Tuesday 4. Home Sweet Home

Tuesday 4 hosted by Ann
Home Sweet Home



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Home Sweet Home
Welcome! It's time again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.



How would it be if we talk about some things related to home?

1. What styles of décor do you like? Mid Century?

 Our daughter loves Mid Century modern! 

 Colonial? My mother had many primitive 

antiques from her family and so .Igrew up

surrounded by history. She loved 

the colonial look. Contemporary? I certainly
am not contemporAry.. I am old English
mixed with English cottage!
2. What makes your bedroom comfortable?
We bought a new mattress a few years ago.
That somehow keeps us cool when we want
to be cool, and is very comfy! I sleep with two

 thicker pillows that bunch up. I do not like
stout pillows. We installed window shutters
that allow nice air into the bedroom at night,
but also provide privacy from outside which
I like.





3 What do you think makes a home
comfortable and welcoming?
Mainly, a home that is organized, every
thing in its place, and happily decorated ,
for me is the most comfortable and
welcoming. Now do not have anyone
dropping in on us any more, but we still
like to have the main rooms well put
together, clean, and ready just in case
something happened to one of us and
someone would be stopping in for even
an emergency. Neither of us are
comfortable in a messy room, or home.
We find keeping things picked up makes
house cleaning easier.. very important
to us in this time of our lives!


Sorry both photos are so dark!


4. Do you share your home with pets?
Would you tell us about them please.
No,
we do not have pets.

Sunday Stealing

Hosted by Bev!

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. 

This came from a YouTube entry that no longer exists

1. Working on anything exciting lately? I am practicing in my sketchbook as I coming to its final page so I can  start my first nature journal! 
2. What was the highlight of the day today?I was very excited when Hubs fixed my dinner for me today! He is so thoughtful!
3. What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?I always look forward to dining out after church with our dear friends, David and Gerri. We usually go for Chinese or  Mexican.
4. What are your favorite restaurants?I would say we both prefer Chinese food. There are so many delicious choices!
5. Do you follow any sports?Like right now I am watching the basketball tournament with Lynn, but only because he loves it so much.  I enjoy watching golf much more, probably because I played golf back in my younger days. 
6. What is your biggest fear? I would have to say that I am a bit concerned about the world situation especially now with, in my opinion, poor leadership, who  has weakened us as a nation, so much ..  if we get into a war with these world powers, I think it would be because of our weakness. 
7. What is your biggest regret? Tough questions, if you want  honesty,  I will  be more personal here and say it would have to be my weight.
8. When you were growing up, what was your dream job? I always did want to be a teacher. I was  inspired by my elementary teachers .
9. Do you say ‘sherbet’ or ‘sherbert’? Sherbert
10. Have you ever had a paranormal experience? I hate to admit it but my mom bought me an ouija board when I went to college. I suppose she thought they were cool. And I didn’t know any better. I used to like to ask the magic 8 ball questions, and figured it was similar….any I took it to my dorm room and we played with it, and things did happen.  All of a sudden we found out there had been a suicide in our dorm and the ghost haunted our floor.Then we started having odd things happen.  I can’t really remember what, It got so bad that our suite mates all fell out with each other and separated.  I was the first one kicked out of the suite but thank goodness by the next day a friend clued me in on a girl who had lost her roommate….left school, and thus began a very dear friendship with my new roommate Brenda. We remained roommates through the rest of our years at college.  I threw the ouija board away.
11. What is your favorite food at a cocktail party?the only cocktail party I ever went to was a wedding reception for my cousin in Florida. They had a delicious  butterflied shrimp platter that circulated around the room along with many other things but the shrimp was by far the best!
12. Who is a book character most like you?Off the top of my head Anne of Green Gables.
13. Do you read reviews before you go to movies?? No, but we do not go to movies much any more. We did go to I Heard the Bells movie over Christmas and loved it.   But Lynn doesn’t like to go to movies so we seldom go. I wanted to see Jesus Revolution, but he wouldn’t go. I hope I can see it someday.
14. How do you feel about cilantro?Hate it ! Tastes like soap!
15. Have you ever cried in public?Yes. Several times over the years. I suppose you could say I am a rather sensitive soul!

