MelaniePenelope

Sunday Stealing: Fill In The Blanks

Howdy, y'all. Welcome back.

Make sure you link up here if you're playing along with the rest of us this weekend!

This week, Bev's got us doing some fill-ins, so prepare yourself. I have played a lot of Mad Libs as a kid. (Wait, what? It's not supposed to be as ridiculous as possible? Well then, you've probably come to the wrong blahg.)

Let 'er rip.

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Stolen from Friday Fill-ins

1) Right now I'm listening to iHeartRadio, and I gave a rare thumbs-down to the last track. Not a fan.

2) Apologizing for everything, constantly is my well known quirk. I'm working on it!

3) "Are you serious?" (I didn't know what to do with this one, exactly, so I chose to make it be something I say ALL. THE. TIME.)

4) Brush your teeth first, then come say good-night to me! (I swear, I will be telling my kids this until I'm in the grave!)

5) Okay, kids, listen to Aunt Melanie on this one! I had emergency c-sections with ALL my kids; they were all high-risk pregnancies. After the last kiddo (the afore-mentioned Sophia), I was raring to go to lose a bunch of weight. You're supposed to weight SIX FULL WEEKS to exercise or get frisky. I felt like pfft, been there, done that, and I feel fine. So I started doing yoga and pilates after about ten days. I felt great! (Not so with that first slice-and-dice operation, omg.) Well. After about four days - so two weeks post-partum - I stopped in the middle to use the bathroom. When I pulled my pants down, my guts came with it. I had split my incision right the F open! That's why you wait the six weeks. Ahh, so.

6) The Dukes of Hazzard is (was) one of my favorite tv shows ever! Picture my 5-year-old self having a crush on Bo!

7) (BET meme used because um, it is Sunday.) And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to (pass, it's already Sunday), tomorrow my plans include (pass, it's already Sunday), and Sunday, I want to organize everyone's comings and goings in my planner for the coming week & make sure I'm set for payday Friday!

8) If I could go anywhere on a road trip, I'd go to Yellowstone National Park. Some of it's in Idaho, but I'd want to venture into Montana to get to see Old Faithful. Google Maps tells me it's only 6 hours' drive from here.

9) Spatial relations is something I don't understand. (Well, that's not entirely accurate; I understand it. I just really struggle with applying it!)

10) Thanksgiving makes me think of pie. Specifically, apple pie.

11) Lying in a hammock on the beach in the Caribbean is the best way to relax! (I first did this on Blue Lagoon Island at age 14, and I knew I had found my bliss. I've since done it with Rob & the kids on various beaches in Miami, and with Rob in Mexico. Obviously not enough!)

12) It looks like Autumn in Australia. Wait, right?

13) Pea falafel is one of my favorite healthy snacks. (OMG, I seriously love it!)

14) The smell of tobacco - NOT cigarette smoking, but like a pouch of tobacco -  makes me think of my grandfather. Grandma smoked More cigs, but Grandpa smoked a pipe. And he had many pipes, including some Turkey Meerschaum ones like this one. One day, he went to the dentist, who told him he was "working on the big C," in Grandpa's words. He quit smoking his pipe that day and threw away all those pipes. I think that was even before his major heart attack requiring a sextuple bypass, so I must have been 11 or 12, but whenever I catch a whiff of that sweet tobacco, I think of him immediately.

15) (Actually, that's really genius, Bill Gates!) When I am feeling lazy I edit photos or read email. If I'm lazy and tired, I nap.

16) When I look to the left, I see far too many Erin Condren accessories that are meant to get me organized; clearly I haven't really started yet!

17) The girls' bedrooms & all the downstairs rooms are the ones that have the best view in my home.

18) Our wedding (both the elopement and, later, this little one on the beach with family) was done dirt cheap!

19) Voting is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share. (For the love of GOD, please vote!)

 

20) If you have any Tylenol, feel free to share it with me. These headaches are endless.

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Whee, look at me! I got 'er done on the right day. Y'all should be so proud of me.

Have a great week, everybody!

Fin.

