Likes & Dislikes

I shamelessly stole this idea from Billie Jo @ Afternoon Coffee and Evening Tea

Things I like...

...warm, chocolate-chip cookies...

...laughing until you can't breathe and your side hurts...

...being the first one to stick a knife in the new jar of peanut butter...

...the silence of an evening snowfall...

...a new purse...

...shopping on Amazon...

...walking on the beach at sunrise...

...fuzzy socks in the winter...

...flip-flops in the summer...

...garlic salt on my pizza...

...sugar on my tomatoes...

...that moment when children discover something new...

...bed sheets dried in the sunshine...

...sleeping with the fan blowing all year round.

And things I don't ...

...drivers who assume it is always them first...

...folding laundry...

...parking meters...

...being the first to arrive...

...the aches, pains, and other assorted bumps in the road as we age...

...being rejected by my adult child...

...how many friends I have who have been rejected by their adult child...

...being an introvert...

...sushi...

...any kind of nut...

...having my heart set on eating a particular leftover, only to find someone else has already eaten it...

...my cat's kleptomaniacal tendencies...

...tornado weather...

...and people who are so determined to be right about everything, they don't care how they make others feel.

My Favorite...

I find myself with time to post something this morning, but nothing in particular to post about so I'm borrowing this past week's Sunday Stealing meme. I don't usually participate these days because Sundays are just a very busy day for me with no time to get around and visit all the other players. 

The questions were simple and fun for this one, so here are my answers about favorite things.

Name your favorite:

Place:  That would probably be home. All of my favorite people, animals and things are here. Outside of home, my favorite place is Chincoteague Island, VA. I love the eastern shore and how it is still fairly natural and wild. 

Color:  I don't think I have a favorite right now. These days I seem to be drawn to different colors at different times and to colors that weren't preferences before. What's up with that? That said, most of the time I do at least tend to lean toward the whole pallet of autumn colors (reds, oranges, golds, browns, sage greens).

Smell:  Homemade bread or cookies baking, ripe Concord grapes, the air at the beach, sheets dried on the line, freshly sawn wood (my grandfather was a carpenter and that scent is embedded in my childhood).

Magazine:  Any decorating magazine like Country Sampler or Country Living.

Texture:  A soft, chenille sweater or a stone worn smooth by water.

Thing to do when bored:  You're looking at it! Honestly, I usually hop online to check out blogs or Facebook. I'll also grab a book and read and lately I'm sort of hooked on a coloring app on my phone...mindless and relaxing.

Precious stone:  Not a huge fan of gemstones. They are pretty enough, but I don't have any reason to dress up enough to wear them. I have to admit, though, that I love the look of some of the rings I have seen done with chocolate diamonds and rose gold. Rose gold confuses me. Other than white or black I'm never sure which colors it looks good with.

Animal:  Dogs. Always dogs. I suppose I should mention cats as a close second to be fair to Jasper.

Time in history:  I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but I've always been interested in the second half of the 19th century, with our expansion into the western territories and the industrial revolution. It's the period when we seemed to make the great leap forward to modern times.

Font:  Verdana and sometimes Comic Sans or Lucinda

Sound:  Ocean waves, a running stream, my grandchildren's laughter, Jasper's purr.

Fruit:  Mandarin oranges and pineapple

Vegetable:  Green beans, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts

Store/shop:  Any thrift shop

Quote:  Oh good grief, I hate these questions. How can I choose just one??

Historical figure:  I've always been fascinated by the larger than life image of Teddy Roosevelt.

Letter:  I don't think I've ever picked a favorite or even thought about it, but maybe subconsciously the letter "M" is a favorite since both of my children have names beginning with it.

Memory:  I'd say it's my memories of our wedding day. That was the last time all of my family was intact and together. Very shortly after that we lost my grandfather, then both of my aunts got divorced and I lost the uncles I'd been so close to growing up. 

Dessert:  Whatever. I'm not much of a dessert eater.

