Sunday Stealing!

 I'm joining up with the other thieves today!! Thanks to Bev for the prompts which she stole from Compassion, Intl. I must admit that is an unusual place to have these types of questions. I thought maybe I misunderstood but I clicked on her link and that is where it took me!

1. What three words best describe you? Always too loud! Actually, I can be quiet but get me excited or let me tell a funny story and I get louder and louder!

2. What makes you unique? I think we are all pretty unique. Even my husband and his identical twin brother have their own personalities . . .which can be very different at times. I’m not sure what makes me unique. I feel like I’ve overcome a lot of things in my life which often gives me a perspective that others might not have.

3. Who is someone important in your life? All of my people are important! Mark and the kids and the in-laws and the granddaughters and my sisters and other in-laws. They are all important. I also have friends who are very important to me. On Friday night, I got to hang out with four other women. We had one in her 30’s, two in their early 40’s, one who turned 50 this past year, and me . . .65! We had the best time. Our long-time supper club people are VERY important to me, too. I can’t imagine doing life without them. As I’m typing these words, I realize how very blessed we are to be surrounded by such amazing people.

4. What is something that always makes you laugh? When I see and hear a baby laughing one of those deep belly laughs, I ALWAYS laugh, too!! Lots of things make me laugh. We went to a play on Thursday night and at one point Mark leaned over and said, “you must really think this is funny!” I did and I was laughing!!

5. Who is someone who can always cheer you up? Any one of the people I mentioned in #3 could cheer me up!!

6. When was a time you were really proud of yourself? I was really proud of myself in December when I received an A in my second Biology class.

7. What is something that is difficult for you? Evidently Biology is! I’m taking American Lit this semester (and next) and poetry is also difficult for me. I prefer practical and sometimes I scratch my head when I read that “so and so means such and such.” Really? There are other more important things that are difficult for me, too. I’m not good with sick people. Even though I’m “old” I’m not great with old people either hahaha!

8. What three places would you love to travel to? South American, England, Scotland – right now, those aren’t on our upcoming trips but I hope to go there. Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam are also on my list.

9. What is a fun memory you have with your best friend? Spending the day at their lake house and riding in the boat is always fun!!

10. If you could have dessert for breakfast, what would you eat? I’ve never been a huge fan of sweets in the morning. I might choose oatmeal cookies because they are sort of breakfast food, right? I don’t eat sugar but there is a cookie – Alyssa’s – and they don’t have added sugar. I could definitely eat those for breakfast.

11. If you published a book or wrote a movie, what would it be about? Let’s see . . .I could probably write a book about the crazy things people have said at church. Someone called and asked, “what time is the noon day service”? Duh! I’ve given talks about my own story, so I guess I could write a book about that. No one would ever read it but I could write it.

12. Which is easier, math or English? It depends on what level we are talking about! Growing up, I was decent in math – made A’s. I think I’m better at English.

13.What three things make you the happiest? Three things that make me happy are the smile of a loved one, sunshine, and being with those I love!

14. What is an event in your life that has shaped who you are today? See #11 and see #2 – my mom died when I was 15. My dad died when I was 25. When I was 18, I married my high school sweetheart and we were married 18 months and then he left . . .later to find out, he was gay. He has since died of AIDS. My life has been a series of ups and downs just like everyone else. I do think those three things shaped me a lot.

15. Which is more important, being kind or being honest? Have y’all seen the jewelry – there is a ring and a bracelet. The engraving is “I am kind . . . . . . . of a bitch! Please forgive me but I think that is hysterical for some reason! I think being kind is super important but I also think being honest is, too.

High Five Hodgepodge

Thanks to Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for this week's questions!

1. January 29th is National Puzzle Day. Do you enjoy puzzles? What kind (crossword, jigsaw, sudoku, etc)?  How often do you work a puzzle? I have worked puzzles in the past but not in a good many years. When my mother-in-law was in her early 80’s, she loved them and would have them spread on a table and we could place a few pieces for her. The last puzzles I worked were Spidey puzzles at Christmas. Our younger granddaughter loves Spidey and we worked her new ones with her.

