


John Legend: "Ordinary People"
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Hello, hello, y'all. I very nearly missed this week's questionnaire, but I pulled myself up to get it done. We've all been doing this for so long "together," and I don't want to lose that.
Happy Spring, Northern Hemisphereans! I'm so delighted. #understatement
Not much really happened here this week that I can think of; that is a good thing! Two weeks ago, my lithium levels were way too low, and I was planning on jumping off the nearest tall building. Now that the doctor has raised my dosage, I feel so, so, so much better. It was almost overnight! And I'm so thankful, so grateful to still be here.
Let's get it done. (P.S. I was just about to post this, and then my Chrome died, closing all my windows and not returning all the content I had here. So I'm aggravated now. GAH!)
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ORDINARY PEOPLE (2005)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this song, John Legend sings that both he and his girl have "room to grow." What about you? In what areas would you like to improve?
Well, hard to do being here in a small hotel room (for yet another two months! Ugh!), but when we move into our new home I really want to make it a point to get out of bed and at least circulate with the family downstairs, every day. I'm in bed so much, some days I don't see anyone but Hubs. And the dogs are getting entirely too used to cozying up with me all day. Something's gotta change, and I want to make the effort. I do not want the pain and fatigue from Lyme dictate what I do for the rest of my days.
2) He sings that when he hangs up in anger, she calls him back. Are you quicker to anger, or quicker to forgive?
Both! And quick to apologize, too. If someone apologizes to me, it's done, it's over.
3) "Ordinary People" was John Legend's first big hit. He originally wrote it for The Black Eyed Peas, but -- happily for him -- recorded it himself. Have you ever purchased a gift for someone else but then decided to keep it yourself?
Really? I love the Peas but I can't see them doing this song justice. As for me, I don't think I've ever done that, but I for sure have wished I had enough money at that moment for a second one. Several times!
4) Ordinary People is also the title of an acclaimed novel by Judith Guest and an Oscar-winning film. Are you familiar with either the movie or the book?
Of course, I definitely knew the movie - my mother was a huge fan of Barbra Streisand. I remember that just a couple of months before she died, she took 7-year-old me and 8-year-old Stacey (my big sister) to the movies to see Yentl. It's one of my last memories with my mom, so I cherish and love Barbra for it, too. As for the book, I don't think I had heard of it, but now it's on my "want to read" list on Goodreads. Thanks!
5) John is married to Chrissy Teigen, who gained fame as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. When is the last time you dove in? Were you in a pool, lake, river or sea?
Atlantic Ocean in August and September when we first got here to Maryland from Idaho, but it was a while before that that I actually got in and swam. In the summer of 2017, I swam with the fam at the Boise reservoir. It was a good day, and we had fun, but then I came down with this horrid bacterial infection that left me wishing for death. I hadn't heard of that particular critter before; I guess it was a big enough deal for the county epidemiologist to call me up and interview me over the phone. Guess I lost my nerve after that!
6) John unexpectedly proposed to Chrissy on vacation, but he was afraid airport security would ruin the surprise when they went through his carry on very thoroughly. He worried she would see the ring box and he'd have to drop down to one knee right there at the airport! Tell us about one of your flights: your first, your most recent or your most memorable.
It was just really odd flying back here to the East Coast this past summer. The jets were sparsely populated instead of overcrowded, and there was no food or drink service, and we were all constantly reminded to pull up our masks here or that way or whatever. It was tense and scary on the one hand, but also just another adventure arrow to stick in our quivers, I guess.
7) John is currently a coach on The Voice. The other coaches are Nick Jonas, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton. Of those four singers, which is your favorite?
Gotta go with my girl Kelly! I was nursing my first newborn Chloë when Kelly competed on and won the first season of American Idol.
8) In 2005, when this song was popular, Johnny Carson died. After he retired from The Tonight Show in 1993, he traveled extensively and discovered he especially enjoyed photographic safaris in Africa. If time and money were no object, where would you go on vacation?
I'd have all the money and the time, you say?! Well sure, I'd visit all the continents in turn, thoroughly and passionately. But I wouldn't stop there. I'd say hello to Moon and then head outward for a glimpse of Mars before I hovered out around my favorite planet, Jupiter. I'll end this story of mine there, though, since it's too far-fetched even for me.
9) Random question -- In your typical day, what's the longest you usually go without saying a word to another person: all day, a few hours, an hour, or five minutes?
Right now, maybe about an hour, possibly two hours. But I've always got this little guy and his chonky sister to talk to!
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All right, phew, I made it and hopefully will save it in time in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Enjoy your Spring beginning, y'all!
Fin.
Happy Saturday, friends, neighbors, and kids of all ages! I'm getting a lah-haaaate start today. I've battled daily migraines for more than my entire adult life, save for a couple of years around when I had my youngest kiddo, and this last week has brought some of the worst in a long while. Seriously bad. But anyway, whatever; I'm here now, the woman of the hour, and you can all sit down and stop clapping now. Seriously, it's embarrassing.
I jest, I kid, I joke, I josh.
I hope you've all had ridiculously wonderful weeks well worth the wait! And now let's jump into the reason we're all here. Link up here if you're joining us this weekend. Away we go:
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Saturday 9: Beautiful (2005)
Hello, my lovelies. It's another Saturday morning, and this time we have Judy Garland singing a tune I have not heard before. I'm going into YouTube momentarily to rectify that. You should, too.
Meanwhile, I have had a busy week, medically speaking. Monday had me at a new cardiologist (I liked him, and now I'm wearing a Holter monitor); Tuesday I visited my pain management specialist, who was in rare spirits; Wednesday I missed my primary care appointment out of exhaustion (it's tough being a spoonie, I tell ya); Thursday, I tore something horribly in my right shoulder; and Friday, I saw my psychiatrist, and I scheduled surgery on my left shoulder. And behold, it was good.
It's a thrilling social life I lead. Apart from that nonsense, we have S9. Please link up here if you're joining us today! Let's do it.
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Saturday 9: On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe (1946)
Hello, guys and gals! It's Friday, the 13th of January, which means we're doing a spooky, freaky, scary post. Or no, we're just doing "Hurting Each Other" by The Carpenters, siblings Karen and - "hey guys? Does the brother have a name, too?" - Richard. I don't believe I'd heard this song before, but I'm listening to it and many other new-to-me Carpenters songs right now and loving them. Thanks, Samantha.
Hope y'all have had a great week. Mine's been interesting, but maybe I'll actually do some separate posts later. ::cough:: yeah,right ::cough::
So, link up here if you're joining us this weekend. Please do! And off we go.
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Saturday 9: Hurting Each Other (1972)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song was written by Gary Geld and Peter Udell, who also wrote 1962's "Sealed with a Kiss." What was in the last envelope you sealed?
