Thankful Thursday

It's already 9:00 pm, but I want to take the time to list some of the things I'm thankful for...especially since I've missed the last few weeks.

This week I am thankful...

** We had a nice Thanksgiving and everyone made the client I invited feel welcome. Also that we had lots of leftovers to enjoy.

** The Thanksgiving leftovers are finally at an end.

** My leg is feeling better. The arthritis is still there to be sure, but the course of Prednisone calmed down the sciatic inflammation. What's left is bearable. When it's not, I've found that both Motrin and Advil make a dual action formula that combines 250mg of acetaminophen with 250mg of ibuprofen. The combo seems to take care of the pain fairly well. Now if only I could kick the leg and foot cramps to the curb.

** Our daughter is finally getting a colonoscopy and an endoscopy tomorrow. Praying it will reveal what is going on in her stomach. The most recent guess at the ER was pancreatitis but the scopes are needed to really know what's happening. All of these issues began after she took a single dose (1 weekly shot) of Mounjaro. There are apparently others in her same predicament. I've advised her that if her doctor says this is all due to the shot she should contact the law firm I found that is looking into a possible suit against Mounjaro and Ozempic for not emphasizing how severe the side effects can be. It isn't a settlement that is important, rather if this class of drugs is causes this many problems, they need to be taken off the market.

** We are losing two coworkers in the next two weeks, but another is returning after being off since July for back surgery and they just hired another person. So far it looks like I'll be staying in the Adult Training Facility all the time...for now. With my leg issues that's really good news.

** The new refrigerator is finally here and in place and I LOVE it!

** The boxes from Amazon just keep coming every day and just another one or two and I will be done with that type of shopping. There will only be a few gift cards and certificates left to get. Then all I'll have to do is wrap everything...a job I hate, but I am thankful we can bless our family and friends at Christmas.

** Everything at work is about Christmas. It's impossible not to be filled with cheer! It's kind of like working in ELF's world.

** There are countless moments each week, each day even, with my clients that just bless my heart so much. One stood out today. A client walked over to my chair wrapped her arms around me for the biggest hug then she planted a kiss on the top of my head and said, "I love you, ya little pumpkin-head." It made me smile so much and all the other clients thought it was so funny. We laughed and laughed. 

** I haven't decorated the house yet and I'm not freaking out. I kind of was on Black Friday, which is typically my decorating day, but I've adjusted and I'm okay. It'll happen this weekend. Good enough.

** There are so many reminders, so much focus on the reason for this season of hope and joy. I love celebrating my Savior's birthday! This year I'm more involved at church and will be narrating the Christmas program. 

** For each one of you, of course!

As we begin December I pray you have a wonderful weekend blessed with all the best of the Christmas season!

Currently

The weather...is heading south. It's a mild 44 degrees right now, but it is raining and with the rain the temps will drop tonight. The morning may bring a nasty mix of rain and snow or freezing rain. I'm saying a prayer for our niece who is setting out from Erie at 5:00 a.m. to drive her son to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh for a checkup. 

I'm reading...A Snow Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller.

I'm watching...a Christmas movie on UPtv.

I'm thinking...about going back to work tomorrow. I've been off since last Tuesday thanks to the holiday and problems with my leg. Last Monday night I couldn't sleep due to the pain in my knee/hip/leg. I called off on Tuesday and went to MedExpress. After several x-rays they decided I was suffering from inflammation of my sciatic nerve and the arthritis in my knee. I've been on a course of Prednisone ever since. The sciatica seems to be better, but I can't say the same thing for the knee. The MedExpress doc said if it doesn't get better an orthopedist is my next step.

I'm loving...the season. I really have my Christmas mojo back this year. Between the atmosphere at work and the grandchildren, how could I not be feeling jolly? We put up the outside lights today and last night I went with my daughter and grandchildren to see the lights in Ligonier (a Hallmark worthy town).

