Friday's Faves Five & Saturday 9

It is almost midnight so I am going to get my Friday's Faves 5.

1. Thankful that hubby and I could go my hometown and leave flowers at our mom's graves. We also stopped at a stationery store in the same city. Then we went back to our city and met my son and grandkids for Chinese food at our favorite place. 

2. Thankful to be able to go to first service to hear my granddaughter sing. They passed out really nice keychains to all the mothers'. I need to take a picture of it. Then we headed to my daughter's church and we enjoyed the worship there too! Hubby wanted to take me out, but I just wanted to go home and eat my Chinese food leftovers and be with Minnie our furbaby.

The grands got to spend the day with their moms, and I got to relax and watch tv with the hubs.

3. Thankful that I could sleep in on Monday. Monday was Women's study on Exodus and that teaching will be on Monday at a home where we will enjoy the final lesson and dinner.

4 My daughter took me to the movies on Tuesday, and we saw the Michael Jackson movie and it was pretty good. Took me back to my youth young adult hood.  Later my hubby and I met our other son and his wife at Olive Garden to celebrate Mother's Day. They gave us some gifts from their vacation in Japan. I am blessed that each of my kids took time to celebrate and make Mother's Day special.

5. Thankful to have our younger grands here for the day and they are spending the night so that their parents can celebrate their 21st anniversary at the beach.  It has been a busy day and now they are in bed. I am blessed to have my family close bye.

Saturday 9: Fun, Fun, Fun (1964)

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

1) This song is about a girl who borrows her father's Ford Thunderbird. When is the last time you drove someone else's car? I can't remember. Do the cars at Disneyland count? Last fall.

2) The teen in question is well known for ability to drive "like an ace." If we were to ask your high school classmates what they remember most about you, what do you think they'd say? My friends would remember me being in a lot of service clubs and GAA-Girls Athletic Association.

3) She told her father she needed the car to go to the library but used it instead to meet friends. Can you recall a time your parents caught you in a fib? No.

4) For this girl and her friends, fun centered on cars and fast food. What did you and your friends do for fun during your teen years? The thing I remember the most was being active in my church youth group. We did a lot of fun things year round. I remember football games and going to Bob's Big Boy for hot fudge Sundays.  ushering the school plays and special events in the auditorium. I liked going to the beach in the summer. I liked buying 45's when I could and mostly listening to music. I loved to watch American Bandstand and Soul Train. Here we are dancing at a summer youth group party. I am in the back right and I made my outfit.  I am dancing with the Helmut, a foreign exchange student from Germany. Clean fun, no alcohol.

5) Legend has it songwriters Brian Wilson and Mike Love got the idea for this song from a Salt Lake City disc jockey. He told them he'd lent his T-bird to his daughter so she could go to class at the community college but discovered her deception when the car was ticketed in front of a fast food restaurant. Can you think of another song inspired by true events? 1967 White Rabbit, Go Ask Alice a song by Jefferson Airplane, about teens and the drug culture. They made a movie about it. I never did drugs. The movie opened my eyes to the struggles of teens and drugs. I could list lots of songs, but this post would be too long. This was one of the songs and movies discussed in my Psychological literature class in high school. 

6) As in the song, the disc jockey punished his daughter by taking her driving privileges away. Were your parents strict when you were growing up? My mom was stricter than my dad. They were strict about a few things. I was a pretty good kid, and for the most part, I followed the rules.

7) This song was recorded on January 1, 1964. The Beach Boys had to work on the holiday because they were under pressure to meet a February release date. How did you spend New Year's Day 2026? We stayed home, watched the Rose Parade, had left overs and just relaxed. I probably crafted.

 

8) 1964 was a great year for Capitol Records. They had chart-topping hits by the Beach Boys, Barbra Streisand and, most spectacularly, The Beatles. The Capitol Records Building in Los Angeles is considered iconic and it's a stop on tourist bus tours. Have you ever been to Southern California? If yes, what did you do?

I have lived in So CA all my life. I have done many things. The beach is less than an hour

away. I have been to most of the amusement parks like Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Marineland. I have been to San Diego many times and visited all the fun things there. I am 1-2 hours for local mountains and an hour to Palm Springs and Los Angeles. A couple of years ago, I got to see the Hollywood stars walk of fame, I have been up the coast and the 395 along the high mountain ranges.  I have been to several museums, including the Richard Nixon and Ronald Regan library. That is just So California. Lots of places in Central and Northen CA.

 

9) Random question: What's the last compliment you received? Wednesday at marriage group,

I was thanked for sharing something.

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

Friday's Fave Five & Saturday 9

Look back this past week to the things I am grateful for and linking with Friday's Fave Five.