It was a Paper Hug, of which team I am a member in the Mama Dragons. MDs is a wonderful organization that does so much good for mamas of LGBTQ+ youth, and I'm proud to do my part to help. You can learn more about them here, if you'd like.
2) In "Hurting Each Other," Karen Carpenter sings she wishes she and her lover could stop making each other cry. Have you most recently shed a tear in the last week, the last month, or longer ago than that?
It was today, actually. My 17-year-old youngest child and I went to Walgreens to get our flu and the latest COVID booster shots. Not too terribly long ago and yet it was also forever and two states of domicile ago, this child required half a dozen people to hold them down in order to get their routine vaccines that were due then, and I was ushered out of the room as I almost fainted while they screamed, "STOP! STOP! PLEASE, YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL ME! YOU'RE KILLING ME, STOP, YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL ME!" over the varicella vax or whatever. Today, they didn't even need to hold my hand, and after I casually mentioned this and thought about it, I started welling up right away and had to look away. What a mom; I'm ridiculous!
3) One of the Carpenters' first records was a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride." Both Karen and Richard were huge fans and nervous about how the Beatles would react to their version. They were thrilled to learn that Paul McCartney responded by saying Karen had "one of the best female voices in the world." Tell us some news you received recently that brightened your day.
This may not seem like so much, but, I've been getting Rob a monthly subscription to Bespoke Post since November 2020, and I personally choose which box he gets and often select add-ons for it. Since we're in the cold months now, I thought I'd be cute - last October 2022, that is - and bring the heat. For Christmas, I gave him a silver candle try with matching silver tools: snuffer, wick trimmer, and wick dipper. I gave him a silver electric lighter, as well as a nice set of "masculine" candles. These items, above, were supposed to come for him in his October box, and I was going to steal them before he saw them, to add to the "heat" theme I was running. But it didn't come in October, or November, or December. There was some issue with my account and our bank, so it's not on them, but I finally got word at the end of December that this Bespoke Post package was on its way. Whew! The large gray cement-y looking thing is a personal, portable fireplace. The yellowish thing he set on top is a burner for incense cones, though they refunded me for the cones after I bought them because they were sold out, instead of substituting for one of the other brands they carry. And the hexagonal thing is a cup for wooden matches with a striker on the side. Heat. Get it?
4) Karen died in 1983, but her musical partner and big brother Richard is still with us. He has said he grew up a big fan Top 40 radio, listening every morning as he got ready for school and every afternoon while doing homework. When you were a kid, did you like to study with music or the TV on? Or would you prefer quiet?
Well I'll be, I'm just like Richard Carpenter. I would study with either the TV on, or the radio (and often it was Casey Kasem's Top 40, also!), and kick ass in school. So I don't want to see any naysaying amongst the lot of ya! Did you naysay? Go back and edit!
5) Karen and Richard spent their teen years in Downey, California. It has the distinction of being home to the nation's oldest, still-operating McDonald's. It's been on the same site on Lakewood Blvd. since 1953. Tell us about a business in your neighborhood that seems to have always been right there, in that spot.
I mean, we've only been right here, in this spot, for 16 months. So I don't rightly know. But there is this crab shack kind of place that looks like it might fit the bill. It isn't open year-round and is sort of an open-when-they-want sort of place, so we've never been in there, but we're extremely curious. Maybe next time they open we can have a stop in.
6) The siblings may have had a squeaky clean public image, but Richard did have a brush with the law while in Downey. The Carpenter family lived for a time in an apartment complex, and one of their neighbors -- a policeman -- objected to Richard "banging on the piano" at all hours. When did you most recently interact with an officer of the law?
It was in April 2021, when I was taking Noah, the afore-mentioned 17yo, out of town to the nearest Uno's for their first taste of that delicious deep dish pizza. I was getting eager - I mean, that CRUST is pure magic! - and, as usual, I have a lead foot. And so I got the blue and red lights behind me eventually, but I managed to talk my way out of it andstill have a special birthday dinner with and for Noah.
7) In 1972, when this song was popular, Mark Spitz was America's premier Olympian, winning seven Gold Medals. A poster of Spitz wearing his red, white and blue swim trunks and all seven medals was a top seller. Can you recall a poster that decorated your bedroom wall when you were a kid?
Nooo, not a single one! I would never have been allowed to put up a poster! My dad would have KILLED me if I'd "ruined" the walls. I was lucky that I was allowed to hang up a calendar!
8) Also in 1972, Liza Minnelli was encouraging us to "come to the cabaret." Without looking it up, do you know who Liza's famous parents were?
Well, I know Mom was Judy Garland, of course, but I can't think who her dad was. Is? Did she even have a dad, or did Judy reproduce by budding, like a hydra? Shoot, now I've got to look it up:
All right, apparently he was Vincente Minnelli. Nope, I didn't know that, never would've known him. Liza looks a lot like him. She looks like both of them, though.
9) Random question: Are you a better student or teacher?
I think, in the right circumstances, I am a good teacher. But for the most part, I am a much better student. Sorry, kids.
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That's it. That's the end. There's no more. I know. I'll miss you too. But it's okay. I'll be back and hopefully, so will you. I've got to go work on the budget some and dig myself out from under all these crazy receipts. Be good, be well, be kind.
Fin.
Howdy-ho, neighbors! This weekend's post focuses on this song, Just Because, by Elvis Presley. This is significant to me because I grew up with a dad who absolutely idolized the man (and, I'm sure, still does) and could do a mean impression of him as well. My dad could sing well, could do the moves, and even had some of the requisite attire to make the whole thing convincing. Of course, I've heard every Elvis song ever, 50,000 times over, backward and forward... right?
I had not ever heard this song before.
So, my friends, link up here if you want to join us this weekend. Read on for my answers. Thank you, Crazy Sam, for dusting this one off for me (okay, us)! Let's hit it:
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Saturday 9: Just Because (1956)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this week's song, Elvis complains that his girl has confused him with Santa Claus. This time of year, Santa is prominent. Did you more recently hear Santa referred to in a song, see him in a holiday decoration or ad, watch him in a film or TV show, or maybe even met him in person, ringing a bell or asking kids if they have been naughty or nice?
Yes, we've been listening to a lot of Christmas carols lately as we work through the activities in our Advent calendar. Santa features prominently in these, of course.
2) Finally Elvis just can't take it anymore and breaks up with her, just because. Is there anyone in your life who has a way of pressing your buttons and getting on your nerves?
That's probably true for everyone, I'm guessing.