I'm looking forward...to the new refrigerator finally being delivered tomorrow. What an ordeal getting it has been. Our daughter and her husband will be here tomorrow to hopefully make sure the delivery goes smoothly.

I'm grateful...we had a quiet, but nice Thanksgiving. Gathered around the table this year were Tim and I, my mom and stepdad, our daughter and her family, and Mike, one of the clients from my work. I'm glad I was able to do it even with my leg acting up. I'm glad I invited Mike. He'd have been home alone otherwise.

I'm on top...of my Christmas shopping. I had created a shopping list on Amazon ahead of Black Friday so all I had to do Friday morning was get online and click "Add to Cart" when the prices dropped. Nearly everything on my list was ordered and over half of it is already here! 

Giggles...

Have a great week, everyone!

Saturday 9: Long Cool Woman

Saturday 9: Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress) 1972

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

1) This week's song begins with Hollies' lead singer Allan Clarke telling us of a Saturday night trip downtown, taken at the behest of the FBI. What are your plans for Saturday night? (No, we don't expect you to tell us you'll be working undercover for a government agency.)  I'm hoping to take the grandchildren to see a local light display I read about on Facebook.

2) At a bar, he meets a woman in a black dress. The LBD, or little black dress, is a wardrobe staple for many women because it's appropriate for almost any occasion. Let's say you get a last-minute invitation for a "dressy" dinner this weekend and you don't have the time or money to buy something new. What's your go-to outfit from your closet?  Ugh, I rarely get "dressy" but I have a few things in the closet that would probably do. It would definitely be black with maybe a dash of color. It would depend on temperature and location whether I'd wear a skirt or slacks.

3) Everyone at the bar starts to run when they hear sirens. Do you often hear sirens in your neighborhood?  Only the ones on fire trucks or ambulances...which doesn't necessarily mean they are "in the neighborhood." It's a small town, we are on a hill and by one of the major roadways so pretty much everything goes past on the way to somewhere else or the hospital.

4) In 1972, the year this week's song was on the charts, Popeye's opened their first fast-food chicken restaurant in Louisiana. Now that the Thanksgiving feast is over, will you be eating any carry-out this weekend?  We will probably get something tomorrow or Sunday because we'll be sick of leftovers.

5) Black is this week's signature color because November 24 was Black Friday, when retailers historically have slashed their prices and the holiday shopping season begins. Have you begun your gift shopping?  Yes, I did quite a bit of online shopping on Black Friday. My mailman is going to hate me this week.

6) Walmart, Best Buy and Target all advertise heavily on Black Friday. If you could have a $100 gift card from one of those stores, which would you choose? What would you buy?  If it's for me, I'd choose Target, but if it's for anyone else on my list I'd choose Walmart. As for what I'd get if it's for me, something for the house. Target has the cutest home furnishings.

7) This Monday is sometimes known as Cyber Monday because shoppers can find big savings online. Do you shop confidently online, or do you worry about security breaches and identity theft?  I shop fairly confidently. Any problems I've ever had with my card have not come from online transactions.

8) What are you thankful for this year?  My family and friends, my job, and that while others are struggling in this economy, we are actually doing better than ever...and I am trying to let my giving reflect that.

9) Random question: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone (texting doesn't count)?  My daughter. She calls me more than anyone else.

Thanks for the music and questions, Sam!

Anyone can play along here.

Ten Things Tuesday

* Borrowed from Kwizgiver 

Ten things I have too much/many of...

1. Planner stickers

2. Blankets/throws

3. Sentimental knick-knacks 

4. Socks

5. Shirts I don't wear

6. Journals (I haven't been writing like I used to)

7. Kitchen stuff (because I know as soon as I get rid of it I'm going to need it)

8. Craft supplies and unfinished crafts

9. Snack foods

10. Extra pounds

Currently

The weather...is a brisk 34 degrees with clear skies. Tomorrow's high will be close to 50 with some windy weather ushering in rain and slightly warmer temps for Tuesday. In fact, it should remain in the 50s through Thanksgiving (big change from a couple of days ago when the forecast for the big day was low 40s with a mix of rain and snow flurries in the morning). The cooler temps are supposed to start moving in on Black Friday. 

