Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

1 A movie theme song will play every time you walk in the room. what is it? (consider asking family or friends) That is a hard question, because it would depend on my mood. I have been thinking of my cousin that I have not seen in a while. We used to do everything before she moved away. Our song was, You've Got a Friend. Carole wrote it for her Tapestry album in 1971.( I still have my album) James Taylor also sang it. They both won Emmy's for that song in 1972! 

2. What movie are you eager to see... what book are you eager to read... what TV program are you interested in most? I want to see Moana and Oddysey. I miss going to the movies with my husband. We don't like to leave Minnie alone right now. I have been reading more and I am on the 6th book of the AD Chronicles, that takes place around the time of Jesus. Hubby and I are watching Dancing with the Stars, Next Pro. We have been watching some things on the Disney + Channel. We have also been watching I Love Lucy.

3. Is there a book/movie/TV program you often think about or that affects you in some way? We watched a live on YouTube on Sunday about The Chosen. They talked about how the movies came about and then it ended with a tease from Season 6 that will be about the Crucifixion of Jesus. They showed a scene where Jesus talks to the Women at the Well and is one of my favorite Bible Stories. I think I want to watch the series before I go to Israel.

4. OK friend, it's your turn to organize our Blogger Movie Night where we get together as a group for snacks and movies!  What movies have you planned for us tonight and what snacks are we going to have? Popcorn of course, smores, and maybe some candy. This makes me think of the Covid Lockdown. We had the grands over a lot and we would show movies and give them snacks. We watched the animated Prince of Egypt and the Greatest Showman. I miss the days when we could do things with all the grands. It is so different now. Several of us all went to see The Mandalorian. 

1. What was the last thing you celebrated? My grandson's high school graduation and his party.

2 July 29th is International Day of the Tiger. Besides the wild animal itself, when you hear the word tiger what's the first person-place-thing-whatever that comes to mind? Song, Eye of the Tiger-Survivor and the movie Rocky 3, Eye of the Tiger.

3. The expression 'eye of the tiger' describes someone with intense focus, determination, and the drive to succeed. What area of your life are you currently bringing that kind of energy to? Decluttering a lot of old things, mostly paper things, books and craft items. I have emptied several boxes and have several bags of books to go to the library.  

4. What was the last meal you cooked? My husband cooks chicken every few days for Minnie. She gets plain chicken. I plan to make some pasta and veggies. I miss eating salads.  

5. Describe your July using exactly five words. Expensive, productive, patriotic, hot and quiet. (because all my groups are on vacation right now.

6. Insert your own random thought here. My back and neck are feeling better this week. I have disc budges in both areas and sometimes they flare up enough to have to slow down to use ice and heat. Thanks for the well wishes. Minnie has her good and down moments too. She is totally okay when it comes to eating and I know it is because of the steroids. Or maybe her body knows it needs the extra food to help fight what is happening in her body, sometimes she pants and that is a sign of pain. It is not all the time, and I try to just pet her and talk to her softly. I bought whole carrots and peeled them, cut them up and cooked them. She loved eating raw carrots. She was happy to get some after I made them. Okay, need to make pasta for hubby!

Thanks to Anne and Joyce for the memes.

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

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What brand of shampoo do you think works best for you and what does it do for you?

I use Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo with Peppermint, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus Botanicals. I like how it makes my scalp feel and it cleans my hair well. I like that it has natural essential oils and doesn't bother my allergies. They also have a body wash that is nice!

2. Do you use cosmetics and if so what do you use? I don't wear a lot of makeup unless I am going to church or out with friends. I wear mascara and use a brow mascara for my greys. I like to wear a light plum color lipstick from Avon and Burts Bee products. I wear CeraVe moisturizer with a SPF 30 and CeraVe Night moisturizer as recommended by my dermatologist.