Saturday 9

 

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. 

Saturday 9: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

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

1) In this week's song, BJ Thomas sings that he knows it won't be long until he finds happiness. What are you looking forward to today? What's going to make you smile?Today is actually our 51st anniversary.  Last night my sweet husband and I were at prayer meeting, and he prayed for our marriage and thanked God for our 51 years together, and for blessing us with each other.  He went on from there, while I was choked up and crying like a baby.Best anniversary present ever. Now I’m looking forward to next year!

2) BJ Thomas met his wife Gloria at a bar. She was there with his drummer, but BJ let his friend know he felt a connection to Gloria and was going to drive her home. BJ and Gloria were married for 50 years, until his death. Have you and a friend ever found yourselves attracted to the same person? If yes, how did you handle it? No, not really. 

 

3) This song is from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, which has been called "the most entertaining Western ever made." Do you enjoy Westerns?  I used to.  And I enjoyed that stint of more recent westerns that stared Robert Duvall.

4) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the most popular movies Paul Newman made, but he liked to say his "favorite role is philanthropist." He raised an amazing $500 million for children's charities through his Newman's Own brand. The most popular Newman's Own product is salad dressing. What flavor of salad dressing would we find in your kitchen right now?  Bleu Cheese

 

5) Burt Bacharach won the first of his three Oscars for this song. Yet 20th Century Fox originally wanted to cut the song from the movie, maintaining that that song and the famous "bicycle sequence" between Paul Newman and Katharine Ross were anachronistic and made the movie too long. Burt and the movie's director George Roy Hill fought for it, insisting that it helped define the optimistic character of Butch. Tell us about a time you were glad you stood your ground.  When I was teaching,  back around the turn of the century..I retired in 2003 at age 53, I was near retirement and our principal wanted to do away with the pledge of allegiance.  I was pretty upset about it, so decided to try to do something to stop it so I contacted our PTA and requested for anyone who was against letting the pledge go to contact other parents. I stood that ground and the parents wrote so many letters  our principal had a change of heart. I don’t know if they still do the pledge, but I am glad I stood my ground  and kept it going for a time at any rate.At that time I figured I didn’t have anything to lose with my retirement right on the horizon.

6) Edith Head also won an Oscar for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. She said that Robert Redford, who played Sundance, presented a wardrobe problem. His jawline is too strong so she had to create special wider-brimmed hats to balance it. If you could magically change one of your physical features, which would you choose? And which feature would you never change?

I would have to say my size.  I wish losing weight for me wasn’t so hard. I keep losing the same 10 pounds over and over again! I would keep my hands.  I think my hands are probably my best feature.  I have my mother’s hands. I’ve been told I should do hand commercials.

7) In 1969, when this song was a hit, The Beatles played their last concert on the roof of Abbey Road Studios. When did you last climb onto the roof? Never.

8) Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries sold at a brisk pace at Christmastime 1969. They're still popular today. Were you a fan? I loved Nancy Drew mysteries.  I think I checked every one of them out if the library.

9) Random question: Do you consider yourself old fashioned. I think so.  There isn’t very much about the modern world that interests me.

Wednesday Hodge Podge

I 

Hosted by Joyce!   Welcome back, Joyce!!! Click the icon to  return to Joyce's page!

1. Did you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in some way?  Not really,  I have been more focused on Spring and Easter!  If so tell us how. Are you a fan of corned beef? Cabbage?   Not too much!  I love my cabbage separate in  soups and  slaw!The color green?  I Love the color green.   It isn't really my color  in fashion,  but for  housekeeping I  wish I had more green!

I should love to paint my cabinets this shade of green, but we recently painted them a lovely color that we both like, but this color resides in my heart!

2. March 22nd is National Goof Off Day...will you celebrate?   I wish I could, but I am hosting a tea party later in the week.   I have a ton to do to get ready  because I  actually have been goofing off a lot   already this week... we have had a houseful of men installing  our new  a/c  system.  So Hubs and I jsut stayed out of the way! Your favorite way to goof off?   Watch  too much tv or  videos  or  mess around on line... I love  genealogy!   Last time you had a whole day to spend 'goofing off'?  I can goof off all day  rather regularly  depending on what you call goofing off. IF I am in my sketching mood or birdwatching  and recording mood,  Hubs calls that goofing of all day!