Reading...still slogging through Anxious People. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time reading this one. Oh, life is busy, but that doesn't usually stop me if I like a book. It's really not bad. I love Fredrik Backman's writing, but for some reason this one is just not gripping me like his other books.

Watching...I just finished watching Planes, Trains, and Christmas Trees on Lifetime. It wasn't the best Christmas movie I've seen, nor was it as good as Planes, Trains, and Automobiles...but it was enjoyable enough.

Listening to...one of the local all Christmas stations in the car. Yes, I know it's early, but between the movies, the grandkids, a coworker who channels Will Farrell as Elf, and the fact that we are already working on Christmas at work...I am super in the mood already!

Loving...how helpful my daughter is being when she herself doesn't feel great (this week's trip to the ER gave her a diagnosis of pancreatitis). I try to help her with the kids as much as I can and she is trying to help me get the house cleaned and organized before the new refrigerator comes tomorrow and before Thanksgiving since everyone is coming here. It's been a blessing as my leg hurts so much lately that it keeps me awake at night and at times I can barely stand to sit, let alone walk. I am hoping it truns out to be an inflamed IT-band (the large tendon or whatever it is, that runs from the hip to the knee and stabilizes the knee). When I worked at the nursing home I had that issue in the other leg and had to go to physical therapy to get over it. I have some exercises I can do at home, but this time is much worse so I want to know it's really that before I do something and make it worse.

Thinking...about Thanksgiving, what to make for sides, how much there is to get done, and about how it will all play out since I've invited a blind gentleman from work to join us. I don't think he has any intellectual disabilities. If he does, they are very mild. I think he is just...quirky...and at 70, a bit set in his ways and demanding as men of that age can sometimes be. Don't get me wrong, on the whole he is a sweetheart.

Also about the fact I've been drafted to be the narrator for the church's Christmas program. Me. Ugh!

Feeling...maybe not quite content, but happy.

Celebrating...Thanksgiving, the Christmas season, our anniversary...so much really.

Grateful...there is no chance I'll have to work in the document destruction part of my work any time soon (or maybe ever again). With my leg as it is there is no way I would be able to do it.

Enjoying...the absolutely gorgeous sunrises and sunsets we've been having. The heavens have been dressed in all their finest colors!

Looking forward to...Thanksgiving and being off work for 4 days. I never call off or call in sick as so many of my coworkers do and I neeeeed a break. I actually have two PTO days I can use before the end of the year, but everyone is trying to use theirs up so the list of days we can't ask to be off is very long. Add to that the fact that we are very short staffed. Since I just earned my two days (I'll get my full 12 for next year in January) the only days left to ask for are a couple of Mondays, Tuesdays, and maybe a Wednesday or two. I asked for a Monday and Tuesday in December, but the boss says she will try but can't promise. I guess if all else fails I can just take them at Christmas so I get paid for the days we are off.

That's it for now. I really need to get off of here and get to bed. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Saturday 9: Last Train to Clarksville

Hey everyone, sorry to have been missing in action but it's a busy time of year and there's been some other stuff going on. I promise I will catch up soon! In the meantime, take a trip down memory lane on the Last Train to Clarksville!

Saturday 9: Last Train to Clarksville (1966)

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

 

1) When did you most recently take a train?  It wasn't exactly a train to anywhere, but we did take a short ride to a pumpkin patch on a vintage steam engine train in October. It was a fun day with our daughter's family.

2) The lyrics promise "coffee-flavored kisses and a bit of conversation." Have you more recently had coffee, a kiss, or a chat?  It would have to be the kiss. Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. 39 years!

