My Summer Hodgepodge!

Oh Happy Hodgepodge! Let's see what Joyce @ This Side of the Pond is up to now! Please join us! It is a fun way to get to know people and make new friends! Honestly, you find out you are not alone in your thinking!

1.  I recently read here about four secrets to happiness from around the world. They were-

Overcome your fears by facing them head on, allow yourself to relax and reset, work to live versus living to work, and find the good in life. Not sure if these are the actual secret to happiness, but which of the four do you struggle with most? Which one comes most easily to you?

The hardest one for me is probably overcome your fears by facing them. I am a people pleaser and so it is hard when I don't. I have a hard time (but working on) not being perfect and the fear that I am "not enough" in peoples eyes makes for poor self esteem and beating up on myself pretty good. I am trying to get better on this, though. Plus there is NO WAY I am going to confront a clown or snakes to get over those fears! 

The easiest is finding the good in life. I take this to mean finding the positives. I read a book "The Power of Intention" from Dr Dwayne Dyer. The one thing that stuck out to me, like a smack upside the head is…you get a return on what you put out. This means if I am positive, I get positive back, but if I am negative, yep, I get negativity back. Who wants that! It really has helped me be a more positive person and it helps me to be thankful to God for the good and the bad that I experience. Now if I could just make it work to my advantage when I am facing my fears!

2. How would you spend a found $20 bill today?

Probably spend it on LT on a nice steak dinner out or a movie or something. 

3. Ego trip, power trip, guilt trip, round trip, trip the light fantastic, or trip over your own two feet...which 'trip' have you experienced or dealt with most recently? Explain.

Ummm…power trip. I really can't say much about it, but I do run into a lot lately in almost every aspect of my life: family, work, friends, community, etc. Yes, I do personally have a control issue, but this power trip is from someone else, not me. Trust me, I own up to my own power trips…sometimes I need a seat belt for those!

4. If you could master any physical skill in the world what would it be, and how would you use that skill?

I always wanted to to a pull up, but that is not a skill. LOL! Actually, I would love to be an amazing photographer. I see so many pictures people have taken that move my soul. I would like to be able to do that.

5. As July draws to a close, let's take inventory of our summer fun. Since the official first day of (North American) summer (June 20th) have you...been swimming? enjoyed an ice cream cone? seen a summer blockbuster? camped? eaten corn on the cob? gardened? deliberately unplugged? watched a ballgame? picked fruit off the vine? taken a road trip? read a book?  Are any of these activities on your must-do-before-summer-ends list?

In regards to your list, my summer sucked! LOL I have been teaching summer school and spending time with my dad (sitting in a recliner and making him dinner). So I really have not done much. LT and I have done a few concerts this summer, but that it it. Now that I think on it, I need to do something!!

6. The Republican Presidential candidates will debate on August 6th. What's your question?

Honestly I do not have one. I am not happy with any of my candidate choices and it seems we just keep getting worse and worse on who is running. I have learned in my family, I have learned to just steer clear of this topic!

7. What's your most listened to song so far this summer?

I listen to a plethora of songs over the summer, especially while driving in the car to work and to see dad. I guess I have listened to Judas Priest more because of the concert we attended; such as: "Turbo Lover", "Breaking the Law", "Hell Bent for Leather" and "Living After Midnight".  I also listen to Nickelback's "She Keeps Me Up". I am a rocker, what can I say.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Gearing up for a possible battle with city code enforcement. They say we have weeds in alley and we don't. Then they are about trees covering alley. We don't have trees in our backyard…all bushes and flowers. The trees they may be referring to are the common area which is not my property. I am pulling up my big girl panties and getting ready to let them have it! (If it comes to that!)

Why Does It Have to Be So Hard

I received the call this morning that my Aunt Mary has passed away. She was daddy's last living relative.

Aunt Mary had Alzheimer's and began a quick downhill decline. The scary part was it mirrored my mom's disease.

Mama and Aunt Mary were diagnosed around the same time. Both were moved out of their homes into one of their children's homes the same month. They both were in the hospital from a complication of their disease. 3 months after Mama passed, Aunt Mary passed.

