Stop! In the Name of Love Saturday:9

 This meme is from Sam Winters.  Join the fun HERE.

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 memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Stop! In the Name of Love (1965)

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

1) When this song was popular, the Supremes were known for their long gloves and full-length gowns. When was the last time you got dressed up?

We will be dressed in our finery tonight, for The Gala, at Polk Museum of Art.  Pictures to follow!

2) With a record 12 #1 hits, the Supremes remain America's best-selling vocal group. This must have been hard for Betty McGlown, the fourth Supreme, who left the group before they recorded their first song. Can you think of an opportunity you missed?

I'm sure there have been many missed opportunities, but I am not unhappy with the choices I have made in life, and don't dwell on what might have been (because it doesn't matter anymore!).

3) When "the girls" (Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Flo Ballard) first started hanging around Motown, founder Berry Gordy was reluctant to let them record. After all, they were still in high school. They refused to give up and eventually convinced him to let them add hand claps and finally back up vocals to recordings by other Motown artists. Tell us about a time when your persistence paid off.

I've been married to him for almost 30 years!  :)

4) 50 years after its release, "Stop! In the Name of Love" is one of the most popular karaoke songs. Do you know the lyrics?

Not all of them, but enough to sing along when it is playing on my oldies station (alone in the car!).

5) There's a children's playground named in Diana Ross' honor within New York's Central Park. It includes swings, slides, rope bridges and a fountain. When you played in the park, what did you run to first?

Well, that was a long, long, long time ago, but our playground at school had something called Giants on it, and it's where all the girls went, as soon as the recess bell rang.  You would never find them on today's much safer playgrounds, but we loved it!  I actually found it on YouTube!!  Ours, at school, had six or eight chains (bigger than this one).  Yes, we sometimes went flying off and there were skinned knees and elbows and even a few broken bones, but the thrill was to get everyone flying off the ground at the same time - it went fast!  We girls who did this all wore shorts under our skirts/dresses, by the way. We were prepared!  No shorts or slacks for girls back in those days.  I also had callouses on my hands from hanging onto the bars.  Unlike these kids, one hand up and one had down was the best way to go higher and hold on.

 

6) Diana stumbled in her high heels and broke her ankle as she left the stage after a November 2012 concert. What do you have on your feet right now?

Flats.  No heels for me anymore, even when I dress up.

7) Ever the trooper, she honored her commitment to perform at a White House-sponsored Christmas concert just weeks later, even though her leg was still in a cast. Tell us about a time when you "played hurt."

I made Thanksgiving dinner for 12 with a cast on my left arm, back in the mid-80s.  More recently, I play hurt everyday with these stupid knees.

8) Young Diana Ross was a good student and a tough competitor who made her school's swim team. Are you a good swimmer?

Not as good as I was, but I took all the swimming lessons needed to become a Lifeguard.  My mom was terrified of the water and made sure we all learned to swim.

9) Diana's older sister, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, was the first African American woman to be appointed dean of an American medical school. Decades ago, Barbara juggled post-graduate studies and raising small children. Are you good at multi-tasking?

 I think I am good at multi-tasking, yes.  I do it all the time, actually.

So there, you have my Saturday:9.  Thanks for your time and comments!  Wishing you a good weekend!!  Peace & blessings!

Friday Five....

Yippee!!  It's finally Friday!

• This is a photo I received yesterday, from my BFF, Elaine.  This is what they found when they got home, to Illinois!  Yikes!!

• My boss and I had lunch with two of the Museum's investment managers yesterday.  It was a business lunch, but was entirely enjoyable.  We laughed and talked about food (especially food in New Orleans) for over an hour, as we enjoyed our delicious meals at a little Turkish restaurant.  I had beef brisket that was amazing, along with a bean salad, carrot salad, rice and roasted Brussels sprouts. Very nice. My first time there. Yum.

• Today I am meeting good friends, Cindee and Shirley, for lunch at the Village Inn.  Cindee's birthday was this week, and we always try to get together to celebrate birthdays.  No gifts, but one of us (or both) usually picks up the birthday girl's meal cost. Good friends.

• Tomorrow night is the Museum's Gala event.  Joe picked up his tuxedo yesterday, and I tried on my outfit last night, as a last check to make sure my "old" skirt fits and looks okay with my new top.  I think we are ready!!  Pictures will follow, but this is what I'm putting together...

New top........with this "old" skirt.

