Saturday 9

Stay (I Missed You)  Hosted by Sam!

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here are today's questions!

Saturday 9: Stay (I Missed You) 1994

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

1) In this week's song, a woman is accused of only hearing what she wants to. "Selective listening" is when you choose to focus on what's important to you and ignore what isn't. Are you often, sometimes, or never guilty of selective listening? Guilty as charged!

2) She turns the radio up when she hears her favorite song. What song have you recently sung along to? I turned up Hauser playing Caruso on YouTube, but just to listen. I really enjoy Hauser.

3) This week's featured artist, Lisa Loeb, has always been a big reader. Her band was called Nine Stories as a tribute to her favorite author, JD Salinger. If you were to name a band to honor your favorite author, what would you call it, and why?  One of my favorite  authors is Lynn Kurland, a time travel author.  I suppose the band would be called Time After Time with a very eclectic vibe .Kurland’s books range from medieval to mid century to future.

4) This week's song is her first and biggest hit. "Stay" was on the soundtrack of Reality Bites, a movie starring her friend and one-time neighbor Ethan Hawke. Ethan gave this song to the film's director, Ben Stiller, who agreed it was perfect for the film's closing credits. When you watch a movie, do you stick around for the closing credits?  Not really! 

5) In the 1990s, Lisa was popular for her style and appeared on many magazine covers, causing Peoplemagazine to comment, "Though she rose to fame as a singer, she's probably just as well known for her glasses." Do you wear glasses? If yes, do you consider your eyewear purely functional, there to improve your sight, or are your glasses an extension of your personal style?I do wear glasses and they do make a bit of a statement. I would stay they sort of give me a persona of being much more out going than I ever felt before.

6) Today Lisa does a show on Sirius Radio, and she enjoys broadcasting while her favorite collaborator, her cat, sits on her shoulder. Is there a pet in the room with you as you answer these questions?  No.

7) Lisa raises funds for SCOPE, a charity that helps children from low-income families attend summer camp. When you were a kid, did you go to camp?  I went to church camp, but my parents were leaders so I wasn’t there in my own. 

8) In 1994, when this song was popular, the nation's attention was riveted to a white Bronco driven by a man named Al Cowlings. Without looking it up, can you recall why this was newsworthy?  No.

9) Random question: Can you do a cartwheel? And not at all.  But my granddaughter does a mean one! 
 

Friday's Fave Five

Hosted by Suzanne

Fridays are designated as  the day to look back   and share the many  blessings we have   enjoyed throughout the week. It always makes me feel  so much  brighter    as I remember  what  all the Lord has  provided  and allowed me to  enjoy  each day!

Monday  we started a new week   feeling a bit blue  because  last week was behind us.  That was a week we had looked forward to for  so long as we  enjoyed  being at Cherry Grove Beach in SC with our daughter and granddaughters  who had spring break last week! As always our time together sped by, and  by  this last Monday  I was feeling a bit blue..  but  so  so pleased to have such wonderful memories!!  It took me a couple of days to get  all  the  bags unpacked   and put away...  and that  was a great blessing to finally get the house back into order following our  wonderful week!

Tuesday I really did not do much except    sort through  things  in the bedrooms upstairs actually still  putting things  aright and  getting a huge   pile of laundry ready    for Hubs to   take down and get started.  Now that is  a  huge blessing that he is so amenable to doing the laundry each week.    I  am completely unable to carry things up and down the stairs and so  he has taken on the laundry   task for our family   and   I couldn't be more blessed!!! 

Wednesday was a quiet day around here..by this time all of my luggage had been unpacked,  sorted, laundered and  ready to put the  suitcases in storage. Thankfully we have a closet that opens up into the eave of our attic and we can store all our  luggage in there!   That certainly  is a blessing, too.  Meanwhile, I got the spring storage   boxes out  from the basement and get all the Easter items  together and packed them away and redid a few areas  in  the  main level  to add a bit of  pre-summer  decor.  It always makes me feel better and stay on top of the seasonal decorating! I had purchased a few items  from Hobby Lobby..  a favorite  place to shop at the beach..  and  it was fun to put them out  to  get into a summery vibe! 

