Memory Monday: First Date

It's Memory Monday again, compliments of our host, Judy at "retired not tired". If you'd like to join in and share some of your memories with us, go to her blog site HERE for next week's prompt.

The prompt for this week is MY FIRST DATE. 

Oh, my, goodness. That was SO many years ago and I can only remember parts of it. It was not good.

Picture this: summer, 1962, small town Ohio.

Cousin John and I were just 4 months apart in age and were raised almost like sister and brother. That summer he reached his 16th birthday, got his driver's license and had his own car. John and a friend Mike were often together, doing things that boys did those days, which usually involved cars, hanging out at one of the gas stations and 'cruising' Main Street.

One weekend John and Mike asked if I and my girlfriend Penny would like to double-date to the drive-in. I wanted to go, but I had to work nicely on Mom to get her permission. Mom's rule was no dating until I turned 16. But she said I could go. After all, I would be with my cousin. She made John promise to get us girls home safely and on time.

The next hurdle was getting Penny's parents to allow her to go. She was only 15 at the time, but they gave her permission.

I knew Mike liked me, but put him in the back seat of a car at the drive-in with a girl and I swear, he morphed into an unknown creature. That was the one and only date I ever had with him.

Random Tid-Bits

I'm still having trouble finding subjects to blog about and most days I just give up. Hence, my absence in Blogger world. But I wanted to post something today in case anyone was wondering where I've been so it's another random tid-bits day.

We are having a beautiful autumn day! The temperature's very comfortable with lots of sunshine. The whole week is suppose to be very nice. I'm enjoying it.

The sad part is the fall colors are almost gone and the trees are losing their leaves. I hate seeing this happen every year, because that means the bitter cold temperatures will soon be here. But, since there's no way to control it, I have to stop dwelling on it. We have to take what we get.

My grand-daughter hasn't delivered yet. The baby is in the right position and doing very well, but hasn't shown any signs of wanting to show up yet. Hollie's just fine, but getting anxious. Her mother (our daughter) came down from Michigan to stay a couple days with her. She's as anxious as Hollie, but I think having Lori here with her, she might be able to relax a little. Maybe that's what the baby is waiting for.... his grandma.

My tailbone is still sore. I got word last week from my girlfriend in Florida that she was coming up for her mother's birthday party and she'd come see me on Tuesday. I was doing some housework Monday and decided to do a quick wet mop of the kitchen floor. My big mistake was wearing my old tennis shoes that has a rather smooth sole. Yep, you guessed it. I hit the floor so fast it's all a blur. I'm ok, just a bruised ego.

We've heard about her for years, from the pulpit and from talk among the church members, but I never thought I'd meet her ---- the lady that gets upset if you sit in her seat. The bad part is, she's my sister-in-law's daughter. We were new to the church and thought we had found the one where we belonged, never expecting to be treated so badly. Then came the cold shoulder from everyone else. After going there for a few weeks, we were still getting cold stares, even from the pulpit. I always felt like maybe my face was dirty.

Then the weird stuff started. Hubby started getting sick every Sunday morning and spent most of the sermon in the bathroom. And I had dreams where I saw him and I standing up, singing the hymns, but when I turned around everyone was laughing at us, pointing fingers and yelling "you don't belong here". We haven't gone back and Bob's no longer getting sick on Sunday mornings. We've been praying about this but can't find any explanation or where do we go from here.

Thank you for stopping in. I hope you're having a great day. Take care and may God bless you richly.

Hodgepodge Wednesday 10-22-2014

It's time to "turn" our attention to another week's edition of Hodgepodge, brought to you by our host, Joyce at From This Side of the Pond .

1. Elizabeth Lawrence is quoted as saying, 'Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." So have you done just that? And what did you leave undone in order to do so?

I guess you could say I've done that. In fact, I can say I've done that many times. My mind has a tendency to wander, and if I feel the need for my feet to follow, I love to go outside to sit on the back step to watch the clouds over-head, the squirrels playing, the birds begging for something to eat, and to watch the leaves turn. What do I usually leave undone? Housework, of course.