Saturday 9: All Right

Hello there, ladies and gents! I hope you are all staying healthy and sane in these strange and dangerous days. If not, you're welcome to share with me so I can send up some prayers and/or send good juju your way!

Link up here to join the rest of us in some fun with Christopher Cross this weekend. I haven't heard this song in forever.

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Saturday 9: All Right (1983)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song has an optimistic message about love: "It gets tough sometimes, but you can give it one more try ..." Do you tend to take an optimistic look at life?

 

 

Yes. I've said on here a million times, I see the world through rose-colored glasses. I've trusted too much and been hopeful, and then gotten disappointed numerous times. But I still trust and am hopeful the next time. I have seen a more cynical side creeping in of late, and I just don't like it. Who wants to live in that negative, "everything is about someone's agenda" mentality? I do not. I'm the "count your blessings" type, too.

2) In this song, Christopher Cross sings, "Time and time again I see people so unsure like me ..." Tell us about a recent time when your confidence could have used a boost.

 

Well, on Monday, I had to have a Libre glucose monitor implanted in my arm for a fortnight. I was SO scared leading up to it. Chloë gave me her hand to squeeze, and I squeezed the hell out of her poor hand - for nothing. I literally did not feel a thing. Silly me! (I was like that with the picc line a few years ago, but that actually was painful and scary.)

 

3) The Doobie Brothers Michael McDonald plays on this record. Do you have a favorite Doobie Brothers song?

 

I had to run over to YouTube for a playlist to see if I had a clear favorite. From the titles, I couldn't decide, so I started playing them. It may be cliché, but when "Black Water" started, I knew that had to be it.

 

4) Though no longer making hits, Christopher Cross still has loyal fans who attend his concerts. Time permitting, he spends time after each show signing autographs. Have you ever asked a celebrity for his/her autograph?

 

 

Regular visitors will know that I love Dave Barry and that he's easily the most famous person I've met. I know, we're not talking superstar insanity here, but he did (does? I'm not sure if he still does) write a syndicated humor column, write several books, and have a TV sitcom based on his life, so... Anyway, he used to come into the Publix where I worked in Coral Gables, Florida, while in college. (Please note that the "U" on his shirt is the reason I used this picture!) One time, he came in on a Sunday, and I spotted him when I went on break. I ran to buy a Sunday paper and found his column in the Miami Herald. I was extremely shy and nervous, so I kind of crept around the store after him and his wife Michelle, not wanting to intrude. Finally, they were stopped, browsing the chips aisle, when his wife looked at me and then said, "Dave, I think this girl would like to talk to you." I almost died, but I

5) Christopher Cross' dad was an Army doctor stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC. With all the museums and monuments, our nation's capital could be a great place for a kid to grow up ... except sometimes we take the advantages of our hometown for granted. Tell us about a nearby museum, park, theater, etc., you'll visit again when this period of crisis is over and it's agreed that it's safe to do so.

Well, I was looking forward to the Boise Greek Festival at the end of May, but I see it's been postponed to some as-yet-unknown future time. So I'll turn my attention toward the opening of our small town's city pool that same weekend and hope that date keeps! I'm looking forward to denying my numerous health issues the opportunity to keep me homebound this summer - and the rest of my life, really - and just making the most of every day!

6) In 1983, when "All Right" was popular, Flashdance was a hit in movie theaters and on the radio. What's the most recent movie you watched? Most recent song you heard on the radio?

I really haven't watched any movies in a while, as my 15yo, Sophia, has me catching up on Stranger Things with her. But, someone just told me I need to watch Circus of Books soon, and so I shall.

I'm listening to the I ♥ Radio app on my phone right now, and "Love Lies" by Khalid & Normani is playing right now. Big fan of Khalid!
 
7) Also in 1983, America West Airlines took off, flying between Las Vegas and Phoenix. They went nationwide in 2005 after they merged with US Airways. In 2013, they merged again, this time with American Airlines. Do you collect miles in an airline loyalty program?

