Sunday - Monday - Tuesday

I'll be back with an update on Wednesday.  Peace & hugs!!

A Scary Saturday 9.....

As we prepare to travel, I offer you today's Saturday 9 and thank our hostess, Crazy Sam, for this week's Q & A!!  Join in the fun and since there are 'no rules' you can link up or not!!

Tubular Bells

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: Tubular Bells (1973)

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

1) According to Reader's Digest, The Exorcist is the scariest movie of all time. Have you seen it, and if so, did it scare you?  I've seen it a couple of times and it still makes me gasp and get goosebumps in a few places.

2) The Exorcist has been made into a TV series on Fox, premiering last month. Have you become a fan of any of the season's new shows?  We are enjoying "Bull".  Didn't catch The Exorcist so may have to backtrack it.

3) "Tubular Bells" is a popular ringtone for both Android and iPhone. What's your ringtone?  I have the Godfather theme song for Joe and just an old fashioned phone ringing sound for any other calls.

4) As Halloween approaches, do you watch more scary shows and movies?  Not really.  The only time we do 'theme watching' is at Christmas time.

5) Do you have any recurring nightmares?  Nope, not that I remember.

6) Have you carved a jack o' lantern this year?  No. We don't decorate for Halloween and we don't hand out candy.

7) Do you like the taste of pumpkin seeds?  Not especially.

8) What will the trick or treaters who knock on your door get?  Not a thing.

9) A Halloween "let's pretend:" Back in the 1950s, a home in your neighborhood was the site of a gruesome murder/suicide. Relatives retained ownership of the house but declined to live there. During the ensuing decades, a legend grew: The tragic couple haunts the halls. Generations of schoolchildren insist they heard strange sounds and saw curtains often move mysteriously. Now the house is about to be demolished. A local charity is raising money by sponsoring a Halloween sleepover. Would you be willing to stay in this haunted house over night?  Sure.  It could be fun, especially if I had some of those detectors they use to find the spirits!  LOL  What did the cowardly lion say...."I DO believe, I DO believe, I DO believe...."

  

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend! 

Thanks for your visit today!  Your prayers for safe travel are requested and much appreciated as we begin our journey north for a few days.  Peace & hugs.

Friday Foto Friends.....

I am linking up with Deb, at Breathing In Grace, for Friday Foto Friends.

One of the questions in our Wednesday Hodgepodge was about something in your house that is a homemade treasure.  My answer was about a plant stand my dad made when he was a teenager.  Someone asked to see a picture of it, so that is my one Foto share for today's meme.

Dad made this when he was a teen, from the leg of an old table.  The base is a little warped now, so it rocks a little unless I shim it.  The top is water-marked, but I have a hand crocheted doily that fits it perfectly.  It is a treasure that will always have a place in my home.

I am off work today for an eye doctor appointment and to run some errands to prepare for our trip to Ohio.  I'll have laundry going too - on a day other than Sunday!  Not sure the washing machine works on a weekday!  (winking)

Thank you to everyone who offered prayers and condolences over these last couple of days.  Your prayers are so appreciated as we head out on another long trip in the car.  Blessed to be able to leave our pets at home with our ever-present and watchful neighbors.

Thanks for your visit today!  Peace and hugs!!

Thankful Thursday....

Linking up with Rebecca Jo at Knit by God's Hand for Thankful Thursday.  Join us!!

Those connected with me on Facebook saw this yesterday.  I am thankful for having my grandma, Erma Louise (Clouser) Cameron Thompson, in my life for so many years. She passed into her Heavenly home on Monday at age 97.

My mom's folks divorced when Mom was 11 years old.  I grew up with three sets of grandparents who loved us so very much. What a blessing!  And even more of a blessing was that they all got along and we could all be together for holidays and special occasions.