3) "Just Because" is one of the last songs Elvis recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis. TripAdvisor recommends a Sun Studio tour as one of the top things to do in Memphis. Have you ever been to Memphis? If yes, what did you do?
I've only ever driven through Memphis, and also Nashville, and also half a dozen times Chattanooga. I have stayed in Gatlinburg. Memphis would be an interesting trip, though.
4) Elvis left Sun for RCA, a much bigger record label. As part of the deal, RCA negotiated for the rights to all his unreleased Sun songs. "Just Because" is one of them, and it was included on Elvis' first RCA album. Have you gotten a good deal on anything lately?
I get a good deal on just about everything. Like the SodaStream I got for Chloë for Christmas, I paid nowhere near full price, nor did I pay full price for the flavors for it, nor will I ever! And she'll be so thrilled to have it, so win-win!
5) In 1956, when "Just Because" was released, non-stick cookware was first introduced. Do you have any Teflon in your kitchen right now?
No way in hell!
6) Elvis thought peacocks were beautiful and commissioned stained glass peacock panels for his living room. Do you have any stained glass in your home?
No, but I certainly do wish! It's so beautiful.
7) He tried to keep peacocks at Graceland. One of the birds saw its reflection in Elvis' gold Cadillac and started pecking, ruining the car's expensive paint job. Elvis donated the peacocks to the Memphis Zoo. Have you ever had a bird as a pet?
Well not exactly pets, but we used to keep chickens when we lived in Idaho for the eggs, and the five of us each had "our" specific chickens that we felt we belonged to and were particularly attached to. I loved those chickens. Here, we're not allowed to have any because of our HOA rules, even though the town would allow three, which makes me want to be a scofflaw and keep ducks. They don't say anything about ducks.
8) Elvis decorated the long Graceland driveway for the holidays with blue lights. His father teased that with the airport nearby, pilots might confuse their driveway with a runway. What airport is nearest your home?
I believe the nearest major airport is Baltimore International, although we have tons of regional ones between there and here.
9) When Elvis was alive, he kept the holiday lights up until January 9, the day after his birthday. That tradition continues at Graceland today. Conventional etiquette tells us Christmas decorations should go up the day after Thanksgiving and come down before January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas). Do you think it's ever too early, or too late, for Christmas decorations?
Well, for stores and other commercial enterprises, yeah, I kinda think there is a limit for too-early/too-late. But for private families and people, I think, who gives a rat's behind? Let people do what makes them happy! So what if Joe Schmoe at the end of the block likes to keep his lights up until the end of March and put them up again after Halloween? What's it to me? I don't pay his light bill and it's honestly kind of pretty. I'm of more of a laissez-faire kind of mind about that for private citizens.
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Welp, that's all folks! Back to wrapping presents with Chloë, my eldest! Seems like the job will never be done, but that's not a complaint! I'm grateful for the abundance, always grateful.
Have a wonderful week on purpose, everybody! ♥
Fin.
Welcome, welcome one and all (or is it both?). I've been trying to log in to Typepad for HOURS, but something has stopped that connection. Here I am, finally, at 1513 on Saturday. What a relief.
I don't like much in the way of Country music, but I do like Ms. Underwood, so I'm glad to see this one. And I already knew this song!
Link up here if you're playing along this weekend. Let's go:
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Saturday 9: Two Black Cadillacs (2011)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song is about two women who share a very dark secret. Are you good at keeping secrets?
Not usually. I have zero filter, pretty much.
2) Carrie Underwood's favorite author is Stephen King. In fact, she credits King's Christine as an inspiration for this song. Have you read much Stephen King, or seen movies based on his books?
Some. I'd say I'm a fan, but not, like, a mega-fan.
3) Carrie first came to America's attention when she won on American Idol. Prior to competing on that show, she'd never been on an airplane. Crazy Sam takes at least one round-trip flight every year and pays using the miles she accumulated from credit card purchases throughout the year. Do you try to earn miles, points, or cash back when you make purchases?
Oh, yes. I'm always trying to play the game and earn points here to spend there.
4) Black is this week's signature color because November 25 was Black Friday, when retailers historically have slashed their prices and the holiday shopping season begins. Have you begun your gift shopping?
Yes. I'm welllll into my gift shopping - and wrapping!
5) Black Friday began as a local event initiated by store owners in Philadelphia back in the early 1960s. When you think of Philadelphia, what comes to mind?
Well nowadays, I think of my trip there with Chloë for her 21st birthday, just this past September. Fun times!
6) Black Friday always comes after Thanksgiving, a day of feasting. What was the best dish at your holiday table this year?
I think it was the pies (we had 5). For the first time in years, I was able to come downstairs and help guide the children to make my pie recipes, if I couldn't do it myself. They were wonderful and were devoured quickly. Good job, kids!
7) Thanksgiving is also a big day for watching football. Did you watch any games?
Nyet.
8) What are you thankful for this year?
Oh, I'm soooo thankful for being able to come downstairs, help make those pies, and just generally be with my family for the whole day of Thanksgiving. It was a treasure. And so much more than that, but it would be a very long list. I keep that list in my planner.
9) Random question: You're in a public restroom and have a choice between paper towels and a hot air hand dryer. Which do you choose?
I'd choose the hot air. Why would I use natural resources I don't need to use when there is an alternative right there? Go tree-free. Go more sustainable (because paper just isn't, really). Yes, there is the source of the electricity, but that's more negligible than the processes of getting the paper towel to that bathroom, and using it. No, for me, it's the hot air hand dryer. Good question, Sam.
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Now I'm listening to The National on NPR Tiny Desk Concerts - those are the best; I'm obsessed - which the Carrie Underwood tune moved to after the one by Andrew Bird on YouTube. Give them a listen, if you haven't already!
Happy holiday season, y'all!
fin.
Howdy, folks! Since I missed Ms. Patti LaBelle last weekend, I decided I'd better not also skip out on Ms. Patsy Cline, here. Who among us can not hear "I go walkin'... after midnight..." the moment they see her name, and that title? Show yourselves!
I'm up in the middle of the night (it's 3:30 am right now) nursing an upset tum, so I figured now's as good a chance as any to get to do my S9! If you're joining us, link up here. Let's go then, shall we?
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Saturday 9: Walkin' After Midnight (1957)
Don't know. Don't care.
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Listen, y'all have a splendid weekend, and I hope to continue to visit at least a few of y'all before my newly-diagnosed ADHD brain forgets what it was doing! With or without me, forge on.
Fin.
Hi everyone! First, do we like the new blog design, or no? I'm not so sure. I might let it grow on me for a week or more before I make any decisions. I'm not (ever) happy about summer ending and autumn being here, but this year I decided to just try to let that go and embrace things as much as possible.
