MelaniePenelope

Saturday 9: The Perfect Fan

So this week's song chosen by Crazy Sam is more in my era: "The Perfect Fan," by the Backstreet Boys. However, I still don't know this song! 😂😂😂 Oh well. Once in a while one comes across my interwebs that I know, and that, my friends, is what we call excitement. Hee.

Make sure you link up here if you want to play along today!

~*~*~*~*~

THE PERFECT FAN (1999)

 

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

 

***

1) In this song, a son thanks his mother for helping him grow up strong and confident. Who is the last person you thanked? What did they do for you?

 

My 17yo daughter, Chloë, surprised me with a ton of early gifts for Mother's Day last night, after running all over creation with her daddy. I had no idea what they were up to, so I was totally shocked - and she's got more coming! I can't believe it; I don't feel worthy of such things, such love, such delight. I'm still overwhelmed with gratitude. ♥

  
2) Who was the last person to thank you for something?

 

Ohh, I don't know. 14yo Sophia is thankful for her horse lessons every time she rides, and she's regularly expressing grateful for that.

 

3) This is from the Backstreet Boys' album Millennium, recorded and released in 1999. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when 1999 turned into 2000?

That was when I was phasing out of working on my PhD in the elasmobranch (sharks, skates, and rays) research lab in the Biology Department at the University of South Florida, and into working on my Master's in Science Education in the ed department. It was interesting, but... far less cerebral.

 

4) This song was written by Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell. Brian voiced himself on an episode of PBS' Arthur. Arthur has been described as an "animated anthropomorphic aardvark" -- which can be difficult to say. Do you easily get tongue tied?

 

 

Yes, very easily! I'm especially prone to Spoonerisms, which are so common for me I feel they should be named after me. I do it all.the.time! It can be amusing, but also annoying (for me)!
  
5) The French word for "mother" is "mère." What other French words do you know?

 

 

A lot, judging by how much I should be saying, "Excuse my French"!! 😂😂

6) Mother's Day is a big holiday for card shops. So are birthdays, weddings, and St. Patrick's Day. Hallmark sells greetings for everything from "Congratulations on Your New Job" to "Happy Retirement." Who received the most recent card you bought? 

 

 

That would be my good friend since middle school, Erin, who has a postcard collection. Do postcards count? I send her a random postcard now and then. One just went out, on Thursday.
  
7) Have you put away your winter clothes yet?

 

 

Nope. One moment it's 85ºF outside, the next it's 35ºF. I never know what to wear!
  
8) Mother Winters used to scold Sam for leaving her dirty dishes in the sink. Sam admits it: as a grown up, she's still a bit of a slob. Do lean toward "neat" or "messy?"

 

 

I'm more like... "organised messy." I can't do a lot of cleaning or even picking up around the house very often, because of my massive health issues, and no one in my family seems to see or care about the messes. It's aggravating. I mostly hang out at my desk or in bed, and I have tons of papers all over my desk. It's a little crazy, but I do know where my stuff is!
  
9) To celebrate Mother's Day, Sam is giving away her mother's favorite: Hershey Bars. Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate or milk chocolate with almonds?

Definitely the latter. Lately I'm ridiculously hooked on Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate with Almonds bars. So good. Anything Hersheys is now so inferior, it doesn't deserve to be called "chocolate"!  G&B are so yum. 

~*~*~*~*~

Welp, this is going to be up way early: It's 3:30 AM on Friday! I kinda wish Sunday Stealing would be posted as early as Sam posts Saturday 9, because I tend not to participate if it's not up early. I'm tryin', though!

Y'all have a great weekend.

Fin.

Saturday 9: Don't Envy Me

Hello, all! Okay, first of all, I had no idea that George Hamilton ever made a record. So there, I learned my something new for today. Thanks for that, Gal. I mean, uh, Crazy Sam! 😉 When Chloë and Jack are off to work later, and Rob takes Sophia to her horseriding lesson, I'll be all alone at home. Well, just me and the dogs. And the cats. And the rabbits. And, well, the fish. Anyway, it'll be quiet enough for me to listen to this one then!

Link up here if you'd like to play along today!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Don't Envy Me (1963)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) What is it about you that you believe your friends and acquaintances envy?

Hopefully nothing! I don't want anyone to feel envious of me at all.

2) Do you have a friend or acquaintance that you envy?

Hmm, no, not really. I wouldn't say that

3) This song was not a hit, even though it was written and produced by the supersuccessful team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Tell us about a project you had great confidence in at the beginning, but didn't turn out as well as you'd hoped.

Okay, first of all, I want this reef scene for my bedroom in the new house. Which one if you is going to come visit me in Idaho to help me achieve this?! 😂 Hm, let's see. In our house in Virginia Beach, I wanted to paint my office a dark burgundy. There was wallpaper in there before we bought it, but I couldn't get it off, so I painted over it. It took three coats, and it was still streaky. And then, on top of that, I tried to decoupage Fleur-de-lis shaped gold leaf emblems just above the chair rail, around the room. Let's just say that flopped, too. The whole effect was awful, and though we lived there for 10 years, I never fixed it.

4) George Hamilton is better known as an actor. He is proud of his performance in the 1960 movie Light in the Piazza. He played an Italian who romances an American girl on holiday in Florence. Did you ever find love while vacationing?

Yes, more than once. When I was 14, my family took a Caribbean cruise and met several members of the Capó family, which owns the humongous furniture chain in Florida, El Dorado Furniture. My love interest on the ship was then-19yo Luis, the oldest son. We had a great time onboard; he has a bubbly, infectious laugh that I loved. The following Valentine's Day, he sent me a bouquet of cookie hearts. Then, when I moved into my dorm in Miami, Luisito sent me an enormous bouquet of peach-colored roses. They were gorgeous. He was my date to my first dance on campus, actually, but it was then that the attraction fizzled. I realized that, somewhere along the way, I'd lost interest.

5) George had a small part in Godfather III. How many of the Godfather movies have you seen? Have you read the book?

I have not read any of it. When we lived on Guam, in 2002, I decided to visit the base library. They didn't have much, but they had the Godfather movies, which I'd never seen. So, with 15-month-old Chloë and fully pregnant with twins, I watched them then.

6) He's gotten a lot of publicity over the years for his personal life, including his 1966 romance with First Daughter Lynda Bird Johnson. At the time, she was living in the White House. Tell us about a memorable experience you had "meeting the parents."

It wasn't the first time I'd met Ben's parents, but one time, they invited me over for dinner. His whole family was already at the table when I'd arrived. Halfway through dinner, I realized that their sweet black cow, Afro, wasn't out front when I'd gotten there. "Where's Afro?" I asked. They all started laughing. Ben replied, with a smirk, "You're eating her." I was so upset!!

7) George is also known for his year-round tan. Have you ever used a tanning bed? Or self tanner?

I know far too much about the dangers of the sun - firsthand, no less - to ever have intentionally tanned on the beach or in a bed. Nope! I have done sunless tanner once or twice. I did not like either the effect or the smell, so that was it for me. I'll just be pale-ass-white.

8) In 1963, when this record was released, President Kennedy made a historic trip to Ireland. Have you ever visited the land of your ancestors?

Not yet!

9) Random question -- The last of a batch of delicious chocolate chip cookies just fell on your kitchen floor. Would you eat it?

I mean, yeah! Chocolate chip?! Of course.

~*~*~*~*~

🍪🍪🍪 And now I want cookies. 🍪🍪🍪

Thanks for stopping by, y'all! Have a ferociously good weekend!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: For The Love Of Surveys

Welcome back, my pretty babies! It's still Saturday night here, which means that, at least, I'm starting both Saturday 9 and SS on time. In this time of major health issues for me, that is nothing short of a miracle. But hold your applause until the end of this post - you may change your mind! 😉

So let's get down to business; here is the link if you'd like to join us this weekend!

~*~*~*~*~

If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be?

If I were being selfish and only thinking of myself, that house would be built in or near Key West. I miss the culture of the keys and particularly downtown Key West. The random chickens everywhere is quintessentially representative of every trip (of many) I've taken down there. I don't think that place could be duplicated anywhere else. But...

... if I were thinking of my husband, we'd build a nice lodge in the mountains somewhere, and live off the grid.

What are your favorite articles of clothing?

I don't have a lot right now that I would consider a favorite of mine, but these "onesie" jammies of Sophie's, which we gave her this past Christmas, are so adorable on her. She's such a goof, too, and wears them out in public occasionally!

The last CD you bought or downloaded?

I'm not sure which was the last one: The Have It All album by Jason Mraz, or a re-purchase of The Lady Killer by CeeLo Green. {We should totally do one or both of those on Sat9 sometime, Laurie!}

4. What time do you generally wake up in the morning?

I'm nocturnal, so if I wake up when it's still morning, I consider it put-in-on-the-calendar worthy.

5. What is your favorite kitchen appliance?

That would be my Candy Apple Red KitchenAid Artisan Design Series 5-quart Stand Mixer. She's a beauty! ♥ Hubs gave it to me one year for Valentine's Day, back we still lived in Virginia Beach. And we don't even normally do Valentine's gifts!

6. If you could play an instrument, what would it be?

In about 1997, I think, I went back to New York to visit friends. One night while there, I watched one of my very best friends, Shana, play electric violin and viola in a gig she and her cover band-mates were playing. She had the electric violin solo in "Ants Marching" by Dave Matthews Band. And she was badass! I've always admired her tremendous musical skill, but that night really made an impression on me. I'd love to learn.

7. What is your favorite color?

Right where that arrow's point is situated is my favorite color. I describe it fondly as "the middle depths of the sea."

8. Do you believe in the afterlife?

I have to believe that I will see my mother and my son, both gone far too suddenly and far too soon, again.

9. Your favorite children’s book?

I loved the Nancy Drew books as well, but I think it would have to be Anne of Green Gables and the following books in the series that I loved the most. Maybe I'll read them again sometime soon. Sooo many good quotes from them, but I had to pick this one because I'd like to believe there are many - maybe? - among you guys whom I could consider kindred spirits.

10. Can you juggle?

Definitely not. My brother-in-law can; I've seen him pull out the trick a time or two for the kiddos.

11. What’s your favorite day of the week?

When my husband was still in the Navy, I would say it was any day of the week that he was home. Now that he's out and medical problems abound, I could probably safely say it's any day I'm not in a doctor's office!

12. Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger?

I haven't had a hamburger since high school, thank ya very much! And while I am proud of that facth+++, I have to admit defeat in Round Two of my attempt to be - and remain - a vegan. Seems like after being a strict vegan for two months, my body just overcorrected, and I turned into a voracious [pescetarian] carnivore. Hopefully that'll balance back out soon, because the treehugger in me is laying down a huge guilt trip.

13. What is your favorite flower?

Historically, it has always been the gorgeous tiger lily, the abundance of pulchritude of which I always admired as a kid growing up in Central New York. But now I think that I have bumped it to the Number Two slot for these guys:

There are several hundred species of hibiscus, and I'm pretty sure I love them in all their ostentatious-bordering-on-meretricious glory.

14. What is your favorite meal?

First, a little story: after Rob and I eloped, I got pregnant like a minute later. I tried to work, but I had hyperemesis gravidarum and could not. At the same time, I devoted myself to being the best wife and mommy I could be. I started cooking meals I would never eat (#BecauseBeef), and I became a dedicated fan of Martha Stewart's show. We still cook several recipes I loved from that show; Hubs has the Thanksgiving turkey and gravy recipe memorized by now. Anyway, one day, renowned Chef Nobu was on the show, and he taught Martha how to make his new-style salmon sashimi. I made it only a few times, when now-17-year-old Chloë was just a wee baby. I haven't made it since those days; don't really know why. Obviously it left an impression on me, so I think maybe soon it's gonna happen.

15. Describe your ideal weather?

It would be quite warm and sunny but not blistering hot, with a light breeze. And of course, it almost goes without saying, I'd be on the beach.

16. What is your favorite ice cream?

No can do on the ice cream anymore. I'll just have cannoli. For me, please make it that the cannoli Hubs and I ate in Sicily that time, at the top of Mount Etna, with the chopped pistachios... so much yum.

17. What is your favorite breakfast?

Hmm, I don't think I've ever thought about that before. It would probably have to be a giant blueberry muffin, cut in half, with a schmear of good butter, like Président or Kerrygold... I think we have some fresh blueberries. Guess what I'm gonna make?

18. Where did you meet your spouse or significant other?

We met on the Interwebs and eloped exactly two months later.

Bonus: something you’d like to do that you’ve never done before?

I'd love to go waterskiing. Hey, if this six-month-old baby can do it...!

~*~*~*~*~

That was fun, Bev - thank you!

And now, I have some muffins to make. Ciao!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing + Bonus: Provoking Thoughts, Part The Second

Hey guys and dolls! I didn't participate in Saturday 9 yesterday because I've had another bit of health issues going on, but that's okay because I'mma jump into it right now. Here's the link if you want(ed) to join, but my little April Fools' trick is to pull out an S9 before I get into SS. 'Kay?

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: The Fool on the Hill (1968)

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

Chosen because Monday is April Fool's Day. 

1) As an April Fool's prank, Taco Bell once announced they had purchased The Liberty Bell and renamed it The Taco Liberty Bell. Describe your perfect taco.

Well, first of all, since Chloë jumped ship from Subway to Taco Bell a couple weeks ago, she's my favorite little bean burrito right here! 😉 Honestly, though, I don't like tacos. The crunch, the falling apart, everything all over the plate or your lap... no. Too messy for me. I do like a bean burrito, though. That 69¢ bit of wonder from Taco Bell is really what I need.

2) Similarly, as an April Fool's prank, the Ford Motor Co. was supposed to wipe out the national deficit by purchasing the naming rites to a beloved monument, renaming it the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial. What model car do you drive? 

Here's our little workhouse 2012 Dodge Journey two years ago, on our voyage from Miami to Boise.

And here it is now, with all the stickers and magnets and stuff. Yup. So us. If you notice nothing else, see the "Blue Girl, Red State" sticker (me); the "PERSIST" sticker (my girls and me); and the Pride sticker on the side (my girls - and their parents, as Allies). Very us. 😉

3) In 1998, Burger King got in on the April Fool's Day fun by promoting a special "Left-Handed Whopper," designed to be easier for a leftie to hold. Describe your perfect burger.

I think I remember that. That's hilarious. Here's mine:

The veggie burger at Elevation Burger is the BOMB. If you don't have an Elevation Burger near you (we don't, but we did in Miami), you're missing out. According to Hubs and the kids, the "regular" beef burgers are epic, too. But those veggie burgers... man. Making my mouth water right now!

4) In 1962, when color TV was still new, a Swedish station pranked viewers by telling them they could convert their black/white sets to color by cutting up a nylon stocking and stretching it across the screen. Of course, in 1962, more women wore nylons and screens were smaller. How big is your TV? Are there any nylon stockings in your home?

I recently bought a new TV from Best Buy (ugh, like my least favorite store in the world), but I had to go back and look at the specs. It's a 43" Samsung Smart TV. It's really nice. It's got probably way more functionality that I don't know how to use yet, but I'm still learning. 

As for nylons, I've been getting rid of tights and stockings and stuff little by little now. I used to wear them a lot in Miami, but I don't know why. Many of us, including Chloë and me, have sensory issues with nylon. So they're exiting the building.

5) In 1957, the BBC ran an April Fool's story about how the Swiss were enjoying a "bumper spaghetti crop," with spaghetti literally growing on trees. Viewers who called the station, asking how to grow a spaghetti tree of their own, were told to place a sprig of spaghetti in a can of tomato sauce and hope for the best. Have you ever fallen for an April Fool's prank?

Also hilarious. I love it.

