Showing posts with label meme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meme. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - , 2 comments

Hodgepodge

It's Hodgepodge time, hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.  If you wish to play, answer a question or two in the comments here. Or, you could answer them all on your blog and post a link over at Joyce's.

1. Joyce is celebrating a birthday this week so a question relating to aging feels appropriate. Douglas MacArthur is quoted as saying, 'You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair." Would you agree? If not why not?
It sounds like our friend, Douglas, associated action with youth and inaction as age. From what I know of him, I'm not surprised that he would think that, but I don't necessarily agree with that relationship. So, I don't agree with it, but that doesn't mean that I think its opposite is true either.

2. What remarkable feat, interesting piece of trivia, or historical event occurred on your birth day and month? Not necessarily in your birthyear, just the same date/same month.
On September 5, 1698 - Russian Tsar Peter the Great imposes a tax on beards.
Found at HisotryOrb.com.

3. Describe a time or circumstance where you wanted to 'have your cake and eat it too.'
Yeah, that's one of those sayings that never made any sense to me. I have now looked it up on Wikipedia, and I understand it better. I always thought of it as a torturous dilemma. You could look at what you desire, but you could never use it or interact with it in the way in which you desire.  In truth, it's more like you can't save money if you're spending it (which is completely contradictory to another saying, but that's another story). I realize that I haven't answered the question, but the truth is I don't know. lol

4. What's something you do that makes you feel young? Something that makes you feel old?
Dancing makes me feel young. Teenagers made me feel old.

5. When did you last do something that was 'a piece of cake'?
Getting into my apartment after I broke the house key in the lock, on Sunday morning. I was afraid that I would be locked out of my apartment, but the key had not been drawn out at all. Everything was still lined up. I was able to unlock the door with a flathead screwdriver from my car. (And yes, the lock has since been fixed.)

6.  Beef, wine, and cheese all improve with age. What's something else you'd add to that list? (not necessarily food or beverage) 
Trees, gardens, friends, favorite music

7. If Joyce were to have a giveaway when we hit Volume 200, what should she give away? By my calculations we'll hit Volume 200 on November 26th, the day before Thanksgiving, which means whoever wins would have whatever it is in time for Christmas. 
Hmmmm ... That's a good question. Joyce takes so many great pictures. I would say an 8x10 of a favorite (your selection).

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 


Saturday, September 13, 2014

Saturday, September 13, 2014 - ,,, 2 comments

Hodgepodge

It's my time for the Hodgepodge, hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. I'm a little behind. I drafted most of it several days ago and wanted the satisfaction of posting it. If you wish to play, answer a question or two in the comments here.Then, look for the next set of questions at Joyce's on Tuesday. :)

1. On Thursday we paused to remember a dark day in history-9/11. Did you mark it in some special way?
 I wore a red, white, and blue ribbon pin.

2. Do you ever/still...listen to an actual radio? Watch a videotape (VCR)? Look up a number in a phonebook? Refer to a paper map while traveling? Set an alarm on an alarm clock as opposed to your phone?
 I do most of those things almost everyday. The one that is least likely is looking up a number in the phone book. The internet is so much faster and likely to have some listing. I listen to the radio in the car all the time. I don't even have a DVR. If I want to record something, a VCR is my only option. It still works. If my alarm clock breaks, I might start using my phone instead, but I can certainly see the time better in the dark with my alarm clock. I will say that I gave up my landline many years ago now. I felt very nervous about it at the time. Now, I don't think anything about it, and it has greatly reduced the telemarketing calls.

3.  Is it ever a good idea to discuss religion or politics with people you don't know?
I don't think it's every a "good" idea, but sometimes it is unavoidable. I try to keep those times to a minimum.

4. What's a dish you haven't eaten all summer, but come September find yourself craving? Have you made it yet this month?
I can't think of a thing. I guess that I should make a greater effort to eat locally in season.

5. What's something you know nothing about?
How long to you have? I guess something that totally escapes me is Pintrest. Despite long hours spent explaining techy stuff to my friends, acquaintances, and colleagues, they have zero patience trying to show me. It seems inconceivable to them that I don't intuitively get it. I remained confused.

6. September is Classical Music Month. Do you like classical music? If so, what's your favorite piece?
I can like it. Not everything. Not exclusively. It may sound cliche, but Beethoven's 5th Symphony is probably my favorite with the Moonlight Sonata right up there, too. I am strangely drawn to Erlkonig by Schubert. It tells a dark story of a father, son, and the spirit that tries to steal him away. It's in German, of course, but this video tells the story along with song. Personally, I find the visuals to be distracting to my enjoyment of the music, but the visuals are quite good.


(But Beetovan's still my favorite. *smile* I am also grateful for this question. It gave me an excuse to listen to some excellent music in an attempt to pick my favorite.) 

7. What's the oldest thing you own?
You mean besides my VCR? ;) Probably a china tea set that I inherited from my grandmother.

Have a great week! :)

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Wednesday, September 03, 2014 - , 2 comments

Hodgepodge

After an absence from Blogland it's time for the Hodgepodge, hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Fancy playing along? Answer a question or two in the comments here. Post all your answers on your own blog. List your post over at Joyce's, and some nice people will visit your blog and comment.

1.  What's something you wanted to do this summer that you never got around to actually doing?
Going to Rock Creek Vista in Montana "just" outside the NE entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Circumstances and illness thwarted all attempts. Not only did area give me the feeling of literally being at the top of the world, when I was descending on the Wyoming side of the mountain made me feel like I was in a cross between fairyland and one of the scenes in Lord of the Rings. I stopped at the Vista passing through a couple of years ago, and I enjoyed a particular scent of pine that I never experienced before. I had hoped that I'd have an opportunity to experience the area more thoroughly this year, but alas no. The bitterness is fading. ;)

2. Share a favorite memory of your own back -to-school days as a child.
All of my elementary years, I loved going to school. I felt on top of the world in an entirely different way than in the previous question. It was before school meant constant stress be it navigating the social scene or the actual studies themselves. In elementary, back to school meant new clothes, seeing old friends, making new ones, and fun. They all kind of blur together. Life was good.

3.  What's one chore or daily task you prefer doing 'old-school' ?
Writing my thoughts on paper. Any time I'm trying to be creative, it just seems easier with a pen in my hand. Informal writing is great on the computer. It's almost as if the conversation is coming out right through my fingers. I don't quite understand why it doesn't work the same way when I'm trying to be creative, but it doesn't. The creativity can be a story, an academic paper, a speech, or a sermon. Creativity takes many different shapes.

4.  Share something you've learned in life through the 'school of hard knocks'.
It's not best to just "be yourself." Or maybe that's just me. ;)

5.  As a child, did you mostly bring or buy your lunch for school? What was your favorite thing to find in your lunchbox?
I guess I mostly bought, but when I first saw this question, I thought about my lunchbox. It was a Sigmund and the Sea Monsters lunchbox. That seems to be a Saturday morning kids' show that never made it out of the 70s. I never hear about it in anyone's reminiscing. lol I remember loving that show, but I don't remember anyone else having that lunchbox. Yet, I don't remember getting any crap about it either.