3) The record opens with a guitar riff inspired by The Beatles' "Day Tripper." Can you play guitar?  No. I love music but there isn't a drop of musical talent in me.

4) The lead vocals are performed by Micky Dolenz. He is the only surviving member of the Monkees. Without looking it up, can you name his bandmates?  Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and of course Davey Jones.

5) The Monkees starred in an award-winning sitcom for two seasons. In Season 2, Micky surprised fans by appearing with a curly perm. Do you curl, straighten or color your hair?  My hair is naturally curly so other than to try and tame the curl into doing what I want it to do, I've never had to "curl" it. I colored it for years, but my hair grows pretty fast and once my natural color became gray, I was having to color every 2 weeks to cover it. The closing of EVERYTHING for Covid was the perfect excuse to let the color grow out and go with the gray. I do, however, straighten my hair every day. This is the most recent photo I have of my hair.

6) Micky also did a stint at WCBS radio in New York. He spun the oldies every morning and helped his listeners get ready for work. Do you turn on the radio or TV when you first wake up?  I don't turn either on on work days until I'm in the car and on my way. Then I listen to the local oldies station (it's still depressing that the music of MY youth is now oldies).

7) Micky's daughter, Ami, followed her father into show business, appearing in several movies and a recurring role in General Hospital. If you followed your father into his profession, what would you have done for a living?   Something with wildlife. Dad was a deputy with the PA Game Commission and the assistant manager of one of their pheasant farms before leaving that to manage a private wildlife preserve. I actually did want to go to school for something in that field, but Dad found a reason to veto every school I applied to that offered the required courses.

8) In 1966, when this song topped the charts, miniskirts took the fashion world by storm. What have you recently added to your wardrobe?  A new pair of sneakers.

9) Random question -- You order chicken noodle soup and a packet of saltines arrives with the bowl. Do you: 1) break the crackers into pieces and stir them into your soup or 2) squeeze them in your hand and sprinkle the crumbles into your soup or 3) leave them untouched?  I'm a 1 and a 2. It depends on my mood, I guess.

Thanks, as always, to Sam for the music and questions!

Join in the fun here.

Saturday 9: P.S. I Love You

Saturday 9: P. S. I Love You (1953)

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

 

1) In this song, a man fills his lover in on what's going on in his daily life, including that he was in bed by 9:00 PM. Do you have a regular bedtime?  No, I have horrible sleep habits. I really should try to get on a regular schedule and do all the things they say will help you sleep better, but I never do.

2) He reports that yesterday it rained, but all in all, he can't complain. Do you often find yourself discussing/complaining about the weather?  We go over the calendar, news, and weather everyday at work with the clients so I discuss it at least that much. Other than that, I don't discuss it all that much...just if I have plans that are depending on the weather.

3) This song was recorded many times, by artists as diverse as Rudy Vallee (1934) and Bob Dylan (2017). It's endured because the theme -- reaching out and staying in touch across the miles -- is universal. Is there anyone in your life with whom you regularly correspond? If yes, do you prefer cards/letters, emails or texts?  I used to write tons of letters to everyone...until everyone quit writing letters. Then I met my biological father and it turns out he is a letter writer and absolutely loves writing back and forth.

4) This 1953 version was a hit for The Hilltoppers. The band members met at Western Kentucky University and took their name from the nickname of their school's athletic teams. What was the name of your school's team?  My high school teams were the Trojans and my college teams were the Indians. The college has since changed to something more pc, but I forget what it is.

5) The Hilltoppers always performed in W sweaters, for Western Kentucky. Do you own any sweaters, caps or jackets that celebrate your alma mater?  My mom gave me back my letterman's jacket a few years ago. It hung in the closet until last year when I decided it wasn't something I needed to keep so I donated it to Goodwill.

6) By 1960, The Hilltoppers' records weren't selling anymore. But they continued to perform and in 1970 they became the house band at The Holiday Inn in Fort Walton Beach, FL. They were so popular with tourists that they played at that Holiday Inn for years. When did you last stay in a hotel, motel or airbnb?  It was in August when we went to Erie for my family reunion that I didn't get to attend because I got sick and slept the whole time at the hotel.