Thankful for a wonderful Easter. I miss the times that my whole family would get together. It was always fun to watch the kids collect eggs. This is the first Easter the grands did not collect eggs and they were all okay with it. Thankful to see Audrina lead worship at the Good Friday Service. Thankful that I was able to go to two services and see my grands. Thankful that my daughter was a part of a new church planting. She greeted and ushered and my grandson worked the merchandise center. Thankful to watch my older grand praising the Lord. Thankful that my youngest grand remembers to give me hug at church.

Thankful that my son and his family can take a much-needed vacation at the beach. Thankful how we can all help out with the dogs who have been staying here with us. They get picked up today.

Thankful for the fun time I had at senior fellowship. Thankful that my friend could take me. Thankful that in spite of our age, we can still have fun. Thankful to Pastor Erin who oversees this ministry. I am in the middle and Pastor Erin is in the striped shirt.

Thankful for ice packs and heating pads and physical therapy. Also thankful for physical therapy!

Thankful for my Bible study and faith journaling and Bible journaling that helps me through the rough times. Thankful that I will be leading a group for our Women's ministry that begins on Monday. Pastor Erin oversees that. We had a Zoom last night to go over things. Praying that my physical issues don't get worse. I welcome your prayers. 

Praying for a safe return for the astronauts of the Artemis mission. They will be splashing down in San Diego, which is an hour and a half from me.

Saturday 9: Leather and Lace (1981)

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

1) As you answer these questions, are you wearing leather, lace, or both? No

2) This song is a duet between members of two superstar groups – Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and Don Henley of The Eagles. Which band do you listen to more often, Fleetwood Mac or The Eagles? I am more familiar with The Eagles.

 

3) In this duet, "lace" tells us she is stronger than we know and "leather" admits that sometimes he's vulnerable. Do either side of this lyrical equation apply to you? Do you think you're either tougher than people realize, or more sensitive than they know? For many years I only showed the tougher side of me. I am actually more sensitive. I have learned to accept that part of me too. 

 

4) Both Stevie and Don are born Westerners. Stevie spent her early childhood in Arizona and Don was born in Texas and stayed there through college. Today Stevie has two homes – one in Pacific Palisades and another in Phoenix – while Don has a beautiful home in Dallas. Do you feel rooted where you are? Or can you see yourself moving to another city or state in the future? I have always lived in So California along with the rest of my family. We are happy here and no plans to move.

 

5) Stevie and Don were romantically involved in the 1970s, but after they broke up they remained friendly. Not only did they record this song in 1981, they went on tour together in 2005. Have you recently heard from an ex? No

6) Stevie admits a lifelong passion for Animal Crackers, those little cookies shaped like tigers, bears and elephants. Is your go-to snack sweet, like Stevie's, or is it salty? I prefer salty. But even salty turns into sugar! So I have to limit both!

7) Don likes Velveeta on his burgers. Describe your ideal cheeseburger. I don't eat cheeseburgers.

8) In 1981, when this song was popular, both Maserati and Mercedes Benz introduced luxury convertibles. Have you ever owned a convertible? Would a convertible be practical for your lifestyle? No and no.

9) Random question: What are you most looking forward to this week?  Seeing my whole family on Sunday. We will be celebrating my daughter and grandson's birthday. It will also be a go away party for my middle son and his wife who are going on vacation to Japan on the 15th.We will be studying from the book of Exodus.

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

 

Fridays Fave Five & Saturday 9

1.Thankful for family Last Saturday, I met with my sibling for lunch. Later we went to my cousin's house We shared a lot of memories. We are here with her aunt who turned 85 on the 15th.

Sister Terry, BIL Ernie, sister Ann, Aunt Evelyn, me, SIL Cindy and brother Scott. Hubby did not go. 

2. Thankful for all the things our church does for the Christmas season. During the day you could take a picture with Santa. Santa brings gifts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I love the teaching on Advent we are going through. This weeks reading was from the book of Luke. If you ever watched the Peanuts Christmas, you have heard Linus reciting the verses. Also thankful for the fun time at the Senior Christmas party. 

That evening, I lit the pink, third candle of lent for Joy. I also lit the first candle of Hannukah. I use battery operated candles since I can't use real candles because of my allergies.

3. Thankful that I was able to make over 80 gingerbread cookies on Monday for the cookie exchange on Tuesday. It was a lot of work, but I learned some new things. They came out pretty good too. I used a Betty Crocker cookie mix that I found at Target. I am not a baker, but I started baking cookies with my grands and it has become a tradition.  Thankful for the fun cookie exchange with friends from church. We each brought 6 cookies for each girl and 6 for the cookie trays to go along with the potluck food we brought. I made tuna sandwiches. Afterwards, I went to Hobby Lobby and got cards and wrap for next year. I also stopped at the Post office.