Yes, I have. When I was in high school in Syracuse, New York, the main station I listened to was 93Q. They started announcing, months before April 1st, that they were switching over to a smooth music, kind of classical vibe. Everybody was talking about it; we were crushed. On April Fools' Day, they started playing "Feelings" over and over and over. By the 10th time or so, I finally figured it out. What a huge joke! The next day, they were back to normal. I felt so duped!

6) When Crazy Sam was growing up, her mother would surprise her on April Fool's Day by slipping a rubber worm or plastic spider in her lunch box. When you were in school, did you more frequently brown bag it or buy your lunch in the cafeteria line?

I love that, Sam. I missed out on that.

I really don't know how to answer this one, honestly. I did make myself a bagged lunch to bring every day, but I really wasn't allowed to put anything in there that I wanted to eat. A lot of the time it was a big slab of greasy ham from the previous night (or several nights prior) dinner... and I have never not hated ham. So that got thrown away. I'd eat a little of the apple, maybe, and throw that away. I don't remember being allowed to have a drink. Or money. I started mooching food off my friends' trays or paper bags, which I'm sure they sort of hated and resented, until I got a job at 15. Then I could go up and buy myself a damn chocolate milk or something, if I got thirsty. That whole situation kind of sucked.

7) This week's song was an international hit for Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66. Because of the song's bossa nova arrangement, everyone assumed the lead singer, Lani Hall, was Brazilian. She was a folk singer from Chicago. Sergio Mendes discovered her at a charity benefit. Can you think of a time when doing good really paid off for you?

Sure. After my son died after three days in NICU, I began a 501(c)(3) nonprofit called CARE Package. I wanted to make layettes, such as this one, for other babies who didn't survive, as well as give out information in those same packages for the parents. I needed to give them ideas for things they could do with their their baby before giving him/her over to the people to prepare for the next stage. We didn't get to do any of that, because we were rushed, and nobody thought to tell us, "Hey, you can bathe him." "Hey, you can change his diaper and dress him." And the kicker for me, "You can get his twin brother in here and get a picture of them together." That still really stabs me in the heart. But the good thing is, I have gotten tons of letters and emails from parents and hospital staff who had received all those CARE Packages. And one day, I went in and was part of a panel at that hospital - Naval Medical Center Portsmouth - to sit with doctors and surgeons and nurses and other support staff and really, truly get to the heart of telling them how to take care of bereaved parents. Those initial steps in the bereavement process are so crucial, and NMCP did it all wrong. To have the floor in front of these people, and have them really listen to me about how to fix that problem, meant a lot for me. More importantly, I hope it was fixed for those to come after me experiencing similar things.

8) In 1968, when this record was popular, Pierre Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada. Today his son holds that office. When did you most recently visit our neighbor to the north?

I've been to Canada several times, but not since I was a kid. Under the age of 10 or so, we visited Ottawa last. We were walking back to our hotel from a fancy dinner, and then a street fight broke out in front of us. One guy pushed another into a store front, and they broke through the glass, which shattered everywhere. I was terrified.

9) Random question: Name three websites you visit every day.

1.

I like to take and edit photos, so I'm always on BeFunky - it's my favorite editing site.

2.

I do my grocery lists, our budget, my current medications and specialists, etc., all on Excel. So that's always open.

And Homeschool Planet, our planner/calendar/organizer, is always open. Since we homeschool, our schedule is not a Monday-Friday 8-3 type deal. We school whenever, wherever, so I've always got to have it ready to go.

~*~*~*~*~

So that was fun! Thanks, Sam! Let's skip on into Sunday Stealing with Bev now. Link up here if you want to play along!

~*~*~*~*~

If you had to teach something, what would you teach?

I'm not usually big on these word map thingies, but this really kind of sums it up for me. I would teach about the Environment and being responsible for the ecology where one is, locally, and also nationally and globally - and we're just not doing that as a whole.

2. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?

Doing: I would love to get an advanced degree in something. I was thinking Law, but I'm not sure anymore. Being: I would love to be at peace with myself and feel like I am valuable. Having: I would love to have memories full of joy, new experiences, and laughter, far more than anything else.

3. Are you holding onto something that you need to let go of?

Yes. Constant fear and terror. I have literally lived in constant terror for my entire life. Every minute. I have to learn to accept that if I relax, everything will be okay.

4. When you are 80-years-old, what will matter to you the most?

I want to have multiple generations of our family love to come "home" to us and hang with us, and just be full of joy together.

5. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards and just do what you know is right?

I'm not sure I'm fully capable of answering this question - pass!

6. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

Probably between 80 or 90 years old. With all the meds I take, and all my chronic physical and mental health conditions... I definitely feel way older than I am right now.

7. Would you break the law to save a loved one?

ABSOLUTELY.

8. What makes you smile?

Seeing all of my kids getting along and having a good time makes me smile!

9. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

I want to learn to say "no" more. It's hard for me. I always want to take on way too much.

10. If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be?

It's important to me for people to realize that the global climate change we are facing is largely man-made, and it will be catastrophic. However, I also want people to know there are small steps each and every one of us can do to rein it in and bring things back more into alignment with the way things should be. I would give them those steps and teach them where to find the how-tos. We owe it to ourselves and our children, and their children.

11. If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

I'd be tempted to seize the day a whole lot more, which tells me that I should be seizing the day a whole lot more!

12. What do we all have in common besides our genes that makes us human?

I think a lot of it has to do with what we care about, and how we feel about those things. And also, that we care how others perceive us. But it's so complex; a pat answer won't do.

13. If you could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students, which book would you choose?

First, I'd ask each student to read the short story "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson. It would invite a lot of really interesting discussions among students and teachers.

And then, it may seem cliché, but I think To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee should be required reading for every American student. There is still such a long way to go with race relations in this country, so every conversation we can have about it can help.

14. Would you rather have less work or more work you actually enjoy doing?

I'm not going to ask for more work, but regardless, I'd want to enjoy doing it!

15. What is important enough to go to war over?

Call me naïve or maybe even sexist, but I feel like most men are far too eager to fight over things than to sit down and have a conversation - or 20 - to come to a point of understanding and compromise. I honestly can't think of many things worth an actual war.

16. Which is worse, failing or never trying?

Never trying is much sadder than trying and failing. I've got to remind myself of this often. I don't have a fear of failure. I have a fear of succeeding.

17. When was the last time you listened to the sound of your own breathing?

Today, actually. My asthma is pretty out-of-control lately, and I'm wary of another bout of pneumonia (it's been over a year since I had it, y'all! WOOT!), so I listen for wheezing whenever I'm lying down quietly.

18. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?

I think differently. I mean, I know everyone thinks differently - supposedly - but when I was in graduate school and we would have discussions on 30-page reports of scientific studies and experiments, my contributions were always so different than everyone else's. I became afraid to contribute to the class, but then when I finally did speak up, everyone was like, "ohhh, I never thought of that." It's weird and cool and scary all at once.

19. What does ‘The American Dream’ mean to you?

I think this graph really sums up well how I feel about it. It's not about wealth or acquiring stuff. It's about freedom and opportunity.

20. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?

I don't know. I've never been a simpleton... but I sure would like to be joyful more often!

~*~*~*~*~

So it's almost 5 AM here on Sunday now (I had a long overnight snooze in the middle of this). Better late than never eh?

Thanks for stopping by!

Fin.

Sundays In My City: Creativity

Hey, guys! Happy Sunday evening to you! It's been a while (seems like my M.O.) since I joined Claudya on her Sundays in my City funtivity, but I'm feeling inspired to write on my blahg, and write in general, more lately.If you want to show us what's going on in your neck of the woods, link up here!~*~*~*~*~
I feel like creating again lately, but I'm easing into it slowly. Having a nasty chronic illness (actually, more like 20) has kind of put my ability to be creative on the back burner, but that's gotten staid and boring.Anyway, so the other night, I "unvented" (word borrowed from the amazing knit-queen, Elizabeth Zimmermann) a meal recipe that I was hankering for but for which I couldn't find online. So I made it up, typed it all up with big words and silly words, printed it and laminated it, and then handed it over to Hubs to cook for me. (Hee! Yes, but, in my defense, standing up at the stove for long periods of time is extremely difficult for me now.)Between the two of us, we created Lentil Falafel with Yoghurt and Spiced Couscous. It's delicious! Hit me up if you'd like me to send you a copy of the recipe.***
So maybe this doesn't fall under the umbrella of "creativity" so much (at least, not ours) since I sent Hubs this recipe from the blog "The Kitchen Magpie." All he technically did was follow the recipe and omit the raisins. But look at it! I appreciate it as a visual work of art and titillation for my taste buds. And so it's included.***
The rest of the entries in this post are from my youngest child, 13-year-old Sophia. This is my foot. One night, she and I were sitting around alone at home together, when she went and got all the dry-erase markers. An hour or two later, she and I were covered in her works of art. Unfortunately, my favorite thing was the hibiscus she drew on her own right hand, but because it was dry-erase, she ended up having to wash her hands before I got a picture of it. It was beautious!***
The main library here in Boise, Idaho, is pretty cool. They have all kinds of fun programs for kids and teens. Sophie went to the one last week for the first time (I'd just found out about it) and came home with this rubber stamp for a rose that she'd carved herself. Pretty cool, huh?***
This is another result of a different program at the same library. Sophia made this neon sign that reads "meme machine." I love it! I think it's hanging up in her bedroom window right now.***
And finally, this Impressionistic tree that Sophia painted (and she says that she cannot paint!) was her final assignment for the Claude Monet unit in our homeschool art program. It's called Meet The Masters, and each week, she (and I) learn about another master artist, and then she practices the style of each. I'm so proud of this one, partly because I do think it's so good, and partly because she really does claim no painting ability. I'm afraid I have to disagree!~*~*~*~*~So that's what's up in Boise. I'd love to see your part of the world!Thanks, Claudya, for hosting this fun romp-around.Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Thoughts Provoked, Part The First

Aloha and welcome back! I just woke up from a much-needed nap, so maybe my post won't ramble all over the place as is my usual custom! 

Here's some news: as of late Friday afternoon, Team Odette is (are?) officially under contract to buy a house! It's big, beautiful and really sprawling. Plenty of room for us and our abundance of freakin' STUFF. Wanna see a couple quick previews? 'Kay:

This is part of the outside of lovely house-to-be in Kimberly, Idaho, just outside of Twin Falls.

Here is one view of the kitchen about which I am supremely ecstatic.

And that's the opposite view of the kitchen and dining room, with a glimpse at one of THREE fireplaces in the home. Squeeeee!!

Did I mention I'm excited?!!

Okay. I'll stop there and move along to Sunday Stealing. Sorry! Link up here if you'd like to join us today!

~*~*~*~*~

These are from a site called Thought Provoking Questions..

1. When was the last time you tried something new?

Well, the other day we used a Groupon for a new restaurant, Mount Everest Momo Café. They serve Himalayan, Nepali, Tibetan, and Indian cuisine. Rob went and picked out what we ate: the Momo special, which had two momo (dumpling-like foods) each of vegetarian, chicken, pork, and yak. I ate the first four listed, and he ate the yak and pork. We also got a side order of naan, which was out of this world! Fortunately, I have another Groupon for the same place, so we'll get something a little different next time. I can't wait!

2. Who do you sometimes compare yourself to?

Well, I do find I compare myself to both my late mother and to my teenage daughters the most, although I am a competitive person and compare myself to pretty much everyone. I've always put my mother on a pedestal since she died early in my childhood, but only now through therapy am I realizing that she was perfectly human, and therefore perfectly imperfect, and I can stop judging myself for not living up to the standard I've felt she set for me.

As for my daughters, they are vastly different in personality, like night and day. Chloë and I feel each others' feels so completely, and we have a very deep bond. Sophia and I, as well as Jack and I, also have that bond, but it's different for each kid. So I kind of compare the relationships more than myself with each kid. Does that make sense, or was it a whole lot of mumbo-jumbo? 😂

3. What’s the most sensible thing you’ve ever heard someone say?

Well, this one amuses me:

But I'm also tickled by this one (and many others):

4. What gets you excited about life?

When my five natural senses are titillated, I find myself thoroughly exhilarated. Like this gorgeous black and white calla lily display, for instance, or for that matter any bouquet from The Bouqs. I'd buy flowers from them weekly if I could afford it! (Have you heard of them? I won a $50 bouquet from them once, and it was stunning. I'm thinking of starting a once-a-month flower subscription to The Bouqs when we get settled into the new house!)

... or the smell I love the most, citrus fruits! ♥ Mmm, so fantastic and fresh!

... or what about beautiful and classical, or fun and lively, or any other kind of music that moves us? Sometimes music can be so electrifying, amirite?!

... Furthermore, what about all of the gustatorial pleasures of the earth? For instance, I pulled a few pictures of some of the decadent food and drink we had on our European cruise (which you can read about here), and it gives me a bit of a thrill, even now that it's more than a decade later, to imagine the tastes of these again. I had the sangria in Barcelona, Spain; the "Sprite" was from Nàfplio, Greece; the pizza was eaten in Dubrovnik, Croatia; and the pistachio-spiked cannoli were eaten at a restaurant on the top of Mt. Etna in Sicily!

...And as for the sense of touch, I could say something like the physical connection with my husband or hugging my kids, of course, but I feel like that's a gimme. Instead, this one of our five sense invokes the sensuous experience of knitting with the fine cashmere yarn produced by Iris Schreier of Artyarns, a luxurious fiber art company and probably among the top of my faves! I used their #3 cashmere in the fuschia colorway for the "Wisp" scarf, above, that I made myself just over 11 years ago. So soft and delicious! When the kids and I drove up from Virginia Beach to Jamestown, New York, the following winter to visit my sister and her family, Stacey was gushing about how much she loved it when she saw it (and felt it!) on me. So I took it right off and gave it to her. Now that I'm writing about it again, I'm feeling the itch to make myself another one! That idea certainly gets my juices flowing. 😉

The Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

I could name a plethora of other things that make life worth living for me, so maybe I'll just list a few but without the graphics: falling in love; traveling and seeing ancient architecture like Rome's fountains and the Colosseum; standing in holy places like Vatican City (even if it doesn't align with my own spiritual journey); meeting people from all over the world and getting a wide-eyed view of the United States from them as well as direct insight into their cultures; skipping and laughing with one or more of my children...

Oh. Apparently I could go on and on about this question! And that is a good thing, really - at least for me if not for you - so I can refer to this when I'm sinking down into the deep depressive states of my bipolar disorder. I'll just have to pull up this post and remember all the things, such as these, that bring me joy. ♥

5. What life lesson did you learn the hard way?

It's only recently that I've realized my usual "fight or flight" response is flight, and so I end up running away from my problems all over again. Thinking back, I've been doing this since at least the age of 15 or 16. Thankfully, I'm working on my life history in intense therapy with a highly-qualified therapist, so I'm aiming for the heart of the beast now. Finally.

Also, this is a good lesson to learn:

6. What do you wish you spent more time doing five years ago?

Laughing!! We were smack-dab in the middle of when Hubs was going through his brain tumor & surgery stuff, and that was definitely not a fun time.

7. Do you ask enough questions or do you settle for what you know?

Enough questions? Are we discounting the idea of too many questions? I've been told by several teachers and professors that I was going into the right line of work, as a scientist, because I have the natural inquisitiveness of a child. I'm always asking questions. I laugh and say, "Sorry, I'm just nosy," when I feel like I'm doing it too much, but honestly I just really like finding things out. People, things, events, facts... they interest me!

8. Whom do you love and what are you doing about it?

In addition to a mighty bunch of great friends, I love these kiddos of mine (gratuitous photo of them as much younger kiddos below) - 

• I love these kids!! And...

...and, I'm pretty much cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs for this silly man!