2. Something you currently find 'puzzling'?  I find people puzzling. You know? I just don’t understand some people and their behaviors.

3. What's your go-to dish to take to someone who needs a meal (new baby, bereavement, etc)? Since Covid, I have done a lot of take-outs rather than cook. If I cook, I usually make a chicken pot pie or a pork tenderloin or poppyseed chicken or homemade lasagna. I have also made Taco soup or Creamy Chicken Noodle soup for folks. Mark is in charge of dinner on Monday nights for his mother and her caregiver. He cooks pork tenderloin a lot because it is easy. I’m taking dinner to someone next week and I need to decide if I’m going to make something or buy something. I can’t wait to read everyone’s responses to this question. I might ask for some recipes!!

4. Do you watch any HGTV and/or The Food Network? If so, what's your favorite program there? We don’t have HGTV or The Food Network anymore and I miss it! We watch America’s Test Kitchen (Samsung TV) sometimes. We’ve also watched Luke Nguyen who is a Vietnamese-Australian chef. He has a series where he is traveling in India that is really good. Mark has enjoyed watching Andrew Zimmern and we both loved Anthony Bourdain.

5.  Wrap up your January in five words, with a five word phrase, or with a five word sentence. Cold, Warm, Rainy, Sunny, Finalizada!!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Sunday! Sunday!

 I am joining up with the other thieves -- Bev stole these from the League of Extraordinary Penpals!

1. What are your plans for February? We don't have any major plans. Mark is to have eye surgery this week to see if they can restore his vision from that retinal tear. The repair of the tear is actually holding but there is a lot of stuff floating in his eye that is making him almost blind in that one eye. I will continue on with my American Lit class. We have plans to eat out one night with friends and we have plans to go to our neighborhood supper club.

2. Did you ever have or go to sleepovers as a kid? I remember having a few friends spend the night over the years and I remember going to a few friend's houses. I spent a lot of time with my friend, Karen, and her family. Our daughter had far more sleepovers than I ever had.

3. Which books would you pick for a book binge? I would want it to be a series with some suspense and some humor. Jana Deleon has a great series about a couple of retired female soldiers and a CIA agent who was originally hiding out in their town. I'm up to date (I think) on the series but I could sit down and read all of those back to back.

4. What features do you love most about your home? I love that our home is just the right size to welcome others for dinner and fellowship. I love our kitchen. We have a really cool bar area. I love that we have an actual dining room yet it is open "somewhat" to the kitchen and family room. 

dining room open to entry hall and family room

dining room on other end opens to
bar and kitchen

kitchen island with extra seating

5. How often do you try something new? I'm sure I don't try new things often enough.

6. What type of sushi is your favorite? My favorite sushi is the kind that someone else eats. I don't eat sushi but the rest of my family does.

7. Do you prefer to relax or go on adventures during vacation? I like a mix! It is nice to have a week at the beach to relax but I love traveling to other parts of the world which is more of an adventure!

8. Which colors look best on you? I love green, bright blue, fuschia/pinks.

9. Do you like brunch? It is ok but not my favorite though I did see a sign for brunch yesterday and told Mark that we should go eat there one Saturday. Mark loves breakfast and I'm sure I could get something non-breakfasty at brunch.

10. Do you get stage fright? I teach a large adult class on Sundays and I lead a group of Young Adults. I've been one of the speakers on our women's retreat and I've given talks on Emmaus Walks -- I do get nervous . . .I sweat! I am normally not paralized by stage fright.

I was getting ready to give the offertory prayer
in worship . . . so in front of several hundred people

Speaking at our
Women's Retreat

11. Which podcasts do you like at the moment? I'm not listening to any at the moment.

12. One thing that immediately makes your day better: A smile from someone else and a kind word can make my day better!

13. Which family members are you closest to? I'm going to say that I'm closest to Mark. I'm also very close to my middle sister, Becky. I have a friend that is like a sister and we are very close. I'm fairly close to our daughter but she does live in another town, as does my sister.

