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's Fave 5 & Saturday 9

Another week has flown by! The days just seem to go faster and faster. I thought retirement was a time to slow down. It may for some, but it has been busy for me. But there is always something to be thankful for. I am joining Susanne for the meme.

I am thankful for this laptop that lets me connect to others. I am thankful for the digital artist that provide content for my Bible journaling and crafting. I am thankful for free programs like Blogger.

I am thankful for the Facebook memories that pop up that bring smiles to my face.

Lake Tahoe October 2019

October 2019

October 2021

October 31, 2020

Thankful that my scar is healing and I can now wear the scar tape.

Thankful to be able to go to Disneyland on Thursday. I had not been since December of 2022. Hubby and I had lunch at Downtown Disney and walked around. I got a few ornaments. Then he left and I headed to California adventure. I got to go on The Guardians of the Galaxy ride and Grizzley Rapids where I got soak and wet. The wait was about 45 minutes. I got to talk to a young couple from Mexico and a group of 4 college age kids that were very nice to me and helped me in and out of the ride. After getting out of that ride, my son and granddaughter met me. We got to go on the Cars ride and see the Coco/Familia section. We went to the Disneyland side and had a great dinner. Then we went on the Pirates of the Caribbean  and Star Tours. We left before it closed to avoid the traffic. 

This is the ornament I got since I turned 70 three weeks after Disney did.

Thankful to be able to sleep in and lounge around and watch tv with husband and get some things done on my laptop. I start my Gratitude  Documented 30 day devotional study with Illustrated Faith.

Saturday 9: Angie Baby (1974)

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

 

1) This week's song is a spooky one about a young man who breaks into the bedroom of a troubled girl named Angie. Their encounter doesn't go well and he's never seen again. Though there's been gossip, no one knows for sure what happened to him. Does your town have any scary legends that have been passed down through the decades? No

 

2) Songwriter Alan O'Day said he drew upon aspects of his own childhood to come up with "Angie Baby." He was an only child who often stayed home sick from school, with only Top 40 radio for company. What do you recall when you think about sick days as a kid?  I don't remember me being sick often but my sister was because of her asthma. Grandmas were always there and that was a blessing for us and our parents. But in 1968, I got the Hong Kong flu and I was so sick. Both my parents took care of me. I remember that I missed the youth group Caroling Event and that made me sad. 

 

3) Helen Reddy said she enjoyed hearing what her fans thought happened in "Angie Baby." Can you think of another song that is open to interpretation? Not at the moment.

 

4) When Helen and her husband/manager Jeff Wald heard "Angie Baby" the first time, they immediately agreed she should record it. She went into the studio that afternoon and in less than 10 days, disc jockeys were playing it and "Angie Baby" became an international hit. When were you glad you acted on impulse? Getting Minnie, our third doxie.

 

Questions inspired by Halloween .... 

5) Though best known as a recording artist, Helen Reddy also acted on occasion and appeared as a singing nun in Airport 1975. A nun's habit is a popular Halloween costume. Will you/did you dress up this year? No

6) In 2024, more Americans than ever dressed their dogs up for Halloween. Have you ever taken your pup with you trick-or-treating? No.... well not our current dog. She does not like to be out in public. Our previous dog did not mind. Eddie with Reina, 2009.

7) According to the Guinness Book of Records, the award for highest number of jack-o-lanterns in one place went to Keene, NH, where in 2013 there were 30,581. Did you carve a pumpkin for Halloween this year? No

 

8) In years gone by, the Irish celebrated Halloween not with pumpkins but by carving turnips, potatoes and beets. Are any of those foods in your kitchen right now? Potatoes.
 

9) Some Elvis fans insist his ghost hovers in the trees over Graceland. Have you ever seen a ghost? No.

October, around 1964. 

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's Fave 5 & Saturday 9

1. Thankful for another week of blessings! The older grands celebrated homecoming last Saturday. My grandson got ready at our house and then his Mon took him to his girlfriend's house. He mom took them for pictures before the homecoming. My daughter took my granddaughter to homecoming. She was going to meet up with friends there. So glad kids don't have to have dates to go. 