6. Football season is upon us which has me wondering... how big of a sports fan are you (not just football) ? On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being 'I scream at the players through my television screen' and 1 being 'is knitting a sport?' where do you fall in fandom?
Probably a 5 or 6. I have and can get into particular things, but it's not a priority in my life. NASCAR is something I can share with my Step-dad, and so I follow that a bit more than I did in my youth. I watched football with my dad before he passed, so I avoided it for a few years. In more recent seasons, I didn't get into it until almost the playoffs. I'd finally get wrapped up in it, and it would be over. I'm trying to get on the bandwagon a little earlier, so I don't have that problem this year. lol

7. Share a favorite quote you think might inspire students of all ages at the start of a new school year.
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
- Albert Einstein

8. Random Thought
I have been so crazily busy with work this summer that I feel entirely cheated out of it. Hence being MIA from Blogland for so long. I'm also tired of moaning about it. Now, that September is here, I guess it's time to suck it up and move on. Better hopes for next year.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - ,,,, 3 comments

Hodgepodge

It's time for the Hodgepodge, hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Fancy playing along? Answer a question or two in the comments here. Post all your answers on your own blog. List your post over at Joyce's, and some nice people will visit your blog and comment.

1. When I look at the sky I am endlessly fascinated.

When I look at the sky I am endlessly facinated. This is especially true since I've moved to drier climes. I love to study the quality of the blue.Sometimes it's more of a baby blue. Sometimes it's shockingly dark and intense. Storm clouds can be very interesting. Sometimes I'm trying to figure how bad the storm is going to be. Grey and uniformly overcast is less exciting. That's how it was a lot in Update New York where I grew up. We were told that NY State had more cloudy days a year than any other state in the Union including Alaska. I don't know if it is a scientific fact, but it surely seemed plausable. Is it any wonder that I set off in search of sunnier skies?



2. If you had to run for political office, which one would you run for? Do you have any real desire to actually do this?

Maybe for City Council, but no, I don't have any real desire to do it.

3. What scent makes you think of home?

Baked ham and potato salad. That's what my mom always makes the day I arrive at her house. My grandmother used to do the same thing. Not only was it absolutely delish, but neither the traveler nor the cook had to worry about the exact timing.

4. How often do you take a step back to think about where you're headed in life? Do you need more or less self-reflection?

Periodically ... Usually near the beginning of the year. I have a survey that started out as a meme. However, the questions are pretty good, and it's nice to be able to compare and contrast one year from the next. I did it quite a lot as I was preparing for seminary until shortly after I graduated. I needed a break from that for a while. It was nice to coast for a while. However, the course I'm following to become ordained clergy requires quite a lot of direction assessment and self-reflection. (Yes, you can have too much of a good thing! lol)

5. July is National Ice Cream Month...besides a cone, what's your favorite food item to top with ice cream?

Something called Paradise Pie that used to be offered at Chili's. They've discontinued it. *sad face* It was a wonderful concoction with brown sugar, choclate chips, coconut, among other things. They would heat it for a moment then put the ice cream on top. Can you tell that I'm still mourning the loss?

(Picture by Ph.Ds of FOOD.)
6. What might your autobiography be called?

This is a hard one. If you've ever read this blog before, you'll know that I'm usually crap at titles. lol How about Spiritual Dancing? No, that might give the wrong impression. Maybe I should go with Spirituality Quest: One Woman's Journey to Find God One Dance Step at a Time. What do you think it should be. What would be the title of your autobiography?

7. Your least favorite mode of transportation? Why?

Scooter? It just seems like it would be such an uneven workout for one's legs. Eventually, one leg would be a lot larger than the other. *smile*

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I'm going to be teaching some new ballroom dance classes soon, and I needed some new tango music. It's incredibly difficult to find good new ballroom tango songs. Usually, it's the same songs done in different (and often beautiful) arrangements. I was able to add some great ones to my collection. Here's just one.



Any questions capture your attention?

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - ,,,, No comments

Hodgepodge

It's Hodgepodge time. Joyce, at From This Side of the Pond, manages to come up with interesting questions each week. Some of them even seem to stump her. lol Anyone can play. Join on in!

1. The month of July was named for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. He's quoted as saying, 'Experience is the teacher of all things." So what has experience taught you lately?
The more I learn, the more I see how much more there is to learn.

2. Where did you last 'roam'?
I took a road trip to Salem, OR in June for a conference. I camped overnight on the way there and back.  It was a very interesting trip. I had never been to that part of the country. Loved traveling through the Columbia Gorge. Beautiful. I almost hit a heron as it was flying across the interstate from the Columbia River. Of course, hitting it wouldn't have been great, but I did get to see it up close for a couple of seconds. Then, it was gone. I also saw some big horned sheep grazing by the guardrail.

For once I wasn't just trying to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. I got to stop when I saw something interesting or just decide that a campground next to a stream looked pretty, so I was setting up for the night. I got to lay out gazing at the stars. I got to have a neighbor who was traveling on his motorcycle. He looked a lot like Orlando Bloom.

He hung a hammock between two trees and slept there for the night. I started to consider whether he might actually be Orlando Bloom when I saw him get into the Lotus position to meditate and chant as the sun was going down. (Believe me when I tell you that I know Orlando Bloom is a Buddhist. ;) )   Also, believe me when I say that I was enough of a fan-girl in the past to be absolutely certain that I would have realized it was Orlando when we were paying our camping fees for the night. ;)


A view of the Snake River from Farewell Bend State Park.
3. Speaking of 'Rome'...pizza, pasta, gelato...you can only pick one, which would you choose?
Pizza. Though I love pasta and ice cream, I'm not sure that I could imagine life without pizza. :)

4. 'Rome wasn't built in a day', 'All roads lead to Rome', 'When in Rome...' which 'Roman' idiom have you most recently encountered? Explain.
"Rome wasn't built in a day" We could be talking about my bank account. However, I think that it's really a definition of life. The things we do are a process. We make goals. We try to achieve them. It can apply to a savings account. It can be as simple as making it through a day. It can be as complex as rebuilding a church. It's understanding that sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. It's realizing that we've been rowing in the wrong direction for a while and having to make a course correction. After all "Rome wasn't built in a day."

5. What's a movie you've seen or a book you've read, that makes you want to book a trip to Italy?
The Italian Job and the James Bond reboot, Casino Royale. Actually, my most accurate inspiration would be from a tv show. Travels in Europe with Rick Steves or more recently, Rick Steves' Europe. To tell you the truth, I've never been over excited to visit Italy. I mean, it would be nice, but I've never had a burning desire, like I've had with other places.

6.  Walt's original Disneyland opened almost sixty years ago, on July 17, 1955  Have you ever been to the California park? How about any of the other Disney parks around the world? What's your favorite amusement park ride or attraction?
Disney World is a place I have a burning desire to visit. I'll even go to Italy at Epcot if you want. ;) I have been to Disneyland (1981-ish). It was rather rushed, and the only thing I remember distinctly is the ride It's a Small World. (Just typing the words is bringing back the traumatic memory of hearing that song 5000 times. Perhaps, I exaggerate, but only slightly. lol)

I adore Disney World. The fact that they have so much control over the surrounding property really makes you feel like you are visiting a parallel universe or something. My favorite thing ... That's a hard choice. I haven't been there in a while, but my favorites are Star Tours and Muppet Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios. They incorporate one of my favorite aspects of Disney World. Often the entertainment while waiting in line is more fun than many amusement parks' main attractions.