What I'm doing about it is working on improving myself more and more, physically, mentally, and emotionally, so that I can be the best mom, wife, and friend I can be!

9. What’s a belief that you hold with which many people disagree?

I'm not touching that with a 10' pole! No way.

10. What can you do today that you were not capable of a year ago?

I can see and understand a lot more things about myself that I just couldn't see this time last year - or maybe ever?

11. Do you think crying is a sign of weakness or strength?

Neither; it's a sign of being human. Of being alive. Of being a sentient creature.

12. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

I'd express my sillier, goofier side more in public.

13. Do you celebrate the things you do have?

Oh, most definitely! I've talked about many of my rich blessings already on this post. Plus I have loads of delicious yarns with which to knit, and occasionally crochet. I do try to keep the positive perspective!

14. What is the difference between living and existing?

I seem to be a bit of a Meme Queen, so that's how I'll sum up my feelings on the matter:

15. If not now, then when?

Now. Definitely, now.

16. Have you done anything lately worth remembering?

Well, we celebrated our twin boys' 16th birthday two days ago, the same day our offer was accepted on a new house, so yeah! I guess so!

17. What does your joy look like today?

Pretty calm, quiet day. My body let me sleep in today, well past noon. We're all sitting around, relaxing, binge-watching NCIS: Los Angeles, and canoodling with our various pets. Paco and Tapi (our puppies, above) are going back and forth between Sophia and me. Chloë is petting her gorgeous cat, Pepper (also above). And Jack is cuddling with his Rex rabbit, Mocha, who is crazy-soft. He feels like velvet!

18. Is it possible to lie without saying a word?

Of course it is.

19. If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow this person to be your friend?

Hopefully not very long. I'm very hard on myself, all the time. Cruel, even. I'm working on that.

20. Which activities make you lose track of time?

Many things, but most of all, communing with nature. If I didn't have to live in a house, I wouldn't. I guess technically, I could do without a house, but none of the rest of Team Odette would go along with that!

~*~*~*~*~

That was fun. But long! Phew! I'm glad y'all stopped by. I actually wrote it down on my "To-Do" list to come around and visit all of you, but it may take me the full week. I hope I accomplish it, because I miss doing that! ♥

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Here's A Cookie, Cookie!

What's up, party people? I'm sitting here home alone right now, after the family had to turn around from a trip two hours away to bring me home. My health just wasn't up to going along with them today, but I'm hopeful they'll have fun and bring home good news when they return. You see, we were - and they are - going out to Twin Falls, Idaho, to look at a house on which we might put an offer!

We all love it from the description and the many photos, so hopefully it turns out to be just as amazing in real life. Eeek!!!

Anyway, so let's get started:

~*~*~*~*~

I just learned that March 6 was was National Oreo Cookie day, so in honor, here are some cookie questions.

1. Do you eat Oreos?

They're okay. I can take them or leave them. Last month, I did an Oreo-themed House Party (for RippleStreet.com), so I'm kind of Oreo'd-out by now. But we did get some cool swag in addition to all those cookies:

2.  If you eat Oreos, which are your favorite – original, double stuff, golden original, golden double stuff, Oreo brownies, Oreo ice cream?

Well, these are all the kinds of Oreos we used in our house party, but I can honestly say with all those choices, Double Stuf is still my favorite! I could eat a whole package in one sitting - or maybe three - easily!

3.  Do you twist your Oreos apart?

I tend not to, no. I chomp!

4.  Are you able to pass by a plate of cookies and not take one or are you a bit of a 'Cookie Monster'?

I can usually pass by, unless they're (my) chocolate chip cookies. I cannot resist the chip. Everyone in my family agrees my chocolate chip cookies are the best, which is a huge compliment. When we moved away from Miami, I brought a plate of cookies to two young men at the gas station convenience store we frequented. Neither of them really had mother figures. When I brought in that huge plate of cookies just for them, they jumped up and down, hugged, and cried. It was great.

5.  Tell us about your favorite cookie. Crunchy, soft, chewy, crumbly, other?

I like my chocolate chip cookies on the soft and chewy side, not hard or crunchy at all. And definitely not crumbly. You can never have too many chocolate chips, either! Also, I prefer chopped walnuts or pecans in mine, but I think no one else in my family does, so I leave those out.

6. Have your tastes changed since you were a kid?

I'm guessing we're talking about cookies, so no, not really there. However, my husband has helped me learn to love a lot of foods I didn't used to enjoy, such as avocados, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Mmmm!

7.  Inquiring minds want to know if you are a dunker and, if so, do you dunk in milk, coffee, or tea?

I rarely dunk, if ever. I hate the way the cookie gets mushy and then bits of it fall to the bottom of the glass! Too messy; no thanks!

8.  It is that time of year and they are selling them on every corner and in front of every store!  Do you buy Girl Scout cookies and if you do, which is your favorite?

I haven't bought them in about three years - maybe more - because we tend to go crazy and buy at least a case. My favorites are the Samoas, but I really need to eat sugar-free ones. I don't know if they're even selling SF ones anymore, and I don't want to make myself sick on cookies, or crush our budget, so I've abstained.

9.  Raw cookie dough. Yay or Nay?

Definitely yay!!

10.  Do you like cookies with filling?

Yes! I like to make these Raspberry Linzer cookies for Christmas. They're always a big hit.

11.  Do you prefer organic cookies?

I do like to buy and eat as much organic food as possible, but when it comes to junk food like cookies... all bets are off!

12.  Large cookies, or small cookies?

I think large cookies, like those God-awful cookie cakes, lose something in the making. Smaller, perfect cookies are the ones I prefer. I don't like cookie cakes at ALL.

13.  Do you like familiar flavours in cookies?

I don't really care as long as (a) I'm not allergic to the ingredients and (b) they taste good!

14.  Do you make your own cookies, or buy them?

I vastly prefer to make my own, especially at Christmastime. I haven't made any in a long time. Now I feel the need!

15.  Please tell us something random about your week!

My oldest, Chloë, jumped ship from Subway and now works at Taco Bell. And no, she has not brought me one single bean burrito yet! ;)

~*~*~*~*~

Anyway, I just woke up from a nap and now I have a headache, soo... on that note, thanks for your visit!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Molly Malone

Hey, everyone! I hope your week has been great. Mine's been interesting, as always. The alternator on our sole vehicle went out, so all the money we had saved for the rest of the month for important other stuff had to be rerouted for that. That sucked, but without the car, none of the other stuff could've happened anyway. 🙄 My asthma has been acting up something awful lately, and I almost got admitted last night (technically this morning) but managed to escape that fate.

However, we are starting - tomorrow! - to actively look for a house to buy, maybe our forever home, now that we've been approved for a VA loan again. I'm so excited. We all are! Hopefully, this will be the start of things really looking up again for Team Odette!

On to Saturday 9. Link up here if you want to play along with the rest of us this week!

~*~*~*~*~

Molly Malone
  
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) Are you of Irish descent?  

I've always been told I'm not, and my overly-prejudiced (to everything and anyone) sperm donor was so proud of that. I'm interested in doing a DNA test to confirm, but it hasn't been important enough to me to do one of those OTC tests just yet. On the other hand, my husband and therefore our four kids are of Scots-Irish descent through his father. I feel like Rob has a much more interesting ethnic (albeit entirely European, as do I) heritage than I do. I'd like to see both of our DNA results, actually.

2) Legend has it that the heroine of this week's Irish ballad was a real lass. 17th century birth and burial records confirm that a woman with that name lived in Dublin. Can you think of another song about a real historic figure?

The first person I thought of was Joan of Arc, but I couldn't recollect the song (for the record, it's "Bigmouth Strikes Again" by The Smiths), so I went with this R.E.M. song. In "It's The End of the World," Michael Stipe namechecks possessors of the initials L.B., like Leonard Bernstein, Leonid Brezhnev, and Lenny Bruce. I went with this one because I remember this song the best.

3) Molly sold fish from a cart that she wheeled through the streets. What's the last seafood you ate?

Well, now that Operation Vegan has failed miserably, I did not hesitate to enjoy some sushi the other night. This was what I ate (but I ate far more than this, in two or three more stages). Seafood included was crab, shrimp, and ahi tuna. Mmm! 🦐🍤🦀🐟

4) The lyrics tell us that, after her death, her ghost continues to wander the streets of Dublin with her wheel barrow. Do you believe in ghosts?

I reserve ghosts for my limited "I'll Believe It When I See It" file in the over-packed rooms of filing cabinets in my mind.

5) This week's featured band, The Dubliners, are obviously from Dublin. They were introduced to American audiences on The Ed Sullivan Show. Today, Stephen Colbert tapes his show in The Ed Sullivan Theater. Who hosted the last talk show you watched? 

Well, I DVR The Ellen Show so that I can have my daily-ish dose of joy from Ellen de Generes. She makes me so happy. What I didn't know was that Jason Sudeikis was hosting today (Friday the 15th's) episode. At first I was disappointed, but he didn't suck!

6) Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day dish. Is it a favorite of yours?

Nope.

7) According to Irish legend, leprechauns earned the gold in the pot they guard by repairing shoes. Crazy Sam can't remember the last time she got a pair of shoes repaired. When the heels wear away, she discards the shoes and buys new ones. What about you? Do you get your shoes fixed (either by leprechauns or just by ordinary repairmen)?

Leprechauns, hee!

I have never had my shoes repaired, although I do wear them until they are no longer wearable - at least by me. I mostly own all kinds of styles of Crocs now, because they can be comfortable and (yes, at least to me) cute:

Unfortunately, I wear tiny shoes (a size 4 or 5 womens in Crocs), and this brand tends to stretch out over time. So I usually gift these away, because they aren't really reparable. 

However, Hubs says he has had about a dozen pairs of his shoes repaired in his life, which both amuses me and makes me feel lesser-than. These are his Birkenstocks, which he has barely worn in the 18½ years I've known him:

The soles need replacing. I don't know how much that will cost, because I've never done it, but apparently it's always been too much for me to make an effort to budget for it. Is it because he has plenty of other shoes? Is it because these are leather and I don't particularly approve? Is it because we've had kids to raise, and that's expensive and, to me again, more valuable than new soles on shoes? I don't know. Whatever the case, I've always wanted to do that for him, but I haven't been able to prioritize it highly enough.
 
8) Do you look good in green, the signature color of St. Patrick's Day?

I really don't know, because my signature colours tend to be reds and black. I have auburn-ish hair, greenish eyes, pale but ruddy skin, tons of freckles, etc. So I could either rock the green, or I could crash and burn. I think I would look nice in this green saree, though?

9) Random question: Did you more recently sneeze or cough?

Because of this ^^^, I try to avoid doing both! I really do. Having four kids via c-section really did a number on my bladder control. TMI? I don't really care; it's a fact of motherhood that bladder leakage frequently happens. Combine that with my ReQuip for Parkinson's/Restless Leg Syndrome, and disaster abounds! I must stop that medicine!

~*~*~*~*~

Thanks for another fun one, Crazy Sam! I hope by the time I join you next week, we may have a house picked out and maybe under contract! So exciting. Eek! I'm thankful this is happening.

Fin.

 

Saturday 9: Valentine

Hey there, hi there, ho there! Happy day after day after Valentine's Day, y'all! What better way to celebrate than to, y'know, fill out a questionnaire by Crazy Sam and hang out with my InterBuds?

Link up here if you'd like to play along today.

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Valentine (1993)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

This song was specially chosen for the Saturday 9 closest to Valentine's Day.

1) This is a love song written by Willie Nelson for his young son. Have you sent any Valentines this year to someone you love who isn't a romantic partner?

Well, not this year, but I've often given Valentines to my kiddos in previous years; does that count? Sure it does, if it counts for Willie! As for this picture, it's still a work in progress, but it's part of a Valentine my 13yo Sophia made for 15yo Jack. He just bought himself this electric guitar kit, so she made him a handmade guitar pick and guitar keyring to go along with it. There's more, but I think this alone is pretty cool!

2) Today that little boy, Lukas, is a singer/songwriter who wrote eight of the songs for the 2018 A Star Is Born soundtrack. Have you seen the Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga big screen romance?

Not yet! I'm waiting for next Tuesday, the 19th, when it comes out on Netflix. Can't wait!!! Right now, I'm watching Bohemian Rhapsody, another movie I've been truly looking forward to watching.

3) On Valentine's Day in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented the first telephone. Whom did you most recently speak to on the phone?

I spoke to the receptionist at a dermatologist's office. Got a few spots on my back that are concerning.

4) Penicillin was also introduced on Valentine's Day (in 1929). When you get a shot, do you look away when the needle touches your skin?

I sure do! I'm as chickenshit as they come.

5) According to legend, a gift of red roses signifies love and romance. When did you last purchase flowers or plants? Did you buy them for yourself, or someone else?

So we're having the kids learn about gardening as part of a study of plants this year in our homeschool, Sweet Pea Academy, so Hubs and I just bought them some succulents from Trader Joe's to start off their little personal gardens. Some are taking better care of them than others!

I want to get them this collection of succulents eventually, and a bunch of cute pots like maybe a few of these:

OR  

OR maybe even these cuties:

... but when we can afford it. 😏

6) This week's artist, Willie Nelson, can trace his family tree back to the Revolutionary War. Captain John Nelson served with the Minutemen back in 1776. If you could go back in time to witness any great moment in American history, which would you choose?

I wish I'd borne witness to Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address.

7) Before he became a musical success, Willie was a door-to-door salesman, peddling first Bibles, then vacuum cleaners. INC magazine tells us that the traits of successful salespeople include resilience and good listening skills. Do you think you'd make a good sales person?

No way in hell. I've tried, and I'm terrible at it!

8) In 1993, when this song came out, Saved by the Bell aired its series finale. Crazy Sam likes to tease her brother because he once admitted to her that he has seen all 86 episodes of this teen sitcom. Is there a show that you believe you've seen every episode?

I'm pretty sure I've seen all of The Big Bang Theory, but that doesn't stop me from watching the syndicated reruns on 

9) Random question - We're having milkshakes! What's your favorite flavor?

No milk for me. Lately we've been drinking a lot of different vegan smoothies, so experimentation is the name of the game. I haven't gotten around to making any milkshakes with plant-based milks yet, although we've got all kinds of those milks (cashew, almond, soy, pea - unflavored, flavored, etc.) in the fridge right now!

~*~*~*~*~

So I'm still in the middle of my big Queen moment, watching the movie, adoring Freddie Mercury, and constantly listening to "Don't Stop Me Now" and others on my Beats.

Love Queen! Such a damn shame... 😭🎤🎧🎹

Anyway, y'all, have a lovely weekend! 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Backfield In Motion

Hey, everybody! I hope you've all had a fantastic week. Mine hasn't been so bad, but it's been pretty exhausting! Tomorrow I get to sleep as long as I want, and I cannot wait!! So let's get started with this wonderful questionnaire provided by the lovely Gal herself, Crazy Sam! ;) Link up here if you'd like to play along this weekend!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Backfield in Motion (1969)

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


1) This week's Saturday 9 has a football theme because there's a big game Sunday. Will you be watching?

I might DVR it. I can't watch it live, because I'm taking my son on a fun assignment on Sunday. I don't care about the teams, though; I just want to see the commercials and the half-time show.

2) The Super Bowl is the second-largest day for food consumption in the US, second only to Thanksgiving. What's on your menu this weekend?

Honestly, I'm craving tofu. I haven't even started my grocery list for our monthly shopping, so I have no idea what it'll be, but definitely all vegan. Hubs made a tofu stir-fry the other night, and I loved it. I even picked out and ate all the tofu in it!

3) Super Bowl Sunday is the #1 day for consuming guacamole. When did you most recently eat something with avocado in it?

