Sunday Stealing

 Joining in on Sunday Stealing!

Stolen from Danielle Selander 

1. If you could live in a house shaped like anything what would it be? I think I would like a long ranch house – one end would have the main bedroom and bath, a small study/library, and a craft room. The middle would be the communal living space – huge kitchen, dining, and living space – the other end would be 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. I guess that means the house would be a rectangle with LOTS of windows and if the view could be the gulf of Mexico . . .divine.
2. What do you think is in outer space? I have no clue. I won’t be surprised if there is life on some other planet. I don’t know that they will discover it in my lifetime.
3. Where is the most wonderful place you’ve ever been? This morning I told someone that I LOVE Ireland . . .and then I said that I LOVE Israel. I must admit that St. Marteen was beautiful as was Hawaii. Maybe the most wonderful is when our little family is all together and everyone is getting along and there is lots of laughter . . .that is pretty wonderful no matter the physical location.
4. If you were invisible for a day, what would you do? I have no idea. I just asked my husband this question because I truly can’t think of anything. He didn't have an answer either.
5. What is the worst smell in the world? Vomit or adult poop both are yucky smells. Smelly feet would also be up there near the top of the list.
6. If you could, what animal would you be? Our cat has a pretty good life so maybe an indoor cat with a small and safe outdoor space??
7. What is the greatest thing ever invented? Sliced bread! Not really. Cures for diseases are a great discovery – I don’t know if that counts as an invention. I do love the ability the facetime with our granddaughters and others. That is a pretty nifty invention.
8. What is your favorite word? Why? I love you – three words!
9. Who is someone in history that you’d like to be friends with? Why? I would love to meet some of my relatives who immigrated to the US. We could be friends!
10. If your pet could talk, what would it say? I want to sit in someone’s lap every minute of every day except when I’m eating, drinking, or going to the potty. Also, he would say I want everyone to do whatever I want.
11. Were there dinosaurs on Noah’s ark? Weren’t the dinosaurs gone before Noah’s Ark?
12. What makes you cry? I don’t cry often but I do cry when someone I love dies. I also cry when I get angry.
13. Have you ever played a joke on someone? What was it? I’ve never been a good joke person. I did participate in an April Fool’s joke one year that a friend was playing on one of our pastors. I’m a horrible liar but I think I helped the guy out!
14. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do? Being a mother was, and at times still is, hard. Getting up every day and putting one foot in front of the other after a divorce (when I was very young) was hard. Forgiving someone for something horrible they did to me may be one of the most hard things I’ve ever done. Take my word for it – it was horrible.
15. What is the most important appliance in your house? My washer is going right now. I love our fridge because it keeps my diet pepsis cold. I don’t know that I’ve ever thought of my appliances in order of importance – does air conditioning count? It is so hot here this week and it is miserable if the air goes out. That might be the most important.

 

H.O.T. Hodgepodge

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 466

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop over to Joyce’s blog to share answers with everyone! Feel free to answer in the comments! 

1. Do you wear your heart on your sleeve? Elaborate.  I don’t think I wear my heart on my sleeve but I have a face that shows everything. I can’t lie – you can see it on my face. Since I work in a church, this is something that I have to work on!!

2. A favorite love song? I don’t have a favorite love song. I just googled “favorite love songs” and I must admit that I do love to hear “At Last”!

3. Do you consider yourself a trusting person? Explain. I tend to be a little wary. If you earn my trust and then break my trust . . .it is VERY hard for you to earn it back. I think that I don’t trust easily due to things that happened earlier in my life.

4. June 14th is National New Mexico Day...have you ever been to New Mexico (aka The Land of Enchantment)? Any desire to visit the state? Some of the top rated tourist attractions there are- Carlsbad Caverns National Park, White Sands National Park, The Albuquerque International Balloon Festival, Bandelier National Monument, The Georgia O'Keefe Museum, Santa Fe Plaza, and the Petroglyph National Monument. Of the attractions listed which would be tops on your list? I have never been to New Mexico but would love to go there and see the Balloon Festival. Riding in a hot air balloon is on my bucket list. I would like to visit ALL of the places. June 14th may be National New Mexico Day but it is also my birthday and it is Flag Day!

5. What's something you've found enchanting recently? Besides our granddaughters, I can’t think of anything “enchanting” right now.

6. Insert your own random thought here. It is so hot here. I live in Alabama so it is often hot here and our humidity is always high but it is unseasonably hot here right now. Our cat loves to go lay out in our courtyard and it is so hot that we can’t let him and he is annoyed by that fact!! On Tuesday, at 4:07, it was 93 degrees and it felt like 104 due to heat index. Humidity was only 52% which is actually low for us. I think the humidity was 89% on Monday (or something equally as crazy).

