Summertime, and the living is easy........

Thank you Joyce for the questions. These were hard this week.  Here are my answers. 

1. Security or freedom? Can you have both? Explain.
Yes, but only if you are willing to participate in the process.  By that I mean, vote, get involved, learn the facts and be civil in the process.  It's ok to disagree, it's not ok to be mean in the process.  If you refuse to be part of the solution, then you don'd deserve either security or freedom and will loose both.

2. If you could visit any historical American site what would it be? Why?
I think it would be Washington DC.  That's were our history is.  

3. Free as a bird, free reign, be free of, free enterprise, free trip, walk away scot free, free for all...which 'free' phrase can best be applied to your life in recent days or weeks? Explain.
Be free of side affects from the most recent chemo routine.  It feels good to not be sick from the very thing that is suppose to make you feel better.  

4. Something in your frig that's red? Something in your house that's white? Something in your view that's blue?
Watermelon in the frig, white paint around door frames, and a blue sign on the wall that says " The Day God Made Dogs, He Just Sat Down and Smiled.

5. July 27th is National New Jersey Day. Have you ever visited The Garden State? If so where did you go? Are there diners where you live? Have you tried Taylor Pork Roll? Do you like to play Monopoly? Salt water taffy-yay or nay? How do you feel about shopping at the mall? Springsteen, Sinatra, or Bon Jovi-you have to pick one.
We have driven through the state but we never really stopped and visited the state.  

Yes we have a small diner in our town, it's called Chiggy's Place. Very good food and great coffee

No never had a Taylor Pork Ross

No do not like to play Monopoly

Nay to Salt water taffy

Hate shopping at the mall

I would pick Sinatra

Raise your hand if you know why these add-on questions are appropriate on 

National NJ Day.
My hand is raised!  I got it!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I had a stomach bug, it was terrible, but it was no worse than what anyone else would get so that was wonderful!  My immune system is still holding strong!  

MY LOVE OF MOWING GRASS!

I mentioned that I was thrilled to be able to take back the yard work detail here at the homestead.  Most people were happy for me and hoped that I just took it easy and didn’t over do it.  Some were wondering about my willingness to mow while hubby was doing it.  Here’s my story.

Hubby and I have been married for almost 46 years. For most of that he has been a police officer. That meant that he worked rotating shifts, holidays and weekends. I have a cousin who is married to a fireman. That means that he works 24-36 hour shilft away from home and he too works weekends and holidays. We learned to take over and do things that were maybe considered “man work” but we didn’t think of it that way, we just did what needed to be done.

We started getting each other tools for birthdays and Christmas and even got each other tool boxes. We either could not find our husbands tools, or we didn’t know how to use them, so we started collecting our own. We leaned to make simple repairs at each other’s house and it was fun.  We started mowing the lawns because our men were either slipping or working and hubby discovered he couldn’t  breath when he mowed. I discovered that our kids never showed up while I was mowing to complain about anything because my answer was always the same “here pull some weeds, it will all be fine” I was left alone to think, pray, daydream, ponder what our yard would like or just listened to the quiet of mowing. I like it a lot. So it became my job which I loved.  Having to give it up hurt my heart. I’d been doing it for most of our 46 years together.

My heart is so glad to have this task back! I walk behind the mower and once again I find myself daydreaming, praying, and thinking about what the yard will look like after all the TLC it’s getting. My heart is happy again.

So enjoy what your heart is happy about.  Thank God for a happy heart!

Last Day of Spring Hodgepodge

1. Summer is upon us this week in the Northern hemisphere. Tell us three things on your summer bucket list.

1. Reclaim the grass!  Hubby has done the mowing for the past few years, which was wonderful of him to do since I couldn't but I love working on my lawn.  He didn't feed the lawn much and so over the past few years, the lawn looks neglected and now looks terrible!  Now that I'm feeling stronger, I have taken back the job of lawn care and am starting over to reclaim it and make it look FABULOUS!  It will be better next year because of all the work I'm going to put into it this year.  

