Odds & Ends

Linking up with the Tuesday 4.

Here we go discussing some personal thoughts this week....

1. Do you have a favorite gem stone? Why is it a favorite.  Well, I can tell you it's NOT my birthstone, the washed out green Peridot, though I own a few pieces set with it. If I want green I prefer Emeralds. I used to like Sapphires and my husband bought me a beautiful gold, sapphire, and diamond ring, which I lost the sapphire out of and decided maybe it was not the stone for me. These days I don't really own too many fancy jewels because I just don't go enough places to wear them and in my daily life I'm hard on my hands. I am attracted to diamonds (all colors) and blue tanzanite matched up with emeralds. I love the blue/green combo.

2. Do you know and understand the doctrines of your religious faith? If you are not religious, do you have a personal doctrine you believe and live? If this question is too personal.. tell us about your pet or favorite pastime.  Yes, I do. I don't particularly consider myself to be anything other than a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. I did, however, recently become a member of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church and to do so I went through a class to learn about their doctrine (which aligns with mine), had an interview with the elders, shared my faith story, and agreed to be held accountable by the elders and pastor.

Anyway, I believe Jesus is the Son of God, born by a virgin birth to a human mother, became the final atoning sacrifice for the world's sin with His death on the cross, defeated death when He rose from the dead on the third day, and is coming back to claim His kingdom one day. I believe God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that when we are born again the Holy Spirit indwells us and is our guide and helper in this life. I believe that those who are born-again will live eternally with the Lord following their earthly death. I believe the Holy Bible is the divinely inspired, infallible, and living Word of God and that it is always relevant.

I believe the greatest commandments of my faith are to love God and love my neighbor and to share what the Lord has done for me. It is NOT my job to judge or condemn anyone. I am to reflect God's love in this world. No one is going to want to know my Savior, who has done so much for me, if I am judging them and telling them they are going to hell. I believe the way to go is to follow Jesus's example and show love and compassion. When people see that love in me and the peace I have in the Lord...they ask questions. They want to know why I am different, how I can be that way. It opens a door to talk about deeper things.

3. Do you have a favorite décor style... as in classical, traditional, modern, mid century, colonial, etc? What do you like about it?  Oh heavens...I like so many styles. The clean, simple lines of the current farmhouse trend appeal to me, but I also like rustic, country, mid-century modern, cottage, and traditional. Basically, I'm ecclectic. I have things that were given to me, family heirlooms, things bought new, and things bought through auctions, flea markets, estate sales, thrift shops, etc. My basic rule is if I really love something I will buy it and find a way to fit it in when I get it home. I really like this space...

4. Are  there any books or movies you want to see this summer?  I don't have any idea what's coming out this summer. I do want to see the new Mark Wahlberg movie, Uncharted, that's out now.

Tuesday 4: Christmas

Welcome to the Christmas edition of the Tuesday 4. Thanks goes out to Anne for coming up with the questions and keeping it going in honor of Toni Taddeo.

1. Is your tree up? Yes, it is. How tall... what color lights? It is 6.5 feet with white lights. Is there a color scheme you use? There are no ornaments on the tree this year because of the new kitty, but normally the tree is done in a red and white woodland theme.

2.  Got a menu for Christmas Eve and Day? Nothing for Christmas Eve as I believe we are going to go out. I'm firming up the Christmas Day menu...not that it changes too much from year to year. There are certain things that are expected and/or demanded. So far, it looks like we will be having a double smoked ham, au gratin potatoes, corn spoonbread, roasted green beans and mushrooms in a basalmic vinaigrette, deviled eggs, rolls, and whatever other little yummies I decide on or others bring.

3. When does it go up and how long does it stay up? Most years the tree goes up Thanksgiving weekend, but it was a week or two late this year for several reasons.

4. What is your favorite Christmas memory. I don't think I have any one in particular. My favorites were those when I was growing up and both sides of the family came to our house, filling it to the brim and having those huge, fun-filled meals and afternoons of games and laughter. A close second were the years when my children were young and before my dad passed away. He loved those kids so much and got so excited about the holidays. He really was the driving force behind our family traditions and many of them faded away after he was gone. When do you open your gifts? It's always been Christmas Day except for a couple of years when our son and his family could only come on Christmas Eve and then again when I worked at the nursing home and we had to postpone our celebrations to weekends when I wasn't working.

Tuesday 4: Reading & Watching

Linking up with the Tuesday 4 on this cold Pearl Harbor Day.

