Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Where have you traveled and what is the furthest you've been from home? I have traveled to Mexico City and Acapulco in 1970  Novia Scotia, Canada, while on a New England Cruise. Juneau Alaska while on a cruise and Puerto Vallarta Mexico while on a cruise. Hawaii, 2000, 2009, 2012 and 2018. The Mexican Riviera Cruise is listed above. I need to finish a couple of more days.

2. Is there a location other than where you are, that you think would be a nice place to live? Hawaii!

3. Do you have a photo or story from a favorite place to visit? I have photos and whole links to the pages I did at my Website. I linked a few at my last post. My website is linked on the left under the memes link. Ifo you go there and click on Site Map, it will take you to a page that list 100's of pages. The vacations are on the lower middle section.

4. What dream destination do you have tucked away in your heart? Do you think you'll be able to visit them one day or are plans in the making? Israel, Spain, Italy. I don't think I will go there physically, but there is a lot to see online. I am just traveling through. My final place is Heaven and one place I know I will get to in God's timing. I hope I smell plumerias there!

Waikiki

1. When does time pass slowly for you? When does time past quickly for you? The days just fly by now. I like to be busy for the most part. The day drags when I don't have anything to do.

2. Do you have a favorite beach? What's your favorite 'beach' activity? Tell us what we'd find in your beach bag. There are several beaches I like that are about 30 miles away from me. Takes about and hour to get there because of traffic. If I had to pick one that is local, I would say Corona Del Mar. I would go there while I was attending the University of Irvine. We would go in between classes or just miss a class because we could. It was a wonderful break from school and the reality that childhood was over. It is the beach we took our kids too. The water is a bit more calmer. We also went there with the grands.

Corona Del Mar

Huntington Beach

Balboa is another beach. Our kids liked walking the pier and playing in the water. Then we would leave the parking lot, what across the street, and head to the bay. There was a Ferris wheel at the boardwalk. We would get corndogs, pizza and Balboa bars, a favorite of mine. Sometimes we would drive our car to the ferry and go across to Balboa Island. We were last there with our married group in October. We took a bay cruise, but the captain took us out further towards a pod of dolphins which he estimated 200-300 dolphins. 

It was great! But my most favorite place is Hanauma Bay in Oahu Hawaii. I haven snorkeled there 3 times and loved it. Clear water, and lots of fish. The time with my husband in August of 2009 was the best. The water was warm compared to our Pacific Caost Beaches that are cold.

The grands are older and now the family goes to Newport and Huntington Beach. The piers are busy, and there are a lot of shops. And of course a lot of surfers! It's a lot harder to get a family day for the beach with everyone's schedule. When I go, I take one of several beach bags I have. I always take the basics like sunscreen, sunglasses, towel and water. The past few years I take a journal or travel Bible so I can watercolor in it. Hubby usually packs everything else. 

3. Your favorite book or movie with a beach setting? South Pacific comes to my mind along with From Here to Eternity.  I have seen the Halona beach cove from the love scene in that movie. This picture was taken in 2009 when we were on an Island your of Oahu.

4. What's a food you love, but find it's a pain to eat? Is it worth it? Pomegranates.

5.  Do you like roller coasters? What's the best (or worst) roller coaster you've been on? Yes, I do like roller coasters. I like to go on them at Disneyland. The tallest one was Magic Mountain. I think it was called the Colossus. The last one I went on was the Incredicoaster at Disney's California Adventure. It goes upside down and I liked the feeling. It actually made my neck feel better!

6. Insert your own random thought here. I love to be at the beach. The sounds and smell of the ocean are the best. I like to collect shells. I do not like the drive and hard to find parking. Hubby does not care for the beach for the same reason. I usually ask to go there for our anniversary. which is August 10 or for my birthday which is August 12. My family is giving me a pool n all party on the 9th. I will see how we feel on the 10th!

Hawaii 2009     Hawaii 2012

Thanks to Annie and Joyce for the Memes, links are on the left.

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge Fall

Sunday September 22 was the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of the Autumn season.

1. Are there pumpkins or chrysanthemums on your porch or are you planning on putting some out?  

I have started decorating. I have a few more things to put out. I have decorated inside too.

2. What seasonal changes are you noticing in your part of the world? What would you add or take away?

I would like a real longer fall, and longer winter with a bit of snow and rain.

3. Is pumpkin pie on the menu for you this fall?  How about pumpkin spice or pumpkin latte coffee flavors? Are you a fan?   Spiced teas?  What do you like?  We have already had some pumpkin pie when my daughter brought it over last week. I bought a few small pumpkins for my table. I need to get some pumpkin spice creamer.