Jazzy and her brother Eddie and Daniela with Eddie.

2. Thankful that I could be at church to greet. I am to old to worry about having a bandage on my face. 

3. Thankful for another successful Bible Journaling Day. I gave the girls two kits. One for October. Then the other is for November. They will work on a little 30 day gratitude journal. I got the little journals after Vacation Bible school ended. I found a graphic online and printed out a lot of graphics. I also included a 30 day Bible reading program for November. The gratitude journal is something I have done with Illustrated Faith for years. Here are some of the pages the ladies did.

4 Thankful that the dermatologist/surgeon was able to check on my incision. He said I am healing well. He removed a couple of stitches. He said to continue doing what I was doing. I still have a bit of pain at the top of the scar, but that is to be expected.

5. Thankful to be able to go to another football game to support our granddaughter. Eddie drove me and my son, and his family were able to go to the game too. My daughter met up there too.

Do You Know the Way to San Jose

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

 

1) In this song, someone moves to Los Angeles looking for "fame and fortune" but ends up with a job "pumping gas." Today, the majority of service stations are self-serve, so very few people pump gas for a living. Can you think of another job that used to be common but doesn't exist anymore? We used to have a milkman that delivered to our home back in the late 70's. 

 

2) The San Jose travel bureau advertises "300 days of sunshine" every year. How is the weather where you are today? Sunny and 83 today. It will be 86 on Thursday when I am at Disneyland. It is 26 miles from me.

 

3) Lyricist Hal David became fond of San Jose when he was stationed there while in the Navy. Tell us about a place you visited that you have affection for. Hawaii! Here were are at the Disney Aulani in 2018 for the character breakfast. We stayed close to it at the Marriott Resort.

  

4) Composer Burt Bacharach grew up and worked primarily in New York until his marriage to actress Angie Dickinson. She had to live in Los Angeles for her career, so he relocated and remained a Californian for the rest of his life. Where do you feel most at home? (It doesn't have to be a city. It could be your favorite chair.) My home, either in my dad's chair in the family room or the bedroom where my desk is. I journal there and I enjoy the view in the backyard.

5) Dionne Warwick thinks this week's song is "dumb." She won her first Grammy for "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" and, decades later, still sings it in concert, but she has not changed her opinion of the song. What is something everyone else seems to like but you just don't get?

 

6) Now in her 80s, with more than 60 years in show business, Dionne still enjoys performing. She told a reporter that she loves looking out into the audience and seeing an arm go around a shoulder, or a couple begin holding hands, when they hear her sing "their song." What song reminds you of a special romance? There are lots of songs, but I will go with Just my Imagination by the Temptations.

 

7) In 1968, when this song was popular, The Doris Day Show premiered. The show was, initially, a surprise to its star. Her manager/husband died suddenly without telling her he had committed her to a weekly sitcom. She was not pleased but honored the contract. Think of the last time you were surprised. Was it a happy or sad surprise? My cousin made it to my 70th birthday. I had not seen here since the previous November.

 

8) According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular baby names of 1968 were Lisa and Michael. Are there any Lisas or Michaels in your life? I have a cousin Lisa and my sister-in-law is named Elizabeth but called Lisa. I have a nephew named Michael.

 

9) Random question: What are you looking forward to this week? My husband's birthday on Saturday. Pumpkin Bash in the evening. Turning in our operation Christmas Child Boxes. Going to Disneyland on Thursday!

Previous entry had Homecoming game pictures.

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

Friday Faves 5 & Saturday 9

Joining Susanne for Friday's Fave Five and listing 5 things that blessed me this past week.

1. Hubby and I were able to go to another football game with our daughter. Our granddaughter cheers and it was homecoming. Half time had a Wizard of Oz theme. Eddie's girlfriend was Dorothy. The cheer/song teams had to wear special outfits. During the beginning of the game, Jazzy's zipper broke and she had to leave the field. Luckily a mom sewed her dress back up and she got back on the field in time for the halftime show. Their team won 62 -14! Thankful for my seat pad too!