1. Is there a hero or character on TV, in a book or a movie .. or even on all three, that you are especially like? What do you find attractive about them?  I can think of two characters right off the bat that I sort of identify with. The first is Jo March from Little Women. Jo is a book nerd with a big heart and more than a little social awkwardness. She ends up finding happiness when she learns to live to the beat of her own drum rather than the "norm." I might be more than a little bit like her. The second character I like is Stephanie Plum from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie tries to do the right thing, be good to people, and it often blows up in her face...yet she manages to retain a sense of humor and keeps taking a chance of people. It took me a "few" years to get there, but I hope I have that same spirit. (It doesn't hurt that she gets Ranger as a love interest!)

2.  Was there a book that was better in movie form? How about a movie you thought didn't live up to the book?  Let me start by saying I don't like horror, but for some reason I did read Stephen King's Misery. It was such an intense read and so much of it happened in the minds of the characters. The movie was a huge hit and Kathy Bates won best actress for her role in it, but I found it hugely disappointing. The action scenes were true to the book, but there was no way to depict all that mental stuff and without that the story lacked so much. A book that was better as a movie? I'm going to say A Walk to Remember. Both the book and movie were very good, but seeing it brought to life added a little something extra.

3. When you choose a book, program or movie which subject it is most likely to be: science fiction, mystery, romance, comedy, documentary, etc.? What draws you to a particular book or movie?  A lot depends on my current mood, but in general, I will choose a mystery or adventure type (Indiana Jones, National Treasure, etc.) type book or movie most of the time. One of my favorite book series is James Rollins' Sigma Force. The first book was to have been made into a movie a few years ago, but something fell through. I was so disappointed. When it comes to books the cover art and the description on the cover are what pull me in.

4. How important is the title or picture on the cover of a book?   How much importance do you place on a movie because of the actors who are in it?  Oops! I sort of answered the question about book covers. A good cover can make the difference in whether I pick up a book or not if I haven't already read a description or other books by the author. When it comes to movies, I have a few actors/actresses that I always enjoy watching, but I can't say I choose to watch a movie just because they are in it. Actors often choose really strange movies to make.

Tuesday 4: Kitchen Dreams

Welcome to Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo!

This week's questions were provided by Pamela Steiner who has the Closed Doors Open Windows blog.

1.  They say the kitchen is the heart of the home...tell us about YOUR kitchen. What is your favorite part of your kitchen?  The first thing that comes to mind is "overflowing." I've inherited my family's gene for collecting and saving too much stuff. None of it is junk and I do use a lot of what I have, but I really do not have enough room and storage space. It doesn't help that my hubby, love him but this is true, is a total slob when it comes to keeping the house looking neat. It's like living with Oscar Madison. Other than that I can tell you the walls are pumpkin spice orange, the cabinets are sage green, the counters are formica that look like a medium brown granite. On one wall I have my great-grandmother's china cabinet and bookshelves that hold my cookbooks. We did away with the table a few years ago since it is just Tim and I the majority of the time and got an island with seating space.

 
2.  If money were no object, what would be your "dream kitchen"?  I'm loving everything I see in this photo.

 
3.  Tell us about a favorite memory from your kitchen, or from a kitchen in your past, perhaps your mother's kitchen or your grandma's kitchen?  All my favorite kitchen memories are probably of my grandmother's kitchen. That's the one we would all gather in to help prepare and then clean up after holiday meals. It really wasn't anything fancy at all...just an old country kitchen. It was having all the family together that was special.
 
4.  If you could invite anyone in the world (either past or present) to come visit with you in your kitchen, who would it be, and why?  My grandmother and my aunt. They are the two women who probably meant the most to me and had the biggest impact on who I am today.

Tuesday 4: YOU

It's time again for Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo, our founder.

Thank you, Anne, for keeping it going.

Let's talk about you this week.

1. How are you unique or different from your friends or family? How typical are you?  I'm different from most of my family in that I don't just pay lip service to my faith. Every aspect of my life is influenced by it. I don't know how to be a Sunday morning pew warmer who goes back to "real" life and acts the same on Monday. I am also a thinker and a bit of a daydreamer and I love to have deep, philosophical discussions. My family doesn't care for any of that. I've also figured out that I am pretty much the only person in the family who forgives and moves on. The rest can be grudge holders who can't let go and rehash wrongs done to them over and over. When it comes to friends, I'm not that unique. They are a lot like me and I like them.

2.  How do you spend your spare time? books, hobbies, visiting, tv etc.  Mostly I read books, play computer games, waste time on social media, study the Bible, and go thrifting.

3. What was high school like for you?  Eh. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great, either.  I played basketball and softball, wrote for the school paper, and was in advanced academic classes. I wouldn't want to go back and do it again.

