Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Beautiful People (2019)

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





1) This song is about the fantasy of being one of the "beautiful people," but how hollow the reality can be. Do you often find yourself envying others for what they have? I am very content, however, I do envy those sometimes who have found a place to settle in their retirement years.

2) Ed Sheeran sings that he and his girl don't fit in well because they're "just ourselves." Who among your close friends do you find it easiest to be "just yourself?" I guess the closest would be my sister-in-law, we are very close. And after that my good friends Connie, Alice, Cindy, and Victoria.


3) The lyrics refer to Hummers and Lamborghinis. What's your dream ride? Maybe somebody with a nice car who would drive me around wherever I wanted to go. That would be a dream ride!

4) Ed believes in giving back. One cause he supports is No Cold Homes, which helps ensure that everyone in the English city of Bristol has the fuel needed to keep their homes safe and comfortable. Here in the United States, he's raised funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Is there a cause that's near and dear to your heart?

We have given for many years and will continue to do so as long as possible to the mission work being done by our good friends in Nicaragua. NACE (Nicaragua Advances in Christian Education) was formed in 2013 with the specific mission of supporting the work in Nicaragua and helping the missionaries that work there. Its primary function was the establishment and running of a Christian school in Nueva Guinea (about 5 hours southeast of Managua, the capital). The older children are excelling in all the classes and in sports also, winning many awards.

360 students

Pre-school grads

Award winning team

5) Ed's arms are covered in tattoos, so clearly he doesn't suffer from trypanophobia, or a fear of needles. How about you? Do you look away when the doctor gives you a shot? I do look away, only because I figure if I don’t see it, it won’t hurt. I seldom and bothered by shots. It’s when they take blood that’s kind of hard sometimes if they can’t find a good vein.

6) One of Ed's tattoos is a bottle of Heinz Ketchup. What condiments would we find if we peeked into your refrigerator this morning?

The usual mustard, mayonnaise, and  ketchup.

7) Ed is a natural redhead, a trait he shares with only 2% of the population. Does red hair run in your family? No, but our nephew married a young lady who apparently red hair does run in their family and his two children are both redheads.

8)  In 2019, when this song was released, the FDA recommended the approval of a drug for treating peanut allergies in children. Do you suffer from any food allergies, or sensitivities?

No.

9) Random question: What of these do you think is the biggest contributing factor to success -- hard work, luck or talent? I think hard work and talent work together.

Looking Through Rose Colored Hodgepodge Glasses

1. This time last year where were you? Very interesting question. This time last year we were enjoying thunderstorms as we are today. So thankful for so much rain in June. Also, we were celebrating Father’s Day in as much as our son had to work on Father’s Day. And, we were saying goodbye to longtime friends who were moving to another state, and sad to say, we are again saying goodbye to friends who have moved away.  Our close circle of friends is dwindling, but thankfully, new friends have been added.

2. In honor of National Pink Day (June 23rd) tell us your favorite pink food or beverage. I can’t think of any pink food that I might enjoy, other than a strawberry cake maybe? Or an occasional rose wine? Was it on the menu at your house yesterday? No. Do you like to wear the color pink? I like to wear pink in the summer if I have a tan.

 

Something must have been funny!!

If we came to visit would we find this color in your home decor? No. Blush-fuschia-salmon-raspberry-your favorite shade of pink? Raspberry.

3. Stop and smell the roses, looking through rose colored glasses, a rose by any other name, not all moonlight and roses, no rose without a thorn...which rosy saying currently fits your life in some way? Looking through rose colored glasses. Explain. I have already shared that I am pondering a move. I need to get out of my big house into something smaller. The thought of a move is exciting, but the thought of actually making it happen not so much. I’m thinking about moving out of state, and that’s likely where I’m looking through rose colored glasses as it probably is not that practical or going to be easy. 

