Pardon Me Boy, Is That the Chattanooga Choo Choo?

Good morning! I'm so glad to be getting back to blogging by joining in with Sam and the gang for the Saturday 9 after an especially hectic week...and it's an especially sweet treat to find the Glenn Miller Orchestra featured this week. The GMO was my dad's favorite. I woke up nearly every Sunday of my childhood to the sounds of the band swelling through the house from the speakers of our big old console stereo. Thanks, Sam, for the trip down memory lane!

Here we go!

Saturday 9: Chattanooga Choo-Choo (1941)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1)  Chattanooga is Tennessee's fourth largest city. Have you ever visited Tennessee? If so, where did you go and what did you see?

Mostly I've just driven through on my way to somewhere else, but I did drive a van load of ladies from church down to Kay Arthur's campus in...Chattanooga!...a couple of years back. We went to learn how to teach her method of Bible study. It was a fun trip and while we didn't have much time for anything else, what I did see of the area was lovely. I hope to spend more time in Tennessee at some point. The Smoky Mountains are calling!

Since Glenn Miller's recording of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" was awarded the first-ever gold record, we're going to devote the next questions to your firsts.

2) What was the first award or accolade you ever won?

Maybe an award for best costume in whatever category in our local Halloween parade?  I think I was about 5 or 6 at the time.  I don't remember anything before that.

*Not me or any of my kids!*

3) We know about your blog. But which was the first social media site that you posted to? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, MySpace ...)

It was a blog, but that was back in 2001. Blogs were nothing like they are now. That first "blog" was one static page that I had to change and update. The first one that had multiple pages was still very plain and basic by today's standards. I can't even remember the company that hosted it....no Blogger or Wordpress back then. 

Other than the blog, my first other venture in social media was MySpace. Gosh, but that site was exciting back in the day! My account still exists over there. I visit it every once in a while out of curiosity. What a ghost town! There are tons of musicians and stuff and they send stuff to my account, but who are they hoping to reach? Does anyone in real life actually use MySpace these days?

  

4) Where did you go on your first plane ride?

My parents had friends who were pilots so it was a local fly-over kind of thing..."Oh look, there's our house!"  That sort of thing.

5) Tell us about your first cell phone.

It was a great little silver and blue flip phone from Sprint. I loved that phone! It made me think of the communicators from Star Trek.  It also had the most awesome collection of ringtones I've ever had....and they came free with the phone, no downloading needed!

6) Tell us about your first tattoo: Where is it on your body? Where did you have it done? What does it depict?

When my 45th birthday was approaching I mentioned to my husband that I was feeling that if I was ever going to get a tattoo I needed to get one or get over it. He responded by driving me to a local tattoo shop called Derma Graffiti. I was lucky that they had a young guy working there who had graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He was really nice, answered all my questions and didn't laugh at the idea of a middle-aged housewife getting her first tattoo.

I decided on an ocean/beach inspired drawing the young man designed for me. It reminds me of my happy place when I can't get away to actually be there. It's on my right ankle. Being that he was an actual artist he went all out and there are 17 colors in my little tattoo. Well, to make it simple, here it is:

7) How old were you when you had your first piercing? 

I got my ears pierced when I was 10, so I'm not against piercings, but this:

to me this goes beyond expressing yourself or enhancing your looks....unless what you're expressing is that you have some major issues. I know some will disagree, but at best I see this kind of extreme body alteration as a cry for attention or an addiction and at worst a manifestation of mental illness or evilness (why on earth would you make yourself look like a demon??? and there are plenty of pics of it...do a search).

8) What had you been drinking the first time you suffered a hangover?

Well, I'm sure it followed a night of drinking at a frat party my freshman year of college so that means it was either I.C. Light (the beer of choice at the time for all the frats because it was cheap) or the notorious garbage can punch made of red Kool-aid and grain alcohol (which incidentally holds claim to the first time I got sick from drinking).

9) Was your first ticket for parking or was it a moving violation?

Believe it or not, I've never gotten a ticket for anything.

Fierce Hearted - Live Fully, Love Bravely

Hi everyone! I was super excited when Revell Books offered Holley Gerth's new book as a choice for review this month and I'm even more excited to get to share it with you.

