MelaniePenelope: Entries from December 2017

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Entries from December 2017

16 December 2017

Sunday Stealing: It's Beginning To Look Like A Meme

Hello, Internet Friends! Welcome back. I'm sick as hell, so I have no fun intro thoughts right now. I'll try and save all my witticism for the actual questions. With that, link up here if you're joining us this week!

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Last week we talked about things that bug us. This week (and maybe next), how about things that we like about the holidays.

1. What’s your favorite thing about the holidays?

Image result for Christmas family time funny

Of all the things we - personally, as a family - do during the month of December, the best favorite thing about it is family together time. When we're not, you know, arguing over stupid bullshit. LOL.

2. Do you send out Christmas cards and if so how many do you send?

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Yes, I always send out cards. It's a thing I must do. This year I'm late and just got them in the mail yesterday. Except for the dozen or so still sitting here because I've run out of stamps and haven't bought more yet. This year, I'm sending out 75, which is about par for the course for us. Wanna get a card from us? I'd love to send you one. But I need your address. Promise I'm not a stalker. ;)

3. Be honest: holiday newsletters. Love ‘em or hate ‘em?

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I hate the ones that are like, brag brag brag, with an extra-heavy dose of brag. You feel me? I've never written one, but every year I'm tempted to send one and just be real with shit. For example, and this is all not related to this year, "In January, I forgot to pay the electric bill and we damn near froze to death... In July, Sophia was riding her horse who decided to turn at the last moment and bucked Sophia off, breaking her wrist..." etc. You know? Funny, because it's real.

4. Be honest: photo cards. Love ‘em or hate ‘em?

This is ours this year. Obviously, I'm in the love 'em category. However, admittedly, this one was not my best work. For one, Chloë was cropped out of the picture in the top left, which sucks big time. Secondly, it's just kind of meh and boring. But it got done, I could cross it off my list, and so there's that. But yes, I really do like getting (and sending) them.

5. How soon do you start shopping?

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I start shopping whenever I find a hot deal on something I know a person wants and I concurrently have the dollahs to do so. Like my Christmas cards, I started a bit late this year.

6. Real or fake tree?

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Well, ideally, I'd love to have a real Christmas tree. However, I don't think in all our years of marital bliss that we have had anything but a pre-lit artificial tree. And we have the cats. And the puppies. So planning our tree placement is rather difficult. This year, no tree (so far, but I'm working on it, Zippi!), so no problems! (But real would be nice.)

7. When do you put up your tree?

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It's against my religion to put up the tree before Thanksgiving is over. Preferably, the first of December or later for me. I don't really care when everybody else does it, though, and I enjoy looking at everyone's Christmas décor!

8. When do you take down your tree?

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Ideally, by New Year's Day. I'm not a Scrooge or anything, I just don't like dragging things out forever and a day.

9. Describe your typical tree (size, decorations, type)

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It's usually about 7-8 feet tall, pre-lit, chock full of ornaments that represent our entire life histories - both separately and jointly - and usually strewn with that tinsel stuff you have to blow upward to get to the top of the tree. I try, annually, to collect a new angel-themed ornament in memory of my son Robby, and those must always go toward the top of the tree. We also have an angel Christmas tree topper. All of this is in a box somewhere (or three boxes, or maybe four), because we haven't really gotten our Christmas on this year in a big, showy way.

10. What do you top your tree with?

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I already answered that, oopsy. An angel. It changes, though.

11. Do you put Christmas lights outside your house?

Usually, but that's a job delegated to Hubs, and I haven't been able to get Hubs to do that deed this year. Yet.

12. Is there a wreath hanging on your door?

Right now, we have this bell thingamabob on the front door in lieu of a wreath. It'll do for this year, its second or third appearance for us, but I think I'm going to get a nicer, real wreath next year. I get bored of things like this, shown over and over.

13. Do you hang up stockings?

These are ours, right now, at this moment. So yes. I made the white one. That's Robby's.