4. This question has multiple parts:

a. Handbag: designer style or any will do?  It doesn't have to be a designer bag, but I am really picky about what a purse looks like and how it functions. I look at so many trying to find just the right one. Function outweighs looks more and more the older I get.

b. Pajamas or night gown?  PJ's, thank you. I hate sleeping in a nightgown and the feeling of being all tangled up in it. (I'm a restless sleeper.)

c. Shoes: sturdy or pretty?  I would prefer pretty, but my feet say sturdy with lots of support for my flat feet.

d.home decor: classic, modern, farm house style, traditional?  Eclectic. I just buy what I like and make it work.

e. Movies: feel good, drama, romance, action?  I would probably choose a good romantic comedy over everything else, but I do like straight comedies (if they don't appear to have been written by 14-year-old boys...you know the kind of humor I'm talking about) and action/adventure movies. I kind of have to be in the mood for heavier dramas.

Tuesday 4: Let's Get Cooking !

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 kept in memory of her.

Let's talk about food this week shall we?

1.What is/are your favorite meal(meals) to eat and to cook?  If I'm the one who has to do the cooking, I vote for easy recipes made in one pan, on one sheetpan, or in the slow cooker. Casserole type stuff. Comfort food. Roasts, stuffed peppers, chicken...I even did a shrimp boil in the slow cooker a couple of weeks ago! Talk about easy. That said, I do like to try new recipes and do that once every week or two.

2.How often do you cook at home and what kind of  meals do you make? We had gotten into a very bad habit of getting take-out when I was working full-time. I've been trying to be much better about it. I'm shooting for 5-6 nights a week. Some weeks it happens, some it doesn't. As for what kind of meals do it make, see #1. 

3. When you go out to eat what foods do you find yourself ordering most?  I'm all over the place...seafood, Italian, Chinese, Mexican.

4. Can you recommend a restaurant in your area?  Why do you like it?  Of those closest to home, I'd probably recommend Don Patron's Mexican Restaurante. The food is excellent, the ambiance is cute and fun, the staff is really nice and they do a great job, and they have killer Margaritas!

Thanks Anne for keeping up the tradition & giving us the questions!

Click here to join in the fun or find other bloggers playing.

Tuesday 4: Future Ahead

This week we have some questions from Pamela Steiner once again.

I hope you enjoy them.

1.  Let's pretend that it is 50 years into the future, and explorers have just discovered your house, "frozen in time" exactly as it is today. Everything is preserved, even the food, but of course no one has lived there for fifty years.  What do you think would be their first reaction as they walk in the door of your house?  "Wow, there is a lot of stuff in here!" Or possibly..."Orange? Who in the world paints their living room walls orange??"
 
2.  What would the things left in your house tell the explorers about you?  That we loved God, family, and our country. No doubt about that!
 
3.  What kinds of books would they discover on your bookshelves or beside your chair/bed?  Lots of Christian books, lots of Bibles, lots of Bible studies, lots of biographies, quite a few reference books, complete collections of my favorite authors (Janet Evanovich, James Rollins, Craig Johnson, and William Kent Krueger), plus stacks of a wide variety of books picked up at used book sales, thrift stores, and yard sales.
 
4.  What things would they discover in your closets or cabinets that would make them wonder why on earth you were saving it?  I don't think I have anything in my closets that falls into that category. Storage space is valuable real estate in this house so I'm pretty selective. If it doesn't have major sentimental value or actually get used, I will get rid of it on one of my annual purges. My mom would be horrified, but I even donated my high school letter jacket after she kept it for 30 years or so before giving it to me. 

Thanks  Pam for more great questions!

Tuesday 4: Books...TV...Movies!

Hello, friends! I'm sorry to be so absent lately. 

Now that the new fiscal year has begun I am finally getting clients at the new job. It will iron out eventually, but it's a bit of a confusing mess right now as I learn the ropes and figure it all out. There will be days when I don't see anyone, days when I only work a couple of hours, and days like yesterday when I work from 9-5. Plus, after more than a year of being a pandemic slug I have to get myself back in the groove of working and taking care of things at home...and there are those precious grandbabies I've gotten so close to during the time off. I can't put them off.

I do love what I am doing. The clients are so sweet and it's good to be doing something that helps others again.

So, on to the Tuesday 4.

Books.. TV.. Movies are the topic of the week.

1 A movie theme song will play every time you walk in the room.. what is it? (consider asking family or friends)  I'm pretty sure they would all say it would be this one.

2. What movie, book or TV program could you live in?  I used to think I'd like to live with the Marsh sisters in Little Women. Now I think it might be nice to live in Dirty Dancing. Oh, not as Baby in all her teenage angst, but just back in simpler times and at that lovely resort.

3. Is there a book/movie/TV quote you often think about or that effects you in some way?  Not that I can think of other than Bible verses.