Thursday  I met with my Prayer Sistas  at Dottie's lovely home. We pray together every second and fourth Thursday  for our families, community, the nation, and world.There are  6 of us  from various churches around the city.   It truly is a wonderful blessing to get together  each month!!.  I highly recommend  this   for  us all.  Prayer is so much needed  ...  as well as, a topic we are praying about  these days in particular....  the church to   be  courageous enough too start sharing the gospel more in our  communities and    just  everywhere we go.  Our culture  needs it desperately and it  is up to us  church people to  get the job done!  

After  our prayer time Hubs took us to Chic Fila  for lunch and being on  WW, I   knew I needed to get back on my diet  big time so I ordered the Market salad.  Oh my,  delish!  Now that was a blessing and a half!!!

Friday, today,  we had a community wide prayer meeting  and have been attending every last Friday started  by a national group called America Pray Now.  This is an amazing  time of intercession  at lunch time. We meet at a nice restaurant in the city   and leave a donation for our lunch  and  then pray  for about 45 minutes following  the lunch!  We make new friends and    really spend time  in  great intercession over the church, community and nation! I highly recommend you look into this  ..  these  groups are spreading all over the country.  We have 17 cities in Virginia doing this   and a new one is starting up in Delaware.  The intent is to  get these started all over the  country!  We need God  back into our nation!!! 

   We stopped at a plant center today and purchased  some herbs  and a large planter  for me to plant the herb garden in the planter and  keep it on the front porch ..  therefore,  it is always accessible and easy to care for! I  am  really excited by it!!   We, also, purchased a couple of knock out roses to  replace two that  were  not doing well at all. and put up  a   mesh fence around it to keep  the deer out!!! Hope it works well!!!  Well, that is it for me this week!  Hope you have  had a great week  and  give the Lord the glory!!!

Skywatch. Friday

Skywatch Friday

There is no more dynamic sunset than a coastal one! This beauty was taken off the back balcony over the canal in Cherry Grove Beach. SC. 

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce !

1.   When did you last have cancelled plans? Were you happy about that or disappointed? Of all the times I must share when I was 17. It was to be a trip to celebrate my graduation. Our dream trip originated with my dear mother.  Her dream was to see Niagara Falls then to go on north to Prince Edward Island. I was so ecstatic… new wardrobes were purchased and and all plans laid. Then mom came down with her back. I do not remember an accident or anything, her back just went out that summer and she was bedfast. We were all devastated! 

The only thing that would have surpassed that was this spring. Actually last week. Lynn and I  planned to vacation only if our daughter and grands could fly down from New England  to  meet us in a fabulous condo we had already rented complete with three bedrooms and plans all made, but we actually had no idea if they could meet us there until 2 days before we were set to drive on down having already paid for the lodging. Praise the Lord we were not disappointment but truly if they couldn’t have come I would have been just as disappointed as my graduation fiasco

2. On a scale of 1-10 how much of a planner are you? I am a huge planner. For me planning is half the fun.  I have notebooks fun of plans for the various trips we have taken over our 52 years of marriage!

3. Do you have a menu plan for the week? If so tell us one or two things that are on it. If not, what's your plan for not having a plan lol? I used to plan grand meals,  but all it did was put much weight on me.  So being on WW now, I plan what I can eat and spend little time of extras for dear hubby.  He is happy enough to see me lose weight and so make up the difference if what I ve planned  doesn’t suit him.  

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Bucket List Day. Do you have a bucket list? Is it written down or just in your head? What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don't have a list, what is one thing you'd add to a list if you did? Yes I'm going to make you think about it. After I retired 22 years ago, I retired at age 53 from teaching, I developed a bucket list in my head…partly places to go and partly things to accomplish around the house.  My bucket list was mainly to tour Ireland and Scotland and we finally finished that part by touring Scotland in 2022. Now in my heart of hearts  I think about those parts of England that keep drawing me .. I would love to tour the Yorkshire Dales and the Cotswold region.  No desire whatever to see London or any other city.  Just the glorious countryside of England. Btw, we finally did get the parts needed done about our home.  I am very content with it now.  And actually with all things considered .  I am a very fortunate person truth be told

5. Rain buckets, a drop in the bucket, couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, sweat buckets, cry buckets...which 'bucket' idiom applies to your life in some way currently? I would say rain buckets.. not particularly at this moment, but very definitely in the forecast. Hubby has been a busy bee working on the lawn and gardens before the deluge hits.  