Holley is like an old friend, in that I've read several of her books and it's always so comfortable slipping into a new one. Holley has such an easy style of writing that is just like sitting down to chat with a friend you haven't seen in a while in some cozy spot with a lovely pot of tea between you (and cupcakes...you must have cupcakes!)

I love that no matter what the topic Holley is warm, funny, and real. She doesn't balk at sharing the messiness of her own life, just so you can know you are not alone. And that, is pretty much the point of Fierce Hearted. You are not the only one. I am not the only one. We're in this mess called life together and we're feeling and experiencing the same stuff.

It was easy to see myself in Holley's words. I don't know how many times I read a passage and thought, "Oh my gosh, I do that!" or "I feel just like that!" or "That is soooo me!" I fit the description of a woman who has allowed fear of what others might think to stop me from doing and experiencing so much in this life. Like a true friend, Holley doesn't just tell us we're doing it wrong, she tells us how to let go of our expectations and comparisons and fears, to turn our faces boldly to the wind and live fully, to partake of all God offers us. As a licensed counselor, her advice is spot on and shared from personal experience. She puts her heart out there with yours.

My heart was so touched by Fierce Hearted and I am still pondering many of the points. I am also excited to pass my copy on to someone I know who is nearly paralyzed by fear because I hope Holley's loving advice and wisdom will help set her free.

This is such an excellent book and I recommend it for all women. We can all stand to live a little (or a lot) more fully!

Sunday Stealing: Conversation Starters

This from Bev:

We can all use some help sometimes with conversation starters, so I found this at a conversation starters site.  There are 100 of them, but I'm only using a few!  (I'll save the rest to ask sometimes in the future!)

Sorry I didn't play last week; I was out of town!


If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?  Would I have more energy?  If not, probably more of what I do now in the late evening hours...read, watch TV, answer quiz questions...

What’s your favorite piece of clothing you own / owned?  I think it just changed today to a lovely, wine-colored sweater I just purchased. It has a keyhole neckline, bell sleeves, and is so scrumptiously soft to the touch I just couldn't resist it.

What hobby would you get into if time and money weren’t an issue?  Buying and selling antiques and collecting rare books.

What would your perfect room look like?  Casual, comfortable furniture, earthy colors, lots of book shelves, lots of wood, fireplace, thick rugs...a layered, accumulated-over-time, eclectic feel.

How often do you play sports?  When I was young I could have said daily, but at this point I don't think I've played any sport since my 30s.

What fictional place would you most like to go?  I can't think of anywhere...I've never really gotten into fantasy or sci-fi books or movies.

What job would you be terrible at?  Waitressing. I'm too klutzy and people get really cranky about their food. I probably would get a little cranky back at them.

When was the last time you climbed a tree?  No time in recent memory. I'm sure it's something last done as a child.

If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning medal for?  Procrastination.  I am a pro at wasting time and putting things off.

What skill would you like to master?  Organization.  I need a lot of help on this. Cabinets and closets are a mess in this house and there is no such thing as a filing system for important stuff.

What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?  I would love to see Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Iran, Iraq....all of the Middle East, really.  I love history and to see the oldest traces of civilization would be incredible.  Too bad our violent world makes that very unlikely to ever happen.

If you had unlimited funds to build a house that you would live in for the rest of your life, what would the finished house be like?  Large with big rooms, big multi-paned windows, a great porch...it would definitely be Craftsman style and it would overlook some kind of water and have lots of trees around it.

What state or country do you never want to go back to?  I can't think of any state I'd refuse to visit again and the only country I've been to other than ours is Canada and they haven't managed to turn me off, either.

What songs have you completely memorized?  Where to start? I can sing along with a lot of songs (not that you'd want to be around for that).  My favorite sing-along song of all-time is Billy Joel's Piano Man and yes, I know all the words.

What do you consider to be your best find?  My husband, of course.

Are you usually early or late?  I used to always be absurdly early for everything thanks to my parents who were also early birds.  After 33 years with my terminally late husband, I've become one who also tends to run a few minutes late for nearly everything...or at least push it to the last second of on timeness.