4. OK friend, its your turn to organize our Blogger Movie Night where we get together as a group for snacks and movies!  What movies have you planned for us tonight and what snacks are we going to have?  It would be a marathon of my favorite romantic comedies...Dirty Dancing, of course, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Life in Ruins, Under the Tuscan Sun, While You Were Sleeping. Snacks would include popcorn (a must for movie watching), chocolate, some sort of baked treat, and wine (other options for the non-drinking).

Tuesday 4: Blogging

Welcome to the Tuesday 4! This week the questions were supplied by Pamela Steiner... Here we go, let's talk about Blogging!

1.  Tell us about your blog.  When did you start blogging?  Well, this isn't my first rodeo blog. I've actually lost count of how many reincarnations there have been. I started blogging back in 2001 when a blog was pretty much one static page. (I used to joke that blogging back then was done by drawing on the cave walls with charcoal.) That first one was created to share ministry ideas with other youth leaders and pastors. Then there was one to keep the youth group up to date on happenings. From there, I jumped to personal blogs. 

I've never kept one for more than a few years, this one may turn out to be the exception. I always seem to get the urge to change everything when I enter a new phase in life. Some of them have been wildly popular. Some not as much.

The one thing that has stayed consistent through all of it, is the wonderful people I've met. People used to think you were crazy when you talked about having friends you'd never met, but it turned out we bloggers aren't so crazy after all. I've stayed in contact with a few people since the beginning and I'm always looking forward to "meeting" new friends. We have a great, supportive community here!
 
2.  What prompted you to begin blogging?  A friend in youth ministry told me about it and said I "had to try it." He was sure that I would love it since I enjoy writing. He was correct. He may have created a bit of a monster! Ha! I have been at it for 20 years (holy cow, can that be right???) and he lasted about a minute.
 
3.  What was your first blog about and why did you choose that subject/title?  I remember it was named K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid). I don't remember my thinking behind that, though. As I mentioned above, it was about youth ministry.  Other blog titles over the years include: One Foot On a Banana Peel, From the Porch Swing, Paint Splotches, and I Carried a Watermelon. There were several more, but those stand out in my memory.
 
4.  How has your blog changed over time, and has it done for you what you hoped it would do in the first place?  After that first blog, which was sort of professional in nature, every blog has been different and has reflected the period in life that I was in. I would say they did what I hoped they would do, which was give me a voice and connect me with others. I used to write a lot more original content than I do now. (Do I even do that now? Not very much, that's for sure.) The biggest change is that while I keep at it, it isn't the passion that it once was.

Tuesday 4: Just Some Questions

Welcome to Tuesday 4 in honor of Toni Taddeo...

1. Do you have a favorite movie to recommend?  Everybody knows Dirty Dancing is my favorite indulgent, girly movie, but there are lots of movies I enjoy watching over and over...Hope Floats, The Great Outdoors, Hairspray (the one with John Travolta as Mama), Grease, While You Were Sleeping, Independence Day, Grumpy Old Men, Second Hand Lions, Disney's Lion King and Moana...

2. Do you have a schedule for your day or do you wing it?  Other than always starting the day with some quiet time to read the Word and pray, I tend to operate on a wing and a prayer. Since I'm starting to get back to work and my new job requires me to create my own schedule, I'm really trying to be more intentional and organized. Is it working? Eh, it's a work in progress.

3. What are you eating/cooking lately?  Nothing all that special. We're doing a lot of grilling and we eat a lot of fruits and veggies in the summer, lots of salads, that sort of thing. 

4.  Do you surf on your computer? Tell us about it, won't you?  I do surf. Um, I don't know what to tell you. It just starts with me having a question about something (could be ANYTHING). I usually start with a Google search, start clicking on those results, click out on links in those sites, and so on. Interesting to note that surfing is often easier than it used to be because of our gadgets listening to us. Things often pop up without me ever having to go look for them. Welcome to Orwell's 1984 where Big Brother is always watching, listening, and tracking!

Tuesday 4: An Evening Out

Good morning! I'm linking up on this humid, rainy Tuesday with Ann over at the Tuesday 4 for some fun questions and visiting between bloggers. 

Today we are talking about An Evening Out!

1. Do you enjoy an evening out?  It's been a while for most people. Do you have any plans made?  I do enjoy an evening out now and then. I'm not the "party animal" I used to be when I was younger, though. No plans right now. I think our most recent night "out" was a game night at the home of friends. Tim isn't usually up for a night out these days so they are few and far between.

2. What kind of activities do you enjoy? A movie, a concert, dinner, plays, walks? Are you in the habit of going out regularly?  I like all of those activities! I guess I was in the habit of going out in college. I went out with friends far too many nights back then, but then I got married at 20 and jumped right into adult life, making a home, and then raising children. Going out tends to take a hit during those years. So, no it was never a habit.