• I'm missing my church women's group garage sale tomorrow.  My knees hurt too much and I can't do that and Gala, too.  I feel bad to not be helping, but it is what it is.  I get my cortisone shots on Monday, and am looking forward to those needles!

Looking forward to the weekend, and to sleeping in on Sunday!!  Happy Friday! Thanks for stopping by.  Peace & blessings!!

Non-Throwback Thursday....

This will be a quick "catch-up" post, instead of a throwback.

Our friends made it home safely, and collected their puppy from the kennel.  She was thrilled to be home, and they were happy to sleep in their own bed again.  We had such a good visit last week. The years fall away when we get together, and it's (almost) like we are 16 again! Ha!  (Hi Elaine!)

The stroke recovery continues for my brother-in-law, Bruce.  He is now back in Georgia, which is good for my sister and the family, since he is only 20 minutes from home, now.  The second facility he was sent to, in Tallahassee, was not working out.  Seems it is good for broken hips and knee replacement therapies, but not necessarily for stroke recovery.  His regular doctor, in Georgia, has had to pull several patients out of there (he told them).  My sister was lied to, by the night shift doctor, and was encouraged to sign papers that would have had Bruce treated with drugs that would not have been good for him.  He was given a drug, just a week ago, that caused him to 'sleep' for 109 hours.  My sister was furious, and was the wrong person to cross (thank goodness, for Bruce). She said the daytime staff and the PT techs were great, but the night shift doctor (especially) was horrid.  Seems his only concern was to make sure Bruce was knocked out and not a 'problem' during the night.  She did file a complaint with the proper state authority.

He is back at South Georgia Medical Center.  Not thrilled about it, but we need to go with it for now.  They are doing the swallow test for him (finally!) so he can start eating soft foods, and his 'regular' doctor (has been his doctor for years) is thrilled with his progress.  Not sure how long he will be able to stay there, because of insurance issues, but we are hopeful progress will continue until the next phase of his recovery.  Bruce is helping himself get out of bed and into a chair, now.  He is talking more, though still sometimes has trouble with the 'right' words for things.  There are also certain things he needs to be able to do, in order to keep moving toward getting home.  It has been a hard journey for him and for my sister and the rest of his family, but they are stronger for it, I think.  Prayers for all are still appreciated!  Thank you!

Thanks for checking in!! Happy Thursday!!  Peace, love & hugs!

Wednesday's Fairy Tale Hodgepodge....

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 210

Here are this week's questions, from our meme hostess Joyce, for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back over to From This Side of the Pond tomorrow to share answers. See you there!

1. Did you watch The Oscars? How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash)

We saw The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Imitation Game.  Loved them both.  We don't watch the Oscars anymore. Don't even turn it on to check in.

Do you think actors should use their acceptance speeches as an opportunity to promote their political and/or social agenda? Does that sort of speech make you more or less inclined to change the channel?

This is exactly why we don't watch anymore, and haven't for quite a few years. For the most part, the "movie stars" are ignorant followers who have no common sense at all.  There are exceptions and I recognize them.  Some really do good, and some use their fame and money for good.  BUT, the Oscars is not a venue for the political crap that flows from their mouths.  I pretty much lump all actors/tresses into a category of ignorant idiots.  Some have made me so angry that I refuse to see any movie or TV show they are in.  Jane Fonda leads that group.....

2. Speaking of the movies... are you comfortable going to a movie alone? How about dinner in a restaurant (not fast food, but an actual restaurant)? The second half of this question was posed by Carrie who blogs over at It's Not Easy Being Queen. Thanks Carrie!

I am comfortable being alone, but must say I would rather dial up a movie (alone OR with Joe) on Netflix and enjoy it in my PJs, with my own popcorn.  As for dining in a "real" restaurant alone, I have done it and would do it again, but I don't enjoy it.  If I am traveling alone, room service works better for me. Why bother with appearances when you can relax in your room with the TV or a book?

3. What's the last home repair or home improvement project you had to pay someone to complete? In hindsight was this a project you could have done yourself?

We had quite a few things done a few months ago, but the last one was to have the outside of the house painted.  We did pay to have it done.  We have done it ourselves, but are too old to ever tackle it again.  Happy to pay to have it done.  Blessed that we could pay to have it done.

4. Have you ever had Indian food? Like it or no? If you're a fan, what's your favorite dish? Have you ever prepared this yourself at home? Is there an Indian restaurant in your current hometown?