 

Sunday Stealing

 Let's be honest here. It is Saturday night. I'm home alone (hubby is with his elderly mother overnight). I'm supposed to be doing homework for my Theater Appreciation class. I'm procrastinating. I have to write a 3-4 minute play about a tattoo artist, a used car salesman, on a front porch, and I have to work in a child custody case. During the lecture, she rolled the dice and that is how I have these characters, location, and topic. Let me just tell you that I have always sucked at writing poetry . . .and I'm worried that I might suck at writing 3 minute plays, too. This week, I also have to write a lesson on a parable for next Sunday, a devotion to be given while traveling, and this play. Instead . . .I'm going to stop and join up for Sunday Stealing. (as an aside -- if you have any great ideas for my play, let me know! Right now, I'm trying to work up to the inciting incident and it is pretty flat.

I'm joining up with Bev and a whole lot of other folks. Bev steals the questions every week and we answer them and then visit each other and read all of the answers. It's fun!

She stole the questions from Unconscious Mutterings this week. Actually, these aren't questions but they are more along the line of prompts.

The instructions are: There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head.

I say ... and you think ... ?

    Hurry! :: Run! Don't slow down. Gotta go right now. Hurry is often how I feel I live my life. We used to have a minister on our church staff who talked about how when we hurry we become harried and then we become hard. 
    Dumb :: I don't like this prompt. My play is pretty dumb right now!
    Fudge :: Fudge pops - no sugar added - are one of my favorite treats. I have two every night.
    Sturdy :: My laptop is on the kitchen island which seems quite sturdy - large granite surface should be sturdy, right?
    Printing :: My daughter is a school teacher and she is great at printing!
    Itch :: When I read the word, I started itching all over! Seriously?? It is June in Alabama - we have mosquitos who love me.
    Creaks :: All of my bones, joints, ligaments, muscles - I'm not sure what body parts they are but when I get up out of my chair, things pop and creak.
    Paste :: I loved the way paste smelled - you know the kind you got as a little kid in Elementary school? Today, it would be much more of "cut and paste" in documents.
    Waste of time :: Sometimes my phone and social media are a waste of time - - have you ever noticed that it is like being sucked down a deep hole?
    Let down :: I hate to feel like I've "let down" (disappointed) someone. I'm a people pleaser but I'm having to learn (even at this late age) that sometimes I have to say no.
    Cancellation :: Makes me think back to the worst days of covid. We kept receiving notices of cancellations due to illness, etc.
    Suspect :: Who done it? (I know that is incorrect but it is an expression used about mysteries) I love mysteries and there are always several suspects.
    Fireplace :: We have gas logs in our fireplace and we haven't turned them on in several years.
    Spring :: has sprung. We are in full blown summer here in Alabama. High humidity and warm to hot temps.
    Commute :: gas! Luckily, I have a fairly short commute to work - 20 minutes or so. I think it is about 9 miles maybe. I would hate to have an hour commute each way each day because gas is so high!
    Places :: Oh the places you will go!
    Fraud :: It seems like we are surrounded by fraud some days. I read a news article earlier today about a woman stealing money from her HOA. She was committing fraud.
    Adoption :: I think of Julie Lynn, a young friend who adopted a baby from Bulgaria. She was in the process when the world shut down so she had to wait . . .and wait. Her little girl, Lola Ruth, has many many issues but we live in a place with excellent medical care.
    Election :: I hate politics. I really hate politics.
    Moving day :: Both our daughter and my sister-in-law are getting ready to move!

Alright . . .I guess I need to get back to writing my play. Actually, I think I'm going to bed instead!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. "A daughter's a daughter all her life, but a son's a son til he takes a wife." What say you? Elaborate. I definitely think a daughter is a daughter all of her life! I think our son is still our son and we love his wife.  In our case, my family doesn't live nearby so I've always done everything with Mark's family so his mother definitely didn't lose her son.

2. Something you've seen recently that was 'cuter than a June bug'? I'm a grandmother (Gran!) so of course, cuter than a June bug would be our granddaughters. Pictures below. I had an uncle whose nick name was June bug!

I know this is a repeat picture
from yesterday but she is
cute as a June Bug!

This one thinks she is grown at 6 years old!
She is still as cute as a June Bug.
Mark kept her yesterday while her
parents worked. I was so excited that
she was still at our house when I got
home! I at least got a hug and a few
minutes with her.

