Every day is a day to be thankful for something in our lives. I have been working on the Gr8teful Project with Illustrated Faith this past year. Each day I take note of 3 things I am grateful each day. 

Today I am thankful for a good night of sleep in a comfortable bed.

Thankful for a good hot breakfast and my coffee.

I am thankful for dental insurance. I had a deep clean on the right side of my mouth Tuesday and will have the left side done today. Thankful for the medication that numbs the experience. Thankful that I have no cavities! 

Thankful that all my kids and grandkids are doing well.

Thankful for air conditioning as we experience high heat near 100 this week.

Thankful for the weathermen that can predict the weather so we can be prepared.

Thankful that the Federal Gov. will be helping the people suffering from the hurricane.

Thankful that news is covering how people are coming together to help.

Thankful for my Bible journaling group and that my October kits are complete.

Thankful to be used to share my passion in Bible journaling.

Thankful to learn new things in the Word and journaling techniques. 

Thankful to be studying about the Jewish festivals in books of Moses. (1st 5 books of the OT)

Thankful for the song I learned in Sunday School that taught me the books of the Old Testament.

Thankful for a car that gets me where I need to go.

Thankful for my friends that visit me here at my blog. Be blessed!

Tuesday 4 - Fall

Autumn This & That

It's time again for Tuesday 4 held in memory of Toni Taddeo it's founder and previous host.   Thank you so much for joining in and helping to keep this alive. It is much appreciated.

It's Autumn and temperatures in many places will be going down, days will be shorter, and leaves will be tumbling down. Not here in So Calif. It will be 100 today. We won't see a noticeable change until the end of October.

Let's discuss these things.

1. Do lower temperatures bother you or make you uncomfortable and are you more of a warm climate person? I hate the hot weather. I love the cooler weather. 60's. We don't really get too cold here in So Ca. Last year we were in the 50's in December and we were freezing.

2.  Do you like the colors associated with Autumn. Clothing wise do they look good on you? I love the fall colors. I just got a few t-shirts from a Christian Company that are for fall.

Taken at Tenaya Lodge, neat Yosemite, October 2019

3. Would you rather: … I love it all. Sadly, the fall attractions they bring are getting too expensive to enjoy.

… get lost in a corn maze or go on a hayride? Hayride

… visit an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch? I love to be around trees!

… eat a caramel apple or a candy apple?  I love both!

…Cinnamon buns or Pumpkin muffins? I had some cinnamon buns with pecans while we were in Lake Tahoe. So yummy, but so high in sugar! I will go with the muffin.

Apple picking, fall of 2020, Riley's Orchards, Oak Glen CA

4. There are 7,500 varieties of apple.  What is your favorite?  Do you like apple pie? My husband buys Envy's from Sam's Club. I love to eat yellow Opal's and Jaz. I do like hot apple pie but have never baked a pie. May I will this year! 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: This Night Won't Last Forever (1979)

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

 

1) This song begins with, "Everybody likes a celebration." Do you have any birthdays or anniversaries coming up on your calendar? My husband's birthday is in October.

 

2) The lyrics tell us Michael Johnson is stuck at a party while his heart is breaking. He finds it awkward and painful to pretend there's nothing wrong. Are adept at "putting a good face on it?" Or is it easy for others to tell how you're feeling? I was really good at hiding my emotions and acting like everything was okay. I am more open to my feelings now. I share with safe friends.

3) Michael feels like this is going to be a long night. Is there a part of your day when time tends to drag? Or when it flies? My days fly by! I would like to get myself to bed earlier! I have not been sleeping well and I am tired during the day. I am posting this on Friday night so I can get to bed before midnight.

 

4) As bad as he feels right now, he's still hopeful about tomorrow. What are you looking forward to for Sunday? Going to church! Seeing my younger grands there. My older grands stay with us during the week because of school.