What pets did you have while you were growing up? Dogs, fish, chickens, and a turtle.

When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with?  Often it's religious questions, but I get quite a few pertaining to grammar, spelling, and writing. What they never ask about is math. Smart people.

What takes up too much of your time? Oh....weekly memes (sorry, it's true) and Facebook.

What do you wish you knew more about? Just about everything (except math). I love learning and believe it should be a life-long pursuit.

What would be your first question after waking up from being cryogenically frozen for 100 years?  I'd want to know where my family was...what had happened with them while I was frozen.

Be sure to visit the Sunday Stealing site

for links to all the players' blogs

and rules for how you can join in the fun.

Turn Me Loose

Saturday 9: Turn Me Loose (1959)

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

1) In this song, Fabian sings he has change in his pocket. Every evening, Sam puts her change in the piggy bank on her kitchen counter. Do you do anything special with your coins? Or do they just jingle/jangle in your wallet or pocket until you spend them?  

I have a cup in the console of my car that I toss coins and ones into so I have money for parking meters and tolls. Otherwise my change jar in the house doesn't fill up like it used to. We hardly ever carry cash...using the debit cards for everything. 

2) Fabian got his start because his neighbor in Philadelphia owned a record label and thought 14-year-old Fabian had the looks to be a teen idol. Tell us about a time recently when you were in the right place at the right time.

I really can't think of a recent example.

3) His record label paid Fabian $30 week to study singing after school. What jobs/chores did you have when you were in high school? Did they prepare you for your eventual career?

I babysat for my dad's boss. The only thing that prepared me for was lecherous, disgusting older men.  I also worked one summer for the Youth Conservation Corps as part of a crew of teens in the Pocono Mountains. We did things like clear hiking trails, muck out overgrown ponds, build "steps" in trout streams, pick up garbage along roads, etc. I loved it, but it didn't help with my future job or career. It could have...I wanted to study land and wildlife management, but none of the schools offering programs were local and Dad vetoed them.

4) In 1959 he appeared on the cover of now-defunct magazines like Teen Screen and Dig. Who and what did you read about when you were a teenager?

I remember reading Tiger Beat and Teen Beat magazines. Who did I read about? Andy Gibb, The Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garret...5) In the 1960s he moved from singing to acting. In 1965 he appeared in Ten Little Indians, a screen adaptation of an Agatha Christie mystery. Have you ever read an Agatha Christie book? 

I've tried and just couldn't get into it. That was quite a while ago, though. Maybe it would be different if I tried again now.

6) In 1973, in an attempt to jumpstart his career, he appeared nude in Playgirlmagazine. By the time it hit the newsstands, he regretted it.  Tell us about a time you were very embarrassed.

When my husband and I were dating there was this one Sunday we were cleaning his swimming pool and found we needed some chemical or another so a quick run to the pool supply store was in order.  I was in my swimsuit so I just threw a pair of those vintage 80's style nylon running shorts and a cropped sweatshirt over top and a pair of scruffy Nikes.  No make-up.  Frizzy hair.  And that's the day he decided would be the perfect time to stop by the ritzy home of his snooty aunt and uncle and introduce me to them.  I could have killed him.

7) In 1959, when this song was popular, most women wore nylons on a daily basis and the average price per pair was $1. What socks or leg wear -- if any -- do you have on right now?

None. I loathe nylons and avoid them at all cost. I didn't even wear them at my daughter's wedding a few weeks ago. I dressed up, but no nylons. Mostly I avoid socks and shoes beyond slip ons or sandals until it's so cold I have to wear them.

8) 1959 also saw the premiere of The Twilight Zone on CBS. 58 years later, you can still see the show in reruns. Are you a fan?

I used to be. I might still watch now and then if it were on around here, but I haven't seen it listed in years.

  
9) Random Question: While we're talking about TV ... Sam finds it disturbing that her brother claims he's seen every episode of Bad Blood, a show devoted to family members who have murdered their relatives. Do you enjoy "true crime" reality shows?

