Currently, it's Sunday night

Good evening!

Outside my window

Um, see this photo?

Borrowing from Rick, the air feels lickable. 

I'm thankful

To have remembered what my dermatologist suggested a few years ago and keep a pot of this in the refrigerator.

Tom actually yelped when I put some on his back. Hahaha.

It's not doing anything for the rash, but it feels wonderful on my tired dry skin!

In my kitchen

Earlier today I made a big batch of caramelized onions in the instaPot and froze a few ziplock baggies-full.  Good thing Tom and I both love onions!  In my opinion, it's great for sauteing veggies -- not so much roasts.

I'm loving

Feta cheese crumbles on my salad!  Other than on a Greek salad, that's not something I'd ever considered.  (Thanks for the tip, Ma!)

Good idea!

Chef salad kabob ... keto friendly! 

I'm just suspect how they keep the hard-boiled egg from splitting in pieces?

Oh my goodness!

To quote Tom ... 

the air-conditioning tech needs to focus on what he's being paid to do and leave plumbing for someone else!

This, after he inserted a coupling in the drain line to muffle the drip-drip-drip condensate I'd been hearing from the HVAC.

Not good when, a week later I'm walking down the hall and feel a squish beneath my bare feet!  At first, I blamed little Grace for making an epic accident.  Then, we feared one of the monster tree roots around the house might have breached the foundation.

Actually, it was a relief to discover it was the techie's 'uh-oh.' Tom was able to get to the hardware store for new pvc and fixed everything before the drywall became any wetter.  The carpet's a train wreck anyway.  I'm thinking we may have to bite the bullet and just replace the rest of the carpet.

Makes me smile

* * *

So, that's what's going on in my neck of the woods.  I'm looking forward to reading your updates in the morning!

Sweet dreams ... stay safe!

Hugs, Myra

PARTY!

THANKS to those of you who said they want to attend my New Years Eve party next week!

We're going to need some tunes!

Borrowing from Stacy and Anne, how about I start?  While these don't necessarily define my life's story, they were/are all favorites ….. occasionally pivotal.

(Unfamiliar with any of these? Just click on the title.)

* * *

A song you like with a color in the title?

Whiter Shade of Pale

(Procol Harum, 1967)

A song that needs to be played very loud?

Sweet Home Alabama

(Lynyrd Skynrd, 1974)

A song that makes you want to dance?

Unforgettable

(Nat/Natalie Cole, 1991)

A song by an artist who is no longer living?

Nobody Falls Like a Fool

(Earl Thomas Conley, 1996)

A song to drive to?

On the Road Again

(Willie Nelson, 1980)

A song with a number in the title?

At 17

(Janis Ian, 1975)

A song that makes you happy?

Daydream Believer

(The Monkees, 1968)

A song that always makes you sad?

Whiskey Lullaby

(Alison Kraus and Brad Paisley, 2003)

A song that reminds you of summer?

A Summer Song

(Chad and Jeremy, 1964)

A song that you remember from your childhood?

Purple People Eater

(Sheb Wooley, 1958)

A song that breaks your heart?

He Stopped Loving Her Today

(George Jones, 1980)

A song you never get tired of?

Piano Man

(Billy Joel, 1973)

A song from your pre-teen years?

Johnny Angel

(Shelley Fabares, 1962)

A song that is covered by another artist?

I Will Always Love You

(Dolly Parton → Whitney Houston, 1974 and 1992)

A song from the year you were born?

Mona Lisa

(Nat King Cole, 1950)

A song that makes you think about life?

Live Like You Were Dying

(Tim McGraw, 2004)

A song with a person's name in the title?

Hey Jude

(Beatles, 1968)

A song you think everyone should listen to?

Don't Blink

(Kenny Chesney, 2007)

A song by a band that you wish was still together?

Thank You for the Music

(ABBA, 1977)

A song by an artist with a voice you love?

Hey!

(Julio Iglesias, 1980)

* * *

Our DJ is ready to take your requests!

Somebody please pass the chips!

Hugs, Myra

Water Cooler Wednesday ... on Thursday

G'morning!

While I'm not a 'bling-ie' sort of gal and don't wear much jewelry ... I do have a couple favorites.  One in particular, my wedding ring (below).  Because it symbolizes so much more--

After my father passed, mother took both their wedding rings and had this made.  The diamonds are those from both her and my grandmother's engagement rings.