My Grandpa Cameron (mom's dad) died in 1998 at 90 years old.  A few years later, their neighbor set Grandma up with a man from her church, Dale Thompson. They dated for awhile and then got married. We were so happy for both of them.  Dale's wife had also died. It was a good match.  Dale died 8 years ago and Grandma has been alone since then. Her health started failing when she broke her hip a few years ago.  She has been in a nursing home for the past six months or so.

Grandma and Grandpa (mom's dad)

They were married 56 years!

Grandma and Grandpa Dale

Grandma was only 32 when I was born.  (She was a lot younger than my grandpa!) Here she is holding me when I was only a few weeks old.

January 5, 1952

This was her a year ago on Mother's Day, with the flowers we sent to her.

This was taken in June, the last time I saw her, at the nursing home.

We will be traveling to Ohio for her funeral.  A sad day for those of us left behind, but a celebration for her to be in Heaven for a reunion with so many other loved ones.  Praise God! 

Thanks for indulging me in this Thankful (and throwback) Thursday!  Peace & hugs.

This Week's Hodgepodge.....

Thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for posting this week's Hodgepodge!  There won't be one next week because she and her hubs are finally moving into their new home!!  Awesome and exciting! For this week, though, we can carry on with the Q&A and Hodgepodger link up.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 285

1. Besides your very own house, describe a place where you feel most 'at home'?  Since my folks are long gone now, I guess my office at work, where I have spent many, many hours over these past almost 20 years.

2. When did you last 'hit a home run' with something? Explain.   Since my annual audit was just presented to the Board of Trustees for approval, I guess I can say this week. The audit went smoothly back in August and they only found one adjustment that needed to be made (and that was actually from last year).  It was passed and there weren't any questions.  Home run!

3. Tell us about something you love in your house or kitchen that is 'homemade'.  A very precious treasure is a plant stand that my dad made when he was a teenager, out of a table leg from an old family table that was being tossed.  It is warped now, and has to have a shim to keep it level, but I wouldn't get rid of it for anything!  It is in our guest bedroom right now.

4. 'A man's home is his castle'...which of the world's ten most captivating castles (according to The Travel Channel) would you most like to visit and why-

Mont Saint-Michel (France), Edinburgh Castle (Scotland), Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany), Glamis Castle (Scotland), Windsor Castle (England), Chateau de Chambord (France), Hampton Court Palace (England), Prague Castle (Prague), St. Michael's Mount (England), Leeds Castle (England), and Swallow's Nest (Ukraine)

Oh my. Visiting an honest-to-goodness castle has always been on my "bucket list".  I've visited some mansions that were almost like castles, but never a REAL castle.  So sign me up for any and all of those listed (especially those in Scotland and Germany).

5. What's a recent or upcoming plan or project that's required you do a little homework before getting started? Did the homework cause you to abandon your plan or adjust it in some way?  I won't be abandoning our move to a smaller home because it is a necessity for us while I am preparing to retire.  I've been doing 'homework' online and we have been visiting 55+ communities here in Lakeland. We are getting closer to contacting a Realtor....

6. In your opinion, is homework an unnecessary evil or a valuable practice?  It was never cumbersome or hard for me.  I think it is valuable in that it teaches discipline.  Should schools be done with homework?  No...  Why or why not?  ...because it teaches discipline.  I think some teachers go overboard with it, though, from what I see going on with some of my co-workers' kids.  It shouldn't take five or six hours to complete.  Family time is too important and there is little enough of that these days. 

7. Share a favorite memory of your childhood hometown.  Oh my goodness, there are too many to even start listing.  Summers were the best in a small Ohio town when your best friend lived across the street.  We had woods to explore, neighborhood ballgames to play, swimming in the lake, boating on the lake, sleeping outside in homemade tents and eating an entire batch of no-bake chocolate cookies, climbing into the treehouse (platform) to read the next Nancy Drew book..... (I know I was blessed.)

8. Insert your own random thought here.  It sure does feel like time if flying faster and faster these days!  Do you feel it?