3. 'You can't buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream and that's pretty much the same thing.' Agree or disagree? Last time you had a serving of happiness ice cream?  Dish-cone-milkshake-sundae...which one do you choose? 

I would disagree. I haven't eaten real ice cream since . . . maybe 2016. I do love to freeze bananas and add either a few blueberries or a few strawberries or a few cherries and whir them until smooth in the food processor. Now that might be a bowl of happiness!

4. What is one way/area in which you're currently 'swimming against the tide'? I feel a little that way with life right now. We had a very busy weekend. I'm facilitating a study on Tuesday nights and teaching an adult Sunday School class on Sundays plus working plus trying to be a good wife, mother, and gran . . .along with trying to gather stuff together for our big upcoming trip.

5. Three things you're looking forward to this summer? I'm really looking forward to our trip and I'm looking forward to granddaughter #2's 3rd birthday party. Her mommy asked her what kind of party she wanted and she said that she wanted a pink party . . .so a pink party it is. I know this is silly but I hope I can have some time at the neighborhood pool this year. I just need to make time for something I enjoy!

6. Insert your own random thought here. One of the countries we will be visiting is Germany but we will be staying in Austria. For those of you who are world travelers, I think I want to bring back Birkenstocks for me, our daughter, and our daughter-in-law.  Are they going to add too much weight to my suitcase? Are they any cheaper there? Or will it just be cool to say, "my Birkenstocks were purchased in Germany"? My mother-in-law went to Germany back in 2000 and she brought back Birkenstocks and we wore them out. Yes, I know I could buy them locally but . . .thoughts??

Weekend in Review

The weekend started with lunch with three of my besties on Friday. We TRY to go to lunch on the first Friday of every month. I've written about them before. We raised our kids together and we go to the same church and they often keep me sane -- even when they don't know they are doing that for me!

Friday night was quiet. Mark had spent Wednesday night with his mom and Thursday night at the farm. We ate some sort of leftovers or a turkey sandwich for dinner. Then we watched a couple of episodes of the two shows we are watching right now -- Hanna and Tehran. Both are gripping.

Saturday morning, I hit the ground running and went to my WW (Weight Watchers) meeting and then hit up the grocery story. Do you know that there was not a single chicken breast - fresh nor frozen - in my grocery story on a Saturday morning???? For some reason, it slightly freaks me out when I see whole sections of the grocery store EMPTY. I can't imagine being a mother needing to buy formula.

Our weekend got busy at this point. We had granddaughter #2 for several hours while her mommy and daddy went to an appointment.

To me, this is a real life photo. We
have playdough from one end of the 
island to the other -- yes, that is a
bowtie wearing cat that Gran made!
The stack of books and laptop
at the end of the island were
what I was using to write my
Sunday School lesson.

I don't think I was too rusty on
preparing lunch for an almost
3 year old. A PBJ sandwich,
a little sliced turkey, some
fresh strawberries, and an
apple juice pouch . . .
surrounded by play dough and
cookie cutters.

We did ALL of the things - we played
Barbies, we played with play dough,
we played with kinetic sand (that stuff is
awesome), we played on the
playground.

And . . .we played with bubble llama.
Gran saw it at the store and it is
always nice to have a new toy.
I recommend this one though
the song it plays might
drive you nuts.

As soon as they got in their car to head home, Mark and I tried to rest for a few minutes and then it was time to get ready to go to a wedding! I love our church. This was a sweet and simple wedding and that is one of my favorite kinds. After we were late for the last wedding (which has NEVER happened), we made sure we were early for this wedding. All of those pews in front of us were filled with people by the time the wedding started.

The reception was at a local venue, The Farrell, and it was well done. All of the guests gathered in the courtyard for a glass of champagne along with small bites served by the wait staff. They had fancy pigs in a blanket and fried green tomatoes.

The couple is from our Tuesday night group. She joined back during covid when we were only meeting online and then when we were able to meet in person, he started attending, too. They are so sweet and Mark and I have enjoyed both of them so much. That is the toughest part about hosting the young professionals every week. We grow to love them as our own . . .and then they get a better job and move away or they meet someone and fall in love and get married . . .and they are no longer a part of our group. Yes, we love that good things happen to and for them all. We want them to grow and mature. We just miss them when they are gone.

We somehow ended up eating at the table with quite a few relatives of the bride!

I rarely drink wine but this was actually quite yummy! I wish I knew what brand -- Mark grabbed it for me from the bar.

Here we are -- all dressed up -- with the sweet couple!