4. Are you a 'reader'? Love to read. Do you tend to read lighter books in the summer months? Not necessarily. Do you have a summer reading list? Yes. If so, give us a title or two. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Lost Roses by the lady who wrote the Lilac Girls, and bedtime reading is Return to Me by Lynn Austin. I highly recommend the two books by the author Martha Hall Kelly, and also The Nightingale. I am also reading through the 90 day plan for the New Testament.

5. Share with us one rose and one thorn from your weekend. Maybe the rose might be a zoom Shabbat meeting on Friday evening with people in Cabo San Lucas. The thorn would be that except for the Messianic service on Saturday, my weekend was spent alone.

6. Insert your own random thought here. Another rose would be that on Sunday afternoon, I received calls from two friends who called to let me know they were thinking of me on this first Father’s Day without Jay. It meant so much to me to hear their caring voices.

Saturday9

Saturday 9: Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast (1972) ... Because it's Father's Day weekend.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

Oh, I remember this song. It always brought a tear or two.

1) This song is about a little girl who runs after her daddy. When is the last time you ran? About a year ago. Were you trying to get somewhere in a hurry, or playing a sport? I had a snake Jay had captured with the snake tongs and was racing out to the back fence to toss him over! You bet I was in a hurry!

2) This song was a top ten hit for Wayne Newton. Mr. Newton is better known for his TV work, having made more than 150 appearances since 1963. Have you ever been on TV? Yes. When I was a little girl, I was invited to a birthday party on a local children’s show. All of us were on TV. As a five year old, I was not impressed as it was easier to watch the cartoons at home than on a tv monitor. Then in junior high, our glee club was featured on the local talk show. And, more recently, I attended the taping of a James Robison Show to see Andy Andrews. The camera scanned the audience a few times and voila, there we were!!! Do any of those count? 

So naturally, I had to Google to see if I might find anything about Uncle Hiram. Yes, here is what I found.

"Uncle Hiram had been in show biz since Moby Dick was a sardine. He had worked Vaudeville, "the Nat'l Barn Dance" from Chicago and recorded comedy songs, as part of "Hank and Hiram". He had a million stories and I expect one or two of them were true. It was ad lib city with us. The camera men were always breaking up and losing their shot. Much of our material was inside and much of it off-color. Nothing the kids ever caught and no complaints from parents...who probably never watched. It was terrible TV but a real romp for those of us involved. It was very important to me as was paid $5.00 a show." credit

Or in a YouTube video? Yes, it was for a local broadcast, I guess you would call it, in which I gave my story of how Jesus Christ transformed my life. When I saw the video, I was not pleased at all with the way I looked. 

3) The road leading to Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport is named Wayne Newton Blvd. in his honor. When is the last time you were at an airport? About a year ago. Were you flying somewhere, picking someone up, or dropping them off? We were picking up friends from their vacation.

4) Wayne says Elvis Presley haunts Las Vegas, and believes that The King of Rock and Roll has given him performing and parenting tips from beyond the grave. When did you last see Elvis? About a week ago. On TV, on a t-shirt, poster or magazine cover, or as a ghostly apparition? I happened to see the movie Forrest Gump and at the beginning, as you will recall, there was a clip of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show.

5) When Sam walks with her own dad, the problem isn't that he walks fast. It's that he's always stopping to pick up litter he finds on the grass. Litterbugs are his pet peeve. What's your pet peeve? People driving slow in the fast lane.

6) Sam's own father often traveled for business, and always gave her the complimentary soaps, shampoos or body lotion he got from the hotel. When she went away to college, she used her collection of little bottles and was grateful for all the money they saved her. What's something you've done recently to economize? Our church is purchasing food items each week for the food bank and because I want to give more, I buy the food at Aldi's. Their food is so much cheaper and the things we are required to buy, I actually use for myself. The bread is fresh, the peanut butter and cereals are good, and they carry name brand soups. Those are items we pretty much stick with. So far we have collected almost 20,000 pounds of food in the past few weeks. Pretty nice, huh?