7) In 1953, the year this recording was popular, the Eisenhowers moved into The White House. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was known for her down-to-earth style. For example, she often shared her recipe for Million Dollar Fudge, saying that since it's easy to make and foolproof, she recommended her fudge as the perfect hostess gift. When you're invited to someone's home, do you bring a hostess gift?  Sometimes. It really depends on the situation. 

 

8) Also in 1953, radio personality Arthur Godfrey made news for having one of the nation's very first hip replacements. Have you/would you ever be part of a clinical trial, either for a new drug or medical procedure?  I never have been and I don't know if I'd volunteer. I'd probably have to be sort of desperate. 

 
9) Random question -- Do you fold your socks or roll them?  Roll.

Thanks, Sam, for the music and questions!

Join in the fun here.

Currently

I am...

Reading...The Road to Christmas by Sheila Roberts.

Watching...A Dash of Christmas on GAC.

Listening to...pretty much everything, but a client and I were listening to big band music yesterday, mainly Glenn Miller and the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

Loving...being totally into the holidays already.

Thinking...all that needs to get done before Thanksgiving.

Feeling...happy.

Celebrating...the arrival of Lindt Lindor's Christmas truffle flavors...snickerdoodle, white chocolate peppermint, and chocolate peppermint cookie.

Grateful for...my coworker's aunt owns the train that runs at the mall during the holidays and he gave me free tickets for the grandkids today.

Enjoying...Leah's personality. She is a little dynamo and with a fantastic imagination. Man, I hope no one ever squashes that.

Looking forward to...watching Colton and Leah on Saturday. We're going to go shopping to fill the Operation Christmas Child boxes and take that train ride at the mall.

The weather...clear and 43 degrees right now and dropping down into the 30's tonight. Mid-60's for tomorrow.

Giggling at...

Ah...the no man's land of the kiddie table.

Sunday Stealing: ABC

It looks like I won't be making it to church in the morning so I'm going to jump in with the gang at Sunday Stealing today. 

Feel free to join in the fun here.

A - Ambition:  At my age I don't really have any career ambitions, but I suppose my number one personal ambition is to lose weight. Again. 

B - Birthday:  August 15 

C - Computer:  I have an HP laptop. 

D - Dream:  If we're talking about dreams in my sleep I rarely remember them and when I do it's because they are real doozies. If we are talking about a dream I have in life...I guess it would be that some day our son will realize cutting everyone from his life but his wife and her family isn't the answer. 

E - Exercise:  Not nearly as much as I should. I do get a bit every day with the consumers at work, but it's pretty mild and probably the only good thing about it is that it's better than none at all.

F - Favorite Food:  Seafood in general. Shrimp specifically. Just call me Bubba Gump. I love any kind of shrimp.

 

G - Garden:  I don't have a garden these days. I have a yard and even it is kind of neglected and badly in need of some TLC.

H - Hobby:  Reading, playing around online, pinning crafts and recipes on Pinterest I will never actually do, power napping...

I - Idol:  There are people I admire, but I don't have an idol.

J - Job:  I'm a direct care worker at the County Blind Association. I work in the adult training facility with consumers who are either blind or have intellectual disabilities (some have both). My job is kind of a combination of nursing aide and teacher.

K - Kids:  I have two. My son is 37, married with 2 (possibly 3) children. He hasn't spoken to us or any family members in over 3 years. My daughter is 31, married with 2 children, and she and her family live next door to us. We see them nearly every day.

L - Location:  A recliner in my living room, that's in my house, that's in Latrobe, that's in Pennsylvania.

M - Military:  I've never served. My husband was in the Marines and there have been many in my family tree who have served.

N - Name or Nickname:  My husband calls me Ace and the grands call me Nanny.

