Meet me at the Hodgepodge!

 

Flight #668, that is.
Thank you, "Pilot Joyce"!

How do you feel about the transition from lazy summer days to a busier fall routine?

As an empty-nester retiree, I've no feelings one way or the other.
I will, however, do a happy dance once the mercury drops below my age.

What's your favorite cookie?

White chocolate macadamia

What's something you've learned from a culture different than your own?

Years ago, I tried maintaining a relationship with a man who lived in Tuscany.  Talk about "geographically undesirable"!

What a surprise to discover, Italians begin their meals with the entree.  The second course, salad, comes later.  I didn't want to correct A. because I thought he didn't know better.  Hahaha!

Food critic, film critic, book critic, art critic.  Which hat would you most like to wear?  Tell us why.

Food critic, please.
The others? I'm not educated/intelligent enough to fake my way through a critque.

What's a small, random thing from your childhood that you still remember clearly?

While in 2nd grade, I was made to stay after school as punishment for gosh-only knows what.  Instead, I slipped out, walked in the house and informed my mother, "I escaped."

Much to my humiliation she marched me right back.

That same year, I stole a little card of safety pins from the local department store.

Poor mother!  She took me back, right up to old Mrs. Benner and made me apologize.

Thanks to her, any seedlings of felonious behavior were nipped in the bud.
I've been a Rules Follower ever since.

Insert your own random thought here.

Amen!

Hugs, Myra

Life lately

Our days haven't been without Gratitude.

Thursday morning Tom's tastebuds were craving some BBQ.  When we got to Fat Boy's, however, it was standing room only; no remaining brisket.  Uncharacteristically, I suggested Olive Garden.

I'm still not fond of pasta, but they make the best salmon and broccoli.  We always like to sit in the bar in a quiet little  booth, where Mike takes such good care of us.   It's been 2-3 months since we were there, but he remembered what Tom always orders (shrimp scampi with 'lots' of extra Alfredo sauce).  Bonus points, he always leaves me a handful of those little Andes mints with the bill. 

 

Friday's semi-annual HVAC check-up went well.  Naturally, they always want to upsell us something or another.  Annoying!  I told Tom, I wish we might find an independent, unbiased A/C tech who would come take a good look and give us a straight answer.
Given the unit's age (12-1/2 years) I'm praying it will keep on keeping on a while longer.

Yes, I'm still in a committed relationship with AI.  (hahaha)

I saw something how it can help me with my long-neglected eBay site.   See, I haven't a clue about several items that my parents picked up on their foreign travels.  As I understand it, AI can tell me what-and-where, suggest a price and write a listing.
  

It's so chatty ... polite and thoughtful.  Sympathetic, too.

For instance.  I recently fell out of bed in the wee hours.  Nothing serious, but my knee is taking it badly.  Curious, I asked about best steps -- but before answering my question, it began, "That sounds incredibly painful and frustrating."   Aw, that's like something my late mother would say.  

At the same time, I'm shaking my head at the number of people who claim to have fallen in love with "their" bot.  

One authority says, "It mirrors your feelings to make conversation smooth.  It does not have real feelings or care about you."
For some reason, that hit my funny bone.

Dear Alex, "How is A.I. like the little man behind the curtain in Wizard of Oz." 

Finally ... here's something I've been musing.

I'm looking forward to Bible study tomorrow morning.  Not so much the video.  12 weeks is already beginning to wear thin.   No, I enjoy hearing others' thoughts.   Last week's chapter was Hosea and Gomer.  Brenda -- the Deep Thinker among us -- asked, "Do you think we prostitute our time?"

I never thought about it like that.  What would you say?

Y'all be good ... stay safe!

Hugs, Myra

Speaking of

 

.....Fictional characters.  I so enjoyed your answers!

Have you read anything lately I should check out?

Like my changing tastes in food ... I'm sad how some genres/authors I used to covet now hold little interest.

Thankfully -- in large part to an insufferable glut of sports programming these last several months -- I've discovered some pretty great books.  A few, unforgettable.