 

5) When he was 13, Michael taught himself to play the guitar. He went on to take formal lessons and mastered classical guitar. What's something you would like learn more about/do better? I would like to play the piano again. I miss my old piano that my granddaughter has. We have my MIL's baby grand, but I liked mine better. The grand takes up a lot of space in my family room. 

 

6) For a time he performed with a trio known as Denver, Boise & Johnson. The Denver was John. Do you have a favorite John Denver song?

 

7) He retired to Minneapolis to be near his adult daughter. But he never stopped performing entirely. For years he delighted loyal local fans with an annual holiday concert on December 26 at Orchestra Hall. Is there a performer you've seen in concert more than once? I have seen several Christian singers in concert. I saw Mandisa an Anaheim when she was on tour with American Idol back in 2006. I saw her again when she was on tour with TobyMac. They were in Ontario CA around 2018.

 

8) In 1979, when this song was popular, the cable channel ESPN launched. What's the last sporting event that you watched? My grandson playing basketball. He made the freshmen team for his HS.

9) Random question: Do you play Wordle? No, I don't.  I do play Word with Friends on my cell phone. I played Farmville for 10 years on my computer.

 

Thankful Thursday

Happy Birthday Dad! 1933-2013

Sept 21, 2008, Harvard, New England Cruise.

The previous post has more pictures from that cruise.

Today or should I say tonight is Thankful Thursday.

There are so many things to be thankful for, but I will keep it short.

I am thankful for my parents. Mom passed in 2010 from Alzheimer's.

I am thankful that dad asked us to go on this cruise.

Thankful that we have these special memories.

Thankful that dad got to go on a cruise to the Mediterranean

 with my other sister and brother in 2011.

Thankful for all the vacations I have had this year.

Thankful that my parents took us to church as kids.

Thankful that my family are believers.

Thankful that we are healthy.

Thankful that a new season has begun according to the calendar.

Thankful for my physical therapist.

Thankful for my friends that visit my blog.

Thankful for my Lord, that gives me life!

 

Tuesday 4, Fall Vacation

Let's plan a lovely vacation through New England to see the Autumn leaves.  Money is no object, and we have all the time we would like.

1. How many days and nights would you like to be away? A month!

2. What kind of car would you like to take on this trip? Maybe you would enjoy the train? Would you sail up the coast in a yacht? I would take a car like this Toyota Van that was a hybrid we rented while in Lake Tahoe. We only had to fill it up once in 6 days for $60.00 because it was a hybrid. It held 7 of us in comfort.

I took a New England cruise in September 2008. We stopped in Boston, Maine and two cities in Canada. We took bus tours. I would go at the end of October to really see the leaves changing. I would also drive so I could go where I wanted and see what I wanted. I love history and love to see old churches.

Paul Revere in front of the Old North Church.

Stone Chapel | St. Ann's Episcopal Church

3. Would side trips be on your agenda? Perhaps to Mystic, Connecticut, Salem, Massachusetts, Plimouth, (yes, they spelled it with an "i" ) Massachusetts, Walden Pond, Lizzie Borden's home or maybe the home of  Emily Dickenson, etc.

The tour bus driver told us about the famous authors and people of the area.

Portland Head Lighthouse.

4. Lobster roll, chowders, boiled dinners, brown bread, baked beans, pancakes with real maple syrup, blueberry muffins, Parker House Rolls (well loved by Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,  the Kennedy clan.), Toll House Cookies, Red Flannel Hash, Tourtiere  pork pie, (Recipe here)— what native foods catch your attention?

We had this lobster roll lunch. Then the ship fed us lobster for dinner!

My previous entry has pictures of me hiking in Lake Tahoe!

Saturday 9, Lake Tahoe

Saturday 9: In and Out of Love (1967)

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

1) In this song, Diana Ross is disappointed that she hasn't yet found lasting love. Do you think you can fall out of love? Or do you believe that if you fell out of love, it wasn't true love to begin with? Yes, I believe you can. It also depends on the situation. I don't think it is something that happens right away. I think if it was true love, it takes time for that love to die. 