3. Do you use a washcloth on your face? Sometimes.

4. Do you have an all-time favorite perfume or scent that you wear? If you don't wear perfumes, is there a scent that you love in general? I can't wear fragrances, but I can wear essential oils. I like one called Stress Away by Young Living. It has lime, lavender and vanilla. 

1. Do your goals and dreams energize or exhaust you? Elaborate. There is only one goal, dream I have right now and that is to go to Israel. I am praying this war will end, but so far it only gets worse!

2. July 23rd is national lemon day. Are you a fan of this flavor? What's a favorite dish or beverage you enjoy that calls for lemons? I do love lemons and we have a Mayer lemon tree in our backyard. We mostly cut up lemons to put in our water. Sometimes we add it to certain dished like lemon piccata. 

3. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"...is this something you're pretty good at managing? Have you had to do this recently? If so tell us about it. There are some things that are pretty sour like the news, so I limit my time on the news. So I try to stay off it and work on my studies, crafts or declutter process. I am doing good on that. 

4. Something you love that is lemon yellow in color? I just got a shirt that has yellow in it and I really like it. I like a mellow yellow color and like to use it when I am crafting.

5. How would you describe your attention to detail? I am a very detailed person. When I look back to certain committee's I was on, I always liked to add things to make it special. Friends said they could tell I took the time to make is special. I am the same way with my Bible journaling. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. Minnie is holding her own but is still always hungry. We know she is blind in one eye and bumps into things and can't see things we put in front of her. We wonder if she also has a bit of dementia. Yesterday morning, she just laid in my arms and did not even get up when hubby went to bbq some hotdogs. Then later she was acting like she was catching flies like she use to, but there were no flies and she can't see really well. She wants to go out but then stands there. She paws at the door and forget she has a doggy door. Most of the time she follows us and then plops down on her side which is a new everyday behavior. So we have stayed home a lot. We have not gone out together since the last time we took her to the vet. She wants to be close to my husband who is her alpha and I am second. She still gets happy to see the grands and that is good. We are cutting back on her steroids and so far it seems okay. If she seems to be in pain, we will call the vet up.

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4...Summer time is upon us. 

1. What special memories do you have about summer when you were younger? So many fun memories! Playing in my grandparent's backyard, swimming, skating, playing with the neighborhood kids, riding my bike to the local park and playing tether ball and carrom's. We would have ice cream/popsicles and play in the sprinklers. One year we went to Yosemite and camped by the river. I remember dunking our Sees hard candy pops in the cold water and popping it in our mouths. I really enjoyed the end of the summer church camp and more. 

My birthday is in August, so we would celebrate at the park.

My tablecloth says Happy Birthday from Disneyland.

Newport Beach around 1960.

This was either 1965 or 1966 at Camp Colby.

We slept in the cabin with our parents. 

Once we hit jr. high, we could sleep with the girls our own age.

2. What is the highest temperature you've experienced in summer?  What about so far this summer? How do you weather the heat or humidity? We will hit 99 on Wednesday. We don't get humidity very often though we did this past Sunday. I think one summer it got up to 115! We have air, so we survive. Last year our AC went out and we had to stay with family for a couple of weeks. So happy that we got a new system because it works so much better!

3. What's been on your menu so far this summer? I started out eating salads. But with this parasite making people sick, I am going to forgo salads for a while. I am eating cooked veggies to get my greens in, I need to buy some frozen veggies and fruit. 

4.  What is on your reading list this summer... anything to recommend to us?  What's on your TV this summer. Any music you're liking this summer? I am reading the 5th book of the AD Chronicles. I have mentioned it several times. I listen to mostly Christian music either on my phone or on YouTube on my laptop. I do have a few oldie stations and that would be anytime from 50's-2000's.

1. "Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." Sam Keen

Do you feel less guilty relaxing in July than you do in January? Elaborate. I am retired and can experience days of laziness. My groups are on summer break right now, so things are quiet. I don't feel guilty except when I don't manage my time well. For instance, being on the computer too long when I know I have my garage project to work on. Because it is hot, I am spending time in the late morning and late evening to go through things. Hubby took another trip to the second hand store. I always make time to do things with the grands, but that is not as often as it used to be when they were younger. I do spend more time in the spa.

