Hodgepodge for Lunch

1. April 22nd is Earth Day. Are you inspired by nature? In what way? 


I am inspired by God, our Creator of all things! He has done such marvelous work through nature and it amazes me to watch wildlife and I love to gaze over open fields and watch the wind blow through whatever is growing there. I love the colors that blend and contrast with all that God has created and yes, it does inspire me, sometimes to write poetry, other times to capture something with my camera. Other times it inspires me to slow down and rest.


2. Down to earth, four corners of the earth, move heaven and earth, not have an earthly chance, or salt of the earth...which earthly idiom have you most recently encountered? Explain.


"Down to earth", I think - that pretty much sums up my life here on the Christmas Tree Farm. We are plain and simple  in our everyday lives by the world's standards, and that's the way we like it!


3. Share one piece of advice you might give a newly engaged couple.


Don't wait until you "can afford" to get married. If marriage is your plan, then plan to get married! Your wedding day is important but it should reflect who you are and how you live, right now. Lavish, expensive weddings set a standard of living that often can't be met and couples are left wishing they could live the life their wedding day appeared to be instead of celebrating the love that brought them together.
 

4. When did you last engage someone to perform a job, task, service, home repair, or improvement? On a scale of 1-10 (ten being the best) how would you rate their work and/or your satisfaction with the job or service provided?


We only choose reputable people to do work for us and it has been a very long time since we needed work that couldn't be done by us.  However, it was major work in that most of the inside of our house had to be rebuilt because of flooding. We were blessed to have our insurance pay for it and I'm happy to say that we would give our builders a #9 on their work!


5. When did you last find yourself engaged in small talk? Are you awkward or an expert or somewhere in between?


"Small talk" is one of those weird expressions! I pretty much don't engage in it as I either have something to say or I don't. When I find someone to converse with, we talk forever :-)  I guess I'm more of a listener, to start, but then...  :-)


6.  What was the last historic place you visited?


Well, we tried to visit lots of places on our big trip last fall, but the government turned us away all along the coast of North Carolina :-(   We did manage to visit Currituck Light and the restored area on the Outer Banks of NC.  We also got to visit the area where the Wright Brothers made their first flight.


7. The world would be a better place if we just__________________________.


As a world, turned back to the Lord, placing him at the head of each of our houses and kept Him there.


8.  Insert your own random thought here.


We love finding interesting stuff wherever we walk and this piece of  'sea creature' was on the beach in Virginia. It kind of looks like a piece of starfish, but I'm not sure and it was the only piece we found. Anyone have any clues? 

Wednesday Hodge Podge and Snow Flakes

1. Are we always responsible for our actions? Are there any exceptions?

Always. No exceptions.

2.  Has anyone from your home town become famous?

I come from a very small town in the Catskill Mountains and I don't believe any one there has become famous. We did have the "priviledge" of the company quite often of Jack "Legs" Diamond, the NYC gangster. He had a home nearby and frequented it often. He was generous to the local people and especially loved kids, but I always wondered if those people "owed" him something, or perhaps he was buying their friendship so he had a place to escape to? He was shot one time in a bar not too far from his "safe" home.

3. January was National Slow Cooker month. Do you own a slow cooker/crock pot? Did you use it last month? What's a favorite dish you make using a slow cooker or crock pot?

I had no idea it was National Slow Cooker month - I guess I missed the memo! We like to cook chicken, sausage and beans (with some spices) in our crock pot (among other things) and that was probably the most recent dish.

4. How do you feel about private companies collecting data about you?

I don't mind if they collect demographic type info, but they need to keep their memory banks away from my name, address, family and my money.
5. The Games of the 2014 Winter Olympics kick off with their opening ceremony this coming Friday....will you be watching? Which Winter Olympic event would you most like to see in person? Have you ever been to Russia? Any desire to go, Olympics or otherwise?

We like to watch many of the Winter Olympic sports and find the opening ceremony quite interesting, though l-o-n-g.  I like figure skating, best, but if I could stand the cold, I would like to watch some of the skiing events, too. Have never been to Russia and no real desire to go unless it was a mission trip with my church or I found some ancestral heritage there.


