Wednesday Hodgepodge

Just click the Wednesday Hodgepodge button above to hop on over to Joyce's place to play along.

1. What's the last job you did that required elbow grease?

I would have to say scrubbing the shower. This house had a mold problem (I think this whole part of Texas has a mold problem!) and it is most evident in the bathroom.

2. March Madness, aka the men's Division I basketball championship, is nearing an end. What sort of 'madness' has your house seen this month?

I would have to say getting ready for the graduations of both our youngest son and youngest daughter. The invitations have been delivered and the caps and gowns have arrived. The rings have shown no sign of getting here any time soon, so there may not be a ring ceremony at the graduation ceremony. We still need to order the cake and make other party arrangements. We had to change the date for the ceremony several times due to conflicts, but hopefully this one sticks!

3. What's your favorite shop for browsing?

My favorite stores are bookstores, home improvement stores and some craft stores. Generally, though, I'd rather browse online instead of in person.

4. Is there ever a time when giving up makes sense?

Yes, I think so. Sometimes pursuing something is just totally pointless or even dangerous.

5. What's a song you love that contains the name of a city, state or country in its title?

I like the song Austin by Blake Shelton.

6. When did you first begin using a computer?

We got our first home computer in 1996. I was scared of it at first, afraid that I'd end up launching a missile or something. It was probably late 1996 or early 1997 when I got brave enough to try it out.

7. Did you buy girl scout cookies this year? What's your favorite?

Yes. We got the shortbread cookies and peanut butter cookies. David loves the shortbread cookies and the peanut butter ones are my favorite. Personally, I think the shortbread cookies are great, too, especially with peanut butter on them. :)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm thinking lots about how things will go for us once all of the kids are in college. We'll have three there this fall. On the one hand this will give us opportunity to do more jobs, but it might also mean a lot more driving back and forth to the school as we only have one car and that isn't going to change any time soon.

I'm also excited about the impending release of the 1940 US Census. I am going to be an indexer and hope that I do a good job of it. Mistakes are frustrating all the way around. I just hope that I'll be able to decipher the handwriting!

You might also want to join the April A to Z Blog Challenge that I read about on From This Side of the Pond. Check it out; it looks like it will be lots of fun!

Where I've Been

One of the rules that I've read about blogging is to not apologize for one's absences or irregular posting. Somehow, that just doesn't feel right to me. I want to apologize for being absent for the last week and for not being prompt with responses to your comments. I do appreciate them all very much!

There's been a weird "funk" around here the last week or so. David and I just can't seem to get motivated to do the things we want and/or need to do. Allergies are wrecking the both of us, but we're pushing through (with no real brain power!)

We have managed to get our assignments done as well as some genealogy work that I hope to post about this week. Saturday evening I threw a monkey wrench in graveyard visiting by falling out of a stage entrance at the local college. I had just gotten out of my mouth to my husband to be careful and then SPLAT there I go falling out of it. I went to the ER because after the snapping that I felt I was concerned that it might be broken. It wasn't, thankfully. It is only sprained and feeling better at this particular moment.

I hope that all of you are doing well and I will try to get caught up with responding to your comments. Have a great week!

Meet Me on Monday by Acting Balanced

This Meet Me on Monday was started by Acting Balanced because we missed Java from Never Growing Old so very much! Please be sure to visit both sites.




Here are today's Questions:

1. What was the first live concert you ever attended?

I believe that it was a Sandi Patty concert. She has an amazing voice!

2. What colors look best on you?

When I was a little girl, dark green looked great on me. Maybe it is still a good color for me, but I rarely if ever wear it. I generally stick to earth tones and occasionally a red slips in there. My preferred color is black.

3. What is one thing about you that most people wouldn't know?

I am an incredibly bashful person and most people know this. But, during the delivery of my first baby, I had an audience. A class of about 30 student nurses (both male and female) asked if they could be present for the birth. I apparently told them yes, though I have no recollection of this.

4. Who would you call to be bailed out of jail?

I don't know. Nobody I know has access to large sums of money at the drop of a hat. I'd just be toast.