I don't know that I enjoy them, but my husband sure does so they're on a good bit around here. I don't mind a couple here and there and do find them interesting, but when he's had them on all day (a Sunday habit if he's home) I find myself begging to please, watch something else. They are so depressing and several hours of them get to me.

Stop by and give a Sam a hand for being our

Saturday 9 hostess every week and

find links to the other players.

Down on the Farm with the Hodgepodge

1.  Have you ever spent time on a farm? Yes. Tell us a little bit about it.  Well, it probably wasn't what you're thinking of as a farm. My dad worked for the Pennsylvania Game Commission as the assistant manager of a pheasant farm. The Game Commission used to have farms to raise pheasants, ducks, grouse, and a few others in order to stock state game lands for hunting. I think there are only a couple left due to budget cuts. Have you ever grown your own pumpkin?  Sure have.  Been on a hayride?  Several.  Driven a tractor?  Just our little John Deere.  Milked a cow?  Not that I remember.

2. What's something younger you would like about you now?  Younger me was a much different person than I am now. I don't know that she'd be all that impressed with how we turned out. She'd probably like the tattoo, though.

3. What are three things you'd like to do more often?  Go to the beach, see my son and his family, and go to auctions and flea markets. Three things you'd like to do less often?  Laundry, clean the house, pay bills.

4. What's on your nachos?  Cheese, beef, maybe some diced tomatoes and peppers. No olives, hot chilies, or beans, please.

5. What's the most random thing in your purse or wallet? A highlighter. Does it need to stay there?  Yeah, you never know when you might want to highlight something you're reading. (Sorry...I don't really have much junk in my purse.)

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  
Tell the people you love that you do. Often. Better yet, show them.  
Seize the day.  Seriously, use all the gifts, talents and opportunities God gives you.  Don't talk yourself out of it or let fear stop you.  You never know when it could all go away.  

This was all driven home this week because of Las Vegas and because a senior at the high school I drive for was killed in an accident on his way to school yesterday. It was his 17th birthday and he was less than two miles from home, driving too fast, when he either hit a deer and lost control or swerved around one that had already been hit and lost control.  

Tomorrow is not promised so make the most of today.

Be sure to visit our hostess, Joyce @

From This Side of the Pond

to find links to all the other participants.

Sunday Stealing: Creepy Crawlies

Bev says:

Here are some questions about bugs and other things you might find interesting.  It's another of those memes I stole many years ago without copying down the location of the place where I stole it!


1. You are walking down the road and you look down. There is a bug. Do you step on it?  Probably not. Unless it is a poisonous bug or a biting bug...and then only if it's not so big it's going to make a crunchy mess.

2. What is one fantasy that you want to come true more than any other?  I'd really like to win a big Powerball jackpot. I'd give to my church and my favorite causes, gift my kids with some, put some in trust funds for the grandkids, and pay all our bills off, add on to our house (or maybe just buy a new one), and invest the rest so we'd have no worries in our later years.

3. Someone knocks on your door. Do you look out the window to see who it is before you open it? Do you open it regardless of who it is? Yes, I would absolutely look to see who it is before I open it and no, I wouldn't open it unless it was someone I knew or felt certain was someone safe. (Who on earth would do that in this day and age??) If in doubt I'd leave it closed and make sure my gun was handy.  (I say that because we've had someone try to break in and my car has been broken into twice while sitting in the driveway. Unfortunately, our area is in the grip of the heroin epidemic with cocaine making a strong comeback and just before dawn the addicts seem to become very active and that's the time a lot of break-ins occur.)

4. Have you ever eaten Play Doh?  No.

5. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon as a child and why? It was a toss up between Scooby-Doo and Bugs Bunny. Bugs and the Warner Bros. gang was funny and Scooby....well, I've just always loved mysteries and the mildly spooky.

6. Are you a “people watcher”?  Not really. Only if there's nothing else to do.

7. I have a bowl of fruit. There are apples, oranges & pears. You help yourself to one - which one do you choose?  I like them all, but I'd probably pick the apple.