I was super hungry about a week ago, so I just took an avocado out, sliced in half, popped out the seed, and then spooned the good stuff out of the shell. Or skin. Whatever, it was good!

4) The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, OH. Have you ever visited Canton, or any other city in Ohio?

I think my dad took me to Ohio on a business trip once, but I honestly don't remember anything else about it or where we went. So memorable, that Ohio.

5) This song mentions different moves that football players -- and, it seems, girlfriends -- can make that will result in penalties. What's the last rule you broke? What were the consequences?

My younger daughter Sophia, aged 13, and I drove the 5-hour trip down to Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday. I had an appointment with my specialist there. Then we drove the 5-hour trip home. (So, out the door at 6:45 AM and home by 8:20 PM! Long day.) I was speeding the entire way. No real consequences this time, other than Sophie looking over at my speedometer one time and exclaiming, "No, Mom! Don't go over 100!"

6) In 1969, the year this song was popular, the Colts lost to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. The game is famous because of all the hype leading up to it, including Joe Namath "guaranteeing" his underdog Jets would win. Tell us about a time when you felt like an underdog.

I can't really think of anything except graduate school! That's not recent at all. LOL But I was trying to get into a super-competitive doctoral program, and I was up against some tough men and women to get in. It was an extremely stressful time in my life.

7) This week's featured duo, Mel and Tim, are cousins from Mississippi. Tell us about one of your cousins.

So, I have three cousins from Florida who have all grown up into such amazing women, with graduate degrees, families (for the two older ones) and spouses who are great to/for them, and a deep sense of caring for their community and the world. I'm proud of them. (This one here, Laura, was just born when I moved to Miami for college!!)

8) The song is about a man who catches his girl cheating and he just won't put up with it. In romance, do you find it easy to forgive and forget?

I mean, yeah, as long as that person genuinely apologizes and feels remorse, it comes easily to me.

9) Random question: You've collected a box of gently-used items to donate to a second hand store. What would it be most likely to contain: clothes, housewares, or books/video/music?

Probably clothes, since I still have growing kids who need to discard and upsize their wardrobes!

~*~*~*~*~

Well, that was fun. Back to writing my reports! Thanks for the fun quizzionaire, Sam. 

Toodle-loo, y'all.

Fin.

Recently, the fine folks at Seventh Generation, the makers of all kinds of eco-friendly household goods like cleansers, disinfectant sprays, dish liquid and oodles more good stuff, sent me these three freebie sample packets of their Free & Clear baby wipes. Now, as you might know, my "babies" are all now teenagers (sob 😭), but I did give birth to four of them not all that long ago, so I know a thing or two about such things as diapers (Seventh Generation also makes these) and wipes. I swear.

Now, if you can read the package for yourself, you don't need me telling you this, but just in case my site graphics are too much for your device (which is entirely possible if you tend to keep as many screens and apps open at any given time as I do!), I'll reiterate for you.

Seventh Generation Free & Clear Wipes:

• are safe for baby, hands and faces
• {Side note: I don't have a baby tush to clean, but I did use the wipes to wash the makeup off my face, and they were soooo perfect for that! I also washed my dirty feet from walking around outside barefoot - yes, in the winter, because I'm stupid and/or stubborn - with the wipes, and they did a stellar job}
• are fragrance free

{Side note: I can vouch for this! Definitely no icky artificial scents here!}

• Contain NO alcohol
• Contain NO Parabens
• Contain NO Phenoxyethanol
• {This is a now commonly-used paraben-alternative used as a preservative in many cosmetic items, the Environmental Working Group states this can be a lung, eye, or skin allergen, can cause harm to immune systems, and can cause non-reproductive organ toxicity. Since I have several immunodeficiencies and autoimmune disorders, I really don't want to encounter much of that!}

This, altogether, means that these wipes are great for sensitive skin which, not surprisingly, I have - and I did not have any kind of irritation or reaction after using them. WIN!

Now there is a LOT of information on the back (click the picture to embiggerate if you can, so you can read it more easily) of the wipes package, so I'm just going to highlight some of the goodness here.

The Seventh Generation Free & Clear Wipes:

• are made from plant-based materials, which as a newly-bornagain vegan, y'all know I adore!
• are not tested on animals which, duh, big ++++ there!
• are safe and highly effective (I can vouch for this!)

Now, the ingredient list is on the package, but you can also shoot me a comment and I'll write those down for you, as well.

If you want to contact Seventh Generation on social media, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest! Check out their website, too, for all the great environmentally-friendly products Seventh Generation makes.

"Join us in nurturing the health of the next seven generations."

Full Disclosure: Seventh Generation provided these three packets of Free & Clear baby wipes for me to sample and also share with my friends. I received no payment or any other compensation. In this post, as with all my product reviews, all opinions are and will always be my own honest thoughts on the product.

    ~*~*~*~*~

Speaking of plant-based goods, have you signed up for Veganuary yet? Run over here and sign up to take the pledge and give it a try! It's not too late - it's never too late!

Also, if you want some recipe inspo, be sure and follow my Instagram account for what we're cookin' up now that we're all vegans. Something super tasty is coming up later today!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Conversation Starters

Howdy ho, y'all! The girls and I are re-watching old episodes of The Big Bang Theory, so I guess since I've seen all these before, it's a good time to answer some fun questions. So let's giddy-up!

~*~*~*~*~

What are some small things that make your day better?

Silliness and happiness of my kiddos! I love it when my crew are happy! ♥

What shows are you into?

Well, in addition to TBBT, mentioned in my intro, we of course also love Young Sheldon. We also watch Blackish, A Million Little Things, and obviously Jeopardy! Rob and I have had a nightly Jeopardy! date since we first got married 18 years ago. I think funny and definitely smart men are way sexier than anyone else. 😍

What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?

An LGBTQ+ network dedicated to the needs, issues faced, and public awareness for this community. We'd watch!

Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished?

Oh, maybe my 15-year-old son Jack. He's been working at a nearby McDonald's for about 9 months now, and he's just informed me, as of Thursday, that he's gotten a second raise and has been promoted to Crew Trainer! I was shrieking on the phone when he called me up and delivered this news. All of this is so exciting to me because he's on the Autism Spectrum and has learning disabilities. Go, Jack!!

What age do you wish you could permanently be?

Let's see... maybe about 36, like I was here. I was at my thinnest, and because I was raised to believe that my worth (and therefore my self-worth) were inversely proportional to my weight, my happiest. I would love to get down to that size again, but meanwhile, I'm working on learning to accept and love who I am, whatever size I may be. (And age!)

What TV show or movie do you refuse to watch?

Real Housewives of Anything

What is something that is considered a luxury, but you don’t think you could live without?

My phone! I looooove my Samsung Galaxy S9... and I've loved my Galaxy since the S2! Or was my first one the S3? Hmm, I forget. Like it matters! 😂

What’s your claim to fame?

I'm the only stay-at-home mom marine biologist I know! 😉

What’s something you like to do the old-fashioned way?

I love to bake homemade bread! Which reminds me, I need to feed the sourdough starter!

What’s your favorite genre of book or movie?

For movies, I confess, I love a good romcom. I like a lot of different movies genres, though, so that's not all I like. As for books, I love a good novel that really makes me think and feel. I like a book that makes me laugh and makes me sob. That's the best.

How often do you people watch?

If I'm in public, I'm definitely people-watching!

What have you only recently formed an opinion about?

I've become more and more strongly convicted about my (family's) decision to go vegan. I hadn't, however, considered the yarn with which I knit. So I've just decided if I'm going to talk the talk, I need to walk the walk: I'll finish whatever projects I've already begun, and then I need to cull the fibers that aren't vegan. Most animal fibers are gained in a much crueler fashion than many people know. So I'll sell the animal fibers and use that money purchase cruelty-free yarns!

What are you interested in that most people haven’t heard of?

Elasmobranch ecomorphology, I'm guessing...

What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

I don't really have a distinct, specified "home," per se... I would say "home" is wherever Hubs is, wherever my family is. My home is his heart.

What is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen?

♥ An old couple in love ♥

What is the most annoying question that people ask you?

I'm 42 years old, and I still get asked, on the phone, "Can I please speak to your mother?" Bitch, please, I am the mother!  I can't get mad, I mean, I do have a high-pitched baby voice, but it does get annoying. Especially when Rob himself called me up and, thinking I was Chloë, said, "Let me speak to your mother." 😂

What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?

Parent bereavement and/or Infant Loss

If you were dictator of a small island nation, what crazy dictator stuff would you do?

I would ban tobacco/nicotine use of any kind, make recycling mandatory, and... all food would be plant-based. 

What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

Go scuba diving! It's beautiful down there!

~*~*~*~*~

Well, that was delightful. Thanks, Bev!

Have a great week, y'all.

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: The Ask Game

Hey, everyone. I missed Saturday 9, because I was weak and tired and in bed all day, but maybe I'll add it to the end of this post just to add in the fun. ;) It's 2:57 AM on Sunday now, so we'll have to see if the little bit of energy I have holds out 'til then. I hope y'all are well!

Let's begin:

~*~*~*~*~

Do you have a passion project? What is it?

Well, we've kind of stepped back from our candle business a slight bit, now that the holiday season rush is over, but I guess kinda-sorta still that. When my newborn son died in 2003 - Robby, who was the identical twin of our Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome survivor, Jack - I started a nonprofit to knit and crochet layettes (blankets, booties, hats, and a gown or sweater) to give to other bereaved parents experiencing infant loss. Our charity, CARE Package, Inc., received handmade donations from all over the US, and sometimes international donations came in, too. After about 7 years, I wound down the charity to concentrate on other things; namely, homeschooling Chloë, Jack, and Sophia. We're still doing that; I'd love to be knitting all the time still, but my body is rebelling, and I just can't.

How many languages can you speak? 

I speak Spanish, although I'm not quite fluent, and I'm learning Latin with my girls this year. I speak bits and pieces of several other languages, including French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese... and I'm forgetting some.

What was the last book you read?

I'm still into Recipes for Repair, which promises to help those who have Lyme Disease. I'm not far into it yet, so I'm hoping it will do what it says it will!

Where in the world would you most like to visit?

Hands down, I want to visit the Great Barrier Reef the most. I just hope it's not too late, by the time I can get there!

Top 5 fictional characters?

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, Caesar Flickerman, Effie Trinket, and Haymitch Abernathy - all right, I admit I have a bit of a love for The Hunger Games series!

Something you miss from your childhood?

I miss my grandparents something awful! They were among the very few good things about my childhood - no, they were the best!

(P.S. It's 6:25 AM now, and I just woke up. Again. So much for my energy holding out!)

What skill do you wish you had?

I wish I could really belt it out when I sing. I mean, I can sing well, carry a tune, and all that, but I don't have a lot of power behind my voice. Maybe from being sick a lot as a kid, but I just don't have a voice that can carry to the back of an auditorium without a microphone, y'know? Beyond that, I wish I were an incredible gymnast!

Tell us an interesting fact.

I don't know if you meant about me or not, but my head immediately goes to sharks - still! Like many animals (Hubs likes doing it to our dogs and cats), sharks - even Great Whites! - will go into a state called "tonic immobility" if you turn them upside down. They are vulnerable and helpless in this state. As they age and grow, they move up to the top of the food chain, just below Orcas and the greatest enemy of all animals: mankind. Some Orcas have developed an ability to put these adult Great Whites into tonic immobility, so that they can feast on only their highly-nutritious livers.

What was your favorite subject in school?

All sciences, of course, but since I am a biologist, it's gotta be Biology. But I loved school. All school. Even Social Studies... although, I did not and do not like learning about war.

Favorite planet?

Big, beautiful Jupiter, with it's giant red spot and dozens of moons...

Which historical figure fascinates you and why?

Mahatma Gandhi, because with his peaceful protests and non-violent resistance, he was on the forefront of changing prejudicial and unjust laws without military might. I admire that.

Favorite mythical creature?

I love mermaids. In fact, I even admitted in my article on LinkedIn that I think I was one in a past life! ;)

Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?

No.

What is your favorite word?

That one. Oh, I thought for some reason you said favorite curse word. hahaha! I really did. Well, maybe for me it's the same? Even though I have an extensive vocabulary, I do find the word f*ck so very useful.

Do you have any obsessions right now?

Yeah. I'm obsessed with Bob's Burgers, and I've got it on my DVR so I can catch up on as many past episodes as possible. If you're not watching, and you like to laugh, you should totally start.

Do you play any instruments?

I play a mean harmonica! I took lessons playing the organ my mom played and can do a little keyboarding/piano still, but not much. I'm just horrible at sight-reading music; it doesn't come naturally to me.

What’s your worst habit?

I stay up long past the state of exhaustion and then can't bring myself to bed. When I eventually do get to bed, I'm so tired I can't get up when it's time. I completely collapse. This habit started in college, where I quickly learned that you either got great grades - or you slept. Now that I have this capricious illness that lets my body either slightly function or not function at all, I take those functional days and don't want to let them goooooo!

Do you have a collection of anything?

I have a pretty big shot glass collection from all over. I also collect magnets. I have part of my grandmother's spoon collection and part of my mother-in-law's spoon collection, which I love. I used to collect interesting keychains from my travels, too, but I've stopped now that I see how useless they were to me. Just heavy!

What’s your biggest ‘what if’?

That would probably be "what if" I hadn't abruptly quit my Ph.D. program at the University of South Florida and, instead of taking a little time off to think about my goals in life, eloped with a guy I'd just met off the Interwebs and then quickly found myself pregnant with our first little girl... What if that hadn't all transpired? But it doesn't matter to me to think about these things, because there is nothing I would change about what I did do!

What is your favorite fairy tale?

Is it any wonder that The Little Mermaid is my favorite fairy tale - Disney-fied or not?!

Have you ever dyed your hair? Is there a color you’d like to dye it?

I have dyed my hair black (once), and I have died it various shades of auburn for years and years... but right now it's undyed. Now I'm seeing all kinds of gray - no, actually, they're pretty shiny silver - but I call them "extra blonde" hairs, even in my eyebrows and lashes!, and I am not really loving it. I'm trying to decide whether and what to dye it next. This, in the foto, is my younger daughter, Sophia. She has just died her naturally-blonde hair this interesting shade of blue. I love it! She has also dyed it turquoise and fuschia in the past. I wish I had her guts!

If you could learn one language overnight, which would you choose?

Italian. In a heartbeat. So I could go live there and eat my way through the country. You know, in a vegan way, so... cucina povera-style.

What’s the most useless thing you know how to do?

I can think of a lot of things I can do, but I can't think of any I would term 'useless'! Even cooking meat- and dairy-based dishes is useful to me now, in vegan cooking, because I can take what I have learned and transform my favorite recipes (and new ones!) into something vegan. So... I don't know?

What’s the most important change that should be made to your country’s education system?

(First of all, look at this graph. It makes me proud of my origin state, New York, because they know what's up! It does make me sad for many of the other states. I have lived around the country enough to know that spending dollars = higher achievement for students. So c'mon, United States! Get with the damn program, already!) Anyway, the most important change I think the US needs to make for the educational system is to PAY EDUCATORS MORE! I think there is fear that if we grant educators a higher salary, we'll be stuck paying higher wages to the same (and I'm absolutely not saying that all current educators are) mediocre teachers. I know the exact opposite will happen. The good teachers, the ones who care and bring knowledge of how to reach our kids, are getting burnt-out and leaving the profession for, often, something that pays more. Mediocrity is what gets left behind. A higher wage will attract better teachers who are able to provide our students with a more robust education. It will. There is no doubt. It just needs to happen. (And we need to get rid of the idiotic Betsy DeVos!)