Second, I love me some Paula Abdul! I had this album back in the day and still remember most, if not all, of the words. I was soo happy to see her perform at - what? Billboard Music Awards? - a couple years ago. She was fantastic, especially considering her age and physical health. So two thumbs up from me for this week's choice!!
Which gets me to that. Link up here if you're playing along this week, because here. we. go!
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Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
Saturday 9: Forever Your Girl (1989)
1) In this song, Paula Abdul tells her boyfriend he's got to remember, she's forever his girl. How's your memory? Do you remember things easily or do you leave yourself notes and reminders?
My mind used to be pretty much like the proverbial steel trap, to the delight of many a professor and the chagrin of my husband, because I made heavy use of mnemonics and other memory devices and 'games.' But that is no more. My ability to remember my mnemonics - or even to use them at all - has weakened greatly, and I'm not only forgetting exactly what I needed to remember, but sometimes, that I needed to remember something. I mostly blame the combo of Lyme/fibromyalgia/lupus. They've done some mighty damage.
2) Paula reassures her lover that she can't be swayed by another man, even if he gave her diamonds or pearls. Tell us about a piece of jewelry that means something to you.
Well, Chloë gave me that "mama" bracelet and matching "mama" ring for this past Mother's Day, along with the other bracelet, which she had engraved with sentiments of the occasion. She may have given me the anklet with hearts on it, but - eek! - I can't recall!
3) Paula is best known as one of the original judges of American Idol. Without looking it up, can you recall the men who sat on either side of her?
Sure, but no picture, since I can't look it up: Simon Cowell & Randy Jackson
4) Paula has been dancing since age 8 and moves very well in heels. Tell us about your favorite shoes.
First, I'll tell you what I really want to get - a pair of Keens like these:
I do have a similar pair with similar colors from a different brand, and I'd show and tell except that it's downstairs and I can't remember. Of course. So I'll show and tell about the Jambu Jsport Regatta shoes that I have, which are semi-similar and which I wear often and really like:
Really comfortable no matter what I'm doing, easy to put on, and especially convenient if I haven't painted my toenails! ahahaha
5) A lifelong dancer, Paula admits she's not a trained singer. For this record, she worked with producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who won accolades for his work with singers including Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, Toni Braxton and Janet Jackson. Who is your all-time favorite female singer?
If you had asked me this about 5 years ago, I would have told you:
But this young human continues her growth in that space, and I think someone has finally managed to edge out Whitney in that spot for me:
Jewel came very close, too. I don't know, I love a lot of female singers. But I may be borderline #obsessed with Billie Eilish's voice.
6) She advises young girls to "keep the faith and don't lose your gut instinct." How about you? Are you more logical or instinctive?
I think with me, they both vie for attention, so there's an equal rise over run, resulting in a 1:1 slope. #mathnerd
7) Paula is excited that Richard Branson has chosen her song, "Straight Up" as the theme for his Virgin Galactic Spaceflight company. Would you like to orbit above the earth?
Hell, yeah, I would!! No qualms there. No ifs, ands, or buts, either. It just occurred to me: if I'm asked to go straight up into space, and I say "hell yeah," there's some irony there, is there not? I know, I'm so clever these days.
8) In 1989, when this song was a hit, the Sears Holiday Wish Book was big on bathrobes. Men and women alike were tempted with brightly colored, belted robes with hoods and patch pockets. Tell us about your bathrobe.
I don't currently have one, although I would love one. So instead, here is 21-year-old Chloë on our recent trip to the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, wearing the robe they provided to her in our hotel room. She loved it and said it was so cozy. I thought about buying her one for Christmas, but she must have smelt my wheels churning, because she reminded me she already had one, perhaps two!
9) Random question: What do you consider your best quality?
For better or for worse, I am an extreme empath. And a deep feeler. So when I'm empathizing with someone, it often physically hurts (if what they're feeling are negative emotions). I can't turn that off, so sometimes I have to completely avoid the situation to save myself some "spoons" (see "Spoon Theory," for the uninitiated). I hate doing that, though, because that sends the opposite message. I'd rather be there for someone no matter what it takes from me in the short or long run: it's my superpower.
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Take care folks, and if you're in Florida, I'm sending all my positive vibes, very best throughts, prayers, and good juju your way. Likewise if you've been in the path of Ian in states north of Florida - we're getting some hard rains right now, ourselves. To everyone: be safe, remember what's important to you in the world, and nurture that.
Fin.
Hey, folks!
It's been a loooong week for me here; how 'bout you? I hope better than mine.
I confess, I don't know Michael Johnson (other than my estranged brother-in-law) or this song, but the sound is dead on my laptop, so I'll have to give it a listen on my phone or desktop later.
Let's get to it, shall we? Link up here if you're playing along with Saturday 9ers this weekend!
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Saturday 9: This Night Won't Last Forever (1979)
Hey, party people! What's the haps? It saddens me to say that this will be our last meeting of Summer 2022. It's Bike Fest weekend down at the beach right now; some 100,000+ motorcycles are deafening the wildlife in Ocean City right now, so I'll have to wait until that's over to attempt one last summer beach trip down there. Cross your fingers for me?
One thing I feel like I must address: some of you may have noticed some "off" comments on some of my posts. I'm being cyberstalked, cyberbullied, harrassed, you name it, all of the above. I don't know who the person is, but on many other platforms as well as this one, they are leaving unkind, often lewd messages for me. I unpublish them as soon as I see them, but please don't pay them any mind. I do not know who the person is, and I don't want to give them any more attention than I have to. Thanks!
Moving forward, let's get to today's song, which I just listened to for the first time. Link up here if you're playing along, too!
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Saturday 9: In and Out of Love (1967)
Hey everyone! I'm just back from a whirlwind 3-day trip to Philadelphia with my birthday sorta-twin, my eldest kiddo, Chloë. She turned 21, so yes, there was alcohol. She wanted more cocktails, but that will come in due time, I'm quite sure. Meanwhile, she's 4'9", so I gave her plenty of information on how to make sure she stayed safe while drinking!
I love this week's song and have since it came out. Perhaps because I identify, perhaps the beat, perhaps Merton's voice alone? Maybe everything. I think everything. Link up here if you're joining us today!
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No Roots (2017)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song is about a woman who has moved a lot and is always packing boxes. Do you have packing materials (boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, etc.) in your home right now? Do you have them on hand to ship things, or are you preparing for a move?
Yes to all of that: boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape (bonus points for wadded-up newspaper?). Also yes to ship things, but mainly these items were from a move. No, moves. Probably at least three: Virginia to Florida, Florida to Idaho, Idaho to Maryland. There will be NO more moves.
2) She sings that she moves from place to place, collecting memories. Would you rather travel light and travel often, or put down roots?
