Sunday Stealing

1. What is the farthest you have ever traveled? From Los Angeles to Oahu, Hawaii 2564 miles. San Diego to New York, 2433 miles. From there we got on a ship and traveled up the New England coast to Halifax Nova Scotia-900 miles.  1971 From Los Angeles to Mexico by car. 1900 miles.  I was 15 years old for 6 weeks. I went with a friend I met in Jr. High. The whole family was going for a wedding. It was a great learning experience for me. I am thankful to my parents who allowed me to go. It was another 235 miles to Acapulco. They took me so I could see the famous cliff divers. Then there was the drive back! But I will never forget that trip. The people were friendly even though they teased me about my Spanish. But they did encourage me. I learned many new things about the culture of my grandparents.  We eat  pinto beans here with red Spanish rice. They ate black beans and white rice. I was use to crispy fried tacos with hamburger meat ad potatoes. Over there a taco was a soft warm corn tortilla filled with the meat of your choice so I chose shredded port.

2. Who did you date while in high school? Kevin Dodd, in 11th grade and my now husband in 12th. My husband got to meet Kevin because he was also a friend of my cousin Joanie. We meet Kevin and his wife at my cousin's wedding and Kevin played the guitar and sang. I was his first girl friend. We had a lot of fun together and he helped me with chemistry. We were both active in school and with our friends and then we kinds of just stopped dating. We stayed friends, but I always wondered what happened. A few years later Kevin was at his mother's going through his school stuff and found the letters I left in his locker when we were dating. His wife Debbie suggested he mail them to me instead of throwing them away. He included a personal note. He stopped dating me because he was a new Christian and and going to church and dating was a temptation for him. At least he left me for Jesus and not another girl!

 This was at the Silver Ball in the Winter. We also had gone to the Harvest Ball(Sadie Hawkins )

This is my then boyfriend Jr and we were to the Prom. going Green was popular back in 1973.

3. What is one of the worst trips you've ever taken? What went wrong?  Can't think of anything.

4. How do you like to spend a lazy day? I am retired so I get a lot of lazy days! I like to Bible journal. When it is sunny and warm I like to go out and read my Bible or go in the spa.

5. How old were you when you found out that JFK had been assassinated?  8 years old. How did it affect you? I remember sadness. Our teacher was crying. School let out early. We were glued to the television. My mom was crying and my dad was so sad.

6. Who has been one of the most important people in your life? My parents.

7. What is one trait you would most like to improve in yourself? Better time management. But if it is a physical thing, it would be exercising to build up my muscles.

8. Did you date someone in college? I was engaged during my first year at the University and then we got married after that first year.

9. What was your dream car? Jaguar a long time ago. Here is my first car. Chevelle Malibu SS.

10. Did you have a family member you wish you'd gotten to know better? Yes my mom.

11. Tell me about your greatest gardening success. When I let my husband take over!

12. What was your Dad like when you were a child? I had a very close relationship with my dad. He called me his curly hair Mija. Mija is short for hija which is daughter in Spanish. But it is an endearing word also. He also called me his princess but my grandma would call me her Reina, the queen. I was  tomboy and very active and he played ball with me and taught me how to ride a bike and encouraged me when I asked for a skateboard. He helped me with my school projects and encouraged me a lot. He was patient and a a funny sense of humor. We could talk about anything. He was a kind man and had many friends. He did well in his jobs. He worked for HUD in the 1970's at would fly to DC for meeting and take my mom. He would stop by and visit me when I was married with young kids. He got along with my husband. He took care of my mom when she had Alzheimers. We had a lot of long conversations when I would go over there  to help him with mom  and after my mom passed. I have tears in my eyes as I write this because I missed him so much. I was with him when he passed away 8 years ago this month. He taught me so many things. I will seem him and mom in heaven someday.

13. What is the best job you've ever had? My first job when I was 14. I worked at a toy store called Toy City. My mom was the manager of  the 9 stores in Orange Country. I got to work one summer and one Christmas. I got to learn so many things. We had to know math and use the old cash registers. If the store was not busy, I could wrap presents with the red and white stripe paper. I enjoyed the book and science section. I worked on stock. Checking the invoice to for each box and then putting the price stickers on. I especially liked being able to walk across the street at lunch to eat at Woolworths. At the end of the summer I bought a sting ray bike. The following summer I worked as a Candy Striper.