2. Thankful I was able to go to church on Sunday. We got our Operation Christmas Child boxes this Sunday too. I did get to watch it online last week and got this picture of Audrina singing. After church we went out to eat at In and Out Burger. Later my grandson videoed us to show us his new "big boy' haircut. He is 11 now. 

3. Thankful that the shows my husband and I like are back for a new season. We have been watching Survivor for 25 years! We like to watch the the FBI and NCIS shows. I also like Chicago Med. 

4. Thankful for another great Retired married group. We took Harvest bagels, cream cheese and a Cheese plate to share and a few others brought things too. We talked about a scribe who asked Jesus what good he could do to gain eternal life. He followed the commandments, Jesus tol him to sell his possessions and give it to the poor. Then he would have treasures in heaven and He could follow Jesus. And the scribe walked away sad because he had great wealth. (Matthew 19: 16-22) It was great to her the group discussion and agreed that money could be a great downfall when not used properly. We need to give back to God, help others and God will provide us with what we need. The main thing is to follow Jesus and his teachings.

5. Thankful to have lunch with our son and his wife. They treated us to lunch for an early Father's Day. They told us about their plans to go to Japan next spring. We are excited for them, They don't have any kids and are planning several trips. They hope to go to NY in the fall of 2026. 

Saturday 9: Into the Groove (1985) 

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

 

1) Madonna begins this song by telling us, "I'm waiting." What's something you're waiting for today?

I am waiting for my incision to completely heal. A few sutures are still there and I think they are hindering the healing. I emailed my doctor this morning and he wants to see my next week.

 

2) She sings that dancing gives her a feeling so good she hopes it will never end. What reliably lifts your spirits? Dancing was something I enjoyed. I do like this Madonna song for the beat. It opens with "Susan" It really is good exercise! Now I craft or Bible journal and listen to music. Taking a walk in nature with trees and birds lifts my spirit.

 

3) As a school girl in Michigan, Madonna was a good student but could be disruptive. Classmates recall her doing cartwheels in the halls between classes. Can you do a cartwheel? NO, I would not even try. But I sure did when I was a kid, backflips to and even flipping back out on the swings.

 

4) It's not surprising that a girl from the Detroit area would love cars. Madonna's car collection is valued at more than $2 million. The one she seems to drive most often is a 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV. Insurance industry data tells us Americans typically keep their cars for 8 years. How long have you had your current vehicle? We have had it 8 years and have no plans to get another one until we have to.

 

5) She has referred to Nancy Sinatra as one of her idols, saying "These Boots Were Made for Walking" and its accompanying video impressed her when she was a little girl. What pop song brings back memories from your childhood? I remember Those Boots Were Made for Walking. The Twist reminds me of dancing with my aunt and sister. I think we saw him on American Bandstand. I think was about 7

 

6) Madonna suffers from brontophobia, or the fear of thunder and lightning. Are you afraid of storms?

We don't get many storms here in, So CA. I remember a quick storm came through while on vacation in Arizona in 1982. It rained so hard that we had to pull off the road. Then lightening broke right in front of our car and shook the car. It was so scarry!

 

7) In 1985, when this song was popular, the Titanic wreckage was discovered. There have been at least a dozen movies about that ill-fated ship. Have you seen any of them? I have seen one with Matt Damon and Kate Winslet in 1997. It was so sad, and I could not watch it again.

 

8) Also in 1985, Bruce Willis became a star with a hit show about a detective agency. Can you name it? (Extra non-existent points if you can recall the agency's name.) No because I did not watch it.

 

9) Random question: Describe your perfect ice cream sundae. Real Vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, banana slices, nuts and whip cream. It makes me think of the times we went to Bob's Big Boy after football games. This was in 1972-72. Watching my granddaughter cheer at games also makes me think of the after games. I also like to get hot fudge sundaes when I was pregnant. I rarely eat ice cream now because of the high sugar content.

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

My Website is at Susan's Garden of Friendship The link is to the left. Lots of inspirational pages too. I hope to see you there!