It reminds me of this Virgin Mary statue my dad's sister had. When she died of bone cancer, my grandmother, dad's mom, took back the statue. Grandma later died of rare ovarian cancer. We were a little leery of this statue, but my dad's brother took it. He later died of cancer. The statue was later put on his headstone so no one got it.

I am still raw or maybe hidden about mama's death. I know she has died, but has not really hit me. Now  my aunt has passed. I have no idea how my dad is doing through all of this. It has to be especially hard on him. Now he is the last one left. He thought, due to his family history, he would not make it past 65 let alone make it to 81.

How can I help my father through all of this?

Favorite Conversation Ever!

LT and I are a bunch of goof balls. I admit it, not sure if he does (at least publicly). We do silly things like call/text each other about a conversation we had with Gavin, the Westie. Things like Gavin saying Dads rule, Moms drool (when we all know it is the other way around!), or that there was a receipt for a keg of Shiner Bock with the signature of G. E. or my favorite is when LT says he has put Westie ears on Ebay to sell and he has a cat on the line that wants to pay top dollar for them!

LT is the funniest man I know. That man can get me out of my mad quick as a wink, dang it! He can think on his feet so fast and then things he says! I hope no one listens in on our conversations! They would want to put us in the funny farm!

One night, it might have been last year, I was trying to be the "good wife" and put the channel on the late night TV show he likes before I head on to bed. Here is how this conversation went…

LT: I watch David Letterman, not Jay Leno.

ME: I turned the channel to Leno, didn't I?

LT: Yeah. Jesus doesn't love you, but I do.

This is just one of the many things I love about this man! God's timetable was spot on, even though I thought it was too long. Just one more thing to remember. We got this, but sometimes we have to trust more than ever.

Cheezy Movies for 500, Alex

I probably would rock this category on Jeopardy. Of course that may be the ONLY category I could do LOL!

I have watched my share of cheezy movies, but I think Sharknado 3 has set the bar. I mean, where else could a woman give birth to a baby inside a shark while it fell from space…and both mom and baby survive!!

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The other part was equally as funny. The guy tried to get to the switch on top of the RV to blow it up, thus taking out the sharknado (tornado with sharks in it). On his way, fighting off raining sharks, he is bitten first on the leg, and it is completely gone. He continues and just as he opens the RV door, has his arm severed by a flying shark. So he is down to one arm and one leg. While on the roof pulling himself along, his other leg bites it…or is bit off by another shark only to finally have his last and only limb wasted away. So what is a hero to do? Use his head!! Yep, he used his nose to push the button and blam-o! Bye bye sharknado! Don't worry, there were more there to take its place…hence the need to go into outer space with none other than…David Hasselhoff. Talk about jumping the shark! LOL

There were other scenes and a bad ass Rambo scene with Mark Cuban as the president. Really it was so so cheezy that I had to sit there and watch the whole thing! I loved when the sharks rained down on Orlando Studio and sharks were "riding" the roller coasters! LOL How can you look away I ask you!

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So this is one of my secret  flag flying freaky love…stupid cheezy shark movies. We all have something like this. So I want you to own it. Wave that flag! What is your cheezy movie, have to watch.

Don't leave a sista hangin' now! Share with me…I won't make fun of you…hello pot? I'm kettle! LOL

Cool Hodgepodge!

Yay! It is Wednesday and that means….HODGEPODGE! A huge thank you to Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond for all your hard work to put this on for us! I invite everyone to participate. It is a great way to make new friends and get to know people! Funny how we all have the same things in common, huh?

1. Is your home air conditioned? If it's not air conditioned, is that by choice? Did you grow up with air conditioning? If not how did you cope with the heat? Share about a time or place you remember as being too hot-the temperature kind of hot, lest anyone be confused.

Of course my house is air conditioned. I live in Texas where the summers are triple digits.! I would love to live where it is cool (not cold) and can have the house opened up for fresh air. I grew up in Kansas so we needed A/C there too. I move from hot to hottest it seems! 

Sunday! I went to see Steely Dan at Gexa Energy Pavallian in Dallas. It is an outside venue…in Texas…in the summer. We sat on the hill and caught a breeze and waited for the sun to go down on our seats under the awning. When we went to our seats we were packed in like sardines in a can and There was no breeze AT ALL! I honestly felt I was going to pass out. Enjoyed the music though!!