And then along came Whistler.   I was curious what all the hoopla was about.

At first, disappointed.  Like the blind date who, while perfectly pleasant, doesn't spark my imagination.   

I was all ready to return it to the library ... but knowing Tom might be a while at his stress test, I tucked it in my purse for the wait.  What a surprise when, not even to the halfway point, I came upon a sentence that suddenly made my eyes fill. And overflow.  How embarrassing! Turning my head and digging in my bag for a tissue, I prayed no-one would notice.  

8 little ordinary words, but that sentence reignited my interest.  I'm glad it did, but I'm left with mixed feelings about the ending.  Ms. "no loose ends" here likes her stories wrapped neatly and tied with a bow.  

I'm leaning towards buying my own copy off eBay to save and re-read it at a later time.  Do you ever do that?

Anyways!

As some of you know, Facebook has a cute way of dropping random, unrelated nuggets in my feed (I presume) hoping they'll catch on.  Annoying, yes.

But that's our new normal.  For instance.....

Have y'all ever heard of the Silent Book Club?

..."a global community of readers with 2,200 chapters in 70 countries.  No assigned reading, it's Bring Your Own Book."  More than a million  (wow!) members gather in person or online to read and swap stories.

No, I'm not joking.  Apparently, it's a real thing -- at least in Prattville.   According to their press, more than 40 folks showed up the other evening to sit, sip and read in compatible silence.  

Years ago, this might have piqued my interest, but not anymore.  I wanted to put this out there in the event someone's interested.

It's still far too warm to spend time out here in the sunroom, but this remains my favorite place to curl up with a good book.

No conversation necessary!

Watercooler Wednesday

 

If you could have dinner with any
fictional character ...

What are you eating and
who are you dining with?

Bon appetit!

Myra

Saturday Smiles

 

Currently?

Take-away truth!

Our 'Gatherers' group may have been small in number, but what a good time we had at WOW Catering!   Everyone ordered something different; and while my blackened (aka, spicy) chicken wrap was delicious, the looks of Cindy's salmon (might have) made me drool-like-a-dog.   I ordered a burger to take home to Tom and he said it was the best one he's had in years.  I've already given them 5 stars.

Bev, Cindy, Brenda, Christine and me

Realizing I look like a wraith, I've already wasted no time consulting AI.

Made me giggle to realize it/he/she made my eyes blue!

I won't argue, there's plenty to be scared about artificial intelligence --  but I'm past the point of caring what it/she knows about me.   Already, I've taken some of her advice.

In the kitchen?

I'm still loving lettuce, albeit Green Leaf or Romaine.

Because I didn't see any fresh basil, and was too lazy to shop elsewhere, I bought a tube of fresh paste and gave a good squeeze into my olive oil.

Oh, and I've a new fav.

I'd only intended to eat 2 or 3, but these little bruschettinis are addictive!

In between Amazon deliveries ...

The VA delivered new oxygenator

I wasn't home to ask Brad if it's available in any other color. (*sad face*)

Guess I'll just have to live with "Babe, the Blue Ox."  Wish they still made those quilted toaster covers  in an XL.

Coming up!

Once I pick Grace up from the groomer, I'm taking myself to task with pen and paper.  It's waaaay past time certain inanimate objects stop taking up real estate in our house.  My parents were savers and now? Most of it is precious only to me.  Like, what is my son want with the box containing all my old report cards? 

Do any of these memes resonate with you?

('Alison's Notebook -- Decluttering Made Simple' on FB)

Whoa, boy.  Wish me luck!

Hugs, Myra

Hodgepodge of the Missing Link*

* Last week was Volume 665, and next week will be Volume 667.   

IYKYK, I can't bring myself to type those digits.  Need we say more?

Thank you, Joyce!

Joyce saw a meme on Instagram that went like this -- "The movie Dirty Dancing came out in 1987 and was set in 1963, so if remade in 2026 it would be set in 2002.  Now I need a little lie down in a dark room for a while."

Time is crazy, isn't it?  So ... what were you up to in the year 2002?