2. What's a telltale sign you're upset? I don't get upset often, but my husband knows when I am because I will complain to him. If I am upset with him, I take a time out for me to "cool my jets" I put on my music and ask the Lord for peace.

3. July 16th is National AI Day. What are your general thoughts and/or experiences with AI? Have you purposely used it? Does it excite you, scare you, or worry you? What do you see as a benefit? How about something relating to AI you see as a negative? I think like anything new, I am hesitant to jump in. I want to know more about it. So far, I have not used any new features like Cat GBT. I like to use SIRI on my iPhone. Like many things, it has the potential to help and hurt someone.

4. You're invited to a summer potluck and are asked to bring an appetizer, salad/side, or dessert. Which category do you go for and what are you bringing? I usually bring fresh fruit. That would be hard to do right now. Maybe I would take guacamole and chips instead.

5. It wouldn't be summer without a trip to the beach. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. My Israel trip is 3 months away. I am trying to stay positive about it. I am making 3 of my friends travel journals. Minnie is holding her own. She is happy to have family around. We have but back on the steroids but she still wants to eat all the time. She does bump into things, so we keep a close watch on her. 

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

Tuesday 4 What do you call it?
1. In New Jersey you put your groceries in a paper bag or plastic bag.  In Athens, Ohio where I went to

university, you put them in a paper sack. Is it bag, sack or something else where you live? Bag.

2. Though no one seems to wear them anymore, NJ says  Stockings.  Athens, Ohio used to call them "hose" and in Britain they are tights. What about where you live? We called them nylons.

3.Soda, Pop, Coke? Hero, sub, grinder, hoagie? Soda, sub.

 

4. Shopping cart or trolley. buggy? What do you call it? Cart or basket.

1. What's something you enjoy now that your younger self would never have appreciated? Time

2. What was peaceful about today? 

3. It's National Blueberry Day (July 8). Will you celebrate?  You can have one of the following right now-a slice of blueberry pie, a warm blueberry muffin, or a stack of blueberry pancakes...which do you choose? Pie.

This or that-blueberries or raspberries? blueberries or strawberries? 

4. Do you need a break? From what? A break from back problems. 

5. What has surprised you most about getting older? How quickly the days/years go by. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. I still can't believe I am almost 71. My mind does not feel that age, but my body reminds me. My youngest grand is a pre teen at 12. My oldest is 18, has two jobs and starts the university in the fall. He still hangs out here, so I guess I won't be getting my craft room back. But I am okay with that. Someday it will change. When we were busy raising kids and working, our parents were doing things with their friends. Then we were doing things with our church. When I look back and see why my parents worked into their late 60's. They had a successful real estate business. They enjoyed having the family over on weekend. Then mom got Alzheimer's. She was 75 when she died. For a few years I had this mental clock running that was working off that 75. But a verse in the Bible reminded me that only God knows our time. I can live life to the fullest for as long as I can. If it is safe, I will be going to Israel in October. I really want to go, but I don't, I will plan something else. Taking care of my health is important. Wednesday is senior fellowship and I plan to go. Socialization is important.

Minnie update. She is holding steady right now. She is always hungry because of the steroids and because we have to feed her smaller amounts. So we feed her 4 times a day. The stool softeners are really helping. she doesn't walk slow like she is hurting. She bumps into things. We looked into her left eye and you can see that the pupil look bad. She is content for now. A couple of weeks ago we thought we were going to lose her. Thanks for your prayers. We will enjoy each day as we can. All my grands and grand dogs are here as I write this and they are still asleep at 10 am. Thanking God for family.

