Ten Things Tuesday

1. Sweet or Savory: Are you hoping for a box of chocolates or a fancy charcuterie board? I would have said charcuterie board, but I learned yesterday that Lindor makes a big heart-shaped box of assorted gourmet truffles. You know I love my Lindor truffles.

2. The Classic Debate: Do you think red roses are a timeless romantic gesture or a bit cliché? Red roses are lovely and timeless, but I've always liked pink ones better.

3. Movie Night: What is your ultimate "comfort" romantic comedy to watch? Since Dirty Dancing isn't exactly a comedy, my favorites are While You Were Sleeping and Sweet Home Alabama.

4. Galentine’s vs. Valentine’s: Do you prefer a night out with your best friends or a quiet evening with a partner? It would depend on my mood. I tend to be an introvert so I have to be in the mood for hanging out with the gang.

5. The Soundtrack: What is one song that always makes you think of "love"? Breathe by Faith Hill

6. Handmade or Store-Bought: Does a handwritten card mean more to you than a tangible gift? Usually. I am at the point in life where I don't need more stuff.

7. The Menu: If you’re staying in, what is your go-to "special occasion" meal to cook? I don't really have a go-to. I've always experimented and cooked what I was in the mood for.

8. Childhood Memories: Do you remember the specific style of Valentines you used to hand out in elementary school? Just the classic ones with cute kids and animals and a really cheesy pun.

9. Flower Power: Besides roses, what is your favorite flower to receive (or buy for yourself)? Wildflowers or sunflowers.

10. The Vibe: Describe your ideal Valentine’s Day in just three words. Sorry, I've wracked my brain and it seems I don't have an ideal. 

I stole this from blogging friend, Kwizgiver.

 

Currently

I am

Reading... The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore

Watching... American Idol. This year's talent is crazy good.

Listening... to the furnace running (something it's been doing a lot for the last month).

Thinking... about things I need to do tomorrow.

Feeling... cozy under a fleece blanky with Oliver curled up beside me in the recliner.

Celebrating... nothing really. There's a special lunch at work on Friday for the Super Bowl and next Friday we have a big Valentine's Day party/dance.

Grateful... after the follow-up visit with my ob-gyn today. Since she was unable to get a biopsy last month she wanted to discuss where we're going from here. One option is a hysterectomy. I don't like that option. The other option is to keep checking the situation through sonograms. My doctor is comfortable with doing that as what they saw in the first sonogram was very minimal and there could be more than one explanation. So, I go back May 2 for a sonogram. If nothing has changed we'll check again down the road. If something has changed we'll reevaluate.

Enjoying... time with the grandchildren, decorating for Valentine's Day at work, and Lindor's raspberry cheesecake truffles.

Weather... 26* and clear. The extreme cold has lifted and everyone is mostly dug out. We are expecting more snow on Friday, but only a couple of inches and the temperature is supposed to stay more seasonable in the 20s.

Giggling...

In honor of Groundhog Day:

And just because:

Sunday Stealing: Old School

This week's questions come Kwizgiver, who was invited to play by a blogging buddy named Paula. Now you're invited to play along, too.

The Old School Blogging Meme

I am passionate about ...

1) My husband and family.

2) My job working with adults who have intellectual disabilities.

3) Reading

4) Diet Coke

5) Politics, though I choose not to mention it much online.
 

I'd like to learn ...

1) New ways to cook.

2) How to sew.

3) How to crochet (I've given up on knitting).

4) To speak Italian...not practical, but it's such a beautiful language.

5) How to create things with resin epoxy.

Things I say a lot ...

1) Really?

2) Excuse you! (mostly at work after a client burps or passes gas)

3) Could you please put that back where it belongs?

4) I love you.

5) Thank you.

Places I'd like to travel to ...

1) Italy

2) Greece

3) Egypt

4) Spain

5) Israel

Thankful Thursday

 

It's been a bit of a week here. We began with the snowstorm that affected a large part of the country. EVERYTHING was closed on Monday. Tuesday the digging out and return to (semi) normal life began. We are still digging out. Many towns are resorting to private contractors to haul snow away and dump it elsewhere so that coming and going and parking are possible. This has all been going on while temperatures grow colder and colder. 

Still, there is much that I am thankful for.

1. While we have yet to dig out our front walk or clear the front porch, we got all the driveways cleared (ours, my mom's, and our daughter's), the walks to the doors we most often use and the one to my mom's cleared, the vehicles dug out and we've been able to get out to work and to the store. As I've been out and about I've seen so many cars still buried in the snow. I am grateful that is not our situation.

2. The stores are out of many things and waiting for supply shipments to reach them. I picked up a Walmart order after work today. Several items were unavailable, but I am thankful I was able to get what I did and we're are not doing without anything crucial.

3. The cold has kept many of the clients from coming in to work this week. I am thankful my employer has not put the staff to work in the manufacturing department. My legs can't take that.

4. After weeks (years, really) of pain, discomfort and other issues and yet another ER visit this past Saturday...our daughter saw a new gyno today and he is referring her to Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh. If anyone can figure out what has been going on, it's them. I'm thankful this doctor listened to her and didn't treat her like it's all in her head.

5. I'm thankful we've had no problems from the cold. Our vehicles have started. Our pipes haven't frozen. Our power is on.

6. Our daughter and the grandchildren finally came over and cleaned out the playroom on Monday. They even rearranged the furniture and it looks so nice and there's a lot more open floor space for the kids to play. I am very thankful for that. The room had become a huge mess.

7. Lastly, I am thankful we were able to get our vacations approved and I booked our vacation house for July. We are so looking forward to the time away from work and home and the time with our daughter's family.

I hope you are all keeping warm, have had a wonderful week, and have a blessed weekend ahead!