5. What do you think is the greatest invention of your lifetime and why?

It certainly isn't Facebook, that's for sure. I'd be happy if that fell off of the planet and ceased to exist. I think that I would choose digital photography. Though I prefer the old ways and had a lot of fun watching my husband develop pictures in the darkroom, digital photography gives instant feedback to those of us lacking in patience. I can tell before I spend a zillion dollars to develop a roll of film whether the picture is worth printing or not. No wasted film, no wasted paper. Unfortunately, no physical darkroom either.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Please click the button above to join the fun!

1. February 22nd is National Be Humble Day...what makes you proud? What keeps you humble?

My children make me very proud. They aren't out there running wild and getting into trouble. What keeps me humble is knowing that I'm just a tiny speck in the grand scheme of things and He loved me enough to secure my future.


2. Where is the catch-all (aka dumping ground) in your house?

I think the whole house fits that description at the moment.


3. Do you make it a point to visit State/National Parks when you travel or even in your own hometown? What's your favorite?

It is one thing that I'd like to do, but we don't often go anywhere that is near a state or national park.


4. How would you define honor?

I think it is fighting and possibly dying for what you believe in. It is doing right even when it would be easier or more fun to do wrong. It is defending the defenseless. It is putting others before yourself.


5. Angel's food or Devil's food-which cake do you prefer?

Devil's food wins, though I'm not at all fond of the name! I think "Brat's Food" would work so much better. I'm a brat, so I should know. :)

6. What's the most recent road trip you've taken? Where did you go and how many hours did you spend in the car? Do you like to zoom to your destination without stopping or leisurely wind your way there with stops along the way? What is your car snack of choice?

We went further north in the state that had me driving for ten or so hours. If I had chosen to drive straight through Houston, there would have been less drive time overall, but there would have also been a freaked-out Suz at the end of the journey. We don't have the option of non-stop driving. One of us is diabetic and the other one is a old lady. Many stops are going to happen on any journey that we make. Generally, I like barbecue chips and Diet Coke.


7. Recent headlines told how a preschool child in NC had their packed lunch from home taken away and a school lunch substituted by a school inspector who deemed the homemade lunch unhealthy. Reportedly the parent was then billed for the school lunch (chicken nugget meal) although an update to the story says the parent was not billed. The inspector was conducting a routine inspection of the classroom-he/she was not there solely to peek in the lunchboxes. The packed lunch contained a turkey and cheese sandwich, an apple juice box, a bag of chips, and a banana. You can read the story here. Your thoughts?

Personally, I think the government is stepping way out of bounds. It should be the parents' choice what their child eats or doesn't eat. If they want to inspect the school-provided lunches, then let them have at it, but stay out of the private lunches. It is none of their business. It sounds to me like the lunch the little girl brought from home met the guidelines. She had a meat, a grain, a dairy, and two fruits. Sure, the chips aren't necessarily the healthiest thing, but how healthy are the school's extras? It just seems silly and intrusive to me to give this family grief over their child's lunch when most schools these days have soft drink vending machines all over the place. Maybe they should get their "healthy police" to get rid of those soft drink machines and leave little girls alone to eat their turkey sandwiches!


8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am wondering what happened to the little baby that I just read about in the newspaper online from back home. I'm also wondering how a family can bury two family members within four days and survive, but I hope that they do.

Meet Me on Monday by Acting Balanced

1. What is your favorite kind of soup?

I love a chicken noodle soup that I had at a pizza place a couple of months ago. The noodles were more bread-like than the usual pasta noodle. It was delicious!

2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?

The Lion King in 3D.

3. What is your least favorite TV program?

My least favorite TV program is anything with people showing off more than what should be shown to the general public. That pretty much limits what I like as most everything has half-nakey people on it these days.

4. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?

My Walk Through the Valley.

5. What 3 places that are on your bucket list to visit?

Ireland.
Scotland.
Greensburg, Kansas.

Saturday 9

1. Do you every solicit advise on your love life?

Sometimes I talk to my friends and ask for suggestions or feedback.

2. What was the last thing you argued with someone about?

I have insecurities that cause jealousy and that is generally the source of arguments involving me.

3. Who do you hate right now?

We aren't supposed to hate anybody. Unfortunately, I am not honoring this rule at the moment. It wouldn't be a good idea for me to name the person. I am working on not hating them, but this might take a while.