Sunday morning dawned bright and early. I worked in the Welcome Center from 7:45-8:30 and then I ran upstairs and joined Mark for worship. I taught Sunday School - on the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price! I then worked in the Welcome Center until 11:15 and headed to Mark's mother's house for Sunday lunch.

I left her house and drove an hour and 15 minutes to another town in Alabama for a baby shower for my great niece, Madison.

This is my pretty niece (mother of the mother-to-be).
My sister (mother of my niece :-)) is 13 years older
than me but my niece is only 8 years
younger than me.

I actually left before she started opening her presents.
This is what Mark and I bought her -- a high
chair from her registry.

Here is the mom-to-be and
my sister. This baby will be my
sister's first great grandbaby.

The mom-to-be and her middle sister.

The mom-to-be surrounded by her gifts.

This is the other sister of the mom-to-be.
She made the cutest baby
Jeopardy game. I normally HATE
shower games but this was fun!

Here is the mom to be surrounded
by gifts!

Here I am with my sister. We were
missing the middle one! I hadn't
seen her since before covid!

I had never seen these clear blocks
before. They filled them with balloons.
So cute!!

I stayed about an hour at the shower and drove home. Just FYI - gas was $4.599 when I filled up. Since I had an hour and 15 minute drive, I listened to the book we are studying with the young adults -- Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald. I love audible!

I'm going to be honest. When I got home, I crashed. I had gone non-stop for two straight days plus worked a full week last week, etc. Mark and I watched 2 episodes of Hanna and went to bed by 9:30. I accidentally set my alarm clock for the wrong time and we overslept by 30 minutes. Yay for Harvey, the cat, who woke us up!

Sunday Stealing

Today is Sunday so it must be time for Sunday Stealing! Thanks to Bev for stealing the questions each week so that we can answer them! She stole this week’s questions from Facebook! Feel free to steal the questions from me or answer in the comments!

The best story your parents or grandparents tell about the good ole days. My parents and grandparents have been dead many years so I can’t think of any BUT my mother-in-law, who will be 97 next month, has told some good ones. She was double promoted so she went to college at 16. She told us how she and her sorority sisters covered themselves with baby oil and then climbed onto the roof of one of the buildings at Birmingham Southern to sunbathe! Her father (my husband’s grandfather) was a Methodist pastor, and she has some great stories about growing up in as a PK (preacher’s kid). She was the baby of her family and she and her 3 siblings and their mother had to attend quite a few funerals. One time when her daddy was preaching a funeral service, she, her siblings, and their mother got so tickled because all they could see sticking out of the casket was the man’s nose.

The best things in life are...friends and family! Or how about “The best things in life are grace, love, and mercy”?

Things that drive me batty – lately, other drivers have driven me batty! People seem to have lost their minds or their common sense or their manners over the last two years. While I was driving to work a couple of weeks ago, 3 different people cut in front of me or drove on the shoulder of the interstate because they needed to get to the front of the line. You need to understand that I’m not a slow driver.

A place I'd like to live and why – I actually love our house. . . but I would love to live on the beach with a view of the Gulf of Mexico right outside my door.

The best thing I've ever found – I could answer this one in so many ways! One of the best things I’ve ever found is my hubby – he is pretty great! We also have “found” an amazing group group of friends. I’m so thankful that 40 years ago, my best friend “found” Trinity UMC for her wedding . . .and I’ve been there ever since!

The best thing that happened recently is...I think I’ll write about a couple of “best” things in my weekend recap.

I admire people who...have come from humble beginnings and made something of themselves and then are willing to share with others.

What makes me special? I don’t know – what does?

I am looking forward to...our trip to Italy, Germany, and Austria. I know y’all are tired of me talking about this!

Things that scare me – these are things that “sort of” scare me – growing old, getting cancer, something happening to one of my loved ones . . .I have to trust God on these things! I have always tried to live a life without fear but sometimes it does sneak up on me.

Complaints I have – I’m pretty complaint free tonight.

I could never live without...diet pepsi. Just kidding – sort of! Are you asking wanting a literal answer? If so, we couldn’t live without oxygen and without water. It would be next to impossible to live a life without love. I guess you could, but it would be sad.

Things that make me laugh – A baby giggling or a good joke is always good for a laugh. Today in church, the pastor showed a slide with a picture of the Israelites and “manna” (that artist’s interpretation of what manna looked like). My husband CANNOT whisper and he said, “Looks like marshmallows, doesn’t it?” I wonder how many people heard him . . .now I’m laughing about it but not so much then. I’ve found that to be true with lots of life – things that don’t seem funny at the time are hilarious on down the road.