I have had it a few times, but am not a fan.  I don't have a favorite dish and can't even tell you the names of what I have had.  I think the 'bread' is called nan.  That's the best I can do.  There is an Indian restaurant (or two) in Lakeland, but we don't go to them. I do like curry and spicy food, though.  Just haven't had anything that makes me want to have it again.

5. A song that reminds you of your parents?

Interesting question and one I have never pondered before.  Hmmmmm.  I remember my mom singing along with the radio, when I was little, to Blueberry Hill.  I remember my dad singing silly songs with us in the car.  There are hymns that remind me of my mom, since she was in the choir at church.  I don't know that I ever knew if they had "our song" and that kind of makes me sad right now.

 

6. The 26th of February is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day. What's your favorite, or one of your favorite, fairy tales? Do you have any childhood memories associated with a particular fairy tale?

I'm sure that I was read all the 'usual' fairy tales when I was little (Grimms' Fairy Tales), but the two stories that have always stayed with me are Darby O'Gill and the Little People, and Mary Poppins.  They aren't really known as 'fairy tales' but they are certainly of that genre, I think.

7. What's a problem you solved yesterday?

 I cleaned out the refrigerator of old left-overs, and went to Publix to restock.  That solved an immediate problem of what to bring to work for my lunches this week.  Probably not what was intended by this question, but it's the first thing I thought of.  :)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Our temperatures are back up in the high 70s, after two weeks of "winter" temperatures, here in central Florida.  This is causing dense fog in the mornings, though.  There are fog advisories and have been a few fatal accidents, unfortunately, because people just are not paying attention.  Always so sad when young people lose their lives in auto accidents, and one that happened this week left a toddler behind, now motherless.  So sad.  Be careful out there, and pay attention, whether it's fog, snow, ice or just rain!

Thanks for stopping by my Hodgepodge today!!  Your comments are appreciated!  Peace, love & hugs.

 

A Tuesday Tip.....

After yesterdays much too long post, I found this on Facebook yesterday (posted by Elaine's (my BFF) sister, Peggy.  Thought it was cute and wanted to share.  I'm adopting the attitude!!  LOL

That's all I have for you!  Thanks for peeking in today!  Peace, love & attitude!

Memory Monday....

Last week we wrote about our first job(s).  Today, we are supposed to write about 'other jobs I've had'.  This meme is hosted by Retired Not Tired and it has been lots of fun participating!  Visit her HERE and join in the fun!!

I wrote about my jobs while I was in school, and then my first "real" job at Nationwide Insurance.  I could just post my resume.....but I'll tell the story....

We (my first husband and I) moved from our hometown, and my job in Columbus, to Sandusky, Ohio in 1973. He took a job, after he graduated from college (after his years in the Marine Corp) with the IRS.  Yes, he was (probably retired) an IRS agent.  I went to work for a plumbing and electrical wholesale company, doing accounts payable.   We were there almost four years, but he was transferred to Washington DC in 1977.  I got a job with the Justice Department, also in DC, and worked there for four years.  During that time, I got divorced from husband #1, and then went to work for the American Red Cross.  I was there for six years, and worked there when I met Joe.  We got married, and I got tired of driving into the city every day, so started looking for a job on the Virginia side of the river.  Traffic in DC is horrific.

I went to work for Midwest Research Institute (MRI).  Their headquarters were (are?) in Kansas City, MO.  Their office in Virginia did contract work for EPA.  I was only there for about a year, before Joe and I up and did something some people would say is crazy....we bought a house in Lakeland, while on vacation, then went home and sold our house in Virginia, and moved to Florida.  Neither of us had a job, but we sold our house for a nice sum and sold his accounting practice, too.  We were tired of the traffic and the winter weather.  My folks and grandparents were snowbirds, so we thought we would be closer to them when they were down in the winters.  Joe set up his office in Lakeland, and I helped him get established here.  For awhile, I did transcription work for a private investigator (Justice Department contacts).  That was really fun!!  Then I started working part time for a woman who did wedding cakes.

I took a Wilton cake decorating class years before, and had done cakes for people at work and for friends.  You could work from your home, in Virginia, without getting a license.  Couldn't do that in Florida, so I looked for a job doing cakes and found it with Alicia, at The Wedding Cake.  Cake decorating is a creative outlet!