14. Your favorite Christmas Movie(s):

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I don't even really know. I've never sat down and watched Elf, A Christmas Story, It's A Wonderful Life, or much else that makes me feel like a bad... Christmasser. OH! WAIT! I know. It's Miracle on 34th Street. I adore that flick.

15. Be honest: A Christmas movie you don't like:

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I liked Home Alone, but I've seen it umpteen million times and now I'm sick of it. So I guess I'll choose that one.

16. Favorite Christmas Song(s):

Really, my favorite Christmas song is The First Noël, because that was my mother's favorite, but Rob's is Little Drummer Boy. I stumbled across this African tribal version last night and absolutely loved it. I suggest giving it a listen!

17. Be honest: If I hear this/these Christmas songs again I will throw up:

Image result for Grandma got run over by a reindeer funny

I haven't really heard it this year (yet?), but I have memories of lots and lots of Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer from my childhood, which mostly sucked, and so I'm no longer a fan. That's pretty much it. I actually love Christmas music.

18. Give or Receive?

I definitely prefer to give! The above collage is from December 3rd of this year, because I had things to give, all wrapped up and waiting... If you know me, I just about EXPLODE with anticipation and giddiness over giddiness, and so... we opened everything we had already in the house so far in the year on that date. I'm trying so hard not to do it again! Hee.

19. Eggnog or Mulled Cider?

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I used to be an eggnog girl all the way, but now... I'm more into the mulled cider. Yum!

20. Ham or Turkey?

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EWW, ham. Never liked that crap even before I became a strict vegetarian in 2005. Ew EW EWW! Sorry if you're a fan. Turkey is not as obnoxious (to me), but obviously I can't eat that, either. So give me some hummus and we'll all be happy, 'kay?

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Well that was fun. I'm feeling festive now. Except for looking at that ham and bananas crap (who does that?!). Here's hoping y'all have a lovely Sunday!

Posted at 23:22 in #BecauseScience, Attitude of Gratitude, Christmas Bells Are Ringing, Cinema, Current Affairs, Foodie Delights, Fun Times, Funny $h!+, Memes & More, Music to My Ears, Screw You, Flu, Sunday Stealing | Permalink | Comments (5)

Saturday 9: Silent Night

Image result for elvis presley silent night

Hey hey, what do you say? Welcome back. Link up here if you wish to play along this week!

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Saturday 9: Silent Night (1957)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) How well do you know "Silent Night?" Without looking up the lyrics, could you sing along with Elvis?

Image result for elvis presley singing gif

I could do the whole first stanza and then manage most of the second. After that, I'm mouthing the words!

2) The Christmas with Elvis album hit the stores in October 1957. Were you already preparing for Christmas back in October?

Image result for Halloween and Christmas meme

Often I am. This year, no.

3) Clearly Elvis liked a flocked white Christmas tree. Is your tree flocked, aluminum or pine green? Real or artificial? Or do you skip the whole tree thing altogether?

Image result for most beautiful christmas tree

Ideally, I would be the type of person who had a beautifully curated, themed, and colour-coordinated tree in every room of my house. Usually, we have a fake "pine" tree decorated to within an inch of its life with ornaments and bedazzling. (lol) THIS year, however sad it may make me, we have NO tree. I was convinced we'd brought our tree with us in the household packout that just came before Thanksgiving, but alas, we must have given it away. So then, I bought what I thought was a rather nice tree out of the last of our meagre budget, from Kohls.com. It turned out to be a sad little piece of corner-tree-crapola. That was returned, and the money used for groceries. So no tree this year. Ah, well. It's not the biggest deal in the world.

4) Back in the late 1950s, Elvis left his hair its natural brown color. In the 1960s he began having it dyed black. Do you have a salon appointment scheduled between now and year end?

No. I was going to take curly-haired Chloë and myself in for a trim, but Jack needed it worse, I cut my own bangs, and Chloë can wait. So, nope!

5) Have you ever peeked, looking for a Christmas gift you know is hidden for you somewhere in the house?

Image result for peeking at christmas presents gif

I don't think so as an adult, but I know as a kid I carefully unwrapped a few presents with my name on them. That ruined the surprise for me, though, so I discontinued the process.