4. Thankful for a day of rest. I finally got caught up on my sleep. I worked on cards and hubby and I caught up on Christmas movies. The grands had their last finals and now are on a 3 week winter break.

5. Thankful for how my visit went with the ophthalmologist on Friday. The nurse loved my purse as she is a Disney enthusiast like me. I loved the doctor! He was so friendly and couldn't understand how his nurse or I could go do Disney by ourselves. He looked at my eye and said I have SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS. It is a non-cancerous growth that occurs in people usually older than  50. I need to apply warm compresses or a teabag to soften it and sometimes that will remove it. But the doctor made an appointment to remove it if it is still there in a few weeks. We made an appointment for the end of January, after my next visit to Disneyland for my son's birthday. 

1. As you can see, when Sam Winters was a little girl, she loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. If you could ask Santa for anything at all, right now, what would it be? Kindness for all people and to know Jesus, the reason for the season.

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there? I will say nice.

3. Are you traveling this Christmas? If so, are you going by car, plane or train? I am not traveling.

4. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If yes, which one traveled the farthest? I did not ship any gifts. I have sent out a few cards for card exchanges. I also sent out a small box for a homemade ornament exchange to WV. I have one more exchange to send out and a few cards.

5. Did you buy yourself a gift this year? I bought several ornaments, mostly Disney for my Disney tree. I also go a purse. I found a great deal the day after Thanksgiving online.  

6. Which do you prefer: candy canes or gingerbread? Gingerbread. I baked six dozen gingerbread cookies for an exchange and to pass out.

7. Can you see any holiday decorations from where you're sitting now? Yes! I am in the family room watching tv and I can see many decorations; I change the mantle every year. It is Disney this year and last year it was Snoopy. The year before it had one of my Nativity sets on it. I can see the 4 smaller trees. My seasonal tree has Nativity and angels. The next one is the Peanuts Gang. The other side of the fireplace has a family ornament tree and a pet tree. The baby grand has my Willow Tree Nativity set. 

 

 

The Nativity in on the piano that is left of the fireplace.

8. What's your favorite winter beverage? Mexican hot chocolate. Click on the girl for the recipe.

9. Share a memory from last Christmas. There are two that stand out. I taught the women in my Bible journaling group about Hanukkah. I set a table up and had some food to share and lights on the table.

We worked on a Hanukkah bookmark and a Clothespin Nativity. My whole family got together last Christmas season, but since we all were together in August for my 70th, just my siblings and I got together. 

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

Saturday, we participated in our church's Pumpkin festival. We have been doing this since the 90's.

Our grandson helped us pass out Candy.

 Eddie, almost 18

 Eddie, 2009, almost 2.

1. Do storms frighten you or make you cautious? We don't get many storms here in So CA. I don't like when lightning strikes to close to my home.

2. What is the worst weather you can remember? 

Seems like I just answered this not too long ago. We were on vacation in Arizona and heading to Utah. We got hit with a big storm. Lightening broke in front of our car. It had been raining so hard, we had to stop driving. Then we had to move back in to the lane because of the water. We got to our campground and our camp spot near the river was flooded. We got a nice cabin, but that was scary!

3.Are you in a personal storm right now and do you need our prayers to help you through it? I think many bloggers are prayer warriors indeed. I am doing okay, just waiting for the last stitch to fall off the top of my incision. Our nation is in a storm, and it saddens me.

4.  What is the best advice you can give to others about weathering storms of any kind. Trust in God and pray! Share with others so they can pray too.

Previous post has Homecoming pictures.

1. Are you a risk taker? I used to be, but not anymore. To what degree? 

2. What's your favorite candy? Would you say you have a sweet tooth? I like dark chocolate with almonds. I can't eat candy very much because I have to watch my sugars. I am pre-diabetic.

3. Somewhere you've been recently that had you feeling 'like a kid in a candy store'? 

I am going to Disneyland on Thursday and I know I will feel like a kid then. I got a few gifts cards I will be using to shop there. I will probably feel my age the day after!

4. What do you think is the most effective way to make a positive change in the world? 

Be kind to others.

5. Do you like surprises? Depends on the situation.

6. Insert your own random thought here. In spite of what is going on in our nation, my family and are doing okay. Our church passes food out once a month and we help pack the bags. I am sure more churches will be busy when food assistance ends. 

Friday Faves 5 & Saturday 9

Another week has flown by. Here are my answers to Friday Faves 5 & Saturday 9. Thanks to Susanne and Sam for the memes and the links are on the left.