6. Share a good or bad sports related memory from your childhood or teen years.

HAHA!!  I loved sports but was not very good at them; that said, most any sport has something funny attached to it. Here's one:  Our softball field was flooded but our gym teacher was determined so we moved our bases out to the soccer field and turned it sideways so that home plate was about 20 feet from a ditch, hence, the catcher (me) was 10 feet from the ditch - I had no trouble with the ditch, but being ever mindful of it's location, I failed to notice the woodchuck hole mere steps behind me. I discovered it several plays into our game by stepping backwards, toe first, and then losing my balance, landing right on top of the back of my foot, wedging it tightly with my heel against a rock -- it took several minutes and many hands to dig my foot out, much to my embarrassment and of course, fear of what might actually be IN that hole and would they be upset by a cloth sneaker invading their privacy!  I was so afraid of being bitten, I could only scream, "Get me out! Get me out!"  LOL!!!!


7. What's a must have song for you on a work out play list? If you don't work out, run, swim, bike, walk, or anything else that could be construed as 'exercise', then what's a song that movtivates you to at least get up off the couch?

It's been a while, but I loved doing Tae Bo exercise to Michael W Smith's "Freedom" CD with one of the selections by the same name. Some of the music was hard driving (Celtic Style) and others were quiet for cool down.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

From my kitchen window looking out on our back yard tree farm, I decided the icicles resembled teeth :-)  

DEFINITELY a Wednesday in JANUARY!!

1. It was decided on Sunday the Denver Broncos will meet the Seattle Seahawks in this year's  Superbowl. So when was the last time you bowled? Not where you thought this question was going is it?  Do you like to bowl? Are you any good? 

I think it was in 2006 and I wasn't very good, but the kids in our "Winter Camp" youth group found me... entertaining...

2.   Should sports stars be role models? A repeat question from some time ago and YES, sports stars should be and in fact, ARE role models. 

Some of them are very good ones, and some are extremely bad :-(

3. January is National Oatmeal month...are you a fan? How do you like your oats? 

Oats can be cooked and eaten with brown sugar; mixed into cookie dough and baked; mixed in with hamburg, egg, onion and tomato soup for meatloaf! Mmmmm!

4. What is one book on your reading list for 2014?

Only one so far, and it comes out in February:  Saloma Furlong Miller's 2nd book, "Bonnet Strings" and here's her blog: http://aboutamish.blogspot.com/  Her first book was very interesting; growing up Amish and making a break for personal freedom which included higher education. So refreshing to read of a "real" Amish girl who tells it like it was and probably still is for most - caught in the middle of their church's rules and regulations.

5. What would you like your future self to say to your present self?

 Keep it up! Pass it on! Well done!

6. When scrolling through the TV guide, what is one movie title that makes you want to stop, grab the popcorn, and watch for a while?

I watch very few movies but at Christmastime, it could be "Holiday Inn" or "Miracle on 34th Street" as I don't have them on VHS or DVD.

7. What are two style trends you hope never come back into fashion?

Easy!  Bell Bottoms and Stirrup Pants and lets add Leisure Suits for good measure!!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Two bird feeders were covered with Goldfinches! Made me think a big storm was coming but it didn't; no clue why they converged like that, but I'm glad the feeders were full.

I was Right on Time and Forgot to Post!

(Cause I'm too lazy to think up my own subjects for my blog!) 

(Thanks, Joyce!)

1.  Are you a force to be reckoned with? In what way?

Not normally, but if I sense an injustice, I'll step right in! I can take on the best in 'verbage' :-)
2. What are two things you love about the wintertime? Or, if love feels like too strong a word, what are two things you 'like' about winter? 