YES.
3) She can recall all the gates and house numbers of all the places she's lived. Does your current residence have a fence and gate? Did your previous one?
The previous one did; the current one does not - yet. It was just built; finishing touches were still being put on it as we completed our final walk-through before moving in as the ink dried a year ago. Can we put in one like this, honey?? ("No." - HOA)
4) This week's artist, Alice Merton, moved often as a child as her father's job took the family from Germany to the US to Canada to England back to Germany ... She wrote this song to help her deal with feelings of loneliness and longing. When you're feeling overwhelmed, how do you work through the feelings?
They must've been Army. Relatable. We're Navy (were?).
Feelings. Well, I had a horribly traumatic upbringing with no healthy outlet for feelings, so I have severe mental illnesses (medicated well) like Bipolar 1 Disorder and C-PTSD, etc, and will be in therapy for the rest of my life. Inwardly I cry a lot, so I'd say that's how I work through my feelings, but my meds prevent the crying. So I try to use humor as much as possible. I write, I talk and tell funny stories and try to pester my people as little - or maybe as much - as possible with them, and... I'll be in therapy for probably the rest of my life.
I hope for a better outcome for my kids, but I also know bipolar disorder can be heritable and that trauma can change one's DNA.
5) Alice is still on the move. Soon she'll be performing throughout Europe. Have you ever had a job that required you to travel? If yes, did you enjoy it?
Yes, I did. I mystery shopped my way from hotel to hotel, resort to resort, high-end restaurant to high-end restaurant (and everywhere in between), in multiple states, back when the kids were much younger. It's tricky navigating that sort of job with three littles, pets, and a husband who usually who has to stay at home, but I did it and was really sought after until I got sick. I love traveling, whether by car, ship, or plane, so I think handling the kid end of things was easier on me.
6) "No Roots" is a favorite of Kelly Clarkson's, who has performed it on tour and on TV. When you think of Kelly, is at as a singer, a judge on The Voice, or as a talk show host?
I think of her - and love her! - in that order. I watched her win that first American Idol, so it seems natural that way.
7) In 2017, when this song was popular, Faye Dunaway made Oscar history by announcing the wrong winner for the biggest award of the night, Best Picture. It wasn't her fault as she was given the wrong envelope, but she's one who made the on-screen flub seen around the world. Have you recently had an embarrassing moment?
Wait a minute, how come I never heard about that, but I heard plenty about that time a similar thing happened to Steve Harvey, and that was just a beauty pageant? Sketchy.
Anyway.
This was me in our hotel in Philly. It's called the Ritz-Carlton, you know it? Well, because of my illness, I usually take baths and not showers. I have issues with balance and fatigue among other things, so it's better for me to do that stuff sort of lying down. Well, my hair is freshly colored, and this brand tends to wash out and wash out until it's just time to dye it again. So I have to take a bath. In that. Which isn't great, but there it is. And then the tub. won't. drain. And we had to have an engineer come to the room and fix the now-pink bathtub. And because of my autoimmune/thyroid issues, I lose a lot of pink hair, too, so how much was in the drain? I don't even know. That wasn't the reason that it wouldn't drain, though, because Chloë and I tried to drain some multiple times before I even got in (it was too hot). Cringe!
8) Wonder Woman was 2017's most popular movie. She was originally introduced in a 1941 DC comic book. Comic books remain a big business. Have you ever been to a comic book store?
I actually have not, except as, y'know, transported there in shows such as The Big Bang Theory and other such gems we all ate up over the years. I should, if only because my oldest and youngest are both into manga, but I get most of what I buy for them on the used online book store, Thriftbooks. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. Everything is always in much better condition than I'd even hoped.
9) Random question: Is your skin itchy this morning?
My, that is random, Crazy Sam! No, it's not, but I'll be sure and report back if that status changes!
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Take care and have a lovely Saturday on purpose, y'all!
Fin.Phil
Hey, y'all! I'm hopeful I'll get this post all done and on time this week. So many times, last week included, I'll start the post well in advance, get two or three answers written, and then need a nap. By the time I have the energy to come back, Saturday's all but over. Last week, and many times, it's a pain or migraine issue, but more and more lately it's straight-up fatigue.
Anyway, I can't wait to see what questions Rihanna and Crazy Sam have for us. Link up here if you're playing along with us this week.
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Saturday 9: Diamonds (2012)
Hey, y'all! Can you even believe that half the year is gone now? I cannot. I think this whole last year of my last baby's childhood, I'm going to be trying to snatch the days back like money flying in the wind.
Typically, Independence Day is my favorite holiday. But, like I read recently online (I know, I know), I think every American woman and girl should take a knee whenever the national anthem is played right now. So sad. I still like those fireworks though, can't lie.
I'm supposed to be working on my grocery list right now, but until Hubs comes back to check my printer's paper jam for me, I'm doing this, haha. Join us over here at Saturday 9 to get in on the action.
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Well hello, everyone! I trust you've been well. I just learned that my email (yahoo)'s been tricky about the way it's showing me my messages, and I didn't know several of you had responded to my previous posts. I'm going to try and get around to those after this message tonight. Sorry about that!
If you're looking to join this group of fun Saturday bloggers, look no further than right here.
Gonna jump right in here.
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Saturday 9: Yesterday (1965)
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
{Chosen because June 18 is Paul McCartney's 80th birthday.}
1) Paul McCartney sings that yesterday all his troubles seemed so far away. Can you recall a time when your life seemed carefree?
I can say there were pockets of time here and there, or even pockets of time each day where things seemed fancy-free... but I'm not so sure I could claim there were any long stretches.
2) He has always insisted the melody to "Yesterday" came to him in a dream. Did you dream last night?
Yes, I dreamt for the umpteenth time about all these big birds I didn't know I had suddently flying away from me. It's very disconcerting!
3) The lyrics were inspired, in part, by the death of Paul's mother when he was 14. Thirteen years later, he named his daughter Mary after her. Are you named after anyone? If you're a parent, did you name your children in honor of anyone?
No, I was almost named Eleanor after my dad's mother, but while he out of the room, she grabbed the birth certificate paperwork and put in the name I have. We did name our son, Robert Wiliam's, first name after my husband, Rob. My father, another Robert, thought it was for him, but no, man, c'mon with that. That was just a terrible coincidence! William was not for Rob but rather for his late friend, Bill Rose, who was a mentor in fly-fishing and in life. Sadly, that's the kidlet that we lost.
4) Over the years, Paul has performed on bass, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and drums, but not the first instrument he owned: the trumpet. A present from his dad for his 14th birthday, he exchanged the trumpet for a guitar because, "you can't sing while playing the trumpet." Have you more recently a) exchanged a gift, b) donated a gift you didn't want to charity or c) regifted?