Yeah, a few. We mostly fly Delta - maybe because I have a couple of friends with connections? - but I really don't even fly every year anymore, so it's a little pointless.

Back in the early-mid 2000s, a different friend's husband worked or Delta. Their cat had kittens, and she was looking for takers when the time came. They lived in Georgia, and we were in Virginia Beach. She ended up flying our new kitten, who we named Tinkerbell, to us on a Delta flight! I mean, that's one way to adopt a new furry family member, right?

(And she was a great cat.)

8) Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1983. Can you name gaming's most famous siblings?

Sure, who doesn't know Mario & Luigi? I loved playing Nintendo back in the early 90s, but I never could rescue that %&*( princess!

9) Random question -- Under hypnosis, you discover you lived three past lives. In the first, you were wealthy beyond your wildest imaginings, thanks to a loveless marriage. In the second, you were a star on the roller derby circuit who had earned the nickname "Smasher." In the third, you were a brilliant mathematician who worked your way through school as an exotic dancer. Which of these would you find most shocking?

First of all, Sam, yes that was random! Ha! I think I'd most be shocked by the first one. I could see myself being Smasher in the roller derby. I can see myself as a sexy, nerdy stripper. But trapped in a loveless marriage just for money? Not now, not then, not ever. Not me!

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That's it, y'all. 

Note: I started this early on Saturday, but I had to lie down in the middle of doing it and didn't wake up until Sunday morning. Oops! I wanted to finish, though, even though probably no one will see it.

Hopefully I'll actually get to SS this week, yeah?

Y'all be good.

Fin.

Saturday 9: I Don't Care

 

Good Saturday morning, one and all! I hope you're feeling fine and for heaven's sake, staying out of the Emergency Room!

My head is killing me, so between that and having slept most of Friday into oblivion, I'm doing this just after 0600 on Saturday (abnormal for me).

Link up here if you want to play along this week!

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Saturday 9: I Don't Care (2019)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song begins with Ed Sheeran admitting he's not enjoying the party he's at. What's something you have to do this weekend, but don't want to do?

 

 

Sitting around the damn house! I think, today, I will take a walk with one or more of the kids. Oooh, excitement!

2) Justin Bieber sings about trying to have a conversation at a party. Have you seen any of your social gatherings cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic?

 

 

Oh, my gosh, it's ridiculous! I had so many depressing cross-outs in my planner (and I hate Wite-Out), that I finally just stickered over some of them to make things a little cheerier!

3) Both Ed and Justin conclude that this party -- and everything else -- is okay because they're with the ones they love. Who in your life always makes you feel comfortable and content?

These guys - Hubs, the kids, and yes, the pets - are the ones I'm most comfortable with. Few people have seen me at my absolute best, my worst, and everywhere in between except for these guys. Maybe no one.

4) Ed and Justin have both appeared on The Simpsons. Are you a Simpsons fan?

Definitely! Nelson's "haha" is one of my family's most-used sound effects.

5) Speaking of animation, Ed Sheeran has said that he'd love to do a Disney soundtrack, like Elton John's Lion King. Do you have a favorite Disney movie?

Before Finding Nemo came out in 2003 or 2004 (our son Jack was still in his first year, I'm certain), it was Little Mermaid. But I am Dory, and Dory is me, and of course, the marine biologist in me was thrilled, so that swiftly surpassed the old one. I still love me some Ariel, though.

P.S. I just checked; Finding Nemo did come out in 2003. We saw it in the theater.
 
6) Justin Bieber is fluent in French, and Ed says he knows enough to get by. Say something to us in French.

Je suis un crayon à l'oreille, which means "I am a pencil in my ear" and makes no sense. It's from an old high school inside joke.

7) Justin can solve a Rubik's Cube in less than two minutes. Are you good at puzzles?

Yes, but I won't lie: I'm horrible at Le Cube.

8) In 2019, the year this song was popular, 20 new governors took office. Tell us something about the governor of your state (or commonwealth)?