2. What's something in your life right now that falls under the heading 'up in the air'?

Another easy question! My wedding! We do not have a date yet. I may have found a place but haven't really looked into because without a date, what can you do?! 

3. Your favorite light and airy dessert?

4 layer cream cheese chocolate pudding dessert. It goes by many names. I chose one that had the ingredients in it! Here is a recipe I found on Food.com. It is yummilicious and reminds me of home!

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There is another recipe with pictures linked under "source" of this picture. I guess you could use any pudding, but why ruin a good thing! Chocolate is the best!

4. When did you last feel like you were 'floating on air'?

When LT and I went hiking in the Redwood Forest and saw all those ginormous trees! I was in awe of what God had created.

5. Airport, airmail, airtight, airhead...which have you most recently encountered? Explain.

Sad to say "airport" but it has been a year since I have been. I guess that isn't too recent but that's all I got! LOL

6.  Have you ever been to the Alps? If so where did you go? If not, is this a destination on your must-see list? If you were headed that direction this summer, which of the following would be your preferred activity...a gentle walk, a serious walk, a bike ride, a boat ride around one of the lakes, or summer snow skiing?

Unfortunately I have never been to the Alps. I would like to, but just not sure if I will make it. If I did go to the Alps I would want a gentle to moderate walk. I want to enjoy the scenery but not damage myself getting to a destination. Oh and I want a trail! No compasses or tents for me. I'll do nature, but not full on nature! Too old!

7. What is one saying or phrase that was considered 'cool' when you were growing up?

Wow. I grew up in the 80s. I think most of the sayings I use now come from the 80s!  "Awesome" , "Bite me", "The Bomb", "Burn!", "Fugly", "spazzing, spaz, or spaz out", "veggin' or vegging out" and the most popular "where's the beef?"

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Not that I'm complaining! LOL

Embarrassment or Excitement?

I am more outgoing than LT in public. I get this tingly feeling that builds up until I have to let my freak flag fly! (you love that alliteration?)

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Here is an example:

We eat on Monday's at Moe's. It has $6 burritos and we like to save money…plus they are good! When you walk in to Moe's you are greeted with "Welcome to Moe's!" with enthusiasm! After the 3rd time, you guessed it….that tingly feeling was all a twitter and the flag went up!

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I, just as enthusiastically, threw up my hands in a touchdown position as said "WELCOME TO MOE'S!" OK it may have been more like a loud, outside voice, but still! LT was not impressed nor was he happy. Me, I was all smiles and taking in my accolades the staff and customers were giving me! Ahhh heaven!

Yesterday, Monday, we went back to Moe's. It has been months since "the incident" and I guess LT thought all was good. Little did he know when we pulled in the parking lot, the tingles came back! I told him "You know what I have to do don't you?" Long story short (although all the good parts are omitted when people say that, you know) I lowed the freak flag and was just another boring customer. Of course there was only 1 table that had customers so it would not have been as much fun!

I just can't help when it happens….and it happens more than some like.

So tell me of a time you were either embarrassed by someone or were excited by what you did! Let YOUR freak flag fly!

To Elope or Not to Elope? That is the Question

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I have been thinking hard on what to do about this wedding thing. No we still do not have a date (and I am some what ok with it) This will not be either of our first marriages so things are more relaxed and accepting.

My question is…do I really need the dress, church (think small, intimate and inexpensive) and reception (where I can show off said dress and have all of our friends to celebrate) OR do we need to go and do the deed ourselves, just the two of us?

I have broken down the pros and cons of each.

Church/reception

PROS
wedding dress
family/friends
local
party atmosphere

CONS
reception venue have with requirements
having trouble finding inexpensive venues
have to diy decorate
money spent on dress, venues, and all fix in's

Elopement

PROS
inexpensive
already be on honeymoon (destination wedding)
get married in Redwood Forest
second wedding and don't need the fuss

CONS
no family/friends
no dress (hard to travel with on plane)
must plan on internet and site unseen
can do reception later ($ and no dress)

Going over the pros and cons, seeing them written out, makes me long for family and friends to help us celebrate. When I look at photos of elopements, people are in their regular clothes (albeit nice dresses/suits). It just seems sad somehow. I don't know. Maybe because it will be so far away from family.