Found on my bed one day at Disney World
I've gone a couple of times between Easter and Mother's Day. It is the perfect time of year. It's not too hot yet. Spring has fully sprung, so it's beautiful. And, there are hardly any crowds since school hasn't gotten out yet.

7. It's that time of year...when were you last bitten or stung?
Knock on wood, it hasn't happened to me this year, yet. It is one of the benefits of being in a dry climate. I did have one land on me while camping, but I was able to get rid of it before it injected any of it's terrible poison. Then, I closed up for the night to stay out of harm's way.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I'm too tired for a random thought. Vacation Bible School is in less than two weeks. I may have a nervous breakdown between now and then. lol

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Wednesday, July 02, 2014 - ,,,,,,,,, 2 comments

Hodgepodge

It's the 180th Edition of the Hodgepodge!  It's a weekly meme hosted by the beautiful and gracious Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Here we go!

1.  Speaking of 180...when was the last time you 'did a 180' on something? It was probably when I had to make a u-turn when I forgot something at the office. lol

2. It's Independence Week in the US of A! What's your favorite thing about America right this very minute? Favorites only! Let's hear what you love about America. This is a hard one because there are so many things to pick. Right this very minute my favorite thing about the good ol US of A is that I could spontaneously hop in my car and drive a couple of towns down the road to favorite restaurant. Freedom of movement and travel is a glorious thing.

Yes, I still have this car, and yes, I still love it!

3. Stars or stripes? Red, white, or blue? Watermelon, homemade vanilla ice cream, or blueberry pie? There is only one set that isn't highly variable, watermelon. I suppose generally my preference is stripes, but if we're talking about red white and blue, I find the stars more striking. And I love the colors red, white, and blue, but I usually only wear them together on patriotic holidays.


4. When did you last see stars, figuratively speaking? When I was ill. When I would lay down and close my eyes, a little woozy, I may have seen stars.

5.  'Clear as a bell', 'with bells on',  'lots of bells and whistles', 'saved by the bell'...which phrase 'rings' truest for you lately?  Have you ever seen The Liberty Bell? I haven't seen the Liberty Bell, but the phrase that rings true for me lately would be clear as a bell. One of my favorite things about living in the dryer climate like Idaho, or West Texas for that matter, is the clear blue skies that seems to be practically permanently present. Something about looking at them brings me joy and peace.

Not absolutely clear sky, but just look at it.

Those times in West Texas when clouds actually make the sky more beautiful!
6. Are you caught up in World Cup fever? Have you watched a lot or a little or none at all? I have not caught the fever. My favorite part is watching Jimmy Kimmel's Play of the Day. This primarily involves putting the ball back and play, and it immediately going back out of bounds. I have to admit it always makes me laugh.


7. Bid farewell to June in 10 words or less. Oh June, so glad I could enjoy your summery ways.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. I was very pleased that the Supreme Court could have some unanimous decisions this season. The ruins may have been narrow, but they were able to find common ground. Okay Washington D.C., they've proved it could be done. Acknowledge the humanity of people with whom you may disagree vehemently, but find some common ground. That's the only way we're going to move forward as a nation.

Have a great 4th of July no matter where in the world you are!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Wednesday, April 02, 2014 - , 2 comments

I Pity the April Fool - Hodgepodge

Showing my age lines in my little tribute to Mr. T in the title there. But, now on with the Hodgepodge! Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond once again has provided an interesting variety of questions. Come and play!



1. Since these questions are posting on the first day of April it seems only right to ask-when was the last time you did something foolish? If you can't answer that one, try this one-when was the last time someone fooled you?
"Foolish" is such a relative term. Almost anything I am doing at any particular moment could be considered foolish. The last big ticket item might be taking an antihistamine when I went to bed late on a Saturday night a couple weeks ago, which caused me to sleep through my alarm. I woke up just as the first worship service at my church was ending. (Yes, I was suppose to be there. lol) I'll tell you one thing though. I got there within 10 minutes, in time to be there for my Youth Group's Sunday school class. :)

2. What's the last biography or non-fiction book you've read? Was it any good?
It was inevitably some sort of ministry book. I read a lot of those, and I have many more on my shelf to read. I'm looking forward to Mark Batterson's All In. But for pleasure, I'm not so into non fiction. I've done a lot of studying and research about all sorts of things. When I want to escape my day-to-day world, I bury myself in fiction.

3. Garlic-friend or foe? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?
Oh, garlic is my friend! I love garlic. Its in almost everything I cook to some degree. A favorite is a marinated chicken dish that's immersed in all sorts of Italian seasonings. saute it in a little butter, and whether you put it in a store bought alfredo sauce or simply with rice. The sweet and salty tangy combo makes my mouth water.

4. Several Spring flower festivals happen in the US during the month of April. Of those listed, which would you most like to see in person...The Skagit Tulip Festival in Skagit Washington, The Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville Tennessee, The North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington North Carolina or the Daffodil Festival Weekend on Nantucket Island, Massachussets?
I would go for the Dogwood Festival in Knoxville because it's so close to where my mother lives. I also love the way Dogwood blossoms just seem to float in the air. I remember the Azalea festivals in South Carolina, and they are certainly beautiful there. However, the scheduling can be tricky. Mother Nature doesn't always cooperate. Peak Week could often be weeks different from when the festival were scheduled.

5. How do you choose which blogs to read? What is something that will make you stop and read every time? Something that makes you say, 'eh, think I'll skip this one and move on to the next'?
A huge determining factor is whether the author responds to comments. If they do, and we can develop a relationship, it's like getting a phone call from a friend. Of course I want to see what they have to say.

6. April is National Mathematics Education Month so tell us, when did you last use math?
Well, if we're talking arithmetic, then its all the time. This afternoon I was working on a video for a Sunday worship service, and I needed to know how long a particular clip should last. I also had to make sure that I wasn't late for my dance class, so I had to figure out how much time I had left. I don't often find myself confronted by the scenarios in High School word problems, but I have always found math to be my friend.

7. In honor of the A-Z challenge kicking off on April 1...choose one word beginning with the letter A to describe your yesterday.
"Accomplished," I got everything done on my To-Do list. :)

8. Insert your own random thought here.
“I get up. I walk. I fall down. Meanwhile, I keep dancing.” – Rabbi Hillel

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Wednesday, March 26, 2014 - ,,, 6 comments

Hodgepodge - Out Like a Lion?

Ending the month with some March inspired questions in this week's Hodgepodge. Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond once again has provided an interesting variety of questions. Come and play!


1. March is known as the windy month. Which of the following phrases best fits your March so far...'throw caution to the wind', 'three sheets to the wind', 'run like the wind', or 'see which way the wind blows'?