14. Something you practice often: Grace. I try to err on the side of grace and it takes practice because my normal response might not always be grace.

15. Are you a light sleeper or a deep sleeper? It depends! If I need to sleep lightly in order to check on someone, I can do it. I prefer to be a deep sleeper though!!

A Hodgepodge Tip!

I'm joining up with Joyce and friends at From This Side of the Pond. She writes our Hodgepodge questions and we answer! I would love to "hear" your answers! 

1. Do you have a word for the year (WOTY)? If so, and you'd like to share, please share. How do you decide on a word? If you don't have a word are you still on the hunt for one for 2024? I do not have a Word for the year. I want to have one every year but I am unable to decide on one. I've prayed about it before and I think "maybe" I have one and then I decide it isn't right! I'm still open to a word for 2024!

2. January 23rd is National Pie Day...will you celebrate? Do you like pie? What's your favorite? Pie Day sounds like a wonderful celebration. I don't eat pie these days but if I did, I love several -- I love pecan and I love coconut cream and I love peanut butter pie.

3. Tipping. What are your thoughts, expectations, as to who, when where? Do you appreciate a store/restaurant giving a 'suggested amount'? Have you ever left an extravagant tip? Since Covid, I've become a ridiculous tipper. I tip my hair dresser. I tip our servers. I tip the person who does my pedicure. I tip the Shipt shoppers. I usually tip at least 20% . . . unless I have received horrible service. My husband is in a Wednesday morning men's Bible study. They meet at 6:00 a.m. for their time together and at 7:00, they drive a few blocks to a BBQ restaurant - Demetri's - for breakfast. They are known for their breakfast. Rita is their server. When they walk in the door, she knows what each of them wants to drink and she has a table for them. At Christmas, they get a card for her and they give her a very generous tip which is in addition to the tips each week. When our son was in college in Auburn, they would go to the Waffle House late at night. They did something similar for their server. They took up money and gave a very generous tip. One time in our contemporary worship service, our pastor at the time ordered a pizza. When the pizza was delivered (during church), they gave the delivery person several hundred dollars as a tip. 

4. Share with us one household 'tip' that works for you. I have been using Dawn dish detergent on all of my weird clothing stains. It gets almost everything out. It is pretty amazing!!I also like certain cleaning products - I really like Hope's brand - she has granite cleaner, glass cleaner, stainless cleaner; counter top cleaner for the non-granite counters . . .and the list goes on. I think the right cleaner and tools makes housework easier.

5. Influencers on social media are people who've built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a particular subject. Do you follow any influencers online? Have you made a purchase or tried something new because of that 'influence'? If there's one you particularly enjoy tell us who they are and why you enjoy them. I tend to watch the reels of several folks - I particularly love watching the ones of people cleaning and using various methods/products. There are several who use these steamers for the duvet covers. I've actually researched some but haven't bought one. Do any of you have one? I also enjoy watching the folks who get a TON of boxes (which they've hidden usually??) and then they sneak into the room and open all of them and put everything out. What is really interesting to me is that when I actually buy something, it is usually something I see on another blog -- I love to see the Prime posts.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I am super tired this week. I feel like I'm running to keep up with January . . .and we are almost to February!! Does anyone else feel that way?

Random Happenings

On New Year's Eve we met our friends at Bistro V for dinner. I LOVE shrimp and grits. These grits were so rich that I couldn't eat all of them!

Here we are at the restaurant! Our server was kind enough to snap a pic for us!

I loved the simple decorations - just festive enough!!

After dinner, we each headed to our own homes. We tried to stay up until midnight but at 10:30 we decided to go to bed.

We are still adding/replacing smaller furniture items. We need to move the canoe picture up a tad since we have a new table for the TV that is a tad taller.

Mark was out of town for Granddaughter #1's first basketball game. This year, the girls actually seem to know that a game is going on. It is amazing how quickly they grow.

The little boys are a grade ahead and they have also matured a lot. They are getting the hang of the game!