4. Who do you love right now?

My husband, my children, my birth family, and my friends.

5. Where do you want to be in 6 years?

I would love to be most anywhere but where I'm at.

6. What is your craziest vice?

I find my thrill on Cemetery Hill. I stalk dead people. In other words, I like to hang out in graveyards. I totally love genealogical research and it involves a lot of this. I'm not sure if that is a "vice" or not. It is just all that my husband and I could come up with for this question.

7. How did you celebrate Valentines Day?

We watched the movie Endless Love, which is what we watched on our first date on my sixteenth birthday.

8. What is your most unique or fondest memory of a special Valentine's Day?

There are two that come to mind (my husband's, not mine; my memory is shot!).

When I was sixteen years old and living in the Upstate of South Carolina (where they do have a winter time), I wore a sundress on Valentine's Day because my then-boyfriend/now-husband loved the way that dress looked on me. Never mind that it was February and below freezing. I loved him and wore it for him. I don't remember being cold at all.

The second one is that my husband can't hide things from me. I find what he hides generally. One Valentine's Day, he decided not to fight it anymore. He bought candy and just laid it out in the open, right under my nose. I never found it. He surprised me that year. :)

If you want me to find it, hide it. If you want me to miss it, put it in plain sight.

9. Were you in the same location five years ago that you are today? Would you have expected to be?

Yes, I was. Expected? Yes. Wanting? No, but I figure I'm stuck here until I get that 8' x 4' piece of real estate.

Writer's Workshop: Don't Want To!

Click the button above to see the full list of this week's prompts and join the fun!


3.) Create a reverse bucket list that names the top ten things you never want to do.
(Inspired by The Hairpin)

I never want to...

...OK, I had my list of ten "don't want tos" and then my husband pointed out that writing those down was one sure way to cause them to happen. So, I deleted that list and here is a sarcastic version. :)

I never want to...

  1. ...eat cotton candy.
  2. ...ride a roller coaster.
  3. ...see Monticello.
  4. ...live in the Biltmore House.
  5. ...win the Powerball lottery.
  6. ...play ping-pong 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
  7. ...have the most productive blog on the Internet.
  8. ...have a totally toned body.
  9. ...publish a #1 best-selling serial killer novel.
10. ...have "Shattered" hanging in the Louvre.

Meet Me on Monday by Acting Balanced

In Java's absence, another blogger has stepped up to the plate to offer us more Meet Me on Monday questions. Please be sure to click the button above to visit Heather at Acting Balanced.

Here are today's Questions:

1. Are you planning anything for Valentine's Day?

I have been trying to think of something both special and budget-friendly to do for V-day, but haven't been able to think of anything. Any ideas?

2. What song automatically popped into your head when you saw this question?

Oddly enough, "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me". Why that popped in there, I have no clue!

3. What did you have for breakfast today?

I had peanut butter Ritz crackers. My tummy is really sensitive when I first wake up.

4. Where do you keep your keys?

They usually live in my pocketbook.

5. Who was your favorite teacher from when you were in school?

I had lots of very nice teachers, but there are two that are my favorites: Ruth Elrod and Anna Dean Pennington. Both of these ladies demanded much and let me know of the potential that they saw in me. I worked hard because I didn't want to disappoint them. I have a great deal of respect and love for the both of them.

Please be sure to add the link to your Meet Me on Monday post below. Thanks!

Saturday 9

1. Do you enjoy going to a casino now and again?

I've never been to one and don't really think that I would enjoy it. I don't enjoy a lot of noise or crowds.

2. What makes you happy most of the time?

Knowing that Heavenly Father is there for me makes me happy. My genealogy work, my family, and pretty flowers make me happy. There are frustrations that come along with each of these at times, but overall these things make me happy.

3. Are you jealous of someone right now?

In a manner of speaking, yes. But at this point it has gone beyond any jealousy over alienation of affection to downright loathing.

4. You're stranded on a desert island with one fictional character. Who is it? Why?

Eeyore would be my character of choice. He's the only one that I can think of that would understand my way of seeing things.

5. Have you ever been in the emergency room? If yes, for what (most recently)?

Yes, I have been many times for myself and with my children. The most recent time for myself was 18 June 2010. It was when they diagnosed severe anemia and the tumors.