Gosh, I really can't remember doing any of those lately!
5) Paul grew up seeing how much his dad enjoyed placing a bet and then listening to the horse race from his favorite armchair in the living room, so he took his salary from making the film A Hard Day's Night and surprised his father with a racehorse. After father and son proudly watched Drake's Drum win at Liverpool's Aintree Racecourse, the horse retired to Paul's farm in Scotland. If money were no object, what gift would you give a loved one?
I'd probably gift each of my three kiddos with a car that befits them. Sophie can probably enjoy anything, but for the older - and also much smaller - two, I would need to give them a car made for or adaptable for very short folks. Reaching the pedals, sitting back in the seat while not clinging desperately to the steering wheel, and being able to see out the windshield, are just the beginning goals for them!
6) Paul is considered one of the world's wealthiest entertainers, worth an estimated $1.2 billion. This month, as he approaches his 80th birthday, he is winding up a 16-city North American tour, during which he performs 30+ songs in a 2 hour, 40 minute show. If you had all the money you needed, would you continue to work? Or would you kick back and relax?
Dude, I wish I could work!! I'm not even reliable for working from home or self-employment anymore. I'm sad and it sucks and what was the question, again?
7) Paul first joined the Beatles when he was recruited into the band by John Lennon. They met as teenagers when Paul showed up at a church picnic where John's band was performing. Paul recalls pedaling over on his bike to hear them, his guitar flung over this back. When did you most recently ride a bike?
That's me, and according to my records, it was May 29, 2014 - before the world (my good health) came crashing down.
8) Paul met his first wife, Linda, at a London club and then again four days later when she was a photographer at a press party for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. Think about one of your romances. Where did you meet?
After having several classes together, J and I were not partners, but my partner and I were linked across the table with him and his partner, so we all did a lot of chit-chatting together. Mostly me. We got to know each other better, so sometimes that chattering, between him and me, turned flirtatious. Eventually, he asked to walk me back to my dorm, and... I'm going to stop right there. Heh.
9) TV journalist Barbara Walters played matchmaker for Paul and his current wife, Nancy. During the summer of 2007, when Paul was vacationing in The Hamptons, Barbara repeatedly and intentionally invited them to the same parties and picnics. Have you had any success in a matchmaking scenario -- as either the matchmaker or one of the dates?
Not that I'm aware of, I can't think of anything I've done or benefited from in that regard!
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Okay, I'm out. Y'all have a fantastic weekend!
☼
Hi, everyone! How are you doing? I hope all are well.
Guess what? After nearly two years of living on Maryland's Eastern Shore, I was finally able to get not just to the beach, but down to the water yesterday! I had my husband and my daughter's assistance, along with that of my new four-footed cane that I bought specifically for the sand, and took rests when I needed to. And then Hubs found this information about free beach wheelchairs posted:
So I probably got up to my knees or so. I would've gone much farther (let's face it, I would've let it envelop me and pull me all the way back to my mermaid family, haha), but the water was too cold for Rob and I wouldn't have wanted to make him have to rescue me in it! So other than being exhausted after, I was elated!
Anyway, let's do it:
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Saturday 9: Let Me Love You Tonight (1980)
Hello, ladies and gents and maybe those of another bent! How's it going?
I have a bit of news:
The good news: after labs were run of my psych meds and levels were found to be low, things have been adjusted, and I'm already feeling way better.
The better news: after ~7 months of hotel living, this will be coming to an end, finally... in May. We've signed a contract on a yet-to-be-built house here in Salisbury, and we're super happy with the way things turned out (except that it didn't "turn out" in, say, October!)
So cheers to better moods and not being homeless much longer!
Link up here if you want to play along with the S-9ers this weekend.
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Hey there, bloggy friends! I hope you're doing well and that maybe your weather isn't as overcast and gloomy as ours has been the past four days or so! This next week marks six months that we've been living in a hotel - except our eldest child, 19-year-old Chloë, who is now in her own apartment - and we are all OVER IT! Home after home has fallen through, and so the search continues. Send good thoughts this way, please!
As for you, I hope you're all doing amazingly well, keeping your distance and wearing those masks. Link up here if you're playing along this weekend!
And let's get to it...
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Heyyyyyy, everybody! Long time no... read? Type? Meme? Blog? You get the picture.
Happy 2021! Link up here if you aren't already meming along with Crazy Sam and the rest of the gang, and with that, I'm gonna dive right in:
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Saturday 9: Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (1973)
Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.
I don't. I really wish I did, but I do not. I'm going to keep trying, though! Mostly with succulents... At least they took longer to die.
9) Random question -- How often do you put crackers in your soup: Always, often, seldom or never?
I would have said "sometimes," but I'll go with "often" as it's one of the choices. That, up there, is some vegan bean soup that Hubs has made for me a few times. Delicious - even better with Nooch It, which is like a vegan Parmesan cheese but made out of cashews. Delish!
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Well, y'all have a great weekend, and hopefully I'll swing through and make the rounds. I have some studying up to do as I'll be lobbying with the Maryland Sierra Club next week, but I'll need downtime as well!
Fin.
Hey, y'all. Belated happy new year to you all! What a way to begin, eh?
I hope you've all been well in every way. ♥ I have missed you guys and have thought of you often. Hopefully I'll be able to begin making this a regular habit again!
Link up here if you're playing along today folks!
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Hello again. Welcome back.
I just can't believe how fast Fridays are rolling around lately. The time from Friday to Friday seems like a blink, even though the time we've spent here in Ocean City hotels (nine weeks?) seems interminable. Weird how these things work. I guess Einstein might have something to say about it.
Link up here if you want to join in with us this week!
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We're in the middle of a feeling-old hat trick, I think: We just celebrated Chloë's 19th birthday, moved her out into her own apartment, and she'll be voting in her first Presidential election soon. Doesn't take much more than that!
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Alright, y'all. I seriously need to go grab a shower, and then hopefully I'll still have enough energy afterward to delve into Sunday Stealing. (Shower's wear me OUT.)
Fin.
Hey, friends. I hope you are doing well. We're in something like our 9th week of hotel-living, and I can tell you, we are so over it!!!
But, the sale of our Idaho house is going well, and we should be closing at the end of the month. I'm thrilled it was picked up so quickly. Now, I just hope we can find a new one here in Maryland (or possibly Delaware) at such a great pace!
Link up here if you're playing along with us this week!
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Yes. For my kid's art supplies for a great class she was taking, of the Masters. (Hat tip to Sam.) Otherwise... it hasn't always gone well. I'm out of that game.