I love snow. Really, I do! I love it when it falls from the sky both in dance patterns and in heavy blanket form; love how it piles up so quickly and when I was younger, I could see the intrinsic pattern of each flake on the black sleeve of my jacket!  I love being outside in the cold, fresh air when the sun is shining - usually in late February or early March; the air has such a sweet smell after a fresh snow;  I can also smell snow before a storm hits - it's different than the smell of rain, similar to the sweet smell after it snows but more mellow. I can't smell snow squalls or flurries so it must have something to do with picking up moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, maybe?

3. Pomegranate, kumquat, persimmon, kiwi, and guava are all fruits said to have health benefits, particularly during the winter months. Do you have a favorite on the list? Are there any on the list you haven't tried? 

I like to eat kiwi by cutting one in half and then taking my spoon and scooping out the insides as one might do a grapefruit - no mess and delicious right out of its own little bowl! I do not care for guava or pomegranate and have not tried a kumquat.

4. I passed a local church yesterday and noticed they had this on their outdoor sign- 'When all else fails, do the right thing.' Your thoughts?

Kind of an odd way for a church to advocate truth -  I think I would not belong to a church where one is not expected to do the right thing the first time around :-/

5. Do you ski? According to one list I've seen, the top 5 ski destinations for 2014 are-St. Anton Austria, Whistler Canada, Cortina Italy, Tahoe USA, and Zermatt Switzerland.  Of the five listed, which would you most like to visit? We can make skiing optional if that helps the non-skiers with their answer. 

I cross country ski so they would have to accommodate my style with great trails :-)   Perhaps one of the ones in Europe and I could get in a little genealogical research, too!
6.  What's the last thing you looked for online? (Besides my blog!)

Ancestry hints for James Lines from Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland (see 2nd half of #5)  or  if I have any substitute jobs being offered for work tomorrow - I don't remember which I did last! 

7. What saying, slogan, quote, or motto have you seen lately that inspires you for the new year?

Oh, I don't know. There have been too many of them floating around Facebook for me to choose just one. Some are clever, witty, etc., but most are lame and have spelling and grammatical errors that bug me to no end!

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm always to tired to have a random thought but I do love pictures :-)  My 6 year old granddaughter and I played Jenga tonight and she did very well, especially not getting upset when they tumbled down.

"I'm Late! I'm Late! I'm Late! "

1.  Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English.  Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words were chosen).  Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2014-

selfie, twerk/twerking, hashtag, Twittersphere, Mr. Mom, T-bone, _______on steroids, the suffixes-ageddon and -pocalypse added to anything and everything, from the world of politics the words-intellectually/morally bankrupt and Obamacare, and from the world of sports the words-adversity and fan base

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why?  Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

TWERK/TWERKING and anything/one associated with it. 

2. What one unfinished project nags at you begging to be completed in this new year?

One? *sigh* I want my "green" room back to looking like a library or den. It became a store room after our heating system burst 7 years ago and just has not been cleaned out since! 

3. When did you last have a bowl of soup?  What kind? Homemade or from a can? What's your favorite soup?

Last night, for supper I had some vegetable beef soup that I made from leftover New Year's dinner. Spicy and delicious with mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and onions to go along with the beef. However, once in a great while, my husband and I both get a hankering for good 'ol Campbells Condensed Tomato Soup, made with milk and a pinch of sugar, of course, and served with grilled swiss cheese sandwiches!

4. Snowed in, snowed under, snow job...which one most applies to your life in recent days, figuratively speaking?

Snowed in, I guess, though we have lots of ice and very little snow at the moment. However, the temps have been pretty cold and no one wants to leave the house. Being "retired" and not having to go to work unless I want to, (substitute teacher) I have relished my early mornings where I have not had to get up until I felt like it!  This is a "snowed in" feeling that I just love and is reminiscent of my childhood days when, from my bed,  I would hear my mom's radio announce "Cairo Central" on their list of school closings; but now I don't have to wait for the snow!

5. What's the funniest movie you've ever seen, or at least one of the funniest?

"The Muppet's Christmas Carol" is probably the funniest and followed close behind by "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!"  I watch them every year and every year I laugh and can even speak the parts as they are being spoken!