3. Ever had an unusual  or very interesting evening you would like to tell us about or plans that went off the rails?  I really can't think of anything unusual or that would classify as "very" interesting.

4. When you were dating what kinds of activities did you enjoy?  I was usually up for about anything. I liked active dates like hiking, canoeing and stuff, but I could be just as content staying in and watching TV. Most of my dating was done during college so it mostly consisted of going to parties or clubs to drink and dance.  

The Weekend & Tuesday 4: The Best

I'm sitting here on Monday evening. The long weekend, Memorial Day, and the unofficial start of summer is winding down. We've had a good weekend. Tim was actually home all three days!

Backing up to Friday, I turned in all my training certificates and papers for work. I can now say I am officially an employee of CLC, a social services agency. I will be working part-time as a companion for adults with developmental disabilities. I will meet my first client and his family tomorrow evening. (There is always an initial meeting to see if the client and companion are compatible and if what the client needs/wants is compatible with my schedule since I make my own schedule.) I'm looking forward to this new adventure.

On Saturday our daughter was scheduled to use the all-day spa gift certificate her husband got her for Mother's Day. Her husband, however, had to work the night before (he works midnight shift) and needed to sleep. So, it was Tim and I to the rescue. We had the kiddos all day and had a pretty good time. We just puttered a bit in the morning then took them to a big pet store about 45 minutes away. 

Sheldon the tortoise.

 It was worth the drive. This particular store has a huge tortoise crawling about and the small animals (bunnies, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, ferrets, etc.) are all in low, open top pens so you can pet them. The birds, except for the big McCaw, are also in open pens so you can interact with them. They have rescue dogs and cats, all kinds of exotic reptiles, and they specialize in saltwater aquariums which are spectacular. The kids spent more than an hour squealing with excitement and racing from one animal to another. Colton is not particularly fond of getting up close and personal with animals so he didn't pet anything, but little Leah wanted to pet EVERYTHING! She wasn't even a little wary of anything.

We watched Christmas movies (Colton's choice) when we got home and relaxed and played while waiting for Mom to get home.

Sunday I went to church and finally got to speak to the pastor. He and his wife are going away this week, but once they are back he's going to call and set up a time for me to come have lunch with him and his wife. I'm looking forward to that.

Tim puttered around in his workshop for a while. Other than that we just relaxed and watched movies.

We didn't go to any ceremonies or picnic today. We did visit with my mom and stepdad a little in the backyard, but mostly we worked outside in the yard. We made a big dent in what needs done and it looks better. 

And now, let's get to the Tuesday 4. 

1. What was the best thing you have ever bought?  Wow. I don't know. I've bought a lot of stuff in a lifetime. I love all my books...maybe I'll just say our house. We've been here for 28 years. A lot of living has happened here and it's full of memories. It's home.

2. What was the best book you have ever read?  The Bible. Other than that, my favorite book is Little Women.

3. What is the best food you have ever eaten?  I can't tell you when or where, but I guarantee it was seafood. Seafood is my favorite.

4. What was the best movie or TV series you've ever watched?  My personal favorite show ever is The Big Bang Theory. Longmire is a favorite drama and I was inspired to start reading the books it's based on. M*A*S*H probably made the biggest impact. I grew up on it and when it ended it felt like people I knew were going away. I will always remember what a social phenomenon the final episode was.

Thanks for the questions, Annie!

Tuesday 4: Hobbies

Welcome to Tuesday 4 kept up in honor of Toni Taddeo.  Let's talk today about your interests and hobbies.

1. What are your interests and hobbies? .. reading? writing? collecting?  I like to read, mostly mysteries; play games on Facebook; journal and keep planners (that are more like scrapbooks); cook and bake; and I'm a treasure hunter...I'm ALWAYS up for an auction, yard sale, or scouring the thrift shops.

2 How much time a week/day/month do you devote to your interests?  I spend some time on all of them most days, except for the treasure hunting (if I did that we'd have to talk about hoarding!) so let's just say probably more than I should.

3. Do you share your interests with anyone?  I have lots of reading friends, a few online friends who keep journals and planners, I trade recipes with lots of people...the treasure hunting is a love passed down through the generations of my mom's family so I share it with her and my husband and children also enjoy it. I have a few friends who do also.

4.Tell us why you enjoy your hobby, pastimes or interests.  I read for entertainment, education, and escape to places I'll never go in real life. I play online games to relax. I journal because writing is just something I have done for as long as I can remember. The planners, I keep so I don't miss appointments and special occasions. I cook and bake because I like to eat. I hunt treasures because it's fun and it's a real rush when you find something awesome at an amazing price.

Tuesday 4: SUMMER!