On the flip side, I am not looking forward to putting a lot of money into it. We don't need the big blow out. We won't be serving a dinner (who's idea was that anyway?)  I am struggling to find a place locally to have the reception. I do not want people to have to drive to far. Some are coming from out of town.

Here is the deal. I look at it like someone going to the wedding, not as a bride. I would want the wedding to be short and sweet, not a lot of time in between the wedding and reception waiting on the bride and groom to show up. If I am out of town, I do not want to have to splurge for a hotel so I may need to leave early (not have an all day/night affair).

Reading this makes me think I am leaning towards a local, intimate wedding if all the stars align. I did tell LT if he wants Justice of the Peace, we will be getting married next month…no sense putting it off if we are doing a baby big to-do.

So I am asking you…what are your thoughts, suggestions, ideas. My head and heart are spinning outta control on this issue.

5 Things to Avoid Before Bed

    We all do it. You know, those silly things we shouldn't do right before we go get a good night sleep. Here are 5 things to avoid and my suggestions to help or fix the issues.

     1. Caffeine – Caffeine is a stimulate found in coffee, soda, chocolate and tea, just to name a few. What this does, in my terminology, is it revs you up and keeps you awake. Hence, why people drink coffee to wake up in the morning. This is not conductive to sleeping though.

If you find you have ingested caffeine before bed, I suggest you buckle your seat belt and find something to do. You will be up for awhile so go ahead, read, do laundry, tidy up, or anything that will not wake up the rest of the house.

Your best bet is to know when to stop ingesting caffeine so you can get a good quality night sleep. I had heard at night, your brain goes through your day’s events to catalog them to save or toss. If you do not get enough sleep, your brain doesn’t have the time to do this so it dumps what hasn’t been processed. No wonder you are foggy and don’t remember things the next day!

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2. Stress – No brainer, right? Well, easier said than done. When you have stress in your life, whether from work or family, fighting, being worried or anxious, your brain is on overload. For some of us, your brain wants to replay the event over and over ad nauseam. Not only to show you what you did wrong but also to play out different scenarios and responses/actions you could have taken.

There are many ways to help you distress; mediation and journaling are two ways to help clear your head. What helps me is talking to God and asking him to take it all. Mind you, I usually have to do this several times because all that crap comes sneaking back in my brain so I have to release it again and again. If you are not religious, I want you to focus on the key word “release” you need to release your stress to sleep.

3. Salt  - This could be more of an individual basis. Too much salt can cause your blood pressure to rise and you can get either heart palpitations or restless leg. Both are not conductive to a good night sleep.

The best way to help you is not to eat salt. Now I know how hard it is especially on Mexican night when you eat all those glorious crunchy chips with salsa while drinking a margarita with salt on the rim. My legs are twitching already just by thinking about it!

I wrote about one way to help you with restless leg here. I swear by lavender oil. It keeps your legs from twitching instantly! Another thing you can do, but it is a catch 22, is drink tea. I know I said tea before bed is a no-no and it is. But tea is a diuretic and helps flush the salt out of your system. You just need to be aware of your time and what it does to your body.

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4. Spicy food – Pretty self-explanatory. That spicy food that tasted so good going down doesn’t feel so great coming back up! You could be plagued with heartburn and Tums or others like it can help but it can take a while to finally begin working.

In the past I have used aloe vera juice. It was very beneficial and healthy. It is just not always easy or convenient to carry it with me so it is something I do at home.

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5. Alcohol – Oh the stories I can tell about this one…but I won’t. I need that protection! LOL! We have all been there one time, I am sure. The amount of alcohol you have ingested is really what plays a role in this. Too much and you are either worshipping the porcelain god or you are grabbing on the bed (or carpet) so you don’t go flying off while the room is spinning…not that I know anything about either of these.

