Currently

I am...

Reading... Death, Taxes, and Sweet Potato Fries: A Tara Holloway Novel by Diane Kelly. I picked it up at a used book sale not knowing it's part of a series and pretty far into it. It stands alone, though, and I'm enjoying it so that's another series I'll be scouting for.

Listening to... the A/C running. Yep, it's that hot today.

Loving... quiet time at home after work.

Thinking... about the patriotic crafts I'm going to make here and at work out of the trunk load of stuff I just bought at Dollar Tree.

Feeling... worn out. We took some of the clients at work on an outing today...mini golf and a picnic. Taking an entire group of people who have intellectual disabilities (and some behavior issues) to play mini golf was maybe not one of my better ideas from the staff's perspective, but the clients had a great time!

Celebrating... nothing today, but the whole family did go out to Rizzo's, the area's most popular Italian restuarant, for Mother's Day. Wow, was that place crowded. They were seating people in both the original restaurant and in their event facility! The food was excellent as always. I couldn't make up my mind so I had the Italian sampler...and then had the leftovers for dinner later on. Megan and I each gave Mom a huge hanging basket and gave one to each other. Ha! Great minds think alike. We even gave each other the same color of flowers. Purple.

Grateful for... Tim is stopping on his way home to pick up Chinese take-out.

Enjoying... feeling valued and good at my job.

Weather... sunny and 77 degrees at 6 p.m.

A giggle to share...

Sunday Stealing

Thanks to Bev for finding the questions.
This week's questions were "stolen" from Kwizgiver

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?  One car seat, one booster seat, an umbrella, a jacket, a case of homemade CDs (yes, I still listen to CDs), and probably some garbage left behind by the grands.

2. When was the last time you threw up?  I don't know. It's been a while because I pretty much have to be at death's door if I'm throwing up.

3. What's your favorite word or phrase?  I'm sure there are others, but right now all I can think of is "Really?" uttered in sarcastic disbelief when someone does something you KNOW they know better than to do.

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?  My husband, my grandson, and my granddaughter.

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?  Commenting on Saturday 9 posts.

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?  Playing with my grandson.

7. What would constitute the perfect evening for you?  A good meal and great conversation with friends and maybe a game of cards or some other game after dinner.

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?  No

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?  "Bye, I love you." Said to the grandboy when he left.

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?  White House Cherry 

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?  Diet Coke

12. What are you wearing right now?  Jeggings and a royal purple tunic. I went with comfy because I went to an active shooter training at church today (Saturday).

13. What was the last thing you ate?  A burrito of sorts. It was my own creation from a few days ago. I mixed Jack Daniels barbecue pulled pork with some sauteed onions and peppers and stirred in some Mexican rice then rolled it all up in a tortilla with some cheese. It was pretty good.

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?  Yes, I ordered a couple of items, including a swimsuit, online and they actually arrived today.

15. When was the last time you ran?  I don't know. 1985? It was probably more recent than that, but not much. 

Saturday 9: Mama Said

Saturday 9: Mama Said (1961)

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

1) This week's song is about a girl who remembers wise advice she received from her mother. Tell us about someone who advised you years ago and to this day you think, "They were right!"  I had a difficult relationship with my adoptive father. My mom once described us as a train wreck looking for a place to happen. He was strict and controlling and in his mind the only correct way to do something was his way. He had many sayings that drove me to eye-rolling. As I have lived and grown older and (hopefully) gained wisdom I've come to see that many of those sayings were good advice. Among those are: "If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all."; "A job worth doing is a job worth doing well."; and "Family is family. You always take care of family and do your duty by them."

2) She sings about hearing chapel bells. Can you hear church bells ringing from your home?  The Catholic church on the hill above my neighborhood got a very expensive and elaborate electronic bell system when I was a teenager. It made the front page of the local paper when they purchased it because rather than just ringing bells, it actually played complete songs. Back then the bells rang at 9 a.m., noon, 6 p.m., and for all holidays. Now they rarely ring. I think it's only on Sunday mornings and a few bigger holidays. I don't hear them often because they've turned the volume down considerably. I miss waking up on July 4th to the bells playing Hooray for the Red, White, and Blue.