3. Something on your to-do list that has been there more than a month? Cleaning off the bed in the guest room where I keep all my clothing.   Lynn has to do the laundry and it keeps getting  piled up . I'll put things away and try to  get a head of it, then it piles up again. I can't complain,  but the guest room hasn't looked good all this year! Will this be the month you finally cross it off?   Based on what I jsut said,.  I doubt it/,  but  the kids come in June so  it has to get done  sooner rather than later!!!!!

4. In your opinion, what emotion is the most beneficial?  For me it is anger..  When hubs makes me really angry,.  I  use up all that adrenaline to  really clean up  something like  rearrange  a closet,  etc!!! 

Which one is the least useful?Those mully grubs  can  crash in on me, and I'm not worth killin' for  a day or two!. What was your favorite thing to do as a kid? Elaborate. I was a latch key kid.  My mom worked  outside of the home.. and when I was  about 11, I stopped staying with neighbors across the street. and just tended myself til dad got home.  He  would work flexible hours. As an only child, I would read or  do a lot of day dreaming. In the hot summer  with a/c,  I spent a lot of time out on the large porch, swinging on the glider,  or lying on it reading my Trixie Belden/ Nancy Drew books.  Sometime Id  just day dream about  what I wanted out of life... most of time knowing  those dreams  were pipe dreams, because I was  very shy and introverted. It wasn't until  I was in senior high that I finally  found  myself .,  my personality, and  I actually  could make friends my own age.  I mean as a child and pre-

teen  I played with the little girl across the street who was 6 years younger than myself .  She was my "lil Sister"  and we  entertained each other I guess you'd  say, playing board games  etc.  I taught her how to play make believe  like  playing school,  office, and detective  as we spied around on the neighborhood!  Hahaha!

6. Insert your own random thought here.  Our church has  a  thing called 6 Sisters were  for each  of 6 months of the year  you were assigned 5 ladies who were your sisters and  each one of us took a month to plan an event  to get together.  I picked   March because of Spring and decided to do a spring teal  I have  gotten all the accoutrements out and  sort of staged them on the table.     Here  some photos..  my new Spring tree  decor, and  the table  set up    but everything has to be washed and 

made ready   for  tea day...  below you see   the  dishes for the place

setting  and the centerpiece..   So   all of this needs to  be attended to.

But, first,  the living room will need to be  set aright!  

My menu is planned  and  it is  rather   industrious.

Homemade Blueberry Lemon  scones

Clotted Cream

Tea Cakes 

Meringues 

Mini cheesecakes

   spring time fruit salad

Chicken salad sandwiches on croissants  

English Breakfast tea I purchased in Scotland

  anyway, happy Springtime!!

"Spring" Tuesday 4

 

Spring 

Hello and  welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

Hosted by Ann!

1. Spring cleaning is a very old tradition.  Some say it began with Passover and removing leaven from the home and the fact that windows begin to be thrown open.  What Spring cleaning do you do?

I do not as much Spring cleaning as Inused to.  We just try to keep the house clean every week. We may clean bathrooms better, giving everything a good scrub, mop the floors, of course, Lynn vacuums every week. And then we do spring cleanup outside in the flower beds and fence rows  when Lynn starts up the mowing for the season! We don’t clean the porch and furniture until after pollen season.

2. Does daylight saving time make any difference in your life for good or bad?I like it. I like later daylight and slow mornings.  But it really has no bearing on us as we are retired. It is just a preference.

3. Do you have a spring reading/watch list or perhaps a 'to do' list? Not really. 

4. The "peepers" are back here by the water. There are thousands of this itty bitty frogs(the size of a finger nail) peeping like loud birds.

