One Meme or Another

This has been a busy and quick week. The powerchair came to live with us. Carla and Kaline seem to like it a lot more than they did Morgan. Carla has not jumped up in it to nap like she does my walker, but give it time. Kaline will sit in my lap when I’m sitting in it and it’s turned off, but I still get that “Daddy’s legs make a better pillow” look from her. David’s legs are a decent bit longer with a flatter tummy. I still have the hip and chest she prefers. When I turn it on and move, they clear the way just like they do when I walk; it seems the powerchair is not as scary as the vacuum!

Tuesday we met with reps about getting a stair lift and a ramp. It really is just silly to wear out my arms with the manual chair to go the doctor’s office when I have the power chair he did all that paperwork for me to have!  The powerchair seems bigger, like it may not fit all the places the manual chair does, and after I’ve complained that handicap bathrooms seemed to be made for powerchairs. We’ll see, maybe it just feels bigger because it’s more comfortable.

To punctuate the need for the stair lift, I slipped on the top step coming down Wednesday morning. I didn’t go headfirst down, but I fell back on the landing hard on my butt. I’m okay, but boy was I sore all day.

Thursday David was off work and out In the west side of the state. I stayed home; I got up slow and wanted to take it as an easy day.  I seemed to be busy all day and didn’t really get a lot done.

I had a really nice salad for lunch with tuna and black beans and then I got caught in my current book which has about 100 pages of intense rising action right before the climax. How could I stop? Now, having discovered that there was entirely too much book left after the climax, I’m trying to get through the drawn out finish. Unless there is a serious OMG moment in the last 70+ pages, it won’t be getting 5 stars when I write my review. I guess what I got a lot done of yesterday is reading, which would be impressive if I was about 10, it’s a bit of a slacker at almost 47.


After that volume of that I did this week, how about what most of you are here for; one meme or another!

Follow Friday Four Fill In Fun Blog Hop

This week’s statements:
1. If ___ then____
2. ____ is my ___ of the ____
3. Once, I was surprised to find myself __________________.
4. To keep from going crazy, I _________.

My Answers:

1. If you’re going to stare then say “hello!”

2. Self-activism is my project of the year.

3. Once, I was surprised to find myself cheering for the Reds in the playoffs against the Braves when I thought I was a Braves fan. In the heat of passion, the heart shows its true self.

4. To keep from going crazy, I read. I have always hated waiting but now I have to accept it. I read more now.


Five Question Friday

1. What's the one personal hygiene thing you will not do in front of your spouse?

I was raised in a household where respect of privacy and personal space was paramount. That’s not to say I was given “alone time” as a toddler or that I wasn’t hugged as a teenager. I actually didn’t want much alone time as a toddler and I was very touchy-feely with my friends and hugging, probably because hugging was an encouraged sign of affection at home.

That being said, I have always ben pretty private about personal hygiene. I think brush my teeth is the one thing I will so in front of my spouse or anyone. Personal is personal. When Tori and Rina were little, from about 4 up, rather than use a handicap stall to cram all three of us in, we did “shoes.” When one of us was in the stall, the other two stood in front of the door so the person inside could see our shoes. It was meant to respect both our privacy and our need of the security that the other two are there. Okay, that last one was more for me than anything, but they both asked to see shoes when they were in the stall too.


2. What's your favorite thing about a newborn?

That it will grow up? I’ve always said that the great thing about kids is that they get cooler and cooler as they get older. They start out helpless, then they learn and you learn from how they learn too.  Then everyone shares and they grow closer and closer to peers,  When they become fellow adults you just enjoy being with them. I enjoy watching kids grow and being involved, but honestly, I've never known a kid its whole life that I've ever wished was a baby again.   Every person younger than me has become more of a joy to be with as they’ve gotten older. The best thing about a newborn is that promise that the investments of diaper changing and frustrations will pay off with interest.


3. When is "too young" to have a Facebook account?

My arbitrary age for socializing on the internet is 13. I won’t use any more than initials for kids under 13 on my blog too. I think a shared account with a parent is okay before that and hopefully some supervision while you can still get them to at least learn the actual words before they start using text slang. It’s also a good idea to be one of their Facebook friends or at least have a single-no-kids friend or relative you both trust to be on their list.


4. What are your hoping for for Mother's Day?

Last year I got a very sweet text from one of my nieces acknowledging the role I play in her world and wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day. I was moved to tears.


5. What was the best field trip you ever took in school?

My 11th grade Humanities class went on an architectural tour of Detroit. I love classic architecture with lots of detail and downtown Detroit has some beautiful old buildings.

Tid Bits, Fragments and Festivities

Cluster made with Eggy Easter by Studio 4 Designworks

You’d never get a cat to agree with this, and in truth it’s odd to hear it from me, but for some things colds are better than warms! After the truly nasty beating the crocuses took from the recent heavy wet snow I thought they were going to be worse than last year. Well, the snow beat up the yellow crocuses, the first ones that budded. But the purple, white and purple and white stripes came up through the snow after it fell and look!

They look so much better than last year! Even the yellow ones are okay, although not as strong as the ones that budded after the snow. It's the snow falling heavy and wet that they didn’t like. When it gets heavy and wet as it’s melting it’s okay.

The narcissus family looked okay last year and I do already see daffodils starting to bud. We’ll see in a couple weeks how bad the tulips really got it last year. I have a feeling that some of the tulips were discovered by bur roughing critters too. I’ll see how many have survived and then I can make my decision about whether or not it’s worth it to try to replace them. I know there was no sign of my favorite tulipas last year. That was a group near the front of the house and more. Mom always griped at the rabbits because she blamed them for eating her tulips. I think maybe I’m seeing that tulip bulbs are just plain tastier than crocus and narcissus.


Now this week, I‘m joining Mama M at My Little Life for Five Question Friday

1. How often should adults have birthday parties?

Well, everyone who’s been a regular at The Chronicles of Nani for a while knows I celebrate my Birthday Festival every year; from 5PM the Friday before my birthday to midnight the Sunday after, Friday the week before and Sunday the week after when my birthday is on a weekend. During my festival I plan fun things to do, try to see or at least touch base will all of my family; the friends and relatives who’ve made the past years ones to celebrate. There must always be ice cream since my birthday s in the heart of summer and at least one baseball game, preferably with fireworks. Cards and balloons are always welcome and I don’t expect anyone to pay for my meal if they drive all the way from Michigan or Indiana to celebrate with me.


2. What was your room decorated like when you were a child?

In Southgate, were we lived until I was 9, it was red carpet with red and white wallpaper, I don’t remember exactly what was on the wallpaper but it was a little girl’s design. The furniture was white wood in the most common little girl’s furniture I’ve seen from the early 70s. It was still nice for me at that time.

