Friday Fave 5 & Saturday 9

The week flew by and I got a lot done! 

Hard to believe a week ago I was at Disneyland in the rain. Well part of the day and then it end up being a beautiful day. We go back in December. 

Thankful that I did not have to go anywhere this week and I got a lot of Christmas decorating done.

Thankful that the younger grands came to stay for Wednesday-Thursday to help decorate.

Thankful for a beautiful Thanksgiving!

Thankful to get some shopping done without a lot of crowds and good sales.

We are on are way to the Rosebowl!

Saturday 9: Thank You Girl (1964)

 

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

1) Who were you talking to the last time you said, "thank you?" My daughter.

2) Paul McCartney recalls that "Thank You Girl" was inspired by all the female fans who had written them fan letters, pledging undying love. Have you ever written a fan letter? If yes, did you receive a response? No, I have not.

3) Recording engineer Geoff Emerick remembered that John Lennon was easily winded while recording this song. John had a bad cold and went back to bed when they were done for the day. We're in cold/flu season right now. How are you feeling? I feel fine as I write this. The Santa Ana winds were here this past week and brought warmer, dry weather that messed with my sinuses. I felt better by Thanksgiving. 

4) "Thank You Girl" is this week's song because November 27 was Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for this year? My faith in Jesus, my family and my friends. Also, for good health insurance!

5) While the big meal is referred to as Thanksgiving dinner, most Americans enjoy it earlier than they usually serve dinner. 3:00 PM is the most popular time for the holiday feast. When did you have dinner on Thursday? 5pm

6) Cranberry sauce has been a Thanksgiving staple since the late 1800s. Was it on your menu this year? My hubby forgot to make it. He likes it but nobody asked for it.

7) The Thanksgiving Turducken is said to have originated in New Orleans. Chef Paul Prudhomme is often cited as the first to stuff a deboned chicken into a deboned duck into a deboned turkey. Prudhomme's recipe has more than 85 individual steps and takes a full day to prepare. Did you face any challenges while cooking your Thursday dinner? Everything turned out great!

8) Leftovers are popular after Thanksgiving, especially turkey sandwiches. Some cooks recommend serving cold, sliced turkey on wheat bread, but white bread, pitas and flatbread are also popular. When you head into the kitchen to make a sandwich, what's your go-to bread? Sourdough. But we have left over Hawaiian roles that we will use for sandwiches.

9) The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season and sales. Black Friday got its name in Philadelphia back in the 1950s to describe the traffic clogging both highways and side streets as consumers raced out in search of bargains. When is the last time you were stuck in traffic? On our way to Disneyland on the 11th.

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you celebrate with family, friends or by yourself? I celebrate with my family. Sometimes we go to my son and daughter in laws and have a combined gathering with her parents and siblings and our family. This year I am hosting my family here in my home. My daughter in law will have her family over on Friday.

2.  Do you watch the Thanksgiving Day parade from Macy's in New York City?  The appearance of Santa at the end signals the start of the Christmas season.  What does the day hold for you? We usually watch the parade in the morning. I make my sweet potatoes the day before. I cut up the veggies for my stuffing the day before also but I out it together on Thanksgiving morning, so it just has to be baked. Everyone comes around 3. My son makes the mash potatoes and my daughter in law is bringing a dessert. My daughter is bringing macaroni and cheese and a rice Krispies treat. My other son has to work half day and then he and his wife are going with her parents. Once everyone is there, we take pictures with the grands for our Christmas card, I pass out a new ornament to each grandchild. We have an early dinner and then we watch Christmas movies and have dessert.

3. What foods are the hit of Thanksgiving Day for you? My husband is cooking the turkey and ham. I am making the my mom's recipe for stuffing, and sweet potatoes and a salad. My husband also makes the gravy, green bean casserole and cranberry sauce. I am so thankful he cooks. I clean the house, set the table with candles and I use fall chargers with paper plates. I would rather use real China, but my husband doesn't want me to be in the kitchen to long after we eat because we want to get to the movies and do some online shopping. 

4.  We say grace before and after meals. Is grace a part of your Thanksgiving meal? Yes, always pray before we ear. We also go around the table and say what we are thankful for while we are eating.

Whatever your Thanksgiving traditions, I pray that the day is meaningful and filled with love for you whether with family, friends or alone. May God shine his blessing love down on you and yours and make us all truly thankful this year.

1. Do you feel like you have a 'full plate' at the moment? In what way? We have all that we need. A home, food to eat, and we are all healthy and doing well. I have a busy holiday schedule planned.