14 .What are your favorite songs? That is a loaded question!  I mostly listen to Christian music. But hubby and I will play an oldie station and listen to song that were popular when  we were dating like Peaches and Herbs Let's Fall in Love. We both like Motown and music from the 70's. If I had to choose a few I would say I Can Only Imagine and Shout to the Lord. I still have my 45's I bought when we were dating. I also love musicals and have seen Phantom of the Opera in NY and LV. I like the music from Fiddler on the Roof and Sound of Music.. 

15. If you could choose any talents to have, what would they be? I wish I could have been better at playing the music. I wish I would have gone into nursing because I like the medical field. But I embrace who I am, being creative and using that to teach others. I have taught Bible journaling and I have been a lay counselor at church. My main focus is teaching my grands about Jesus.

My Website is called Susan's Garden of Friendship(1999-2020) The link is to the right. Lots of inspirational pages too. That is where I get most of the pictures for here. 

Bills Bills Bills 1999

Bills Bills Bills 1999

Unfamiliar with this week tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a cheating boyfriend. Unlike most songs, where the lover deceives by seeing another, this one squanders his girl's financial resources. She sings that he's ruined her credit. Do you know your credit score? When I last checked, it was very good.

I need to check it because I have been a victim of fraud. I normally get a notice if something is out of sorts.

2) How often do you pay your bills? Do you handle them as they come in, or do you pay weekly, bi-weekly or monthly? Or are you lucky enough to have someone else handle your bills? My utilities are set up for automatic payment. I pay the rest the first week of each month.

3) Destiny's Child had a hit with "Bills, Bills, Bills." This girl group got their start in Houston, TX. During the recent, bruising storm, lead singer Beyonce sent food, money and water to her home state. Have you spent much time in the Lone Star State? Never been there.

4) Beyonce is the breakout star of the group and went on to have a highly successful solo career. Can you think of another star who began his/her career as the member of a group? Michael Jackson.

5) "Bills, Bills, Bills" was performed a cappella by the kids on Glee. That Fox show ran for six seasons. Were you a fan? Yes I watched all the seasons. I loved the music and musicals! 

6) In 1999, when this song was on the charts, SpongeBob SquarePants premiered. The show remains popular among the younger set. Have you ever seen it? A spot here and there but did not like it.

7) SpongeBob has become an industry, spawning movies, a Broadway musical, video games and both coloring and comic books. Once considered children's amusements, today coloring and comic books enjoy a following among adults. Have you recently enjoyed coloring or reading a comic book? Coloring in my Bible.

8) Also in 1999, Walmart expanded to the United Kingdom. Do you shop at Walmart? Yes there is one close by and I get a lot of craft items there. It is one place to get almost anything at a good price. I buy most of my fresh good groceries and meat at Sprouts.

 

9) Random question -- We've all met people who aren't exactly as they present themselves. Are you good at spotting a phony? I know who I feel uncomfortable around but I try not to make an immediate assumption. I can usually tell when someone is a little over the top.

Today I am thankful for:

A good nights rest. I tend to stay up late and sleep in late.

Time spent in the Bible and being able to use my commentaries; I am still reading through the Bible and I am now in the Gospel of John. I am current on my Lent study too, pictures will be at the end of this post. I share a few on my previous post.

Warm sunny weather and I like to go out and read by Bible and get vitamin D

Making a new friend through our Women's Ministry friend exchange. Going to meet her today at Hobby Lobby. She is interested in Bible journaling and I am going to show her a few things I use.

Hubby's great cooking! I love his marinated bbq chicken he makes. 

Getting my vaccine. Next dose is March 13 and I am expecting some side effects which is common.

Peace while Bible journaling. 

Time with the grands. Last week we had the older two over and they are growing up so quickly! We will be taking the younger two to the park tomorrow for a picnic. We are also taking Minnie! This is after we stop by at Old Town Orange to get hubby's wedding band. Today I will cook eggs so I can make egg sandwiches for our picnic. The grands are picky so their mom will make their lunch for them.

I am going to get ready to meet my new friend. I will be back on Saturday.