6. Insert your own random thought .  I worked about the house today putting Easter away and sprucing up for a  spring to early summer look. This took my mind to the front porch and after watching a couple of spring time sprucing of the porch  videos, I am antsy to get started on a porch project. I saw some new porch decor items on a spring Walmart video so hope to stop in there this week!

Our Marvelous Week with our Girls!!!!

 Dining out on the canal  was  a highlight  even though the live music  about over took   our  conversation!    But  we enjoyed  other  family  endeavors  both inside,

and out!

All too soon  we were back to the airport  and sending them back home.    That was a terribly sad sight to behold!!

But we wouldn't    have missed  last week for the world!!!

Sunday Stealing

Hosted by Bev!

 

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT:

 The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the 

blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most 

interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves.

Stolen from "How Far Will You Go?"

1.    What have you been the most ignorant about in your life?  At my

 age it is difficult to think back so far...  I was  rather    raised up to be quite savvy

  about many things..  I asked my husband and he said  anything related to taxes!

2.    What in the world would you most like to see protected? Our children

..  They seem to be very low on the totem poles  these days!

3.    How do you waste  the biggest chunk of time each day or week?Doing

 what I enjoy.  I get  what I need to get down  done  then  watch  some tv, 

   do some art,  read ,  and especially  spend time with the Lord!!!

4.    Who is the scariest person you've ever known? Lately, it would 

have to be   the  democrats   in our government.

5.    What was  the job you enjoyed the least?Probably  babysitting the 

 spoiled three year old  lad next door.  I kept him after school until his 

mommy  got home!  I was  barely paid a thing   for  quite a headache 

every day!

6.    What thing about your family are you the most proud of?We raised

  a wonderfully brilliant adopted daughter   to do well, and place her love

 for  the Lord  in first place..  and she is doing the same  with her  girls!

7.    What kind of power do you want most?I suppose it would be the

power to  affect positive change through prayer!

8.    What's the best piece of advice you ever received?  Chew twice as 

long on half as much,  from  my dear  grand pa!

9.    What's the  thing you  know the most about?   I would say   probably 

  the various ways I have served in the church.   Not by my own knowledge

 and expertise,  but by the power of the power within me. This would included

 many various  types of service. 

10.    When were you most moved by a ceremony?I would have to say

  the ceremony  of  my own wedding to Lynn.   I suppose due to the fact that

  my life was changing in such a huge manner.. not only    in living with him.

  but  moving to a foreign country to live with him and  what a major shift in 

my life  I was undertaking..  

11.    What is the best gift you ever gave to someone?I would have to say

 the various opportunities we  provided our daughter in her  time with us.. 

 we concentrated on music..  she was  involvedin a competitive   choral

group  starting at age 7,  piano lessons at age 6,   and violin lessons at 

age 4.  All of these brought her  great  value and one brought her, her 

 future husband!

12.    What is the cruelest thing you've ever suffered?When I returned 

home from teaching at age 23 to find the door of our apartment ajar, 

 ransacked,   and  our most valuable possessions  stolen!

13.    What's the single nastiest thing you've ever done to someone?

That just isn't me!

14.    What problem do you think is most common among friends your age?

  Achy  joints and painful back!

15.    What is the strongest craving you get?  to  eat a salty snack.  

  These days it is Skinny pop...  3 points on the ww scale... for a small bowl!

Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday

This was an historic week with the 2024  Solar Eclipse.  We live in the mid Atlantic area of the country and experience an 85 % totality. Just like 7 years ago, hubs and I enjoyed sitting out on our porch to evaluate how much darker the area became. The problem with this year is that it was mostly cloudy in our area. 