So thankful that Hubby and I went to the beach on Sunday after church. We found parking facing the water. Then we walked a few blocks to eat at our favorite restaurant there called The Crab Cooker. We have been going there since we were dating back in 1973. After we ate, we walked back to our car to get our chairs, umbrella and beach bag. We found a spot close to the water. Then I went to the bathroom to change. I put plenty of sunblock on my face and wore my hat. I wanted to really enjoy my time knowing I had to go for my biopsy on Monday. My husband took pictures of me on the beach to celebrate me turning 70 and feeling good to enjoy my time there. I only got my feet wet but it was great!

Thankful for insurance. I know I say that a lot.  I got my statement for July and they had the itemized break down of my blood work and ultrasound of my abdomen. That was over $2000 and I only paid $10.00 Thank You Lord!

Thankful for the birthday lunch with friends and Bible study on Tuesday night. We are in the book of Revelation, chapter 3 and we do a lot of cross referencing. 

Thankful for lunch with my friend Alice on Wednesday. We spent 3 hours catching up with life. Before I left, I got a phone call message and I had to call the doctor back up. I have basal skin cancer on my left cheek. It is not malignant and I am thanking God for that. Now I just need his peace for the next step. I have to let the biopsy heal and I will see an oncologist that specialized on surgeries for skin cancer that is the least evasive. It is called a MOHRS procedure. Thankful for the prayers of my family and friends. My kids all called me for the details and say they were praying for me. Thankful that I could still go to my Book study at church later. 

Thankful for a great worship night at church Thursday night. Our pastor prayed over people and I went up for prayer. I love seeing my granddaughter leading in worship. She really has a gift and stays humble about it. Thankful that her and her parents and brother are going to a resort at the beach for a few days. My son left Thursday to set things up for the work conference. Thankful that my daughter and her kids are doing most of the dog sitting. 

Thankful to get to see our granddaughter perform at the first football game of the season tonight. And for our granddogs along with our Minnie who love me.

She will be standing on this box set up at the game.

Saturday 9: We Belong Together (2005)

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

This month we're going to recall Summer Songs. These will all be records that topped the charts during August.

1) Number 1 on the charts in August 20 years ago, "We Belong Together" is about the end of this romantic relationship. Mariah sings that now she won't have anyone to talk to on the phone until the sun comes up. That was then. Today many people prefer to text than to talk on the phone. Are you one of those people? Texts are okay for short messages or when you know they can't be on the phone but they can check a quick message. I had two conversations by phone this week and both were over an hour long. Then I had 3 shorter conversations that were about 15 minutes long.

2) The video for this song features an elaborate wedding. Tell us about the last wedding you attended.

It was about a year ago, September. My Brother in law's daughter got married at a relative's winery.

3) Mariah believes she inherited her musical gifts from her mom, who was an opera singer and vocal coach. When things were hectic in their household, Mariah recalls that music helped bring her and her mom closer together. Share a happy childhood memory featuring you and one of your parents.

4) After graduating from high school in Long Island, Mariah Carey went to Manhattan in search of stardom. While waiting for her big break, she enrolled in beauty school and waited tables. Both stylists and servers receive gratuities for their services. Do you consider yourself a good tipper? I usually tip 20%. Sometimes I will pay more if the service is really good.

5) The Fresh Air Fund operates six camps in the New York area to provide kids with a chance to learn and explore outdoors. They named Camp Mariah in Ms. Carey's honor to thank her for her support. Here's your chance to toot your own horn. Tell us about an honor you received. (Anything from a major award to a handmade drawing that says "World's Best Mom" counts. We want to hear about it.) I got a several awards in high school. I got a few cash awards at work. The funniest award was the one I got at the servants banquet at church for 12 step computer geek or something like that. I have a picture somewhere and I know that trophy is around somewhere too. I think it was in the later 90's and pastor and others knew I worked on a computer at work and then would be on it writing the women's newsletter and other computer things. 

6) Mariah has mentioned she enjoys pizza and red wine. Will you be enjoying either pizza or red wine this weekend? No.

Let's look at the summer of 2005.

7) The biggest news story that summer was Hurricane Katrina. This deadly and destructive storm killed over 1,000 people and did more than $100 billion in damage. Have you ever endured a natural disaster (such as hurricane, flood, landslide, tornado, blizzard, wildfire)? Thankfully, no.

8) Popular that summer was Kingda Ka, the new roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Jackson, NJ. At the time, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. Have you been to any fairs or amusement parks this summer? No and I miss Disneyland. The last time I was there was December 2022, and I rode several roller coaster rides.

9) Award-winning American figure skater Alysa Liu was born in August of 2005. NBC Sports and their Peacock network report that figure skating events get high ratings. What's your favorite sport to watch on TV? Figure skating and gymnastics.

I shared my senior picture on the previous post along with my grandson's kinder/senior picture.