So ...

Have you a favorite piece of jewelry?
It's story?  

I'd love to hear what you remember when you see it!

Have a great day ... stay safe!

Hugs, Myra

Hodgepodin' in the Pink

I'm tickled pink to join Joyce and friends for this week's episode of the Hodgepodge!  Won't y'all come on along?

* * * * *

This time last year where were you?

Right here in Coosada -- walking in the park, attending Bible study, WalMart, strolling through Blogville, etc.

OCD much?

For years I've been obsessed with making lists, and some years ago I fell in love with these junior tablets. Tom can attest, I tend to get cranky anxious if there's not a fresh pad in the wings.

For no particular reason, when we moved here I began filing them away in my 'tickler' file. So ya, I can pretty much tell you what we were doing anytime in the last 3 years.

In honor of National Pink Day (June 23), tell us your favorite pink food or beverage.  Salmon, for certain.  I used to go through 2-3 big jugs of Diet Cranberry juice every week.  However, when they changed to something called "Diet 5" I tried it and promptly poured the rest down the drain. Ugh.

Was it on the menu at your house yesterday? Unfortunately, no.
Do you like to wear the color pink? Not especially; I lean more to blacks, browns and reds.  'Not sure if this counts, but I've a treasured old nightgown my mother gave me a long time ago.  Each Christmas she'd gift me a Vanity Fair gown ... and each year I'd act surprised.

If we came to visit, would we find this color in your home décor?  Only in my bedroom.  Most of our home is done in earth tones with an occasional splash of red.
Blush-fuschia-salmon-raspberry … your favorite shade of pink? Faded rose.

Stop and smell the roses, looking through rose-colored glasses, a rose by any other name, not all moonlight and roses, no rose without a torn.  Which rosy saying currently fits your life in some way?  Explain.

Stop and smell the roses.
I'm striving to take my time and appreciate all I've been given.

Are you a reader?  Do you tend to read lighter books in the summer months?  Do you have a summer reading list?  If so, give us a title or two.

I used to be what they called a voracious reader.

But when my carefully constructed little world fell apart back in 2013, I found it impossible to focus on what used to bring me tremendous pleasure.

Occasionally, I'll still get into a meaty thriller/mystery but it's deliberate rather than an impulsive act. Does that make sense?

I saw this yesterday on Terra's blog: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse….. 
and will be ordering 2-3 for Christmas giving. 

Reminds me of a Winnie the Pooh-ism!

Share with us one rose and one thorn from your weekend.

Anytime Tom suggests getting ribs + 3 lbs. of brisket and pulled pork from Fat Boys BBQ, I'm rosy!

The only thorn I can think of?  Watching C-19 statistics jostle with rioters' coverage to see which will be lead story on the National news.

Insert your own random thought here.

Cheers, y'all!

Keep smiling and safe!

Hugs, Myra

A few lines on Sunday

In Jordan.  Always up for an adventure!

Remembering ...

My father. (of course)

Not only on Father's Day, but a week prior to what would be his 108th birthday. Wow.

Let me ask y'all a question:

If you could go back and recapture one moment in time with your dad, what would that be?

As a child, I liked nothing more than exploring the rocks and ruins of northern New Mexico.  Accompanied by my best pal (dad), clad in P.F. Flyers and a shoe box, I loved discovering and adopting lizards and horny toads.

Crazy: I can't for the life of me recall his voice. But those reptilian hunts are engraved in my mind.

Thankful ...

For this morning's al fresco church services behind the sanctuary.

Our first in-person gathering since the first week of March!

There was communion, too.

Hard to see, but there were 2 peel-back tops -- the first contained a tiny wafer, the second juice.

Determined ...

To make this durned Dash ice cream maker produce!

Unfortunately, I missed the part about not over-filling the chilling core ... which, of course, meant the lid didn't seal. Which meant the base started spinning of its own accord, wrapping the cord 'round and 'round.

Had I not been laughing so hard, I might have taken a picture.  It wasn't pretty.  But like those Egglets, I'm going to persevere!

Prayer request ...