 

Currently

I am

Enjoying... a snow day! My employer actually closed today, believe it or not. We did not get the amounts of snow we were told was coming. I'd guess, maybe, 10 inches fell yesterday. Not exactly snowmageddon stuff. Plus, it was light, fluffy stuff that blew around a lot. It's the drifting (for a while yesterday morning we had ridiculous winds) and the mix of sleet/freezing rain that fell from time to time. It's also still snowing today, though very lightly. I haven't been out. The main roads may be clear, but secondary roads are not.

How did you come through the storm?

Reading... Family & Other Calamities by Leslie Gray Streeter.

Watching... old mystery shows (Murder, She Wrote and Diagnosis Murder) on the Frndly streaming app.

Listening... to a neighbor's snowblower.

Thinking... I should get dressed and be productive. The grandchildren spent Saturday night with us and didn't go home until noon yesterday. At that point I just stayed in my jammies the rest of the day. It wasn't like I was going anywhere.

Feeling... unmotivated.

Celebrating... that my work is actually closed. Long-timers say it's only happened maybe once before. The fact that everything else is closed (even Walmart) probably influenced that decision.

Grateful... Tim made it to work safely. He has quite a long drive, but it's on a major interstate and the 45mph emergency speed limit is still in effect. Plus, only one lane was cleared. He had to travel slowly and he said everyone else did, too.

Enjoying... looking at the snow.

Weather... light snow and 14* (feels like -1*).

Giggling...

 

Saturday 9: Up the Ladder to the Roof

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. 

1) Many people are uncomfortable with ladders. Some feel unsteady on the steps, others have a fear of heights. Then there's the superstition that warns against walking under ladders. Are you afraid of ladders?  Not specifically. I'm kind of weird about them, though. I'm not afraid of them. I'm not afraid of heights. I am afraid of falling off a ladder. Plus, these days I'm not too steady on one so the only thing I climb is my contractor's step-ladder with big, wide steps.

 

2) In this song, the Supremes advise us to go up the ladder to the roof to be closer to Heaven. While poetic, that's not really why most homeowners climb onto the roof. They're more likely replacing shingles or cleaning the gutters. Have you ever been on the roof of your building?  No. I've been on a few roofs in my life, but never the one on this house.

 

3) The record was the Supremes first and biggest hit without Diana Ross. When Jean Terrell replaced Diana as lead singer, the two ladies appeared together at a press event to launch this new iteration of the Supremes. Have you ever met your replacement at a job, or perhaps the person you replaced?  Not that I can recall.

 

4) Mary Wilson was a member of the group when it was formed in 1959 and stayed through 1977, when the Supremes officially disbanded. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American stays at a job 3.9 years. Looking over your job history, how long did you typically stick with an employer?  About 2-3 years, but I was a school bus driver for 16 years and I will likely retire from my current job which will have me there 7-9 years...depending on when I can retire.

 

5) The third Supreme performing on this record was Cindy Birdsong. After the group broke up for good, Cindy finished nursing school and practiced at UCLA Medical Center. When did you last interact with a nurse or nurse practitioner?  This past Monday and they were all wonderful.

 
6) In 1970, when this song was popular, TV shows about doctors like Marcus Welby, MD and Medical Center ranked high in the Nielsen ratings. Medical shows are still popular today, with Grey's Anatomy entering its 22nd season and The Pitt earning critical accolades. Do you have a favorite TV doctor?  No. I don't watch any medical shows.

 

7) Also in 1970, when this song was popular, audiences were lining up to see the movie Love Story. Without looking it up, complete the film's most famous line:  "Love means _______________."  Never having to say you're sorry. A total bunch of hooey. 

 

8) Slumberchums™ were all the rage among pre-teens in 1970. These sleeping bags had attached pillow "heads" that made it look like you slipping into sleep inside a plush bear. When did you most recently sleep in a sleeping bag?  I think it was on a mission trip in 2002. We don't even own sleeping bags these days. We gave them all to our son's family years ago when they went camping.

 

9) Random question: Did you take a multivitamin this morning? If yes, did you swallow it or chew it?  I swallowed that horse pill!

Thanks to Sam for the music and questions!

Play along here.

Thankful Thursday

Let me begin with an update.

My doctor called on Tuesday. The sample tissue she sent off to the lab did not contain the correct tissue, so the biopsy was a failure. She still said to come in to the office in two weeks so we can talk about where to go from here. At this point she sees two paths. The first is to continue monitoring the situation with sonograms. The second is to have a hysterectomy. I am not a fan of option two unless there is nothing else we can do. If it is not urgent I'm not even a fan of it for this year. There are things I want to do this year. My doctor says we can both think about it until I come in. 

Anyway...

Things I am thankful for on this cold January evening:

1. I got to work with my work bestie today and we got to take our consumers out for the day. We're an unlikely pair but we always have fun.

2. Whatever this weekend's storm brings (forecasts vary widely), we're ready. I ordered a few things we might need or run out of and picked them up on my way home today and in the unlikely event our power goes out (it has never gone off for more than a couple of minutes here) Tim has a generator.

3. Mom has been sick with some intestinal bug this week, but seems to be on the upswing today.

4. The storm isn't going to hit during working hours so we probably won't have to brave bad roads.

5. The grands are planning to sleep over on Saturday night. It's been a while so we're excited.

6. I'm not sure why, but my joints haven't been hurting very much since Monday's trip to the hospital. The IV fluids? The IV doses of Motrin and Tylenol? I don't know, but when they start to ache again....can we do the IV thing again? Please?

7. Today warmed up enough to melt most of last night's ice. Tim salted the last of it when he got home tonight.

8. Oliver "making biscuits" on my lap.