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's time again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 and this week our friend Susan suggested the topic of decorating our homes for the holidays, especially for the 4th of July as it is the USA's 250th birthday.  So, lets do that. On July 4, 1776 we declared our independence from the British Empire and King George III  when the First Continental Congress set forth the Declaration of Independence. We became a free and sovereign, independent nation on September 3, 1783 

1. Will or have you decorated for the holiday? Yes, all US holidays are celebrated, and I have decorations for seasons too. If you don't reside in the USA, do you have a special holiday you decorate for on the outside of your home? Yes outside too.

I put flags in the front yard too.

2. What special little touches do you add to the outside of your home? I like to put out my seasonal garden flags. I have yard signs and scarecrows for fall. Do you enjoy puttering around in your yard? I used to, but I have to stay out of the sun for the most part because of skin cancer. My neck and back can't handle anything heavy.

3. Are plants and shrubs an important part of your house decor? I used to really enjoy gardening. I love looking out at my palm trees in the backyard and the plumerias in the front yard.

4.  On which holidays do you spend time decorating either inside, outside or both? Christmas, Fall and Easter and the 4th. inside and out. 

This is my seasonal tree. The grandfather clock was a gift from my parents.

I made this valence after cutting a bunch of strips. 

I like to make things when I can. I am working on a wreath right now.

I had left over material from making the valence, so I made the decoration below.

1. What do you love most about your country? Our country has a lot to offer. I can go to the church I want. My kids have all done well in schools and have good jobs. Grands are all doing well. I don't think they youngest generation-grands really understand true freedom . It is something not to take for granted.  

2. Your favorite patriotic song? God Bless America & American the Beautiful.

3. Red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Something you own besides a US flag with some combination of those colors or decorations as part of its design? Lots of things are out in my house now, see above.

4. What's one thing you want more of this summer: fun, rest, adventure, connection, quiet, or confidence? Elaborate. My dog is sick right now and things revolve around her. We don't know how long she has with her mass in her colon. Things will be on the quiet side this year. Summer weather goes till October here. I am going to Israel in October with my church if it is safe to do so.

5. What was your ultimate, go-to summer activity when you were a kid? Do you still do any version of that today? If you answered yes, does participating in this activity as an adult make you feel like a kid?  

Just being out of school for 10 weeks was great and I know kids still feel the same. Days at the beach, swimming, bike riding and hanging with friends. At the end of the summer, my family went to church camp. It was more special when we graduated to the Jr High and High school cabins. 

The last time I went, my boyfriend went to and stayed with the boys. One of the boys I had like before him was in that cabin, but all was cool. Oh, I also enjoy the beach parties with my youth group.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I had some dental work done on Monday and my cataract consult on Tuesday morning. I am always thankful for health insurance. I will be having my cataract surgery after I come back from Israel in October. I can see pretty well in the daylight. With Minnie being sick, it is probably best. Enjoy the 4th of July!

Thanks to Annie and Joyce for the memes this week,

Wednesday Hodgepodge & Prayer Request

1. Summer's here!  In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you're in the southern hemisphere substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? What's your biggest summer pet peeve? Since I am retired summer days are just another day. I do enjoy the down time from all my groups to catch up on projects. I do not like the super hot days we get in July-mid October. We seem to get more days in the 100's but at least we rarely get humidity. The worst thing is the mosquitos! The rest of the year is mild since we live in So Calif. We were more active when the grands were younger. Now they all want to do their own things. We still get to see the grands often and will be here more to help with Minnie.

2. What song always reminds you of summer? Anything Beach Boys

3. What's something you remember about your childhood summers? Do you think kids today get to enjoy summer the way you did as a child? Elaborate.

I have a lot of good memories of summers as a child. Most of them are playing outside. Playing in the sprinklers on a hot summer day. We loved the Slip N Slide. Swimming at the community plunge, beach days, riding our bikes in the evening with playing cards on the spokes. Lots of outside time, sunshine and friends. I don't thinks kids of today get the same experience that we did when life was simpler. Electronic takes more time. Neighborhoods are not the same anymore. Kids not can't just roam the streets in safety. One thing that is true, kids love to be out of school! 