7) It was her father who taught Sam to drive. Are you a better student or teacher? I do teach, but I think I’m a better student because to teach, you have to learn.

8) Sam's father also always asks if her car in "tip top" condition. Most recently he reminded her to test her headlights, tail lights and turn signals while the car is parked to make sure they're all working. Do you have a car maintenance tip to share? Stay on top of the condition of your tires and keep your gas tank full.

9) Sam's father satisfies his afternoon sugar craving with an almost endless stream of Butter Rum Lifesavers. Do you usually enjoy a between meal snack. I do these days—I find myself having a couple of chocolate chip cookies or brownies.

A Summery Hodgepodge

1. Saturday marks the first official day of summer! Whoo-hoo! Your favorite thing about the season? 

I always liked that it meant good times at the lake, water skiing, homemade ice cream, softball, and vacations. As kids, our favorite things were the amusement park, playing with the neighborhood kids, going to the public pool once a week, the bookmobile and bringing home a stack of books to read. 

2. Love it!, labor of love, not for love or money, no love lost, love handles, love does, love-hate relationship, misery loves company, tough love, love will find a way...pick one and tell us how it applies to your life right now.

The only one that stands out to me is labor of love. I have spent the last five months trying to figure out what to write on my husband‘s grave stone. I’ve mentioned before that we are sharing a grave stone, so trying to sum up something that speaks to both of us has been very difficult. Here’s a copy of my long list, and here is what I have finally decided upon. The people at the funeral home were glad to know that I wasn’t expecting them to try to put the entire list on the headstone. It's mostly about him anyway. After I'm gone, it really won't matter to me! 

Strong in love, Brave in spirit, Faithful in serving

3. What's one thing currently causing you to seethe?

Just one thing? Really? Well, how about seeing our Supreme Court making laws instead of interpreting the law. One thing currently making you smile? I'm going through the office trying to sift through what is important, what to keep, what to toss. I just ran across an old file that contained some of my "atta girl" notes from people I worked with. Much needed encouragement for me today.

4. Of the following to-dos found on a summer checklist (here) which three would definitely make your personal list of summer want-to-dos? roast marshmallows over a fire, go berry or peach picking, dangle your feet off the end of a dock, sit on a porch swing, watch the sunset from a beach, nap in a hammock, go barefoot in the grass, collect seashells, play tennis, go fishing, build a sandcastle, catch fireflies, eat a soft serve ice cream cone, make a pitcher of Sangria, swim in a lake, stargaze, ride a bike, paddle a canoe or kayak, make a summer road trip, throw a frisbee

Watch the sunset from the beach, ride a bike, or make a summer road trip.

Do you make an actual list? No, but I do wish I had a plan.

5. Thursday is National Splurge Day. What might you splurge on in order to celebrate? 

I can’t think of a thing except to get into my stash of brownies. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I decided to look around and see what my options are to maybe move into one of the senior communities close by. I found a model that I liked a lot, and I have a realtor coming on Thursday to look at my house and the possibilities or likelihood of it selling. So the last few days my thoughts have been occupied with purging and moving and it’s quite overwhelming. My goodness! The things we accumulate over the years. Thinking maybe it’s better to stay put. Right now I think I’m just undecided.

A Beautiful Hodgepodge

1. Last thing you said yes to? I made new commitments at church under the new guidelines for social distancing, etc. Did you regret it? The only regret now is when other things pop up unexpectedly in conflict. It doesn't seem right to try to wiggle out of either one.

2. No big deal, no contest, no dice, no hard feelings, no ifs ands or buts, no kidding, no offense, no pain no gain, no way...choose one and tell us how it applies to your life currently. Either way, I guess no hard feelings, I hope, in whatever choice I make in the above conflict. Praying it will resolve itself.