It certainly has been very windy here, literally. I guess the phrase that matches my life recently would be "see which way the wind blows." I have been unsure whether my position was going to be eliminated at work. Now, I'm pretty confident now about getting a year contract extension. Just need to get one more "t" crossed. So that's some good news. :)

2. Your favorite green food? Your favorite dish made with your favorite green food?

That would definitely be pesto. Favorite dish? Anything made with pesto. ;)

3. Ever been locked out of your home-car-office-anywhere? Do tell!

All of the above. The most recent one was when I was locked out of my car last July. I was traveling with my mother through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I was in a rush to get to the boat dock before it closed, and left the keys on the console. We made the boat, but naturally, I didn't realize that I didn't have my keys until we were returning to the car.

Luckily, my AAA was in full force, and a really cute tow truck driver was there within 45 minutes to retrieve my keys from the car. I was actually very impressed by the method that he used that didn't damage the car in any way. He also was very kind and didn't make me feel like a fool. He earned a slightly larger tip because of that. ;)

4. Yoda, Kermit, Shrek, The Wicked Witch of the West, Oscar the Grouch, The Grinch, or Mike Wasowski (Monsters Inc.)...of the green characters listed, which one's your favorite and why?

It would have to be Kermit because I've known him all my life. I remember him from Sesame Street, & I loved him in The Muppet Show. He somehow was always the voice of reason in a chaotic world. Self deprecating yet self confident. It's a hard wire the balance on, but Kermit has negotiated it magnificently.

5. "The first task of a leader is to keep hope alive."~Joe Batten Do you agree? Why or why not?

Sure. People have to be inspired in order to put in the effort required to be consistently successful. The leader needs to provide the vision then be the cheerleader that gets all the people across the finish line.

6. Share a favorite song with an emotion in it's title.

" Happy" is still my current favorite song. Listening to it makes me ...



7. What's a road trip you'd like to take?

Since realizing that I probably will have a job after July 1st, I've been fantasizing about having some sort of vacation in the summer. I've been thinking about two places. The first is just outside the north east entrance of Yellowstone. It's a beautiful overlook that has the most incredible smell of pine. I want to experience that again.

The other please is the southwest corner of Colorado. I drove thru there on my way to Idaho from West Texas. It looks so different from the idea I have about Colorado. It's around the Mesa Verde, beautiful farmland with rolling hills. I was driving so intently from point A to point B that I didn't have a chance to appreciate it. I would love to have that opportunity again.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I cannot believe the outrage generated by Kim and Kanye's Vogue cover. I like nice clothes. I'm not a fashionista. No doubt this will sound a bit condescending, but find Vogue to be a bit superficial. I haven't read it in a while, but the last time I did for every page of fashion lay outs there were about 5 pages of ads.

First, I don't follow the Kardashians by any stretch of the imagination. However, the picture of Kim and Kanye on the cover is beautiful. The clothes are exquisite. So, people are complaining about the fact that these beautiful people are wearing beautiful clothes on the cover of a fashion magazine? Really? I'm sure that I missing something, but in comparison with all the horrible things going on in the world today, it doesn't seem worth the energy that people are putting into it.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 - ,,,, No comments

A Springtime Hodgepodge

Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond has provided some Springtime questions for this week's Hodgepodge. Join us and play!

1.  Thursday marks the first day of spring...to celebrate would you rather plant a garden or go for a walk in the woods? Would either of those activities be possible on Thursday where you live?

I would rather walk in the woods. It would be possible on Thursday but not likely for me.

2. When did someone last spring something on you? (or when did you last spring something on someone?)

Answer here is to numerous to mention. Something like 20 minutes ago.

3.  We often think of spring as a time for new beginnings. What's something you'd like to start doing this spring?

I'd like to stop having to fight fires. It might help people quit spring things on me. ;)

4. Where do you like to sit in a movie theatre? When did you last sit there, and what were you watching?

I like to sit front center , not in the very first row, maybe about three rows back. It's combo for a couple reasons. First, it  has to do with getting older and wearing glasses. I see better closer. The second is going to the movie Armageddon years ago. The movie theater was so full that I had to sit near the front. The sides of the screen went beyond my peripheral vision. When the spacecraft was dodging asteroids in space, I actually felt like I was in the ship with them. Luckily, it didn't cause motion sickness, but it is added a level of realism that I have always sound exciting. Sitting that close has helped me feel more engrossed in the movies I've seen ever since I've started doing it. So, unless I'm forced to sit someplace else, I always want to sit towards front in the center.

5. When you meet someone for the very first time, what do you want them to think about you?

That I'm kind and wise ... and beautiful. On a good day, it might be two out of three. Hopefully, I get at least one. ;)

6. March is frozen food month (yes, really!). Besides ice cream (gotta make you think a little) what's your most often purchased frozen food item?

Flash frozen chicken tenders.  They cook up so easily in just a few minutes. :)

7. What's something you avoid?

Confrontation? If I see something really wrong or something that I'm passionate about, I will not hesitate. I might prepare, but I will act. However, for something superficial, something the only affects me, or because I'm bored, no way. I'm not one of those people the gets into a fight just for the sake of it.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Crimea. Oy! I've wanted to post about it for weeks, but everything's so fluid that just as I'm about ready, the whole situation changes. None of the experts have a clue, so why should I?

I do think that the patronizing attitude the West has had about Russia and Putin and a lack of sensitivity to Russian history has a lot to do with the spot we're in. And, Russia is not like North Korea or Iran that can be isolated or forced into submission. (North Korea is willing to let all its people starve to death rather than capitulate, and it took over 30 years to get Iran to come to the negotiating table.) Russia is the biggest country in the world with vast natural resources. They could survive significant isolation for a good long time. That's one thing that Russia's good at, waiting out a siege.

Now we have the tiger by the tail. It's dangerous to allow Russia to get away with the annexation of Crimea. It's dangerous if we try to stop it. Putin can laugh at our sanctions, and he's right. Russia is the only country (except for maybe China) that turn the USA into dust.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Wednesday, March 12, 2014 - , 2 comments

Hodgepodge

Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond hosts this Wednesday meme that have some interesting questions. Do you want to play?


1. Do you have an interest in learning about your family's heritage? Why or why not? If you know a little bit about your roots, share an interesting piece of trivia or a fun fact about someone who goes way back on your family tree.

I have a great interest in history, so learning about my family's heritage is natural for me. An interesting tidbit is that the Russian side of my family came to the United States because they were on the wrong side of the Russian Revolution. Apparently, one of my great grandfathers was a Count. My uncle is the last of the line, to put it in Downton Abbey parlance. ;)

2. Branch Rickey, the baseball exec credited with signing Jackie Robinson, is quoted as saying-
"Luck is the residue of design."
Agree or disagree? Why?

I agree, provisionally. I think that's helpful if you're on the lookout for luck. How are you ever going to see that stray dollar on the ground if you're not looking for it? How are you going to jump on the opportunity at work if you're not aware of what's going on? On the other hand, I've seen people who miss getting hit by a car or bus by a millimeter or getting under cover right before a downpour of rain. That's lucky too, but it's not by design. But yes, how lucky is that I happen to have an umbrella...because I always keep one in my purse. ;)

 3. In the town where you currently reside, what's your favorite green space?

I'm very lucky to live in a place that has lots of green spaces. I even live next to something that is described as a "greenway" next to a small river. (Side note: I learned that there is no minimum size for a river, so even though I would classify it as a "creek," I live next to a "river." lol)  My favorite green space in town that would be a place called the Lower Ross Park. In the growing months of the year, it's very green, and there are lovely old trees. Kids play little league, and bands play in the band shell. It's a modest space, but all summer long there always seems to be something going on.