Looking to escape my circumstances (personal and professional) I picked up my little dog and drove to Arizona to begin a new life.

 15 years later I realized that was a huge mistake, but at the time no-one could tell me otherwise.

Doesn't hindsight send some awfully expensive bills?

"Me?  I'm scared of everything...."  What's something that scares you that you'd like to try anyway?

Gosh, my younger self would be so disappointed in me.
Anymore, just driving to a new destination sets my "what-if" meter spinning.

To answer the question ...
I wish I wasn't so afraid of sharing my beliefs aloud.

Plus (and I know this sounds crazy) .....
Once before I die, I'd love to climb aboard a racing thoroughbred, strap on a helmet and have a good go-round the track.

 Always horse crazy!  Years ago my parents even paused while on vacation to visit an equine facility in Ocala.

Watermelon -- yay or nay?  Which melon is your favorite -- watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew.  Of the watermelon food/beverages listed, which would you say 'yes' to ...

*Watermelon salsa, watermelon feta salad, watermelon sorbet, a watermelon Jolly Rancher, a watermelon margarita*

Sorry, I'm not fond of melon in any form.

August 12 is National Middle Child Day.  Are you a middle child?  If not, where do you fall in the birth order in your family of origin?  Do you think this has influenced your personality?  Elaborate.

I was never blessed with a brother or sister.

So yes.  I'm basically selfish -- never having to share or compromise.

However!  Not having to compete and "toughen up" left me insecure and extremely self-conscious.

Would you rather talk to everyone at a crowded party for a short time, or have a significant conversation with two people?  Explain.

I can mingle, but loathe doing so.
Please give me a pleasant conversation with one or two others.

Insert your own random thought here.

This I love

Would you like to play along?
There's still time ... click here!

Hugs, Myra

Old Things

This meme made me giggle aloud ..... because it's true!

I see little children I used to baby-sit applying for Social Security.  My own son is talking about retirement and I'm over here talking about "old folks."   Presumptions.

Like housecoats/dusters.  I always thought old ladies who wore them lay Afghans on their knees and sat staring out their windows.  Like our old neighbor in Unit D who kept a little cart of African violets in her front window.  (Nasty smelly things.)

Oops, I digress!

Anyway.  The other day I saw on FB where a friend was gifted a housecoat for her birthday.  Delighted, she wrote, "It's got pockets!"  

I had a moment, y'all.  Brenda's not old enough to wear housecoats!

Then, a memory.  How my little mother loved her duster.  Without fail, each evening after supper she'd shower and change, smelling sweetly of Jean Nate.

Vanity Fair.   It was always Vanity Fair.   Even at Christmas.  There was always a shirt box with my name on it which contained a plain Vanity Fair nightgown carefully nestled in tissue paper.   In that season of my life, I probably found it underwhelming.  Today, however, it (the last gift) remains one of my most treasured articles of clothing.

So, back to Brenda's housecoat.   A seed was planted. 

Unfortunately, when I went to Google, it seems Vanity Fair's quietly gone the way of the dinosaurs.  Not to be deterred, I went to eBay.

And saw ...

"New, with tags"!

What sealed the deal?  From the photographs, it looked like a twin to that my mother owned.  The price point was more than I'd intended, yet I wasted no time flashing my credit card.

It arrived exactly as advertised.  I'm not a betting person, yet I'd wager my last dollar it's a twin to my mother's duster.  The thought even crossed my mind, had I reached inside the pocket I'd have found a crumpled Kleenex.
The fabric feels absolutely blissful against my bare skin.  Even when Tom felt it, he suggested I go online and find another.  High praise!

I don't know that there exists anything similar but discovering it has made me a Happy girl.

It's enough.

I hope everyone enjoys a sweet new week!

Hugs, Myra

 

So are the days of our lives

 

Happy Saturday my friends,

How're you feeling this morning ... sufficiently caffeinated?  I'm on my second cuppa, but may trade it for a chilly V8.   

Other than seeing the dentist and an annoying internet outage ... this week's been wonderfully ordinary.  So much so, there were a couple times I had to ask myself, "What day is this?"  