2) When is the last time you literally fell, tripped, or stumbled? That would be this past Thursday when I was hiking in Lake Tahoe. My foot slid on the sandy rock area, and I lost my balance a bit but did not fall. The 3 hour hike to the falls was worth it. I have seen bigger falls, but this was my most challenging hike! We met a 91 year old man coming down as we were going up. He inspired us as we went up. 

Our group, me 67, Carole 70, Linda 64 and Rosie 72. Sir Charles 91!

 

3) This record was a hit with American Bandstand viewers. For weeks it was voted the song they most wanted to dance to. Did you watch American Bandstand? Yes! I also watched Soul Train.

 

4) This is one of the last Supremes songs that featured the most successful hit-making line-up: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard. Florence's great-nephew, Christian Ballard, was a football star at University of Iowa and briefly played pro ball for the Vikings. The 2022-23 NFL season just kicked off. What team do you root for? I am really not into football. Some of my family members are Raiders fans.

 

5) Mary had a connection to sports, too. She donated her time and talent to raising money for Figure Skaters of Harlem, an organization that helps young people train for the Winter Olympics. Tell us about a charity you support. Our local Pregnancy Center and Alzheimer's Org. We also provide boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

6) There's a children's playground in New York's Central Park named for the last surviving member of this trio, Diana Ross. It has swings, slides, a rope bridge, and a fountain that kids are welcome to splash in. If you were suddenly little again, which would you play on first? Probably the swing. I remember swinging high and jumping out of the swing. Our dresses were like parachutes. I did wear shorts under my dress. I was a tomboy and was very competitive as a child. Our local school parks had tetherball and that was a favorite! I am second to the left. I was 5 years old.

7) Diana owns an estate in Greenwich, CT, with lush gardens, a tennis court, and a pool. While the grounds are spectacular, she maintains the house itself is "nothing special" because the kitchen hasn't been renovated in more than three decades. Could your kitchen benefit from a makeover? Or are you fine with it as it is? I would like to have my dark cabinets painted white. If money was no option, I would add a backsplash, replace the counters and get new flooring for the whole house!

 

8) In 1967, when this song was popular, the best-selling camera was The Polaroid Swinger. When did you most recently take a photo? What was it of? I took lots of pictures while on vacation in Lake Tahoe. I asked a hiker to take this picture of us. This is right after hiking 3 hours to get to the falls. This is Van Sickle Bi-Park above Heavenly Valley.

 

9) Random question: Come clean! Are there dirty dishes in your sink right now? I have a mug in there.

Susan

Saturday 9

After a week of over 100 degrees, Hurricane Kay made its way up Mexico and we are getting rain. There was a lot of wind and the temperatures have finally dropped. We sure need the rain!

No Roots (2017) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a woman who has moved a lot and is always packing boxes. Do you have packing materials (boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, etc.) in your home right now? Do you have them on hand to ship things, or are you preparing for a move? I do have padded envelopes and tape hand. I exchange crafting items with the girls in my crafty group. This is from my roommate from my crafty camp. I could not fit the deep pink binder, so she took it home and then mailed it to me!

 

2) She sings that she moves from place to place, collecting memories. Would you rather travel light and travel often, or put down roots? I like having my place, close to family and friends. I do like to travel, and I am leaving Sunday to Lake Tahoe with some of my friends. We are flying and it will take about an hour and 15 minutes to get there. It took my hubby and I 10 hours to drive there this past June.

3) She can recall all the gates and house numbers of all the places she's lived. Does your current residence have a fence and gate? Did your previous one? Yes, we have a fence on both sides of our house and one side has a gate.

4) This week's artist, Alice Merton, moved often as a child as her father's job took the family from Germany to the US to Canada to England back to Germany ... She wrote this song to help her deal with feelings of loneliness and longing. When you're feeling overwhelmed, how do you work through the feelings? Listening to Christian music helps as well as praying. Sometimes talking with a friend.