2. How did you learn to cook? If you have children, did you teach or encourage them to cook? Yes, we taught all our kids to cook. I had the boys in the kitchen with me when they were young. My husband came from a family where the dad cooked his specialties. My daughter did not like learning, but she did and is a pretty good cook. My older son makes most of the dinners and his wife cleans up. My younger son cooks too, but can't as often with his schedule so his wife does most of the cooking. The grandsons are cooking too now. Do you like to follow a recipe or is your cooking style more 'let's wing it'.  I am a wing it person for most things.

3. Last time you bit off more than you could chew? Elaborate. Doing too many crafts at once this past month.

4. When did you last say 'the more the merrier' and mean it? I have not said that in awhile. 

5. Write an acrostic using the word T-H-A-N-K-S. 

T-Thanksgiving

H-Heartfelt

A-Affirmation

N-Nurturing

K-Kindness 

S-Selflessness

6. Insert your own random thought here. Our older two grandkid's high school football team won the playoffs. They will be in the final CIF championship game on Friday, after Thanksgiving. My granddaughter in a song leader and they and the football team will take buses to the Rose Bowl for the game. My daughter and I along with her son and his girlfriend will be driving up. It is about 47 miles away. We plan to leave early to find good parking. I just ordered 2 stadium clear bags to take my seat cushion, a light blanket and water. The other bag is for my daughter. We also have a clear backpack that my grandson will use.

Previous Entry has our Disneyland day.

Thanks to Annie and Joyce for the memes.

Link are on the left.

Friday Faves Five & Saturday 9

It is late Friday, and I had a great week. Joining Susanne for the Friday's Fave Five

Went to a baby shower for my niece on Sunday.  I stayed the night with my sister, and my husband picked me up on Monday. I felt off and got my things packed for my Bible journaling class and went to bed early.  I woke up at 3 am sick.

Thankful that my husband could take the things to my friend's house. Thankful that my friend who host our group went over the instructions I gave her. The women really enjoyed the craft I had for them.

Thankful that I was only sick for 24 hours and could go to the store and get some things for Thanksgiving. Thankful that our grandson could get out all our Christmas trees.

Thankful that I could go to my son's house who made breakfast for diner. We were getting up early for our Disney visit.

Thankful for the fun day we had at Disneyland. It rained in the morning, and the park was not so busy. We got to go on several rides and we left early. We are going back next month. My grandkids football team won their playoff game and are going to Rosebowl next Friday for the final division game. I missed the game because of Disneyland.

Saturday 9: The Lady in Red (1986)

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

1) Is red a color you often wear? Mostly around Christmas and Valentine's Day.

 

2) In this song, Chris De Burgh is thrilled to be dancing with the woman he loves. Do you recall what was playing the last time you stepped onto the dance floor? No

 

3) Chris says he wrote this song about the first time he saw his future wife, who wore a red dress when she came to see his band perform. Tell us about a memorable concert going experience.

The last concert I went to was in February 2025. We saw Cece Wynans. I went with my granddaughter who is on the praise team at church, her mom and grandma. It was great!

 

4) Chris' father worked as a diplomat for the United Kingdom. Former US ambassador Robert D. Blackwill believes a diplomat should possess strong writing/speaking skills, meticulous attention to detail, historical knowledge, and stamina. Do you have any of those attributes? Attention to detail.

 

5) Chris' family owns Bargy Castle, a 15th century fortress in County Wexford, Ireland. Bargy Castle has been converted into a hotel. What's the last hotel you stayed in? Does a floating hotel count? We went on a cruise in January 2025. We stayed in a Marriott in San Deigo back in 2024.

 

6) Chris is a wine connoisseur who sold a collection of vintage reds for over $500,000. If you suddenly came into $500,000, what would you do with it? Pay off our house, give some to church and give some to our kids.

 

7) In 1986, when this song was popular, singer/actress Lady Gaga was born in Manhattan. Have you been to New York City? Yes, back in 2008  Waiting to see Phantom of the Opera with my parents and sister. We were there before leaving on our New England cruise.

 

8) Also in 1986, NHL Hall of Famer Jacques Plante died. Are you a hockey fan? I played field hockey in high school and loved it.  I don't watch it now except for the Winter Olympics.

 

9) Random question – You just slid behind the wheel and are about to embark on a long road trip. 

Which of these famous Williams would you choose as your navigator: Willie Nelson, Bill Murray, or William, Prince of Wales? The Prince of Wales.