Let's discuss summer this week...

1. What emotions and feelings does summer conjure up for you?  Happiness, busy-ness, freedom...sort of a lightness in the soul. It always feels like a time of possibilities...when anything can happen. And as I get older, I find that summer seems to bring out more memories and nostalgia than any other time of year.

2. What's summer weather like in your neck of the woods?  It's changed since I was a kid. These days we are often in the upper 80s (or hotter) and very, very humid. The beginning and end always seemed to be defined by lots of rain.

3. Got some special summer meals you and your family enjoy?  Nothing in particular. We just cook on the grill a lot, eat salads, and fruit.

4. What do you enjoy doing in summer? Sports, trips.. do you go on vacation?  I would love to go on trips, but my hubby is not very good at using his vacation time. We have only been on two actual vacations in the last decade. The eastern seashore is my happy place and I sure enjoy it when I can get there. It would be my dream to spend all my summers at the beach. Since I can't, I'm content to spend summers in the backyard...lounging in or by the pool and watching the grandkids play.

Thanks to Anne for the questions!

Tuesday 4: The Times They are A-Changing

Lets discuss the times we live in.

1. What changes are you grateful for? How have things changed in your life time?  I'd say I am most grateful for the new technologies that have come along to make the simple act of daily living easier so that we now actually have leisure time in our days. I would not be a happy camper if I had to go back to making lye soap and washing clothes on washboards in vats of boiling water. 

As for how things have changed? I think I most notice the breakdown of the family. I grew up as part of a big extended family, blended together from both my mom's side and my dad's side. We got together all the time. We had huge, wonderful holiday celebrations together and so many traditions. Since the late 80s or early 90s, we've become scattered. None of us live near each other (except for us, my mom and stepdad, and our daughter's family) and try as I might, my kids are just not interested in keeping up the old traditions.

2. Did your parents have things better than you today?  In some ways. Mainly financial. Things were simpler and less expensive and people didn't always think they needed the next new thing as soon as it came out. They made things last and there wasn't so much excess and waste. They adhered to the old adage about "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." I think people were happier in general when we weren't always on the quest for the next new thing.

3. What time period would you rather live in.. or are you okay with today?  Oh, I might prefer the 70s and 80s, but this is the time period the good Lord put me in and He knows best! I would NOT want to go way back to a totally different era or century. I sincerely doubt any of them are as romantic as we've imagined them.

4. What changes would you make for our time to make it nicer/better to live in?  I would put God back into our schools, our government and our homes for a start. If it was possible, I'd clear out the cesspool that is Washington, D.C. and strip the government back down to the foundations, getting rid of the layers upon layers of stuff that's been added on. I'm not talking about amendments to the Constitution or anything...I'm thinking all the extra agencies and such. Government has gotten so big there is no possible way for any one part to know what all the rest is doing. There just isn't any accountability these days and we need to bring back the checks and balances.

Thanks to Anne for the thought-provoking questions!

Tuesday 4 & Currently

Today is a two-fer. First up, I'm linking up with Anne for the Tuesday 4. 

This week the topic is lunch..

1. Lunch can be either glorious or bland, hard to choose or easy. Which is it for you and why?  Um, I guess it's somewhere between glorious and bland. I mean, it's lunch, not dinner in a 5-star restaurant, so it's hardly going to be glorious. It's not going to be bland, either. Unless I've been sick and am easing my way back into food.

2. What are your choices for a nice lunch?  Last night's leftovers are a popular choice. If not, then I'll probably choose soup, a salad, or a sandwich.

3. Is lunch a big meal or a light meal for you?  It's somewhere in the middle. I don't eat breakfast, because of doing the whole 16-hour fast thing. That means I'm actually hungry by lunchtime, but I still try to keep it in check and then have my main (big) meal for dinner.

4. "Let's do lunch" has become a funny phrase used in movies and jokes and usually just a throw away kind of thing to say.   Do you organize lunch with friends or family often? Do you eat out or in? If you eat out what is your favorite place to go?  No, I don't "do lunch" very often. I maybe meet up with friends once a month and less than that with family members. With the friends we often go to a local place called "Sharky's." It has something for every taste. With family, it could be anywhere, but Olive Garden is probably the favorite.

And now for, Currently...

The weather...is cool this morning, but we're expecting to see sunshine and a high of 74 degrees this afternoon.

Reading...The Bounty by Janet Evanovich

Listening to...the grandkids love Disney's Moana and the Trolls, World Tour movies. I have to admit both have great music and it's good that I think that because they watch the movies and ask Alexa to play the music ALL.THE.TIME.

Watching...I just added the Peacock streaming service to our Roku lineup and we've been having some fun exploring it. We've been watching The Carol Burnett Show, Columbo, and I started watching The Chosen.