Most people will tell you to eat bread when you get home to absorb the alcohol. I have a better solution.... be mindful of your intake! I would say don’t drink but that would be hypocritical as I enjoy a glass of wine occasionally; however, you do not need to drink to excess.

The thing to take away is, know your body and know your triggers. Realize what helps and hurts your mind and body and set out to make a plan proactive for your benefit.

When you mess up, and you know you will because you are human, make note of it and move on with life. Don’t sit and dwell on your mistake. It is in the past and can’t be changed, but it can be a lesson for the future. Remember, you are not the only one. We have all been there.

We got this!

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Happy Hodgepodge!

I took last week off while I was hanging with my dad and I missed this! I am back with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond and I am ready to handle the difficult questions! LOL

And yes, I am having issues with my blog. My techno ninja is helping me with this! Maybe today isn't my day.

1. July 15 is National Give Something Away Day.What can you give away? Will you?

First thing I think of is cleaning out our closet and give away clothes that we do not wear! There are so many places that we can give donations. Other things would be my knowledge at school when working with students. It is the easiest one to do! LOL As for the clothes I will be going through it before fall so, no it will not be done on July 15.

2. Do you have a mantra? Please share with the class if you feel comfortable doing so.

I actually have a few!

1. I got this
2. Not my circus, not my monkeys
3. Thank you, God

3. Who does the grocery shopping in your house? How many times a week do you shop? Do you make a list or pray for inspiration in the produce aisle?

Well, we usually do it together. We eat out most of the days because of his job. He is on 24 hrs and off 48 hrs. Plus it is just the two of us. Sometimes it is easier to eat out …and cheaper too.

4. Is there a TV show you're embarrassed to say you watch? You're going to tell us what it is, right?

For 9 years, I did not have cable. I got whatever my rabbit ears picked up. Then LT came in my life and he said if I wanted to keep him I would get cable! LOL Not really but I did get it after we started dating. My embarrassing shows are the ones he introduced me to especially Alaskan Bush People on Discovery Channel

5. A recent article listed fifteen words we should eliminate from our (written) vocabulary in order to sound smarter-

that, went, honestly, absolutely, very, really, amazing, always, never, literally, just, maybe, stuff, things, and irregardless

Of the fifteen, which word is your most overused?

Just. I use it too much! I read an article about it and have been so conscience of my over use of it. I will go back and rework the sentence to remove it! The other word is amazing, but I am keeping that word!

6. So apparently dying your hair gray (in your youth!) is a thing right now. It's called 'The Granny Hair' trend. Your thoughts?

No. Just No. I guess because I am battling the onset of gray hair I can't understand this trend. 

7. A while back Buzz Feed asked members to share the most beautiful sentence they've read in a piece of literature. A hard thing to narrow down, at least for me, but let's try. What's one of the most beautiful sentences you've ever read in a piece of literature?

This has to be the hardest question ever!! Ok. I have been trying to be a better me and get over my need to be perfect. Harder than it sounds. I also have an issue of showing emotions (thanks to my family). Lastly, I am a people pleaser and put their needs/wants over my own (thanks mom). That doesn't mean I am not learning and striving to do better. I have made some leaps! I have read Brene Brown's Daring Greatly... love it! I am currently reading Gifts of Imperfection from her. My quote is from that book:

"It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves to be seen."

That is some powerful stuff right there. I love to tell my students they are in control of me; their choices dictate my choices. How funny I really never took that and applied it to my life. Food for thought

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I recently added Disqus comments to my blog. I was having a hard time replying to everyone because I did not have email addresses or a way to respond personally, other than on my blog. I am hoping this addition works! If not, you and I will know quickly and we will go back to the drawing board!!

First Time for Anything

I experienced my very first Heavy Metal concert! LT took me to a Judas Priest concert. Now I have been to rock concerts and I did go to the Uproar concert and that was amazeballs (yes I went there!), but we are talking true metal.