Friday Faves Five & Saturday 9

Thankful to host the birthday for my grandson on Monday-Tuesday. His friends love the food. My grandson wanted tacos. So hubby cooked a roast in the crockpot and added spices. Then he shredded. He and my daughter decided to buy pre marinated chicken to barbecue. and it was really good! There was also rice and beans, fruit, chips and salsa.

Thankful that we could all go out the next day because Eddie also wanted to celebrate with his family and he selected a Mexican taco shop with a Disney theme. Afterwards we went to Downtown Disney for beignets. 

Thankful to have a day of rest where I did not have to go anywhere during the day. I did work on the craft prep for my Bible journaling group when meet on the 18th. My friend Coreen is making the title and she sent me her sample. 

Thankful that Coreen could take me to our final book study group that started back in June.

Thankful that in spite of the rain, we went to our grandkids football game. Our team is in the semi finals. It rained a lot and everyone was wearing ponchos. We got wet, but I stayed warm. They won and go to the next level next Friday.

Saturday 9: Rings (1971)

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

 

1) This song is about a young man who is happy to hear his phone ring. How about you? How do you feel when your phone rings? (Excited, annoyed, surprised, etc.) Happy when it is someone I know. Annoyed with spam call.

 

2) He's got James Taylor on the stereo. Are you a James Taylor fan? Yes and I love You've Got a Friend.

 

3) He tells his girl he's been hanging with his buddies, Tony and Mario, but they're no substitute for her. What friend did you recently spend time with? What did you do? My friend Correen. We were crafting one day this past week and then we went to our Women's book study Wed. night.

 

4) Tony and Mario were real people. They ran a restaurant frequented by the songwriters. Did you dine out this past week? Yes, we went out for our grandson's birthday at a Tacos place near Disneyland. The whole place was decorated with Disney collectibles.

 

5) "Rings" is the only hit for the band Cymarron, who hailed from Memphis, a town known for classic southern comfort foods like biscuits and gravy, cornbread and mashed potatoes. What's on the menu at your home this weekend? Nothing planned for Saturday yet. Sunday I a going to a baby shower and they will serve soup salad, bread and appetizers.

 

6)  The boys in Cymarron took their name from their favorite TV show, the Western Cimarron Strip. What TV show are you currently enjoying? Maybe your fellow Sat9ers would like it, too. I have been watching Grey s Anatomy and General Hospital for years. I like the new show called Doc. There are so many shows that hubby and I like to watch together. Dances with the Stars, Tracker, the FBI's the NCIS, Chicago Fire,  Law and Order, SVU, Organized Crime. Boston Blue, 911 LA and Nashville and Brillant Minds. We are retired so we have the time. Thank Goodness for recordings!

 

7) In 1971, when this song was popular, the US Mint introduced the Eisenhower Silver Dollar. Is there any change in your wallet or pocket right now? Not in my pocket, but I know I have some.

 

8) Also in 1971, Mattel introduced Malibu Barbie, the doll with a tan. Have you ever used a tanning bed? No and I was just had surgery for skin cancer on my face. So no tanning for me.

 

9) Random question – If we were to ask your friends, which of these qualities would they say they like best about you: your warmth, your sense of humor, or your intelligence? I would say my warmth.

Thanks to Susanne & Sam for the memes. Links are on the left.

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

Happy Birthday to my grandson Eddie!!(Nov.10)

The time has flown. This is the guy that made me Mema and also gave this name.

1. What kind of weather and temperatures make you feel most comfortable, most healthy? Fall and spring weather, low 70's to low 80's. 

2.  Do you like the colors associated with Autumn. Clothing wise do they look good on you? I love the colors of fall. I can wear fall colors, but don't have many. I love decorating my home with those colors since we don't see a lot of it outside where I live.

3. Would you rather:… 

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

… visit an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch? Apple orchard

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

… have some cinnamon buns or Pumpkin muffins? Pumpkin muffins

4. There are 7,500 varieties of apple.  What is your favorite, and do you regularly eat apples?   What fruits do you keep on hand? I love Envy apples. I eat an apple almost everyday with peanut butter.

1. What does patriotism mean to you? It means living in the land of free. and loving your country. I remember learning about the constitution in school and learning the preamble. I take pride knowing  that my grandparents became citizens and gave their kids and grandkids a better life in a better place. It is appreciating all that we have blessed with. I am thankful for the relatives that served their country including my dad and aunt. 

2. September-October-November...your favorite fall month? Tell us why. If you live in the southern hemisphere use these months but sub spring for the word fall. It is mid-November, and fall is finally here!