One of those new governors was ours, in Idaho: Brad Little (R). I did not vote for him. His voice sounds like he's smoked a carton a day for five decades, and it's one of those voices I can't stand listening to, and I wish I could just stuff a baguette in that maw to make it shut up. Y'know? Instead, I voted for Paulette Jordan for Governor, who would've been, if I'm not mistaken, the first Native American to be a state governor.

I don't always have tremendous luck in picking governors when I vote! The very first year I was eligible to vote, in 1994, I voted for Lawton Chiles against Jeb Bush. Bush lost that year, but he won four years later against Chiles' lt. gov. I was devastated when Bush one the governorship that year; I mean, I was inconsolable. I didn't have kids at the time, of course, but I knew that his voucher program for Florida's public school kids would be devastating for the state's educational system. I was not wrong.

P.S. Turns out, Oklahoma has had two male Native American governors. So I guess Paulette Jordan would've been the first female one. (And she's running for a seat in the U.S. Senate right now. I'm behind her!)

9) Random question: Did you more recently give a compliment, or receive one?

I think, gave one. I have a new friend who is a trauma nurse, and she is busy taking care of both "routine traumas" and COVID-19 patients. There's a lot more, but I told her she was incredible, and I meant it.

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I hope you all have a stellar Saturday! If you have nothing to do today, watch the Global Citizen's One World: Together at Home concert! It's on all the major TV networks and many online platforms. It's a must-see!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Questions About COVID-19 on Easter Sunday 2020

First of all, as a Christ-follower on this Easter Sunday morning, I want to start with this:

Now then, I don't know what y'all are doing this morning (it's 7:32 AM here in Idaho right now), but honestly, I hope you're not listening to Pr*sident Trump and going to church today. As much as it may feel that the spirit is compelling you to go, STAY HOME. SAVE LIVES.

Moving on.

Bev's got us more questions about the novel coronavirus we're all changing our lives for, over on the Sunday Stealing meme blog this week. Link up here to play along this week!

 

 

For COVID 19 Questions from SwapBot

 

What is something you are doing due to the pandemic that you normally don’t do? After the pandemic will you continue to so this?

 

 

Oh, gosh. So many things. It's Easter, so normally I would have gotten Spring/Eastery dresses and suits for my kids, taken all of us to church, dyed a bunch of easter eggs, had baskets full of goodies for the kids to find, baked sugar cookies in Easter & Spring themes, and so on. But we are not doing one bit of that. Life just seems so different this year. So off. I don't know what to do with myself.

What made you happy, sad, or frustrated today? List, all big and/or small, as there may be some of one or all of these feelings!

 

 

To be honest, I don't even know what I feel right now. It's very hard for me to process what's going on in the world right now, while still being able to help my three kids do exactly that. I will say, though, that I am so thankful that one of my dear friends who was infected with COVID-19 and was in the hospital for all kids of treatments over many days, was discharged yesterday. She survived, and I am so happy about it!

What is one of the first things you will do when the pandemic is over?

 

 

I don't know! I have a feeling that, for a while, I will be very distrusting that is actually over and that it is safe to come out again!

Are you an essential employee or do you know someone who is? Is this affecting you in some way?

 

 

My friend who I mentioned above was in healthcare, so she was essential. She got sick, was hospitalized, and has now retired early. Hate that it went that way for her! My daughter Chloë was working the still-open drive-thru window at Wendy's in our tiny town. The very day we got news that the first case had been confirmed in our town, we all agreed she needed to take a leave of absence for my sake. I'm extremely immuno-compromised, and she recognized that and the need for her not to work there right now, but I still feel so guilty about it all the time!

What are you doing to destress during this stressful time?

 

 

Well, because of my autoimmune issues before, I was admittedly already taking a lot of naps. Now, I just take double the naps. Or longer ones. Or both.

Have you tried any new recipes during this time? Please share your recipe if you want to.

 

 

Lol, no. I am having way too many food aversion issues right now to really try something new. I will share this, though: One of the things I can eat is what Rob and I have termed "Ghetto Sushi." For me, all that really means is he dices up an avocado, chops up one of those $1 packages of "crab" sticks, and gives it to me with a bowl of low-sodium soy sauce. You can see why it deserves its title, but it's edible for me, so I like it.