Candy:  Lindt chocolate truffles

Restaurant:  I love seafood and, unfortunately, around here that usually means Red Lobster or Joe's Crab Shack. Joe's is much better than Red Lobster, but it's not very convenient as it is an hour away in downtown Pittsburgh.

Language:  I always think Italian sounds so beautiful.

Thing to learn about:  History. Any history, but especially ancient history.

Thing about yourself:  My sense of humor or my heart for those in this world others often keep their distance from (those with dementia or developmental disabilities, the homeless, the mentally ill, etc.).

10 On Thanksgiving

 I saw this over at Rebecca Jo's this morning and thought it looked kind of fun so I stole borrowed it and here it is on my blog.

1. Will you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade? I hope so. It was a tradition in my family, but it's never really caught on with my kids or my husband. I will say that I wish they'd show more of the actual parade rather than just the musical acts in front of the store. Football? Probably not. I used to love football, but I haven't watched a single minute of it since all the shenanigans started up. Everyone says college football is better, but I just haven't gotten into it that much. Movies? That's a possibility. So is the dog show in New York. We end up watching that a lot of years.

2. Who does the cooking? If my mom and stepdad host it, Mom insists on cooking everything herself. If it's at our daughter's house, we'll split up the cooking with me doing most of it and everyone else bringing a side or snacks. Fix anything ahead of time? I never used to, but as I've gotten older I've found that doing the whole thing in one day isn't as easy as it used to be. Now I usually make as many of the side dishes ahead as I can so all we have to do is reheat them. Much less stressful!

3. What time do you eat the big meal? Usually around 1:00, that's a tradition that came from my dad. I've always preferred it that way, but lately...I'm wondering if it wouldn't be less stressful (I am all about less stress on the holidays) to eat later in the day.

4. Do you set a formal table or keep things more casual? When I hosted, I always set a formal table. I have tons of china so why not? My mom used to set a formal table, but if she hosts these days, it's up on the mountain at my stepdad's house and he doesn't have china so it's very casual. At our daughter's...well, she gets awfully flustered by everything and she'll put out the Pioneer Woman dishes and all, but forget the silverware and napkins. No biggie. Place cards? No, I've never used them. Children's table? Only if we don't all fit at the main table. 

5. Is the food placed on the table or served buffet style? Always on the table. It's impossible to get everyone to sit down to eat a meal together so when it does happen, I want to enjoy all of us actually sitting down together.

6. Ham or turkey? For Thanksgiving it's ALWAYS turkey. What's for dessert? Usually pumpkin pie, another kind of pie, maybe some cookies, and ice cream.

7. Does your family have a Thanksgiving tradition? We were laden with traditions when I was growing up, but most seem to have gone by the wayside due to the family being more spread out and the younger generation's disinterest in traditions. Our son and his family don't even come home for Thanksgiving. They've made staying at their home for it their tradition.

8. Yay or nay to leftovers? YAY! We all like leftovers. In fact, my hubby likes them so much that if we eat somewhere else I still have to roast a turkey here so he can have leftovers. Favorite leftover recipe? I don't really have one. We usually just reheat them in their original form, though I will throw together hot turkey sandwiches or make turkey noodle soup with the last of the bird. I'm also determined to make a recipe I've had pinned for a while now where you roll up turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, in a ball, deep fry it and dip it in gravy. Actually I have several variations pinned.

9. What will everyone wear? Whatever they want to wear. Dress up or comfy? I'd guess it's been over 20 years since we've gotten dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner. Well, except for the year we went out to a restaurant. My mom was probably the last holdout on dressing up, but even she goes for jeans now. 

10. For what are you most thankful for this year? Wow. That's a tough one. 2020 has been quite the year, hasn't it. Sort of the platinum edition of the Disaster of the Month Club. (Seriously...did you see the murder hornets are back in the news?) We have had a few unhappy things come out of the year, the worst being our son breaking off all contact with the family, but there are still many things for which I'm thankful...none of us has had Covid, none of the men were off work for more than a month, we got a swimming pool, I've had plenty of time to spend with Colton and Leah...but I think the thing I'm most thankful for is that all these months at home have given me ample time to spend reading the Word, praying, and learning to abide in God's love, abide is my word for the year. Because of all that time, my faith has grown tremendously and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Getting to Know Me & You

Good morning and a happy Friday to you! I do have to work today, but not until noon. I'm curious to see if anything else unfolds in the work drama today or if we are going to have to wait until next week.