  The first photo below was taken at the moment the moon began its trek across the sun.

The bottom photo was taken at 85% totality.  You can see how the clouds did affect things, 

But that gloomy, eerie affect is defintely seen! 

Tuesday 4

Animal Friends

Hosted by Annie ! 

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

Let's talk about animals today!

1. What pets do you have or have you had? Do you have any now or if not, why not?

  I was always a kitty cat girl!  I had a beautiful white kitten as a young  girl,  but  our neighbor boys  killed her!  They were older and, of course, not very nice!!!  

My first boyfriend, Barry, gave me a white kitten that we together named  James Bond  because he took me to 3 Bond movies! We loved 007!

When we adopted our daughter I wanted her to enjoy having a cat so we bought her a  cute  yellow stripe  kitten.  She named  him Cougar.. We called him Coogie!   We had him for  quite some time.. he  got so  he was a nuisance in the house and as an outside cat he  was trouble.  Even though he was neutered   he  just  was never  a compliant  cat.  He was  very territorial  and  one day he disappeared  and we were glad we didn't even know what happened to him.  Sounds grizzly,  but our daughter was  about to go to college; we  just praised God  we had had him, at all. 

2. How did you find names for your animal friends? What are their names?Well,   the  first little  kitten I had was named Snowball.  I  have responded about the others.

3. Any special or funny story concerning pets you would like to share?  It could be someone else's as well as your own. Well,  I loved  Seany  whom I affectionally called  James Bond.  But one day  when I was home of college break  he disappeared. He was gone for  over a month. One day dad called my mom at work   and I was working at the  store. too, Mom came over to my  department and said   you need to go home.!  I  asked why and she just said.“  go home now! “ So I  walked the 3 blocks home wondering what in the world.... what I got home dad was on the porch and   he motioned for me to quickly   come up there with him.  He pointed down under our car.  and there was  Seany.  Timidly,  when I called him  he  stepped out from under the car and   started up the walk to me.  I  walked ever closer to him  gently calling his name  and   then he ran up into my arms.  Dad said he had been working  in the flower bed  pulling some weeds and had seem  the cat  standing in the road looking up at our house.  He called his name and he  ran under dad's car, and wouldn't come out. so he called for me to come home. By all accounting he  must have been stolen and left off  somewhere.  who knows where. ...   and  had  found his way back home.  His paws evidenced that he had walked a long way and he was much thinner.  We  gently cared for him ....tenderly  for the next couple of weeks and  got him back into a good state. and  he  was fine  until  my parents  sold out home and moved up to  my grandmother's home to live while their new home was being built next door.  Seany was kept in the  basement all the time until that one day he ran outside and never came back.  I  had gotten married and was living in Germany. When I returned from Germany a year later I was  upset that  he was  gone.  but I did see him run across the hills there in the countryside...  he had become feral and  was happy as a lark.  We often saw  younger white cats  dot across the hills.  You see, my dad  refused to spend money on  neutering him .. That just wasn't done in his day and being a country boy himself.. it was a moot point! I  just know  though that  in the country, Seany was one happy  fella! I mean he was  named after James Bond after all!

4.   What benefit  do you find having animals in your family? What are the cons of having them?For us  I    loved  having  pets..  as long as I was there to care for them..  but both my parents  were  originally farm folks and  animals were meant to help on the farm  and once they were  no use to the farm    they were  killed.  I mean my grandma would put a sack of kittens in a sack and throw them in the pond..  or  grandpa  shot dogs that sucked eggs.  Ok  that was the fa rm culture of the first half of the 19th century!.  MY parents were more lenient   because we lived in the city,  but  they refused to neuter  our cat and  were just  took on  any new litters that showed up around the house!. It was my generation who   took our cat to  regular vet visits and   took them   places  for safe harbor while we were on vacation!. It  was expensive and   my husband thought it  quite a nuisance at times. so   all I can say is  times are so different now. MY friends with dogs   take their pets to  the Virginia Tech Vet school for  eye exams, or  dental  work,  I mean they spend thousands on their  pets health issues. It seems a bit  odd to me, which make me feel I must really be a bum  about pets.. But  for these reasons  we  just don't want the  problems or expense  of having a pet!

