Friday Faves 5 and Saturday 9 & Israel

This week has gone by so quickly and it has been fairly quiet. 

Thankful to be at church this past Sunday and greeting. The girl I greet with also went to Israel and she was having a hard time adjusting to the time as were a few other women I went with. But we all are happy we go to go to Israel together. The following pictures are some of the girls in my Bible journaling group.

At Masada 

On the Sea of Galilee

In front of a 4000 year old mud gate in Tel Dan at the foot of Mount Herman

At the Olive Garden near the Garden of Gethsemane

In Jericho

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem 

After getting baptized at the Jordan River

At Caesarea Philippi, the Gates of Hell.

Thankful that hubby and grandson brought in the Christmas trees. I normally start decorating the second week of November, but I am having cataract surgery on Nov. 12, so I am starting now. Thankful that my grands will help with the decorating. Eddie will bring in the ornament boxes next week. 

Thankful to be able to go to our married group this week. The host also went to Israel and she passed out bookmarks and so did I. When I got baptized in the Jordan River, I took some fabric with me. I made bookmarks and used some of the material to ties on the top of the bookmark. I got a certificate of baptism and plan to frame it along with a picture of me getting baptized.

Thankful that I am getting some sleep, but still off. I start getting sleepy around dinner time. I doze around 8 and then I go to bed by 10 which is not normal for me. I am normally a late bird. Problem is that I keep waking up around 4am. I am hoping I will be able to extend that to 6am. Thankful that I am retired and don't have to be anywhere early. 

Thankful that I took lots of pictures while on my trip and am slowly going through them. Nice how I can refer to them for dates and location. I need to get them printed for an album. Looking forward to hanging up my ornaments that I got while in Israel. Thankful that I can use my experience on this trip to put together my next Bible journaling kit.

Saturday 9: Smoke Rings (1933)

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

   

1) In this song, Donald Mills of the Mills Brothers encourages us to "puff, puff, puff" our cares away. When did you most recently smoke a cigarette? When I was a teen, and it was awful! That would be in the late 60's.

 

2) In the 1930s, when this week's song was recorded, an estimated 40% of American adults smoked cigarettes. By the early 1960s, that number reached a high of 42%. According to the CDC, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to 11%. Do many of your friends and relatives smoke or vape? None of them do. I have allergies and just being around someone smokes closes my nose.

 

3) Donald was the youngest of the singing Mills Brothers, and he's the one who most often sang lead. That squares with popular birth order theory, which proposes that the youngest tends to enjoy being the center of attention, the middle child is the diplomat, and the oldest is the high-achiever. Think of your own family and the families of your friends. Do you think this theory holds true? Yes and I was the first born and put in that over achiever role. I did fulfill most of it to please my parents. The bad thing is living with the fear of failure.

 

4) The Mills Brothers were one of the first famous singing brother acts. The Williams Brothers – which featured future TV star Andy Williams – followed in their footsteps. Can you think of another group of singing brothers? The Jackson's, the Osmonds, 

 

5) In addition to recording hit records, The Mills Brothers were a staple on radio in the 1930s. They were among the first African American artists to host their own radio show and sang jingles for Standard Oil and Crisco. What commercial do you recall having seen, or heard, recently? Can't think of any.

 

6) In 1933, when this week's song was popular, actor Robert Montgomery and his wife had a daughter they named Elizabeth. That little girl would become famous in the 1960s for her own TV show. Without looking it up, do you know what show Elizabeth Montgomery starred in? Bewitched.

 

7) Johnny Cash was also born in 1933. Do you have a favorite Johnny Cash song? No

 

8) In 1933, five French airlines merged to form Air France. Think of the last time you were at an airport. Were you taking a flight or meeting a flight? Taking a flight home from Israel this month.

 

9) Random question: Your best friend just received a certificate for completing a car maintenance course at your community college. Would you let them work on your vehicle? Yes

Friday's Fave 5 & Sat 9

So thankful to be back home after my trip to Israel! I had a wonderful time.

Ikey the tour guide so happy to be with Pastor Jim again! 

He was a great tour guide!

1. Thankful that I survived the 15 hour flight. 11 hours from Los Angeles to Frankfurt and then another 4 hours to Israel. Thankful that I had window seats for 3 of the 4 flights. Thankful for the seat cushion and, noise canceling headphones and neckroll that helped to make me comfortable.

2. Thankful to have seen so many things my 3 highlights were being baptized by my pastor in the Jordan River. He baptized me along with my husband in 1993, visiting the Garden of Gethsemane and touching the Western Wall 2 times, praying and leaving a note in the crevices.

3. Thankful for all the amazing things I ate. Breakfast and dinner were huge buffets, and lunch was on the road. Thankful that I did not get sick! Thankful to survive the jammed pack schedule, the many steps and lack of sleep.

4. Thankful to have experienced this with my 3 friends that have been in my Bible journaling group. We tried to take our group picture at a few sites. Thankful to have me new friends that go to one of the other campuses. Thankful see how we all watched out for each other.