4. We celebrate Father's Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa.

I favor my dad, both in looks and temperament when it comes to the social aspects. We both like to be around people. Dad passed in 2013 and I still miss him so much. I shared pictures of him in my last post.  My husband and son Andrew are good dads and they both cook too!

For those of you who read my last post, I am the girl on the left.

 A summer memory taken outside my dad,

 

5. Let's wrap up with a summer this or that-

flip flops or sandals~sandals

beach or pool~beach

watermelon or peaches~peaches

shorts or sundress~shorts

iced coffee or ice cold lemonade~iced cold peach tea

amusement park or water park~water park for sure...Waterpark and Disneyland! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. I mentioned in my previous post that we were taking Minnie to a specialist. She has a large mass in her colon. We discussed options and surgery would be over $10000 and that does not include medications and chemo. Because the mass is big, they suspect that it probably has metastasized. So, we are going with the second option of making her comfortable, loving her and then helping her when her times comes to cross that Rainbow bridge and join her mom and other family dogs. I would appreciate prayers during this hard time. 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. June 17th, 1994 was the day of the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase. What were you doing in 1994? I'm guessing somebody is going to tell me they weren't born yet but that's part of the fun of the Hodgepodge. Lots of generations are represented here. I remember watching some of it on tv. I don't remember anything else. That was the year I went from working nights to days. 

2. What's your favorite summer salad that isn't the traditional tossed green lettuce kind of salad? Do you like fresh fruit in a salad (other than in a fruit salad of course)?Mediterranean salad, Lettuce, olives, feta cheese, chicken, tomatoes, chickpeas, avocado and balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

3. Is chivalry dead? Should it be? I found this in the description (the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, namely courage, honour, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak:)

 I think those are all great things but I can sum it up: be kind and be honest.

4. Would you rather spend a week of your summer vacation in Hawaii or Alaska? Have you ever been to either? Are they two places you really would like to see? How do you feel about 'Hawaiian pizza' aka pineapple on a pizza? Have you ever eaten Baked Alaska?  I have been to both. I was in Hawaii in 2000 with my sister, cousin and aunt. I went in 2009 with my husband for our 35th anniversary. We went in 2012 for a family wedding. We first went to Oahu for 7 days and then joined the rest of the family in Maui. We last went in 2018 with our grands. Hubby and I went on a cruise to Alaska in 2006 and we had a great time. We went with a bunch of people from church. We got to see the Northern Lights while on the ship. I like pineapple on my pizza and I have eaten a baked Alaska while on the cruise. I need to add Hawaii 2018. Maybe I will add it here. I hope to go back one more time if things all work out for next year and if oil and gas prices come back down.

2012

So glad we took this trip. We lost our dad 8 months later.

5. World Cup play is happening now...are you interested? Watching any matches? Did you or your children play soccer/futbol? There are eleven US cities hosting matches-I have only caught bits of it. My grandson played a season of soccer. Baseball was more important.

-Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York with the stadium in NJ, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle along with  three cities in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey)and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver)-

You get free tickets to one of these matches. Which city do you choose? Tell us why. I would like to go Philadelphia because I have not been there.  I visited Guadalajara and Mexico City with my friend when I was 15. I was there for 6 weeks while they prepared for the sister's wedding. It is a trip I have always had fond memories. I have been to Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and New Jersey. I would like to see Atlanta too. I read about it when I read Gone with the Wind. I know a lot of movies are filmed there.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I am looking forward to my trip to Israel if it is safe to go. It's planned for October 5-14 and I am going with about 60 people from our church and the pastor is leading it. He has been there 5 times.

My Website is at Susan's Garden of Friendship The link is to the right. Lots of inspirational pages too. 

My vacations are listed at the Site Map

Thanks to Joyce for hosting this meme. 

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Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

The party was a success! More pictures on the bottom.