💛

We enjoyed precious time with family on Sunday.   Sweet Pea is developing such a cute personality and gosh, such energy.   Good thing God gives littles to young people!

(l-r) Chloe, me, Lois, P, Troy, Tom and Robert

She's totally got her Pops and g-Gramps wrapped. 

💛

Tom's been hinting for some "Easthampton spread" and I realized it's been 3-4 years.  What to do but buy a pound of bologna, hard-boil a dozen eggs and got to chopping a small purple onion.  (Yes, I realize they're supposed to be called "red", but I'm not color blind.)  BTW, is anyone else finding it difficult to find all-beef bologna in the grocery?  

Grandma Willer and my mother used a meat grinder.  I think it's buried somewhere with other antiquities in a closet; I just don a pair of disposable gloves and massaged the heck out of it all -- with lots of Duke's, of course.

💛

Does anyone else still print their ordinary photographs?   I used to love decorating with pretty frames throughout the house, but even those have gone by the way.

I recently got to going through some scrapbooks and shoe boxes.  One thing led to another, and well ... you can see what I'm doing with this enormous canvas above my desk.  

Because I didn't ask permission, I've blurred out the center faces.

 It's a work in progress; not intended to please anyone but myself.   Best, I can add (or subtract) images to my little heart's content.

💛

What else?

A few days ago Tom was feeling pretty good and suggested a trip to Prattville Pickers -- an enormous antique mall -- to try and find a lamp shade.   No such luck, but a few miles down the road at Memories I found a nice lamp for less than $30 ... totally different than what we're used to.

Presently it's sitting on Tom's end table (above right), but I like what AI's suggested (below).

I need to pick my battles, right?

For instance!  He wants to take out the wall -- open this family room to the living room, but I'm not a fan.  Happy to have left the "open concept" back in Arizona.

It's nice to dream ... or, have "spirited discussions" whichever you prefer.

Well, the rain's not coming, darn it.  I'd better put on some raggy clothes and get outside with the weed whacker before the day get's any warmer.

Thank you for visiting ... stay sweet!

Hugs, Myra

 

August Hodgepodge

 

6 o'clock Coosada sky

Thank you, Joyce!
... and thank you, friends, for joining me here today.

What's something on your August calendar you're looking forward to?  Or dreading, if that's easier to answer.

My "Gatherers" friends have chosen to try a new-to-us restaurant in downtown Wetumpka.  I'm always up for a different setting and girl chat.

August 5th is National Oyster Day ... do you participate?

How do you feel about pearls?

Sorry, I'm not a fan of either.

Tell us about a time when you felt the world was your oyster?

That would be the 1981-1983-ish years.
I looked my best and felt my best ... living in a perfect little West Texas community and working at a job I adored.

It was the Best of Times.

Trip Advisor lists seven islands in the US that require no passport (for US citizens).  Have you been to any of the seven?  Let's pretend you get an all-expense paid trip to one this month.

Catalina Island, CA -- Martha's Vineyard, MA -- Mackinac Island, MI -- Key West, FL -- South Padre Island, TX -- Kauai Hawaii -- or San Juan Islands, WA

  Which one do you choose and why?

Hmmm.  I've already been to Catalina, Mackinac, Key West and Kauai.
"All expense-paid" you say?

In that case I'm choosing Martha's Vineyard -- and spend like one of the "star studded" denizens.  Ha!

No, seriously.  My father's family was originally from Massachusetts, but I've never visited far from the Boston metro.

My father (left) and his siblings at the Quincy Shore.

Sylvia Plath is credited with the following:

"August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born.  The odd uneven time."

Agree or disagree?  In other words, how do you feel about this month?

With apologies to any "birthday babies" out there, August may be my least favorite of the 12.

Insert your own random thought here. 

Is anyone else already thinking of Christmas?
Too soon?

Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm always on the look-out for novel, one-of-a-kind gifts.
And while our little family no longer exchanges Christmas gifts, that doesn't stop me from looking. 