4. If there was a free week long tour of New England, complete with peak colors and a trip to Plimouth, Massachusetts (the colony site with historical players), would you come along?  If that doesn't suit, where would you like to go for your Autumn trip? I went on a New England cruise in 2008 and the Maine countryside was just starting to show it's fall colors. I would go back for a longer timeframe if I could. We can go up to Oak Glen, about an hour away and see some fall colors.

1. It's officially fall y'all...in the northern hemisphere anyway. What are three of your favorite things about this particular season of the year? It is not fall in So CA. We won't be there until mid October.

The cooler nights is always welcomed and the mosquitoes start to disappear!

2. Your favorite fall fabric-denim, flannel, tweed, corduroy, tartan, polar fleece, leather? Do you own something made with your favorite fall fabric? Fleece is nice and I have a couple of flannel shirts I wear over a t-shirt.

3. According to Everyday Health here are ten healthy fall foods- apples (flavonoids may improve brain health), pears (for heart friendly fiber), cranberries (helps your body fight oxidative stress) winter squash (for eye health), pumpkin (another great source of Vitamin A), leeks (an anti-inflammatory food), Brussel sprouts (full of fiber and anti-oxidants), sweet potatoes (loaded with Vit A and C), parsnips (keep your bones healthy with Vit K), and broccoli (may help prevent cancer). 

How many on the list do you eat on a regular basis? Which one is your favorite? Which one gets a big no thanks from you? We ear broccoli every week. I eat an apple everyday. I like sweet potatoes and even put them in my homemade soups.

4. Tell us about the last time (or a recent time) you experienced a wave of nostalgia? A memory popped up on Facebook of my parents when we were on a New England cruise in 2008. We were celebrating my dad's 75th birthday on September 22.

5. Sept. 22nd was National Daughter's Day. Like mother, like daughter...does this idiom ring true for you? You may answer in terms of your own role as a daughter or, if you have daughters, then your role as a mother of daughters. I am like my mom. My daughter's temperament is not like mine. We do both tend to do too much. My oldest son is most like me and his daughter is a minnie me!

6. Insert your own random thought here. I am still waiting for the results of my MRI. I sent a message to my doctor and her assistant said it can take up to 14 working days. I started with a new physical therapy group and I think I have overdone some of the exercises and my lower back hurts more. Hopefully that will improve. I have dermatology appointment on Friday and a mammogram on Saturday.

I am resting today and working on my kits for my next Bible journaling group. We will be discussing the Jewish fall celebrations. I really dive into my Bible and online groups to get a better understanding. I will also talk about oils in the Bible and I plan to pass out a few samples of Frankincense and one called Joy since a verse says oil of joy or gladness. I plan to set the table with apples, honey and pomegranates. My hubby and I are going to a Jewish market in Orange Country so I can get some Challah bread they make round for Rosh Hashanah. In December we will talk about Hannukah and the Jesus Birth.

Thanks to Annie and Joy for the memes, links are ton the left.

Friday Faves Five & Saturday 9

1.Thankful for a family dinner with fun and games at my son Daniel and Melinda's home. I love when my whole family gets together. I didn't get too many pictures this time. It was nice to see my sons playing the old Nintendo games. We were celebrating the September birthdays.

2. Thankful that we were able to go to church on Sunday. Our granddaughter sang planned, and we were really touched when toward the end of the song, she dropped to her knees. We knew it was the Holy Spirit, because it was not planned, and she did not do it at first or third service. Thank you Lord!

3. Thankful I was able to stay with Audrina on Tuesday. She had been sick the night before. I was able to take my homework and get it all done for my Wednesday night class. I was also able to read about the Jewish fall holy days coming up that I will discuss at my next Bible journaling group.

4. Thankful that our Marriage group was able to help prepare the food bags for Sunday's food day.

We took a picture after we were finished. Then we went in for a lunch they provided. Hubby and I also got fingerprinted so that we could be greeters again. Also if we are needed in children's ministry or security. We greeted from 1995-2005. Then we were busy with grands, aging parents. We normally help out at the special events. I was on the Women's board 1995-2006. I also did lay counseling.

5. Thankful that I am able to go back to physical therapy and I my request to no go to jury duty was approved. It would have started on Monday.

Looking forward to a family wedding in Temecula this weekend. We will be spending the night at my sister's home and we will go out to brunch on Sunday to remember our dad who would have been 91. 

 Saturday 9: Drive to You (2006)

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

1) In this song, Jewel sings that she can't sleep and is staring at the ceiling. Did you fall asleep easily last night? yes, but I woke up early because the dog was barking.

2) She concludes that the only thing to do is drive to her lover's side. Last time you got behind the wheel, where were you headed? Physical Therapy.

3) Jewel grew up in Alaska. Have you ever visited our largest state? Yes, in 2006 while on a cruise.

First stop, Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier.