5) Alice is still on the move. Soon she'll be performing throughout Europe. Have you ever had a job that required you to travel? If yes, did you enjoy it? My last job with the postal service had local traveling to visit other postal facilities. I only had to fly up by San Francisco once. My boss had a meeting with Headquarter people and she needed me to run the power point presentation. She also decorated some of the questions to me. I eventually took over her vending program when she left. Do you remember by stamps from vending machines? That was my program. I had to close our district out in 2010 and I retired in 2011.

6) "No Roots" is a favorite of Kelly Clarkson's, who has performed it on tour and on TV. When you think of Kelly, is at as a singer, a judge on The Voice, or as a talk show host? I enjoyed watching her on American Idol.

 

7) In 2017, when this song was popular, Faye Dunaway made Oscar history by announcing the wrong winner for the biggest award of the night, Best Picture. It wasn't her fault as she was given the wrong envelope, but she's one who made the on-screen flub seen around the world. Have you recently had an embarrassing moment? I hit my head on the low hanging light the other day when we went out with the family to celebrate birthdays. The grandkids had me stand right under it so I had a hat!

 

Happy Birthday to my daughter in love Melinda,

my granddaughter Audrina and son Daniel.

8) Wonder Woman was 2017's most popular movie. She was originally introduced in a 1941 DC comic book. Comic books remain a big business. Have you ever been to a comic bookstore? I went to a few, but not for comic books. I was looking for Star Wars figures. Also, for sleeves for trading cards.

9) Random question: Is your skin itchy this morning? My ears itch quite often. I am trying a new medication.

 

Tuesday 4 - September

1. When you were in school or university, did you look forward to returning? Why or why not?

Yes, for the most part I did. I liked getting new clothes each year before school. I did not like getting up early to get ready, but once I was at school, I was okay.

 I did not feel that way when I went to the university. I wanted to go to the local Jr. college and then transfer. But my parents wanted me to go to the new university from the time it opened up in 1965. I had the grades and met the university requirements. The recruiters hit hard and offered me scholarships and grants. It was my parents dream, so I accepted. The local college was on an eighteen-week semester system. The UC system was on a nine- week system. It was just too hard to keep up while working and commuting. When I went for my second year, I was told I did not qualify for assistance based on my parents' taxes??? I was married now and was really mad because I felt deceived. But I did not want to disappoint my parents. So, I got a student loan and got out in 4 years. I graduated by the time I was 21 with a degree in Social Ecology.  When I graduated, I wanted to start my family, but that did not go as planned. I went to the local college and took courses I really enjoyed. I guess I did it backwards. 

2. September has Labor Day, which, for many is the signal of summer's end and fall's grand entrance.  Do you celebrate Labor Day in any way or is it just a day off for you? This year my family got together on Saturday. My brother had the whole family over and we had the best time. I love my family! 10 people were missing. My sister and her family stayed home to celebrate before she leaves on a 3-week cruise on the 6th. My daughter in law and grandson were sick and my middle son and his wife could not be there. This home was my parents' home that my brother bought, so there are lots of memories here. My husband and I are retired so we rested on Monday.

When we were growing up, our family went to church camp in the mountains on Labor Day Weekend. It was a tradition and we had lots of fun! 

3. September's birthstone is the Sapphire which is 2nd only to a diamond in hardness. (Ruby is a red sapphire by the way) It comes in many colors.  Do you know your birthstone, and do you like it? My birthday is in August and my stone is a peridot. I like it, but don't have a ring with my birthstone.

                            

4. September's birth flower is the Astor. What is yours? My flower is gladiolus and poppy.

I am working on this Monday evening. Tomorrow morning my monthly Bible journaling group meets.

This month's theme is based on God's Word.  Study, knowledge, instruction and wisdom.