6) Which do you prefer, candy canes or gingerbread?

Not a fan of gingerbread, except looking at prettily made houses.

7) Is anyone receiving a home made or do-it-yourself gift from you this year?

Image result for slytherin scarf

I don't know if I'll get it finished in time, but I'm hoping to make Sophia (my 12yo) a Slytherin scarf like this one. She and Chloë are now both heavily "into" all things Harry Potter. (Chloë would like to gleefully point out that she is a Ravenclaw.)

8) Do you wrap holiday gifts in paper, or do you take the gift bag route?

Image result for lots of beautiful christmas wrapping paper

I only take the gift bag route when I have exactly ZERO time to wrap presents. I love wrapping gifts. Ideally, each separately themed tree would have a coordinating pile of gifts under it. Hee.

9) This time of year is big for charitable fundraising. Here's your chance to plug a cause or organization that's near and dear to you.

I love Heifer International. We donate money for a bunch of bunnies, or a goat, or whatever is needed, every year. And throughout the year, we get an occasional letter telling us how our gift has been used and benefited the recipient community. I love those letters! I really think Heifer International is one of the greatest causes out there!

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That is all. Have a lovely, and if you're celebrating Chanukah, happy happy!

Posted at 00:41 in Attitude of Gratitude, Christmas Bells Are Ringing, Crafty Mum, Memes & More, Saturday 9 | Permalink | Comments (14)

10 December 2017

Sundays In My City: Advent Days 1-9

Here in Boise, my family and I are going through our 2017 Advent calendar. So far, of course, we've completed activities out and around Boise since the first.

Every year, I assemble an Advent calendar with a treat and an activity for each day. This year, I had to enlist help from Hubs with assembling it. He went to the store and bought all the mini stockings for me, while I bought the candies and spent hours combing the Interwebs and our past calendars to come up with the 24 activities.

Sixteen-year-old Chloë started us off with a smile and a yank! of the first stocking. December 1st Advent

{Click to Embiggerate Collage}
On December 1st, we headed to nearby Meridian, Idaho, for their annual Christmas parade. It was so fun! We were freezing, though - I don't think Team Odette, collectively, have quite adjusted to the fact that we will be in real, honest-to-God WINTER here and not balmy Miami winters, heh. But it was fun, hot chocolate was enjoyed, and home we went.

Jack took over the Advent calendar for Day 2. It's hard to capture a real Jack smile on camera, and honestly, I'm not sure if this is one!

For December 2nd, we went to a fun Christmas activity at Zoo Boise. To be honest, we have visited some amazing zoos as a family, and Zoo Boise was the least impressive. But since we often tease Chloë about her two chubby guinea pigs being capybaras, it was certainly fun to see a few of those at the Zoo!

Chloë with Alex and James

Sophia took over for Day Three of Advent.

On Day Three, we hand made snowglobes. Super fun activity; we all really enjoyed it a lot, and Chloë (in red) said she wants to do lots more like this in the future. Yay!

Ultimately, that night, we also hemmed and hawed about whether to open all the presents that had arrived thus far in the house and... giddily, we decided to open everything. Christmas on December 3rd? Why not?

On December 4th, Team Odette visited "Winter aGlow" at Idaho Botanical Gardens. OMGosh, you guys! It was so beautiful, with the plants and flowers so intricately lit and designed. We loved it. There were free cookies, along with free cocoa and hot cider, which really helped control the chill of the evening. (Because holy heck, Idaho is cold in December!) Totally worth every moment we spent there!

On December 5th, we had a Day of Remembrance for the loved ones we have lost. Individually, Rob, Chloë, Jack, Sophia, and I each lit candles for our son Robby (Jack's identical twin), Rob's mom, my mom, and others whom we are missing this year. It was a solemn evening, but definitely necessary and cherished by all of us, I think.

On that evening, I let Jack open a gift that I knew he really wanted and would enjoy. He hadn't received much other than tons of SOCKS and a few other small things on the 3rd, when the girls had a lot to open, so I knew he was feeling a bit disappointed. I gave him the Xbox One version of the game "Halo 5," which had been on his wishlist. I think you can tell that this is a genuine Jack smile.