When we moved to Novi I got to pick out my own room décor. I kept my white bedroom set and had green-yellow-white carpeting that I thought matched my wallpaper well. That paper I picked was yellow gingham tulips with green leaves on a white background. I hated that combination when I was 21 and redecorated in the formal urban motif, but as a kid I loved my room.


3. Do you have any traditions for Easter? If so, what? and do you have a why behind that?

We don’t really have any tradition anymore since my relatives are more spread out. My dad has the day off on Easter this year and invited us to dinner, but David doesn’t have that day off this year! As a kid we did church, Easter baskets (although I really never believed in the Easter Bunny) and dinner at Noni’s.

Now David and I exchange candy; my inner child still needs a chocolate bunny.


4. Do you get Good Friday off? If so, any plans?

As a non-working disabled person I pretty much have every Friday off right now. When I can start working again probably not because I don’t think a lot of businesses recognize Good Friday as a holiday.


5. Did you wear hats and white shoes to church on Easter? (Or was that just in the South?)

When I was little I had the hat, shoes and white gloves for church on Easter. Pop bought corsage for all “his girls” two carnation corsages for Mom, each of my grandmothers and a one-flower one for me. My chest was too small to support two flowers during the corsage years!

Dave, Mums (great-grandmother) and Nani

Easter Sunday 1969

Now I have a couple more tid-bits, we’ll call those fragments and share them courtesy of Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissin' Time!

**  We don’t really have any available Girl Scouts in the family or traveling door to door in the neighborhood and another year without Samoas is here. I’d say that Girl Scout Samoas are my favorite of all cookies. I should get a source and buy a case a year. A proper serving of Samoas is 2 cookies, although I could probably eat a box in 2 sittings with a big glass of milk, for all of my weekly extra points.

Last year, when there were no Samoas in the house to slowly ration to myself, I did some experimenting in the Nani laboratory and created Cafe Samoa. It’s sugar free and a zero-point treat. While it’s not quite the same, the taste does quell my insane Samoa craving.

Café Samoa – 1 Island Coconut K-Cup, 1 level scoop Ron & Franks SF milk hot chocolate, 1 pump DaVinci SF Caramel Syrup

I just got an email ad today that tells me the Island Coconut K-Cups, of which I always buy an extra box for the winter when it’s in season, is available again. Of course, if you aren’t counting points and don’t need sugar free, you can use regular hot chocolate and caramel coffee syrup.


**   Yesterday Tori and Rina were driving home from Pop’s house where they’d spent a couple of days. The problem with going to different schools is having different Spring Breaks! Tori is home for break but Rina still have a Thursday night class since her break was last week. So after Rina’s Monday class they drove up to Michigan to spend a couple days with their Papa. Since Rina’s next class day is Thursday, and she’d already made arrangements with her earlier class instructor, they had time for brunch with Nana on the way home.

I took the bus to Cracker Barrel and they brought me home. We hadn’t been to Cracker Barrel together in a long time and it has always been a favorite place for us. We all got breakfasts and caught up on school news and things going on in Indiana. We also talked about what we needed to do to make sure they got their passports so we could plan a weekend with a day in Canada sometime not too long after their birthday. They’ll turn 19 this September and we’re looking forward to a nice dinner, with a legal cocktail and glass of wine with the meal and a visit to the casino. I think Rina is more excited about being able to have a glass of wine in a restaurant but Tori is excited about a roll of quarters and a slot machine.


**   The most consuming something new in my world right now is that I’m getting a power chair! I’ve met with the mobility rep from the company who determines if the chair is an actual need and placed the order with the assistive technology pro, who determines what exact features I need and does measurements so the custom chair fits me and fits through the door. So far everyone is pretty confident that it’s a real need and insurance will accept the claim. The next step is the physical therapist visits to confirm that the chair ordered is indeed the right chair and addresses all of my needs. Who’d have ever thought there was so much involved in powered mobility assistance?

Pending the okay from insurance after they get together with the chair company and my doctor, the chair will be delivered in about 5 weeks. So that’s how much time we have to get the ramp and threshold ramp for the door. We’re going semi-permanent on the ramp since using the space on the front of the house for a permanent ramp would actually negatively affect the value of the house since we have stairs and the house cannot be made ADA accessible. So n thought I have is that if we have a portable ramp we can travel with it for moving the regular wheelchair when we visit family too. I kinda like that idea too.


**   Morgan Report: It will be seven weeks on Sunday since Morgan came home. We have the Feliway plug on the landing of the steps upstairs which is the one place all the cats pass every day. So far there hasn’t been a change in behavior. Kaline and Carla still pretty much stay upstairs all day and the growling and hissing is still there. Morgan still attacks provoked or not. She wants them to stay upstairs and acts to prevent them from coming down. I wish she understood human English when I tell her that the aggressive behavior is going to end up costing her a home is she doesn’t settle down. It could take up to 4 weeks for Feliway to really change any behavior, so we’re still watching and hoping.

Normal Friday

I got a call yesterday from Rina that she got home safe and sound and in plenty of time to get to her 6PM class. She was here since Saturday to “help me out” after I’d been in the hospital. Okay, yes, I’ve been out of the hospital for a couple weeks now, but my brother was having a couples-only over 21 party and needed to get his daughter out of the house. Rina and I weren’t complaining. She got to go on her first solo journey of more than a half hour and we got to spend a few days together. Her class schedule is such that Martin Luther King Day meant no classes on Monday and her next classes were Thursday evening and Friday. It was an awesome long weekend!



Now I’ll check-in with a couple of Friday favorites!

This week’s statements:
1. Making ____ is ____
2. I get ___ easily
3. The number of emails in my inbox is _________ and ____________
4. Traveling _______________ makes me _______________.


My Answers:

1. Making the best of a bad situation is the only way I know how to cope.
2. I get emotional easily. Sometimes even a sappy commercial gets to me!
3. The number of emails in my inbox is way too high and I need to clean my inbox out get arid of the spam!
4. Traveling for long days in the car makes me kinda achy at the end of the day.

1.Do you embrace or dread snow/cold weather days?

I abhor cold and snow with an untold passion! I have a doctor’s appointment next week and I’m worried that I’ll be out in the cold and snow waiting for the bus. And by the way, wheelchair frames and the wheels you use to actually make it go get very cold, very fast.


2. Which game show or reality show could you totally win?

Wheel of Fortune. But I’d do it by solving the puzzles, not spinning to run up the bank when I know the answer. When the answer is obvious and they keep spinning, contestants look like idiots.


3. What is your preferred climate?

Warm. Give me 80s and mild humidity every day with the occasional drop to the 70’s and a few thunderstorms, with no tornadoes, and I’m in paradise.


4. What do you buy every time you walk into the grocery store, no matter what?

Bananas and carrots.