Nothing of note happened yesterday. It was all new and fresh to me, of course, but everyone else had been dealing with it all week. It was just that yesterday was my first day at work this week...and my first since corporate swooped through and terminated around 30 people first thing Monday morning.

My observations of the day: Everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) is walking around looking like they've been drinking pickle juice. There really weren't any good moods to be found, just some forced, fake ones. There was a lot of gallows humor. There were a lot of rumors and speculation floating around. Employees are in bad moods because the future is uncertain and because in the present we are now under-staffed. The families of residents are in bad moods because we are under-staffed and while basic care is being given and needs are being met, programs are suffering, care takes longer, and some amenities (like snacks anyone actually likes) are no longer available. The home's administrator has turned in her resignation...if that doesn't show the writing on the wall, I don't know what does. Nurses continue to leave and everyone else is wondering if they should stay or go, if they should try to use up their vacation days, etc. Oh, and the union met with the corporation yesterday. Someone said they heard that usually means the next step is terminating union employees. 

Fun, fun, fun, but whatever. It's not the greatest work atmosphere at the moment, but I'm not really worried about the future. If my job remains, great! If I'm let go, I'll just figure God has closed a door and chapter in my life and trust that he'll open the next one when it's time.

Okay, enough of that mess. Let's do some getting to know me/you questions!

1. What was the best vacation you took and why?  It wasn't really a full-blown vacation, just a long weekend, but when Tim and I set off on a road trip with no plans in mind to celebrate my 50th birthday it ended up being the best time away. We just got in the car and headed east on Rt. 30. We stopped at anything that caught our interest. We didn't have any timetable to follow. No itinerary to keep to. The whole thing was spontaneous and therefore, very relaxed, which allowed us to be more in the moment and enjoy everything. The highlights of the trip were the Flight 93 memorial and Gettysburg.

Me in front of one of the giant trees in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

2. What's one thing that can instantly make your day better? There are two. The first is spending time with the Lord. If I'm in a funk nothing cures it faster than reading my Bible, praying, and worshipping. The second thing is my grandkids. Their love is good medicine!

3. What do you think about workaholics?  Well, I admire that they are such hard workers, that they take pride in a job well done, and in providing for their families, but.... I think they have made the mistake of getting their validation, worth, and purpose solely from their work. They sacrifice relationships with the very ones they say they are working for and just can't see it. I know what I'm talking about as I am married to a workaholic and I see time and time again how my husband has given his all to work and had nothing left to give at home. 

4. Have you ever been to a family reunion?  Yes. My maternal grandfather's family used to have reunions fairly regularly and they just started having a smaller version a few years ago. We went to the first one, but have been unable to attend since. 

My adopted dad's family had a HUGE reunion every August of my life until just a few years ago. It started in the early years of the 20th century and continued every year except for a couple of years during WWII. My aunt was the last one to keep it going and when she went into a nursing home no one else picked up the torch. Times had changed and the older cousins who had all grown up together were mostly gone and most of us younger cousins barely know each other and didn't have much interest in keeping it going. Kind of sad, but from the original 12 siblings we've grown to quite a lot of people who've never met over the course of 4-5 generations.

5. What's your most controversial opinion?  These days it's probably that I believe President Trump is doing a decent job in the White House. Is he perfect? Not by a long shot. He has done a lot of good stuff, though. We just never hear about it because the press is always busy pointing out his faults or what his detractors feel are his faults. If he didn't have to spend so much of his time fending off attacks I believe he could have done a lot more good.

I've got to run and get ready for work and get a few things done around here before I leave. Have a blessed and happy Friday!