~*~*~*~*~

That was interesting. And long for me. Hopefully it made sense, since my pain and fatigue levels are off the charts! Ugh.

Have a great week, y'all.

Fin.

Saturday 9: I Forgot To Remember To Forget

Welcome back to Saturday 9! Be sure and link up here to join in with the rest of us this week!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: I Forgot to Remember to Forget (1955)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
In honor of Elvis' birthday (January 8.) 

1) Elvis sings that he thinks about this girl all the time. What person or topic is on your mind this Saturday?

Being vegan. It's Veganuary 2019, and I suddenly find myself on this unexpected mission to do the most good I can for myself, for my family, for my family, for my fellow man, and for our home, planet Earth. I'm in the middle of writing a post about it, but I'm finding it hard to convey the right sense of urgency without an enormous dose of being judgmental.

2) He wants to forget the day he met his girl, but simply can't. Think about someone very important in your life. Did you know right away that they were going to be influential?

This is Victor, a man I went to college with at the University of Miami back in the mid-90s. We lived on the same hall of the same floor of the same dorm for a while and became fast friends. Little did I know, he would be the reason I met my husband of 18 years. Without him, I wouldn't have had our four beautiful children!

Since this week's song is about memories, let's check on how well you recall events in your own life.

3) What was the first concert you ever attended?

I can never remember whether it was Whitney Houston at the New York State Fair (she originally canceled during the fair, I think due to illness, and then we went to the reschedule in October when she performed despite heavy rain) or Bon Jovi, also in Syracuse, New York. Concert ticket images indicate that they may have been the same year.

4) Where did you get your first piercing? (Not only where on your body, but who did the deed and where did they do it?)

 

All of my piercings are above the neck... so far. ;) First, I got my earlobes pierced, at a place in the mall, probably, for my eighth birthday. Since then, I got a second and third hole pierced at more piercing spots in malls. I then got the cartilage in my left ear pierced at a piercing shop in south Miami-Dade County's Dadeland mall - do not do this! Go to a professional piercing artist, often at a tattoo shop - and after a lot of pain and many infections, I let it close up. I got a fourth hole pierced at that same time in the right ear. When I was 21, my then-roommate and friend Shannon and I skipped work to go get matching nostril piercings at a tattoo parlor near Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. Finally, two decades later, I have just gotten my septum and right tragus pierced by the piercer, Tatt, at Justin Abel Tattoo in Mountain Home, Idaho. I love them!

5) What's the name of the bank where you had your first checking account?

The evil Bank of America. Horrors!

6) Tell us about your first bicycle.

I remember it had training wheels, streamers, and a basket. I did not want to be stuck on training wheels forever, but I was having a hard time progressing past them. When I was six, we moved from Monroe, New York, to Syracuse, New York; I remember taking off those training wheels and riding around the giant moving truck, holding on to the truck when I needed to and trying not to crash into the mailboxes. That moving truck helped me succeed!

7) Who received the first text you ever sent?

I'm sure it had to have been Rob, in 2003. That's when I got my first cell phone.

8) What had you been drinking when you suffered your first hangover?

Shots of Goldschläger. I was 17.

9) Whose was the first wedding you ever attended?

July 13^th, 1985, my father married for the third time, to my stepmother the evil bitch from hell, just over one year after my mother suddenly died. I was eight years old and the youngest person in that wedding. We four girls wore coordinating dresses in pastel blue, pink peach, and lavender. I can't even remember which was mine. I don't want to.

~*~*~*~*~

I'm watching old episodes of Three's Company, eating vegan "mozzarella," and debating whether to get in the shower to take Sophie to her riding lesson. I really should. She's got these new breeches that fit beautifully, but I want to see how they perform for her in action!

Have a lovely weekend, e'erbody!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Joy

Happy New Year 2019, fellow thieves! I'm late now, because I tried to post early (when I had time), and the post wasn't up yet. Please forgive me! Link up here if you're playing along today, y'all!

~*~*~*~*~

Questions from Sleepy Rambles

 

1. Are you filled with joy today?

 

I just woke up at 1 PM, and only then because my husband woke me up to take my morning pills. Oops! But so far, I have no reason not to be filled with joy, so yeah! Sure!

 

2. Has it been a rough week?

 

 

Some of it has definitely been easier than others. But I'm still plodding along, hoping to get better instead of continually worse!

3. If given the opportunity, would you like to star in a musical?

 

 

I was the caterpillar in Alice the Wonderland in 5^th grade, and I stole the show! (Not even lyin', it's because of the kick-ass costume my otherwise-evil stepmother handmade for me.) But I've always wanted to belt it out on a stage production of Annie. Maybe not even as Annie! Maybe as Molly!

 

4. Name one person you’d take a bullet for.

 

♥ Robert Allen Odette, my husband of 18 years and four days! ♥

 

5. Did you trip over anything today?

 

 

Not yet... but give me time!

6. Last time you painted a picture?

 

 

Oh, years and years. I'm horrible at painting. Chloë and I bought a Groupon to go out and do a Paint Nite thing together, but it was awful and disorganized, so we left early.

7. Is your favorite color yellow?

 

 

I don't hate it, but no, it's about the fourth shade to the right.

8. Were you born in a hospital? Do you know the name of the person that delivered you?

 

 

Yes, surprisingly enough, since I never spent a day of my childhood other than that in a doctor's office or hospital, I was born in one. This one: Arden Hill Hospital in Goshen, New York.

9. Have you ever had a friend or relative who was incarcerated?

 

 

Not that I know of, no.

10. Do you enjoy romantic movies, even when they’re cliché?

 

 

Yeah, I do. Am I such a girl? I don't even care; they're fun and easy to digest. (BTW, I loved this "Thriller" part of 13 Going on 30, with Jennifer Garner.)

11. Would you rather watch a movie or listen to music?

 

 

Either one, depending on what I'm also doing at the same time (because it's never just one thing). After 17+ years of motherhood, though, I'm not one of those moms who revels in peace and quiet. I hate it!

12. Ever been to Rhode Island?

 

 

 

Not yet!

13. Can you tell the difference between a Scottish & an Irish accent?

 

 

If I said I wasn't too shabby at it, and then was tested, I'd probably fail every time!

14. Can you read music?

 

 

I'm not going to lie: that is one thing at which I'm really horrible. I've taken organ/keyboarding/piano lessons. I've sung in several choirs. I've taken years of voice lessons. I've been in the selected women's choir. I've studied music theory. I've been chosen to audition for All-County Choir and NYSSMA (back in high school)... and yet I feel like it's just something I have a learning disability for, or something. It doesn't come naturally to me. Sight-reading, singing solfeggio, during those auditions, was so challenging for me. It's always been very frustrating. One of my very best lifelong friends, Shana Marie, is a violist/violinist, a high school music teacher, gives music lessons at home, can probably play every single instrument ever invented, and has performed in concert with some very famous names. Now she can read some music!

15. Have you been to McDonald’s in the past month?

 

 

Well, my son works there, so yeah - but only to bring him to work. I don't eat there. #vegan ;)

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Speaking of eating vegan, I just finished a salad Hubs made for me, from a recipe in the book Vegan Cookbook for Beginners. It calls for a cup of halved cherry tomatoes. I have never liked raw tomatoes in my whole life, but I find myself loving them. There is just something about eating more healthy, I think, that makes you just want to do more of it!

 

I hope 2019 is off to a good start for all of you! Cheers.

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: You Make Me Feel Brand New

Hey, hey, what do ya say? I posted Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing last week, but I was so late - by a few days - that I didn't get any reads. *sniff, sniff* So if I'm being repetitive it's because I didn't think anyone read it the first time! Heh.

But here we are again, so link up here to play along with the S9ers for this week!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: You Make Me Feel Brand New (1974)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

Welcome to the first Saturday 9 of 2019!

1) As 2019 kicks off, what are your hopes for the brand new year?

Well, now that everyone has joined me in veganism, I'm finding it difficult to please all their palates. As a result, there is a lot of grumbling every day about there being "nothing to eat." Completely untrue, but I'm trying! So my hope for 2019 is that, one day at a time, they'll stick it out and give veganism a real shot. Everyone should, IMNSHO.

2) Just because an item isn't brand new doesn't mean it isn't valuable. Have you scored any fabulous finds at a secondhand store or website?

I love thrifting! We've gotten two couches, the desk next to me, and tons of clothing for the whole family at the thrift store down the road, ReStyle. But this bathing suit, which I really needed for my physical therapy in the pool, was from ThredUp. I got lots of clothes for the kids and me there recently for a steal. Secondhand is the way to go!

3) This song is sung by The Stylistics, a group from Philadelphia. Have you ever been to Philly?

Yeah, several times. The first time was with my grandparents in probably 1981 or 1982? They took me to see the liberty bell, and I remember being really bothered by that crack and why they didn't just fix it or get another one - and my grandma having a hearty laugh over that! And I also marveled at the fact that there were hot pretzel and hot dog vendors on the streets, just like in Manhattan. Who knew?

4) This song was co-written by Thom Bell, a Philadelphia-based musician/producer who was born in Kingston, Jamaica. The average daily temp in Kingston in January is 87ºF. Do you have plans to get away this winter and go somewhere warm?

Goddddddd, I wish!! I was just looking through the photos from when we first moved to Miami in March 2013, reminiscing, maybe getting a little melancholy... I would love to go somewhere tropical and warm. Chloë is going to Guatemala this summer, and though it's not what we Americans consider an exotic getaway, I've gotta admit I'm a bit jealous!

5) The Stylistics took their choreography very seriously. As you can see from the video, they even carefully synchronized their hand movements. Do you use your hands much when you talk?

Yeah, pretty much. Sophia definitely gets her theatrical nature from her mother!

6) The lyrics tell us that the singer is grateful for a friend who will walk with him along a path that "sometimes bends." Looking back on 2018, tell us about a time that life's path took a bend you didn't quite expect.

Oh, the chickens. We had our first flock of 11 in 2017, and these were the beautiful eggs they were laying by early 2018. By summer, all but Athena were slaughtered, probably by a skunk. By September, a predator-proof (well, as much as one can get, I guess) was built in the backyard, and 21 day-old chicks were delivered from a hatchery in Iowa. Now they're all rehomed, and we are vegans. It's all just freakin' weird, man.

7) In 1974, when this song was popular, Chicago's Sears Tower opened and was for years the world's tallest building. Its elevators can carry you to the 103^rd floor in approximately a minute. When were you last on an elevator?

I was on an elevator this past Friday, when Chloë accompanied me to my Speech Pathology appointment. I'm having a bunch of problems with... well, all the stuff on that mug, basically, and getting my thoughts to transform into sensible words and sentences, so I'm there to get some speech therapy to help with it. Gotta admit, I'm kind of anxious about it!

8) Also in 1974, the 55 mph speed limit was imposed nationwide. When you drive, are you careful to stay within the speed limit? Or do you have a lead foot?

Girl, I got two speeding tickets in 2018 alone! Both were on the same stretch of the same 35 MPH zone. I was probably going at least 60 MPH both times! I think I probably schedule some shit to do that requires us to go East on I-84, just so I can hit the 80 MPH zone and ... go 90+ MPH!

9) Random question -- It's time to pose for your Saturday 9 yearbook picture. Will you show us your right profile, your left profile, or will you look directly into the camera?

Well, these are from a couple weeks ago now, since it's 0538 right now and I haven't showered yet... so it appears I would be showing you my left! I think that's my "good side," as if I have such a thing. I know that because the nostril piercing is barely visible, and that's on my right. ;)

~*~*~*~*~

Ooh, I liked this quizzy! Thanks Gal, er, Crazy Sam!

Have a great 2019, y'all. Seriously, I mean it.

Fin.

So Long 2018, Welcome 2018: Saturday 9 & Sunday Stealing

Howdy, folks! I missed the super amazing fun times this past weekend because I'm having a bunch of anaphylactic episodes due to what my immunologist termed a "full-blown autoimmune assault." So that's fun. I did an undercover assignment for several hours with my younger daughter, Sophia, and reacted there. And everywhere, pretty much. It's not awesome - especially because I missed you guys!

So I'm trying to get these two in under the radar. While eating delicious fruit salad. And watching a marathon of Bob's Burgers with Sophie, Jack, and Hubs. Funny stuff. Do you watch it? Why not?!!

Here goes Saturday 9:

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Winter Wonderland (1968)

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

Welcome to the last Saturday 9 of 2018! Thanks for a great year, everyone.

 

*

 

1) This is an unconventional take on an old familiar song. Over the holidays, do you prefer traditional carols? Or do you like to mix it up with with more contemporary fare?

 

 

I like to mix it up. Along with old favorites, I love the song "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande along with pretty much everything by the Pentatonix.

2) Now that Christmas is behind us, are you enjoying a relaxing week? Or do you have socializing/celebrating/chores to do?

 

 

I think most of the socializing and celebrating is behind us, other than having fun times tonight with the family. I did want us to go downtown here in Boise, where instead of a ball - I shit you not - they drop a potato. A damn potato! But we're all sick, so I think we may end up just staying home and watching it on the local NBC affiliate tonight. Bummer. Also tomorrow, I wanted us to go up to Bogus Basin, where the ski resort is near us, for all kinds of New Year's Day festivities, but the two older kids have to work, which would be no fun.

3) Winter is a time for cocooning. What book or movie did you enjoy in 2018 that you would recommend to your fellow Saturday 9-ers?

 

 

I really enjoyed the movie Dumplin' with Danielle MacDonald. We've been watching a lot of movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video lately, but I think that may have been my favourite.

4) Looking back on the past year, what was one of your happiest moments?

 

Two things: On April 16^th, Hubs had surgery for prostate cancer. His recovery was fraught, and I hated every minute of it for him. He ended up having another major surgery and more hospital stays. As for myself, I had surgery on May 22^nd, and it was supposed to be far more major than it ended up being. I was honestly scared for my life and, if that ended up being not in jeopardy, then I was scared of being in even more pain than the endless amount I've been suffering for more than 3½ years. In the end, my surgeon decided to close me up early and save the rest of the surgery for another day. So I can honestly say, in 2018, my happiest moment was waking up alive and well, and being still here to torment the rest of Team Odette!

5) What was the smartest thing you did all this past year?

 

I persevered! It's worth it.

 

6) As 2018 comes to a close, what are you most grateful for?

 

♥ Smiles, joy and happiness from my loved ones ♥

7) This week's featured artist is Herb Alpert. Because of the style he popularized and the name of his band, people assume he's Hispanic. Yet his parents were Jewish immigrants from Romania. What's something we'd be surprised to learn about you?

 

🤦‍♀️ I dunno anymore; everyone knows everything about me! 🤦‍♀️

 

Maybe that I've been varying levels of vegan/vegetarian since August 1995, and as of about a week ago, all five members are now onboard with giving veganism a good go! Why? Get on Netflix or some other streaming service and watch What The Health? and Cowspiracy, and that'll explain a great deal.

  
8) He performed an instrumental version of "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXII. How did your favorite sports teams do in 2018?

 

 

Oh, God. My Miami 'Canes were a disaster! They were up against Wisconsin in a rematch from last year at the Pinstripe Bowl four days ago, and we got totally trounced 35-3. What an embarrassment! Hopefully new head coach Manny Diaz can turn things around for the 2019 program.
 

9) Random question: When did you last check your social media feed?

 

I just checked my Instagram notifications a few minutes ago. I'm on it now more than Facebook, although I suppose now that they're both owned by the same people, it doesn't much matter? No, really, I like the quick-speed format of Insta much more, I think.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

That was fun. Thanks, Crazy Sam! I'm going to go right into yesterday's Sunday Stealing now, so go take a quick walk around your house or the block or something as an intermission. Then link up here if you want to play along with me and the rest of the thieves, albeit belatedly! ;)

 

 

Stolen from Strawberry Lollipop Kisses.