Have you always lived where you do now? If not, how did you wind up in the place you currently live?

 

No, we haven't always lived here in Idaho; it blows my mind that we just passed the three-year mark here already! We came via a mad dash across the country from Miami, Florida. And we were only there four years, but that seems so much longer than our time has been here! Before that, it was ten years in Virginia Beach, and so on. We've been around the world a little, with my husband's career in the Navy, so we wanted to find somewhere that finally felt like "home" to our kids, all of whom were or were about to be teenagers. You know, provide a safe landing for them if they ever need to come back home after leaving the nest, lay down some roots for them. We came up with a list of criteria, and Idaho seemed to fit all of them. And so we came.

Where is the last place you visited on-line?

 

 

Lol, well, I know I'm a little behind the curve, but because of research I'm doing for my own book about growing up in a different cult, I've just begun watching Leah Remini's exposé on Scientology for A&E. So crazy!

What is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you?

 

Well, one of them is definitely that, in our 20th year together, my husband tells me that if he knew how our life - and I - would turn out, he'd still marry me. It means a lot; I'm "complicated"!

Tell me about the last photo on your camera (phone or real camera or both!)

 

 

Well, this one was from last night, which I took on my phone. It's from our dogs' latest BarkBox that came in the mail Saturday. The theme was speakeasy-Great Gatsby-esque type of stuff, and this is what looks to us like a drunk cup with a block of ice in it. We found it hiliarious.

 

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And now that it's taken me a ridiculous two hours to write this (in and amongst doing other things), I feel like it's time for one of those many naps I mentioned earlier. 

 

Happy Easter!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: The Easter Bunny Bop

Hey, everyone! Happy Quarantine!

I don't know how long it's been since I've taken a shower or bath, but I'm not going anywhere, so who cares... Maybe Hubs, but he doesn't count! ;)

Link up here to play along with us this weekend!

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Saturday 9: The Easter Bunny Bop (2015)

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

 

1) This song encourages little ones to celebrate Easter by doing a little dance. Do you feel like dancing this morning?

 

I wish I could, but I really can't. At least not without spinning around holding onto my walker, which for someone my age, is kinda pitiful.

2) Everyone in this video is wearing bunny ears. Target, Amazon and other retailers sell bunny ear headbands sized for adults and priced at about $5. Will you be wearing bunny ears, or perhaps a more conventional chapeau, this weekend? Or, because of the coronavirus, will your Easter attire be the same as any other day?

 

 

I really don't know yet. I haven't thought much about what I'll wear. We're not doing Easter baskets or anything like that for the first time ever, which I hate. Not sure if I'll get dressed up more... maybe?

 

3) This week's featured artists, The Bounce Patrol Kids, are a children's entertainment juggernaut: CDs, DVDs, downloads, and t-shirts. Additionally, they often update their YouTube channel because they want children the world over to have access to their upbeat, energetic songs for free. Besides the Bounce Patrol, what's the last YouTube video you watched?

 

&

 

Actually, I watched - and sang along to - the theme song from The Jeffersons because of a conversation Rob and I were having with the kids. They didn't know anything about it! Horrors!!

 

4) According to Forbes magazine, the average American household spends $20.66 on candy each Easter. Will you be consuming candy this weekend?

 

 

I probably won't be eating Easter candy. I haven't bought any, and I don't plan to.

5) The biggest chocolate Easter egg was made in Italy, measured 34 feet tall and weighed a staggering 15,000 lbs. Do you thinks it's possible to have too much chocolate?

 

 

This is not the Italian one; this is the Pysanka egg in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. (not my foto). I could eat a LOT of chocolate, but if I did, I'd live to regret it very shortly after. So I'll sadly have to make a checkmark in the "yes" column on this one.

 

6) After chocolate, the top-selling Easter candy is Peeps Marshmallow Chicks. They're so popular that, in 2018, they were the subject of a Jeopardy clue. Do you often watch Jeopardy?