2. Since we're talking turning...what's one thing you feel you're doing 'every time you turn around'?

Wiping up something off the kitchen counter.

3. How hard is it for you to 'turn the other cheek?'

I've never been one to seek revenge. I will turn the other cheek. My Lord says that's what we should do.

4. When did you last turn a drawer, your car, a room, or your entire house upside down looking for something? Did you find it?

This past weekend.... since the weather has gotten chilly, I got out my small tea pot to make a cup of hot tea to warm up. I was surprised the top was not on it. I tore apart the kitchen drawers, trying to find it, but no such luck. Hubby even helped. I don't know what happened to it.

5. 'One good turn deserves another' ... were you most recently on the giving or receiving end of that sentiment?

I love to give to others and I don't do it to receive anything in return. That idiom is almost a thing of the past these days. Today it's "pay it forward". And I'm glad.


6. Red, yellow, and orange are the colors of fall. Also the colors of fruit. If you were permitted only one color of fruit in your diet, which would you choose? This question isn't as easy as it sounds, at least not for me.

RED...... I'll eat most anything that's red.

7. The Hunt for Red October, October Sky, Halloween ... which 'October' film is your favorite?

I haven't seen October Sky. I have seen all the Michael Myers' Halloween slashings and killings, but I can't say they're a favorite. Now "The Hunt for Red October" is a good movie that I could watch again. Anything with Sean Connery is my favorite. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Re: question #7..... at what age should a grown woman stop melting or 'swooning' at the sight of a male celebrity? That man does something to me. hahahahaha

Hodgepodge Wednesday 10-14-2014

Welcome to another edition of Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What's your favorite time of day? Why?

Evenings .... 7:00-10:00 pm. The housework is done for the day, we've eaten supper, the kitchen mess is all cleaned and put away. This is now my time to do whatever I want.... play games on the computer, watch some decent TV shows (if I can find any), work on some scrapbook pages, check in with my girls via text, etc.

2. Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender... which small appliance would you say most needs replacing in your house?

Coffee maker.... we've used a Bunn for years. When we lived in Middle Point (1974-1992), we had big problems with the hard water eating up our coffee makers. We were having to buy a new one every 3 months. Then we decided to try a Bunn. We used that one for several years. When it finally decided it was tired, we bought another Bunn. I love the convenience of it. But, sadly, this one is starting to leak, so we'll no doubt be shopping for a new one soon. Gotta have my coffee.

3. It's National Grouch Day (October 15)... what's something that makes you feel grouchy?

  Oh, I can be a real grouch at times. It used to be a daily thing, almost, but now that I'm older and my life is less stressful, I very seldom feel that way. However..... there is still one thing that can make me grouchy and that is the hubby. I'm finally making progress with him picking up after himself and cleaning up his own messes, but he still can't see "dirt". Maybe he's able to see it, and he's just ignoring it, thinking it'll go away by itself. Grrrrrr I'm changing my name to "Itself".

4. Ever been to Canada? Is that a country you'd like to visit? According to Trip Advisor, the top ten best destinations in Canada are - Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Whistler, and Halifax. Which city would you most like to see?

I've never been to Canada but I would like to visit there. I'm not sure what city I'd pick tho'. We have friends who live in Brampton, Ontario and a niece that lives in Edmonton, Alberta. They love it up north, so if I was to go to Canada, I'm pretty sure I'd go to one of these towns first.

  I've seen many pictures of different places in Canada, and you would think it was the USA. No difference in appearance. Until I see pictures of the woods.... the big woods! Our friends in Brampton have a cabin in what they call the 'north country'. It's beautiful. Their rustic cabin, next to a blue lake, with all the trees around them. I can imagine the smell of the fresh air and the pine trees.... hear the water splashing on the rocks... that's the kind of place I'd love to visit.

5. What was your favorite food (or one of your favorites) when you were a child? Is that still a favorite?

Mom's fried potatoes and onions with wilted lettuce. It's still very much a favorite, but I don't eat it as much as I used to. The potatoes must be fried in bacon drippings to taste right. Not very healthy, but I do indulge once in awhile.