 

 1. Are flowers a nice gift to give someone?

 

 

They are if they're a bouquet from Bouqs, like these beautiful calla lilies! I love Bouqs. ☺

2. Do you wear any jewelry?

 

Yeah, and I like to change it around frequently. I really love Pandora rings (That's why I bought a bunch of inexpensive costume jewelry on eBay recently. I just got this new ring today, and I love it! Except it's scratchy...

3. Have you ever lain in a field of flowers?

 

 

I have, but it's been ages, so here's a photo from our April 2015 visit to the Chihuly exhibit at the Fairchild Garden in Miami.

4. Do you like tea?

 

 

I like bubble tea. Other tea is okay, as long as it's both caffeinated and flavored. Absolutely no iced tea for me, though!

5. What would you do with a million dollars?

 

 

a. Get a good financial advisor and invest wisely, living off the interest as much as possible. b. Buy us a beautiful, elaborate, multi-roomed house like the ones I've been dreaming about my whole life. c. Set up a grantor's trust, so that the kids don't have to struggle any more than we already have and any more than what's necessary for them not to lose their work ethics. and d. Take Hubs on a whirlwind tour of the world, retracing our steps for the last 18 years (our anniversary is on Wednesday!), including here to La Calle Ramblas (with lots of beautiful architecture by Joan Miró) in gorgeous Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. e. And the whole time, I'd have The Barenaked Ladies serenade us with one of our courtship songs, "If I Had a Million Dollars"!

6. What word do you have trouble saying?

 

 

Many, many things, but since this is one of Hubs' favorite drinks, I have to attempt to say it a lot: Arnold Palmer. I fail each and every time.

7. Favorite fairytale?

 

 

Maybe Little Red Riding Hood, since I have fond memories of my sister and I planning out our skit of it, making props, and then acting it out in front of our grandparents and some of their friends and neighbors.

8. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

 

 

Yes, I sleep with the huge teddy bear Hubs gave me when he gave me my engagement ring.

9. Do you prefer the city or the country?

 

 

I am definitely a big city girl at heart!

10. Are you a big fan of makeup?

 

 

I used to be, but nowadays I usually keep it simple and just wear mascara and maybe some lip gloss.

11. Favorite drink?

 

 

Hands-down, it's Diet Coke! (And for my grandpa, it was "Coke on the rocks!"

12. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve stayed awake?

 

Several days in a row, once Chloë was out of the NICU. Even when she'd sleep, I had awful insomnia. Man, those were some miserable days for me! (Aside from the beautiful new baby girl, natch.)

13. Have you ever traveled outside of your country?

 

 

Beautiful Talofofo Falls on Guam

 

Yes, many times, but the one I'm most yearning to return to at this point in time isn't even technically outside the United States.

 

14. Do you like Spring?

 

 

I love Spring! It's my second favorite season after Summer. Especially when all the tulips come in around Idaho.

15. Lipstick or lip gloss?

 

I'll wear lipstick (like my Young Living ones) on the odd occasion, lip gloss (like the lighted mirror-containing one at the back of the picture above) slightly more frequently, but mostly lip balm.

 

 

I really like this minty one on Grove Collaborative.

 

16. Favorite color?

 

 

All the blues in the sea...

17. Do you like to decorate?

 

 

I do! My tastes run eclectic and colorful as hell, like here, which is certainly not for everybody!

18. Do you ever go barefoot when you’re outside?

 

 

I love being barefoot! Especially when we're at the beach... nothing like it!

19. Are aliens real?

 

 

How the hell should I know?!

20. Does your zodiac sign fit your personality?

 

 

I don't really buy into astrology as anything more than entertainment. I find bits of myself in all 12 signs of the zodiac - and some of all the Chinese ones, too. But I do often see a lot of myself in the Virgo horoscope, like above.

21.Favorite sea animal?

 

 

I think right now, at this moment in time, it's the Tasselled Wobbegong, Eucrossorhinus dasypogon. Cool looking, right?

22. Are you a nice person?

 

 

I try very, very hard to be. I don't always succeed, but I keep trying!

23. Favorite word?

 

 

FUCK! (hee.)

24. Night or day?

 

 

Oh, I am a total night owl. Also, science has found that we night owls are: more creative; more intelligent; more productive; and, more successful. However, we are also more likely to be single and die early.

25. What would make you happy right now?

 

 

It would thrill the shite out of me if I stopped having allergic reactions to every single thing. I mean it: everything. Every food I eat. Being too hot. Being too cold. Medications. And things are moving quickly in the wrong direction. So yeah, for 2019, which in this time zone (MST) starts in 04:12, I would really like for at least that aspect of my poor health to turn around. I just can't do it anymore!!!

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

So it's almost 8 PM, and I guess I better figure out the plan for New Year's Eve! Kinda late for that, but meh! Not feeling it this year.

 

 

So, Happy New Year 2019, y'all!!!

 

Fin.

 

Sunday Stealing: Australian Style

G'day! We're flipping things Down Under today to see how the other half lives. Pandora of Australia wrote us 'Mericans a list of questions - checked amongst her friends for accuracy - to see what we'd be able to answer. Now, I have never been to Australia (though it's on the top of my Bucket List, we never made it during our time living on Guam) - but Hubs has! So I might test him, too. 

Link up here if you'd like to play along with us today!

~*~*~*~*~

1. Where do you land on the subject of vegemite? What is the optimum butter/vegemite ratio? Do you also eat Promite or Marmite or do you see these yeast spreads as something akin to treason?
2. I have no idea, technically, what exactly vegemite is, but I do know that it doesn't sound like something I want to eat. You mix it with BUTTER?!!! I've never heard of Promite, but Hubs has heard of Marmite, which he thinks is British. Either way, can I say "no thanks" to all?!!
3. 
   2. Who was your favourite Prime Minister of the last ten years? (There have been five – choose wisely)
4. Neither Hubs nor I know any of them. Um.... Justin Trudeau? 
5. 
   3.  Are you a Monarchist or a Republican? Why?
6. Well, Hubs is an American Republican, but I don't think that's your sort. And I like reading about the English royals in People magazine, but I don't think that qualifies me as a Monarchist. Hell, I don't know!
7. 4.  What do you think of our current head of state?
8. Malcolm Turnbull? I have no real impression of him right now, other than that I don't think he cares much for our "President" Donald Trump, and neither do I, so, you know... "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

1. 5.  What are your feelings on compulsory voting?
2. Do Australians have to vote? I think it's a good idea. I definitely wish more Americans felt obligated to vote. Not nearly enough do; many of whom I know personally, and I actually feel like it's kind of pathetic.
3. 
   6.  What is your favourite footy food?
4. Hubs says they call soccer/football "footy," so hmm. I have no idea what is served at a footy match. Beer and pretzels? LOL (Just please no vegemite on them.)
5. 
   7.   Your Nana is having her 80th catered for by the CWA. What CWA standards are you looking forward to at the spread? The Victoria Sponge? Yoyos? Asparagus Rolls? Brandy Snaps?
6. Both Hubs and I agree that our answer is, "Ummm... What the fuck?"
   
7. 
   8.  What do you do on ANZAC Day?
8. Hubs says ANZAC Day is Australia and New Zealand's equivalent of either Veteran's Day or Memorial Day; he can't remember. So we're not sure what to do, other than honor and remember Aussie and Kiwi war heroes. ♥
9. 
   9.  Discuss the merits of budgie smugglers.
10. Hahaha! We thought it was people who steal tropical birds, but then I Google Imaged a search and... no. That is not it at all. LMAO!
11. 
    10. What is outside your back door? Gumboots or thongs?
12. Hubs immediately says, "Thongs!" because your weather is usually nice and sunny, and you wear flip-flops a lot. Gumboots are for cold, wet weather. Was he right??
    
13. 
    11. As a kid you were given 20 cents for pick and mix. What will be in your bag? Teeth? Spearmint leaves? Gobstoppers? Freckles?
14. Uhhh, teeth? WTH? I pick Freckles. I love those little nonpareil-covered chocolate drops. Mmmm.
15. 
    12.  Redbacks or Huntsmen?
16. Hubs says they're both spiders, like your version of Black Widows and the other, ?  Do we have to pick either? No, thank you!
17. 
    13.   The Mullet. Discuss.
18. If your Mullet is the same version as our Mullet (the hairstyle), then Hubs and I both agree it has no redeeming qualities. Just no.
19. 
    14.   Kath or Kim?
20. I get that it looks to be a TV show of some sort, but since I really haven't seen it yet, I reserve the right to decide later.
21. 
    15.   Cricket – which code do you follow? Why? Do you think that 20/20 games are sacrilege?
22. I don't follow either code. I don't know a whole lot about cricket, but I do know that Rajesh Koothrappali of The Big Bang Theory is a huge fan. Doesn't that count for anything?
23. 16.   Football. Which code do you follow? Do you have an opinion about Collingwood or Essendon?
24. Dude. I don't watch American Football, other than occasionally following my own alma mater, the U. of Miami Hurricanes. Or American Soccer. Or the rest of the world's football. So I pass on this question.
25. 
    17.   Do you agree that the lyrics to Khe Sahn should be on the citizenship test? Do you know the words to Khe Sahn?
26. This appears to be an Anti-Vietnam War song, and so... ah! I don't know! Maybe?
27. 18. What is your favourite public holiday? If you're in Victoria, which do you prefer? The day off before the AFL Grand Final or Melbourne Cup Day?
28. Given that my favorite American holiday is Independence Day on July 4th each year, I think maybe my favourite Australian holiday would be Australian Day on February 26th. What do we do?
29. 
    19.   What do you do at Christmas? Ham sandwich on the beach? Seafood and salad next to the pool? Endure a full English roast with all the trimmings when the thermometer is pushing 35 degrees centigrade outside?
30. Can I do seafood and salad on the beach? I think that would be my favourite!
31. 
    20.   Ford or Holden?
32. I have no idea.
33. 
    21.   What is the best Australian invention ever? (And yes, the Hills Hoist can be mentioned)
34. 
35. The boomerang! 
36. 
    22.   Describe the following:
    
37. Fairy bread - It looks interesting. And pretty. I see it can be made with Nutella. Can I try that?
       
38. Lamingtons - Oooh, these look really yummy, too! But can they be made with Nutella? ;)
39. 
    Chiko rolls - Mmm. As long as they're like our spring rolls and made without meat, I'm in. No meat for me, please. Or Nutella.
40. 
    Snot blocks - Well now, that's descriptive! But it looks really delicious. Can we change the name?
     
    23.   What are the following traditional items found in all Australian homes?
    
    Dead horse - It took some searching, but apparently this means ketchup.
    Hills Hoist - This is a rotary clothes dryer. I want one!
    A slab - I'm not sure. Everything looks like it is the foundation on which the house is built, but that seems too obvious. What is it really?
    A ute - A utility vehicle, like a truck
     
    24.   Who is your all time Australian hero?
41. 

Can I pick Crocodile Dundee? No? But he's so hot! Okay, let me go look around. Wait, no. I pick Steve Irwin, because I am a biologist. Not many of us get killed in the line of duty.

1. 25.   Translate the following: “Strewth! Nev was going flat out like a lizard drinking. But he had a nana nap and he's raring. Told him to get here pronto by not to miss the gate cos it’s impossible to chuck a u-ey for miles. Told him to bring a slab. We’ll have a barby. The kiddies can have snags. Joe the Pom will moan about everything. Jeez, he’s a bastard. Yeah…nah… no flies on him.“
2. Uh, something about Nev was drinking a lot and then slept it off and is now raring to go again. So he's supposed to come over right away... but I don't have a clue what "chuck a u-ey for miles" means. He's supposed to bring a slab - of meat, then? Not the house foundation? LOL - so we can have a barbecue. The kids can have some sort of thing to eat or drink, I don't know, and Joe will bitch and complain no matter what. Am I close?
3. 26.   What is your favourite Australian holiday spot?
4. 
5. Well, the reason visiting Australia is on the top of my Bucket List is because I want to dive the Great Barrier Reef. Can I pick that? (I feel like there are so many rules and I might be breaking all of them today!)
6. 
   27.   Do you eat the coat of arms?

Like, the kangaroo and the emu? No, I would not eat those!

1. 28.   You are stuck in a lift with the following: Karl Stefanovic, Peter Dutton and Alan Jones. Who do you kill last?
2. Why do I have to kill people just because we are stuck in an elevator?! I'm not killing anyone!
3. 
   29.   What is the NBN?
4. That appears to be Australia's broadband network.
5. 
   30.   “Where the bloody hell are you?” Discuss.
6. I'm right here on my bloody couch. Is there more to it than that?
7. 
   31. Complete the following sayings.
   
       Am I ever going to see your face again? ..................................................
       You're terrible, ...........................!
       Coupla days, ...............................
8. I honestly have no ideas.
   
   32. Potato scallops or potato cakes?
9. They both look pretty similar in the Google Image search, so I'm not sure what the difference is other than I WANT both - right now!!
10. 
    33. Provide three uses for cane toads.
11. 

Really, there are uses for an abundance of toxic amphibians? I have no idea what those might be.

1. 34. If you give a politician a koala to cuddle, what is the likely outcome?
2. Well, first of all, y'all are weird. And amusing. This is the strangest questionnaire I've ever done. It's legal in Queensland to cuddle a koala, as well as the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. I don't understand what any of that has to do with politicians, though.
3. 35. Bagpipes are perfectly at home in rock songs. Discuss.
4. I love bagpiping! Great idea.
   36. What is a Tim Tam Slam?
5. Oooh! I've actually read about this one! I know that it involves those yummy chocolate cookies - no, "biscuits," (which we can now get here at Target, yay!) and drinking up your coffee through them. This link describes it really well. I think I need to do this before the year is out.
6. 
   37. If I ask for a FruChoc, where am I from? What are FruChocs?
   

 

They're these little chocolate balls with apricot or peach (or both?) in the center. They sound good; send me some!

~*~*~*~*~

Well, that was one of the most interesting filler-outers I've done in a long time, although I now feel like I need a lot more education on the subject of other cultures!

Thanks for the fun, Bev and Pandora!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Calling All Pancakes!

Welcome back, ladies and gents! I'm covered in bruises from my cupping device, which I'm using (overusing?) in an attempt to get my dislocated left shoulder back into place long enough to lock it in with kinesiology tape and/or an Ace bandage, but so far nothing's happening there. Ugh. Anyway, while I've got my pain meds onboard, I thought it might be a good time to join in the weekend dose of thievery. So here we are!

Thank you to Bev and Kwizgiver for providing this week's entertainment! Let's begin; link up here if you'd like to play along this weekend:

~*~*~*~*~

The Phone and Pancakes -- A contribution from Kwizgiver (Thanks)

1. Your phone rings. Who is the most likely caller?

 

A quick check of my phone indicates that it's either (a) Rob or the kids, for any number of things, (b) any of my multitude of medical providers' offices, or (c) the hospital's billing department. The latter call about six times every weekday.

2. How long do you chat on the phone each day? 

 

 

As little as possible. I have phonophobia or something. I avoid it like the Bubonic plague.

3. Who do you speak to the most? 

 

 

One of these formerly-wee kids are usually the ones I talk to on the phone, since Rob never picks up when I call!

 

4. Do you often not answer if a certain person comes up on your caller ID?

 

 

Unless it's one of my immediate family members, or someone I've been playing phone tag with, chances are that call is going straight to voicemail.

5. Do you phone friends at work? 

 

 

No! Never.

 

6. Do you make personal calls at work? 

 

I mean, I homeschool my teens - have for 9 years now - so whenever I get a call, wherever I get a call, am I technically at "work"?