Feeling...pretty good, though a little tired. My mom's dog is still staying with us, though Mom's recovery from knee replacement surgery is going well. Her dog isn't being that much trouble, but she does get up with Tim every morning then refuses to let him put her outside. She comes and sits by the bed, which wakes up Daisy and then I have to get up and take both of them out. Most of the time I can't go back to sleep. 

Celebrating...a month of big birthdays. Our son-in-law turns 30 this coming weekend and a week or so after that my stepdad turns 80! 

Looking forward to...Mom's dog going home, the grands spending the night this coming Saturday, and a whole week of nice WARM weather!

Tuesday 4: Whatcha Reading & Watching?

Linking up with Anne for the Tuesday 4.

This week let's talk about books and TV programs you enjoy.

1. Are you enjoying a book right now and would you tell us about it?  I'm about to finish reading Dust Between My Toes: An Amish Boy's Journey by Wayne M. Weaver. I picked it up at a used book sale or Goodwill and never read it. I lent it to my stepdad to read this winter and then my mom read it. They both raved about it. So, when I got it back I decided to give it a go. It's been an interesting read. Weaver isn't a professional writer, but he's smart and educated (a medical doctor) so the writing is clear. He jumps around a bit in his stories, but since the original purpose of the book was to leave something for his grandchildren to know about their legacy...it serves its purpose. While I have enjoyed it, I can't see that Weaver's life is terribly Amish sounding to me. He also switches back and forth from Amish to Mennonite churches pretty easily throughout his life. He says his parents were Old Order, but a lot of the things in his childhood seem to not match up with that. Maybe I've just had a skewed idea of what Amish life is like?

2. Do you have a list of books you are looking forward to reading in the near future?  The next book I plan to read is Janet Evanovich's newest in the Fox & O'hare series, The Bounty. Beyond that, I have stacks of books waiting to be read. I'd guess somewhere between 50-100. I also have unread books sitting in my Kindle. Maybe another 20 or so there?

3. What's on television (or YouTube, etc.) at your house?  Nothing. I rarely have the television on during the day.

4.What series have you followed religiously and why? (can be TV or book series) 

Television:

• The Big Bang Theory because it's the funniest show ever!
• Longmire because it's a well written, gritty crime show with characters you can care about and the humor keeps it from being overbearing.
• NCIS because...Mark Harmon. Also because I enjoy the stories, the continuing plot lines and the characters.
• Criminal Minds because I just like that kind of show. Plus, the characters were great and I think it gave a decent peek at what it would be like to have a job that asked you to put yourself in the criminal's mind on a daily basis.
• Schitt's Creek because it was well written, had great characters, and the complete absurdity of it made it hilarious.
• Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias because they have good stories and decent acting. What they need is MORE EPISODES! Are you listening Netflix?

Books:

• The Stephanie Plum and Fox & O'hare series by Janet Evanovich. Both are fast-paced, funny, and a little sexy.
• The Sigma Force Series by James Rollins. Rollins is a master of adventure stories who blends science fact with science possiblility to create fast-paced, edge of your seat stories that could and should be on the big screen.
• Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan series. These are the books the show Bones was based on. The books are a bit grittier and probably not for the squeamish. I love them.
• The Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass. The Body Farm is a real place housed at the University of Tennessee. It is where donated bodies are set out and allowed to decay under different circumstances. The processes are documented in detail. It is all done to aid in forensic investigation. It's fascinating to learn how science figures out this stuff. The main character, based on the real director of the Body Farm (and one half of the writing team that is Jefferson Bass) is a really likeable, but unlikely hero. He's a late-middle-aged, slightly out of shape, unassuming looking man who has no illusions about his looks or abilities.
• Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn series. I've spent time on the Navajo reservation and enjoy reading about things I know and learning more about the culture.
• The Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. O'Connor is the sheriff of Tamarak County, MN. Then he's not. Then he is again. He's a likeable guy and pretty smart in a not-quite-Columbo-like sort of way. He tries to do his best by his family and by both of the cultures he represents...the whites and the Natives. A task complicated by the fact that Cork, himself, is half Irish and half Native. A lot of local Native culture and lore is woven into the stories.
• The Longmire series by Craig Johnson. Even better than the show and with a lot more detail!

Tuesday 4

Hi and welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 kept alive in her memory.

This week's questions come from Pamela Steiner from Florida and the Open Doors Closed Windows blog.

Let's jump right in:

 

1. In what part of the country is your current home located? North, South, East, West, Mid West,
coastal, rural, city, mountains or plains?  I live in southwestern Pennsylvania. I live on the outskirts/in the suburbs of a small town, my mailing address is in the town, but I'm just across the boro/township line so am governed by the township not the town. When I was young there were still fields all around my neighborhood. Those are gone, but I can be in farm country or the mountains in just a couple of minutes.