2. Arcadia National Park in Maine!  I love this place and want badly to go back to it for a day, or better yet a weekend.  It's just beautiful up there.  

3. See more Baseball games.  We have a local team ( New Hampshire Fisher Cats) up here and the ballpark is nice.  We have gone to one game, but I would like to go a few more times for a Date Night.

2. Something fun you used to do as a kid in the summertime?

There was a local pond that we could walk to and go swimming.  There was a life guard on duty of course and a place where you could change your clothes and get a hot dog, chips and even ice cream if you wanted.  My girl friend, Sue, and I would walk down, spend the entire day (without adult supervision) and stop on the way back to get a soft serve ice cream from the small stand on the walk home.  It took us just a few minutes to walk there and back and we stayed the entire day.  Both of us were blond, light skinned girls so we never tanned - we burned - but loved swimming all day.  

3. Rooftop or backyard? Why?

 I can't remember ever going to a rooftop party but have been to lots of backyard parties.  I love being at those.  It gave me a chance to sit in the sun, visit others and even stick my feet in the kiddy pool to cool off.  I guess I could do that on a rooftop party but something about walking barefoot on the grass is just so soothing to the soul. 

4. Do you read food labels? Place importance on them? Make an effort to find out/care about where your food comes from?

For foods that I always get all the time, no, I don't look at the label.  But new things? Oh Yes I do!!  I need to know what I'm putting in my body for lots of reasons but mixing "things" I can't pronounce and Chemo drugs can be a real probblem so I look at labels.  In this day and age, knowing what is going into my body is very improtant.

5. A song you'll have on repeat this summer?

Well one song will not do.  It's the whole album!  ABBA!  Need I say more? Why yes, yes I do, It's not Summer without the Beach Boys!  So these 2 play over and over all summer, and fall!
 
6. Insert your own random thought here.


My mind is full of random thoughts today so here is part of the list running through my head today - and of course it's all the same time:
- This is week 2 of a new very strong Chemo infusion.  Last week went great and this week should be the same.  
- Did I put the lawn mower away after I mowed yesterday? - why can't I remember?
- That apple muffin was good, haven't had an apple muffin in a very long time.
- Boy, poor Hubby is going to have a long day today as this infusion takes a long time and he is just sitting here all day with me.
- A year ago I was back to work for a few hours each day, this year I am no longer working and sitting here getting premeds to protect me from the drug that I will get in about an hour.
There's more, but you get the point.  My poor head!!

A Hodgepodge of a Hodgepodge!

Good Morning all!  I hope you are enjoying the beautiful day we are having and enjoying the questions Joyce has for us today.  Come join us as we answer them.

1. What happens to the mail at your house?

Most of it goes right into the trash.  It's just junk after all.  I'm tempted to send it back by marking "Return to Sender" and having the company pay for postage for both directions but I don't.  That seems to just take too much time to do that.  

2. Something you always splurge on? Any guilt associated with the splurge?

I don't splurge on much, I'm pretty simple but I do like Jiff peanut butter and that is the brand that I spend money on.  I know that there are other brands that are more healthy but I like Jiff, so I buy that.  I feel no guilt at all.  

3. There are many, but what are two important questions you think every bride and groom should ask/answer before they plan their walk down the aisle?

WOW, after being married for so long it's hard to remember what we should have talked about before  we got married but I think the conversation about children (do you both want them and how many, how far apart, who will stay home with them or are you both going to work and have a sitter or use a daycare etc) and plans about where to live (which state, near parents or not, house, apartment, condo, etc) are the questions they should talk about.  I know that is most likely more than 2 questions, but really, important  questions.  

4. What's the best advice your father ever gave you?

Swing as high as you can on the swing but make sure you can jump off safely if you need to.  

