Sunday Stealing: Four 5's

We found this one at CreativeGene, who stole it from someone named "Randy" because "it looks like fun." Let's see if you agree.

Four 5's

FIVE things on my to-do list:

1. Laundry. Always.

2. Pick up the Walmart order.

3. Clean out my office/craft room.

4. Put away the stuff from today's (Saturday) craft show...and start working on new things for the show in two weeks.

5. Love on my kitty, Oliver. (He said I needed to add that.)

 

FIVE snacks I enjoy:

1. Cheese and crackers

2. Cool Ranch Doritos

3. Hard pretzels

4. Popcorn

5. Apple slices with chocolate peanut butter

FIVE places I have lived:

1. Cambridge Springs

2. New Florence

3. Latrobe

4. Orlando

5. Indiana (PA)

 

FIVE jobs I have held:

1. Babysitter

2. Retail clerk

3. Factory worker

4. School bus driver

5. Direct care staff for adults with intellectual disabilities

Play along at Sunday Stealing.

Currently

Reading... The book club met this afternoon after work and we've chosen This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger as our next read. It's been on my TBR shelf for a couple of years and was my suggestion. The back cover describes it as "The unforgettable story of four orphans who travel the Mississippi River on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression. Hmm...sort of brings to mind Huckleberry Finn.

Watching... I had pulled up FOX's The Five and now that it's over I'm waiting for The Voice to come on. I've gone from not being a fan to being a big fan this year. I really like the coaches and the way they interact.

Listening... to Tim making noises in his sleep. He has apparently come down with another bug and that always makes him very vocal in his sleep.

Loving... Wearing all my cozy autumn clothes. Finally.

Thinking... My daughter and I need to get super busy the next few days to be as prepared for Saturday's craft show as we need to be.

Feeling... Pretty good, but I am going to have to dig out the exercises to strengthen the tendon and muscles that support the knee. Those are not too happy by the end of the day.

Celebrating... a consumer's 50th birthday with a surprise party at work tomorrow and, of course, Halloween.

Enjoying... the new front porch. It's finished except for filling the screw holes and painting it. It is so big and looks so nice! I've been waiting years for this.

Grateful... to God above for all of His love, forgiveness, and blessings. 

Giggling...

Have a great week!

Saturday 9: Into the Groove

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

 

1) Madonna begins this song by telling us, "I'm waiting." What's something you're waiting for today?  Our son-in-law to come help Tim take the AC unit out of the window. I'm hoping Tim will wait, too. He tends to be stubborn about admitting he isn't a young guy who can do it all on his own.

 

2) She sings that dancing gives her a feeling so good she hopes it will never end. What reliably lifts your spirits?  Prayer. Putting things in God's hands works wonders.

 

3) As a school girl in Michigan, Madonna was a good student but could be disruptive. Classmates recall her doing cartwheels in the halls between classes. Can you do a cartwheel?  If I try you had better have 9-1-1 already punched in and ready to send. In other words...NO!

 

4) It's not surprising that a girl from the Detroit area would love cars. Madonna's car collection is valued at more than $2 million. The one she seems to drive most often is a 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV. Insurance industry data tells us Americans typically keep their cars for 8 years. How long have you had your current vehicle?  A little over two years.

 

5) She has referred to Nancy Sinatra as one of her idols, saying "These Boots Were Made for Walking" and its accompanying video impressed her when she was a little girl. What pop song brings back memories from your childhood?  So many songs, but the one that probably evokes the strongest memories is John Denver's Country Roads.

 

6) Madonna suffers from brontophobia, or the fear of thunder and lightening. Are you afraid of storms?  No, I love them until I have to be afraid of them.

 

7) In 1985, when this song was popular, the Titanic wreckage was discovered. There have been at least a dozen movies about that ill-fated ship. Have you seen any of them?  I'm wracking my brain and coming up empty. I don't think I have.

 
8) Also in 1985, Bruce Willis became a star with a hit show about a detective agency. Can you name it? (Extra non-existent points if you can recall the agency's name.)  The show was Moonlighting and the agency was The Blue Moon Detective Agency. We loved the show and never missed it.

 

9) Random question: Describe your perfect ice cream sundae.  A local ice cream place has a seasonal one each fall...a thick slice of pumpkin roll, vanilla ice cream, and caramel sauce. Yum!

Play along at Saturday 9.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful...

For evenings spent with the grandchildren, not doing anything special...just hanging out and soaking up these precious days of their childhood.

My knee is feeling better. The muscles and tendons need some work now, but the pain is MUCH better.

Creative outlets at work and at home.

The improvement in my knee has resulted in an improvement in all the pain I was feeling from my hip on down...and because of that I can actually sleep at night. (At least until the cat head-butts me.)

Cool autumn weather is finally here.

That because I'm feeling better and sleeping better I'm starting to get caught up on all the things I've let slide around the house.

Tim has been feeling better and working on things around here that he'd let slide.

Our grandson killed a lot of Japanese Lantern Flies he found infesting one of the skeletons in the yard. Good boy! Sadly, they probably already laid their eggs somewhere by then.

Our grandson's new therapist is a little more "old school" and has advised a tougher approach. She told him he has to do what he's told or he will get grounded. No excuses. He has to do chores, too. He's learning to do his laundry.

For peace in Israel and Gaza and for a strong president.

For God, who has it all under control.