5. Thankful to be home and get 10 hours of sleep my first night in my comfy bed. Thankful that my cold went away before I left and my back didn't bother me too much. 

Some Israel pictures are on the previous entry. Yes, it is me getting baptized in the Jordan River.

Saturday 9: Somewhere Over Laredo (2025)

   

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

   

1) In this song, Laney Wilson namechecks Tito's Vodka. Is there a product you you are very brand loyal to? (It doesn't have to be liquor. Maybe you always reach for Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, even if another soap is on sale.) Best Food Mayonnaise, Lays Potato Chips

 

2) The lyrics start with her in a window seat on a flight out of Houston. Do you prefer the window or the aisle? Window seat

 

3) She's dreaming of rodeo nights with the guy she loves. If you could spend this evening with anyone at all, anywhere at all, where would you go and who would be with you? I just got back from Israel, so being home with hubby and Minie is all I need right now.

 

4) Lainey is from Baskin, LA, population 200. Do you prefer big cities or small towns? I live in a medium size city and I am fine with it.

 

5) There's a Netflix documentary about Lainey called Keepin' Country Cool. What show have you recently streamed? Something on the Disney+ channel a few weeks ago.

 

6) This week's song borrows liberally from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," so much so that "Rainbow" songwriters Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg receive credit. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is the most beloved song from The Wizard of Oz. Can you name another? We're off to see the Wizard.

 

7) In 2025, when this song was popular, more patients took advantage of telehealth than ever before. Have you ever had a virtual doctor visit? No, just messages on the Kaiser website.

 

8) Also in 2025, smart home technology was integrated into more new home construction. Do you use smart devices to automate your lights, thermostat, or doorbell? Thermostat and doggie monitor.

 

9) Random question – On which day are you happier: a) the day you take off on vacation or b) the day you return home from your trip? The day I return, because I can look back on my great vacation, relaxed and thankful.

Hello from Israel!

Below the star is the place that Jesus was buried

The church of the Nativity

The Church of the Shepherds 

Olive factory in Bethlehem 

Garden of Gethsemane 

October 9

Friday's Fave Five & Saturday 9

Thankful for so many things. My trip is in 3 days and I am asking for prayer. I have a cold again and I am hoping it does not get worse. I am resting, taking fluid, Tylenol decongestants and eating chicken soup. I am almost packed and I have broken in my shoes. I have a few last minute things coming in from Amazon. I got a scale, so I will weigh my luggage by tomorrow. I spent a lot of time looking for shoes and I think I burned more calories shopping and I lost weight because I was not eating enough. So I am adding protein drinks too. I am trusting in God to get me through this so I can enjoy my trip.

Thankful that I am going with several of my close friends and there are around 50 of us going led by our pastor who has taken 3 groups already. 

I am thankful I found a backpack that meets the size requirements of Lufthansa airlines. Thankful that I was able to break in my Brooks shoes and Sketchers that I will use for the airport. I am taking one other lightweight pair of Sketchers if I need them.

The black is what I was going to use.

I am thankful that you have been thinking about me and praying. I hope to post a few pictures here. Now that I have a new phone, I can access Blogger. I could not with my old phone.

I am thankful that my husband can cook and he will be fine when I am gone. Minnie will keep him company like she always does. The grands are here during the week before school and my daughter will check in on him. 

Eastbound and Down (1977)

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

1) This week's song was featured in the movie Smokey and the Bandit, the surprise box office hit of 1977. Have you seen it? No

2) Though not well received by critics, Smokey and the Bandit had one very famous fan: Alfred Hitchcock. The classic film director enjoyed re-watching the movie on video at home, often while having dinner. Do you ever watch TV with your meal? Yes, quite often now that it is just the two of us. If family comes over, we eat at the table.

3) Jerry Reed not only wrote and performed the movie's theme, he appeared in the movie as truck driver Cledus "Snowman" Snow. Have you ever driven, or ridden in, a big rig? No

4) He sings, "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there." Have you recently felt rushed? These past couple of weeks have felt like that.

5) Director Hal Needham asked Jerry Reed for a song that explained the plot of the movie. He wrote this overnight and always considered it a happy accident. Can you think of a time when something turned out better than you expected? Yes, but I am too tired to think of something.

6) Reed was born in Atlanta and, coincidentally, he mentions Atlanta in the lyrics. Has your hometown been immortalized in song? I don't think so.

7) Jerry met Priscilla Mitchell at Capitol Records, where Jerry was a session musician and Priscilla was backup singer. Though she was only 18 when they wed, it seems their union was a happy one and they were together until his death almost 50 years later. If a newly engaged 18-year-old asked you for advice, what would you say? Don't rush into it and get pre marriage counseling.

8) In 1977, when "Eastbound and Down" was on the radio, nostalgia for the 1950s topped the TV ratings. The two most popular shows that year were Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days. If you magically transported back to the 1950s, what do you think you'd like about it? What do you think you'd miss about your life in 2026? Time with the grands.

9) Random question: Were you ever afraid of monsters in your closet or under your bed? I think so.

Not sure if I will be back soon so bye for now.