5. Your favorite movie where a father features heavily in the storyline?

3 Men and Baby.   

These 3 men who know nothing about babies learn to raise one and learn to love someone else beside themselves.  Babies don't come with directions after all do they. 

 
6. Insert your own random thought here.

I was out with some friends on Tuesday and as always we were sharing some of our past.  I discovered that I am surrounded by very strong, determined, brave women who have faced tough times or are currently facing tough times but they do it with laughter, a smile, conviction to do the right thing, and a strong belief in a God who loves them and cares for them.  I can learn a lot from my friends.  I love my friends.  I hope you all love yours.  Have a great week.  

Mow over Hodgepodge!

Thank you Joyce for the questions, here are my answers.  

1. Describe your 30's in one sentence. If you're not yet 30 tell us one thing you hope to accomplish once you hit that particular decade.

The best of times.  

2. Is it harder for you to exercise or eat healthy?

Exercise, for sure.  

3. June 7th is National VCR Day. Huh? Anyway this reminded me of something I saw on Facebook listing household items we no longer have and the VCR was on it. I couldn't put my hands on that list, but found another list here of 21 items we all had ten years ago, but which are now obsolete-

bookshelves (WHAT!!???), drip coffee makers, alarm clocks, file cabinets, desktop computers, printers, printed phone books, answering machines, fax machines, paper shredders, a Rolodex, CD racks, CD burners, china cabinets, home phones, entertainment consoles, DVD players, calculators, takeout menus, incandescent light bulbs, and cable TV

Your thoughts? How many on the list do you still have? Still use?

Bookshelves?  Yes we have lots as we have lots of books. 
Drip coffee maker?  Not any more.
Alarm Clocks? Yes we have 2 old ones in our offices to keep track of the time.  
File Cabinets?  Yes, Where else do you keep the manuals of all the things we buy. 
Desktop computers? Yes, Hubby likes the really big monitor.
Printers? Yes.
Printed phone books? Every fall the town sends us a new one, I'm always surprised to see how small it is and it covers a few towns around us.  
Answering Machine? There is one attached to our land line so yes. 
Fax machine? Our printer is a fax machine as well,  I can't figure out how to use it so yes we have one but we don't use it.  Most things can be set via email right? 
Paper Shredder? Yup, still have one and still use it.
Roledx,CD racks,CD burner, China Cabinet? Nope, none 
Home phone? Yup still have it but most people call our cell.
Entertainment consoles? No. 
DVD player, calculators? Yup, still have them.
Take out menus?  Yes but we don't use them as much as we use to.  We use on line ordering most of the times.
Incandescent light bulbs? I think we still have some in the house.
Cable?  Yup we still have it. 

4. What's something you see disappearing in the next ten years?

Keys, both car and house. It will all be some sort of scanner.

5. How did you celebrate your birthday this past year? Is that typical?

I celebrated my birthday with a beautiful card, a nice meal for both breakfast and dinner, (no cooking and no clean up) a sweet card and the day to play in the yard. No one to bug me. Our children called me to sing Happy Birthday over the phone and talk for a bit about life.  It was lovely and yes, that is the typical day for me.  I love the ease of being home and and it's quiet and I can play in the yard, in the dirt.  

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I love to mow the lawn, I love the smell of freshly cut grass, the different patterns that I can put in the lawn, the peace of no one interupting me for something.  For the past few  years, I've not been able to mow and so Hubby has been doing it.  He doesn't like to mow but did it for me every month without grumbling for a few years.  He loves me.  I tried to mow a few weeks ago but the pull cord was too hard for me to pull and the mower was a bit too heavy to push. 
Imagine my joy when Hubby got me a new electric mower!!  I love my little green machine.  It starts with a push of a buton, it pushes easily, has 5 different heights to pick from and is a lot more quiet than the gas model.  I can get out to mow at 6 am if I want and not disturb the neighbors. 
I am such a happy girl! I can walk and mow and pray again.   Have a nice week everyone.