 

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hosted by Sandra

♥♥ weather ♥ 

 Monday - rain, 72/46

Tuesday, rain62/55

   Wednesday.stormy, 70/61

Thursday -rain, 69/41

Friday -rain, 62/49

Saturday- windy 68/53

Sunday, sun, 80/60

        ♥♥ As I look outside my window ♥♥  

Even though they are a bit late, the azalea colors are peeking through!  As I took these photos I see most vegetation is a bit behind!

  ♥♥ Right now I am ♥♥

As I work on the blog I am watching a couple of vlogs on tv. 

♥♥ Thinking and pondering ♥♥

My thoughts lately have been for my precious unsaved family members. I have two cousins in particular in whom my heart agonizes for, in these times! We do not know the day or time when there will be no more time to reach them for the Lord. I have spoken  to them both and they rejected the whole idea, several times. I will be with one of them for dinner next week!  Pray with me that this time she will listen and give heed to my loving concerns!

♥♥How am I feeling ♥♥

This is definitely allergy season for me!  Last night I had a slight case of vertigo!  Yikes!  Hopefully, my medicine will really kick in soon!

  

 ♥♥ What am I Wearing♥♥

It is cool here today, so I am wearing thick,  velvety slacks and a warm, soft. Peasant top!

♥♥ On the breakfast plate ♥♥

Lynn brought me my coffee and fruited yogurt.  But I’m still hungry, somI am going to make a bit of oatmeal after I finish this post!

  

♥♥ On the dinner plate ♥♥

My left over lunch from yesterday.   So delicious.  I ordered  herb crusted grilled chicken and they give you two pieces of breast meat.  So juicy and delish.  So I will  have that piece, and half of my sides are left over!  Yummy dinner!

  ♥♥ On my reading pile ♥♥

Luke

A couple of new magazines

♥♥On my TV this week ♥♥ 

As always The Kitchen, and home shows , like Hometown. I loved watching When Calls the  Heart.  I enjoy watch reruns on Hallmark depending on the actors.  

♥♥ From the camera ♥

Ok, my printing there is horrid!

We are going on a short trip  soon, and it is a perfect place for me to work in my nature journal! I can hardly wait!

♥♥ To Do List ♥♥

Sort through my items to take

Do my Bible reading

Work on my journal

 Correspondence 

  ♥♥ Favorite Vlog ♥♥

 

If you would like to relax to beautiful music.   Enjoy this mix from Hauser.

♥♥ A Good Word. ♥♥

Friday Fave Five

Hosted by Suzanne.

This has been somewhat a quiet and relaxing week.  On Sunday, we got the wonderful news that our daughter and grands will be flying down to  join  the week we go to the coast. That will make for such a fun vacation.Than you Lord for working that out for our family!   

For this week, we only had one appointment written on the weekly calendar. I was due to get my blood work done . When I was done last time, I had recently had shots in my hips because of bursitis,  well that shots threw my blood work into a whirlwind. After losing 50 pounds I wasn’t happy with the crazy numbers. So this time my blood sugar is 5.6 and my cholesterol is way down, too. I am smiling big time now with the true values! Thank you, Lord! 

Tuesday-Thursday has been pretty much the same.   Just planning Weight  Watcher meals that will be nourishing for us both, but also aid me in losing sone weight, as well!  I made a large batch of roasted root vegetables.,   Including potatoes, beets, carrots, as well as, asparagus , onion, and a mass of fresh spices.  It was enough for three days, and was so tasty!  I could eat that every day of the week!  Lord, thank you for the diversity in flavors, texture, colors.  That was such a great meal! 

Today, Friday, I will go to my Weight Watchers Meeting!  I hope to have lost a pound or two!I need to not forget this weekend to create some birthday cards using the Jacqui Lawson Cards  which I use to send cards to you our friends at church. I really enjoy sending these e- cards because they bring a lot of joy to my friends.  They are very well worth the small price we spend each year to bring a touch of joy to others. I figure the postage and cards would cost more than the membership where I can send many many cards to more people. I send one to each member of our large Sunday school class plus many other folks in our church. It is a lovely way to show you care and make new friends along the way!