6. Do you cry easily?

No, not really. Occasionally a good movie or TV show will bring the tears.

7. Have you started your (gasp!) Christmas shopping? If so when, and how much? If not, when will you even begin thinking about it?

No, I haven't started and I'm not sure when (or if) I will be. Things are very tight this year so we may have to forego any gifts. I hate saying that, but it's reality. (thank you Mr. Obama)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My cousin was released from the Columbus hospital Sunday and he's finally back home. I haven't seen him yet, but I've kept in contact with his wife the last 3 months to get updates on his condition . He's had a very long ordeal and we're thanking God for bringing John through it. I'm going to try to get out to see him today. His wife says he's feeling good and is anxious to having a bit of company.

Memory Monday "My First Home"

Welcome to my first post to "Memory Monday" brought to us by "retired not tired". This week's prompt: My First Home 
If you would like to join and share some of your memories .... CLICK HERE

When my mother and father were first married, Dad was in the military. That was 1942. He was being deployed to New Guinea, so they gave up their little apartment and Mom moved in with her grandmother while he was over-seas. In the meantime, their letters often consisted of plans for their first home when he got out of the service. That happened in early 1946 and I was born in December of that year. 

Mom and Dad then bought a newly constructed little house in a new development on the edge of town. It was a top-notch, modern little home at the time and Mom loved it, even when the family grew with the arrivals of my sister and brother. Then it became Mom's little "cracker box", as she called it, and us kids were the crackers. As the years went on, Dad built onto the house and added a 2-car garage. 

 There was just one big problem... when we got any hard rain, the street flooded. I remember clearly one very warm summer day, right after one of those storms. Mom let us go outside to play in the water. We were having a great time with several of our friends that lived in the block, when we all saw Mom come out the back door, barefoot, hiked up the hem of her dress and joined all of us splashing and laughing. We had a great time "playing with Mom". 

That little house is still standing there, and each owner has kept it up very well. It's a cute little bungalow. 

I didn't know that...

You know, they say that it's good for senior citizens to continue to learn new things so it helps keep our brains healthy and able to grow new cells. It's suppose to ward off things like alzheimer's and lessen those "senior moments".

Well, lately I've been learning all sorts of new things. One was just seen on the Weather Channel, one of my favorite channels. It was a report concerning the earth, sun and moon all being in perfect alignment.  I thought, well that's cool. I heard about the blood moon and the lunar eclipse that was visible early yesterday morning, but it was another one of those very early scenes that I missed because I was getting my much needed beauty sleep.

However, as usual, this alignment has had a profound affect on earth which I didn't know. The affect is called a "King tide". In Miami, Florida, they showed the tide water, not splashing over the sea walls like I would have thought. No, it's coming up out of the ground and out of the storm sewers. Streets and sidewalks are flooded and the water is toxic. The city has spent billions of dollars on huge pumps that's moving the water back out to sea "where it belongs". Now, think about this for a minute. Say you have a bathtub overflowing. So you take a bucket and scoop up the water on the floor and pour it back into the tub. Now my brain is working. I can almost feel the cells growing.

In Babylon 4,000 years ago it was the accepted practice that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his new son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

Did you know that each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history?
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs - Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
I knew that at one time but I had forgotten. (I'm refreshing those sleepy cells)

I also learned this week that "they" say intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. Having been a cosmetologist for years, specializing in chemical coloring, I found this bit of information very interesting and controversial. Red heads have the most amount of copper in their hair. Then brunettes come in next and blonde hair has the least amount of copper. That makes me think of all those blonde jokes. However, being a natural blonde myself, I'm offended by this. I'd like to find all those people we call "they".

You have a good day.

Throwback Thursday

In 1966 I graduated from Ohio State Beauty Academy and passed my state board exam in Columbus, OH. My first job was in Wilma's Beauty Salon on Main St. Ohio.

I worked with a great bunch of gals that were always surprising me with one antic after another. They were serious when they needed to be, but I think all our clients loved to come in just for the entertainment. The shop was always filled with laughter.