6. In general, would you say you're clumsy?

In general? No. I'm not as graceful as I once was, but I maneuver on x country skis and snowshoes without major embarrassment.

7. Elvis Presley was born on Hodgepodge Day (January 8th) back in 1935.  Are you an Elvis fan?  What's your favorite Elvis tune?  If that's too hard, which Elvis tune do you dislike the least?  Click here for a list of his songs. 

Not a big Elvis fan. I really disliked his fast songs, but liked some of his slower ballad type songs. "Love Me Tender" came to mind.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Thinking back on #6, sometimes this happens:

Winter Life

I've been thinking about this poem and decided to bring it out from under it's winter wraps and share it one more time :-) 

Winter LIfe

Under boughs of evergreen
beneath cold dirt you'll find
little rooms in tidy nests
for critters of every kind.

Grey mice and squirrels; chipmunks, too,
seek shelter from winter's air
They burrow a furrow and line the end
with some of their soft, warm fur.

They venture out on warmish days
and skitter across the snow
to search for food and stretch their limbs...
then it's back to the evergreen boughs.

What? Already? (Wednesday Hodgepodge)

1. According to Oxford Dictionaries, the 2013 word of the year is 'selfie'. Your thoughts? When did you last take a selfie? Do you post them online somewhere?  Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind the lens? 

Occasionally I take a "selfie" the last one was my favorite and it was totally by accident! I was riding on the back of my husband's motorcycle and he just doesn't understand why I don't like it - can't see anything but the back of his helmet! So I took a picture of the back of his helmet just to show him my "view" from the back seat and when I posted it from my camera to Facebook, there was my reflection and I had a slightly smug look on my face! HAHAHA!!  I'll try to post it to #8 below. I prefer to be behind the camera, but if someone takes my picture and it's decent, I'm ok with that. Most of my pics I take and that are taken of me end up on Facebook, and in online picture storage, Shuttefly

2. Will you send out Christmas cards this year? If so, are they ready to go? If not, are you glad or sad about leaving that tradition behind? 

I will; just as soon as I have some other things done :-)  No, they're not ready, I don't even have my photo or letter ready!

3. Do you trust easily?

No, unless we've been friends for a VERY long time.

4. Pine-cinnamon-peppermint-vanilla (as in sugar cookie)...of those listed, which one is your favorite December scent?

Tough one. Perhaps pine.

5. Did you do more talking or more listening yesterday? Was that by choice or necessity?

Wow, I would have to say it was an even trade-off!  Visited with a friend for lunch and then ice cream and we just all talked and talked and ate and ate!

6. What's the last song that got stuck in your head? Sorry if it's back there now :  )

All songs from church choir. I wake up with them going through my head. We are doing a cantata so it starts with #1 and goes to the end, just like the practice CD! I'm an alto so I try not to sing out loud too often here at home.  :-)

7. Which world explorer (in the whole history of the world) would you most like to have traveled with, and why? 

Well, I'm not the exploring type, but if I could have controlled the sea-sickness, perhaps Hendrick Hudson -  and he could have dropped me off in Catskill on his way up the river (I grew up just north of there!) HAHA!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Here's a shot of the back of my husband's helmet - no clue my reflection was in it! I only took it as a joke to show him my view from the back seat of his motor cycle!  

Twas the Hodgepodge Before Thanksgiving

1. Are you settling for something?

I guess so. I'm such a traditionalist and we have had to change our Thanksgiving traditions. We always had Thanksgiving dinner with my parents and as they grew older and passed on to heaven, I started cooking my own dinner for our family in the tradition of my Mom and Dad. My ideal Thanksgiving Day has me cooking a big bird starting early in the morning so we can have dinner with the family in the afternoon. The more the merrier, so bring on the in-laws! However, my own children are now married and attempting to have traditions of their own and even nieces and nephews are getting married and moving away or going to college in a faraway state. So the big dinner here at our house has been reduced and I just have to get over it! We are settling for as much family time as we can squeak in on this holiday. I'm so very thankful that all 3 live within 40 miles of each other and at one point all will be here for either "Dad's Holiday Hash" (our new tradition) for breakfast or "Mom's Turkey and Trimmings" for dinner.