 

 

We try to catch it when we can. It's been a lot less than usual lately.

7) Jelly beans are also popular this time of year. In a 2019 poll, jelly bean fans responded that Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn is their favorite flavor. Sam is crazy about cherry. Do you have a favorite?

 

 

No, I do not. I hate all jelly beans equally. Never did like them. Blech!

8) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween?

 

 

Probably Halloween, since it lands on a payday when we can afford more candy! Heh.

9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated?

These days, a good, long sleep and a decent bath are all it takes - and even that is rare for me!

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However you celebrate this weekend, whatever you do, I hope that you will all be safe and healthy throughout this pandemic. Is everyone okay out there??

Take care.

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Gratitude

Hey there. Nice to see you. Welcome back. Pull up a chair and let's get into our feelings of gratitude and thankfulness, shall we?

Link up here if you're thieving along with the rest of us this week!

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Stolen from Gratitude Journal on Pinterest

Name a highlight of your day:

Sophia grew out her bangs several years back and suddenly decided yesterday (Saturday) to cut bangs again on a whim. I think she looks so cute!

☼

What made you smile today?

Some of the little gifts I ordered for Sophie's 15^th birthday next week came in the mail; I really hope she loves them!

☼

What made you laugh today?

This dog. We get monthly PupBoxes and BarkBoxes for our two pooches, our tiny Chihuahua, Paco (above), and his somewhat bigger Chiweenie sister, Tapi. Because of that, they have a ton of puppy toys. Tapi, the younger of the pair, loves all her toys and regularly makes the rounds amongst them all, choosing a new favorite seemingly every hour or so. Paco, on the other hand, is loyal to just two or three, so when he finds one that he has previously tucked away for safe-keeping, he goes completely from nearly-six-year-old dog to puppy in an instant. And when we tease him by trying to pull the toy away to throw for him to retrieve, he fiercely guards it. It's pretty adorable!

Recall a time when you needed encouragement:

As I've gone through my healing journey from the many horrors I experienced as a child, my husband and, now that they're older, my children have been very supportive as I go through therapy and begin the process of writing my book about my story.
♥ They've really been great. ♥

What is a luxury you are thankful for?

Oh, gosh, so many things. So many. One is this house that we bought in June last year. It's absolutely a dream come true, even if it is in a tiny town that I don't love... so far! I'm thankful for it every single day. But I have been fortunately on many levels.

Favorite childhood memory:

Well, there aren't a lot of good ones. Before my mother died, she used to put my hair up in curlers every now and then. I remember crying in the nights from the curlers and the net she wrapped around them, since they pressed into my head as I slept. But I loved the time spent with my beautiful mom, just sitting on her lap and listening to her beautiful voice.

Favorite song – and why?

Well, I don't usually do well with these types of questions, because I'm so capricious that I can never actually decide on a favorite even in any given instant. But since I just went back a few years and re-listened to Cee Lo Green's The Lady Killer album, which I've always loved, I'll say that for right now it's maybe "Love Gun." Very sing-along-able!

Where is your favorite place? Why?

There are so many places in the world that I adore, but one my absolute favorites is the University of Miami campus. That's where I lived for three-plus years after I finally escaped the house of horrors I grew up in, and it was just the balm I needed. My time there was incredible, and I absolutely cherish those memories.

What is your favorite scent?

My favorite scents are the fruity ones, and I absolutely adore any of the citrus ones. Mmmm.

What is your favorite topic to talk about?

My kids! Typical mother.

What do you like doing so much that you lose track of time?

Lots of things... although lately, it's just naps!

If you had 5 minutes and the whole world was forced to listen, what would you say?

I wouldn't need the whole five minutes. I would just have to tell people to listen to Sweden's 17-year-old Greta Thunberg on the human-driven climate crisis, because she's absolutely right; the kids from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting/March For Our Lives on gun control, because they're absolutely right, and so on. Adults! Listen to the kids. They know and understand more than we think they do - and a lot of times, more than we do.

Whose life do you envy the most, and why?