What signs of spring are showing up in your neck of the woods and what Spring flower is your favorite to see blooming? First of all, I love spring peepers. I enjoyed them in the country when we visited my mom and dad. We never have then nearby us hear, but I’ve heard them in the county! I love the first crocus of spring but this year it bloomed fully in February, our winter was so warm. The robins returned early, I love their bird song on early mornings. Spring is so early here, most of my flowers have already faded. My tulips are beginning to bloom, and we bought some pansies to plant! Another early blooming flower I love is the bloodwort which I found in the woods behind my mom’s house over 30 years ago. I planted it at our first house, then transplanted here. It blooms prolifically  early every year.

Sunday Stealing

Bev,, our host is not sure where this came from but it is all about Me!

One song that describes my life.

You made Me So Very  Happy

Two things I wish I had more of in my life

Time with my family, daughter and granddaughters who live 7 states away

 Strength and good balance

Three ways I relax

Listening to music

Sketching

Watching my favorite YouTube programming

Four of my best accomplishments

Our raising and nurturing of our wonderful daughter, Amanda

My service and Christian work in the various churches we have been part of over the last 50 years

My homemaking  and home environment we created together

My 30 year teaching career

Five things I am looking forward to

Going to the beach in the upcoming weeks with our dearest friends

Meeting our daughter’s family in Lancaster, Pa over their spring Break to take the kids to Sight and Sound Theater

A tea party  I am hosting soon with my 6 Sisters from church

I am looking forward to have a medical procedure behind me

I am looking forward to good results from my therapy that begins tomorrow

Six things I am grateful for

My salvation and relationship With my Lord, Savior,  and God

My wonderful and dear husband who takes such good care of us and our home.

Our precious, brilliant, beautiful daughter who now is such a fabulous wife, mother, friend, and church worker

Our comfortable happy home

My wonderful loving parents and the influence my grands and great family were on me.  I love my family.

My church.  We only joined a year ago, but we are making the most precious friends.  

Eight things I can see from where I am sitting

The tv

The air purifier

 My family gallery wall

A vase of roses

A dish  from which I enjoyed my chocolate ice cream snack

The gorgeous wooded box my parents made and painted with a bunny theme  that rests under the side table. 

A new pair of sandals sitting on the box in which they arrived from Amazon yesterday

My favorite planner by Ruth  Chou Simons, the Gracelaced, author which Amanda gave me for Christmas.  Best planner ever!

Nine words I would use to describe myself

A Christian who loves to study the Bible

Happy

Friendly

Hospitable

A budding artist

Light sleeper

Avid genealogist

Bird watcher

Budding nature journalist

Ten  little things that make me happy

Surprises from my husband

FaceTime with our girls

Spending time with friends

Seasonal home decorating

Hosting tea parties or small intimate dinners  for  us and another couple

Being strong and able bodied ( this comes and goes )

Watching our granddaughters and our daughter perform in music, (piano and violin)

Bird watching and journalling

Sketching

Learning from online art classes

Saturday 9

Rocky Road to Dublin

Hosted by Samantha!

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. 

Saturday 9: The Rocky Road to Dublin (2008)
 Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a young man who leaves home to seek his fortune. How old were you when you first moved out on your own? I  supposed I moved out on my own  after I returned from living with my husband in Germany.  I came home to the states to  begin my teaching job and lived  alone  for a month or two,  in an apartment I picked out; choosing it because it would be  between  me driving to   a county north of us and Lynn going to Virginia Tech  in a county west of us.   The  college bit didn't work out for him, he wasn't in a studying frame of mind at that time.. so  he just  got a job nearby where we lived.  I ended up driving   40 minutes to work!    Bah!  The apartment wasn't that great I found out  that a warlock lived right  next to our  bedroom window.    Then  later  praise God after  Lynn   got home  we were  broken into  and  our most valuable items were filched!    
2) He leaps onto a ship but the captain makes him sleep in the hold with pigs. Have you ever taken a cruise? (If so, we hope you had better accommodations.) We used to  think we'd like to cruise,  but  lost interest  about  20 years ago  when we started hearing  some scary stories  about cruise trips.  We just started saving our money for  European  trips!