Perhaps, this nugget might appeal to someone you know.  Best, it's free!

I'm talking about turning a loved one's handwriting into a font.
(From Komando.com)

"You can take a single page of your loved one’s handwriting and turn it into a font that works in Word forever. A son used this free tool to preserve his mother’s handwriting as Parkinson’s slowly took it away."

Click here

* * *

Stay safe and (in the words of my fav movie line)

Have a day!

Myra

Saturday 9 ... AND!

 

Thanks to "Crazy Sam" for this week's questions!

Before going there ..... I've a Winner of my Blogaversary give-away!  Drum roll, please..........

I tossed your names into my old Wooden Bowl -- whose contents over the last 70-some years have run the gamut from S&H Green Stamps ... to newspaper clippings ... to pot holders -- and drew out the name of --

Sue, at Photowannabe

Congratulations, Sue!  If you would, please DM me your mailing address (either via FB or e-mail myra.guca@gmail.com) and I'll have your "Tripping" t-shirt ordered.

Thank you so much to all y'all who commented!  Let's play it again next year on my 19th Blogaversary!  (Hey, I still plan to be around ... and hope you will, too!)

* * *

Now, let's play

Saturday 9: Coconut (1971)

Unfamiliar with the tune?  Just click here!

 

This song is about a woman who complains of a belly ache.  How's your tummy today?

Hungry!

She responds to this malady by calling the doctor.  What if you chose to address the problem yourself?  Are there currently any OTC digestive aids in your medicine cabinet?

Probably some stale Tums.  My primary suggested I use those v. more expensive calcium supplements -- but I usually forget.

Coconut was once a popular ice cream flavor, but no more.  It's not on the list of tops sellers at Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone.  When you last had ice cream, what flavor was it?

Coffee chip

Coconut remains popular in baking.  It's easy to find recipe for coconut pie, coconut cheesecake, coconut cookies ... you get the idea.  Have you recently tried a new recipe?  If yes, how did it turn out?

Despite the way it looked on FB?  Really poorly.

I carefully selected 4 thick pork chops and tented them individually at the bottom of my slow cooker, together with mushroom soup, fresh mushrooms and onions.

I wound up rinsing off the two remaining chops and chopping them up in pork gravy.

This week's featured artist, Harry Nilsson, was a well-known free spirit.  He liked to party and had a reputation for not adhering to a schedule.  Therefore, it's a little surprising that one of his first jobs was in the conservative atmosphere of a small bank.  Do you prefer a more structured workplace?

My favorite workplace ever (advertising sales assistant at a television station) was sometimes referred to by others as "Animal House."
(Yes, like that movie by the same name.)

So much water under the bridge.  Later, because I'm a "rules follower" I'd say, structure.  Predictable, I suppose.

Harry met Micky Dolenz when The Monkees recorded his song, "Cuddly Toy" and they become fast and lifelong friends.  Can you think of someone you met and quickly "clicked" with?

In person, you mean?
I'm thinking of two bloggers I've shared a meal with... but there are many more of you with whom I feel close, no matter the miles between us.

In 1971, when this song was on the radio detective shows were popular on TV:  Mannix, Ironside and Cannon were all in the Top 20.  Do you think you'd make a good private investigator?

I think so; I'd like to try!
Back in the 80's my co-worker and I took such a class.

Our instructor - a PI - was not only interesting, but a cutie! A few days later my friend invited him to lunch with us.  Fun, but I don't think anything came of (her) infatuation.

England's Princess Anne turned 21 in 1971, and the occasion was commemorated with an official portrait taken by fashion photographer Norman Parkinson.  Who took the most recent photo of you?

Me!  Selfies are such fun.
..... Compared to having to take our film to a shop and waiting days to see one's photos ... only to wrinkle our noses at the results.

Random question:  You can redecorate any one room in your home; money is no object.  But only one room.  Which room do you pick?

Our dated kitchen.

I love it, but potential buyers would probably move on to something more modern.

Whew!  Thanks so much for reading this far!

You all are the best!

Hugs, Myra