5. If you see a spider/bug in the house, are you brave enough to kill it, or do you call for your hubby?

We get spiders that curl up in the molding joints in our ceilings. If David isn’t home I just stare back up at them to make sure they’re still sleeping until he gets home. If they move, I freak, but as long as I have a half bottle of spider-spray or some kind of spray and something to bash them with when they fall, I can kill them. But, it’s usually a major drama with me yelling powerful and nasty things at it as I kill it. Yes, I use more spray than necessary and bash the lifeless body into oblivion to be sure it’s dead. It’s an irrational fear and there is lots of adrenaline when I have to go into combat.

If David’s home, I yell for him because he forbade me to use my baseball bat on them. Why does a woman with limited mobility have a baseball bat if not for the purpose of clubbing spiders? He’s depriving my baseball bat of its purpose in life.

If it’s a 6-legged creature, I’ll just kill it and throw the body away.

The Final Friday

It’s the final Friday of 2012. If you are reading this and expected a Christmas card from us this year, you will be receiving it, maybe even before 2013! Christmas cards, cleaning and tree will part of 2013’s goals list. David agrees with the idea of the cards being printed by Thanksgiving and sent, with annual letter, by a week later. I didn’t really get a response when I suggested putting up the tree about that time too, but I really want a few weeks of lights in the living room. We’ll have to discuss that one further.

Credits: Life Captured: December by Pixelily Designs

I just finished the layout for week 51 of my Journal 366! I’m gonna make it! I’ll have the whole year done. Considering that I’ve started and failed twice, I’m pretty happy! I’m in the idea-building process of deciding what my annual project will be for 2013, but I have a little wind in my sails right now.

One last time this year, let’s visit our Friday meme-hosts!


First, let’s see what fun there is with Hilary at Feeling Beachie…

This week’s statements:
1. without fail, whenever I fly__
2. I used to be___
3. When I ___ I ___
4. My greatest fear is ______.


My Answers:

1. without fail, whenever I fly I sleep.

2. I used to be able to clean the living room and put up the tree by myself.

3. When I know it's snowing I try not to look out the windows.

4. My greatest fear is falling lately.


Now let’s see what this week’s 5 Questions are from Mama M at My Little Life

1. If you had to give 1 million dollars to just one person (not your spouse), who would it be and why?

I’d give the million to a local person who does a lot of charity work and helping neighbors and the community. They’d be the best at using the money for the best reasons.


2. What bathroom stall do you typically go to FIRST?

If I’m choosing a stall it’s because there isn’t a Family/Handicap bathroom available; that’s always my first choice because I’ve seen too many handicap stalls that don’t actually have enough room for a person and a wheelchair. Of course, if I’m in a regular women’s room my only choice is the handicap stall.

Before I was in the wheelchair I would only use a handicap stall if all of the other ones were taken. I gave myself a pat on the back for that practice when one time I had to use the facilities, badly, and I sat in my chair holding my breath to control myself while three regular stalls that I couldn’t use were empty and an employee was on the phone in the handicap stall, not even using it, on the phone. If the handicap stall is the only one open, please use it, but if you have a choice and don’t need the handicap stall, keep in mind that you don’t know who will roll into the restroom after you.

(My soapbox has a ramp)


3. How do you prefer to shop: In-store or online?

I prefer to shop online because I can compare and get the best selection and best price. Yeah, it’s also more challenged-friendly. I’m hopeful to have a power chair in the next couple months. That might mean I can do some in-person shopping once in a while.


4. What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Cold and snowy. The snow is on the ground but not as much as they originally warned. The first forecast was 4-6” during the day yesterday and another 4-6 last night. We ended up with about 2 or 3 total. We dodged the bullet a lot of people to our west, south and north got!


5. Do you own a pair of Tom's and what do you think? Overrated, underrated or about right?

I had to look that one up. If the question is about Tom’s shoes… lol. Come on, you all know me; ANY shoe is overrated! Checking out their website, overpriced shoes and no socks. Totally overrated! :)


Finally, I’ll defrag a couple of things from my blog with a tip of the hat to Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissin Time for hosting Friday Fragments

**  One thing I will mention about the letters in our cards; when we said we doubted the world was going to end on the 21st, we were right! :D

**  I’m working on my goals and projects plan for 2013. One thing I’ve learned, perhaps the hard way, is that I just can’t be as ambitious as I once was. I’ve been fighting some serious depression demons since about August and I think, more than anything, I’m frustrated about what I can’t do and the list of goals that were destined to not be reached this year. It’s the first year that I’ve ever had more incomplete than complete annual goals.

**  I’ve been achier than usual lately and not feeling very energetic. I’m kinda looking forward to January detox! I think the fat and sugar intake has just been too high for the last week and a half and I need more water, more veggies and more fruit in addition to the better choices I make in January. I need to get some blood work done and I think I’ll wait until the second week in January so there’s less chance of the doctor calling to tell me I have diabetes, through the roof cholesterol and high blood pressure…and anything else holiday food can do to you!

Just Swingin'

I wish “swing state” meant we have more playgrounds per capita

1. Who wakes up in the morning with the kids, you or hubby?

I wake up first and Kaline usually comes down with me to get a few cuddles while I’m having my morning coffee. Then she goes back upstairs and she and Carla usually both curl up with Daddy until he wakes up.


2. Do you watch the World Series even if your team isn't in it?

Yes. The only difference is if my team is in it, I’m sitting in front of the TV and don’t do anything distracting. If my team isn’t in the Series, I usually have the game on while I’m scrapbooking of something else.


3. What is the best compliment you have received?

At the risk of making my ego sound insane, but hey, I’m a voter in Ohio so there is a natural lack of ego control, I get compliments often and I don’t weigh any of them as better than the others. When someone pays me a compliment, especially when there is no reason for them to feel obligated to, it always pretty special and I always think the person giving it is pretty special to extend that kindness.


4. Do/did you dress up to take your kids trick or treating?

We don’t take the kids out on Halloween, in fact they usually hide when the trick or treaters start coming to the door. That’s especially good for Carla; there are some sick people who do some cruel things to animals, especially black cats on Halloween. If either of them, but especially Carla got out of the house on Halloween, I’d forget the3 treat giving really fast.


5. Do you have a favorite bible verse? What is it and why?

I don’t have one favorite verse, but I have always been able to find what I need when I open the Bible for some comforting words.

This week’s statements:
1. ___ is my favorite feature
2. Thinking about ___ makes me ___
3. It’s been a long time since______
4. I just don’t understand_____________


My Answers:

1. Frosting is my favorite feature.

2. Thinking about cookies makes me smile.

3. It’s been a long time since I made veggie soup.

4. I just don’t understand why so many people can’t separate their church and their politics.

**  In spite of the rain that we got this morning, David and I foraged out to vote today. We have early voting here in Ohio, but you’ve probably heard that. After all, Ohio is one of the few places with important people in it. Yeah, nothing like living in a swing state to bolster your ego. There are twelve states that matter to the major party candidates for president. The other states minds have already been made up for them and they will have to bore themselves this election with unimportant things like property taxes, school levies and who is running for mayor anyway? In Ohio we get flooded with the presidential attacks on, not a daily or hourly, but constant basis. I keep the TV and radio turned off during the day and David brings in the mail after making a stop at the garbage can to throw away half of it because we both have several glossy, unrecyclable dead trees from both sides and supporting organizations.