I learned my way around Lakeland quickly, delivering wedding cakes!  I was with Alicia for about six months when she asked me if I would buy the business from her.  She was tired of it, and knew I would keep it going, honor the cakes on the books, etc.  She let me keep the phone number and the name.  It was an easy transition, and I had a successful business without all the pain of starting up. I only had to finish paying a loan she had incurred. It was a very good deal.  She was a trauma/ER nurse in Tampa, and worked three 12 hour shifts there, and did cakes the other four days. No wonder she was tired of it!!

I did that for three + years and had gotten so busy that I either needed to quit, or find bigger space and hire help.  I averaged six wedding cakes a week, along with birthday cakes, shower cakes, groom's cakes, anniversary cakes.... I was busy and exhausted.  It was just me.  Joe could be found there some nights, washing dishes for me until the wee hours.  It was hard work.

Over the backyard fence one Sunday afternoon, our neighbor (Margaret) heard my story of woe.  She asked me what my experience before cakes was and I said office management and accounting.  She was the biology teacher at our local Catholic high school, and told me that their accountant had just quit.  She asked for my resume and said she would give it to the Principal.  Well, I went for an interview on that Monday (the next day) and started work on Wednesday.  I closed the cake business to any new business, and worked nights at what I had on the books until they were done.  It took two months. Fortunately, it was early Fall.  The summer wedding rush was over, the the holiday rush hadn't started yet. It worked out beautifully.

I loved working at Santa Fe Catholic High School.  The teachers were wonderful, and the Principal was fun to work with.  I had office helpers from the junior and senior classes, and maintain 'adult' friendships with a couple of them now.  I am also still friends with some of the faculty from there. After four years, we got a new Principal who was not fun to work with.  She came with baggage, and I feared for my integrity if I stayed. She was spending the student's club money on office furniture and told me to not attend the Finance Committee meetings anymore.  I immediately started looking for a new job, and found it at Polk Museum of Art!  I will have been at PMoA for 18 years, on March 17th.  That new Principal was fired a year later, by the way. They found her out.

I have always followed my "gut" and really give it to God.  We just need to listen.  I truly believe things happen the way they are supposed to happen, if we just 'listen'.  My career path has not been an ambitious one, but rather a comfortable one. Blessed.

So, here I am, looking forward to retirement.  Winning the lottery sure wouldn't hurt.  Thanks for checking in today!  Blessings!

Sunday, not stealing....

Our dear friends left this morning.  The house feels empty, as it always does when loved ones have been visiting and good times shared become memories.

I am so far behind on blogs, since our internet has been down for a few days, and we have been enjoying our company (anyway!).  There are over 50 of your blogs waiting to be visited.  Forgive me for missing the oldest ones.  I'll try to catch up on the most recent postings.

Our weather has gone from too cool to leave the doors and windows open, to glorious sunshine, and temperatures back up in the mid-70s.  I am happy to have the fresh air flowing through the house again, though I have been enjoying wearing long sleeves and a few of my sweaters over the past week or so.

I took Thursday and Friday off, from work, to have some play time with Jim and Elaine.  We went to Solomon's Castle on Thursday.  I posted about that "weird Florida" location awhile back.  They seemed to enjoy seeing the found-object folk art.  Friday, we went to Mazzaro's Italian Market, then on over to St. Pete Beach, so they could say they made it to the beach.  Of course, it was much too cold for swimming, but it was fun being there.  We had a lite lunch at Crabby Bill's seafood restaurant.  Soup and a couple of appetizers filled us up.  We intended to have fish at our church that night (fish fry on Fridays during Lent).  When we arrived, there was a very long line and what appeared to be at least a 45 minute wait.  We decided to go to Fish City Grill, instead, and we were seated right away and had a delicious shrimp dinner.  Saturday, we again went to the downtown Farmers' Market (see photos from last Saturday!).  After we shopped there, we went on a little tour of Lakeland,  Jim wanted to see the baseball stadium.  The Detroit Tigers have started their spring training, and the stadium was buzzing with snow-birds from Michigan.  Pitchers and catchers are here first, and they were drawing a crowd.  We didn't stop, but did tour around a bit.

It was a great time having our friends here.  They are like family, so it was very relaxed.  (They are also excellent guests, and even cooked dinner for us on Thursday night!)  The week went by much too fast.  Here are some photos from Thursday and Friday.