O - Optimist or Pessimist:  I think I'm more of an optimist, but I do have my down days just like anyone.

P - Pets:  These days just Daisy, a bossy little Toy Poodle.

Q - Quote:  Something I remind myself about all the time when I am tempted to take on someone else's trouble..."Not my monkeys, not my circus."

R - Reads:  It totally depends on my mood, but I do seem to read more mysteries and rom-coms than anything else.

S - School:  I went to college for 2 years as a journalism major, but I left when I got my MRS.

T - Travel:  I would love to travel, but we haven't done very much and right now I don't suppose it would be the best idea even if I could get my husband to go. Israel, Egypt and Greece have always topped my list of places I want to see.

U - Unfulfilled ambition:  Being a world famous globe-trotting reporter.

V - Vacation spot:  Chincoteague Island, VA has always been my happy place.

W - Wardrobe:  Pretty casual...jeans, leggings, t-shirts, and a few nicer things for church and special events.

X - X-tra facts about me:  I can't think of anything I haven't shared before.

Y - Years online:  I think we got our first computer and dial up service back in 1998 or 99. I've been blogging since 2001.

Z - Zodiac sign:  Leo and my Chinese sign is the dragon.

 

Saturday 9: True

Saturday 9: True (1983)

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

 

1) In this song, lead singer Gary Kemp tells us he's overwhelmed by his feelings as he and a girl dance "toe to toe." What song did you most recently dance to?  I have no idea. It might have been something at work or with the grandkids or just me at home. I just don't remember.

2) Falling in love makes him want to listen to "Marvin all night long," a reference to Motown great Marvin Gaye. What's your favorite love song, and who sings it?  Me Too by Toby Keith

3) This song was inspired by Kemp's feelings for singer Clare Grogan. When they first met, they discovered a shared love of literature and for his birthday, she gave him a book she thought he'd enjoy. Who received the most recent birthday gift you gave, and what was it?  My mom. We share the same birthday. My husband took us out to dinner and I gave her a card with money in it.

4) Despite the popularity of the song it inspired, the Kemp-Grogan romance never really took off. Gary was involved with another woman and Clare was seeing other men and reluctant to settle down. The timing just wasn't right for them. Do you believe luck plays a big part in romance?  Not really. If someone is important to you, you make a commitment to them and find the time for them. If you aren't willing to do that then they aren't all that important to you. That's choice, not luck, in my book.

5) The cover art was created by Kemp's friend, David Band. David sketched it after seeing a man startled when a bird flew too close to him as he entered a pub. To Kemp, it represented how surprised he was by the sudden intensity of his feelings for Grogan. Band went on to become a world-renowned artist, with his work exhibited in galleries and museums in Australia, New Zealand, England and the United States. What museum have you most recently visited?  I think it was the Carnegie Natural History Museum in Pittsburgh when our grandson was a baby so it's been around 7 years.

6) In 2020, Kemp and bassist Guy Pratt launched their podcast Rockonteurs about the stories behind popular songs. Do you regularly listen to podcasts?  No. I never really got into the habit. I watch one every now and then on YouTube, but nothing regularly. Maybe it's because I've never been able to like talk radio, either.

7) Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1983. Without looking it up, can you name gaming's most famous siblings?  Mario and Luigi?

 

8) Also in 1983, for the first time, London's Abbey Road recording studio was open to the public. Visitors were treated to a multi-media presentation called The Beatles at Abbey Road. During the two months it was open, more than 22,000 tickets were sold. What's the most recent ticket you purchased?  It was for a train ride to a pumpkin patch with our daughter's family.

9) Random question -- At your favorite restaurant, a genie will grant you one of these two wishes: 1) you can eat whatever you want without gaining weight or 2) you can order whatever you want for free. Which do you choose?   To eat what I want without gaining weight and I hope the wish is good forever and not for just one meal.

Thanks to Crazy Sam for the music and questions!

Play along here.