6. Where is the last place you drove to just for fun?

I haven't been anywhere "just for fun" in ages. There are lots of places that I go to that are work-related that are fun sometimes. The last one was in Nacogdoches, TX.

7. If you were to make your living as a photographer, what would love to shoot?

I would love to be able to shoot beautiful landscapes, rural scenes, florals. I also would really enjoy photographing teeny-tiny things and making them look huge.

8. Tell us about a band you like that we might not have heard.

I don't know about any bands, per se. But one of my favorite is a one-woman wonder: Enya.

9. Where was the last place you went shopping? Why?

HEB was the last place that we went shopping. We had to buy groceries.

Five Minute Friday: Trust

Please click the button above and be prepared to be inspired by The Gypsy Mama's writing. Join the rest of us as we write life five minutes at a time, unedited.

This week's prompt is: Trust.
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Trust is a hard one. We're asked to trust in things that we cannot see and we're asked to trust in spite of things that we do see.

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

We go to the doctor and trust that he will make us better. We go to work and trust that we'll get paid. We leave the house and trust that we'll make it back. We raise our children in Christian homes and trust that they'll turn out fine and faithful.

It is easy to trust when life is going great. But how do you handle it when the world seems to be falling down around you? We are to trust in Him, in the good and in the bad, that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Psalm 62:8 "Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."

For better or for worse, can we be trusted to fight through the bad to get to the other side, or will we run at the first sign of trouble, or give up just because things aren't going our way, on our time table?

Psalm 56:4 "In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me."

Saturday 9

Saturday 9's questions this week are as follows:

1. I read that Bud Weiser & Kathy moved into their new house! When was the last time you moved? Where to?

The last time that we moved was in September 2004. We moved from the upstate of South Carolina to the Texas Gulf Coast. This was the biggest move that either of us have ever made, both as children with our parents and as adults. All of my previous moves were usually various places still in Anderson County, South Carolina (and one time to Greenwood County, SC). David was from Atlanta, Georgia and moved to South Carolina as a little boy.

2. If they were making a Hall of Fame for the blogosphere, name a blogger or two who you think should make the list. Why?

There are so many great ones out there, I can't pin it down to one or two!

3. What are couple of funny things you remember your parents saying? (Like, “They're starving there in China, so finish what you've got.” - John Lennon) Do you say them to your kids?

I can't remember anything funny that my parents said when I was young. We did have laughter in our home and tickling was a big feature, but I can't remember any funny sayings.

4. What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle?

The fact that I am still alive to be typing a response here is a miracle. In May 2010, I laid down fully prepared to die, knowing it was imminent. I couldn't move, could barely breathe and couldn't speak above a whisper. My husband was having to ice me down, going through many pounds of ice a day. It wasn't due to hot flashes (though those were happening, too). Somehow the ice was helping me to breathe. I closed my eyes and felt myself leaving this life and, then, heard my aunt telling me that it wasn't my time to go to Heaven yet. I was diagnosed with severe anemia and the tumors were found. I wasn't able to get surgery to remove the tumors until October 2010, but they were removed and declared non-cancerous. Although I have mostly recovered, I am much weaker than I was before the anemia took over and am wondering if I will ever be strong again.

5. What is it too late for?

It is too late for listening to the stories of my grandparents, the ones they were so eager to tell when I was young and I was too fidgety to truly listen to. It is too late to ask them how they met and where they got married. It is too late to ask them the things that I'm only learning now that I should have asked. It is too late do a lot of things.

6. What do you try to stay away from?

I try to stay away from things that are going to cause arguments. Somehow those things always find me.

7. When you get into a disagreement or fight, how often are you the first to apologize?

If I feel that I am in the wrong, I will apologize. Generally, I don't feel like I am wrong about whatever the situation is, though. If I did, there wouldn't be an argument in the first place.

8. Tell us about a current issue that you’re unhappy with.

I am unhappy with our current financial status and my memory issues.

9. How often do you update your blog/site and why?

My goal is to update my blogs every day. I'm doing good these days if I get it done a couple of times a week. I enjoy blogging, but I have a very hard time coming up with things to write. As I wait to get my brain back, the memes are a big help.