My prayer request is written on the back of the cards or inserted pockets. Washi tape holds things down and can also be removed without damaging the pages. I do my pages after I have read my commentaries and study bible notes. God has given us a lot of time and over and over again he shows His grace.

Praying for Rebecca  and her husband as they fight Covid.

Welcome to Tuesday 4 kept up in memory of our friend Toni Taddeo who began it several years ago.  She would be so pleased to see people keeping up with it!

Let's talk about moving today.

1. How far away are you from where you grew up? I live about 20 miles from my hometown. My kids 1-15 miles away.

2. Families sometimes move all over the country. Do you feel that a family should try to stay close together? I think it depends on the family and how close they are. My family is within an hours drive. We are a close family. Covid has kept us from visiting the way we are use to. Facebook helps.

3. How many times have you moved in your life and would you like to share when and where you moved? When I lived at home, my parents moved 4 times. My husband and I married in 1974 and we have moved 5 times. I think we are through moving.

4. What brought you to where you are living now and are you happy there? When we retired, we no longer needed to be close to the freeway to  drive 60 miles round trip to work. We also wanted a one story home  and lower taxes which we found in an older home close to our favorite market and 5 minutes from our doctors. We are content. We have 4 bedrooms and nice size yard which is nice. I do miss my last home that had a nice view and a soaking tub. I miss the separate dinning room and the formal living room that was well lit. But we are comfortable here and easy access to the places we like to go to. I am about 40 minutes from the beach, an hour from the desert, 2 hours to the mountains, one and a half hours to San Diego and 30 minutes to Disneyland!

The weather has been so nice here. It was in the 70's last week and 80 for Monday and Tuesday. I like to read my Bible outside. I am also working on my Lent study. I am spending less time on Social media and less time on the television. 

Here are a couple of pages I have done in my compact Bible and I am using the New King James version. Items are attached to the side of the Bible so that the text can be read. I am using two of my study bibles and the Dr. Tony Evans Commentary to get a bigger understanding the text. I do this after I read the verse and the chapter before. I am also doing my Bible through the year reading that I started last February. I just started reading Luke. When I finish this Bible, I will have read the whole Bible through for the 5th time.

Saturday 9: Cry (1952)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Johnnie Ray assures us we'll feel better if we cry. Do you agree? Sometimes it helps.

2) He also mentions waking from a dream, believing it was real. Has that ever happened to you? Yes that has happened a couple of times.

3) Because this record was such a massive hit, Johnnie Ray was nicknamed "The Prince of Wails." Without looking it up, do you know who is currently the Prince of Wales? Prince Charles?

4) To cash in on the success of this single, 20th Century Fox cast Johnnie Ray in a big-budget musical, There's No Business Like Show Business. Today it's best remembered as a Marilyn Monroe movie. Have you seen many of Marilyn's films? A couple.

5) After graduating from high school, Johnnie worked at low-paying jobs, including bus boy and soda jerk. He found he made better tips when he began playing piano in restaurants. Have you ever worked for tips? Nope.

6) In 1969, Johnnie was in the news a lot again because he performed with Judy Garland during her European tour and was best man at her wedding to Mickey Deans. Tell us what you wore to the most recent wedding you attended. The last wedding I attended was my son's in 2016 on Long Beach, next to the Queen Mary.

7) In 1952, when this song was a hit, Mr. Potato Head made his debut. It was the first toy advertised on television. What TV commercial have you seen recently?  Hallmark Channel, When Comes the Heart, Season 8 starts Sunday night!

8) Also in 1952, chlorophyll was all the rage for banishing bad breath. Colgate led the way by adding it to their toothpaste. Do you use gum, mints, mouthwash, or breath strips? I use a special treatment for my gums.

9) Random question -- Congratulations! You won a free three night/two day weekend for two in Las Vegas! The weather is predicted to be sunny and 65º each day you're there. It's 12:00 noon on your first day. Are we most likely to find you: a) gambling in the casino or b) having breakfast in bed or c) outside, enjoying the sun and the sights? Probably at a Casino  at one of the lunch buffets. We have a time share with our son. We usually eat breakfast and dinner at the suite and lunch out. One year we went to a matinee showing of the Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian.

Today is National Love Your Pet Day.