When Tom's son phoned this afternoon, we learned his wife has contracted the Corona virus.  Shaunna's an RN who works in a Phoenix ICU.  Thank goodness, she's young and in good health, so is self-isolating at home.  And thank goodness, he's still able to work from home and care for their 3 littles.

and Finally …..

While I appreciate those of you who said nice things about my hair in my last post, I cringe to look at that photo.

This is what it's supposed to look like … 

once in a blue moon!  LOL.

Cameo appearance by Macie Ann.

Have a sweet evening … stay safe!

Hugs, Myra

 

Friday Fill-Ins and Fotos, too!

Happy Friday boys and girls!

I'm running late to the table this morning.  For no apparent reason, Tom and I both woke up with a case of  "I don't feel like doing anything."   Nevertheless!   I want to thank Anne at PhamilyBlog for introducing me to another fun link-up!

Here are questions posed by Ellen and Lorianne:

___________ motivates me to __________.

I put salt on ___________.

When it comes to _________, I don't cut corners.

Never forget __________.

My answers?

Looking at old photos motivates me to watch what I eat and keep moving.  'Don't expect I'll ever be a size 6 again, but that doesn't mean I should let myself go to pot.

I put salt on NOTHING.  Sodium's not my friend!  Instead, I probably over-compensate with pepper.

When it comes to Macie and Grace, I don't cut corners. Those two are spoiled rotten!

Never forget to mind your P's and Q's.

(Anyone else remember that old admonition?)

* * *

I spotted this yesterday evening on Facebook.

… and not 15 minutes later, Tom and I were carrying our lawn chairs across the park.

… where we ran into Pastor Janet and Andy, and

Funny face!

… more church friends, Sharon and Billy and their adorable great-grands.

Yep, Presley.  Your funnel cake looks so good ....

….. Tom had to get one for himself!

Newly cut, mask hair ... don't care!

Kids were having great fun, dancing and racing about the lawn.

Sweet Southern Nights!

* * *

Thanks so much for visiting … y'all stay safe!

Hugs, Myra

Summertime at the Hodgepodge

It's that time again … which means Joyce is here with questions for this week's Hodgepodge!

Without further ado …..

Saturday marks the first official day of summer!  Whoohoo!  Your favorite thing about the season?

Aw Joyce, this is a toughie!

This cold-weather lover is coming up empty.  Let's just say, I'm grateful we're much closer to sweater weather. 

Love it!, labor of love, not for love or money, no love lost, love handles, love does, love-hate relationship, misery loves company, tough love, love will find a way.

Pick one and tell us how it applies to your life right now.

Love it!

In spite of the challenges home ownership's tossed our direction, I'm besotted by this olden house … a community of like-minded friends … and Alabama in general.

What's one thing currently causing you to seethe?  One thing currently making you smile?

I was going to cite all the annoying pop-up ads and unnecessary rhetoric ("amazing!", "magical!") when Googling recipes.

Then!  Mid-afternoon our A/C decided to roll over and play dead.  Less than a week after its semi-annual maintenance!  I don't care that it's almost 9 o'clock … the tech's here now.

What makes me smile?

Always and forever

Of the following to-dos found on a summer checklist, which 3 would definitely make your personal list of summer want-to-dos?

Roast marshmallows over a fire, go berry or peach picking, dangle your feet off the end of a dock, sit on a porch swing, watch the sunset from a beach, nap in a hammock, go barefoot in the grass, collect seashells, play tennis, go fishing, build a sandcastle, catch fireflies, eat a soft-serve ice cream cone, make a pitcher of Sangria, swim in a lake, stargaze, ride a bike, paddle a canoe or kayak, make a summer road trip, throw a frisbee.

Do you make an actual list?

Are you kidding me?

Early this year I made a vision board … and look how that turned out!

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

We're really not 'splurge' type folks and don't need much to make us happy.  Tom would say, a new dishwasher. But I'd be delighted

with a big old rack of smoked ribs and brisket! 

Insert your own random thought here.

So, the dermatologist's office called this afternoon with the results:

I've got contact dermatitis; she advises I should just continue using the sunflower oil.  Veeeery weird, since I've not experienced any of those symptoms and the rash isn't going away.  All the same, I'm feeling mighty blessed wasn't something worse.

Oh! Before I forget, I'd like to wish all the dads -- both bio and bonus -- a most happy Father's Day.  Mine's been gone since '81 and I still miss him every day.