8. What is your biggest pet peeve in the blogging world? No response to comments.

9. What is one religion that you could just never see yourself joining? I am a follower of Jesus. I believe that religions and all their regulations, rules, and expectations are man-made. I simply have a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit....which I guess means I couldn't ever identify myself with any not following the God of the bible.

10. What word do you use far too often? "Just" I have a habit of using it like others use "like." I'm trying to break free of it.

11. How long do you spend in the shower? I've never timed it, but I'd say 15 minutes at the most.

12. If you were to write a personal ad about yourself, what would it say?  I have no idea. I hate being asked to describe myself.  I can't even picture myself meeting men through an ad....too afraid of who and what is out there these days.

13. Your favorite flavor of soup is….?  I love a good old-fashioned ham and bean soup served over thick slices of homemade bread. Other favorites are stuffed pepper soup, homemade chicken noodle, and anything with cabbage. You know, I think I'm going to have to make a pot of soup today.

14. You are sitting on a bench in the park and a bug walks in front of your feet…. do you squash him?  (I am assuming this is a different bug from question #1)  Yes, I do. This is bug #2. More than one bug qualifies as an infestation and it needs to be stopped!

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting. If you'd like to play along or want to see how other bloggers answered please visit Bev at the Sunday Stealing site for the rules and links to other blogs.

Saturday 9: Little Woman (1969)

Saturday 9: Little Woman (1969)

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

1) This song contains many weather references (clouds, rainbows, sunshine, rain). How's the sky where you are today?  It was clear and sunny all day until this evening when black clouds rolled in and we got some much needed rain.

2) Bobby Sherman sings that when he's alone, he imagines his "Little Woman" is right there beside him. Do you often daydream?  I do some daydreaming, but I don't know about "often." I'm an introvert by nature so I spend a good bit of time in my own head, just not necessarily dreaming or fantasizing. 

3) Bobby had a very bright smile. Do you ever use whiteners on your teeth? Not any more. All the diet Coke has done a number on the enamel so I use toothpaste that's supposed to restore and strengthen it. Whiteners are actually hard on enamel.

4) He was beloved for his shiny hair. If we were to peek in your bathroom, how many haircare products would we find? Lots and lots. It takes all kinds of stuff to tame curly hair.

5) After high school, Bobby attended Pierce, a community college in the west San Fernando Valley. For culinary students, Pierce offers courses in canning --specifically apples and peaches. If we were to peek into your pantry, would we find canned fruits? Yes, but none that I've canned...though I have canned in the past. Mostly, you will find pineapple and Mandarin oranges.

6) As an actor, one of Bobby's earliest performances was on the TV show Honey West. That series revolved around a female "private eye" adept at martial arts. Do you have any self-defense moves (that don't involve a weapon)? A well placed knee to the family jewels or fingers in the eyes.

7) In 1966, Bobby did this rather energetic commercial for milk. Do you often enjoy a glass of milk?  No. I hate milk...unless it's flavored. I do like almond milk, but again, only the chocolate or vanilla.

8) When his show business career waned, he became a paramedic. Have you ever called 911?  Twice that I can remember. The first to report a wreck near my house and the second when my daughter was 3 and had a couple of seizures due to a fever.

9) Random Question: Which book do you think you could learn more from --The Joy of Sex or The Joy of Cooking? At this point in life? Probably The Joy of Cooking.

Please be sure to stop by the Saturday 9 site to find links to other players and for the complete(ly non-existent) rules if you'd like to play along.

Here Comes the Hodgepodge!

My answers to the Wednesday Hodgepodge are going to press a bit late, thanks to an early dismissal in the school district I work for. I didn't have time to get to it this morning, but it is nice to get home by 3:30 P.M....you know, like normal people do!

Anyway, on with the Hodgepodge...and please, don't forget to stop over to visit our hostess, Joyce, at From This Side of the Pond.

1. What pets did you have while growing up? Tell us a little something about them.

We had a tri-colored (black, white, and tan) Collie named Prince. Then there was Nikki, a black miniature Poodle we got from a family with 3 young children who terrorized her. She did not like kids. Not even a little. Not even me, until I grew up and went off to college...then she tolerated me when I came home. We had a chocolate Poodle named Hershey for a while, but as a male who refused to quit marking his territory, Mom said he had to go when we got new carpet. Other than those, I had turtles, fish, and while they weren't technically my pets, when we lived in the wildlife preserve my best buddies were some of the tame research deer and a ferret named Jellyroll.