7. Who do you always say “I love you” to at the end of the call?

 

Hubbers and the kiddos

 

8. Do you use a landline or cell more often?

 

 

We haven't had a landline in years!

9. Who in the blogosphere that you haven’t chatted with but would like to?   

 

Um, IDK. 

Pancakes...
1. Scratch or mix? Buttermilk or plain? 

 

 

Doesn't matter. I like 'em all. Usually only one, though.

2. Pure and simple, or with additions cooked in?

 

 

I'll take some chocolate chip banana pancakes if you're taking orders.

3. For breakfast or for dinner?

 

 

I love breakfast for dinner!

 

4. Preferred syrup or other topping? How about the best side dish?

 

 

I grew up close enough to the Canadian border to know that it's got to be pure maple syrup or nothing on a pancake. As for sides.... hm. I'll be full on a couple of pancakes, but I'm guessing most of y'all would like some bacon and eggs on the side?

5. Favorite pancake restaurant?

 

 

I'm all about some IHOP!

 

Bonus: Any tasty recipes out there, for pancakes or other special breakfast dishes? Bring 'em on! 

 

I can't think of any, but I'd love to find out what you guys have to say about this!

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

All right, back to nursing my damn naughty shoulder. Have a lovely!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Treat You Better

Hey, pals. I'm exhausted and have to get up in fewer hours than I'm actually gonna wanna sleep, so we'll see how interesting this gets. Link up here if you want to play along today!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Treat You Better (2016)

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


This song was chosen because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Please share this information about The National Domestic Violence Hotline. Let's spread the word that there's help out there.

1) In this song, a young man advises his neighbor to stop wasting her time with a guy who makes her cry. What is something you regret wasting time on? (It doesn't have to be a romance.)

Seems like I waste far too much time pushing my stack of papers this way and that - drives me nuts!

2) Much of this video takes place in a very sparely-decorated apartment. Because Shawn Mendes and the girl he’s singing to both appear young, it’s easy to assume they are both in their first apartments. Tell us about the first place you ever rented.

When I moved from Miami to St. Petersburg, Florida, after college, my goal was to get into the Tampa/St. Pete-based school, University of South Florida, for my doctorate program (which I did, a year later). I had never been to St. Pete before, and it was about a four-hour drive, so I had to figure out the rental situation from a distance. Back then there was no Facebook, of course, so I found an offline apartment rental guide at the grocery store and set up a two-bedroom apartment for myself. Then I found a roommate-matching service and, through that, found my first apartment mate, Janet. She was cool; I liked her. 

3) It's clear he can hear his neighbors' conversations and arguments through the walls. Are your neighbors quiet? Do you consider yourself a quiet neighbor? 

I guess we're all right, but we could probably do better with the yard maintenance. Our neighbors who always blocked our driveway with their 50 billion cars and ... stuff... moved out on Monday. Hubs is relieved; I guess I am, too, although I'm also sad because the older boy is my son's BFF.

4) This song received a lot of attention and airplay because it was used in a Southwest Airline commercial. When you last visited an airport, were you traveling yourself or meeting someone?

The last time I flew anywhere was a year and change ago, when Chloë was beckoned to audition for another movie in Los Angeles. The industry is so last-minute with its calls like that, that the airfare is prohibitively expensive. Good thing I have a friend who works for Delta!

5) This week's artist, Shawn Mendes, was a serious skateboarder during his high school years. Sam has never even set foot on a skateboard. How about you? 

I have. And I promptly fell right off.

6) Shawn is happy eating cold cereal with milk for every meal -- breakfast, lunch and dinner. He prefers cereal with almonds in it. What about you? Do you have a favorite cereal?

It's a toss-up between Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch and Frosted Mini Wheats.

7) He says he started eating cereal beyond breakfast because it's convenient, and it helps him avoid "junk food" when he's in a hurry. Do you often order your food "to go?"

We try to avoid it, but it happens occasionally.

8) In 2016, when this song was popular, a German short-haired pointer named CJ won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show. Is there a dog who holds a special place in your heart?

♥ Our 5½-pound chihuahua, Paco, and our 17-pound chiweenie, Tapioca, are my bebes. ♥

9) And this week, we're trying a random fill in the blank: I wish someone would create an app that would allow me to take pictures of all my clutter spots and link me to the perfect decluttering, organization solutions. I'd so buy into that.

~*~*~*~*~

That was fun! And I made it without taking a nap. Go me! ;)

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: 65 Questions, Part The First

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing, another fun meme presented for us by Bev Sykes of "Funny the World." Link up here if you want to join us today!

Sorry for my late posting; another migraine is currently kicking my ass. But I can't stay too long away from you crew without missing you to hell and back, and so here I am. ;)

~*~*~*~*~

Here are questions from Savannah at The Rainbow Society

 

 

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

 

Well, I don't know if you meant other humans or other life forms, but I'm choosing to go with the former and say YES! For my entire life, well since I was six years old and moved from Monroe to Syracuse, New York, I have wondered how other people - even those with whom I've had close personal contact - have continued to exist when I can't be there to see them. And with 7.5 billion people on this planet?!! How can they all be going about the daily minutiae of their lives without my being there to witness it?? It boggles the mind.

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

 

 

Five. Bad things have happened to me in the dark.

3. The person you would never want to meet?

 

 

The false "president," Donald J. Trump. I struggle to maintain my composure and manners around those whom I loathe so completely.

4. What is your favorite word?

 

 

I struggle with various tics of Tourette's Syndrome, including saying random things out loud without thought, so my favorite word changes every time I spit out something new by accident! However, my long-standing most favorite word is "pupitre," which means "student desk" in Spanish. I just like how it sounds.

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

 

 

I would be the mighty Red Mangrove tree, Rhizophora mangle, with it's millions and millions of prop roots, because:

 

"...The Red Mangrove belongs to the 'true mangroves'. The Red Mangrove is a strong and tough mangrove. Rhizophora mangle can handle changes in humidity, salinity, air- and water-temperature... Rhizophora mangle definitely is the most dominant mangrove on our planet. Rhizophora mangle was described for the first time in 1753 by Carolus Linnaeus."

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

 

I thought, I wish I still looked like this from a couple two-three years ago:

 

Instead of migraine- and pain-laden, allergic reaction-having this:

 

 

Ugh. I look like absolute hell.

7. What shirt are you wearing?

 

 

I'm wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, because I'm chilled despite the 75ºF-degree temperature outside. It's like a henley, but it's holey and open, but not too open and holey. Basically, it's comfy.

8. What do you label yourself as?

 

 

What Pearl B. said. ;)

9. Bright room or dark room?

 

 

Full brightness, day and night. Like I said, I'm scared of the dark. And I can't see. I'm both a glaucoma suspect and have just learned I've got the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes. AND I have a condition wherein the message of light and brightness are not being accessed by the brain, so I just cannot see unless every light in the house is on. It's really annoying, especially when I get the electric bill...

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

 

 

I was finally watching the amazing Black Panther movie with my crew (except for Jack, who had to get up early for work today). I loved this movie! Letitia Wright, as Princess Shuri, was my absolute favorite from the cast; I felt she stole every scene she was in and looked forward to more appearances from her. Who has still not seen it? You simply must!

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

 

 

Probably 24. I got married to the absolute joy and love and light of my life, and then I met the then-second biggest joy and love and light of my life, Chloë Raine, a month early and the day before I turned 25. Marriage and motherhood are what bring me the most happiness in my life.

12. Who told you they loved you last?

 

This knucklehead, modeling his Navy issued pea coat, pretend-smoking the Meerschaum pipe he brought home from Turkey. 

13. Your worst enemy?

 

You're looking at her. I am my own worst enemy, I'm afraid.

14. What is your current desktop picture?

 

I have this capture, taken for me by Chloë, of some of our 20 newly-hatched chicks. At that time, they were being kept in a kiddie pool in our living room and learning to drink and eat from waterers and feeders. Now they've graduated to the outdoor pen. I can't wait to see what this mixed run of rare and super-rare breeds turn out to be!

15. Do you like someone?

 

I'm pretty fond of this crew. I am, however, not fond of their growing up entirely too rapidly. It makes my eyes wet.

16. The last song you listened to?

 

 

Right now I'm streaming "The Four Seasons" composed by Vivaldi via YouTube on the telly via Chromecast. Ah, technology. Before that, I was streaming a Vocal Jazz medley, but after a chorus of complaints, I switched from Jazz to Classical. There are still complaints. I am not surprised.

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

 

 

I would not, could not, do that to a soul, tot... or not.

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

 

 

I'd really like to throat-punch this devilish duo.

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

 

I don't need a slave, I have these minions. And it's not just for a day, it's for LIFE. ha.

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

 

 

I think it depends on what my current weight is. When I'm thin, I adore my shoulders and clavicle. When I'm a bit heavier, it's my nose and eyes. I think they're okay.

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

 

 

I don't even know what I'd do or look like. I guess I'd go out and get more respect at a car dealership or anywhere else considered a "man's world." And I would be pissed about it, too!

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

 

 

Hmm, I don't know. But I can do this ^^^ on each finger of both hands. I've been doing it since I was 7 years old. I read about it just now. Apparently it's called "Swan Neck Deformity" and can be a symptom of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Both of those are concerns I might have. I guess it's better than having polydactyly, though.

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

 

 

Mustard. Specifically, the smell of mustard and, even more frightening, the chance of it touching me. I just cannot even. And I make Rob watch his face and brush his teeth before he can kiss me.

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

 

 

It would be a pita full of pine nut-filled hummus, sundried tomatoes, sprouts, and cucumbers. Mmm-mmm good.

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

 

 

I'd spend 100% of the $100 on healthy, nutritious, preferably locally-sourced and organically-grown groceries for my family.

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

 

 

Oh, I'd head straight for Australia, mate! It's long been a dream of mine and it's on the top of my Bucket List to go there.

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says.

 

 

Okay, that's just weird, but I'll play along: I'd have endless Mai Tais. Mmm, so delish. I think I like them even better than piña coladas, which is surely saying something! The first time I remember having a Mai Tai was in a dive bar near the beach, when we lived in Virginia Beach. I forget what it was called, but it was for a mystery shop. Rob probably had a Colorado Bulldog, and I decided to order a Mai Tai. The bartender served it with a wedge of orange, pineapple, and a red, yellow, and orange cherry. I was hooked from there.

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? 

 

Of course, I would ban all smoking of any kind, including vaping. No one can smoke anything. My island, my rules! ;)

29. What is your favorite expletive?

 

 

Probably "fuck," although I have a pretty good curse-word lexicon, and I'm not afraid to use it. People may think that exhibits my stupidity, but I know intelligence has nothing to do with cursing.

30. Your house is on fire. You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

 

 

Well, this sounds like I'm coming home from somewhere to find this fire, so I know I would already have my purse and phone with me. I always do. So... I guess I'd grab my laptop. Lots of info on there I wouldn't want to lose.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Well, phew! That was quite a long one and took me a long time to answer! But it was fun; thanks, Bev.

 

Hope y'all have a great week.

 

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: More Food Meme

Hey folks! Welcome back! Link up here if you want to join in the fray today. Let's get started:

~*~*~*~*~

Ever had ramen noodles? How do you fix yours? Do you add anything to them?

Sure, I've eaten it a billion times! I've always wanted to try it in a gourmet style, but since I can't even eat ramen at all anymore... I haven't tried.

 

1. Do you like spicy foods?
2. 
3. No, not really. I can't handle spiciness at ALL. Doctor's orders, actually.
4. Crispy or grilled chicken on your salad?
5. 

Well, really, I prefer no meat on my Caesar salad, but if I had to pick, then grilled.

1. Do you like corn on the cob?
2. 

1.  Honestly, not really. I mean, don't get me wrong - I actually love it - I just hate the way it gets stuck in my teeth.
2. Pumpkin or apple pie?

1. I like both, but I prefer apple pie. Specifically, Dutch Apple Cream Pie. It is seriously the best.
2. 
   Dinner rolls or crescent rolls?
3. 

King's Hawaiian rolls, if I get to pick! So scrummy.

1. 7.   How do you like your eggs?
2. 
   
3. I'm allergic to all but our own eggs, which are very high quality because we raise our chickens free-ranging and organic, and I'm happy with them any kind of way: Omelet, scrambled, sunny-side-up fried, boiled... It's all good.
4. 
   8.   Most expensive meal you have ever eaten?
5. 
6. Years ago, Rob and I went out to dinner at The Capital Grille in Miami, Florida. This was when we still lived in Virginia Beach, but we were down in Florida to visit my grandfather and family. My cousins babysat the kids. Anyway, I ordered the lobster at market price. I had no idea that $300+ later, we'd get that huge bill! Eek...
7. Do you like stir fry?
8. 

I love stir fry! So versatile. Our wok gets a lot of good use.

1. 10.  What kind of pots and pans do you use?
2. 

We use copper-bottom pots and pans... not sure what else is wanted here.

1. Do you like Brussel sprouts?

Yeah, I actually do.

1. Canned or fresh tomatoes?
2. 

I definitely prefer fresh anything over canned, and I love colorful heirloom tomatoes the most!

BBQ Chicken or Ribs?

I've never had BBQ ribs - and never gonna - and I don't really like BBQ chicken. Or BBQ anything else, really. Just not a fan.

Do you like coffee?

I do like coffee - preferably iced, preferably in the form of a chocolate chip frappé from McDonald's. But I'm not really supposed to drink that anymore, so I rarely indulge.

Cupcakes or ice cream cake?

It's traditional in our house for me to get ice cream cake on my birthday. But since my daughter Chloë's 17th birthday was on Friday, she wanted ice cream cake this year. On Saturday (yesterday), I asked for cupcakes, which Chloë made for my birthday.

Hot dogs or polish sausage?

No. Neither.

Do you like cinnamon toast?

Sure! Who doesn't?

Do you eat dinner at the table or in front of the TV?

I prefer for us to eat as a family at the table, but since I have the contents of my desk strewn all over the table right now while I try to reorganize, that's an impossibility right now.

Do you like to BBQ?

We covered that already. Still no.

Do you like cold cuts?

I like turkey pastrami. I'll eat that when I'm needing more protein than I usually get. Otherwise, I stick with cheese from the deli.

Do you like rice?

Used to. Can't eat it anymore now.

Macaroni and cheese?

Who doesn't like macaroni and cheese? Even though I can't technically eat that anymore either, I still love it.

Key Lime Pie?

Huge fan - especially when it's authentically made (and eaten) in the Florida Keys.

Favorite Fair/Carnival Food?

Cheesy curly fries! Hold the bacon, add vinegar = perfection!

What kind of gravy do you like?

The only time I'll eat gravy that is not vegetarian is around Thanksgiving, when Rob makes the turkey and the gravy. He does an amazing job. We've been using that recipe - from my beloved Martha Stewart - for our entire marriage.

26.   Jalapeño Poppers?

Welp, still a 'no' because of the spicy, so...

Broccoli/Chicken Alfredo?

Mmm, yes please! Except I can't eat the pasta, so no?

Do you like cottage cheese?

Yes. Specifically, Breakstone's 4% small curd cottage cheese. I mean, go big or go home!

Do you like lasagna?

I love it!

Do you like hard boiled eggs?

Yes! I eat them a lot. Not penguin, though...

~*~*~*~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: ID Questions

Hey, you guys! You came back! Wanna hear something crazy? I had what, in these uncertain times of my health going from bad to worse regularly, I would consider a pretty decent day Saturday. I spent a couple of hours just {yes, I know} browsing Bed, Bath & Beyond with Chloë, getting absolutely nothing, and then getting a few "deals and steals" at Walgreens after that (hey, six free toothpastes ain't a bad haul, for starters), and she and I just get along famously when we're out and about together like that. And that set the tone for the remainder of my day, with multiple laughing-'til-I-cried experiences with the rest of the family after that. Yeah, I'm not talking about my physical difficulties, but that's because regardless of those, if I have a good outward day, I can ignore that stuff for a while. So I did. :)

But anyway.