 4. Who is your favorite comedian?

Bill Cosby.  That man would have me laughing so hard that I couldn't make any noise, and tears would be streaming down my face. That's the kind of laughter that makes your cheeks cramp up because you're smiling so hard. It sounds painful, but I guess this is one of those times that it hurts so good. ;)

 5. March is National Nutrition Month, and almost everyone needs to improve their diet in some way. What about you? How can you improve your nutrition on a daily basis? Will you try?

The best way that I can improve my nutrition on a daily basis is to get a better handle on stress. When I get too stressed and emotionally tired, I'm more likely to make unwise decisions. (One of those is sitting in my freezer right now.)

6. Which of these green expressions have you 'experienced' in recent weeks -green with envy, green thumb, green around the gills, or give the green light? Explain.

I suppose it would be " green around the gills." I was a little under the weather a couple of weeks ago. (That didn't exactly help me make wise nutritional choices either. I know, always an excuse. lol)

7. Where is one place you don't mind waiting?

For me that would be Disney World, up to a point. In the staging areas they often have great entertainment. My favorite is probably Star Tours, a Star Wars simulation ride . They start off with R2D2 and C3PO having a little debate and talking with us. Then, there's a little maintenance droid who suddenly seems to become self aware and starts interacting with people waiting in line. I almost hated to move along. They were so much fun. It's been awhile since I've been to Disney World. I hope they're still there.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Two random thoughts really. One is that I am so psyched to be blogging regularly again. I am beyond amazed at how much easier it is to blog when I'm tired and stressed (see item about healthy eating above) with voice recognition software. It means I can express myself without having to sit in front of a computer. I have never felt comfortable when trying to work on a laptop computer in the living room or something. I find it so awkward. So, if  I couldn't bear to sit in a desk chair, blogging went to the wayside. This way I can sit and relax and rant to my heart's content. :)

The second thing is that on that desktop computer, that I haven't wanted to sit in front of when work has been overwhelming with stress, wouldn't boot back up after the power went out. Apparently, my "power supply" went out. I didn't even know what a power supply was. It's the part that the big power plug that plugs into the back of a desktop computer. I discovered there some kind of battery in there, and if it dies, and you lose power, your computer won't start again. So, over at a period of days I was able to to research it, take it out, and put a new one in. Today the part that I ordered arrived , and I installed it in less then 20 minutes! So psyched ... again!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Wednesday, March 05, 2014 - , 3 comments

Hodgepodge

Guess what! I'm back. Both reason why was gone and why I might be able to be back more often will be found in this week's hodgepodge answers. Thank You Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for hosting this game every week!

1. The expression 'mad as a March hare' originated with a fictional character who is distracted and frantic. When were you last 'mad as a March hare' and what was it that made you that way?

Yesterday? lol In February really I had a number of projects all coming together the same time. And I had a few worries as well. Then there was a bingo fundraiser at church in Valentine's Day, and all of the publicity stuff had to be done immediately! Then I hit the wall and got sick. After that it seems that I knew everything was beyond my capacity to control, and my attitude has completely changed. Now,I don't know whether im living in denial, or if things really are better, but I feel better!

2. Mardi Gras this year falls on Tuesday, March 4th. Have you ever been to Mardi Gras, and if so what did you think? If not, do you have any interest in going?  Purple, green, and gold are the colors of Mardi Gras. Which one is most prevalent in your wardrobe? How about in your home?

I've never been to a Mardi Gras celebration like in New Orleans or anything like that, but I've been to Mardi Gras parties. I love jewel tones so that includes all those colors. My wardrobe house probably more purple in it than anything else. My house has a lot of greens in it but its more subdued with shades like sage and olive green.

3. Are you old fashioned?

It's the simplest questions it provides the most complicated answers. The answer is yes and no. I would say that I'm traditional in many of my viewpoints.

I like women to wear stockings and to have sleeves on their shirts. I like traditional decor and fashion. However I strongly believe in equal rights for women and racial equality and freedom of religion and lots of other progressive things. 

I would not consider myself politically liberal or conservative. I cherry pick the things I like from each of those groups, but I don't like to force my views on other people. I consider that very traditional in this age of everybody screaming at each other from there polarized positions with no one listening to anyone else. I think that listening and civilized debate is very important. I would consider that very traditional as well.

I don't mind technology. I'm composing this post on the cell phone. However, everything's changing faster than I can adapt. Course just the other day I heard about some old letters written about the time of the Civil War. That was a time of great technological changes well, and letters Illustrated how the people were struggling with how fast everything was changing them too so.

We all seem to think that we're living in the most terrible craziest of times. When kids don't listen to their elders or are to self centered, we seem to feel that they are at risk of being the worst generation ever. It wasn't true when we were kids, and its not true now. The kids now are having to adapt to situations and technologies we could not have imagined at their age, so they're doing the best they can, and they'll be fine. I can suppose that that line of reasoning isn't traditional at all. But it is based on a study of history, so that could be described as traditional. So, am I old fashioned? The answer is yes and no.

4. Do you carefully plan your vacations, or do you prefer the days to be more spontaneous?

I carefully plan my vacation with scheduled time for spontaneity. :)

5.  March is National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce, and what do you most often top with this sauce?

Presuming we're not talking about chocolate sauce, I would say hollandaise with lemon butter as a close second. My favorite things for that would be on some lovely broiled salmon. Mmmmm.

6.  What's something that easily brings a tear to your eye?

Love lost. Animals being injured. Children being injured. The pain is so overwhelming on the last two that I have to look away. Because I avoid it so intently, people seem to get the impression the I'm hard or cold when the reason for the behavior is for the exact opposite.

7. If you could own any sports team, which one would it be and why?

I couldn't even begin to imagine it, so I'll have to pass on this one.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

After waiting for a very long time, I finally got a new cell phone. It it has a feature that I could have never imagined I would work as well as it does. I have done this entire post with voice recognition software. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it is a thousand times better then the last time I tried to use any kind of voice recognition thing. Its really amazing. 

And I never had an iPhone or anything like that, so I'm not familiar with Suri, so this is probably old news for most of you. This version works with the command "okay Google now," and I can ask it about anything, and it'll provide me an answer (besides typing blog posts for me-lol).

Henry Kissinger was just on Charlie Rose, and I asked it how old Henry Kissinger is, and he's 90 by the way. Unbelievable. Both, about his age and how sharp is brain still is. Gosh, I should be so lucky, and the fact that I practically had the answer as fast as I could form a question. Simply amazing.

And it also means that I can run on and on to answer these questions with very little effort. If I can post like this all the time, I might go back to doing a little more often. I can do this even after a long hard day. The bad news is though that my posts will probably be long and rambling, but the spelling is much better. I didn't have to look up "Henry Kissinger" once.

Can you tell that I'm a little excited. Hopefully, for all of us, it'll wear off soon.