Ten Things Tuesday

1. I got the final Euflexxa injection in my knee yesterday.

2. I slept pain-free for the first time in months, maybe years, last night.

3. The printer we bought our daughter arrived today. It's a necessity for homeschooling.

4. The Halloween costume I ordered...

5. The Halloween costume I got...

6. The front porch is done except for putting the pickets in the railing.

7. Higher ups appear to be moving closer to admitting our latest supervisor is a disaster. 

8. Bacon ranch popcorn is surprisingly good.

9. I have to choose the next read for book club. I'm thinking about Lottery by Patricia Wood.

10. We are crafting like crazy again. We have a show Oct. 25 and another Nov. 8.

Saturday 9: Mambo No. 5

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

 

1) Lou Bega namechecks a lot of women in this song. Is there an Angela, Pamela, Sandra, Rita, Monica, Erica, Tina, Mary, or Jessica in your life?  There are consumers named Angela, Pamela, Erica, and Jessica at my work. I don't have anyone by those names in my life outside of that.

 

2) Can you think of a song that includes your first name?  Only one, Stacy's Mom by Fountains of Wayne. It's not a favorite. When I drove a school bus the high school kids liked to sing it over and over to me.

 

3) Lou sings that flirting is like a sport. Do you enjoy flirting?  I did when I was young and single. I really don't engage in it now.

 

4) While Lou Bega's recording became a big hit worldwide, it enjoyed great popularity, where it was used during televised cricket matches. Do you know anything about the game of cricket?  Not really. I do remember that we had to play it once in gym class and we all thought it was terribly boring.

 

5) When Lou was riding high with "Mambo No. 5," Cher invited him to open for her on her 1999-2000 tour. Cher has more than 50 hit records, two television series, a Broadway show and an Oscar under her belt. Can you think of another performer who has succeeded in so many areas of entertainment?  Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Bing Crosby, Mark Wahlburg, Will Smith, Reba McEntire....

 

6) Lou turned 50 in April of this year. Are you soon celebrating a big birthday (one that ends in a 0 or 5)?  No. I have four more years to hit a "5."

 

7) In 1999, when "Mambo No. 5" was on the radio, the movie American Pie premiered and was so popular it inspired three sequels. Have you seen any of the American Pie films?  Not that I remember and I don't really have any desire to see them. 

 
8) Also in 1999, Walmart opened its first store in the UK. Do you often shop at Walmart?  Way too often. It's so easy to place a grocery order online and choose when I want to pick it up. At least doing that slows me down on those impulsive buys you find in the store.

 

9) Random question – Have you recently fallen asleep somewhere other than your bed? If yes, where did you doze off?  I doze off for a little bit nearly every evening while in my recliner.

Thankful Thursday

It's been a while.

I continue to count and list.

I just don't post much these days.

Thought I'd give it a go tonight.

I am thankful for...

Rainy days.

Good books.

Coworkers I can laugh with.

Kitty purrs in my ear.

And kitty paws playing with my curls.

Weather cool enough to pull out cute fall clothes.

A young man willing to cut down the backyard Poplar.

Reaching the day after the Euflexxa injection when the pain stops and the "feel better" begins.

Savory autumn recipes to try.

Living with nearly all my family close by.

A good, hard-working, generous husband.

My God, who is always in control.

Currently

I'm sitting here relaxing and watching The Voice with my knee wrapped in the heating pad. Explanation...I got the second Euflexxa injection today and man, did it hurt this time. It wasn't the needle, but the gel that was injected. The doctor said it sometimes does that, doesn't go exactly where it should so they manipulated my knee for a bit and told me to keep it moving for a while. That helped a lot. On the bright side, I do think the injections are helping...not sure how much yet, but there is a difference.

So, I just told you I'm watching The Voice. No need to repeat. What I'm listening to is the hum of the AC. Boo. It's October, for crying out loud! Where is my cool autumn weather? Happy to say we're going to get a bit of it this week. Rain is on the way and temps are to dip into the 60's for daytime highs the rest of the week. Yay!

The Bookworms (the book club I joined) met again tonight. We are reading Danielle Steel's Past Perfect. I'm not really a fan of Steel, but this book is proving to be an enjoyable read. When we meet again in two weeks we should all be done reading it and can have a proper discussion without giving away anything. At that meeting I also have the honor of choosing our next read. They want a seasonal choice. Hmm...something spooky.

Tim's making lots of progress on the porch railing. I'm loving that as I will have to come up and down the front steps to use the front door when he tears the old deck off the back. There are several steps and they're a bit steep or at least with my knee I'm seeing them that way. Having the railings is the only way I'll be able to manage it.

Thinking about work. It's hard not to. None of us are happy with our current supervisor. She is a nice enough person, but the most disorganized person and I don't know, just completely unskilled at being a boss. For some reason, the higher ups have dug in on her and excuse everything she does (or doesn't do) and that leaves all of us frustrated. Good employees are talking about leaving.

I'm feeling mellow this evening. Relaxed and content.

You know I'm celebrating all things autumn these days and that includes Halloween. Even though it's way too hot for October, I'm enjoying that the Halloween decorations are finally done outside and inside (I have a trio of adorable ghosts and a dog statue with a pillow that reads "I'll get you my pretty and your little dog, too!" It was a gift from a friend.) I will get photos later this week or over the weekend.

We are both enjoying the kiddos popping in and out a lot more now that they are home schooled. Tonight when I got home it was our 6-year-old granddaughter who was out on the porch helping Pappy, handing him tools, learning how to measure, etc. Soooo adorable! My heart is full.

Thankful

• The kids are adjusting so well to homeschooling (and Mom is too).
• We are having opportunities to teach the kids things we know.
• My knee seems to be improving.
• I'm making new book-y friends.
• The decorating is done.
• Tim is feeling better than he has in a while.

Giggling