On December 6th, we had options: there was going to be a Basque Christmas concert at the capitol building's rotunda, but that clashed with the timing for the kids' youth church. Instead of the concert, all of the kids opted to go to church instead. So that's what they did!

On December 7th, we went to Downtown Boise (just a hop, skip, and a jump from home) for their First Thursdays event. There were goodies galore, some shopping, and plenty of eats. We went to The Stil Ice Cream Shop and had a beer-and-ice cream flight. The kids and Rob each had a different ice cream, while Hubs and I shared the beers. Pretty damn good, I must say. We'll have to go back there. We had delicious chocolates from a truffle shop, and Hubs gave me an "Idahome" decal that I wanted for the car. Fun night!

On Friday, December 9th, we were supposed to go out to Eagle, Idaho, for a Christmas event, but that's when I started feeling like absolute crud. Instead, we decided to stay in and have fun playing games on the XBox. Chloë really wants to use her Just Dance game, but I guess you need your cell phone to use it, and she has killed three phones in just as many months, so I was in no hurry to loan her mine!

You know? Understandable, I hope. So she and Sophie played Minecraft, and Jack played his Halo 5 game. I think I... slept. Probably.

Last night, December 9th, we were invited to our neighbor Gladys' LDS (Mormon) Church's Christmas party! It was a ton of fun, if not a bit unusual for us, since we are not LDS. There was SO much food - yummy stuff (have y'all ever heard of Funeral Potatoes? Gladys made those, and it is essential that I get her recipe!), and even picky Jack got his fill. As we were leaving for the night, the girls even grabbed a second plate of cheesecake each. Ha! There were two women who played the Japanese harp, the koto, which was absolutely beautiful, and several people sang. Santa came, and since my children have long since believing, they refused to go up and partake of that. Darn, I wanted pictures! ;) We had a great time, and despite my being sick, I'm so glad we went.

SO that's it for our area this past week and change in Boise, Idaho. Looking forward to "visiting" some of you also posting on Claudya's blog! Thanks for hosting, Claudya!

Posted at 05:57 in Christmas Bells Are Ringing, Current Affairs, Fun Times, Idaho What I'm Doing, Memes & More, Photography Amateur | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sunday Stealing: Bah Humbug

Hey guys, welcome back! Link up here if you're playing along this week!

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From Hostess Bev: Bah Humbug! Before we get all warm and cozy for the upcoming holidays, here's a chance to let out all those angry feelings you've been harboring. I copied this a long time ago and don't remember where I stole it from.

TV show I loathe:

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Well, anything at Fox "News" pretty much sucks, particularly "Fox and Friends." Blech. Ain't no friends of mine!

Movie I loathe:

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Earnest Goes to Camp and any others in that franchise pretty much bite the big fat one for me!

Music genres I loathe:

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Country music. Country anything, really, does not appeal to me. Deep South, no thanks. I can't abide by any of that... mentality. #SorryNotSorry

Magazine which annoys me:

Cosmopolitan - I used to enjoy it when I was younger, but now that I'm in my forties (egad), every single fookin' article about "Your Best SEX Ever!" grates on me. Like, If I haven't done or am not doing it by now, find someone else. No thanks!

Makes me cranky at restaurant:

Image result for finding meat in vegetarian food

It really irritates me when I order a meal that is either labeled as "vegan" or "vegetarian" or just doesn't disclose its meaty ingredients, and then I get all hyped up for something yummy, only to take a bite and... ewwww, ground beef. Cue the instant tears. No lie, I cry. This makes for a very unhappy Smellyann. I have left restaurants and never returned over nonsense like this. (I'm looking at you Outback Steakhouse!)

Makes me cranky in public:

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People who smoke in public. ESPECIALLY those who smoke near businesses' entrances. ESPECIALLY entrances to hospitals and restaurants. Y'all can burn.