3. Thursday June 11th is National Making Life Beautiful Day...in this strange season how are you adding beauty to your days/life? I have been enjoying the early morning walks with my dog, planting flowers, cleaning the patio, reading through the New Testament in 90 days for the summer before Bible Study Fellowship begins in the Fall. Enjoying the sunsets each day, being with friends, cooking meals and other simple pleasures. I happened onto an old BBC series called Where the Heart Is to watch in the afternoons, and I have two books going on now. Book club meets Friday to discuss Where the Crawdad Sings. That should be interesting.

4. According to an article found here, these six foods taste better in June than at any other time of the year-strawberries, asparagus, peas, peaches, beets, and garlic. How many of these have you tasted so far this month? Strawberries aplenty. Anything on the list you'd say 'no thank you' to trying? Rearrange the list starting with your favorite (1) to your least favorite (6). Strawberries, peas, garlic, asparagus, peaches and beets. They are all okay--just don't have the asparagus, peaches and beets that often.

5. Describe your current mood in three words. A little anxious.

6. Insert your own random thought here. Jason needed me to watch Jack for a few hours on Tuesday, so we went to visit Brady and Noah. It was fun; we played pool, swam in the pool and had Chick-fil-A. It was a good day. Jack was disappointed that he couldn’t stay the night, but he was OK with it in the end. Sweet boys. They were playing Marco Polo in the pool, which explains the strange blindfold under the goggles. 

Hodgepodge Wednesday

1. What's something you could do today to feel more peaceful? The thing I do every day, first thing. Read my Bible, pray.

2. June 2nd is National Rotisserie Chicken day. Who knew? Are you a fan of rotisserie chicken? Yes, I think it’s delicious. You've purchased one at your local market for tonight's dinner. Will you serve as is or make something else using the chicken? I would use it to make something such as chicken pot pie or chicken salad.

3. I read a list recently (go here to read more) of 20 of the most beautiful places in America. How many of these have you seen up close and in person? Of the sites on this list that you haven't seen, which would you most like to see?

Antelope Canyon Arizona, Kenai Fjords Alaska, White Mountains New Hampshire, Crater Lake Oregon, The Palouse Washington and Idaho, Grand Prismatic Spring Wyoming, Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Horsehoe Bend Arizona, Na Pali Coast Kauai Hawaii, Antelope Valley California, Lake Tahoe California, The Berkshires Massachussets, Maroon Bells Colorado, Angel Oak South Carolina, Acadia National Park Maine, Grand Teton National Park Wyoming, Turnip Rock Michigan, Central Park New York City, Niagara Falls New York, and Skagit Valley Tulip Fields Washington

Kenai Fjords Alaska, Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Na Pali Coast Kauai Hawaii, Lake Tahoe California, Acadia National Park Maine, Grand Teton National Park Wyoming, Central Park New York City, Niagara Falls New York.

Grand Tetons

4. What's one pretty spot you'd add to the list in question #3? I would have to add Glacier Park, Montana, and there are so many other beautiful places to see. It surprises me that I didn’t see many of the places on this list because we have visited most of the states. 

Are there travel plans of any kind on your calendar right now? No. Does that make you happy, anxious, excited, sad, or relieved? It makes me both sad and relieved. It doesn’t sound like a good idea to fly anywhere and I don’t relish the idea of doing a road trip by myself. I am longing to visit my family in Oklahoma, but this isn’t a good time. Also, a visit to Arkansas would be on my list.

5. Tell us one un-COVID related thing you're looking forward to in the month of June. A fellowship dinner with these lovely Bible Study Fellowship leaders.

6. Insert your own random thought here. My life right now is very quiet and there are probably many things I should be doing to prepare for the future, but instead, I find myself doing menial chores, reading, resting, enjoying time with friends, and generally taking care of business. It's also good to simply enjoy your own back yard.

It's in full bloom now and I wish it would stay that way.

This windspinner is pretty to watch.

Sunsets always capture my attention and bring me pleasure.

And wowee!!! My neighbors down the street just came down to put a new net on my raggedy basketball goal. The kids will be so happy!