Thanks (always) for your visit today!  Happy Hump Day!  Peace & hugs.

Tuesday Tidbit....

In the Fall, I always lament about not getting to enjoy visiting an apple orchard.  It is the one thing I miss about 'the north'.

BUT....when a co-worker goes to visit his parents in North Carolina and brings back a box full of apples from an honest to goodness apple orchard, I can bite into one of them and close my eyes and (almost) pretend that I picked it myself.

I don't know what kind they are (and he doesn't either) but they are a little tart but also sweet, very juicy and so crisp.  What more does one need when the weather turns to sweater weather and the seasons are changing?

I've had one already and am sure to get another before they are gone.  Sharing them with everyone is necessary.  Even though I know his parents, they are not all for me! Ha!  Glad we have a small staff!!

So make me feel bad and tell me that you have been to an orchard this year.  Or maybe you aren't an apple person?

Thanks for your visit today!  Peace & hugs!!

Monday's Weekend Recap....

Our Central Florida weather has been PERFECT this weekend.  Chilly enough for a sweater in the morning (I even wore a jacket to church yesterday morning) and only in the mid-70s in the afternoons. It is the weather we delight in after our hot and humid summers.  The air conditioner is off and the doors and windows are open. Ahhhhhhhhhh.......

My weekend started on Friday afternoon!  I mentioned last week that I was having lunch with my girlfriends, Shirley, Melody and Cindee.  I was caught up at work, so decided to take the afternoon off so I could enjoy more than just an hour for lunch.  We hadn't seen Melody for months because she has been going through chemo and radiation for throat cancer (and lives 2 1/2 hours away now).  She looks great and was excited that she found a very natural looking wig to wear. She is gaining weight and is feeling good. She is cancer-free now and doesn't have to have a check up for six months. Praise God!

Cindee has also had some health problems that I've mentioned. She has Parkinson's Disease and had a pacemaker inserted, which required brain surgery to 'install' the electrodes.  She lost her hair by razor and it is just now starting to grow in back in.  This photo isn't really a good one of Cindee and Melody, but it's the one I took at Olive Garden...

Shirley just turned 80 years old in last month and was sad that they had to have their dog put down. Babe was 18 years old!! So we had celebrations and we also had to share Shirley's sadness. I was just happy to be with my friends and to listen to their stories. They were with me through my thyroid cancer 10 years ago.

Saturday Joe and I didn't go anywhere and we didn't even get out of our PJs....both of us were Saturday Slugs. We decided to not even get dressed for church.  We watched the movie Hocus Pocus.  Such a fun Halloween story. We are also marathon watching Chicago Med from the first season.

We did get up early Sunday and went to 8:00 a.m. Mass.  After that, we popped into IHOP for some breakfast and then to Walmart for a few things. The Walmart we frequent is in the same parking lot as IHOP so it was an easy errand.  From there, we went to Sam's Club to gas up my car and for some other things we always get at Sam's. Notice the beautiful blue Florida sky!

At home, I got the laundry started and Joe watched Red Zone so he could keep up with his Eagles football game (they won!), then we watched Hillary's America.  Eye opening and frightening.

Back to work and it will be a short week for me since I have Friday off. I have an eye doctor appointment and my eyes will be dilated. We are also going down to Naples for the weekend and some extra time at home will be good. We haven't seen Kathy and Jim's new condo so we are excited to see them and their new digs. (For those who may not know, Kathy is the mother of our grandchildren and Jim is their step-dad. We are blessed to have a very good relationship with them!)

So on with the week! Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs.

A Bookish Sunday Stealing....

Thanks to Kwizgiver for today's Sunday Stealing.  Wishing Bud a speedy recovery!  Seek out Sunday Stealing HERE and join the fun!

Bookish Questions

Special GET WELL shout out to BUD!  Hope you have a speedy recovery!

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme.  

Cheers to all of us thieves!!!