3. A song you love with the word thanks (or some form of that word) in the title or lyrics? Thanks for the Memory.

4. November is National Peanut Butter Month. Are you a fan? What's the last peanut butter bite you had? Fill in the blank: peanut butter and apples that I have a snack almost every night. 

Oh, and you can't say jelly. 

5. This week's gratitude question-What event from this past year are you most grateful for? I would say our Mexican Riviera cruise in January to celebrate 50 years of marriage. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. I am thankful for how close my family is. 

Friday Faves 5 & Saturday 9

1. Thankful that my granddaughter checked the Disney schedule and found a Friday reservation for this month. It was closed when I looked earlier and it is closed again.

2. Thankful that we could pick up our grands from school on Tuesday and bring them to our house. Thankful to take this picture and think of all God has created.

3, Thankful that my grandson Eddie is enjoying his "field trip to see universities in California. He was really impressed with University of Santa Cruz and the town. He loved all the pine trees and more country like atmosphere. He also got to visit Berkeley, Stanford, UC Davis, Pepperdine and a few others. He first said he wanted to go to University at Irvine in Orange County where I went. They have a really good medical school. He is really smart, and I know he will be accepted at many schools. It will depend on what kind of financial aid he gets. I would love for him to get the experience of living on campus. I was a commuter student. There are California State and California Universities.

Eddie and his girlfriend who is also a senior.

I wish he would smile, but he does not like to show his braces.

4. Thankful to be getting things done around the house that needed to be done. Thankful that I can still do some things. Eddie cleaned my cabinets before he left and he will clean the floors when he comes back. He is really excited about his friends coming over for his birthday/movie/sleep over. The hottest day of the week in on his birthday which will be nice when they come over. They will be camping in the backyard.

5. Thankful for a great worship night that was opened to all 3 campuses. There was a time of prayer at the alter and my son, granddaughter and I all went up for prayer.  The pharmacy had called to see if I needed to refill my prescription and I told them I was not taking them because they messed up my stomach. Later I got a call from my doctor's office because my doctor wants to see me. I see my doctor on Monday to discuss my cholesterol and loss of weight. I am thankful that I have Kaiser medical insurance. I am praying our rates do not go up to drastically.

Saturday 9: That Funny Feeling (1965)

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

 

1) In this song, Bobby Darin admits he cares more for the girl than he should. What's something you have recently overdone (eaten too many potato chips, stayed up too late, etc.)? Staying up late is my downfall. 

 

2) Bobby wrote this as the theme song for a movie he starred in with his wife, Sandra Dee. That Funny Feeling (the movie) turned a profit at the box office and "That Funny Feeling" (the record) made the Billboard Top 40. Can you think of another movie and song that were both popular?  Sound of Music, Star Wars, Titanic, Grease, not just a song, but a whole soundtrack! I just watched The Way We Were this past weekend. It made me sad. Just hearing the song reminded me of my parents. My mom loved Barbra Streisand. There will be Miracles from the movie called Prince of Egypt. The song was made even more popular when it hit mainstream radio with Mariah Cary and Whitney Houston.

3) While Bobby had a successful movie career and earned an Oscar nomination, he didn't get the part he wanted most: Tony in West Side Story. While he could sing and dance very well, producers didn't think Bobby looked like a romantic leading man. What actor or actress makes your heart skip a beat? When I was a teen, I had a poster of Clark Gable-Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind. I think George Clooney has aged well. Robert Redford too since I have been watching a lot of his movies.

 

4) Elvis enjoyed watching Bobby perform, but understood that if he sat in the audience, he would be a distraction. So, Elvis always watched Bobby from the wings. Think about the last thing you saw in a theater (concert, movie, play). Were you distracted by another audience member? Was anyone crinkling paper, checking their phone, whispering, etc.? Yes, crinkling paper and it was my husband. Years ago we took our teen sons to the movies. I was sitting down with a bucket of buttery popcorn, and I accidentally spilled it on top of him. Both the man and my sons moved to other seats. We still laugh about it.

 

5) When the editor of a teen magazine asked if he could cook, Bobby not only said yes, but he also offered up his manicotti recipe. What's your favorite pasta dish? (To eat, not necessarily to whip up in your kitchen.) My son makes a good manicotti. I do like the shrimp scampi at Olive Garden with the slivers if asparagus.

 

6) In addition to cooking, Bobby's friends recall he loved talking about classic cars and baseball. Which of those three would you be most comfortable discussing? I know about baseball thank classic cars.

 

7) In 1965, when Americans were listening to "That Funny Feeling," aspirin was the top over-the-counter pain reliever. You could get a bottle of 200 tablets for just $1. Is there aspirin in your medicine chest right now? No, there is Tylenol and Motrin.