Skagway

Ketchikan

4) She once performed at the Sydney Opera House, which is more than 7,300 miles away from Anchorage. There are no direct commercial flights between those two cities. Given your choice, would you rather spend less on travel but have to change flights, or spend more and fly non-stop to your destination? Spend less. Non stop for a short flight. 

5) Actor Sean Penn developed a crush on Jewel after seeing her perform on TV and attended many of her concerts during her 1995 tour. What's the best concert you ever saw? That is a hard one to answer. I really enjoyed the Adore Him Concert, Christmas season with Chris Tomlin featuring Lauen Daigle. Amy Grand and her husband and they introduces there little girl. I think that was in the 90's. 2019 Toby Mac with Mandisa, Danny Gokey and Ryan Stevenson. And next February we will hear Cece Winans with her More Than This tour. Oh, I can't forget the Beautiful Concert that features the music of Carole King.

6) She married Ty Murray, a successful rodeo cowboy. Have you ever attended a rodeo? No.

7) In 2006, the year "Drive to You" was released, Al Lewis died. He was best known as Grandpa on The Munsters. It's time for you to declare where you stand on this issue: do you prefer The Munsters of The Addams Family? Both were funny, but I would choose the Munsters.

8) 2006 was a very good one for tennis pro Roger Federer. He reached the finals in all four Grand Slam tournaments, and won three. What's the last game you won? (Yes, Wordle counts.) Word with Friends.

9) Random question: Using one word, how would you describe 2024 so far? Busy! Lots of health issues and appointments.

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

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

How about now? September is still a new beginning to the year.  What will it hold for you?

1. As summer's heat fades do you get out and about in nature often?  Where do you go, what do you do?  What would you like to do? There is a park I like to go to, so maybe next month. I live in the city and surrounded by a lot of cities. No country places around here

We have been over 100 all week. I think we got to 108 this past Saturday. School started August 13. They get 1 week of at Thanksgiving, 3 weeks off after Christmas and 1 week for spring break. It doesn't usually cool off until the end of October. 

We did go to the movies today and saw Regan. It was a good movie.  I like historical movies. I remember the day President Regan was inaugurated. I was watching it on screen as I was getting ready to leave the hospital after my son was born. 

2. What has changed in your life that you miss/regret the most? My health. I have what I need material wise. I have lost a lot of muscle, and it is hard to sit for long periods of time. I can't eat all the food they say. My doctor is sending me back to physical therapy. I am having a MRI on Wednesday. I have a mammogram on Friday. The doctor said not to lose any more weight.

I really miss my parents. I have questions that won't get answers. I miss their hugs. 

I miss my old house and the neighborhood. I don't miss the high taxes!

3.  Money is no object; nothing stands in your way. are you going to move or stay where you are? 

Oh I would definitely move to a bigger house! I would love a pool. 

4.  How can you improve your life? Besides the physical part I mentioned, stay active with my family and church friends. To keep enjoying my Bible journaling. We are going on a cruise in January and Hawaii in April so I need to really strength train to build up muscle strength.

1. When the Hodgepodge lands on September 11th I want to acknowledge that. Will you purposely pause to remember, pray, or attend any sort of ceremony on 9/11? Share any thoughts or memories you'd like to share about this day. I will be having a MRI on Wednesday. Maybe I will think about the day while I am in that chamber. I still remember hearing about it as we got in the car to drive to work. It was about 5:30 in the morning and we could not believe what we were hearing. I worked for the postal service we went on alert since we were a government building. The breakroom was full of people and I remember watching the second tower go down. It was so sad. You don't forget something like that. I don't forget the day President Kennedy was shot. I was 8 years old. They sent us home from school.

2. Growing up, did you spend a lot of time with your grandparents? What's something you learned from a grandparent? I did get to spend a lot of time with both sets of grandparents. I have lots of great memories! My grandparents said we were lucky to be an American citizen. We were blessed to have all that we had, mainly our family. This is a picture of my grandma's from 1994. My grandma Louisa on the left lived to 87. My grandma on the right lived to 79. She got an infection, then sepsis. I loved them both and I have both of their bibles.

                              This picture was from 1973. Grandpa Susano, and Grandpa David.

3. What's your go-to breakfast? I eat eggs every day. Sometimes over medium, sometimes scrambled, and I even make an omelet once in awhile!

4. Tell us the story behind one of your favorite photos. Family trip to Oahu in 2018. I had the best time with my family! We stayed a whole week at the Marriott Ko Olina. On our last full day, we went to the Disney Aulani for the character breakfast. We all loved it!

Dole Plantation

Aulani

Sunset at the North Shore

5. This week Friday lands on the 13th. Are you superstitious in any way? Do you like scary movies, and if so what's your favorite? I am not superstitious. I do not like scary movies.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I sure enjoyed looking back at the pictures from Hawaii. We will be going back with my son and his family. My daughter and kids will not go this time. They will be watching our dog and taking their own vacation at the end of the school year.

Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing

Saturday 9: Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer (1963)

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

1) In this song, Nat King Cole sings about enjoying "soda and pretzels and beer." Which of those three would we find in your kitchen right now?

 I think the grands have pretzels in their drawer. We don't buy sodas or beer. We have some Snapple diet peach tea that I add to water sometimes.

2) The lyrics mention a romantic movie. Which movie couple do you believe had onscreen chemistry?

Only thing that came to my mind was Gone with the Wind. Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'hara. Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh)I know there are many more, but my mind is tired after a busy couple of days with the grands.

3) He wishes "summer could always be here." How has your summer been so far? It has been nice so far. I am taking the grands swimming at my sisters today as I write this on Friday and we come back Saturday. My sister lives about 45 minutes away.

4) According to the song, a great warm weather meal includes sandwiches and wieners. Tell us about your perfect sandwich or, if you prefer, what you believe is the ideal way to dress a hot dog. 

The last sandwich I had had was made of turkey, avocado, Havarti cheese, lettuce and tomato with mayonnaise. I like my hot dog grilled and the bun slightly warmed. Mustard and ketchup. Sometimes with dill pickles.

5) Nat was a big baseball fan. Growing up in Chicago he played sandlot games and listened to Cubs games on the radio. As an adult he was a season ticket holder at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. 

Do you enjoy playing/watching baseball or softball? I have gone to a few Angel games. I watch the World series.

6) The lyrics of this week's song were written by Charlie Tobias, who wanted to create a sense of nostalgia for summers gone by. Share one of your special summer memories. In 1971 when I was 15, I went to Mexico City with my friend and her family. Her sister was getting married. The station wagon was loaded with people and the top stacked with luggage. We left early in the morning to get through the hot desert. I got to see so many places like Mazatlan, Guadalajara, and Acapulco. We stayed with family in Mexico City. The family was very nice and I learned some new customs. My Spanish was limited, but they were all so helpful. The boys were cute. One boy's name was Cuahtemoc Anderson and had the prettiest green eyes. I enjoyed sitting at the dinner table eating white rice and black beans with a particular roll. We ate red (Mexican rice and pinto beans at home with tortillas) After the wedding, they took me to Acapulco to see the Clift divers. I ate a lot of good food and fresh seafood. We stopped at a huge open air market in Guadalajara that was huge. The family was careful with what I ate and drank. I never got sick. We went a place and spent the night at a where the Olympic divers had stayed. Each hotel room had its own mini pool/hot tub. Mexico had hosted the Olympics back in 1968. I remember taking a book to read on the long stretches of driving. 1834 miles from Los Angles to Mexico City.

When I got home, my mom had decorated my room and bought me Carole King's Tapestry. I also had a nice birthday party with my friends for my 16th birthday. It was a very exciting and fun summer! Alejandro is the boy standing behind me in the white shirt.

7) In 1963, one of the best-selling books was Happiness Is a Warm Puppy by Charles Schultz. The cover showed Lucy giving Snoopy a big hug. Name another character from the Peanuts comic strip. 

Lucy, Charlie Brown, Linus and Peppermint Patty.

8) Also in 1963, men were wearing thin, solid-color ties. Later in the decade, ties would become wider, patterned and more colorful. Where do you turn to keep up with fashion trends? I tend to get what I need. I found some pants I liked at TJ Max. I got two shirts at Kohls in the Jr. section. I am more into comfort and how it fits than style. I ordered some bathing suits too.

9) Random question: Would you rather be a cowboy or a pirate? Cowboy.

1. What is the hottest temperature you've seen this summer so far? 102

2. What is your favorite summer beverage? Ice water with fruit.

3. Have you seen any fireflies/lightning bugs yet? Cicadas? no

4. What are the last 3 things you bought online? a book, charms and essential oil glass containers. 

5. Where do locals go to cool off? Pools and the beach.

6. Where did you buy your last postcard and what was on the pc? When I was in Oregon last summer.

It had a lighthouse we visited.

7. What's your favorite summertime scent? my plumerias.

8. What kind of a/c do you have - central, room, fans only, chillers, none and what temperature do you set it to?  Central

9. Do you have a summer vacation planned and if so, where are you really going??We are spending a few days at the beach four anniversary and may go whale watching. We moved our cruise to January.

10. What are your favorite summer activities? Pool, beach and family gatherings.

11.  What's your favorite summertime food? BBQ burgers and chicken.

12. Did you ever go to summer school? Yes, once in elementary school. Once in Jr high to take typing twice in high school to take drivers education and behind the wheel training and government and economics.

13. What's your favorite summertime memory? See #6 above.

14. Do you like fireworks? Not as much anymore.

15. How do you feel about the longer days of summer? I like them. I like the extended light and I can drive in the early evening.