2. Why did you choose your present home, and how long have you lived there?  We chose our home (a manufactured home) when my dad was dying of cancer. He died before we got the house placed, but it's on the lot behind my mom's house. We did it to be close to her, to be there for her. That was 27 years ago. Had we known she would meet my stepdad less than a year after Dad's death, we probably wouldn't have moved here. Our dream had always been a small farm.

 

3. What do you like the most about your present home?  Mom lives behind us and our daughter lives beside us. Other than that, I'm not crazy about the house, but it's ours and we've been here long enough that it is home. 

4. If money were no object, is there anything you would change about your present home, or would you keep it just the way it is?  Oh, I have a long list. I want to add on a family room, remodel the kitchen, and turn our current living room into a dining room. I'd love to reside the whole thing in a pretty dark blue while I'm at it.

Thanks to Anne for the questions!

Tuesday 4

Welcome to the Tuesday 4 where we continue on in honor of it's original author, Toni Taddeo. Now we link up with and thank Anne for continuing the tradition.

Today we want to talk about you. And food. 

1.   What's your favorite thing to do when you have time on your hands?  I will usually reach for a book or the laptop in bad/cold weather. In warmer weather I like to work in the garden, swim, take walks, or just read in the shade.

2.   Company coming tonight for dinner what do you cook?  Something they wouldn't normally cook for themselves, but something simple so I can enjoy the company rather than being stuck in the kitchen.

3.   The weather is perfect outside, how would you spend the day?  Most of the time I'd choose doing something with the family, especially the grandkids. It doesn't matter what it is, just so we're together and having fun. If it's a fall day, however, I'd choose to either visit the wineries along the NY/PA border with my hubby or some friends or go to a fall festival of some sort with the same choices of companionship.

4.   It's morning and you just got up, what do you have for breakfast?  Nothing. I do 16-hour fasting. I don't eat after 8:00 in the evening and then don't eat before noon the next day...or adjusted if for some reason I eat after 8:00.

Tuesday 4: St. Valentine's Day

Welcome to a snowy day here in southwestern Pennsylvania. The forecast was for an inch or two at most, but I'm just back in from shoveling paths and potty spots for Daisy through 6 inches and it is still coming down...though not as much as earlier. I had hoped to share a photo of the snow, but either my phone, my email, or the internet is not cooperating and I can't seem get a picture to send to completion.

Don't mind me as I enjoy a bowl of my friend's homemade wedding soup and thaw out a bit while linking up with Anne for the Tuesday 4. Today we're talking about...

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY!

1. St Valentine paid for the weddings of poor girls. Today weddings can cost a fortune. What do you think about wedding expenses?  If you can afford it, great. If you can't, it's ridiculous to go into debt and, in my opinion, pretty darn selfish to expect your parents to pay for it. Our daughter had a LOT of big ideas when she was planning her wedding (thanks soooo much Pinterest). She wasn't, at the time, thrilled when we said no to a lot of things and ruled that a lot of things would be done ourselves. We also chose to use the field at my stepfather's farm rather than any of the rustic venues she was looking at (that alone saved $5000-10,000!). We save the money for the catering, the DJ, the tent and tables and chairs. I bought silk flowers and a friend made all the arrangements. The same friend, our daughter, and I made all the table decorations. Anyway, total cost for the entire thing was about $5000. Now that is doable! And it turned out beautiful. A niece who had worked as a wedding planner said it was absolutely perfect and our daughter wrote us a huge thank you on Facebook thanking us for the perfect wedding day. So there you go...it doesn't have to break the bank. 

2. Do you or did you send Valentines to people?  I only send them to the grandchildren. Tim and I sometimes exchange cards but it's not a given. We are of the mindset that there shouldn't have to be a special day to tell the ones you love that you do. You should be telling them all the time! This year we are keeping the Colton and Leah overnight on the 13th and on the 14th we are hoping to enjoy the Valentine dinner at Guy Fieri's restaurant at the casino. I still haven't gotten to eat there and there is a couple's special that day.

3. Do you find Valentine's day to be romantic?  Not particularly. Tim and I have done grand romantic gestures in the past, but on the whole I think it puts an awful lot of pressure on the younger folks. Kids feel bad if they are left out when cards are given out and thanks to social media, I think a lot of young ladies have very high expectations of their fellas. It doesn't seem all that romantic if you feel you HAVE to do it just to not disappoint.

4. Do you do anything special for Valentine's Day with partners or family?  Oops! I kind of answered that already. Sometimes, but it's not really a big deal.