Five Minute Friday: Real

Please click the button above and be prepared to be inspired by The Gypsy Mama's writing. Join the rest of us as we write life five minutes at a time, unedited.

This week's prompt is: Real.

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Keeping it real; that's what me and my friends do. We share our hearts, the dark and the light. Nothing is too ugly to talk about, to learn from. We've had the love of a lifetime and we've lost it through death or divorce. We've had babies, schooled them, sent them off to war, and watched those babies have their own. We've loved our parents and said good-bye to them as they left this life. We've put Him on the cross and brought Him into our hearts. We've tested and been tested. We've been through it all and shared it all, the laughter and the tears.

Real is what we are, what we're meant to be. We live in the real and in the love that He gives us for each other.

We're living life, keeping it real, one day at a time.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It's that most wonderful time of the year...tax season! Do you complete your own returns or farm that job out to the professionals?

My husband has a Master's Degree in Business Administration/Accounting & Finance, so he does them. I wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole!

2. This next question comes from Kansas Bob...he posed it in his response to something I asked in an earlier Wednesday post and I asked him if I could add it to the Hodgepodge some day. Today's the day....

Which do you think has changed you more-love or pain?

I'm thinking it is a mix of both, but pain has made the most obvious changes. Actual, to-the-core, hope is generally a thing of the past and laughs are few and far between. However, that trend seems to be changing and when I do laugh, it is a deeper, more true laugh than in the past.

3. Tangerine Tango has been named color of the year for 2012. Your thoughts? Would I find this color anywhere in your house? How about in your closet? If not, will you be adding this color to your life in some way in 2012? If you're not sure what tangerine tango looks like click here.

I'm allergic to citrus fruits and that carries over to home decor and clothing. :) I'm more into earth tones, blacks, and reds.

4. Are you a collector? What do you collect and does it get admired, used, and/or dusted regularly?

I collect angels and books. No, no, no in regards to the angels and yes, yes, no in regards to the books. The angels are in the living room and I rarely am in that part of the house. The books are here in the room with us.

5. February is National Heart Month...besides a green salad what is one tasty heart healthy dish you like to prepare?

Anything loaded with garlic would be our choice. Garlic helps to reduce blood pressure and that can't help but be a good thing for the heart.

6. When was the last time you had car trouble?

We had our last car trouble about a year ago, unless you want to count a flat tire. That happened on the way to take our daughter to class just a few months ago.

7. Have you been more demanding on yourself lately or less? Is that a good trend?

In some ways, yes, I have been more demanding of myself lately and I do think that it is a good thing. Rather than taking things at face value and assuming them to be the truth, I am digging deeper and looking for confirmation. This comes out the most in my genealogical research. Just because someone says A belongs to B doesn't mean that this A belongs to this B. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered and records to track down to prove the connection. It would be easiest to assume that all information that I was given was correct and let my research stop there. But, I need to go the distance and get that confirmation through legal papers and other fact comparisons.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I do not like waiting. Most of my life I have been an impatient person. Over the last couple of years I have become a far more patient person. Until last night, that is. Someone dangled a blasted carrot that they know I want and now I have to wait to see if I can have the carrot. Hurry up and wait. OY! One problem with this particular dangler is that they dangle and then take it back without following through. I know this, but I can't help but get my hopes up each time, hoping that something will change for the better. I am determined, however, whether they follow through or not, I'll find a way to get that carrot with or without their assistance.

Diary of 5

I ran across this Diary of 5 meme just a couple of days ago and decided to give it a go. It is a companion to The Simple Woman's Daybook. Maybe you'd like to join in, too.

These prompts are to help us be more aware, through our 5 senses, of what is going on around us at any given moment.

I am seeing...a picture of someone's feet on my computer screen.

I am hearing...my husband telling funny stories to our youngest daughter.

I am smelling...not much of anything as I am very congested right now.

I tasted...peanut butter crackers and Diet Coke earlier today.

I am feeling...more stuffed than a turkey at Thanksgiving.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Please be sure to click the button up there to join Joyce and her Wednesday Hodgepodge fun!

1. The NFL playoffs were held this past weekend and this year's Superbowl lineup will feature The New York Giants versus The New England Patriots. How do you define 'patriot'?