Then it’s the baseball playoffs, brought to you by Mitt Romney with special interests by More-Money-Than-You and a guest appearances by President Barack Obama, with notable cameos by Sherrod Brown and Josh Mandel, the combatants for senate. They all want to be in Washington and no one had bothered to mention our libraries which are also on the ballot here in Toledo. Seriously, I fear that most people will either not bother with our local issues or just flip a coin. And why are we disregarding our local issues and races? Why don’t some of us even know about them? Because we’re a swing state! If only one of the tons-to-spend candidates would use some of that time they purchase to drown us in how bad their opponent is could only at least remind us that there are local races on the ballot we need to consider too; I mean how many times do we need to see the same depressing message about “the other guy?” --sigh-- I envy the states that aren’t important; they get to focus their attention on more important things.


**  Over last weekend Kaline found a new…not new, old toy. I’m kind of amazed actually. When she was a kitten her favorite toy was a foam yellow ball that Sheri got for her. Sheri actually got her a tube of foam balls in yellow, green, blue and pink, but the yellow one was her favorite. I’ve heard that cats are color blind, so I never understood how one pastel ball was better than the others. True I gave her the yellow one first and when it was mangy and falling apart I gave her the green one and put the yellow one in the trash. She crawled her little kitten but up the bag and fished it out of the trash! “No green ball, Mommy; the yellow one!” I just could not get her to like any of the other three as much as that mangy yellow ball!

Fast forward a few years, we’re living in Ohio with Daddy and Baggle and there is a new sister. Carla was just over a year old and she had so much kitten still left in her as far as playing goes. Carla wasn’t the fan of foam balls that Kaline was and the foam balls disappeared, as cat toys often do. They usually resurface when furniture is moved. The yellow foam ball never did resurface; until last weekend. Kaline was in the annex room off the kitchen and there was kitty playing noise. She came into the dining room where I was and lo and behold, she was having a second kittenhood with a dirt-marked yellow foam ball! The foam ball would have been here since fall 2009 when Carla was new. Amazing the irony of her finding that particular ball after all this time! I never saw that ball when I cleared that room earlier this year, maybe it came up from the basement. It’s been her favorite toy, again, all this week.



**  If you haven’t had a chance to read yesterday’s blog about my Smash books, check it out! I have some photos of my Smash Archive book pages and a little personal history about smash-style scrapbooks in my family’s history. If you wondered what exactly I meant by “smashing” it should explain, although I welcome any further questions!

A pocket holds the letter from the bank that says the Camaro is paid in full!

Smashing Defined…Sorta

And Now The Week Is Done

Okay, so yesterday didn’t turn out as planned. Stupid Giants can’t read a simple script. But the Tigers did win! YAY! ALCS, baby! Game one of the American League Championship Series is Saturday. I gotta dig up my Tiger ears!

As for the Reds, next year! There was what ended up being a very costly running mistake in Game 3 by Brandon Phillips that cost them a run. Any kind of errors like that are so rare from Brandon, but this one, unsuccessfully stretching a steal into more on a passed ball, cost them a run that would have eventually won the game rather than put it into extra innings, where a rare Scott Rolen error allowed the final run. Phillips and Rolen just don’t do those things! But add that Reds Ace, Johnny Cueto left Game 1 after one batter and was eventually put on the Disabled List and slugger Joey Votto is not back to 100% after his knee surgery. There are a ton of reason they didn’t take their 2-0 series lead to the 3 wins necessary to advance, but if they had, were they too beaten up to get past Washington or St. Louis? Maybe the injuries were a “wait until next year” message anyway. As a fan, it was a great season and we Reds fans got to enjoy a week more baseball with our Boys of Summer than the fans of 22 other teams!

I’ve got a very full plate today. Playoff baseball has kept me from chores I wanted to do before Kelly gets here, so after blog and breakfast, I want to get the kitchen and dining room tidied up, so we have someplace to enjoy a cup, or gallon, of coffee. David is leaving for his last vacation week of the year either today or tomorrow, depends on the weather. Then it’s Girl Time! I can hardly wait!

But for now on this busy day, I’m going to join Mama M for Five Question Friday!

1. Did you have any homecoming traditions?

I was not a school-spirit girl at all in high school, so my tradition was avoiding it. I refused a few dates to prom and this girl, who wore a $35 t-shirt to my own wedding reception, never spent crazy money for a one-time dress for a teenager. Not passing judgment, but I thought dressing up for a high school dance was ridiculous at the time. I know Tori was a prom-maniac, but Rina thought the whole thing was silly. To each his own, right?

Taking 13 years and non-traditional to get my college degree, I never did anything for homecoming in college either. But now that Siena Heights has a football team, I’d like to eventually go to a game.  It doesn't have to be for Homecoming, since my university home was at a satellite campus.


2. Do you ask your spouse before spending money?

If I’m spending from the joint account, I don’t ask, but I let him know to make sure there aren’t outstanding checks I need to be aware of. He lets me know when he writes a check because I usually know the balance. We otherwise have our own funds and accounts so there’s no need to notify each other.


3. If you could be famous for something what would it be?

You mean I’m not famous?


4. Have you ever seriously thought you were going crazy?

Not really. I was in counseling when I was a teenager because I was having some issues with my relationship with my Dad. If anyone ever tells you that counseling is unnecessary for kids and that problems in the family should be solved without someone from outside getting into family issues, slap them upside the head. It probably saved me from actually going nuts, or driving off the defiance deep end. I got to vent, and my counselor was great in leading me to talk about the things that I needed to. I was able to start repairing our relationship and Dad, who'd become even more withdrawn from me because I was in counseling (with Mom’s support for me going) was starting to make an effort too. It took a few years, to fix, but we have an awesome relationship today. It worked and was totally worth the effort.

By the way, my Dad, some 30 years later, doesn’t remember that I went to counseling at 16, let alone that it upset him that I did at the time.  Me getting the help became the ultimate low point for us, but it ultimately fixed us.


5. How do you eat your steak? Burger? (as in, well done, medium, still moo-ing...)

I like my steak on someone else’s plate. I’m not a fan of beef.

I do like a number of things with ground beef! It’s a nice condiment; soups, chilis, even meatloaf. It just needs to be seasoned well so I don’t so much taste the meat on its own.