Jim and Elaine, outside Solomon's Castle

 Elaine and Jim, outside the replica of The Alamo, at Solomon's Castle

 Terri and Joe at "the Alamo"

 Elaine & Jim, being good sports at Mazzaro's photo spot...

 Jim and Elaine, St. Pete Beach.  The sand is like powdered sugar!

Terri and Elaine, at the beach.

Since it is Sunday, I am doing laundry! Ha!  I also vacuumed up some cat hair.  The house is presentable, if not spotless.  That's all I'm doing today.  Back to work tomorrow.

Thanks for your visit!!  Peace & hugs!

It's Always Something, Hodgepodge Wednesday!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 209

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back HERE tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there! 

1. When did you last have to interact, either by phone or in person, with someone in a government run agency? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the experience? (10 being fabulous and 1 being pass the Tylenol)

I don't really remember anything personally, but for work I have to do things with the City and County governments frequently.  I wouldn't give them a 10, but would have to rate them 7-8.  I've not really had a problem.
 

2. The current governor of Wisconsin is considering a run for President next time around. Walker attended Marquette University, but never graduated. In terms of any candidate running for the office of President (not asking here if you agree or disagree with Scott Walker's politics) would the lack of a college degree influence your vote or no? Would that be a factor in your support of any candidate running for public office, even a role less weighty than President?

Well, I declare my political views in my sidebar, so there is no mystery about me being a conservative.  I happen to like Scott Walker and what he has been able to accomplish in Wisconsin. I would vote for him.  Given his experience and track record, a college degree isn't all that important to me. I actually think a Walker/Carson ticket could be ideal!!  Going to college doesn't necessarily make you smarter.  I know several really ignorant people who have degrees.

3. When did you last visit a place or site named for George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, and what was that place or site?

I don't know that I have, for years and years.  I've been to both monuments, because I lived in the metro DC area for 12 years.  I can't even think of a place here in Lakeland that is named for Washington or Lincoln.... oops, we have an elementary school called Lincoln Academy, but I've never been there.

4. February 16th was President's Day in the US, but did you know it was also National Almond Day? I didn't think so : ) Do you like almonds? If so, what's a food/dish/recipe you enjoy that contains almonds?

 I did not know it was also National Almond Day.  I like almonds okay.  I prefer cashews and macadamia nuts, but really like chocolate covered almonds!!  :)

5.The television program Saturday Night Live celebrated it's 40th anniversary this past weekend. Were/are you a fan of the show? If so what has been your favorite (or one of your favorite) skits, sayings, or characters that came out of the program?

I LOVED SNL back in the days of John Belushi, Steve Martin, Gilda Radnor, Laraine Newman, Dan Akroid, Jane Curtin, Eddie Murphy, Garrett Morris, and Chevy Chase.  They were THE best!!  My favorite was always Gilda Radnor, and I especially loved her Roseanne Roseannadanna character.

6. Anything purple within ten feet of you? What is it?

My purple folk-art cat stand, made by art students years and years ago, which graces my office.

7. Back in December I asked you to submit a question for a future HP as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I grabbed this one from those entries, submitted by Zoanna who blogs over at Penchant for Pens. Thanks Zoanna!

She asks, "How often do you make your bed, and how do you like to make it-pull the covers all the way up over the pillows, tuck the covers in around the pillows, or place all the pillows on top of the covers?" 

Our bed is made every day.  It has a bedspread that gets pulled over the pillows and tucked in under the pillows.  We have decorative pillows that then go in the center, once the bed is made.  Joe makes the bed most days, because I am out of the house before he gets up.  On weekends, it just depends on who is the last one up.  It is done willingly by both of us, because we both believe the bed should be made in the morning.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's only random because I started thinking about Gilda Radnor.  She was an amazing lady, and her autobiography is the only autobiography/memoir I've ever read and really enjoyed.  I looked it up on Amazon and found that there is a new printing, to commemorate 20 years since her death from ovarian cancer.  The book is called "It's Always Something" which is a catch-phrase from her Roseanne Roseannadanna character.  She tells a great story of her journey. She left quite a legacy with Gilda's Club.  They are everywhere, and help cancer patients and their families cope.

Thanks for stopping by today!! I enjoy Hodgepodge Wednesdays!! Thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for always entertaining us with such great questions!  Peace & blessings!

It's Fat Tuesday!

Happy Fat Tuesday!  Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and our season of Lent begins.  Today is the last day to indulge (so the legend goes).