I've mentioned eating lunch at my mother-in-law's house every Sunday after church. She did the cooking for ALL of the years until a couple of years ago. I think she cooked for all of us until she was 96. We now take turns with different parts of lunch. For whatever week this was . . .I was in charge of twice baked potatoes and they were really good.

January is Generosity Month at our church. Our theme is "Cheerful" and our scripture is from 2 Corinthians. We have a Greek theme throughout the building - all blue and yellow.

I think this may be my favorite theme ever!

We went to our neighborhood supper club. We had salad and rice and asparagus and chicken and pork and angel biscuits. Someone made a carrot cake for dessert. We had a really nice time. It is so fun seeing how others have decorated their homes. Of course, it is really lovely to meet more neighbors!

Last week, we had a SNOW day. The northern part of our state had LOTS of snow and was shut down for days. We had light snow and light ice and everyone stayed home for a day. Actually, some stayed home longer because the schools were closed for two days . . .following being closed on Monday for MLK day. 

I dug my sewing machine out for the first time since the fire and it still works! I made some pillows with leftover fabric. I made three blue check and three velvet. They aren't perfect by any means. I did a better job on the blue check than on the velvet. It was so thick that it was hard to sew.

On the "snow" day, Mark made scones using a mix that one of our young adults gave us as a 

Christmas gift.

I failed to take a single picture, but we met friends (our out to eat supper club from church) at Seasons 52 last Thursday night. We both had their shrimp and grits! They are delicious. Mark had a really good Old-Fashioned and I had a Hawaiian Pineaapple Cosmopolitan. We were able to get to know some folks who are new to our Sunday School class so that is always a good thing.

Our new side table from Pottery Barn was finally delivered on Friday night. It was supposed to be delivered earlier in the week but due to LOTS of snow in North Alabama and the Memphis area, the shipment was delayed.

It was so cold over the weekend - we had lows in the teens. We are enjoying our fireplace so much!

Saturday morning we headed to another Hornets basketball game. This is our sweet granddaughter right in the middle of the screen. 

Saturday night we had an impromptu "invite our neighbors" to dinner. Lu and Dave have traveled with us and we have been together a lot. We literally had four steak burgers that Mark cooked on the grill in 15 degree weather! I was in charge of slaw and sweet potato fries which I BURNED!! Luckily, we had another bag in the freezer so Mark ran to the garage freezer and grabbed those. I apologized and was embarrassed, but heck . . .everyone burns something sometime, right? Am I alone?

I will be very surprised if anyone is still reading . . . I know it is a boring post but as you know, I often write just so I will remember. Actually, I have found that as I write, I'm also thankful. I'm thankful for our home and our family and our friends and our church and so many other things.

Today, we have a professional photographer at our house. Our builder is entering our renovation into the "Home Builders of Alabama Remodeling Excellence Awards" in the insurance category. We've been cleaning and stashing things!

We also have our long time supper club on Saturday night at our house so hopefully, it will still be clean!!

It's a Swap Bot Sunday Stealing

I'm joining up with the other thieves for Sunday Stealing! These questions were stolen from Swap Bot. Thanks Bev for stealing for all of us! 

1. If you could have a remote control that could pause time, what would you do with it? I would use it only when necessary to pause a special moment I wanted to savor just a little longer, or to pause when I needed just a few more minutes.

2. What's the silliest thing you believed as a child that you wish were true now? Off the top of my head, I thought they put the flags out on June 14 for my birthday. I don't have to wish it were still true . . .they still put the flags out. I now know that those flags are not for my birthday!

photo credit to the internet

3. If your life had a theme song that played every time you entered a room, what song would it be? Overcomer by Mandisa

4. If you were a vegetable, and someone accidentally ate you, what would you want them to say after the first bite? This is my favorite bite of my favorite vegetable - yum! yum! 

5. If you were a flavor of ice cream, which one would you be, and why? I love pink so let's go with strawberry!

6. What's the strangest thing you've ever googled or searched for on the internet? Oh my goodness - I've searched for some crazy things!! Last night we googled "why do basketball players wear leggings?" We thought we knew the answer but were verifying.