Makes me impatient at home:

It irritates me when I give my family members an abundance of notice that we need to leave for a certain thing at a certain time and, when that time nears, nobody is ready. GAH! Especially when it's something we do week in and week out, like ::ahem:: Sophie's horse riding lessons! ;)

Makes me impatient at work:

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Frustration over teaching my students (my kids) the exact same concept over and over and over and over... (especially Math!)

Celebrity I hate:

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Stevie Nicks. Okay, okay - I don't actually hate the singer, but the singers voice is what I can't stand. I really can't. I've made a thing about it for years, between Hubs and me, so it's an inside joke for us now. And then once, when we were living in Miami, we had driven down to Key West as a family. We were supposed to have a posh dinner at the posh Westin at the very tip of the island there, and our room was lovely. However, our dinner reservations had been bumped by none other than Ms. Nicks herself! Ha! More fuel for the fire. ;)

Music artist I hate:

Oh. I just covered that (I really should read ahead sometime), but not to worry, I have more. Here's one:

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Drake. I'm just not a fan. A lot of people complain that rap isn't musical. I disagree, but I find Drake's rap style so... monotonous and dreary that it is not musical. Ugh.

I couldn't care less about:

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...All the supposed sexual innuendo in the large vault of Disney movies. I don't look for them and I don't let them change my enjoyment of the actual movies themselves. So :P

Blogger's habit that annoys you:

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I'm sorry, I don't care how much I like talking to you face-to-face, but if your writing is chock-full of bad grammar and poor spelling, then I just won't read it!

Feature on your blog you hate:

None! Why would I continue doing a feature I don't like? I have attempted a few times to start a feature/meme/carnival/whatever of my own, but before I bothered to promote it much and have it catch on, I lost interest myself. So I'm still trying to think of that great idea. Ha!

Politician that you hate:

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Enough said, I think! ;)

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Well, now that's done. I just woke up from a two-hour nap and feel pretty good, other than having no voice. Hope to see y'all around here really soon!

Cheers.

Posted at 02:25 in Funny $h!+, Memes & More, Sunday Stealing | Permalink | Comments (10)

09 December 2017

Saturday 9: My Church

Hey, everyone! I hope you're having a jolly December so far. We have been, but in a delightful turn of events, I have another, mostly-unFacebooked rash of illnesses and things going on, AND I'm "good ol' regular sick" on top of that, so I'm feeling like poo today. And we have a Christmas party to go to at a neighbor's church, which I am so not feeling, but I'm going to muster up the effort to get in the shower and get ready for it soon.

ANYway, link up here if you'd like to join in today's Saturday 9!

And away we go...

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Saturday 9: My Church (2016)

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

1) This song is about a woman who loves singing along with her car radio. Is that something you enjoy?

So this is a video we made - it's utterly ridiculous and awful, and we know it - a year or two ago. I think two. Yeah. Anyway, I believe we sing along to the radio in some of it. Yes, it is one of my true loves, actually!

2) The video begins with Maren Morris finishing her cigarette before getting behind the wheel. Do you allow smoking in your car?

Image result for you gotta be kidding me

Ha. Yeah, right. If it were up to me, there would be no smoking allowed in the world. Period!

3) In this song, Maren admits she's lied. What's the last fib you told?

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I just lied about an hour ago, to a mystery shopping scheduler. I lied about the recent I didn't get a shop's report in on time. Heh.

4) She mentions having her radio on the FM dial. Are you loyal to a single radio station? Or do you spin the dial?

Image result for radio station meme

In the car, I change the station all the time. I can't stand listening to people jabbering on radio. In the house, I generally keep it streaming on one station on my computer all the time, wishing I could change stations when the jabbering starts!

5) Maren was inspired to write this song while on a long car trip from Nashville to Los Angeles. When do you get your best ideas?

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I've always maintained I do my best thinking in the shower. It's true!

6) She performed this song on Saturday Night Live last year. The host that week was John Cena. Do you follow professional wrestling?

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That ^^^ is in response to all the WWF memes I tried to explore before settling on this fact that I didn't understand a single one of them! Because no, I don't follow it.

7) In 2016, when this song was popular, Alex Rodriguez played his final Major League Baseball game. He has embarked on a second career as a broadcaster. Would you be comfortable on camera?