I remember this day in particular. I had time between appointments, so the girls asked if I'd run out and get them some pop. As I was leaving the shop, heading for my car, I heard a strange noise behind me, like a man's cat-call. I usually don't pay any attention to those, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw it was all the girls standing in the doorway, with a camera.

The whole prank didn't work exactly as they planned, though. Our local National Guard division, of which my Hubby was a member, was leaving town at the time and my attention went in that direction and not toward the girls, as they wanted. Consequently, all they got was this shot of me.

Hodgepodge Wed. 10-7-2014

Welcome to another edition of Wednesday Hodgepodge. Sit back, relax, continue reading, because if you need a nap, you've come to the right place.

1. Do you manage your own money or do you have a financial planner who helps in some way? Do those kinds of conversations stress you out? A lot or a little?

What money? We had an investment broker for a few years and yes, the meetings we had with her were very stressful. For the most part, I had no clue what she was talking about.

2. The second week of October is Pet Peeve Week. Off the top of your head, share TWO of your current pet peeves.

I have several of them such as people acting like they own the road, a car parked across 2 spaces in a parking lot, loud cellphone conversations in public, men who can't see dirt, people who think their overly annoying children are the cutest little angels. But the 2 current ones that are driving me crazy are men's nose hairs sticking out and then there's being out in a restaurant with other people and one person hogs the conversation, going on and on, with food stuck to their lip. You want to stay involved in the topic of conversation but all you can think about is that piece of food.

3. What is one thing you'd like to learn right now, this very week if you could?

Speak Spanish. We have several people in town that I see at Wal Mart and I hear them talking when I walk by. I'd love to be able to understand what they're saying. Or maybe I don't.

4. How concerned are you about the recent health related news concerning Ebola? How about Enterovirus D68?

Very concerned. EV-D68 has been in the news almost every evening. The fact that it's being spread among our children is cause for alarm. I have a young grandson with respiratory problems since the day he was born. How do we protect him when he's in school all day? It concerns me very much. Then we have the Ebola virus which is very deadly and spreads fast. When I see on the news how CDC workers are wearing haz-mat suits in areas where a victim has been, that's scary. I want to put my daughters and my grandchildren in those suits too.

5. Garfield, Nemo, or Tigger -- your favorite orange cartoon character?

Garfield! One year for my birthday, grandson #2 gave me some funny little Garfield items because he knew I'd like them. I used to read the daily Garfield comic strip in the newspaper to him every day when he was little. That's what started my collection.

6. I'm going to see Gone Girl with my neighborhood book club this week. So often books made into film are disappointing. What's a book turned film you thought was well done, in that the casting was 'like you pictured' when you read the book, and the film plot remained mostly true to the book plot?

My first thought when I read this question was "Gone With the Wind", but I decided to pick one a little more recent. "Nights in Rodanthe"  by Nicholas Sparks. I read the book years ago and thought it was a great story. Then in 2008, when they brought out the movie with Richard Gere, I couldn't wait to see it. I thought he was perfect for the part of Dr. Paul Flanner. The film was good and I thought it was fairly true to the book even though it didn't receive very good reviews.

7. What is one story your family always tells about you?

I can't think of any right now. I don't think there is any. At least, none in my presence.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I've been very concerned about my grand-daughter today. She was sent to the hospital this afternoon. She's approaching the 'finish line' with her baby boy and the doctor sent her over because her blood pressure was too high. They got it to come down and sent her home. I just talked to her and she said she's doing just fine. Her due date was originally set for the 28th, but the doctor has changed his mind again. He said last Thursday "it could be any time now". I know there's a lot of people getting anxious to see him. My first great-grandchild. I know I've talked about him before several times, and before long I'll be boring you with lots of pictures.

Until next time..... God's blessings on you all.

As I've aged....

As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself.
I've become my own friend..
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM or sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .. I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.
They, too, will get old. 

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. 

And I eventually remember the important things.

Over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? 

But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. 

I don't question myself anymore.. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. 

I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).