1. This week's Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday which signals the beginning of Lent. Do you mark this season in some way? If so tell us more. Did you grow up 'celebrating' Lent? Is attending church part of your weekly routine? Are churches open for in-person worship where you live?  I grew up in the Methodist church and we did not practice lent that I can remember. My grandmother was Catholic and I remember her talking about it. Our church does not do anything. I am in a Facebook group of women and we will be doing a Lent study based on repentance.  I have done lent studies the past couple of years through Illustrated Faith. My husband and I have been watching services online. Our church is open with the state guidelines of wearing mask and staying 6 feet apart. We are also at 25% capacity. I plan to go back to church next week. During the summer out church met outside and that was nice.

2. When is the last time you sat beside a 'real' fire? Do you have a fireplace in your home? Wood or gas logs? Favorite thing cooked over a fire? We have a gas fireplace that we used it this past Sunday. I can't be around wood smoke because it bothers my allergies.

3. Something that's currently got you fired up? Nothing at the moment.

4. February also happens to be National Cabbage Day. Who knew? Do you like cabbage? Is cabbage on your menu Wednesday? Of the following cabbage dishes which is your favorite-coleslaw (mayo or vinegar?), sauerkraut, cabbage rolls, cabbage soup, kielbasa and cabbage, grilled cabbage, bubble and squeak, kimchi, or haluski?  Yes I like cabbage. I like it in soup and in coleslaw and in a stir fry.

5. Do you hang on to pennies? What do you do with them? Last thing you purchased for $1.00? Last thing you purchased for $5.00? Yes I do keep a jar of pennies. When the jar is filled. I have around $16.00. I save change for the grands. We put coins in the Easter eggs for the grands. I bought some buttons for $1.00 I spent $5.00 on material for craft material.

6. Insert your own random thought here. During Lent I a suppose to give up something. I plan to cut out junk food and spend less time on social media.  Our Lent group will have daily reading and we will also be Bible journaling. I like to listen to praise music when I do the crafting part of the study. I got a compact Bible and made a cover for it. I watched a YouTube video to learn how to do it. I was off by a half inch and the cover barely fit, but it works.  Here are the cutouts, I will be using to do my journaling. I plan to make a decorative card for each day. It will have a pray for just my thoughts for the verse. I will use the Washi tape to adhere it to the inside of the page. I will share a few cards here.

1. What is the meaning of Valentine’s Day in your country/area? What happens on this day?

It is a tradition that has been a part of life. You make it what you want to be. But as a Christian, we emphasize God's love for us.

2. Is Valentine’s Day more for men or women? Explain your answer. I think it depends for each person. I think it is geared more to women. I know women that give their friends cards and gifts but you don't see men doing that.

3. Do you have any special plans for Valentine’s Day? What will you do? I told my husband I wanted to go to Downtown Disney and get some beignets since Mardi Gras is on Tuesday. It is not something I would normally care about, but my craft group takes a virtual Take Me Away Day where we visit a city in a state or Country. This month it is New Orleans Louisiana.  Since we were going to be an Anaheim to get our Covid vaccine's we decided to go then instead of on Sunday which would be way to busy.

4. Which traditional gift would you rather receive: chocolates, flowers, or a card with a personal message? A card.

5. Is Valentine’s Day only about romantic love? Or is it a good occasion to celebrate friendship as well? Yes all of it. We made goodies bags for our 4 grandkids. Hubby and I get each other cards. 

6. Do you like romantic movies? What is your favorite romantic movie? Yes I do like romantic movies. My favorite movie is Gone With The Wind. I like the Hallmark series called When Calls The Heart. I also have enjoyed Masterpiece Theater's (Queen)Victoria.

7. Have you ever received a Valentine’s Day card or gift from a secret admirer? How did it make you feel? Back in High School and it was a nice surprise. 

8. Is Valentine’s Day the most romantic day of the year? If not, what day is? No, our anniversary is.

9. What is the most romantic thing you have done for another person? That would be  for my husband and I won't go into any details.

10. Valentine’s Day is promoted by companies whose only interest is making money. Discuss whether you agree or disagree. Yes for the most part it is because we live in a society that pushes merchandise for everything. I also think that  people want to get things to give to someone. I go to the Dollar Tree for my cards and some goodies.