Bookish Questions

1. How long did it take you to finish your last book?  A couple of weeks. I usually only read during my lunch hour and just before bedtime.

2. How many times do you stare at your bookshelves each day?  All of my books are on my Kindle now, so no bookshelves to stare at.

3. How many Goodreads friends/books do you have?  I don't follow Goodreads but my friend Shirley, just let me borrow her copy of Hillary's America by Denish DeSouza.  Joe is reading it first.

4. Do you ever quote books in public?  The Bible, yes. Others, once in awhile.

5. Do you ever re-read books? Yes, I do. I've read Gone With The Wind four times.

6. Do you judge a book by its cover?  A good 'cover' can catch my attention, but that is not how I judge it.

7. Do you take pictures of your books before you read them?  Ha Ha Ha...no. Never even occurred to me.

8. What are your biggest distractions from reading?  At work, people walking into my office during my lunch when I'm eating and reading.

9. Where is your favorite place to buy books?  Amazon!

10. Do you always have a book with you?  Always. I have the Kindle app on my phone, so even if I don't have my Fire with me, I have my book on my phone.

11. Do you read during breakfast?  Sometimes, but it's the newspaper, not a book.

12. How many hours a day would you say you read?  Two.

13. Do you read more or less now than you did, say, 10 years ago?  Probably the same. I've been an avid reader since grade school.

14. Do you consider yourself a speed reader?  Not an Evelyn Wood speed reader, but I do read pretty fast.

15. Do you read in bed?  Yes.

16. How old were you when you got your first library card?  I have no recollection of having a library card until I was an adult.  I haven't even been in the library in 15 years or more. I used to belong to several book clubs and then I got a Kindle.

Thanks for your visit, always!  Wishing you a blessed Sunday! Peace & hugs.

Time For The Saturday 9....

Thanks to Crazy Sam Winters for this week's Saturday 9!!  If you would like to join in the fun, visit Saturday 9  HERE and link up with all of us 9ers!

Can't Stop the Feeling!

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: Can't Stop the Feeling! (2016)

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

1) This is an upbeat, positive song. Are you feeling upbeat and positive right now?  It is a blessing that I am rarely "down" and try to always be positive, so yes, I am feeling upbeat and positive.

2) Justin Timberlake is a good dancer. And why not? In this song, he sings he has "good soul in my feet." Consider your own dancing talent and compose your own lyric:  I have lead weights in my feet. 

3) In the video, there's dancing in the laundromat. Do you have dirty clothes in the hamper, or are you all caught up with your laundry?  I get caught up on Sundays, so there are indeed dirty clothes in my hamper.  It is never empty for long.

4) There's also dancing in the supermarket. What do you need to pick up at the store?  I keep a list on the refrigerator door and I think I started a second column this morning.  Cat food is ALWAYS on the list.

5) This song will appear in the upcoming Dreamworks Trolls movie. Some people believe Troll dolls are good luck. Do you have a good luck charm?  Nope. I'm not superstitious that way. When I was in high school, I did have four or five troll dolls.  We put them in the freezer and it was supposed to make their hair 'grow'... never worked for me, but that's what we did back then!  LOL

6) Justin Timberlake loves to dunk Oreos in milk. Crazy Sam thinks this is all wrong -- the way to eat an Oreo is to twist the two halves apart and lick the cream first. Which method do you prefer, Justin's or Sam's?  Justin's is my preference.  I like to dunk any cookie in milk.

7) Justin admits to some fashion fails. He and Britney Spears wore matching denim outfits that he regrets, and he's sorry he ever tried cornrows. What about you? Can you think of a look you thought was cool at the time, but now it makes you shudder?  I had a pair of moccasins that I wore ALL THE TIME one year when I was in high school.  It was a 'hippy thing' which would have worked had I also worn "hippy" type clothing.  Plus, they were very worn and pretty dirty.