A patriot, in my opinion, is someone that is loyal to their country, no matter how stupid it might seem to be at the moment. They are willing to defend their country, at times risking their lives to do so. Like a parent to a child, a patriot loves their country, no matter what.

2. What's something in your life right now that feels like a 'giant'?

At this exact moment, the never ending headaches fit that description. Feeling secure is another.

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think back to being 18?

YAY! I made it through school. I'm old enough to move out without permission and I'm about to get married!

4. Coconut-mashed potatoes-vanilla ice cream-mayonnaise...which white food would be the hardest to give up?

I wouldn't want to have to give up mashed potatoes. I don't eat coconut very often, so I wouldn't miss it. The same for vanilla ice cream. I would miss mayo only because I don't like dry sandwiches. I could live without it if I had to.

5. Describe an incident or a day you remember as the coldest you've ever experienced?

That would probably be a day back in South Carolina when our heater went out and it was in the single digit temperatures. The fan was running on the heater, but it wasn't putting out any heat. Even bundled up in blankets and coats and cuddled up together, we were very cold.

6. You're hosting a brunch...what's your favorite dish to prepare and serve?

I don't know what would be my favorite dish to prepare, but my husband's favorite things for me to make are custard pie and deviled eggs. I would probably opt for the deviled eggs and pray that the others liked them as much as my husband does.

7. How do you combat negative thinking?

I'm not very good at combating stinkin' thinkin'. It usually wins over any attempt to combat it.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I was hoping to go to photograph a cemetery today but didn't get to because of rain and tornado warnings. I am very happy for the rain because we need it, that's for sure. But, I really, really wanted to go work through our list of photo requests today. Our last two trips out to this particular cemetery, we didn't find any of the people on our list. It will still be too squishy to go out there tomorrow, but I hope by Friday we can try again.

Five Minute Friday: Vivid

Please click the button above and be prepared to be inspired by The Gypsy Mama's writing. Join the rest of us as we write life five minutes at a time, unedited.

This week's prompt is: Vivid.
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Sometimes rainbows are bright and vivid and it is easy to see their beauty. Other times they are soft against the sky and you have to struggle to see them. Their beauty isn't fully realized by our weak, human eyes, but it is still present. We have to gaze past the clouds, into the darkness, and see with our hearts what our eyes don't comprehend.

It is very easy to find joy when the beauty doesn't take a struggle to see. It takes a realization that beauty goes so much deeper than what a fleeting glance can easily grasp and into the depths of the soul to find true happiness. It is in our hearts before it is in our eyes.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Please click the button above to join Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge!

1. A new Miss America was crowned on Saturday night-did you watch? If you were a contestant what would your talent be?

No, I do not generally watch beauty pageants. The talent that I seem to have the most is ticking people off. A more positive talent, I guess, would be making something out of nothing. My husband says that I'm very good at that.

2. Do you have houseplants? Real or fake?

Does a dead poinsettia count? I do not generally have flowers in the house unless I am planning to photograph them. That isn't very often these days.

3. When you were in school did you speak up or were you more of the hide your face, avoid eye contact, and pray the teacher didn't call on you type of student?

I was always hoping and praying that the teacher would forget that I existed. The thought of being in front of the class, giving oral reports, writing on the board, all of those things scared the heck out of me and made me sick. I'm still the same way.

4. Next Monday marks the Chinese New Year....what do you order when someone suggests Chinese food?

We never go anywhere for anyone to suggest Chinese food to me.

5. How would you define a miracle? What would it take for you to consider something a miracle?

To me, a miracle is something good that has no possible way of happening, but it does anyway. For example, going to bed the night before Thanksgiving with no food in the house and waking up to people at your door the next morning with more groceries than your kitchen can contain.

6. What's your favorite Disney song? If you're stuck you'll find a list here

This is one of my favorites: Beauty and the Beast

7. I should have __________yesterday.

I should have walked through a section of the graveyard looking for some of the names on our list of markers to photograph, but it was just a lazy day all around.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am excited to find a relative online (that I never knew existed) that is every bit as excited about genealogy work as I am. She's got information that I didn't have; I have information that she didn't have and so we're both getting to grow our family trees a little more and maybe we'll be able to knock down a few brick walls in the process. I am very happy to have found her!