I do eat hamburgers. If in a restaurant and asked how would I like my burger cooked, and when we’re having them at home David knows; , I say “hockey puck.” You know those little crumbles that occasionally fall off the burger and get crispy? I like those! In fact I like them better than the actual burger. My burger has to be pretty close to burned beyond recognition if it’s more than a quarter inch thick. I prefer hamburger with an inch each of ketchup, honey mustard and sweet relish at home. David has called my hamburger a “condiment delivery system” and asked, “You really don’t like hamburgers, do you?” well…. They’re good if you can’t really taste them!

Briday?

Credits: My Blue Heaven by Digitalegacies Designs

I have a pretty full plate today and David is working an odd day that means he’ll be home for a chunk of the afternoon! Right now it’s gray and gloomy and rainy, but should that improve and we get a glint of sun, I want to have the current load of laundry done so I can take it if there’s an opportunity to get out in the fresh air!

I’m doing the Friday 5 Question meme, hosted by Mama M at My Little Life today. One question and my answers have a brideish theme!  If I have an opportunity to blog more later, I’ll be back!

1. How long did it take for you to find your wedding dress? (Wedding dress pics anyone?)

David and I were the Wedding Industrial Complex’s worst nightmare. We eloped in December and had a wedding reception weekend in July that cost less than some women pay for the dress. That being said, what I wore was important!

On the day we got married, I asked David what he was wearing to the courthouse and chose a very nice blouse and dress pants to coordinate with him. Ice and snow and there was no way I was wearing a skirt and any type of heel. I started out that morning falling in the kitchen right on top of a 12-pack of Diet Rite cherry soda squashing one can and getting cherry soda all over the floor and my nightgown, there was no way I was going to mess with the chance of falling again!

Here is the only picture of the two of us on the actual day, taken by the judge right after he married us”

December 23, 2008

For our reception weekend it didn’t take long to find the “dress.” David was wearing his tuxedo t-shirt to the baseball game with his “Groom” baseball cap. I stumbled on a wedding dress nightshirt online and thought it was the perfect complement to David’s shirt. Fortunately, it’s perfectly okay for a woman to wear a shirt that goes half way down the thighs with carpi-length stretch pants in public!

Not everything about what we wore getting married was determined by what David was wearing. The most important clothing decision for me, my equivalent of “the dress,” was The Hat. I wanted a very bride, very feminine hat for the reception weekend. I wanted everyone at the ballpark and every engineer that saw us when we had our train day on Sunday to know that I wasn’t just any other fan that weekend. So maybe I did have a little bit of bride vanity after all. I spent a few weeks looking at baseball hats with veils and different designs. I picked out David’s “Groom” hat, but yeah, typical to the rules of the Wedding Industrial Complex, my hat outshone his. And at $40, out-cost his by double. The final two choices included one with a longer veil and one with lacy braiding and rhinestones. The bling won out! And the veil went a good distance down my back anyway. I LOVE that hat!

See? Plenty of veil!

I know Tori is into the WIC, but I told Rina if she ever does elope and have a hockey-reception, more her style, she could definitely have my hat for the reception.  I'd be honored!


2. Someone in your general vicinity releases a NASTY smelling fart. Do you say anything or blow it off?

I got the giggle fits when I read this one; not because I’m a fan of fart-jokes, but the image it planted in my mind reading it right after the wedding dress question. If you were at a wedding and a bride in a $5,000 dress let a stinky one, how would you react? Remember, a bride is “always beautiful” on her wedding day. Do you ignore it or tell her how her farts even smell like roses today? hehehehehe

Okay serious answer, reacting is rude and it further embarrasses the perpetrator. If it's that bad, step away, but I don’t say anything; even if it’s not the bride.


3. What is the scariest thing that happened to you or scared you recently?

Alas, every time I walk down the stairs it’s scary. :(


4. Favorite brand and flavor of ice cream.

Brand: Baskin Robbins! In the summer it’s a waffle cone with America’s Birthday Cake and Baseball Nut, when those are not in season, it’s Chocolate Fudge and Cherries Jubilee.

I’ll always get a pretzel cone if it’s available with something black foresty when we go to an ice cream parlor that isn’t BR.

At home I like Haagen Dasz Coffee, Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, Skinny Cow Caramel Cone Crunch or Weight Watcher Giant Latte Bars; LOVE the Giant Latte Bars!

Okay, ice cream is more important to me than a wedding dress was too. Hmmm…


5. Are you able to sleep well in hotels?

Depends on the mattress. If I could stay at a Sheraton every time I stay in a hotel, I’d say I slept better in hotels than I do at home. Unfortunately we stay in hotels too often to afford a Sheraton every time. Besides we are often in small towns that don’t have a Sheraton anywhere close. I can’t sleep on a hard mattress or with a pillow that's too stuffed. I’ve tossed the pillow and used a stack of bathroom towels instead a few times. I've also slept in the chair once or twice.

By the way, we slept at home the night we got married and both nights of the reception weekend, so there was no mattress issue. By the time we went on the honeymoon we'd been married almost 9 months, but I think it's still in poor taste to talk about mattresses on a honeymoon!  ;)

And Soon The Week Is Done

I’ll probably blog some more this afternoon when I take my baking break. This is going to be a big baking day for me. I’m making half-dozen packages of Mr. Goodcookies for the bake sale at Paws and Whiskers on Sunday. I’m making 10 dozen Mr. Goodcookies to package in half-dozen bags. It’s definitely a labor of love!

This week’s statements:
1. I wish I had ___ to ___
2. I stopped wearing ____
3. My favorite song right now is_________because________.
4. I always sing while________.

My Answers:

1. I wish I had money to hire a crew to come in and clean/remodel our house.

2. I stopped wearing skirts. Anyplace I’d go where a skirt or dress would be appropriate I’d use the wheelchair. Skirt in a wheelchair is not a good look!

3. My favorite song right now is Dear God by XTC because it’s a very passionate song. (PLEASE see more about this song in Fragments!)

4. I always sing while I’m baking!

1. What is your favorite fall family tradition?

Apple picking! We’ve, and by “we” I mean me and any members of my family that want to go, gone apple picking since Tori and Rina were a year old. They’ll be 18 next Thursday. Another great tradition that’s part of that is that I make apple chips in the dehydrator. This year I’ll be shipping apple chips to two different places for my college-girls!


2. If money weren't an issue, how many kids would you have?

Still none; money had nothing to do with my choice not to have kids.


3. If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where would you put it?

I’d never get a tattoo for real, but I wore a temporary summer tattoo in my teens and 20s; a rose on my ankle. Trite, huh? I’m glad I didn’t get it permanently put on.


4. What condiment is a must in your house?

David likes his mayo on ham sandwiches (mayo-ick). I am a mustard girl. Honey mustard is the number one for pretty much any kind of meat but I like others for sandwiches, cooking and pretzels. I have 4 bottles of mustard that do all get used; honey, spicy brown, Dijon and classic yellow.