8) He is a very good golfer. When were you last on the golf course?  I quit playing golf in the late 70s.  I was not very good horrible.  I could play the entire course with my 9 iron and a putter, if that tells you anything.

9) Random question: Think about your romantic involvements. Were you in love with one of them, some of them, or all of them?  Sometimes what we think is love, isn't even close.  So thankful for a second chance with Joe!!

  

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks for your visit today!!  Your comments are always appreciated! Happy Saturday!  Peace & hugs.

Friday Foto Friends Time....

It's time to link up with Deb, over at Breathing In Grace, for Friday Foto Friends!!

Last night, we had an artist's talk at the Museum.  George Lowe has lent us 50 pieces of art from his personal collection, on exhibit in our main Gallery I,  and he presented it to us with a power point talk in our auditorium.  There weren't too many seats left and we did have a dozen or so folks standing in the back.  It was quite a performance and he had everyone laughing quite a few times.

 This photo is my boss introducing George.

George Lowe (picture from Google)

George Edward Lowe is an American voice actor and comedian. He is perhaps best known for his role as the voice of Space Ghost on the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim/GameTap animated series Space Ghost Coast 

... Wikipedia

Born: November 10, 1958 (age 57), Dunedin, FL

Genre: Television film

Influenced by: Gary Owens

Movies: The Conquest of Everest

Notable works and roles: Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Cartoon Planet,The Brak Show, Aqua Teen Hunger Force

This is Space Ghost.....

After the talk, Joe and I went to our favorite diner, Reececliff, for our supper.  Joe had a BLT Club and onion rings.  I had a Reubin and onion rings (best onion rings ever!).

Reececliff has signs all over the walls, but this one is my favorite....

Eat Pie First

Reececliff is known for their pies. I had coconut custard and Joe had chocolate silk.

Delicious!!

Friday is finally here!  I'm having lunch with my girlfriends today.  Melody let me know earlier in the week that she is feeling great (only a month out of Moffitt Cancer Center) and wanted to drive down.  She and her husband moved north of Lakeland to Citrus Springs, and it takes a good 2 1/2 hours to make the drive. We are meeting at Olive Garden and Shirley and Cindee are also coming.  I took the afternoon off, so we can sit and talk as long as we want to!!  I'm the only one not retired....but it's coming!!

Thanks for your visit today! Happy Friday!  Peace & hugs.

Thankful Thursday!

I am linking up with Rebecca Jo over at Knit by God's Hand for Thankful Thursday!

Joe and I got so excited this week when photos were posted on our nephew's Facebook page.  Peter, his husband and a couple of other friends are on vacation in Italy and they made sure their trip would take them to Palombaro, which is where the D'Orsaneos originated.  These pictures are all from Peter's Facebook page and he took them for all of us to keep and enjoy:

Peter is Joe's younger brother's oldest son.

He had his own dance company at one time, but went back to school and is a nurse now.

This is a view of the town.

Joe's dad always talked about the mountains around his home.

Dad D'Orsaneo was 18 when he came to the USA in 1929.  He never went back to Italy.

What a view!!!

 Peter went to the 'City Hall' and found records that could lead him to the homestead.

The clerk there knew someone who could help and hooked them up.

This is where the D'Orsaneo family lived!!

This is the front of the house and that is the man the clerk hooked them up with.

This man actually knew Aunt Carmela (Dad's oldest sister) and her husband, Domenik.

What are the chances?  So exciting!

Peter said these people were so kind and welcoming. 

They wanted to feed them (of course) and went out of their way to help.

So, on this thankful Thursday, I am thankful for strangers who are kind to visitors from the USA and for the younger generation being interested in the family history. I am anxious to hear if he got any names for previous generations. We have had a hard time cracking the Italian genealogy.

Thanks for stopping by!! Happy Friday Eve!  Peace & hugs.

It's Hodgepodge Wednesday!!