Thursday, January 9, 2014

Thursday, January 09, 2014 - , No comments

My 7 for 2013

Time for my annual survey. I love the consistency of looking at it from year to year. However, I'm up for a little tweaking of the format. I'm also going to be a bit more succinct with my answers. My thoughts are as detailed and complex as ever, but I don't seem to have the energy and patience to write it all down.  Here it goes...

1. What were the best things that happened to you personally in 2013?
  •  Getting to teach ballroom dancing at the local university, which has the bonus of giving me an opportunity to dance. Next round of classes begin the day after MLK Day.
  • My mom's visit in July. My mother hasn't been to visit me in a long long time. It was nice to have her see my apartment and then to see Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks at the peak of their summer splendor.

 


2. What was the worst thing that happened to you personally in 2013?
  • I can't remember anything particularly terrible that happened. I do live in a state of perpetual uncertainty with my employment status. I feel confident that I'm doing a good job and get continual positive feedback, but I'm not sure that they can afford my position. I know that I'm not the only person in this situation, but it's a difficult place to live.
3. What were the best things to happen to all of us in 2013?
  • The federal budget deal. Republicans & Democrats coming together and getting something accomplished without putting the whole country and the world into a panic. I know we still have a long way to go, and I'm sure there will be relapses. Just the idea that it is possible in this polarized environment gives hope.
  • The revelations about the NSA from Edward Snowden (and the journalists who are covering the story). It was/is terrible that it's happening, but it is great that it has seen the light of day. Secret police are the tools of totalitarian states not democracies. With everything behind closed doors it is a secret police regardless of how ethical and rule abiding they claim to be.  The government says, "Trust me." I am reminded of an old phrase, "Trust but verify." There has not been a lot going on in the government that has engendered my trust of late.  I might have to find myself a tin hat. All the conspiracy theorists' claims seem to be coming true. We'll see if Obama implements any of the recommendations of the panel he appointed to review what the NSA is doing.
  • The Syrian chemicals weapons deal. It doesn't look like it has helped much in the civil war there, but just having those things out of circulation is a good thing, period. I think that it also may have facilitated the nuclear agreement that we got with Iran. A long way from seeing where that will end up, but there's cause for hope there too.
4. What were the worst things to happen to all of us in 2013?
  • The Boston Marathon bombing.
  • NSA revelations. I know I said it was a good thing, but good grief, I can hardly believe the extent of it. Nor can I believe that we only have one lone federal judge so far that thinks it constitutes unreasonable search and seizure and is therefore unconstitutional. I always considered myself a great supporter of our National Security apparatus. Like I said. When it gets to the level of "secret police" (read Gestapo, KGB, etc.), we have gone too far.
  • Intransigence in Washington. The system was set up to make it difficult to do things, but that was to prevent rash action. Slow things down a little to give people a chance to really think about what they're doing, but this is too much. We don't seem to have leaders.  They seem more like petulant children. I have hope because of the budget deal, but I just saw today or yesterday another grandstanding maneuver about no negotiation. "Fine," I thought. "You obviously don't want to get that issue resolved. What's the point?"
5. Favorite movies of 2013 (in no particular order):
  • Star Trek: Into Darkness  I really like where JJ Abrams is going with this reboot. I loved how the Khan storyline was twisted and tweaked but still stayed true to the characters. Now, last I heard, he's heading up the new Star Wars movies. Let's just say, I'm pleased.
  • RED 2  The comedy? Fantastic. The spoofs on spy & other action/adventure films? Great! Helen Mirren? Fabulous, as always.
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug  Tolkien nerds can whine all they want. I loved the way they incorporated more of the elves and especially Legolas into the storyline. Made my heart go pitter-pat. (That is by no means the only reason it make my top three. lol)  Can hardly wait for the last installment.

6. Review of 2013's Resolutions. I might have actually accomplished some of them this year!
  • Find an alternate term for "bucket list." I've never cared for the euphemism of "kicking the bucket," so bucket list was never very attractive. What I'm now developing is a Leap List. I saw it somewhere online. I don't remember the origin story, but I'm thinking of it as Leaping into Adventure. :)
  • Find a non-church activity in town. I did it! I mentioned earlier that I'm teaching ballroom dance at the local university. They liked me so well that I'm starting another round in January.
  • Make action plans for my goals, so I have a plan on how to get there instead of just wishing that it'll happen. I did make the action plans. I'm not sure how much they contributed towards me achieving my goals, but it's a start.
  • There were a few others, but we won't talk about those. *smirk*
7. Resolutions for 2014?
  • I'm sorry to admit that I haven't made them yet. I have some goals, but that has to do mostly with my employment situation. They aren't particularly focused on self-improvement. I'll have to think more about hat.

There you have it. I went into a little more detail than I intended. Guess I had a little that I needed to get off my chest.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2014 for us all!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Wednesday, January 08, 2014 - 4 comments

Hodgepodge

I haven't "hodgepodged" in a while. I thought it might be fun.  Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond hosts this Wednesday meme that have some interesting questions. Do you want to play?

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?

My word would be #hashtag.  I never understood "tagging" in the first place.  I don't have a problem with texting shorthand, as long as I can figure out what's being said (though I rarely use it except for a variant of "lol", and that was from being on line).  Don't particularly appreciate "text-speak," but speaking in "hashtag-speak" is way over the line.

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

Getting the oil changed on my car.  Not glamorous, but important with the "polar-vortex" and all.  A little west of the worst of it, but still.  (btw, we had several weeks of below zero weather here in Dec, so we have had our fair share.)

3. When did you last have a bowl of soup? What kind? Homemade or from a can? What's your favorite soup?
Monday night for supper.  It was cream of chicken from a can.  I usually add some rice and extra chicken.  Turns it into a luscious concoction. :)

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

Snow job?  But, I'm not sure that I'm not snowing myself.  People around here are skiers, and they would love to be "snowed-in," as long as they could tunnel their way to the slopes.

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

I don't know about "funniest" but the first thing that came to mind was Beverley Hills Cop. I'm remembering the opening sequence when Eddie Murphy is holding on for dear life from the back of a semi-trailer as a criminal is trying to use the truck as a get-away car.  I laughed so hard through that entire sequence I couldn't breathe. Score!

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

Yes and No.  I'm not always dropping or breaking things, but I have to say that my dad would tease me that we should tie balloons onto my toes.  I was forever tripping, stubbing my toes, or otherwise running my feet into things, like coffee table legs.  I don't do that so often, but when I do ... #&%$*#!

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.

I like Elvis' music but wouldn't consider myself a rapid fan.  "Teddy Bear" is probably my favorite song.  The lyrics are so sweet.  I might be too syrupy if it weren't sung by such a masculine man.  Most of his songs are great to dance to, and his ballads are soulful.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Yes, my Christmas tree is still up.  I love the soft glow that the tree has.  Winter seems so gloomy after the Christmas lights go off for the season.  I can't bear to have it end just yet.



Thursday, July 4, 2013

Thursday, July 04, 2013 - , 2 comments

How Old Would You Be?