 
3) This recording of the song is by The High Kings. Well established in Ireland, their career reached new heights in March 2012. Right after playing for the Lord Mayor of London's St. Patrick's Day celebration, they flew to Washington to perform for President Obama at the White House St. Patrick's Day concert. Tell us about a time when you were so happy, you had to pinch yourself to make sure you weren't dreaming.  The last time was when   I was standing in the parking lot of  Eilean Donen Castle  at dusk  seeing  my  favorite    dreamy castle  all lit up for the evening.  I never would have thought I'd ever  really be there  10 years ago!

 

4) This song was chosen because Friday was St. Patrick's Day. Do you celebrate this holiday?

 A little   but not  regularly. I used to  more  when I truly thought I was Irish. I mean my grandmother was an O'Higgins,  but  according to Ancestry.com  they were English.

5) Leprechauns are a symbol of St. Patrick's Day. These small Irish fairies are said to live in the forest, guarding their gold. Do you often wear gold?  All of my jewelry used to be  gold until I had my colors done 40years ago and found out I was a cool color  so  I switched to silver and white gold!  But I wear both as the mood   grabs me!

6) McDonald's has made Shamrock Shakes a St. Patrick's Day tradition. McDonald's began adding the drive-thru window to their restaurants in the 1970s. Would you rather order from the restaurant counter or the drive-thru? Depends of factors,  weather,  crowd,  etc..  But  will always  order  a chocolate dipped cone  from Dairy Queen from the Drive Thru!

7) A four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm?  No.

 

8) Thinking of Lucky Charms, they are magically delicious. What breakfast cereal is in your kitchen right now?  I don't eat cereal. I eat fruited yogurt topped  with granola or  chopped walnuts.

  
9) Random question: Think of your upcoming week. Which day will be the busiest?Probably Thursday because I am hosting a Spring Tea Party on Friday for  7 of us.  I will have a bit of baking to do.

Friday Fave Five

Welcome to FFF!  Hosted by Susanne!

Another week has passed..  actually pretty quickly and it is time again to recount our many blessings. I didn’t get around to posting last week, so I may overlap some.  But first of all!  

And since I am celebrating this fun holiday, I will share my sketching from yesterday’s class…

Now I  really despise whiskey,  but a  lovely Irish coffee on a cold  day  out and about is really nice and  you can determine how it is  mixed..  YUM!

If you a re  the least bit interested in doing  some art  or sketching, Sketchbook Skool on Youtube is the 

greatest. I really enjoy   the site and the  teachers.!

Alright, on with the post!

I will start with today, I suppose. We got up pretty early to get ready for the workmen.  We didn’t expect them til Monday, but they called to ask to start today, so, today we had our central air conditioning unit removed from the attic,  along with all the worn out apparently cheap duct work that existed in the attic removed. We have lived here for 35 years and are just having to replace the central air system, along with, of course, the outside unit. It is extremely expensive ,but we really didn’t think we would get another year out of the old system….and are pleased we found a good company and they are able  to attend to this big job before hot weather. 

Lynn and I have been  working hard on trying to get a service to come out to do this job since the first of the year. But when the company came out to see the job they always turned it down… mainly because, 1. The hatch to get into the attic is so small they didn’t have a worker who could fit through the hole.  I mean my husband has gotten up in there several times, but that doesn’t  speak well of the condition of many workers. 2. The head space up there is not tall enough to stand up so one must crawl around to do the work.  Our 88 year old home wasn’t built for central air. So this company is the only one of 5 companies who could do the work. It was so wonderful to see two young, very competent, strong, yet slim men get up there and have all their days work of removing everything done in less than 4 hours. We are just so pleased to be getting this done!

We have enjoyed our very early spring this year. Our jonquils and daffodils have already bloomed and gone now. But the tulips are budding out now.  I am thankful that this last cold snap did not get them.  

We  have been looking forward to this weekend.  Before covid Lynne’s local cousins regular met out for dinner. It was so popular among his family we had grown to a goodly number of 14. Then following covid it was like no one could pick up the phone and get it  initiated again.  Finally, Marnee called and dinner out is planned this weekend at our best seafood restaurant.  

I really am looking forward to seeing everyone again!  My own family lives so far afield, no one gets together anymore except at funerals. …sad to say!