Thanks to our hostess, Joyce, who still has time for us and the weekly Hodgepodge while getting ready to move into their new home!  Superwoman!!  If you want to play with us, visit Joyce's blog, copy and paste the questions, answer on your blog and jump back to Joyce's blog to link up!!  Simple as that!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 284

1. What would you say is your strongest sense?  If you are talking about the five senses, probably smell, followed by hearing.  Maybe I say hearing because Joe's is so bad that I always hear things he doesn't (even when he thinks to wear his hearing aid).

2. Do you believe in the idea of a 'sixth sense'?   Yes.  Why or why not?   I call my intuition a 6th sense and mine is pretty good.  That "gut" feeling that in many cases is my Guardian Angel (yes, I believe!) pushing me to pay attention to what our Father is trying to tell me/us.  Very little in life really happens by chance.

3. When do you most feel like a slave to time?  When the alarm rings on work days.  Explain.  Nothing to really explain. I'm tired of getting up at 5:00 a.m. Monday - Friday.  Counting the months to retirement.

4. Have you ever worked in a restaurant?  No, but I worked in an ice cream parlor and waited on tables/customers there.  How would you rate the experience?  It was a great job for a high school girl in the summers.  If you could own a restaurant what kind would it be?  I had my own bakery for four years.  I will NEVER work in food service ever again, and especially not in the restaurant business.  I'm sure it is rewarding. Having my own business was rewarding, but also back-breaking and there is NO time off. None.

5. Ever traced your family tree?  Yes - and am still working on it.  Share something interesting you learned there.  My Revolutionary ancestor who I joined DAR through, was a spy and went to England during his service to find out information for our Patriots!  I was kind of excited and intrigued to learn about that from a newspaper article about him. Someday, when I have more time, I want to look into it a little more in depth.  I belong to Ancestry.com and recommend it highly if you really want to research your family tree.  We also did the DNA test through them which is still finding cousins and relatives and links for us.

6. What did your childhood bedroom look like?  I was blessed to have my own room and my dad painted it whatever color I wanted.  Even lavender, bless his heart.  My room was lavender and pink.  Makes me shudder now!  Ha!  I loved lilacs (still do) and wanted lavender.  When I left home, my brother got my room. I don't remember if he got to change the color or not. LOL!  I had two big windows in my room and a big closet for an old house (we all had big closets).  I had a double bed, a bookcase headboard, a dressing table, a chest of drawers and a desk - but nothing matched.  It was quite comfy on the second floor (all the bedrooms were on the second floor and we only had one bathroom for 6 people!).  Wish the tree wasn't blocking our front porch in this picture. My room was on the other side and in the back, but this is the house I grew up in.

7. Anyone who knows me knows I love  Joe, shrimp and crab legs, red velvet cake, to laugh, my amazing family, my job, Jesus......not necessarily in that order but that is where my thoughts took me.

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Sad news.  One of our coworkers died on Monday.  He had been sick, but we weren't expecting him to go so fast.  I also got word that my grandma has been put under Hospice care.  It was a doubly sad day for me and for all of us at work yesterday.

Thanks for stopping by today!! I appreciate your visit and your comments!  Peace & hugs.

Tuesday Tidbits....

I took a sweet picture of our Lucy (Diva) Kitty yesterday morning.  She sleeps on this pillow in our bed most nights. I was ready for work and about to walk out to the kitchen when I noticed her position.  Had to snap a photo of her and the flash didn't even bother her (or Joe!).  She was OUT!

I can't post a picture of Lucy and not share my other babies with you, so here is our bad boy Vinny...

And here is our Lilly.  She was a feral, off the streets kitten, who already had her ear clipped so she could go back on the streets.  I'm glad she came to live with us instead!  She is still a little wild but settles a little more each year.  She and Lucy tolerate each other, but she and Vinny are still fighting for top cat.

So my Tuesday Tidbits are all about our furbabies.  Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs.