Friday Fill-Ins

FFI

And…here we go!

1. As you can see I love life and I do not mind getting older.

2. Surprises soon!

3. I love to buy fresh produce.

4. I’ve been buying Christmas gift(s).

5. What’s up with the NBA. Seems like too many millionaires trying to get richer, to me!

6.I think the new cell phones require you to use more of your fingertips.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to quiet, tomorrow my plans include working and seeing my daughter and Sunday, I want to don’t know yet. May be a surprise!!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What song reminds you of a specific time in your life and what is it about that song that makes you remember?

“Mandy” by Barry Manilow and “Reminicing” by the Little River Band. Both songs were playing the mornings I gave birth to my girls. Those days, changed me forever.

2. What’s something you’ve given up on?

Eating Peppermint Bark candy. Oh, I swear, it is the best thing known to man. For those who do not know what it is, the base is dark chocolate, then the next level is white chocolate and then the top is broken up candy cane! Yeah, I walk quickly by this in all stores. I’m quite simply an addict to this!

3. What’s something you’ll never give up on?

My Weight Watchers class. I go each week, and even though I am at goal, I still go. I need the support, and I know I always will. So yes, I will never give up on Weight Watchers. I will never give up on me!

4. If you had to cook something from scratch in the next hour what would it be?

Chicken Divan. I have everything I need to do it, and Hubby would love it!

5. Have you started Christmas shopping? Decorating? Listening to Christmas music?

Shopping? Yes. And I need to finish all the gifts that I am mailing to Germany, so perhaps this weekend I can do a little of that.

6. What do you know about your parent’s wedding?

They got married in an old Episcopal Church, had a reception in the church hall. The wedding party were almost all family members, and my mother’s gown was handmade, and was a copy of one she had seen in a window. My parents were married 60 years before my father’s death.

7. I can’t believe I have lived the life I have.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I just got done watching a movie called “Hachi”. It’s a great movie about a man and his dog and their love for each other. It’s a real tearjerker, that’s for sure, and at the end I was sobbing. I suppose because I have the four doggies and I love them so very much. It’s worth the time, and the tissues so you can watch this movie. People often think that owning a pet is all one sided. Actually, that isn’t true. I know they love us, as much as we love them.

Life

I was getting together some pictures for my annual Thursday Birthday Post. I put them together and then ran them through a slideshow and as I grew from tiny babe, to the middle aged woman before you, I realized a few things.

First, I’ve led a very challenging life. I have know crushing sadness, but I have also known the most wonderful happiness a person could hope for.

I decided a while back to concentrate on the happiness part of my life and as I went through the pictures, that is what I saw. A truly happy, at peace woman.

I would tell people who may be facing challenges of great pain and sadness, “Don’t Give Up”! You never know what life has in store for you, or what is just around the corner.

Believe in your right to find peace, and then go for it!

Hubby, Mandy, Matt and the doggies, have centered me, and helped me to find my way back, and as I sit here thinking about another year gone by, I am so very grateful that I have my life!

Life really is good, especially if you believe that it is.

What I Did This Past Weekend

Miss Marple 2

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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The weekend was a good one. Rather exciting, yet quiet and then just plain enjoyable. A nice mix of happy things.

As I mentioned Hubby and I went out on Friday to celebrate his service to our country as a Veteran. We went to a nice place and found they were having another special. It was their 40th year in operation, so they rolled back the dinner prices to 1971 prices.

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Hubby had the Shrimp Scampi and I had the Chicken Kiev. Both meals came with salads, bread, mashed potato, and a healthy serving of zucchini and summer squash! Hubby felt like having a beer, so I had a glass of red wine.

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Just as I am sipping the wine, I look up and see a woman waving at me! One of the ladies from Weight Watchers! I’d been busted! We spoke for a while and I knew she felt as guilty as I did, being caught with such yummy food!

For all Veterans that night they served them a free dessert. Hubby ordered this creme puff trio.

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Even though he had to pry my hands away, we eventually shared this delicious dessert!

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On Saturday I went to all the Christmas Craft Fairs, which I wrote about in my last post, and then on Sunday I made  my curried butternut squash soup! It came out well, and I ended up making a triple batch!

I watched a few movies over the weekend and enjoyed the mindlessness of these chick flicks.  It gives me something to listen to while I am working on other things. I almost never actually watch TV. Usually I am listening, while doing something else.

Just call me a multitasking TV Listener!

So as you begin yet another week, I wish you much happiness and good health!

Ah, Yeah!

Saturday was my one day to get off by myself and visit the local churches, that were all having their Christmas Bazaars. Foods, crafts, and fellowship.

I started off early at the Greek Church, as their food is the very best. I got spinach pies, stuffed grape leaves, and various baked goodies that Hubby loves.

I moved along to the Episcopal Church, and they had wonderful cookies and you filled a bag for $4.00. So I got a bag and filled it up.

Next I drove back to my home town to the big Catholic Church. I didn’t really buy anything, but I saw so many people I know from town. It was nice. I felt….at home.

On my way home I stopped at the top of my driveway to see my elderly neighbor. He is 93 and lives alone. He is a dear man, a Veteran and when I stopped, I hopped out of the car and knocked on the door and handed him the bag of Christmas cookies!

I came back to the house, walked the dogs, had my lunch and watched a movie with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez. “Shall We Dance” . It was okay. A total chick flick, but I like Richard Gere, so it was a fun movie.

Hubby came home and I heated up the Greek Meat Pie that I got and the stuffed grape leaves. I had some mashed potato and my very own butternut squash. A good meal!

Of course right after I do dishes, Anneliese, Arnie and Greta all want to go outside to commune with nature. I hooked Anneliese up on the lead and started out, and she started to bark wildly and pulled against the lead to go up the hill!!! I heard guttural noises coming from the darkness, and something was moving out there! So I simply picked Anneliese up and ran into the house!

After a bit, I yelled out the door, for the mysterious creature to be gone!!! Then one by one, I walked the beasts. Oh, how afraid I was!!!

Fortunately, whatever was out there is now gone, and I was able to walk the dogs again without too much worry. Oh, I shall be very happy when the snow falls and I do not have to worry too much about the wild critters that come in the night.

Just A Regular Old Day

We woke on Friday to wild winds, and colder temperatures. Also, while eating our breakfast we had a short power outage. You know, the kinds that require you to go around and reset all the clocks?

Hubby and I did various chores, during the day before headed out for dinner. I decided to get as much of my laundry done on Friday, and Hubby helped a neighbor with a tree that was about to fall down. He worked hard, but it will help us with having wood for heat.

Hubby was out with Anneliese when she decided to chase a leaf and off she went. I grabbed my jacket and off I went with the cookie bone box in hand!

shake shake shake

After several minutes Anneliese returned from our neighbors looking for her bone! What a minx she is!!!

So life was rather ordinary on Friday, and in many ways this was good. Cold, gray, rainy and well, normal for November.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!

Friday Fill-Ins

Friday Fill Ins

1. Turkey is…one of my favorite things to eat, especially when it is served with chestnut dressing!

2. Pumpkin …pie.

3. On and on and on we go……..and hopefully when we get there, we’ll find a place to sit and have a cup of tea!

4. The last time I saw….Germany, I enjoyed spending time with my dear friend Uschi!

5. Can you believe….next week I will be 53 years old?

6. I need a….new cell phone, but I’m not sure what to get.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to …doing up some extra laundry, tomorrow my plans include ….going to the local Christmas Bazaars and Sunday,…..I would like to kick back a little and relax.!!

Miscellaneous

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  1. The time changed last weekend and I simply cannot get used to it. I am up at 6 AM and ready for bed by 9 PM. Ugh!
  2. We have enough wind so that most of the leaves are now off of our trees. It’s really starting to look like we are getting close to winter.
  3. However, we’ve had two really warm, sunny, days and that has been wonderful!
  4. I’m making the butternut squash recipe I told you about last week. Turns out, Hubby really loved it!
  5. I’m also making apple stuffed pork chops!
  6. I never did finish the laundry last week, so I will have to work on it tomorrow.
  7. Friday is Veterans Days and Hubby wants to go out for his free Veterans day lunch.
  8. Saturday is the start of the holiday season. Many churches in our area have their festivals.
  9. My Mom is not doing well. The last of her friends from Cape Cod passed away in October, and all of our family members from her generation are gone as well. I think she is feeling lonely being the last.
  10. I swung by TJ Maxx today, as I have somehow managed to destroy 2 umbrellas this summer and I was able to find replacements, cheap.
  11. I also needed a few groceries, and I thought the new Grocery Store would be open, alas it was not. So, I went to the old one and it was just about empty.
  12. The new store will open on Saturday. They asked me to come back then. Ha! It’ll be a mob scene!
  13. The sun has set. Sheesh. 4:30 and the day is done! Usually this falling back time wise doesn’t bother me, but this year…

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Of all the tools and gadgets you own which do you most enjoy using?

My Ronco Rotisserie Oven! I love making rotisserie chicken in it, and it also makes the best steaks!

2. When (if ever) is impatience a virtue?

I once arrived at a hospital, where Hubby had just had a knee replacement. He was running a fever, was lying in soiled wet sheets and was breaking out in hives because of it. Was I patient with the nursing staff? No way! I brought the roof down! I got the Head Nurse in, and I had LPN nurses cleaning his sheets and bathing him up. I told the Head Nurse I would be there each day from 6:30 AM until 9 PM and if my husband was not properly tended I would go to her boss! Needless to say, Hubby was well cared for, on this surgery and the next one he had! My advice…have your husband or wife be your advocate!

3. What temperature do you keep your thermostat set to in winter? Do you have another way to heat your house besides a furnace of some type?

Living area is set to 66-68. Our bedroom is set to 64 as I like cooler sleeping areas. In a bad situation, we can use the hearth to take the chill off of the house.

4. Do/did you have a close relationship with any of your grandparents?

Yes, my mother’s parents were very close to me. Although Papa was strict, he was loving, and Grandma was loving and always made me feel safe.

5. When did you last have a family portrait taken?

Well with my first family, it was many years ago. I think Mandy was 4 and Katie was 2. Since I married Hubby, we have really had no “family” shots. Just the two of us, which is just fine with me.

6. What does the word patriotism mean to you?

The love of Country. The belief in being grateful for all we have, and for the men and women who give their lives for the freedom for our country. I decided some time ago to thank every man and/or woman I see in uniform.

7. Do you like to play cards and if so, what’s your favorite card game?

I play solitaire every day. It’s so soothing.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Hubby and I will be taking a trip next March. We have a house sitter coming, and will be jetting off to Florida where we will catch a ship to the Western Caribbean! I’m so excited, and look forward to one week out of the cold, snow and morning dog walks!