2.  It wasn't that long ago almost every store in the US locked doors and turned out lights on Thanksgiving Day. This year many will be open all day Thursday, giving shoppers a jump start on 'Black Friday'. In your opinion is this a good thing or a not so good thing? Will you be shopping on Thanksgiving Day?

In my opinion, I believe this is a bad thing. The one day a year that is supposed to be set aside to give thanks for all that we are blessed with; to be spent either with family or friends and we have slapped it across the face with consumerism/commercialism. No, I will not be shopping on Thanksgiving Day.

3. Speaking of shopping... I saw a recent article on the twelve best shopping cities in the world. In order they are-

New York, Tokyo, London, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Dubai, Madrid, Milan, and Seoul. 

Ever shopped in any of the cities listed? In which city would you most like to pull out the plastic or cold hard cash?

I've shopped in New York because we lived there for several years and if I had the cold, hard cash to back up my plastic, I'd like to shop there again! I'd also like to try shopping in Tokyo, London, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Dubai, Madrid, Milan and Seoul :-)

4.  When did you last dine by candlelight?
Uh... probably when we were without power; 10 years ago comes to mind. Oh, wait a minute...one night this past summer, the waitress lit a candle on our table when we dined at Jay's Lakeside!  I think it may have been our anniversary, too!

5. What do you have too much of?

Weight. Enough said.

6. The Hunger Games...are you a fan?  Did you read the book(s)?  Will you/have you seen the movie?  Will you/have you seen Catching Fire?  No spoilers please!

Haven't seen "Hunger Games" and not sure if I am interested or not. We are not movie goers unless it's a mutual "Need to See" movie. I've only heard about that one and also "Catching Fire." We'd rather spend our money at a restaurant!

7. Share your plans for Thanksgiving Day. The who, the where, the what...especially the what! As in what's for dinner?  If you're one of my International visitors, whose homeland doesn't celebrate American Thanksgiving (the whole world doesn't ya know!), then still tell us your plans for Thursday. 

Home. Possibly watching bits and pieces of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "Dad's Holiday Hash" in the morning with two sons and their families. This is a combo of kielbasa, eggs, potatoes (onions, peppers), cheddar cheese; dishes of fresh fruit, too. The "kids" will bring something to share. That evening, our third son and his wife will come for dinner:  Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed onions, beets, broccoli, butternut squash, rolls, pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Then someone (not me) will fall asleep on the couch! LOL!!!! It's a tradition! No football.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.


I'm going to whine. So much media hype over less than 2 inches of snow!  I can't stand it! The forecast was calling for rising temps and snow changing to rain with very little ice accumulation expected but they went on and on and on and on...  Now, I understand it was scheduled to arrive the evening before the biggest travel day of the year and no doubt, there were going to be delays at airports, but PLEASE...the rest of the country and even those of us who live through it do not need to hear it over and over and over! By the time, February comes NO ONE including the media, will care about 2 inches of snow that turns to slush. End of whining.  That said, I loved our snowfall! It brightened up our end of autumn drab colors and even the slush does not bother me. Since there is very little frost in the ground, it will slowly melt into the bringing up the levels in our wells and not just run off causing flooding. I took a picture of our back yard Christmas tree farm but am having trouble uploading it so here's a similar one from a few years ago:

Wednesday Hodge Podge (and it's still Wednesday!)