I am pretty excited about a possible switch in music teacher for my grandchildren.  They both take piano lessons but their teacher is a bit lax in pushing them along in their techniques. And our daughter must drive them 40 minutes each way to lessons.  I saw a newspaper article about a virtuoso child pianist in Amanda’s town.   Amanda has done some homework about the teacher and this teacher lives within 5 miles of her. We are praying that she can take on our girls.  They are sharp as tacks and thrive on challenge so this would work out so well for everyone!

Happy St. Patricks Day as we travel through Northern Ireland

 

Last time we enjoyed the wonders of western Ireland, but our last adventures will be  exciting Northern Ireland.  From Donegal we drove right past the border into the cooler northern climes of the country.  The landscape was much more intense and  chilly,  in color and sky,  we experienced quite a bit of fog, but that was, also, very beautiful.  

Soon we were in the outskirts of Londonderry,  also known as Derry in NI

And then we were in town center completely gobsmacked by the glorious Peace Bridge built in recent years to commemorate the spirit of unity between the governments and the people. To celebrate the end of the “Troubles” in 2006. 

The next day  we    toured the    old  town of Derry..  Up on the old town  wall,  a defensive   location  built up high  above Old Town. ,,, for protection of warring  clans and    nations..  of the past.

The  wall gate  opens  up to the Old Town.

I loved this  beautiful protestant church..  Remember. NI  was  Protestant  while Ireland was Catholic..   Quite a lot of differences in the two..parts of Ireland  Many people  wondered  even in 2015 when we traveled there if there might be  "trouble'  on our trip,  but no way.  Our guide in Derry was exceptional and  and we  totally enjoyed our visit to NI.

Soon we were on  our bus heading north to Malin Head the northernmost point of mainland Ireland.  It was particularly foggy and  rather bitter  because the  ferocious winds!

Malin Head

                                   The highlands of NI

Further along the coast  eastward  we  came upon the North Sea!

Further East.  we  were  soon approaching  the Giant's Causeway, but first we  came upon Dunluce Castle..I cannot imagine living there on the edge of the world  in such a  cold  climate!!

This photo  was  a photo I snapped  at the info center nearby. Centuries ago the actual  kitchen of the castle actually fell of the cliff.   While it was inhabited. Ugh!    No matter I believe it had to be haunted anyway!

And right around the corner was the Causeway..     caused by the very  odd   rock formations    on the shore!

I have terrible balance so this was  much too much for me.  but  my sweetheart  maneuvered  it like a champ!!!

We traveled on around the NE corner of NI   on the Antrim Coast. and even on our bus, I think we were all shivering!

  

Our driver let us stop for a photo op as good as it was

of  the Carrick-a-rede foot bridge, a very  popular  site  and attraction on a good day!

  

 After being  out in the wind our driver  stopped by a   seacoast town    for us to grab a lunch on our own!

This was the first time we actually spent our  British Pounds   and  were we surprised.  We each got an Irish coffee,   and a hamburger with  fries  to stave off the cold.. it cost us equivalent to $63.00. 

                 Then we  were in Belfast.  Capitol of NI. 

A gorgeous bustling city!

The State House

The Titanic Museum

and our Hotel!  The Europa,  the most bombed out hotel in the world.  due to the many    scrimmages  Belfast endured during the Troubles!   But it was a gorgeous,  glamorous Hotel and the food was spectacular!

Our bus drove us through the  more    iffy section of town- the  section  designated to the remembrance of the Troubles and the  lives who  were   injured and killed.   it was an eye opener..  but I can say.  I  would pray no other city  has to endure such loss in  these modern times!

Then, sadly it was time to  retreat to our final stop over.  Cabra Castle!

The castle was hosting a fabulous wedding affair the next day..   The most beautiful people were  there in abundance..!  Below was our accommodations!  I loved it so much!

Every nook and cranny  throughout the halls were decked out..  but we did heard  the hall ways were  also haunted!!!

                                                             On our way to breakfast.

A warm place to  gather  after  checkin

  

One of the reception rooms!

Then it was time to  fly away home!!!

Goodbye, Ireland!   We loved you!!!