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Hope you all have a pretty decent weekend! I'm hoping we get to look at a couple houses and maybe take a day trip somewhere. Where will the road take you...?
Fin.
Hey there, guys and dolls! Welcome back to SSA. I've missed you! I'm hoping that by the end of November, we'll finally be in our forever home here on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
And I'm hoping that it will finally feel like home, not just our house.
Ya dig?
Keep your fingers crossed for us, you fine folks, will you?
As I'm sending good vibes to all of you as we work through fires and storms and COVID-19 and head into winter... <sigh>
Link up here to play along this weekend!
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Stolen from various web sites...
1) Can you cry under water?
I'm not sure I could. Underwater = my happiest happy place.
2) What is the fattest thing you’ve ever done?
Admittedly, I don't entirely understand the intent of this question, but...
Oh, I definitely have a sweet tooth, so I have had trouble cutting out the sweets since they became a big problem for me. The worst is when any of us have a birthday. Rob likes a plain, unfrosted chocolate cake for his birthdays, but most of the rest of us like Carvel ice cream cakes for ours. Since Chloë's birthday is the 7th of September, and mine is the 8th, we often have... kind of a lot of it. I get sick on it every time, but does it stop me??
3) If you’re going to be arrested, what do you want your crime to be?
I've never been arrested, but I admit, I've sort of half-jokingly put it on my Bucket List. If it happens, I want it to be for some kind of protest, whether it be political or, preferably, an environmental cause.
4) When they say dog food is “new and improved” who tastes it?
Well, first of all, I've always had issues with that phrase, "new and improved." If it's new, then what could have been improved upon if it didn't exist before? If it's improved, then it's something old they made better, so how could it be new?
Anyway. I figure, if they're going to find out if dog food is better, they'd better ask the experts: dogs!
5) What’s the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen?
My stepmother was always sarcastic, always sneering, in this unique way that I've only ever seen one other person in my life do. Very much like Cinderella's evil stepmother, here. It was an awful expression that could drain the blood from my face in an instant, because I knew that whatever was coming next would be worse than whatever led up to that point. I don't miss that b**ch.
6.) Why doesn’t glue stick to its bottle?
So there you go!
7) What historical event do you wish you’d witnessed?
Oh my gosh, there are so many things I could have thought of, but the first one I thought of was the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta when Kerry Strug did her vault with a broken ankle. That whole Dream Team was amazing. I would love, love, love to attend the Olympics some day!
8) Who has had the best influence on your life?
I've thunk hard on it, and I keep returning to the one inevitable answer: my husband. No one else in this world has made me look inside myself and really try to be better for someone else and not just for my own sake.
9) Would you rather go into space or to Antarctica?
Space! Although I'd always accept a trip anywhere, almost anytime - pandemics excluded.
10) Would you rather sleep with no pillow or no blankets?
I'd rather live without the pillow. I don't care how hot I am, I need to have certain portions of me covered with a blanket - and I can always use part of it for a pillow!
11) What's your favorite rain memory?
Oh, whenever it rained in the summers in Virginia Beach, when Sophia was two, three, four, five years old... we would go out and jump in the puddles! That little bitty was so excited and happy when she was jumping up and down in those puddles. She was just the the picture of pure joy.
12) If you were elected president, what is the first thing you would do?
First thing I would do is declare a moratorium on fossil fuels. No more coal mines, fracking, oil drilling, none of that. Our reliance on fossil fuels has long overstayed its welcome, and it's killing all of us. That shit's got to end.
13) If you had $3 to spend in the dollar store, what would you buy?
If I have an occasion like a birthday, the supplies there can't be beat for a buck! Ribbons, tissue paper, gift bag? Done!
14) What’s the most annoying sound in the world?
I can't stand to hear other people chewing and smacking their lips while they're eating. I have to tell my son to stop doing it constantly. Drives me crazy!
15) What natural disaster scares you the most?
Fire. We had a fire in the house I grew up in, and I still have scars on my legs from that. I've lived through that, tropical storms and hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, a supertyphoon... but nothing scares me like fire. I don't want to die that way.
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On that pleasant thought...! I've got some work to do for this nonprofit project I'm working on, and then make a list for some shopping. Maybe I'll even get some knitting accomplished. Not necessarily in that order.
Cheers to all of you and let's hope no one's in any natural disasters today!
Fin.
Hello, y'all. Another weekend has snuck right on up on me. I missed last weekend entirely, seems like.
If I didn't tell you here, we put our Idaho house on the market, and within hours we had an offer for the full amount of our request. So that was exciting. Once we close on that, we can start looking for our new home here on the Eastern shore of Maryland. Woot!
Hope y'all are doing well. ♥
Link up here if you're playing along with us this weekend.
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Saturday 9: One Night Standards (2019)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) The video for this song takes place in a motel and the story is told from the point of view of the desk clerk. Have you ever worked in a hotel, motel, or bed-and-breakfast?
I have not. But I used to have this fantasy of owning and running a boutique bed & breakfast in St. Pete Beach or Sarasota, Florida.
2) Ashley McBryde sings that she's not Cinderella, a reference to the fairy-tale heroine warned to return from the ball before midnight. When did you recently stay up until the wee small hours of the morning?
Today! I can't help it. Try as I might to get myself on a "normal" human, diurnal schedule, my body just won't comply. I always end right back up on a nocturnal schedule, try as I might to fight it.
3) Ashley had been working hard as a singer/songwriter for eleven years before she was discovered and proclaimed one of County's best new artists. What was your life like 11 years ago?
Oh, it was busy! By then I had a 4-year-old daughter, a 6-year-old son, and an 8-year-old daughter. I was a stay-home mom, but we were rarely at home. I think I had started my bakery by then and was getting orders fairly frequently; I was also still running my 501(c)(3) in memory of my living son's twin. Hubs was still Active-Duty Navy, so we mostly scheduled everything around that. I hated our house in Virginia Beach, but I loved living there - it was a great location!
4) Ashley is from Mammoth Springs, AR. One of the most popular stops on Main Street -- for locals and tourists alike -- is Spring Dipper Ice Cream. More than 20 flavors are made right there on the premises, from Jamoca Almond Fudge to French Vanilla. When confronted with such a wide selection, do you tend to order your familiar favorite or try something new?
It's kind of a toss-up on that. I love pistachio ice cream, but I rarely find it anymore. So if I see that, I'm probably getting it. If it's not there, I have to look at and evaluate each and every single other flavor to see what there is. I know what I'd like and what I wouldn't. And so I whittle down my choices until I reach my answer: wait a minute! I can't eat ice cream!
5) In 2007, she moved to Nashville to pursue a music career. Have you ever relocated for a job?