1. When it comes to good manners, what two top your list of most important?
Only two? OK, how about holding or opening the door for a person near you; saying please and thank you.
2. Let's open a proverbial can of worms...Common Core.  Are you familiar with the term (talking education reform in the USA)?  If so, care to share your thoughts? In your opinion, what is one of the biggest issues schools (in your home country) face today?
Oh, brother! I'm familiar with Common Core; enough to know that I'm glad I retired when I did and am only subbing, now! As a substitute teacher, I have found it necessary to familiarize myself with some of it, so that when I take a class, I'm able to at least make a semblance of sense of it before I attempt to teach the students. I've never seen teachers so frustrated and that includes the LAST three times they attempted to modernize math. The biggest problem I believe is getting parents to realize the importance of a good education; being involved with their children from grade school all the way through high school. 
3. Name a celebrity whose fashion sense you admire and share why.
I do not care for the styles of today's fashions and I'm not big on celebrities. However, I do like our local news anchors and think they are always dressed appropriately; not like many "celebrities" that show up on TV.  
4. How are you affected by the changing seasons?
I love the changing seasons; each one! However, if there are too many "gray" days in a row (no matter the season) I start to get grumpy. I do have a tendency to "snuggle in" (not quite hibernate) when it gets dark earlier and earlier in the winter and look forward to the lengthening days of late February and March.
5. Scariest book you've ever read?
Thinking...thinking...    I don't read scary books.... I suppose the creepiest may have been back in college with Edgar Allen Poe's "The Telltale Heart."
6. What time of day are you most hungry? What's your go-to snack?
I find myself the most hungry in the late afternoon.  Saltine crackers with peanut butter take care of my cravings, nicely! Some times fruit... Oh, and anything chocolate...   
7. Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent? Which do you find harder to deal with in others?
I'm independent, but not from my family.  I love how our family helps with each other no matter the need; the same with our church family. The one time we were desperately in need of help, it was extremely humbling to be on the receiving end of things, almost to the point where I wanted to say "No, thank you!" when I really needed to say, "Yes, please!"  People who seem to be needy all the time, wear on me. I find I have a hard time being good friends with people who are always looking for someone else to "do" for them what they should be learning to "do" for them selves.
8.  Insert your own random thought here.
We had a wonderful vacation but finding so many of our destination points with this sign was extremely discouraging. I hate to complain since many of our friends actually lost time from work but when you've been saving and planning and set out to visit, oh, say..."The Wright Brother's Museum" in Kitty Hawk, NC and it closes up tight before you get there... or the light houses you want to visit are in National Parks at the shore... and don't forget the National Parks in the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee National Forest... and a marina on the Outer Banks in NC (among other places)  they do not own in waters they seem to think they do, it gets very discouraging and it's the first time I've actually been more than just disgusted with my government, more like just plain ANGRY.  I'll remember all of this come election day for years to come.

If it weren't for us taxpayers, there would BE NO national parks, national museums, national NOTHING! (I know, poor grammar.)

Well, we had a good time in spite of our government's shut down thanks to great family, friends and weather! 

Six Minutes to Thursday ... oops!

1. Picture postcards were first printed back in the mid-1800's and deltiology is the official name for postcard collecting. When did you last send a postcard?  Receive one? Do you save postcards sent to you? Do you collect and/or send postcards when you travel?

Last send a postcard?  Oooohhh.... I can't remember!  It was probably from Maine, many years ago. The last post card was probably from my sister-in-law when they were visiting family out west.  She was big into post cards when the rest of us were discovering instant photos on Facebook!  I sort of collect them ... as in I never throw anything out :-)

2. What treat do you most like to indulge in while on vacation?

Definitely eating out!  We plan our meals and restaurants carefully and enjoy every last morsel!

3. Are you good at hiding your feelings?

Mostly more than less ...  it depends on how tired I am.

4. Does your town/city/county still deliver telephone books to your home? Do you check the yellow pages when searching for a local business number or has the internet replaced the phone book in your home?

Why, yes! Just had our yellow pages delivered a few weeks ago.  If the computer is on, I use the internet, otherwise I'll flip the pages.

5. Would you rather be first or last?

Depends on what is going on....   I'm not terribly competitive.  For interviews, definitely neither!

6. July is National Park and Recreation Month (in America, but everyone can still play along)...where and when were you last in a park?  Did you participate in any recreational activities while you were there?