No, not me! But my 16-year-old daughter, Chloë, has been acting since she was five years old. She's as shy as I am in real life - maybe more so - but when the camera turns on her? She's a natural. (This is from a short film she was featured in in 2009, called Boom.)

8) A 2016 study revealed that 43% of Americans own mutual funds, many in their 401(k)s and IRAs. Are you involved in the stock market?

Image result for stock market meme

Nope. I've often thought about educating myself on such matters - financial matters are not my intellectual forte - but then I see things go so badly for so many people very quickly and think, "nahhh."

9) Random question: You have something awkward and embarrassing that you simply must tell a pal. You know your friend will not be happy with the news. Would you prefer to deliver it by email, in a phone call, or face to face?

Image result for people still make phone calls meme

Email or text. Or Facebook messenger, whatever. I get anxious with face-to-face and phone conversations. C'est la vie!

Welp, time to go get ready for that party. I'm feeling a little bah-humbuggy about it, but only 'cause I'm sick...

Ciao.

Posted at 18:19 in Acting Up, Christmas Bells Are Ringing, Memes & More, Our GoPro Show , Saturday 9, Screw You, Flu | Permalink | Comments (2)

02 December 2017

Sunday Stealing: Book Meme

Welcome back, peeps! Today we went to Zoo Boise for a "freebie" day, which was our 2nd day of Advent activity. To be quite honest, it was probably the lamest zoo we've been to, and we've seen a few. Maybe it's nicer in the summertime? I don't know, but at least it was something to do that I didn't have to pay for!

Let's get into the fray; link up here if you'd like to join in the fun today!

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This was stolen from designindigo, a site which no longer seems to be live. But we all seem to be readers, so I thought this was fun to do.

Do you prefer hardcover, paperback, or Kindle...and why?
I prefer a hardcover book, but a paperback will do if that's all I have. I hate reading on my Kindle; my girls love it. When using a smart device, I have to have the screen on super brightness, or I'm not able to see it to read. But that gives me a headache. And the battery dies when I read on the Kindle, usually with no access to a charger, so... I just love the feel of holding a weighty tome in my hands, turning the pages, smelling the paper, etc. The book experience is incomparable, in my opinion.

2. If I were to own a book shop I would call it ...
Uh, I don't know. I'm absolutely horrible at naming things! "Pay My Wages, Read These Pages!" Heh.

3. My favorite quote from a book Moby Dick is ...
"Call me Ishmael." It's such a great, simple opening to such a great, complex tale.

4. The author (alive or dead) I would love to have lunch with would be ...
Definitely Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) - such a thinker, that one!

5. If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except for the SAS survival guide, it would be ...
When I was a single woman, about 20 years ago (holy shit), I drove up to Georgia from Florida, where my sister was living at the time. She's not a big reader, but she was going through this autobiography-reading phase at the time. I'm a big reader, so I read all the books she had lying around the house at the time. Ellen DeGeneres' book, My Point... And I Do Have One had me in stitches the whole way through. I'm not a big re-reader, but I think if I were stuck on a deserted island, I'd be pretty miserable and could use a hearty laugh or two!

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that ...
You know what would be great? How about a floating book holder that could position the book wherever it was comfiest for me to read it, turn the pages for me, and have a light on it for when it's otherwise too dark to see? Yeah, that is what I want. Get on it, Gates!

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of ...
I was gifted a set of my Great-Aunt Amy's old translational books from Spanish-English, French-English, and German-English. They were yellowed and literally falling apart at the seams. The pages were so old and unprotected, they were brittle and flaking away whenever handled. I don't even know where they are at this moment (in a box, somewhere in this house), but old books instantly remind me of Aunt Amy. She was the best.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be...
Wendy Darling, from Peter Pan by James M. Barrie... Maybe a creepy kinda book, but I would love to be able to magically fly at whim and still be innocent and childlike about life...