 
3) This week's featured artists are the Shirelles, a group formed in New Jersey in 1957. They are credited for beginning the girl group genre. Name another popular girl group.  The Supremes, Spice Girls, The Bangles...

4) In 1961, when this song was popular, Jacqueline Kennedy appeared on the cover of Ladies Home Journal three times. Is there a printed magazine in your home right now? If so, who is on the cover?  There are magazines, but none with people on the cover. They are all cooking or decorating magazines.

5) This song was chosen in celebration of Mother's Day. More phone calls are made on Mother's Day than any other day of the year. Who was your last phone call from?  My daughter.

 

6) Salons see a bump in appointments around Mother's Day every year. Partly because moms want to look good for their day, but also because hair, spa and nail services are a popular Mother's Day gift. When did you most recently go to a salon, and was it for your hair, complexion, or nails?  I went a little over two weeks ago to have my nails done. I got my first set of tips ever.

7) Similarly, restaurants experience a spike in reservations on Mother's Day. Where did you last dine out? Was a reservation required?  Tim and I ate out last night. No reservation was required. It was at a little neighborhood place that has been around since the 40's or 50's. We are going tomorrow to the area's most popular Italian restaurant. Tim made reservations for the whole family for Mother's Day.

 
8) The most popular Mother's Day gift is still the greeting card. Where do you card shop: drugstore, bookstore, card shop, etc.?  I'm not against buying them in all of those places, but for convenience I usually end up getting them at Walmart.

9) Sam is celebrating Mother's Day with her mother's favorite, Hershey Bars. Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate or chocolate with almonds?  Classic milk chocolate, please.

Thanks to Sam for the music and questions.

Play along here.

Currently

I am

Reading... I just finished reading Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton Franks about an hour ago so I haven't started another book yet. It was very good. I was hooked from the beginning and kept reading like crazy because I HAD to know how it all worked out.

Listening to... I took a client out after work and she discovered the book of homemade CD's I have stashed in the car. I can't remember the last time I actually listened to any of them so it was fun to hear some of them today. Most of them were made the summer my daughter was 14 going on 15...she's 30 going on 31 now.

Watching... Pawn Stars on the History Channel.

Loving... Colton and Leah meeting me nearly every day as I pull into the driveway after work, them coming in and hanging out for a bit to visit and have a snack.

Thinking... there aren't enough hours in a day right now. I've been so busy lately that I'm awfully behind on laundry and cleaning and it's driving me nuts. (Obviously, not nuts enough to be working on it at 9:30 p.m.)

Feeling... happy, content...life is full and life is good.

Celebrating... Mother's Day, of course. Tim made reservations for the whole family (us, our daughter's family, and my mom and stepdad) at the area's most popular Italian restaurant for Sunday. I will get Mom and our daughter cards and hanging baskets.

Grateful for... the life I have. I know it sounds a bit trite, but I was listening to the news driving to work and hearing all the awful things going on....it just slammed me how absolutely good I have it in this life. I hope to never take any of it for granted.

Enjoying... meats cooked on the grill and an increasing variety of fresh fruits and veggies.

Weather... Mostly clear and 59 degrees. Tomorrow is to be sunny and 80.

A funny I want to share... (with apologies to those of you who love all things about the Royals)

Sunday Stealing: Songs

1. A song with a food name.  Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffet

2. A song with an animal in it.  A Horse with No Name by America

3. A song about a bird.  Fly Like an Eagle by Steve Miller Band

4. A song about a dog.  Feed Jake by Pirates of the Mississippi (one of the saddest songs ever)

5. A song mentioning a cat.  Year of the Cat by Al Stewart

6. A song listing a character from Wizard of Oz.  Tin Man by America

7. A late night driving song.  Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest

8. A song from a movie.  Lost in the Woods from Frozen II (it has all the feels of an 80's power ballad)

9. A guilty pleasure song.  Y.M.C.A. by The Village People

10. A song about friends.  You've Got a Friend by James Taylor

11. A song that is about summertime.  All Summer Long by Kid Rock

12. A song that needs to be played more on the radio.  Pretty much anything by Hootie and the Blowfish or Smash Mouth

13. A song about drugs or alcohol.  Hotel California by The Eagles

14. A song you would sing at karaoke.  There is no song I'd sing at karaoke. Ever.

15. A song from year you were born in.  Twist and Shout by The Beatles 

Thanks to Bev for the questions!