5. How did your spouse/fiance propose?

He didn’t. I didn’t either. We were already living together and he was working nights the week before Christmas, so we “went to city hall.” Yes, David worked on our “wedding night.” I scrapped.

**  David and I visited Hollywood Casino for the first time since it opened in April on Labor Day. We both did the smart thing when going to a casino decide how much you’ll lose and when you’ve lost that, you’re done. I did that the first time, well only time, I went to Vegas and considered myself a winner because I only lost about a third of what I planned to lose!

The truth is there’s only been one time that I went to a casino and left with more money than I came in with. John used to go the Motor City Casino in Detroit often enough that he got the occasional big coupon to Iridescence, the very hoity-toity restaurant there. That’s when he called little sis and asked me out to hoity toity dinner and some gambling. It was a chance to spend an evening with one of my closest friends, have a very nice diner with edible art dessert and donate my $20 to the casino while having a little fun with the draw poker machines. This was while John was playing the table games.

Well, that one night, after John has spent his donation to the casino for the evening, he found me having a jolly time at a machine not noticing what the total of credits was because I knew I was winning enough that it hadn’t asked for more coins. That was back when the machines still used coins; much more fun than putting paper money in and getting a paper slip if you win. John had looked at the credit total I was ignoring with huge eyes. “You know that credit total is eighty dollars’ worth of quarters, right?” I lost the next few hands after realizing how much was there, so I hit the cash button and listened to almost eighty dollars in quarters, with bells, spill out of the machine. That’s why I like the old-school coin machines better than the new-fangled paper ones. Like when I cashed out of machines in Vegas, you just feel like more of a winner when the coin cup gets too heavy to carry!

On Monday, because I didn’t really want to go because I didn’t have money I wanted to donate to the casino, David gave me a gambling stipend. We found a draw poker machine I liked and he put the bill in for me and left to find the poker room. I brought my Nook and our agreement was that when he was ready to go, I’d either be in this area playing poker or I’d be having a latte and reading. The machines are really set up so that you win often enough and big enough or almost big enough, to make you feel like you really did well, almost won, but after a decent while, they still get the money. I like that! Just next time I need to pick one of the machines for people who are there with people who play well and last longer! David found me reading the end of the current book and having just finished my latte. He wasn’t a winner that night either, but I think we might go again sometime.


**  We gathered up the cats for that annual trip that if you listened to them you’d swear we were going to the violin string factory. The greatest thing about choosing a vet that is less than a mile away is the ride with the cat chorus is short. We called it playing “Meowco Purro” as Carla would sound the desperate cry from her carrier and Kaline would respond with equal pathos from hers. Carla is 12 pounds and the paperweight that sleeps on my hip is 13! They said it’s average for girls and they look and sound great otherwise. It’s just amazing to me because in all her 17 years, the heaviest Azzie ever was, and that was only one time she weighted in that heavy, was 8 pounds. She was usually 7-1/2. I asked to be reassured that 12 and 13 pounds was normal and was told it’s normal. They eat light cat food, their preference, we tried to go back to regular; they were not impressed, run and play like crazy and don’t have a ton of treats, they’re not crazy about people food either. If they were overweight, I don’t know what we’d do.

Kaline’s seasonal eye problem is allergies. We were given the choice between eye ointment like last year, pills or children’s Benadryl. We’d had better experiences with liquids in the past, so we went with the children’s Benadryl. Yeah, that was a good idea! We got a drop of the first dose on her tongue and she was foaming at the mouth trying to get it out. Her eye is getting better and we’ll try the medicine again if it doesn’t keep improving, but adding that much stress isn’t going to help her.


**  The book I almost finished at the casino and did finish Tuesday morning was Blood and Bones by Austin Camacho. It’s the second Hannibal Jones book and I have all of the Hannibal Jones books; three read, two more to go. I love Hannibal! He is strong, smart and one of those champions for people. If you enjoy mysteries with a lot of action, some violence and great, but realistic, moral victories, definitely try out Austin Camacho’s Hannibal Jones mysteries!


**  About Dear God, by XTC: Don’t get this wrong! Dear God is an old song that I’ve recently become aware of and it is NOT a religious song, in that atheism is the lack of religion. The song has made me think a lot. Churches try to “save” atheists, but after listening to the lyrics, I wonder if those trying to save them have ever asked WHY they don’t believe. While people are starving, living in the streets, children and animals are abused, families are falling apart, many churches are fighting for superiority amongst themselves and government control. I really think I can understand why they don’t see God. We don’t always do a good job of showing Him. Maybe churches aren’t here to “save” the atheists; maybe the atheists are here to save the churches. Just a little food for thought.

Muh-muh-muh MY VERONA!

This could be a sad blog entry, really! David and I went out this morning because he is working the night shift again tonight. Yay that, because we got some trains time this morning and I’ll be able to try out the Night Owls Scrap Chat at Ginger Scraps tonight. I’ve wanted to try that chat for a while, but if David’s home we eat later, talk and watch the baseball games together. Games because he occasionally tolerates me toggling between the Reds and Tigers. Of course if the Red Sox are on TV, that’s the game we watch since they are not always on. I get spoiled with Fox Sports Ohio AND Detroit. I love living in Toledo!

Why this could be sad blog is the post office’s fault. After David had already left there was a ding from the doorbell. I knew my coffee order was due by tomorrow so I grabbed my walker and scooted to the door as quick as I could. I saw the post office truck leave as I opened the door and no box on the porch. Our regular UPS guy knows I’m slow so he honks the horn so I can get a head start as he's walking up the drive and he waits a little longer for orders that need a signature or when it’s a heavy box so he can hand it in the door for me. He also knows to leave packages on the front porch because I can get the leverage to get them in the house from there. The post office didn’t have the leave it on the front porch direction or knowledge that the disabled lady moves slow.

I looked out the side door figuring that since I didn’t get my summer planting done they’d leave the box in the flower bed. I wouldn’t be happy, but David could bring it in when he gets home. But no, the box was open and sitting on the steps! I can’t reach it from there and I can’t get down the steps if I wanted to go out! I was mad that the box was open and didn’t want it to sit outside until midnight. So I tried to pick it up with my truly inadequate for anything Grabber. No dice. After a rest, because efforts like that tire me out so fast, I tried again with mightier tongs. Still nothing. I texted David to let him know there’d be an open box on the steps when he got home. Then I called the post office. My account now has directions to wait after ringint thwe bell and leave things on the front porch and a complaint about the open box. I felt a little better.

I had to try one last time. I pulled my kitchen chair to the side door and sitting in it I tried to leverage the box up the step with the hook end of my cane. The result was the box falling off the step into the driveway. At that point I could get down the steps and grab the open flaps to get the box to the top step. I got my coffee inside! I am exhausted now, but after waiting since January for Keurig to get the Starbucks Verona K-Cups to use the buy 2 get 2 free coupon they gave me for registering my brewer, I wanted a cup from my four boxes of Verona! Mmm… Yummy Verona! It was SO worth the trouble to get my favorite coffee in my house, but after I post this I need a nap!