9. The most over-rated book of all time is...
I have to agree with Stephen King. Both of my daughters have read all the Harry Potter books and watched all the movies, and Chloë has even read the whole series three times! It took me a long time to actually get on board with HP, but now I find them ingenious and love that the girls love them so much. On the other hand, I tried to read Twilight and just could never get into the first book, let alone the rest or the movies. Meh. Just not my cup of tea, maybe?

10. I hate it when a book....

... is in a "choose your own adventure" series. I always loathed those books. So stupid! If I wanted to choose my own ending, I'd have written the damn book myself. No. So lame.

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That was fun, Bev! Thanks for the meme!

Posted at 21:11 in Book It, He Reads!, Memes & More, She reads!, Sunday Stealing | Permalink | Comments (5)

01 December 2017

Saturday 9: Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Welcome back, folks! Link up here if you're playing along today! Let's get right into it:

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Saturday 9: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (1971)

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

In memory of David Cassidy, who died on 11/21/17.

1) This song mentions celebrating the holidays in "the new old-fashioned way." What's a holiday tradition that began with you (or your generation)?

Image result for christmas stockings

Growing up, we always went to the Christmas Eve midnight mass at my stepmother's Catholic church, and then came home and opened our stockings. There is no Catholicism revered in my household, but we do go to the Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve at our non-denominational (Protestant) church and then return home and open our stockings. It's a treasured tradition among our wee family.

2) The lyrics include dancing, caroling and pumpkin pie. Will you enjoy any of those three between now and year-end?

Image result for christmas caroling meme

Probably all three! I made three pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, and they were gone in a flash. The other day, my younger daughter emailed me to let me know we still had the ingredients for more pumpkin pie. Subtle, Sophie, very subtle... ;)

3) David Cassidy and The Partridge Family were intensely popular for a short period of time. For example, this song was from the best-selling Christmas album of the 1971 holiday season. Have you added any holiday music to your collection this year?

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Not yet, but I don't officially get into the Christmas spirit until December first [today], so I haven't even begun to think about it!

4) In 1971, the official David Cassidy fan club had a membership that exceeded both Elvis' and The Beatles'. Have you ever joined a fan club?

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I don't think I have? I'm not really the fangirling "type".

5) David recalled that his first hero growing up was the Yankees' Mickey Mantle. When you were a little kid, what grown-up did you look up to?

My mother. And I still do.

6) David was a notoriously bad driver. In 1990, he was sentenced to traffic school for speeding. He was late for the class because he was stopped for speeding en route. Do you have a "lead foot?"

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Yeah, I totally have a lead foot. I've probably gotten half a dozen speeding tickets, from several different states... Oops. I did get pulled over near here in Mountain Home, Idaho, for going about 38 in a 25 mph zone recently, but the detective who stopped me was on his way to a call and didn't have time to write me a ticket, so he let me off with a warning. Phew! (I probably not have learned my lesson.)

7) David's parents divorced when he was only four years old. He and his mom lived with her parents until he was 10. Have you ever lived in an extended, multi-generational household?

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I wish I'd lived with my grandparents in New Jersey instead of the shitty family I got stuck with after my mom died, but nope. On the other hand, my husband's parents divorced when he was four, and his mom's mom lived with them, so. Does that count?

8) In 1971, when David and the Partridge Family were at their height, the US Mint introduced the Eisenhower Silver Dollar. Think of the last thing you bought. Did you pay with cash or plastic or your phone?

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We went to a Christmas parade tonight in nearby Meridian, Idaho, and got hot chocolates for each of the kids from Dutch Bros. Cash was paid. I haven't set up my new phone to pay with yet, for no particular reason. I think I'll do that after this!

9) Random holiday question: Let's talk re-gifting. Tell us about a time you re-gifted, or you received a present you suspect was re-gifted.

I always get some kind of skin care or body care for Christmas, but until recently, I was particular to only using JAFRA skincare for over 20 years. I always regifted those presents. And I don't mind receiving something regifted, if it's something I like.

~*~*~*~*~

Happy December, everybody! Our Advent calendar started tonight, of course, and I'm super excited about it. I can't wait to reveal all the Christmas-y fun stuff I have planned, to the kids!