Saw this over at Woman on the Fence, and found it intriguing. If I had to throw a number out there, I'd say about 35. I think that I've felt that age since I was about 8. I have a picture of myself when I was around 4 that looks like I think I'm about 27. I've only aged a little since then. ;) 

So, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"

BTW, you should be hearing that in a British accent. I've been watching too much PBS, and that's how the voices in my head sound right now. ;)

Friday, January 18, 2013

Friday, January 18, 2013 - , 7 comments

Five on Friday

I haven't done one of these in a while, but we're celebrating! It's the beginning of year 4 of Five on Friday with Travis!



Great News! I found a new music service, Grooveshark. I had been using Playlist.com, but then they stopped letting people embed their playlists on other websites/blogs. I found that it takes too long to do this all through Youtube videos. They may not have the recording I like. I may not "appreciate" the images used in the video, etc. But now we have Grooveshark. Hopefully, it'll load faster and automatically go from one song to the next.

Not sure why, but I was on a 70's kick today



Have a happy Friday!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Thursday, January 03, 2013 - ,, 7 comments

2012 Wrap Up

This has become an annual thing for me for the past several years. I answer these same questions. I find it helpful to compare them year to year. They're a benchmark, and they help me to remember.

1. What was the best thing that happened to you personally in 2012? I found myself unable to limit myself to one in many of these categories (or all of them).
  • That I continue to get to work in the church. I feel like such an abysmal failure in so many areas, but the feedback that I continue to get from the congregation and the pastor is very supportive and encouraging. They seem to think I'm doing a great job. You mean I can't buck a 30 year trend all by myself? You mean I can't snap my fingers, and it all be done?
  • Being on the top of the world just over the boarder from Montana in Wyoming. It was like descending into fairy land. Okay, and seeing my family in Minnesota, the reason for the trip. ;)
  • I started a new outreach ministry partnering with local community agencies. It's gotten a lot of new people involved.
2. What was the worst thing that happened to you personally in 2012?
  • I really don't have much that I can legitimately complain about. Lack of instant success in my professional goals really doesn't qualify. I really haven't tried to do anything else. I didn't lose anything. No major health issues. No one in my family died this year, which is really the first in a while.
3. What was the best thing to happen to all of us in 2012?
  • The Olympics. I loved seeing the world come together to watch this spectacle. I hadn't really watched in several cycles, but I was transported this year.
  • Craig Ferguson's still on the air? No strike that. He's really been pissing me off lately. lol
4. What was the worst thing to happen to all of us in 2012?
I couldn't come up with a single "worst," so I'm going to give you my top three. I have a lot of passion on them, so I'll elaborate more in future posts. The condensed version is:
  • The U.S. presidential election. I'll save the explanation for later.
  • Because it's fairly fresh in my mind, I would have to say the school shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school. More later.
  • Hurricane Sandy -- Because of where it hit and the significance of the damage, it is something that could affect the whole world like no other hurricane before it.

5. What was the best gift you received during the ’12 holidays?
  • Red fuzzy Santa socks. When I wear them with my slippers, I feel like my feet are getting a massage. Micro-fiber is really an incredible thing.
6. What was the best gift (most appropriate or best received) you gave during the ’12 holidays?
  • Flameless candles for my mom that have an automatic timer.
7. Do you have any regrets about what you did in 2012?
  • Nothing major. I didn't do enough to regret anything.
8. Do you have any regrets about what you didn’t do in 2012?
  • That I couldn't spend longer in Yellowstone
  • That I haven't made more friends outside of the church
  • That I don't have a meaningful life outside of the church
9. Resolutions for 2013? Now’s the time for them.

I was looking at my resolutions from 2012 ...
1. See a medical health professional some time this year.
Nope. Well, I did get a flu shot, and it was administered by a medical health professional, but I don't think that counts.

2. Spend less time on the computer.
Yes, but I did that by watching more tv. More mental balance while maintaining my sedentary lifestyle. So it's a technical yes, but not good. It's like moving a checkers piece between two squares perpetually without getting anywhere. I think that I'll need to chart a new course for this next year.
    
3. I'd like to average about 3 blog posts per week.
I almost did this through June. After that, I couldn't bear to be on the computer long enough to produce the quality that I wanted. Then, I realized that I was creating content for content's sake, and that's never been what this blog has been about. I know that there's a fine line. You have to post frequently enough to keep regular readers engaged while having content interesting enough to make them want to come back. But, I wasn't keeping myself interested. I wanted to change where I had more of a space to give my honest opinion about what was going on in the world (be it light hearted or more serious) without my primary concern being whether everyone would like me or find me witty. I haven't talked about nearly as many things as I wanted to, but at least now, I feel free to do so. 
4. To get involved in some activity that's not church related.
Nope. I've come close. Now, I'm in a "club" that is tangentially related, not directly. But, this is still an area that I have to work on.

5. I still want to get closer in my relationship with God.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no, but I continue to make the effort. 

Resolutions for 2012 -
This has been the hardest part of this exercise for me, by far. Concrete, measurable goals. I was talking with someone several months ago about this sort of thing. I realized that I had been working a huge goal for several years that involved prepping for Seminary. Graduating from Seminary, and getting a ministry job.

Once I did that, I needed a recovery period where I actually just lived in the space of my accomplished goals. But that time has passed, I need a real, almost larger than life goal, or I'll find myself in the same rut of running around in circles to the point where I feel trapped in a cage that I made for myself. So, I have been working on both short-term and long term goals, for the past couple of weeks. Here are several that I should be able to accomplish within 2013.

  1.  I still need to see a medical health professional. I actually have a referral from a friend for a dentist. Now, I just have to verify that they're in-network with my insurance and make the appointment.
  2. Be disciplined about my savings plan. I have something slightly more complicated for my own use, but this will do for here.
  3. Make up a new term for "bucket list," something less crass and crude, not based on the euphemism, "kick the bucket." Something that evokes the fun, excitement, and adventure associated with the kinds of things that should be on that kind of list. I mean, buckets are a lot of things, but they're not fun. lol
  4. Find a non-church activity in town to get involved with, like a ballroom or swing dance club or something. It cannot involve sitting in front of a computer or a tv.
  5. Make action plans for my goals, so I have a plan on how to get there instead of just wishing that it'll happen. ;)
There! Those are do-able, and they all will have positive benefits in addition to their obvious or stated purpose.

A New Year. A blank slate. A chance to begin again. Who knows what this year will bring? What will you do to start?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - ,, 15 comments

Hodgepodge

It's Hodgepodge time again, hosted by Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond. It seems to be my staple these days. I'm working on a little more variety, but I am very thankful for the interesting questions that Joyce provides each week.


1. The Wednesday Hodgepodge this week falls on John Chapman's birth date.  He's more famously known as Johnny Appleseed...what's your favorite variety of apple?
Granny Smith, the tartness, the sweetness, the crispness ... Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

2.   When did you last say 'ick'?
"Ick" is a regular part of my vocabulary. Most recently was probably from a tv program, a new Brit favorite New Tricks,  on Sunday night that involved maggots. ICK!!!



3.   Do you think there's a generation gap?  Explain.
Sure. I've accepted that I'm on the far side of it. One day I was referencing some piece of technology that I felt was pretty modern and contemporary like music CDs or something. The young person had no idea what I was talking about. That's the day that I told myself, "You are officially 'old'." lol

4.  What's on your computer screen saver?  Do you leave it alone or change it often?
I have random pictures from my harddrive fade in and out. I've had that for years. In a way, it updates itself as I add more pics, but I leave the set-up alone. Here's the last one that I saw. ;)

One of the arches to a city park in Jackson, Wyoming.