Five Minute Friday: Awake

Please click the button above and be prepared to be inspired by The Gypsy Mama's writing. Join the rest of us as we write life five minutes at a time, unedited.

This week's prompt is: Awake.

Awake. That's what I am most of the time, a walking zombie. I can't sleep, really sleep, because the bad dreams are there where sleep should be. If I do fall asleep, they follow me into the waking, along with the reminders of just what happens if I am down for more than six hours at a time. Awake and in pain, physically and otherwise.

Awake, what I want to be, fully awake to enjoy the time that I have left. Awake when everyone else is and fully alert, letting the pain sleep for a change.

I want to be awake and alert and right there in the moment when the bridge is finally crossed, when what I'm looking for is once and for all found.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Lake Superior University has once again banished a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen's English in 2012-

amazing, baby bump, shared sacrifice, occupy, blowback, man cave, the new normal, pet parent, win the future, ginormous, trickeration and thank you in advance.

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why. Go here to read more about how the words were chosen.


I think the term "baby bump" is cute, so that one can stay. Of the choices given, I guess I would say get rid of shared sacrifice. Generally, they aren't truly "shared" and certainly not in the political realm.

2. Are you easily embarrassed?

YES! There are things that some folks think are totally hilarious, but they embarrass me something awful. There are some folks that I think are the happiest when they are being a goof ball *because* they know it is embarrassing me.

3. What is your go-to snack?

If I could afford it on a regular basis, shrimp would be the answer here. Shrimp fixes everything. But, for now, it is peanut butter crackers.

4. Have you ever been to Washington DC? If not, do you have any desire to go? What site/attraction would you most like to see in that city? If you have been, what's your favorite site?

I've never been to Washington DC, but I would love to go to see the Jefferson Memorial.

5. Sit ups-planks-lunges-squats-which one do you hate the least?

I don't really particularly like any of them, but sit-ups would win the most hated slot. I don't know what "planks" are, so squats or lunges would get the "least hated" spot.

6. What's a small act of kindness someone did for you that you've never forgotten?

When I was in elementary school, a girl shared her lunch with me and was my friend. In high school, my US History teacher mailed letters for me because I couldn't get to the post office. These were letters to my then-future husband.

7. Have you ever been a blood donor?

I have tried on several occasions to be a blood donor. Each time that I've gone, they have rejected me. Each time that I've gone, I've found out that I was pregnant. Now, I can no longer have babies, but am anemic, so not a good candidate for giving blood.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Love is a hard-to-figure thing. It shows up when you aren't looking for it and disappears when you are. It either is or it isn't. You can't make it be any more than you can make it not be.

Writer's Workshop: Goals

Please click the button above for some really great writing prompts!

The prompt that I chose this week is:

5.) Okay okay I have to ask…what are your New Year’s Resolutions for 2012 and/or how did 2011's resolutions turn out?

I don't make resolutions, but I do have goals. One of our goals for 2011 was to have an increase in business and we were successful at achieving this goal. However, this has not necessarily translated into an increase in usable income because when things get better on one side of the table, they get worse on the other side. It seems we're always playing musical chairs with the money, hoping that we're still in the game when the music stops. One of our goals for this year is to increase business and income as well as to decrease expenses wherever possible.

Another goal is to get down to a safe, healthy weight. I was on track before I had surgery to remove the tumors in October 2010, but have been in Plateau Land since then. Basically, my weight fluctuates daily in a ten pound range, but I can't seem to break free and start losing again. Maybe my body has decided that it had better hold onto whatever it has tightly in case the surgeon's knife decides to come after me again. Who knows. I just wish that it would get on the move again.

One goal for this year has already been achieved. It is one that has been a goal for a very, very long time now. I have searched high and low for years for any information that I could find on one of my great-great grandmothers. Story has it that her daddy, who allegedly was very well-off, disowned her for marrying my great-great grandpa. Whether this is true or not, I do not know. You know how all families have their stories. Anyway, I located Josephine's death certificate online yesterday and this death certificate also told me her daddy's name. I may never be able to prove or disprove the whole disowning thing, but at least now I stand a chance to learn more about that part of the family.

The last major goal is to get our two youngest children tested and registered for their first semester in college. They have grown up way too fast!