2. What is one thing you absolutely must accomplish today?

I've already done the one thing I had to do today and that was zip up to my stepdad's farm and pick up the last of the wedding stuff and say goodbye to my aunt who was flying back to Florida today.

3. Where were you ten years ago? What were you doing there?

Right here. Same house. Same job. Our daughter hadn't graduated from high school yet. Our son had quit college and was living with our future daughter-in-law. We didn't have any grandchildren yet.

4. September 26th is National Dumpling Day. Did you celebrate? Apple dumpling, xiao long bao (steamed Chinese dumpling), chicken and dumplings, pirogi, matzoh balls, or gnocchi...which dumpling on this list would be your dumpling of choice? 

No, I didn't celebrate. I didn't even know it was a thing. Of those choices, pierogies are my favorite kind of dumpling...not that I've ever thought of them as dumplings before. I live not too far from Pittsburgh and aside from the Irish, the other big heritage around here is Polish/Hungarian. Pierogies are a common meal or side dish. They're very versatile.

Have you ever made homemade dumplings of any kind?

No. I'm a slacker in that department. My mom has made them, but I've never even tried.

5. 'There are two kinds of adventurers: those who go truly hoping to find an adventure and those who go secretly hoping they don't.' William Trogdon

So which kind are you?

Bring on the adventure! I love seeing and trying new things. The same old, same old gets to me after a while. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Our daughter's wedding turned out beautifully! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Well, a bit cooler would have been nice since I ended up with a moderate case of heat exhaustion.

The best compliment I received was from one of our nieces who used to work as a wedding planner for a large luxury hotel. And that compliment was, "Omg, everything is perfect!!"

And it was from the setting (both for the wedding and the reception)...

The "altar" was an arch made by my husband from antique doors
and a small wooden table, painted to match. Straw bales
formed the "pews" with sunflower printed cloths and
pots of mums in bronze and white.

The tables were clothed in ivory linen, navy napkins,
and burlap runners. Center pieces were log slices
with decorated mason jar vases, small
pumpkins and votive candles.

...to the last moments with a daughter before she became a wife...

Sharing a moment and a bit of advice.

A last moment for Mom and Dad before the ceremony.

...to the ceremony...

The lovely Matron of Honor...and also our niece-in-law.

Our beautiful granddaughter pulling our grandson.
The sign on the wagon announces to Daddy
that Mommy is on the way! Behind them, two
sweet grandnieces are the flower girls.

This sweet girl charmed everyone.

Here comes the bride!

The unity sand ceremony, symbolizing that
two shall become one.

Watching with pride and delight between my husband and my son.

Mr. & Mrs....sealed with a kiss.

...to the amazing, yummy goodies...

Here in southwest PA the cookie table is a tradition.
My 73 year old mother made ALL of the cookies herself!

The custom cupcake display by a very talented neighborhood lady.
We are very sad that she's retiring at the end of the year.
Our little grandson's 1st birthday will be her last event.

...to all the fun and memories made at the reception...

First dance as husband and wife.

A special dance between the bride and her son.
Part way through she invited all the mothers and
their children to join her on the dance floor.

Pappy and our oldest grandson bustin' a move surrounded by cousins.

The bridal party at the head table. My husband built the wall
of pallets behind them. He also built the bar for the event from
pallets. Our son thinks he should take it up as a side job or
a retirement plan!

A quiet moment with Mommy.

Dancing with my son during the mothers' dance.

Dancing with my mom during the mothers' dance.

A sweet moment between big brother and little sister.

Mom and Dad are the last to dance the bridal dance and kiss her
goodbye as the groom tries to break into the circle to claim
his bride. He's a skinny thing so the first time his friends
picked him up and ran across the field with him!

Daddy dancing with his baby girl.

The bride and grandma.

The next generation of cousins! And would you
believe 5 of them are missing?

...to the start of a happy life together.