Ahhh!!  Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island in Maine!  We walked and took lots of pictures.  We have biked the carriage roads on previous visits.  We have also taken in sunrise on Cadillac Mountain... where the sun first rises on the east coast of the United States!

7.  What was one of your worst ideas?

Let me think.  I guess, continuing to ski when I knew I had hurt my knee in a fall while x country skiing.  It felt "funny" but didn't really hurt.  ....til later.

8.  Insert your own random thought here:

Near "Thunder Hole" (which really does 'thunder' at the right time of tide) in Acadia National Park

Right on Time - Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What's one simple small pleasure on your summer 'to-do' list? 

Finish reading a few books. I love to read and occasionally have spare time!  Amazing!

2. Do you have strong feelings or opinions regarding the immigration debate in your home country? Feel free to share your thoughts, but please play nice.

Too late at night to really discuss this topic; here's my short version. If you want to live in this or any other country, follow the laws that are already in place. Don't sneak in; get a passport and visa if it's required. Learn the language. Get a good paying job; it won't bother me if you take it away from someone else ... chances are if you "took it away" they weren't doing a good job or were not qualified to begin with!

3.  What's something in your home or wardrobe that could be described as 'star spangled'?

I have a white shirt with a simply beaded American flag on it.  I love that shirt! I also have a hand panted shirt with stars and stripes. 

4.  Is your house set up for a party?

Uh, no.  It was barely ready for company but we' have had 2 families in as many weeks!  Love them both dearly, and they didn't mind the clutter!

5. What one never-before-visited city in America, would you most like to see?

Hmmm... Anchorage Alaska..  Also thinking of Boulder, Colorado. 

6. Your favorite red food? White food? Blue food?

Red food: Fresh strawberries; White food:  home made bread; Blue food:  Blue food?   Let me think.... not blue berries as they are too tart.  I know! Blue Corn tortilla chips!

7. What freedom do you value the most, and why?

Freedom of religion followed closely by Freedom of speech.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

It did not rain today.  This is good news! 

Whoa! Wednesday Almost Slipped Past Me!

1. What question do you often ask yourself?

I wonder if I can get away with eating this cookie?

2. Do you grow roses? What's your favorite color of rose?  Ever been given a dozen roses?  Where was the prettiest rose or rose garden you remember seeing?

Lots of Rose questions...  I have two rose bushes. My favorite would be yellow (bright). My husband gave me a dozen roses just once. Prettiest rose garden? Would have to be at Yaddow Gardens in Saratoga Springs, NY. 

3. Do you read the freshness dates on grocery store products?  Will you use eggs past their 'use by' date?  Take medication that's expired? Buy a dented can?  

I always read the freshness date ... especially for milk.  I never shy away from "expried" anything!  Topical medicine is good, in my book, way past the "use by" date. Medicine taken orally, needs to be no older than 1 year.  Eggs are fine well past their date and dented cans are ok if there is absolutely NO rust and no swelling.

4. Should athletes be role models?

All people in the public view should be role models.

5. Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first explorers to reach the top of Mt. Everest on this date (May 29) back in 1953. What's something you hope to achieve in your lifetime?

Oh, my.  It's too late at night to seriously think about goals.  However, I love the idea of role models from a previous question, and I sincerely hope that I have been a positive role model (and will continue) for not only my own children, but the children I've worked with at school and through church.  You're never too old and it's NEVER too lat for that!

6. What would you do if you had twenty acres of land and the money to develop it any way you choose?

Well, we just had to give up the idea of acquiring an additional 11 acres which would have brought our total acreage up to about 24.  We already have a small Christmas Tree farm, and would probably have kept the additional acreage pretty much wild ... a place for the wild to roam and the curious to walk and take pictures. It would be something nice to leave our children.

7. If I invite you to a party with a 7 PM start time, what time will I actually see you there?

7PM  (unless you need help, and then I'll come earlier!)

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I can't believe how tired I am.  Managed to get 8 hours of yard-work done before it rained .. AGAIN!  The lawn and flower beds will be beautiful in a few weeks and that will be my reward!