Y'all take care … stay safe!

Hugs!

Just a few Post(cards)

Despite her saying I might expect a call last Friday, there's still no news from the dermatologist … I'm taking that as a good sign?  Meanwhile, I've been applying lots (and lots) of sunflower oil.

Here, I expected to have to visit a health food shop, but the doc said, "No. You can find it in the grocery aisle with the olive oil."  $3.48 for a BIG bottle, sure beats the mega bucks some folks are paying for 'miracle' wrinkle cream!  Too much water's gone under the bridge, but sure wish I'd discovered it 30 years ago!  (You can check out its benefits here.)

*

Feeling mighty thankful we bit the bullet last year and had a few large trees removed from the edge of our drive.

 Woke up to this outside my window Friday morning!

Pastor Janet and Andy won't be wanting for firewood any time soon!

*

So, Tom's grandson officially graduated Marine boot camp last week.  Ooo-rah!

Then, and now.

As my DIL is fond of saying, "Time is a thief."

I don't understand the military way of doing things, but they've been sent to Camp Pendleton for a few more weeks' studies. Then, Victor hopes to be assigned to Pensacola, just down the road a ways.  Yep, Tom's pretty excited. 

*

Speaking of 'pretty excited', I hope to find this bad boy at Target tomorrow. (Amazon and Wal-Mart are completely sold out.)

When Carol showed us her Dash pint-size ice cream maker last week I was, "Need!" "Want!"

Mind you, I've not enjoyed ice cream for nearly 3 years. I was never a big fan to begin with, so it wasn't like I'm depriving myself. Then I learned about making your own low-carb version!  Since I've always struggled with portion-control, this sounds like a win-win.

*

I don't know about anyone else, but I needed to see this!

*

Talk soon!  Stay safe!

Hugs, Myra

The Rain, The Park and Other Things

Unfamiliar with this week's tune?  Here it here!

'Bubble-gum music', sure.

But it makes me happy! happy! happy!

* * *

The Cowsills were a family band who had three hit singles.  Can you name another group of popular singing siblings?

How about a departure from the obvious?

Yep, the Lawrence Welk Show was 'appointment TV' in my parents home.  In particular, I loved Dianne ('Dee-Dee').

Reading the Lennon Sisters' bio was certainly eye-opening!

❤

This was their first hit, and it reached #2 on the Billboard charts.  It was kept out of the #1 slot by the Monkees and "Daydream Believer."  What's your favorite Monkees song?

"Daydream Believer"!

Was -- and still is -- one of my favorite songs.

❤

After seeing the Cowsills brothers perform with their mother and sister, TV producers were inspired to create the sitcom, 'The Partridge Family.'  Did you ever watch it?

Not on purpose. (LOL)

❤

In the song, the narrator takes a flower from a girl in the park.  Are there flowers in your home right now?

Only the artificial variety

❤

He isn't sure if the girl was real, or if he dreamed her. Tell us about a recent dream you had.

I've been dreaming a lot recently!  Several nights ago I dreamt I was running away from something/someone and woke up all matter of fact, saying "Being human is scary."

(Ya think!?)

❤

At the height of the Cowsills' popularity, they were hired by the American Dairy Association to promote drinking milk.  If we were to peek into your refrigerator right now, would we find any milk?

Nope.  Only Half-and-Half.

❤

After the band stopped performing together, John Cowsill went on to become a back-up musician for the Beach Boys.  His job has kept him on the road much of the time. When you travel, do you enjoy staying in hotels, or would you rather stay with friends/family?

We're more or less obligated to stay with Tom's sister …. but anytime I'm given the chance I'd opt for a hotel.  You know, if someone feels like getting up in the middle of the night to read -- or 'parks' himself in the bathroom for hours -- nobody's inconvenienced.

❤

In 1967, the year this song was popular, Elvis married Priscilla in Las Vegas.  Have you attended any weddings yet this year?  Are there any weddings in your future?

No, and none that I know of.

❤

Random question:  Are the bottoms of your feet ticklish?

Not at all.

❤

T-t-that's all!  Thanks for joining me for Crazy Sam's "silly meme on a Saturday."  Enjoy your weekend and do what you can to stay safe!

Hugs, Myra