I don't envy anyone's life, but there may be certain aspects of some people's lives that I do envy: kids who grew up in a loving, nurturing environment; moms and dads who never experienced the loss of a child; and currently, as I'm nearing six years in suffering with Lyme Disease, people who enjoy relatively good health. But I know everyone has their cross to bear, so I'm a "be careful what you wish for" type!

What would you different with your education if you got a chance to start over?

I would follow my own advice, which I regularly give to my own kids and others who'll soon be striking out on their own: Whatever it is you think you want to do with your life, try to shadow somebody who already has that job. For as long as you can, in as many different situations as possible. This gives a great opportunity to really discern whether this is the "right" job for that person. Wish I'd thought to do that earlier! (In the end, though, it worked out: I've been a stay-home mom pretty much since I eloped with my husband, because I got pregnant almost instantaneously 🤣🤣 and difficult and high-risk pregnancies. I wouldn't change that!)

What would you do with your life if you had no fear?

I would listen far more to my own instincts and desires and far less to others' expectations of me. I would let go of that nagging voice in my head that worries too much about what other people think of me and stop dwelling on things I've said or done for a million years after they've happened. Oh, and I would go cliff diving.

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That was fun; thanks, Bev!

Everyone: I hope you are healthy and keeping the covids away! Stay safe: stay home and help flatten that curve!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Could've Been

Heyyy, everyone! Welcome back. This song was one of my favorites when it came out; I was a YUGE Tiffany fan back in the day. So obviously, I'm wicked excited for this one!

Link up here if you're playing along with us this weekend.

And now, I bring you:

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Saturday 9: Could've Been (1987)

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

1) This wistful song is about a love affair that ended. What song reminds you of a long-ago love?

 

 

I used to sing this song, "When I See You Smile" by Bad English, on the phone often at the end of my conversations with my high school boyfriend, Ben. Always brings me back!

2) It was written by Lois Blaisch, a singer-songwriter who performs at clubs around Los Angeles and has sung outdoors at Disneyland. Would you prefer to attend a concert indoors, or outside under the stars?

 

 

I'd rather be outdoors. When Chloë was an infant (she's 18 now), we lived in Panama City, Florida, and regularly attended outdoor concerts and things. I know she was far too young to remember, but we've always tried to expose our kids to different cultural things as much as possible. And early.

3) This week's featured artist, Tiffany, appeared on the TV talent show Star Search when she was just 14. She came in second. Though she was disappointed, she admits she learned from it. She studied the singer who won and says it made her a better performer. Can you recall a time when you weathered a tough time and came through stronger?

 

 

Oh yes, lots of times - my whole life! Recently, we celebrated our twin boys' 17th birthday. Losing Robby was one of those times for me. I was definitely broken - but stronger for it now.

4) Early in her career, she toured Alaska, opening for country legend George Jones. Have you ever visited our 50th state?

 

 

Not yet. I was going to take Rob and the kids on an Alaskan cruise later this year, but of course we canceled that now.

5) Tiffany provided the voice of Judy Jetson in 1990's Jetsons: The Movie. Which cartoon did you enjoy more: the space-age Jetsons or the pre-historic Flintstones?

I didn't know that! Oh, man... I liked both shows. Maybe The Jetsons had just a slight edge, because I've always wanted to be out in space.

6) In 2007, she appeared on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club and lost 28 lbs. Are you making an effort to stay fit during this stay-at-home period?

No. Not at all. I can barely walk around so... I'm gaining weight and hating every ounce.

7) In 1987, when this song was popular, Aretha Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What's your favorite Aretha song?

I hate being cliché, but it really is "RESPECT."

8) Also in 1987, third-generation race car driver Marco Andretti was born. Are you a race fan?

No, not at all. I don't understand why anybody cares about this.

9) Random question: Do you find it easy to sit still, or are you fidgety?

Oh, I fidget constantly. I'm pretty good at it, so why stop now?

~*~*~*~*~

I do hope you're all safe and sound and remaining covid-free! Thinking of you all in this mixed-up, crazy world we're in!

Fin.