 

8) Also in 1965, I Dream of Jeannie premiered. The sitcom about a beautiful genie living in the suburbs was developed to compete with Bewitched, about a beautiful witch living in the suburbs. Which show do like better? I liked them both. I guess I Dream of Jeannie.

 

9) Random question: After a friend leaves your home, you spot a small, bound book on the floor next to your sofa. You flip through it and see that her journal fell out of her purse. It's mostly shopping lists and appointments but also includes personal observations, once you realize what it is, do you close it and keep it closed until you can return it to her? Or do you continue reading? I would close it and call her and let her know about it.

Thanks to Susanne and Sam for the memes. Links are on the left.

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you play a musical instrument? I can play the piano. 

2. Have you taken music lessons? What kind. If not, is there one you might enjoy learning. It is never too late to start.  You might be surprised at how accomplished it will make you feel. I took lessons for years. I played a lot of classical music. I had performance anxiety and I could only play at home. When my kids were little, I let them play the piano. My son took lessons for a year, but gave it up for sports. I babysat his daughter and she would sit on my lap and "play" All my grands did, but she was the most musically inclined. She took lessons and plays the keyboard at church and sings. She and my older grandson and younger grandson all play a bit too.

3. Is there music in your home as background to your day's activities or do you have music playing in your car, etc.? If so, what kind of music do you enjoy hearing? If I am not watching tv, I have music on. I mostly listen to Christian music. I do have a few stations I listen to on Pandora. There is a Franki Valli station, a Chicago Station, Amy Grant Station and Oldies. I have a Broadway station. On occasion I listen to classical and last but not least, hymns.

What kind of music do you NOT like? Most Country, Hard rock/heavy metal I really don't care too much for rap, but I do love the music from Hamilton.

4.  Do you have a favorite composer or genre of music that you like most? Maybe you like several. Please share with us your thoughts? I love musicals so I would say Rogers and  Hammerstein, John Williams who composes music for a lot of great movies like Star Wars. 

1. Besides Thanksgiving, something on your November calendar you're looking forward to? 

My grandson is turning 18 on the 10th. I was there to see him being born and he made me a "mema" He is having 12 of his friends over to our house for dinner at our house after playing volleyball at the park.

He suggested we have extra towels on hand for quick showers. He also requested Mexican food.  He had been helping me with a few heavy chores before he leaves Wednesday-(5th) on a 3-day trip with his school to visit colleges in CA We are having a family party the next day (11th) and his tradition is to go shopping at Downtown Disney and no cake, because he wants beignets. It will be all decorated for Christmas. I am going to a baby shower on the 16th for my niece who is adopting a baby boy. My last Bible journaling class for the year meets on the 18th. I have planned a Christmas craft project for the girls. We go to Disneyland on the 21 and then Thanksgiving. We will start Christmas decorating after the birthday party dinner.

2. Dictionary.com's word of the year is '6-7'. Huh? Is it even a word??? I had to consult the internet to find out it's meaning because apparently I'm old and this particular slang is not part of my vocabulary. Is it part of yours? According to the article I read, it's a viral term, more of an inside joke with an unclear meaning driven by social media. What do you think? 

I have heard of it because I have grands. I have seen them say it. I just laugh because every generation has a word or phrase. I was not allowed to say bad words when I was growing up. I couldn't even say stupid. But the "in" word when I was in Jr high was bitchen, and it meant cool. Words change. When I was a kid, gay meant happy.

Dictionary. com says it's selection each year is a 'linguistic time capsule reflecting social trends and events, but they also admitted to being confused by '6-7'. Some say it means so-so and is sometimes accompanied by the up and down hand motion we associate with the phrase so-so. What word do you think would have made a better choice? I have no idea.

3. What's a food, trend, activity, or thing people love but you think is just so-so? Sushi. I like some, but not really into raw food.

4. Are you a tea drinker? Hot or cold? How do you like yours and at what time of day? Do you like flavored teas or teas billed as calming, energizing, healing, etc? I like the dragon fruit iced tea at Chilis. I drink more tea in the winter. Usually a fall spice tea or something with cinnamon.

5. The November Hodgepodge has always included a weekly gratitude question. Here's the question for today-what are three things that make your heart sing? Music, Musicals and my family when we are all laughing.

6. Insert your own random thought here. My incision is healing nicely, and I am wearing scar tape now. It will be several months before it lightens up. I have a few other issues I am dealing with and see my doctor on the 10th. Meanwhile, I will enjoy my Bible journaling crafting and my 30 day gratitude journal.