5.  If you had the attention of the entire world for two minutes, what would you say?
The first question is do I play this straight or go for the laugh? The whole world? Two minutes? Gotta play it straight. Next question, why am I in the spotlight? Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe is shouldn't matter. If I had the attention of the entire world for two minutes, I would have to say, "God love You! God loves you as if you were the only one" (Augustine).

6.  Four fashion trends to try this fall are-brocade/jacquard (fancy printed fabrics), peplum, lace, and printed pants...which of these four would you be most likely to wear?
Ooooo ... everything old is new again. I'm having flashbacks to the late 70s early 80s. I might have to look at some images to see where they're going with this. I never stopped wearing lace, and I've always been drawn to jacquard fabrics, so I'd have to say those.

7.  What can make your bad day better?
Why seeing all my bloggy friends, of course!  But a little chocolate never hurts. ;)

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
Dancing with the Stars All-Stars are back! Guess where I'll be on Monday nights? (Or at least catching up over at Travis'. lol)

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - ,, 12 comments

Hodgepodge

Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond hosts this meme that has some interesting questions each week. Do you want to play?

1. What's the best and worst thing thing about growing older?

The truth of the matter is that I really don't think about my age very much. Most of the time, I can only figure out my age by subtracting my birth year from the current year. I still feel the same in my brain as I did when I was 5 or 6. (I was definitely one of those kids who was 5 going on 30. lol) Just look at the pic I posted for Hodgepodge from a week ago.

I don't think of myself as "older." I'm just me. I don't know that I have a "best" or "worst," not really, but if I have to come up with something ...

Best: Knowing that I've done a lot of cool things in my life.
Worst: Knowing that I could have done even more if I'd been smarter about it.

2.   Autumn arrives this week in the Northern Hemisphere...what one thing do you love most about the fall season?

Leaves
3.  Speaking of fall...pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan?   What's your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage?

When I started smelling that certain quality in the air (probably leaves starting to turn), my mind went instantly to pumpkin, and it made me smile. Pumpkin pie would be my favorite, but I made some pretty good pumpkin bread last year (thanks to Costco - lol).

4.  Since we're on the subject of fall...what's the worst fall you've ever taken?

I've had some doozies. I was thinking of giving you the top three.  I'll give you the most recent because the body remembers the recent pain better than the past. It is from this past Memorial Day. I was hurrying out of my apartment on my way to pick up my guest, and I missed the last 1/2 step. Bam! All of a sudden I find myself face down on the sidewalk.

My hands had been full of bags, so I couldn't even try to catch myself. I twisted some things and skinned some others. I was a bit stunned for a couple of minutes, but I was pretty much okay. I was afraid that I had broke my glasses as they got knocked off my face, but they were fine too, narry a scratch. Even my cell phone came away unscathed. I twisted my wrist, but no broken bones from any of my falls. I figure that I'm a walking commercial for drinking milk as a kid. It does a body good!

5.  If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose?

The first thing that popped into my head was Aragorn's sword from Lord of the Rings. I wonder what that says about me. In fact, I have a letter opener replica of that sword. There can be something elegant and artistic about a sword though I could never think of actually using one.

6. What's the most interesting word you've read or learned in the past week?

Hmmm ... I can't think of any that I've learned recently (though I've been known to read dictionaries on occasion), but I had lunch with a five year old on Sunday, and he had recently learned the word "ginromous." He was very creative about getting it into conversation, especially when he was telling me about his Spider Man birthday party from last week.

7. When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office?  Was it a big deal?

It's been a while, so I don't want to tempt fate. I'm probably overdue despite my borderline OCD behavior about it.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

If you're looking for nail polish that lasts consider China Glaze. I get it at Sally's Beauty Supply. It's been lasting at least a week for me with natural nails. Usually, I'm lucky if I last out the day before it starts chipping or peeling. It lasts almost as well as if it was on artificial nails, but it can be removed with regular nail polish remover. And it's reasonably priced too (around $5 here).

And for the record, this isn't a paid advertisement or anything. I just got it several weeks ago, and I was simply amazed. I had to share.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Wednesday, September 12, 2012 - , 14 comments

Hodgepodge

Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond hosts this meme that has some interesting questions each week. Do you want to play?


1.  ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?  The NFL is back in action along with all the college teams.  Are you a fan?  Who do you root for?  If you're not a fan what do you do while the rest of America watches Saturday, Sunday, Monday night, and now Thursday night games?

I've been working my way back over the past several years to get back in synch with the football season. For a couple of years, I didn't get interested in it until they were in the playoffs, and I was really bummed when it was over so quick. I think this year, my football clock has finally been updated. So YES. I'm Ready for Some FOOTBALL!!!

 2. What's something I'll always find in your closet?

Dust? Otherwise, it really depends on the closet. ;)

3. Share one of your earliest memories.

Exploring the neighborhood with my friends when I was 4 or 5 and wandering into an office building in a military complex. (My dad was in the Army, and we lived in military housing, but housing was always far away from the "business" areas.) Guess I always had an adventuresome spirit. I must have driven my parents nuts! lol


4. What circus act best describes your week so far?

I'm not sure if it is really last week or this, but I'm going to say 1st Dumbo Circus Clown scene. I was touch and go with this when I was thinking about it yesterday, but after I watched the news on Tuesday (and what I haven't seen in the news), I would say that this about sums it up. I'll let you decide who the clowns represent.


5. What's a food you disliked as a child but you love now?

Shrimp. What can I say. My taste buds have always been screwed up.

6.  Describe your summer in three words.

adventuresome, calm, productive

7.  Where were you on September 11, 2001? Did you do anything special to mark the day this year?

 I heard an interesting interpretation of this question, on Tuesday. Where were you, who were you the moment before you heard about the tragedy, and how is that different from the person you were moments after you heard about it? Now, that's way too deep a question for me to answer at the moment.

I wasn't planning to do anything in particular, but when I heard what happened at our embassy and consulate in Cairo and Benghazi respectively during the day, I became rather upset.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I try to keep my answer on this question light and funny, but today, I can't manage it.

I'm confused about the lack of media coverage Tuesday evening about the events at our embassy and consulate. I heard it as a headline on NPR. Didn't see anything about it on the PBS Newshour. There's a some text reports on news sites such as CBS, NBC, CNN, etc. I could not even get the ABC News site to come up at all. Barely mentioned on Nightline? Really?

What little I did find indicated that Americans were warned to stay away from the embassy in Cairo today. So, that means that someone had a clue that this was going to be a flashpoint today. Why didn't the American media know about it, warn us about it? I think what I find most upsetting was that it came as such a surprise to me (though I find several of the aspects about this quite troubling).

The only legitimate reason that I can come up with for lack of media coverage is to discourage a panicked response from the American public. There is so much that I could say in the heat of my outrage, but I will refrain.

Suffice to say, Mamma is not happy with many people and organizations today. (And, I'm not even including the protesters at all in my unhappiness. That is an entirely separate issue.)

We shall see what tomorrow brings and pray for a better day.

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