7. If your pet could suddenly talk, what do you think it would say to you first? "Sit down so I can get in your lap". . . or "floss my teeth." Yes, we have a very weird cat who loves for us to floss his teeth.

8. If you were a character in a video game, what would be your special move? I have no idea whatsover . . .maybe my special move would be a smile .  .  . and when my character would smile, you would get 1000 extra bonus points.

9. What's the most bizarre item you've ever bought online? I've bought a toilet paper roller thing-a-ma-jig (toilet paper holder roller spindle replacement rod spring loaded gold). I also bought some cookies from Amazon because they are hard to find in the store!! I felt like buying cookies from the internet was a weird purchase. One time I ordered a HUGE amount of fancy popcorn for a shower that we were hosting.

10. If you could replace the sound of one everyday activity with your own voice, which activity would you choose? I'm trying to think of the most irritating sound I hear everyday! Whatever it is . . .that is what I would want to replace.

11. If you were a punctuation mark, which one would you be, and how would you punctuate people's sentences? I would be the exclamation point because I use it WAY TOO MUCH!!!!!!

12. If you could have any celebrity be your personal assistant for a day, who would it be, and what tasks would you assign them? I don't know this person's name nor who they actually are but I would love a personal chef (I know you said assistant) for a few weeks. If I had a personal assistant, I would need for them to run errands! 

13. What would be the worst "buy one, get one free" sale item ever? Buy one anchovy, get one free?? 

14. If you could trade places with any fictional character from a book or movie, who would it be, and what would you do differently in their story? These questions are hard for me!! I don't think I want to trade places with anyone.

15. If you had to live inside a TV show for a month, which show would you pick, and why? I would pick Frasier or Modern Family or an even better idea would be to live inside a travel show for a month and go all over the world!!

BRRR - Hodgepodge!

I'm joining up with Joyce and friends for Wednesday Hodgepodge:

1. On January 18th we commemorate A.A. Milne's birthday. Milne is the author of the beloved classic Winnie the Pooh. In many ways Pooh represents innocence and simplicity. His optimism reminds us to appreciate the little things. What are three little things you're appreciating in mid-January? Just thinking about Winnie the Pooh made me think of Tigger, too! That thought made me smile! Three little things I'm appreciating -- 1. a warm hooded sweatshirt 2. a gas fireplace 3. FaceTime

2. Piglet teaches us even the smallest of individuals can achieve big things with the proper amount of determination. How do your current responsibilities make you feel? I'm not sure how to answer this question. I have responsibilities at home, at work, on Tuesday nights, and teaching adult Sunday School. The home responsibilities cover being a wife, mom, and Gran. The work responsibilities include LOTS of things. The young adults on Tuesday nights and Sunday morning teaching is a whole different thing. I feel happily busy. Is that a good enough answer?

3. Tigger is known for his enthusiasm and energy, his boundless joy and love of life. What's something you're interested in learning more about in this new year? My class this semester (and next) will be American Literature. I'll be learning lots (I hope!). 

4. Eeyore, while a melancholy character, teaches us the importance of resilience and perseverance. How do you stay motivated and persevere in difficult circumstances? It is hard to stay motivated and to persevere in difficult circumstances. My husband and his siblings have done a good job of persevering through their mother's care and aging. She is 98 and still lives in her home with 24 hour care. We are Christians so our faith plays a huge roll in our lives. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

5. What's the last thing you ate that was made with honey? A couple of weeks ago, I roasted some butternut squash cubes. I drizzled a little olive oil and salt and pepper on them before I roasted them. I took them out of the oven and drizzed just a little local honey over them and put them back in the oven for 5 more minutes. They were delicious!! Mark added honey to some plain Greek oatmeal night before last.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I'm actually typing these answers on Tuesday night. We had a weird snow day here today. I worked from home. We had our 10:00 a.m. meeting via Zoom. We had to cancel a major dinner on Monday night. We didn't get much snow at all but it is sooo cold!! We cancelled our young adult group for Tuesday night. I just heard that many schools will be closed again tomorrow. I imagine that sounds silly to folks who live where it snows all of the time in the winter.