I'm happy you're here for Sunday Stealing (I almost wrote "Saturday Sunday," because they're enmeshed in my brain). Link up here if you're playing along today!

~*~*~*~*~

1: Three Fears ~

a: nightmares (last night's was about scary dancing pandas - weird!); b: dying before my children are grown; and, c: of my dogs running out into traffic

2: Three things I love ~

a: Chloë, who will be 17 in under three weeks;

b: Jack, 15; and,

c: Sophia, who is 13 going on 19!

3: Four turns on ~

four?!! Hmm...

a: Rob, obviously, who (since we're giving away ages here) will be 46 on the 30^th;

b: good yarn; in this case, it's Madeline Tosh merino wool in "Light Turquoise";

c: Singing to good music turned up loud in the car with the windows down; and,

d: Pure happiness and joy

4: Four turns off ~

a: Smoking;

b: Child abuse;

c: sloooooow drivers; and,

d: careless people who litter - & its effects on wildlife

5: My best friend ~

I am fortunate enough to have two, both of whom I met in 6^th grade and went all through the rest of middle, junior, and high school with: Lisa Joy & Shana Marie, both of whom I love with all my heart and definitely don't feel like I deserve!

{Photo of Lisa & me in a photo booth at CocoWalk, in Coconut Grove, Florida, during Lisa's Spring Break, circa April 1997}

6: My favorite book ~

I haven't read nearly all of these book by Jodi Picoult, but I have read My Sister's Keeper, The Tenth Circle, Nineteen Minutes, and Songs of the Humpback Whale (maybe others??), and I feel like all of them plus any more of her oeuvre that I'm going to read are my favorites, so can I make it her entire body of work?!

7: My best first date ~ 

Well, obviously I think, I would have to say that was my first date with Rob! In mid-November 2000, he came down to St. Petersburg, FL, from Panama City Beach, FL, to meet me in person after an odd first acquaintanceship (is that a word?!) online. We went to a Chinese take-out/eat-in restaurant for lunch and spent a long, long time there getting to know each other. We were the only customers who were dining in, so the staff were paying us a lot of curious attention, but I don't think either of us cared. Fast-forward to a year later, and we were already married and parents of a tiny baby, Chloë Raine - with three more to soon follow! Yup, I think there was romance in my vegetable lo mein...

8: How tall am I ~

At 5'1½", I think I'm short enough. However, my tiny little pixie girl, Chloë Rainebow, is maxed out at 4'9½" and is super cute to boot!

9: What do I miss ~ 

Now that Chloë nearing 17 and in her senior year of high school, Jack has a job, and Sophie towers over me at 5'4" with no end in sight, I've been missing their younger years something fierce lately!

10: What time was I born ~

Oh, I don't know, on time I guess?? ;) Since my DOB is 9/8/76, though, I like to joke that I was also born at 5:43:21 PM!

11: Favorite color ~

Something like this would be my idea color palette, with the middle color being my favoritest fave

12: Do I have a crush ~

Honestly? This may sound corny but after almost 18 years together, seeing Rob persevere through prostate cancer and numerous serious complications in recent months has me crushing on him all over again. Weird circumstance, but I love him with my whole heart and entire soul, and that's that.

13: Favorite quote ~

I'm really not good at remembering quotes and jokes and whatnot, but I've always remembered this one from Dirty Dancing!

14: Favorite place ~

Gosh, I'm getting really cheesy again, but it's wherever my family members are. So right now, that's Idaho. (And P.S. If I had a spare $30, I'd totally be getting myself this State of Idaho cutting board. Love it!)

15: Favorite food ~

New York-style pizzeria pizza - yummo!

16: Do I use sarcasm?

What do you think?

17: What am I listening to right now?

I'm watching a new-to-me rerun of Fixer Upper, a show I just starting getting into, like, yesterday.

18: First thing I notice in a new person ~

Whether they just smile with their mouths, or if it reaches their eyes to show it's genuine

19: Eye color ~

They used to be dark brown, but as I'm getting older, they're getting lighter brown with a ring of green around each iris

20: Hair color ~ 

See above; it's auburn, but I'm getting ready to dye it darker brown probably later this week.

~*~*~*~*~

That was a super fun meme! Thanks for the great thievery, Bev! And thanks to y'all for reading along with me!

Fin.

Saturday 9: The Nanny

Heyyy! The Nanny! This used to be one of my favorite shows from the '90s. I still know most of the theme song. My favorite lyrics are toward the end: ♪ ♫ "She had style! She had flair! She was there! That's how she became... The Nannyyyyy!" ♫ ♪

Glad to have y'all back again this week. Link up here if you're playing along today!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: The Nanny (1993)

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

1) This week's song is the theme from a sitcom that originally aired from 1993 to 1999. Were you a fan?

Oh, yes. I watched it all the time. And I had a huge crush on Mr. Sheffield!

2) The song tells us that Fran once worked in a bridal shop. Have you ever worked in a retail setting?

Oh, yes. Besides working for a number of years in three or four different successful grocery store chains, along with a stint at a gas station (which sucked), I was the dive shop manager for the dive operation on Key Biscayne, Florida, where I received my Open Water SCUBA certification. I did it all. 

3) The kids in the Sheffield household appreciate their nanny's "joie de vivre," which is defined as "exuberant enjoyment of life." Are you feeling joie de vivre this morning? 

I'm trying, I'm really trying, but I do have this agonizing tooth pain for which I'm on painkillers and antibiotics. I want them to just pull that eff-er! Hell, pull 'em all and give me dentures! I'm down with it! ;)

4) "The Nanny" is the colorful one, the one who wears red when everyone else wears tan. What color do you think you look best in?

     

I definitely feel like I look best in RED, but I think BLACK is my color, too. But I wear all kinds of colors, because life is too short for me to wear bland clothing. :P

5) The TV show, The Nanny, was the brainchild of actress Fran Drescher. She got the idea while visiting an old friend in London. Her friend's pre-teen daughter enjoyed having Fran as a confidante and shopping buddy. Do you enjoy shopping as a leisure activity? Or would you prefer to just dash into a store, grab what you need, and get out and go home?

I prefer to dash and go, but if I have the money to spend, I don't mind browsing a little. I don't want to be in there looking around all day or anything: BORING!

6) The friend Fran was visiting in London was Twiggy, who was the world's most famous model in the 1960s. Name another famous model.

Ms. Tyra Banks, for one, is quite lovely to behold.

7) The Nanny: The Complete Series is available on DVD on Amazon. It consists of 19 discs and takes 55 hours to watch, start to finish. What TV show have you recently binge watched?

I'm kind of going back and forth between two shows that I'm binge-watching:

The always-hilarious Bob's Burgers, and:

Cake Wars, which, if nothing else, serves to remind me how much talent and skill I did not possess during my stint as a cake shoppe owner! And it makes me hungry for cake. ;)

8) The Nanny theme was sung by Liz Callaway. Her father, the late John Callaway, was a long-time Chicago newscaster. Have you, or has a loved one, ever been on TV?

Yeah, my daugher Chloë has been on a number of things on TV, most notably an episode of A Haunting, which you can rent to watch on Amazon.com if you wish. ;) She's been in lots of other things, and she could probably "hit it big," but she's decided she no longer wants to act.

9) Random question -- Which of these adjectives comes closest to describing you: sexy, sophisticated or down-to-earth?

In the past, I'd have liked to have said "sexy," but I no longer feel that fits. Definitely not sophisticated. I guess that leaves down-to-earth for me! I think I am pretty approachable...

~*~*~*~*~

Thanks for a fun meme, Crazy Sam!

Fin.

P.S. We have a small GoFundMe account, wherein we are trying to raise the funds for the courses and material supplies for my younger artist daughter, Sophia, for this coming homeschool year. We need just $300 more to purchase everything that's left, including the courses. More information can be found here:

https://www.gofundme.com/ArtEducationSupplies

OR, the Amazon Wish List for the supplies can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/giftlist/2O3KE65XHFJTJ

So if you have a look at either, we'd be grateful if you could either donate or share with your followers. Thank you!!

Sunday Stealing: Never Been Asked Meme

Welcome back! I'm hoping to get this post written before my migraine comes back, because it is a doozy. And I know it's coming back by its aura, which I'm getting because I just don't have enough health problems going on right now... :P

Anyway, link up here to play along today!

~*~*~*~*~

1. First thing you wash in the shower?
2. 
3. I have a set routine, and I always shampoo my hair first.
   
   2. What color is your favorite hoodie?

It's brown!

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

Sure, I guess I'd kiss Hubs again. ;)

4. Do you plan outfits?

Not usually, no.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?

Well, I've got this new kind of intractable migraine since a few months ago, even landing myself in the hospital for it this past Monday, and nothing helps. I've had three rounds of Botox to no avail, so I'm now considered a non-responder to that. And pretty much everything else. There's a new injection drug called Aimovig that I've just signed the paperwork to get, so I'm waiting to see if our insurance will approve it since it nears $10K a month. And I might get my tragus pierced. SOMEthing has got to help!

6. What’s the closest thing to you that's red?

Currently, that would be the giant bottle of Tylenol that I keep nearby at all times. Kinda makes sense, eh?

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?

I can't remember the reason, but my 13yo daughter Sophia was sorely pissed at me. She's hardly ever angry with me, and I felt fearful to see if she really was when I woke up! (She wasn't.)

8. Did you meet anybody new today?

Nah, not really. Wait, do cashiers and Customer Service reps count? Chloë and I went to PetSmart to get dog food, cat food, puppy pads (our two itty bitty doggos are pad-trained), and two NylaBones on clearance. Then we went to Kohl's to pick up an online order (I got a brand-new bra, three pairs of undies, and four bra hooks - to tighten the straps of my girls' brassieres - for under $23! Plus I bought a new set of measuring cups, since we lose some every time we move, on sale AND they gave me an additional military discount, AND I got $5 Kohl's Cash back for picking up the internet order. Sweet! And then we drove across the street to pick up two Target internet orders I placed a few days ago. It was the hardware for our window treatments. We've been here 17 months and still don't have proper curtains up! Until now.

9. What are you craving right now?

Cheap chocolate. Specifically, Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cups - best chocolate under a dollar!

10. Do you floss?

Sometimes. I floss a lot more now that I've lost a filling. Gotta get that thing replaced!

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?

I think of the cabbage soup diet! One of my BFFs from high school, Shana, introduced it to me in the mid-to-late 90s. I used it during my internship at Mote Marine Lab after college. Back then, the diet included lots of red meat - and I ate vegan then, so maybe that's why I failed? I loved the soup, though; it really was delicious!

12. Are you emotional?

Uh, you could say that. Just... slightly. ;)

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?

Definitely in Roman numerals...

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?

Usually, I lick. I prefer to savor.

15. Do you like your hair?

Not currently. It's too short to put up in a proper ponytail, and with 100°F heat, that's pretty annoying! But it's not as bad as Donald Trump's... thing... on his head, so yay!

16. Do you like yourself?

I find it difficult, but I do try to hold onto those things I do like about myself.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?

Yeah, I probably would. I wasn't a fan of his presidency, but the guy himself seems like he'd make an amiable dinner companion. He'd probably crack a lot of jokes. And I am proud of what his daughter Barbara has become, and I really enjoy watching her sororal twin Jenna on the Today show in the mornings, so yeah. Hey Dubya, call me!

18.What are you listening to right now?

I'm listening to - and watching - my 15yo son Jack play the Titan Fall II on the Xbox directly in front of me, and to my right, I'm also listening to our Chiweenie Tapioca chew on her new sirloin-infused Nylabone. She's going to town on it!

19. Are your parents strict?

I have no idea what parenting style my mom would have employed, but my dad and evil stepmother were at times Authoritarian and at times Uninvolved (which was called "Neglectful" instead, during studies of Child Development in college). I was raised in a completely different environment than the one in which I was raised. I try to be very Authoritative, with the occasional Permissiveness in between.

20. Would you go sky diving?

Not even if you paid me.

21. Do you like cottage cheese?

Yeah, but only the 4% kind. I like to indulge now and then.

22. Have you ever met a celebrity?

Yeah, but not any huge A-listers. I helped Dave Barry, the humor columnist, numerous times when I worked at Publix all throughout college. Really nice guy. And I served ice cream to José Canseco and his lady friend once, when I worked at a gourmet ice cream shop before entering graduate school. Really not a nice guy - total douche!

23. Do you rent movies often?

Almost never. We have Amazon Prime, Netflix, and frequent freebie codes for the Redbox - and I almost never use any of them! What a shame.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?

I had a hard time finding something sparkly instead of shiny - plenty of shiny! - until I looked down at my engagement ring. There we go! (Boy, do those rings need polishing!)

25. How many countries have you visited? 

I've been to the USVI {St. Thomas only}, Puerto Rico, and Guam, but do those technically count, since they're US territories? I've also been to Canada multiple times as a kid; Mexico twice; Bahamas twice; Jamaica; Costa Rica; Panama; Cayman Islands; Spain; France; Monaco; Italy; Greece; and, Croatia. I think that's all of them. Not nearly as many as Hubs, though!

26. Have you ever made a prank phone call?

That may be the first (and only?) time I've posted a picture of actual feces on this blahg. I've made a prank or 17 in my day, but Hubs makes them to this day. We'll be driving along, whether around town or on long road trips, when we'll see a sign or the side of a van or something that inspires us. He manages to last quite a long time while I'm cracking up in the background. Maintains serious composure! One of the more memorable pranks was when he called different Home Depot stores around the country to ask if they sold, specifically, "horse shit." We were trying to find the most polite store, but somehow our quest got lost in the giggles!

27. Ever been on a train?

Numerous times! Both long-distance and also around big cities like Miami and Washington, DC. On one of the more memorable trips, my friend "Jenny From the Block" and I took our combined five kids from Virginia Beach to Richmond, Virginia, by train and back. That was pretty awesome. I would love to do a trip cross-country.

28. Brown or white eggs?

May I please have a combination? These are our very own eggs; I'm sure there's a more vibrant picture somewhere, but this was the first one I came across. We have five hens laying eggs at present, but I'm planning to add more to our flock in September. Of the five we have now: one lays nearly-white eggs, two lay brown eggs, and two are olive layers. I'm enamored of this whole chicken-keeping business! When I order a flat of chicks in September, I'm really hoping to get a rare layer of blue eggs. That would be so cool!

29.Do you have a cell-phone? 

Of course - who doesn't nowadays?! All three kids and I acquired new Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphones in June; Hubs has the Galaxy S8 Active. I'm still learning all the tricks and secrets my phone possesses, but I'm already enamored of it!

30. Do you use chap stick?

Not necessarily the Chapstick™ brand, but I am an absolute lip balm fanatic! I always have at least one in the following locations: my purse, the dashboard pocket opening in the car, and my bathroom drawer (I probably have eleven in there). I've tried just about every kind. My very favorite is the kind that the St. Luke's hospital gives out to their patients. It's the best! But a very, very close runner-up are the three kinds from Young Living: Cinnamint, Lavendar, and Grapefruit. I love that last one!

~*~*~*~*~

Phew! Finally finished that long one! Just in time. In addition to the headache, I'm nauseated, have blinding double vision, and heart palpitations. Good Lord, please help me and take this da** thing away!! :( :( 

Sorry for the accidental lapse in self-control, there. Forgive me? I hope you'll all have a wonderful week. Forgive me if I'm physically unable to read your posts right now. I can barely see to write my own!

TTFN. ;)

Fin.