11. Describe your perfect Valentine’s Day date. Last Valentine's was really nice. We went to the Mission Inn at Downtown Riverside. We went shopping at the antique stores before having a late lunch at Las Campanans(the bells) But today was fun even if my daughter and grands were with us. My daughter was nice enough to go with us for our Covid vaccines. Downtown Disney is not to far from where we got our vaccines so it worked out.

12. How should a single person spend Valentine’s Day? What do you suggest? I can't suggest anything because that is a personal decision. My daughter is single but she is spending the day with her true loves, her kids. We al ate at Tortilla Joes and later had beignets for desert.

13. Do you enjoy playing cupid? Do you try to introduce people in the hope they will make a love match? No I am past that.

14. Some restaurants charge higher prices on Valentine’s Day. Are you willing to pay more to dine out on this day? We did one year when we went to California Adventure and ate at the most expensive place called the Carthay Circle. It included a huge sirloin steak that we shared and could not finish. It also included front row seats to that World of Color water, music and light show.

15. Is a romantic gesture more powerful on Valentine’s Day or on another day of the year? Any day and it doesn't have to be a big thing. Little gestures can be just as special. This year hubby and I got each other a Disney Mickey and Minnie. 

 

Saturday 9: My Valentine (2011)

1) Paul McCartney sings that he won't let a day go by without remembering why he loves his valentine. What blessings are you thankful for today? My family and my faith.

2) Paul directed the video of Natalie Portman translating his song into American Sign Language (ASL), which is the third most commonly-used language in both the United States and Canada. British Sign Language (BSL), commonly used in EU countries, is very different. Do you find it easy to learn new languages? English is my native language. I know some Spanish and most of the the the ASL alphabet.

 

3) The song is on Paul's Kisses on the Bottom CD, for which he won one of his 18 Grammy Awards. What compliment or accolade have you recently received? My most important role is Mema(grandma) and my grands hugging me is the best compliment for me. My lifegroup friends us to tell me I was good with my crafting and how I shared it with them.  They said they could see the passion I had for it.

These are the cards I made for a group of ladies I do an exchange with. I am also going to do the top card in my journaling Bible. I also use acrylic and watercolor in my Bible. You can watercolor on

a Bible page and it does not go through and does not cover the words. I usually add a Bible verse or, prayer or an something inspirational in the back of my Rolodex cards. I love being creative!

4) Paul is an honorary NYPD detective. He was given this designation for performing a charity concert after 9/11. Do you know anyone in law enforcement? Yes a couple of people at my church.

5) Bob Dylan has said of Paul, "I'm in awe of McCartney. He's about the only one I'm in awe of. He can do it all. He never lets up. He's just so effortless." Tell us about someone whose talent you admire. Right now my focus is on my grandkids. I have enjoyed watching them grow and learn. They all have their special gifts and I enjoy Bible journaling with them. They also made Valentine cards. Each grand decides how they want to do their Bible page after we have gone over their verses. Stamps, tape pr free hand drawing is what they worked with today. They are all created to create in their own way.

Todays Verses

This is the last Saturday  9 before Valentine's Day and so this morning we shall focus on the upcoming holiday. 

6) The holiday is also known as The Feast of St. Valentine. Do you have a special meal planned for February 14? No, not at the moment. I will have to ask my husband as he does most of the cooking. We will be at Downtown Disney Saturday for lunch and so we will probably stay home on Sunday. Normally we go out for lunch at the beach or at the Mission Inn.  This is at the Mission Inn, 2020

7) The phrase "wear your heart on your sleeve" began in medieval times. On Valentine's Day, men would celebrate the holiday by displaying their lady love's name on their sleeves. If you were going to adopt this custom, whose name would you wear? My dad's - Sammy, (Samuel).

8) Women buy and send more Valentines than men do. Who received the last greeting card you sent?

I sent a card to my friend that lost her mom and her husband to Covid in the same week.

9) Men buy and send more roses at Valentine's Day than women do. What's your favorite flower? I love roses and plumerias. Hubby picked the last of the roses this past week before cutting them back. My husband usually gets me flowers for Valentines. He will be getting me a gift from Downtown Disney.

Before we go there, we will be going for our vaccines. I wrote about that in my previous post.