Well, you didn't specify that it had to be my job (although I have done that, too), so yes: in 2002, we moved to Guam on the other side of the world for Rob's next station in the US Navy. Chloë was a baby, and I was early in my pregnancy with the twins. We had a dog and a cat who flew separately from us and got lost, then were found and had to quarantine for a month or so. This all cost a pretty penny, and seemed like it was soooo much flying with a 13-month-old! So imagine how thrilled we were when we had to do it again and go back to the States four months later! (At that time I was about six months pregnant, but it was twins, and I had the same polyhydramnios - excess amniotic fluid - that I'd had with Chloë, so the flight attendants were eyeing my belly like, "Are you sure you're allowed to be flying right now?!"
6) Whenever Ashley hears a Carpenters song, she thinks of her mother, who loved Karen Carpenter's voice. Tell us a song that reminds you a loved one.
My mother loved the song "Hey There, Georgy Girl" and used to play it, almost daily, on her organ in our house in first Monroe, then Baldwinsville, New York. I just thought of it, and listened to it, now for the first time in years. I could see her so joyfully playing the organ and singing along, smiling, sounding beautiful. She had a lovely voice and was so talented.
7) In 2019, the year this song was recorded, Notre Dame Cathedral was damaged in a fire. Have you ever visited Paris?
No, not yet. The closest I've come was the flower market in Nice. And on that same 2008 trip, we also went to Eze. Beautiful!
8) Also in 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (aka Harry and Meghan) had a baby boy. Is anyone in your life expecting a baby?
Wow, I don't think so. If anyone I know is pregnant, I do not think I am aware of it yet. Been a long time since I could say that!
9) Random question: Do you always want to hear the truth about yourself?
I would like to say yes, but I am afraid that answer is actually no, not always. I'm just too sensitive. I don't know. Can I say "maybe"??
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Well, kids, I'm off to take my brood for a spin in my new wheels. We're going all the way to the post office. Exciting!
Have a lovely!
Fin.
Hello, hello! Welcome to Crazytown. Since the last time I "saw" you, my husband, son, and our pets (kind of a zoo) have arrived in Ocean City. Househunting is still very much under way, but we've found a few favorites. Meanwhile, our realtor is still working on priming and prepping our house in Idaho for sale, which should go live this coming week. I. Cannot. Wait!
Let's get into Sat 9. Link up here if you're playing along today!
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Hey there, guys and dolls. I'm still shacking up with my lady children (wait, that sounds wrong) in a fine hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, while our guys are still back in Idaho finishing up the packing and the minor repairs.
We have been suddenly hit with all the feels missing our menfolk and furfolk this week. Maybe it's because Chloë's 19th birthday was on Monday and my birthday was on Tuesday, but we really just needed those guys this week something awful. Rob is hoping to get on the road very soon and let the realtor handle things from there. Fingers are tightly crossed!
I have mad love for Whitney Houston, so I'm glad to see that she's the start of S9 this week. Link up here to join in the fray!
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Saturday 9: So Emotional (1987)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Whitney sings that she keeps her lover's photo beside her bed. What's on your bedside table?
Well, it's kind of a mess right now, since Chloë and I are sharing the hotel night table. We've got the hotel phone, my ubiquitous Diet Coke can and a toothpick (I'm never without), some Tree Hut Sugarlips lip scrub, both my Versace prescription glasses and my toric contact lenses for some reason, my noise-cancelling headphones, our UV sanitation bag/box/thingy, facial cleansing wipes, travel-size deodorant, cocoa butter lotion from Alba Botanica... you get the picture, right?
2) She's getting frustrated, waiting for the phone to ring. If your phone were to ring right now, who would you expect to be on the other end?
At this stage of my life, it would probably be either a doctor's nurse or a doctor's billing department.
3) The video was filmed at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, PA. It seats 6,200. As the nation reopens from Covid-19, would you feel comfortable sitting knee-to-knee with a stranger in an arena like this?
Not a snowball's chance in hell!
4) This week's featured artist, Whitney Houston, appeared on the daytime drama As The World Turns. She played herself, performing with Jermaine Jackson at the Miss Cinderella contest in the fictional town of Oakdale. Have you ever been hooked on a soap opera?
Yeah, back in my youth my older sisters watched plenty of soaps, so if I wanted to watch TV, that's what I watched, too. And when no one else was home, I was "required" to watch and then update them when they got home.
5) Whitney had a sweet tooth, and her favorite breakfast cereal was Fruity Pebbles. Do you often eat cereal for lunch or dinner?
I very rarely eat cereal at all anymore, even though I love it. My GI tract rejects it entirely. My favorite cereal is Frosted Mini Wheats, and I miss them!
6) At Whitney's wedding to Bobby Brown, her bridesmaids all wore lavender dresses and the groomsmen had custom made alligator shoes. Have you ever "stood up" for a friend or relative? If so, do you remember what you wore?
I wore a little pastel pink dress when my dad married my stepmother. I forget what I wore when my sister got married. (Sorry, Sis!!) and I wore a silver gown for my best friend Lisa's wedding. I remember the bosom area had to be let out, because I was breastfeeding 9-month-old Chloë at the time.
7) In 1987, the year this song was popular, Cher won the Oscar for Moonstruck. Her most famous line was, "Snap out of it!" When you think of Cher, do you first think of her movies, her TV show, or her music?
When I think of Cher, my first thoughts go immediately to her music in the 80s and 90s - and the costumes that went with it!
8) Michael Douglas won the Oscar that year for Wall Street. His most famous line was, "Greed is good." His character goes on to say that, "Greed in all its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of all mankind." Do you agree?
No, absolutely not.
9) Random question: When you woke up this morning, were you ready to get out of bed? Or do you wish you could have snoozed for a bit longer?
No, I was glad to finally wake up today. Chloë had been trying to wake me up for a while, and I was stuck in night terror the entire time. Guess I gotta up the PTSD meds tonight to keep that from happening again. #OverIt!
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It's weird, because I haven't even been awake all that long, and yet I'm already exhausted. Really had wanted to go to the beach today! We'll see. Take care, folks.
Fin.
Hello, my friends! I hope this Labor Day weekend finds you well and planning some kind of fun and enjoyment. The girls and I plan to go look at someof the houses we have saved on our list, among other things. Can't wait!
As of now, we're in a hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, so tonight we visited the singular house in OC that we had saved to our list.
Y'all. It is a mansion surrounded by other mansions. It is beautiful.
Could we afford it? Yes, definitely. Could we fit in there? That's a whole 'nother ball of wax.
Plus, my oldest kiddo, Chloë, is turning 19 on Monday, so I'm sure we'll have special fun for that day as well.
As for the present, let's dive into S9, shall we? Link up here to play along this weekend!
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