Play along here.

Saturday 9: Come On-A My House

Saturday 9: Come On-A My House (1951)

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

1) In this week's song, Rosemary Clooney offers us candy, peaches, pears, grapes, cake, etc. What tasty treat are you craving this morning?  I will be on my way to a used book sale by 8:00 tomorrow morning so I'm doing this Friday evening. I can tell you, though, that I will have enjoyed one of my favorite asiago cheese bagels for breakfast. I stopped at Giant Eagle this week and picked up a few because I was craving them. I enjoy one toasted to perfection, spread with butter, and sprinkled with pizza seasoning.

 

2) The song was co-written by a pair of cousins more famous for their other jobs. William Saroyan was a Pulitzer Prize winning author and Ross Bagdasarian created Alvin and the Chipmunks. Tell us about one of your cousins.  I have mentioned my cousin, Luke Laird, before. Our grandfathers were brothers, but while I know his mother I never really had the chance to know him (or my other cousins from that branch of the family) as we moved away. He is a very well known song writer in Nashville. Click the link and you will be surprised how many of his songs you've probably heard or at least heard of.

3) The song was inspired by the cousins' recollection of their Armenian relatives encouraging friends and family to visit by promising lots of food. Who most recently invited you to their home? What was the occasion?  It was our daughter. No occasion. She just invited us for dinner.

 

4) This was a big hit for Rosemary Clooney. She got her start singing live on Cincinnati's WLW radio station. Today WLW is an all-news station. When you were a kid, what radio station did you tune into for the hits and new music?  A station known as 96 KX (pronounced kicks). I can't remember if it was 96.1 or 96.4 and a search online didn't help. The station has changed hands and formats several times and I can't remember the full call letters. It played the top 40 pop and rock songs of the day as well as carrying Casey Kasem every weekend.

5) Rosemary was also an actress, appearing in motion pictures and made-for-TV movies. The most famous is 1954's White Christmas. Have you seen it?  Many times. It is a favorite of mine.

5) Yes, Rosemary Clooney is related George Clooney. She was his aunt. She appeared with him on ER and received an Emmy Award nomination. Do you enjoy doctor shows?  Not particularly. 

7) In 1951, when this song was #1, Yankees superstar Joe DiMaggio retired from baseball. He remained in the public eye, endorsing products and acting as Major League Baseball's ambassador around the world. His second marriage, a few years after his retirement, was almost as legendary as his baseball career. Without looking it up, do you know who his bride was?  Marilyn Monroe, I think.

 

8) Also in 1951, I Love Lucy premiered and has never been off the air since. That's right: for 72 years, without interruption, viewers have been entertained by the Ricardos and Mertzes. When you think of I Love Lucy, what's the first thing that comes to mind?  Lucy and Ethel's misadventures.

9) Random question -- You're playing roulette and suddenly doubled your winnings. Do you walk away when you're ahead, or do you stay at the table to play your winning streak?  I walk away while ahead.

Thanks to Crazy Sam for the music and questions!

Play along here.

Currently

I am...

Reading... Sealed Off: Maine Clambake Mystery #8 by Barbara Ross

Listening to... rain, rain, and more rain.

Watching... Home Town on Discovery+

Loving... Colton came over to hangout with Pappy tonight.

Thinking... What on earth did the dog eat today?? (She is stinking me out. Whew!)

Feeling... accomplished after a busy weekend and content and mellow.

Celebrating... the success of the special needs prom and a success with one of my clients at work.

Grateful for... a cozy evening at home in my pj's and fuzzy socks, curled up in the recliner with a fleecy blanket and my pup.

Enjoying... the longer daylight hours.

Weather... 40 degrees and rain. Earlier we had some hail and tomorrow we could see some snow flurries.

A quote I want to share...