often a pre-season game against another NFL team that ends with a huge fireworks display. 

9. The Latrobe Art Center was founded by Nancy Rogers Crozier (the sister of Fred Rogers) and provides a place for students of all ages and abilities to learn and grow their talent. In addition to a cafe, the center offers classes and programs for all abilities, community events, local art on display and for sale, and workshops.

10. Four Seasons Brewing Company continues a proud Latrobe tradition of good beer, good food, and good fun. For most of the 20th century Latrobe was home to Rolling Rock Beer. Now there are several micro breweries with Four Seasons being the most popular. It's a relaxed place to hang out with friends, enjoy good food, sample the brews available, and listen to some great music.

I could keep going all day with things to see and do here or in the Laurel Highlands area. This is a great place to live! However, if I'd better get to the second part of the post before this grows to an epic length.

Thanks to Toni for hosting and creating the Tuesday 4 Meme. Today is my first time, as it seems to be with lots of others. 

1.   Pumpkin Carving or Apple Picking?  I'm going to have to go with apple picking. While I love all things autumn related and all things pumpkin flavored, I don't enjoy being up to my elbows in the slimey innards of a pumpkin.

2.   Yankee Candles or Roaring Fireplace?  I am a big fan of both, but if I can only have one, I'd take the fireplace....warmth and soft light.

3.   Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider?  Apple Cider if it is of the unpasturized variety. I like my cider to have a little zing to it that the pasturized stuff just doesn't seem to have.

4.   Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie?  Tough choice, but I guess I'd take the pumpkin...and a whole lot of whipped cream, please.