Summertime means travel time for many people. Let's talk about travel and holidays.

1. Will you be traveling this summer at all? We just took a vacation at Vegas. We might spend a few nights in San Diego. I hope to go to Israel in October as long as it is safe to go.

2. Will there be day trips in store for you? visits to the beach, evenings out? We do plan to go to the beach which is about 35 miles away. I am blocked from Disney until the 2nd week of August. We will do something with the grands. My husband and his brothers have planned a family reunion the last weekend of June. I mostly need to get in shape for Israel.

3. Do you eat out more in summer... do you go for ice cream or treats more? I don't think we go out more often. We usually go out on Sunday's after church. After a busy week with graduation, we will take it easy until Father's Day. I don't eat ice cream to often. It has too much sugar!

4. What is your favorite place to visit and what is the most exotic place you've been to? I love to go to Disneyland! My favorite exotic place is Hawaii and it all goes well, we might go one more time.

1.  How would you define 'the good life'? My relationship with Jesus. My kids are saved and doing well. My extended family are doing well and we all get along. We have all that we need. A steady retirement income, a home, good church and friends.

2.  What's the most used app on your phone (and are you proud of that)? I check my email first. I check messages next and I take a lot of pictures! I like to play Words with Friends and use Facebook and Instagram.

3. 'Every rose has it's thorn', 'everything's coming up roses', 'looking through rose-colored glasses', 'it's no bed of roses' or 'stop and smell the roses'...which rose idiom best relates to something in your life currently. Explain. Stop and smell the roses is a good one. I want to take in everything now and relish it. I will be 71 in a couple of months. Each day is a gift from God. I will try to be positive and see the good in my life, even when things don't always look too good.

4. How do you feel about floral flavorings in food or drink (rose, hibiscus, elderflower, lavender)? I don't mind it in teas. I just tried Starbuck's new drink because I had a gift card. It is called the Tropical Butterfly Refresher. A visually striking drink with layers of guava and passionfruit flavors, mango-pineapple popping pearls, and a butterfly pea flower infusion. I added the coconut milk and it was so good. I added water because it was so sweet and only drank about a third of it.

5. Over the course of your life what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else? 

My life as a believer of Jesus Christ.  Growing up in church, not going often for several years after being married and then rededication and walk over the past 35 years.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I have been resting for a few days after having survived my grandson's graduation and party. My daughter did a lot to make it special and I was so proud of my family and how they all made the day so special! my husband made shredded beef and it was so good! He cooked a chuck roast for hours after marinating it. My younger son and his wife made the marinated chicken and the rice. We got beans from a favorite place in town. I made the guacamole and bought the chips to go with it at a market that has the best home made tasting chips. Hubby made the salsa too! One of my sisters brought salads and my other sister and her son brought all the fixings for the tacos. My oldest son made quesedillas and "crispers" fried tortillas that are topped with cheese and then zapped in the mocrowave oven. The boys ate them like that with salsa. Some added beans and meat to make tostadas. My older son had everyone come in and he prayed for the boys and the food.

There was a whole dessert table that was a hit after the food and games. The best part for the boys was a giant jumper! That is what Eddie wanted. The boys spent several hours is it. My sister who is a marriage and family counselor said that was the best thing they could do after going through the trials of finals and all the senior things. My son has gone to school with some of these boys since kindergarten!

All these boys are off to college.

My sisters, I am the oldest and Ann on the right is the younget.

She did not stay long because she had to get back to her grandson's grad party!

My brother Scott and his wife Cindy and sister Terry.

Scott and Cindy were off to my nephew's party after ours.

My brother is the baby of the family.

Thanks to my son and his wife for hosting the party!

My beautiful grands. The youngest grandson was playing video games upstairs.

Jazzy graduates next year. She doesn't want a party. 

She wants the family to go to Disneyland!

Previous post has grad pictures.

Thanks to Annie and Jocye for the memes. Links are on the left.