Well, it was a joyful, if a relatively quiet week!  I am blessed in so many ways!  Thank you, Lord, for my dear husband and partner as we negotiate each day with you blessing!  

Tuesday 4

 Welcome to the first of Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 of April 2024. Hosted by Annie!

 1. What spring flowers/trees are your favorites? I love the daffodils whose beautiful yellow graces our yard as the very first sign of spring.  But I truly love all flowers.  My momma loved flowers and she had gardens all around the yard. I doubt she missed a single type that blooms in our area!  She loved to  create rock  gardens all over our yard!  Dad collected the rocks each time we drove up into the country to see grandma, and she decorated them!

Sample photos! 

2. Do you ever bring home bouquets for your home? I would love to bring home flowers every week from the grocer. But I unfortunately, the price fluctuates too much.  I will bring home roses  and carnations, usually, when the price is right because they last a longer time. Lynn brought home red tulips last week, but they barely lasted a week! 

3. If you are married, what flowers were in your bouquet?  I had yellow and white flowers asvInmarriedvin late March. We knew there would be abundant daffodils for several arrangements. So my flowers were yellow roses and Stephanotis.

4.Do you check the weather forecast for an upcoming month?  It is said that April showers bring May flowers. Will your April be rainy this year? It certainly is starting out quite stormy!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Hosted by Sandra

♥♥ weather ♥ 

 Monday - cloudy, 81/61

Tuesday -rain, 78/65

Wednesday -stormy, 64/42

Thursday -cloudy, 52/41

Friday -cloudy, 51/38

Saturday- partly cloudy 52/39

Sunday, partly cloudy 64/39

   ♥♥ As I look outside my window ♥♥  

it has been a bright and sun day!  Hubs got the lawn mowed and I’ve been  some travel gear together!😃

  ♥♥ Right now I am ♥♥

As I work on the blog I am also very happy that we have left over Chinese from yesterday for supper tonight. 

♥♥ Thinking and pondering ♥♥

I have made a conspicuous decision to try not to think about and especially worry about the times. i am a child of God and He is my rod and shield, after all! 

♥♥How am I feeling ♥♥

I am feeling perkier and a bit stronger .  I pray  this continues! I enjoy doing things I hadn’t for some time!

   ♥♥ What am I Wearing♥♥

.I wore my new very cute polo shirt I  ordered from Land’s End and a pair of Olive  dungarees.  But now I am back into on old long shirt .   comfy all the way!

♥♥ On the breakfast plate ♥♥

I had an appointment to get some lab work done this morning so we stopped afterward for breakfast out.  It is a rather fancy breakfast shop and one of the least expensive items is a full blown breakfast sandwich.  Well, my egg choice is over medium, but you can’t eat a sandwich with a runny egg, so I have,also, crisp bacon, and a slice of Swiss all on an English muffin. So

I deconstructed my sandwich and enjoyed all my favorite breakfast foods! If I ordered the items not on a sandwich it would cost 3 dollars more! 

  

♥♥ On the dinner plate ♥♥

My left over Chinese is half of my spicy beef and vegetable dish with steamed rice.

  ♥♥ On my reading pile ♥♥

Luke

Valley of Vision

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

♥♥On my TV this week ♥♥ 

The Kitchen, and home shows , like Hometown. I look forward to seeing When Calls the  Heart.  I can watch reruns on Hallmark depending on the actors.  

♥♥ From the camera ♥♥

I love anniversaries!

My sweetheart is the BEST,

♥♥ To Do List ♥♥

Stay on top of the housework 

Do my Bible reading

Work on my journal

 Correspondence  I try to write 2 handwritten letters a week. To tell the truth I have gotten behind on this list, but  I am determined to get back on track!

  ♥♥ Favorite Vlog ♥♥

I love this very quaint  slow living vlog!

♥♥  A Good Word ♥♥