This week I’m just going to answer Mama M’s Friday 5 Questions:

1. What do you enjoy doing the most with your spouse?

Can I say that online? ;)

Seriously, I like most talking with David. If you’re with the person you want to grow old with, you’d better enjoy talking to that person! We talk about serious stuff, family; friends and relatives, even religion and politics without divorce! We also get silly, sometimes putting ourselves is gigging fits.


2. How do you eat your taco? From the top or from the side?

When I have the occasional taco, I start at the side; how else do you get the full flavor?


3. Have you ever shut off the basement light and ran like a fool because you knew someone was down there and would get you?

Ah, no. I can’t run anyway.


4. If you could change one thing about you what would it be and why?

Easy; No more MS! It’d have been nice to just go outside and pick up my box of coffee.


5. What age do you think is appropriate to have the "bird and the bees" talk with your children?

Depends on the kid. When they start asking give an honest but age-appropriate answer. I know Dee, Tori and Rina’s mom, never hid the “women products” and the girls were like 3 the first time they asked what the pads were for. “Eggs you don’t use to make babies.” It lead to a talk about how a woman’s body does things, in simple terms of course. That made it easier on me! They started wondering about sex after Dee passed and it was often Nana fielding the questions. Their Mom had laid down good ground work. When it always went back to understanding and respecting their own bodies first, it was all easier to understand.

Feeling Friday

1. If you could have been (could be) any profession you wanted (brains and $$$ no problem) what would it be?

I’m going to assume that girl parts aren’t an issue either. I’d have been a professional baseball player. Probably middle infield because compared to the men I’m too short for the outfield, which is where I played softball. You see, if I’d been an MLB player, maybe the first woman, I’d be retired by now. I likely would have retired when the MS symptoms started to escalate and I probably would have been diagnosed sooner because the club trainer would have seen something not right. Then I’d be a retired professional athlete with MS. I’d have a ton of clout to do speaking engagements and promoting to support awareness and research for the disease, I’d even be able to donate more to the National MS Society and other MS nonprofit organizations.


2. How often do you clean out your car?

I used to clean it out once a month with a good cleaning, vacuuming and Windex, a couple times a year. Now, clean out the car? Huh?


3. Do you wish there was such a thing as fashion police or are you deeply relieved?

I think people should wear whatever makes them feel good and expresses whatever they want to say with their wardrobe. If you enjoy “high fashion, even to the point of being overdressed for casual; gatherings, go for it. If you want to wear a sweatshirt to a nice restaurant I think that’s fine too. People should be a comfortable or crazy, proper and conservative as fits their personal style and we should all just let it be. Fashion Police is a silly concept and I’m glad they don’t exist.


4. What's your go to food/drink/activity when stressed?

Stress is best fought with chocolate; the more stress, the more chocolate is necessary.


5. If you had twins, what would you name them?

Two girls? Two boys? one of each? I am quite sure if I was responsible for naming twins, their names would be completely different and they wouldn’t sound at all like twins. I’d want them to have their own separate identities.

This week’s statements:
1. I hate ____
2. I have never been to ¬¬¬¬____
3. The hobby I love the most is_____________ and one day I will ____________________.
4. My favorite store to shop at is______________because_______________________.

My Answers:
1. I hate political advertising.
2. I have never been to a high school reunion.
3. The hobby I love the most is scrapbooking and one day I will be caught up!
4. My favorite store to shop at is Godiva Chocolatier because malls stress me out. ;)

**  I finished reading The Troubleshooter by Austin Camacho yesterday. It’s the first Hannibal Jones book and a great read! I’d already read Collateral Damage and thoroughly enjoyed it so I wanted to go back to the beginning of the series and read where it started. Without telling too much, Imagine trying to take a building back from being a crack house and dealing with the “businessman” who is profiting from the sale of drugs in the house. It’s a turf battle. The book is not for you if you don’t like a lot of action and well, the subject matter is of course violent. For me, I like the action and I couldn’t help but love Hannibal; he’s a great man of honor and brains.

**  Last night I was married to a lobster! David was on a boat all day. It’s Navy Week in Toledo and yesterday was the day the boats came into port downtown. David rode on the USS Hurricane, spending a long day in bright sun. One thing I always loved about working in the media is that you get some cool perks that most people don’t get to try. He came home dog-tired, but it was a fun day for him.

** I treated myself to Chinese on Monday, Heather’s fault; the #5 question in her Monday Quiz Abut Me at Acting Balanced was “What would your fortune cookie read today?” Well, ythat was all the influence I needed to make my “thinking about Chinese” turn into a real live craving. So I ordered Moo Shoo Chicken and Chinese veggies. That’s 2 meals worth and it came with two fortune cookies too. I had one Monday and gave that fortune as not what would, but what did my fortune cookie say as my answer to her question. Yesterday the leftovers were lunch! This was the fortune:

“Hugs are life’s rainbows.”

It’s a sweet fortune, but the food was better!

Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day!

Carla in 2009

According to Black Cats Are NOT Bad Luck on Facebook, today is officially worldwide Black Cat Appreciation Day. David and I both have pictures of Carla as our ID photos on Facebook today, replacing the ones of Kaline we had to celebrate her birthday last weekend. It amazes me how many people are still so backwards in intelligence that they still believe that a black cat is a bad omen. It breaks my heart that so many black cats are abused, even tortured, by people so mindless, so cruel. Carla is the sweetest, most cuddly cat you could imagine. Ritchie, my black cat in my teens, was just as loving and cuddling. I can’t imagine that anyone could ever cause any animal harm, but my experience with black cats is that they are loving and faithful than some dogs I’ve known.

Black cats are the least likely to be adopted in a shelter. If it’s not a no-kill shelter, that also mean they are the most often euthanized; killed for the color of their fur. How can anyone be so stupid in 2012 to believe or pay any sort of homage to ancient superstitions created by frightened simple-minded people?

This day was created to make people aware and celebrate the most affectionate and personable cats there are! Here’s to the feline black beauties everywhere!

Now, on to the Friday Memes!

This week’s statements:
1. I ___ so much __ in a day
2. I don’t like ____ but I love ___
3. When I watch_______ I ¬¬¬¬____
4. I have ________in my wallet.

My Answers:

1. I accomplish so much more in a day when I wake up early.

2. I don’t like cookie dough ice cream but I love cake batter ice cream!!

3. When I watch political ads on TV I feel scared and sad.

4. I have very little cash in my wallet. (on purpose)

1. What's the one thing you buy every time you walk into the store?

Salad. We prefer to use the bagged salad because it’s easier to serve while cooking something else. Trouble is it doesn’t keep well enough to buy in bulk so we pretty much always need another hag of salad.