• Mardi Gras, literally "Fat Tuesday," has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the "last hurrah" before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. That's why the enormous party in New Orleans, for example, ends abruptly at midnight on Tuesday, with battalions of streetsweepers pushing the crowds out of the French Quarter towards home.
  
  
  What is less known about Mardi Gras is its relation to the Christmas season, through the ordinary-time interlude known in many Catholic cultures as Carnival. (Ordinary time, in the Christian calendar, refers to the normal "ordering" of time outside of the Advent/Christmas or Lent/Easter seasons.
  
  
  Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale, meaning "farewell to the flesh." Like many Catholic holidays and seasonal celebrations, it likely has its roots in pre-Christian traditions based on the seasons. Some believe the festival represented the few days added to the lunar calendar to make it coincide with the solar calendar; since these days were outside the calendar, rules and customs were not obeyed. Others see it as a late-winter celebration designed to welcome the coming spring. As early as the middle of the second century, the Romans observed a Fast of 40 Days, which was preceded by a brief season of feasting, costumes and merrymaking.
   --------------------------------------
  
  
  Our friends had to entertain themselves yesterday.  They visited some people they know who live in another town a little north and west of us.  It was a good visit, so they told us last night.  I had pork chops in the crockpot, so it was easy to do potatoes and a vegetable when I got home.  The Crockpot sure makes life easier!  I have spaghetti sauce in the crock for tonight!  I think they are going over to Orlando today, to explore a bit.
  
  
  I heard from my sister, briefly, last night.  She said Bruce has moved into a combative stage of his recovery, and it has her upset and concerned.  I guess the staff there told her it is something that happens, and he will get through it. He is such a gentle man, it is hard for me to picture him being combative. I hope he does move through it fast, for her sake as well as his.  Keep those prayers going, please!
  
  
  I'm a little later than usual getting this posted!  Thanks for peeking in, and happy Fat Tuesday to you!  Peace, love & hugs.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Memory Monday...and more!

Memory Monday's subject for today is to write about our first job.  Well, I had lots of part time jobs, before getting a full time job.  I'll just list my first jobs....not very interesting.

Age 13, I had an 8-5 baby-sitting job for two 11 year olds, during the summer.  They lived a block away from my house. It was more play than work, but I did have to make lunch for them(us) and also had to vacuum once a week.  I think I got 50¢ an hour!

Age 14, my mom paid me to baby sit my siblings, during the summer (she worked full time), do the cleaning and get dinner started. I got $4.00 a week.

Age 15 & 16, I worked part time, during the summers, at Weldon's Ice Cream Factory. I don't remember how much I got paid, but loved getting tips!

Age 17 & 18, I worked part time, during the summers, at Motel 76, cleaning rooms.  I don't remember how much I was paid there, either.

After high school, I went to Columbus Business University, and worked part time at Glick's Furniture Store, in Columbus, Ohio.  During that time, I also got married.  When I graduated from school, I got a full time job (my first full time job with benefits) at Nationwide Insurance, in Columbus, OH. I did accounts receivable work for the Fire & Casualty Department.

-----------------------------------------------

Now, on to our trip to Sarasota, yesterday, and the Ringling Museum.  It was a glorious day! The weather was perfect, and we all enjoyed the grounds, the John & Mabel Ringling Mansion, the Art Museum, the Circus Museum and the restaurant and gift shop!  It was nice that there are golf carts to shuttle people from one place to another. Saved my knees!!  You can click on the photos to enlarge them.

(It was really windy, and my curls just go crazy in the wind...bad hair place!)

I had fantastic news from my sister, Tammy!  Bruce pulled himself up on the parallel bars, and also took six steps on his own!!  This is real progress!  Please keep him on your prayer lists!

Back to work for me, today.  Bah humbug!!  Thanks for stopping by!  Peace & love.

Sunday in Sarasota....

We are having a great time with our friends!

We got up, had breakfast and took off for Lakeland's Saturday morning Farmers' Market.

From there, we went to the Vintage Warehouse, where we had fun shopping through lots of fun re-purposed and refurbished things.  Elaine found something to take home and we bought a few things too. So fun finding treasures....

We got home and had some lunch.  Jim and Elaine took off and went for a walk around one of our lakes.  They came home in time to go to Mass with us, and after Mass we walked over to the Mardi Gras Carnival, where we had our dinner.  We all got Italian sausage with peppers and onions, fries, a beverage and a bowl of strawberry shortcake. Yum!

It wasn't the most romantic Valentine's Day, but it sure was a fun one!

When we got home, we played a couple of games, then watched some TV.  Found out too late to really do anything special, that yesterday was also Jim's birthday!

Today we are off to Sarasota, to see the Ringling Museum and then visit St. Armand's Circle.

Thanks for stopping by!  I will catch up on your blogs soon!  Peace & blessings

A Valentine's Day Saturday:9...

All Dressed in Love

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 memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Thanks to Sam Winters for another great Saturday:9!!  Pop over and join in!  Click here.  No rules for this meme!




For Valentine's Day, we need a happy love song. Hear it here.

1) In this song, Jennifer sings, "I look good in love …" What about you? When you're happy, or sad, does it show? Or do you keep an even demeanor, no matter what? 

I wrote about this a few weeks ago, I think.  My face tells it all. I can't hide anything and that is why I've never learned to play poker.  

2) This song played over the closing credits of a hit movie, Sex and the City. When you go to the movies, do you visit the concession stand for popcorn, or a soft drink, or candy?

We rarely buy things at the concession stand.  It costs more to get popcorn and a drink than it does to get into the movie.  We splurge once in awhile, but not often.  I always carry a big purse, and have been known to have two bottles of water and a snack or two hidden away.... shhhhhhh!!

3) Think of the last movie you watched at home. Was it a DVD, DVR, streamed or cable presentation?

It was probably from Netflix.  We're so lazy, even with over 700 movies in our collection, it is easier to just use the remote and find something on Netflix rather than have to get up and put the DVD in the player. Isn't that sad?!!

4) Jennifer Hudson got good grades in high school and went away to Langston University in Oklahoma. But she was homesick for her family in Chicago and came home after just one semester. Have you ever been homesick?

You know, I really don't remember ever being homesick.  I miss seeing family, but I really don't think I've ever been homesick.  I never really thought about it before, actually. Hmmmm.

5) Jennifer received acclaim for her renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the 2008 Democratic Convention and Super Bowl XLIII. Do you agree with critics who say that our National Anthem is hard to sing?

I think the National Anthem is very difficult to sing, and that is why so many really mess it up by trying to change the tune.  Stick to the original arrangement and make sure you have the range to handle it.  I know I don't!  I CAN still play it on my trumpet, though.  We played it so many times when I was in band, in high school, that I don't think I'll ever forget how to play it.

6) Jennifer is a spokesperson for Weight Watchers and, with diet and exercise, went from a size 18 to a size 6. She says that while she's committed to healthy eating, she still enjoys ice cream occasionally. Do you prefer your ice cream in a cone or a cup?

I love having my ice cream in a cone. It is so much easier and there aren't dishes to do when the ice cream is gone.

7) Her fiance, Daniel Otunga, is a graduate of Harvard Law School. Harvard is the most famous of the eight "Ivy League" schools. Do you know the other seven?

Well, I got four, and Joe got six, when I asked him.  We both missed Dartmouth and Columbia, but got Penn, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, and Princeton.

8) With a Grammy and an Oscar, Jennifer Hudson is one of the most successful American Idol contestants. Can you name another singer who appeared on AI? 

We haven't watched it in years, but I remember the seeing Kelly Pickler and Katherine McPhee. 

9) Last year, Jennifer nearly bought a brand-new Ferrari because it was so great looking. At the last moment she backed out of the deal because she doesn't drive enough to warrant such an expensive car. What's the last impulse purchase you either made, or resisted?

Saturday 9: All Dressed in Love (2008)

I get lots of catalogs in the mail, and have a little system.  When I see something I really want, I fold down the corner of that page and go back to it a week or so later.  If I remember which item on the page I really wanted, I'll consider it.  I can't tell you how many times I look at the page and wonder what the heck I was thinking.....so I guess I usually resist.

I am writing this on Friday, before our company arrives, but you can count on us being out and about, having a good time Saturday morning.  I'm thinking about seeing if they want to go to our downtown farmers' market, first thing.  We will go to church and then have our dinner at our church's Mardi Gras carnival.  Sunday, I'm thinking we will go to Sarasota, to the Ringling Museum and then to St. Armand's for some food and shopping.  Unfortunately, Monday is not a holiday for me.  I am taking Thursday and Friday off, though.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I appreciate your time and your comments!  Have a great weekend!  Peace, love & hugs!