2. If you had a day all to yourself how would you spend it?

Scrapbooking


3. Are you a speed limit driver? If not, over or under?

Depends on where I’m driving. If I’m on the freeway, it’s left lane all the way because I want to get to my destination and out of the car. I hate driving! If it’s surface streets, under the speed limit in stop and go traffic with less predictable other drivers.


4. What's your favorite dessert to make, homemade or from a mix??

The usual favorite planned dessert here is cake and ice cream. Sometimes the cake is homemade from scratch, sometimes for a box and sometimes we buy a cake at the store. I don’t make ice cream at home.


5. Would you rather have a spider or a mouse scurry across your face (no copping out and saying "neither!!")?

Not even a temptation to say “neither” here! If I can see the critter running across my face; “Here mousey, mousey!”

**  Yesterday morning when David, who is on the night shift this week, asked me if I wanted to go out and chase some trains with him in the morning, I was leaning to the side of “no.” But he tempted me with the Jersey Central Heritage Unit in the area and I caved to that temptation and went anyway. I’m so glad that I did! I got probably my best shot of a Heritage Unit “in the wild” yet!

Jersey Central in Wauseon, Ohio

August 16, 2012

**  I finally found the widget I wanted for my current book! I try to remain current with my reading on Good Reads and I’ve got several friends I share what I’m reading/have read with. It’s a good place to get recommendations for books too! I’m Nani_Reads at Good Reads. If you have an account there, feel free to add me to your reading network!


**  Sunday was Kaline’s 7th birthday. Birthday cake tie was somewhat of a lead balloon though. David opened the “cake,” Meow Mix tuna and crab Market Selects, and she wasn’t even interested! I was concerned that there was something wrong with it because she didn't even scratch the floor to mark the territory as “I’ll come back later, don’t touch.” She just wasn’t interested. She ate kibble and her crunchy treats on Sunday and Carla ate all the birthday cake. Kaline just didn’t seem to find the tuna and crab appealing. Her favorite is salmon and crab, so maybe she’s just being a snob. Azzie didn’t like tuna as a main flavor either. Her medicine came in tuna flavor and we had to order the chicken flavor for her. Maybe she taught her niece that snobbish tendency when Kaline was a kitten. So no tuna birthday cake for Kaline for number 8! We’ll stick with salmon and crab.


**  We’d planned on going on a fall vacation next week, but that plan changed and David is working so we’ll be staying home. No week of extra baseball and trains this year like we had last year. But on the bright side, there won’t be a hurricane and floods changing our trip plan either!


**  It’s officially Pumpkin Spice season because had my first pumpkin-something yesterday! I start craving Pumpkin Spice edibles about mid-August every year, but it’s usually the last week of August/beginning of September before I find anything Pumpkin Spice in coffee places, convenience stores or even donut shops. We stopped during railfanning yesterday because I wanted coffee. I hadn’t had breakfast op coffee yet and my fading energy really did want breakfast. We were thinking about making a stop for a sit-down breakfast and David was just getting me a coffee. When he went in to the gas station, I told him “16-ounce coffee with 2 creams, 2 Splenda, unless they have Pumpkin Spice cheat-a-ccino already!” He said, “Yeah right. 2 cream 2 Splenda.

He came back with a huge cup! I was wondering what part of 16 ounces he missed. He figured I’d want the big cup for my first Pumpkin Spice something of the year! Mmmm…..

Friday Fun

This week’s statements:

1. When I was little my mom _____
2. ___ is my favorite condiment
3. I don’t like to celebrate____ because____
4. My ____takes up more space _____ and I can never__________

My Answers:

1. When I was little my mom didn’t work. She started working part time once my brother and I were both in first grade and full time after we were in middle school.

2. Honey mustard dressing or just honey mustard is my favorite condiment

3. I don’t like to celebrate someone else’s bad fortune, no matter what I think of them or how much I can see they set it up themselves because I’d feel less deserving of my own good fortune if I did.

4. My computer backup takes up more space on my extended hard drive when I do it without tech support and I can never figure out what command I’m getting wrong. Tech support does it by remote and it’s a 6 or 7 hundred MB file, I do it, 10 GB. (shrugs)

1. Thunder storms- love them or hate them?  

I like to watch or listen to them, but I don’t think I’d say “love” them. I do hate tornado warnings.


2. Do your kids get back to school clothes? 

Nope, my kids don’t wear clothes.


3. Do you golf? Do you watch it?

No and no. I used to enjoy mini golf.


4. Showers or baths?    Showers


5. What's the strangest meal you ever ate? 

Hmm… I don’t know that I’ve had anything “strange.” I ate fried squid a lot when I was little, but I don’t care for squid now and very little fried. I think fried fish is strange! I’ve tried alligator and escargot. But those aren’t strange, just not common. I guess it was strange that I had malt-o-meal for dinner last night or that I njoy Parmesans cheese and butter in oatmeal.

**  I went peach-picking on Wednesday with Tori, Rina, Pop and my cousin’s sons OS and ES. I brought home enough peaches to have plenty to eat and still make a peach crisp and a small batch of peach butter next week.

It’s sad that the dry summer has made even U-Pick places more expensive this year because there is just less you pick. The peaches are on the smallish side, but still tasty. We picked a few plums but the blueberries were just too small to bother. I also picked up a peck of early apples in the store. It was fun, as it always is!

**  While the drought hasn’t been good for fruit, soybeans or corn in this area, it doesn’t seem to have had an adverse effect on the growth of poison ivy!

This poison ivy bush is right next to one of the peach trees in the U-Pick orchard. We shared warnings with each other and especially the kids, but ES recognized the poisonous to the touch bush and was warning us all too!


** After peach picking, Pop and the boys headed back home and Tori, Rina and I went to Ya Halla, our favorite Middle Eastern restaurant for our traditional “must eat there when in town” meal. We had our humus and tabouli appetizers, well, Rina and I had the tabouli, Tori isn’t a fan, but she had more hummus as the side dish with her meal. Then in lieu of dessert, we got more “Middle Eastern Crack” to go; a small for me and a large for the girls to take back to Papa’s house with them. Since we had a “linner” or “dunch” I had my take-home hummus for an evening snack and then finished it for lunch on Thursday.

Nani, Rina and Tori at Ya Halla

The next time I see the girls now, they’ll be college students and adults. Wow. They have grown into incredible young women who I still totally enjoy spending time with!


**  I have to show off and brag! I got a package in the mail yesterday that is just beautiful and definitely made me feel all warm and fuzzy! Kelly sent me this as my last birthday present this year:

She gathered the elements and put the Pandora-style bracelet together for me! It’s so personal and so special. The beads are beautiful and the charms are perfect, including a train, dangly baseball, chocolate bar, coffee cup and of course a Best Friends. I look at it on my wrist and it makes me smile and miss her a ton, but love my BFF even more! After 23 years, yeah, she kinda gets me!