Judas Priest has been rocking out for 40 years and are considered Metal Gods (also a name of one of their songs!) I am not going to relive the concert and songs, although they did an amazing job entertaining the crowd! LT and I were head-banging, rocking out with the best of them. Maybe that is why I have a headache today! LOL

What I do want to talk about is the crowd! I have been to different concerts with different genres, but one thing is for sure on any of them…you will be in people watch heaven! Oh my goodness my antenna was all aquiver from the sights around me. Now I am not bashing anyone or making fun of anyone, well there was that one girl but she totally deserved it!. All I am saying is when I left the concert my self esteem was flying high and I felt pretty good about myself! LOL

Because of the band, the majority of people were around my age or older. There were some that were younger (middle school age) that were rocking out with their parents. How cool was that! I definitely never did that with my parents. Most wore T-shirts with their favorite heavy metal band or their new Judas Priest shirt. I had these two couples in front of me that looked like like stay at home rich wives. I had to do a double take because, like me, did not look the part of the heavy metal crowd. When the band came on, one of the women was rocking out harder than I was!

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From my experience I have concluded the following:

1. Never judge a book by it's cover. You never know what is inside. It could be a heavy metal lover wearing those pearls. You may be one and not know it! Judas Priest songs include: Living After Midnight, Turbo Lover, Breaking the Law, and You've Got Another Thing Coming.

2. If you need to feel better about yourself, go to a crowded area. There will always be one or two that makes you feel better. But don't worry about getting all smug and ego-driven. You will be somebody else's feel better!

3. Don't worry about appearances. Nobody cares what you are wearing and really, who are you dressing up for? Just be comfortable because you will be standing for over 2 hours. Might as well feel good about it!

4. Protect your hearing! Who cares if people are staring at you when you are putting in your Earaser ear plugs. You will feel better afterwards with no ringing ears, yet you will hear the concert perfectly! Because we go to so many concerts, we went with more profession ear protection than what you get at Wal-Mart.

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5. Embrace the moment. You will only get it once so make the most of it. Take in everything from sights and sounds to smell. Yes, even that pot smell. When you engage and use your senses, your memory has a better chance to remember it and recall it. Involve ALL of your senses!

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Don't be scared and try new things. Life is about experiences. Get out and try things and make the most out of life.

Texas Heat Humor

100 degrees. Isn't that the starting temperature of the oven? I guess summer is full swing in Texas! 

I was chatting this morning with Terri at Your Friend From Florida about the weather and how hot it is getting everywhere. Of course one thing led to another and I started searching Pinterest about Texas heat. I could tell you how hot it is or I can just share some pictures I found that shows it much better than me saying it! 

Texas Weather 101. Learned it rather quickly

I say this daily during the summer! 

This is especially funny because I am from Kansas
and now live in Texas! 

Admit it…who was done this?

 I have been traumatized from this during my childhood!

Sad to say but I am totally feeling this way and that is scary!!

There are days I feel like this!

Heaven, pure Heaven!

I hope your summers are nothing like ours! If it is, do like I do and find the humor in it then get your booty in front of a fan and cool the heck down! 

How are you dealing with the heat?

Summer School Round 2

I just finished day 1 of summer school second session.

I struggled through first session. I'll be honest, I was not happy. I could list all the reasons, but suffice it to say, it was not one of my best work environments. Let me put it another way…the best I can say about it is 1) it is over and 2) I made extra money that could pay for a trip or go towards a wedding and 3) if I had not already gotten paid for July, I would have been outta there!

To my relief, second session started out much much better. I am happy and ready to go back tomorrow! I am actually not dreading it. I am hoping to keep that mentality up!

Yes, you can tell I am struggling with staying positive this summer. I have some guilt about Dad, like I need to spend more time with him this summer. He is struggling with depression and loneliness (totally understandable) and I want to help him and be there for him. He understands about me needing to work, but I still feel guilty.

It is hard when you have to personality to want to please others and not yourself. I am learning, slowly, to do the things I need/want to do. This is really an oxymoron because I have been told that I am selfish. I am still trying to understand and deal with that.

So my Monday has shaped up to be a pretty dag-gum good day and it's gonna end spending time with my love!

What did you Monday end up being? Hope it was amazing in a good way!

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Is My Ex Stalking Me?

Maybe I need to send this to my ex so he will stop asking to be my friend on Facebook. Request #2 just came through. 

Now that I think about it, how sad this is the only thing I have to report from the weekend…so far. Hope y'all are having an amazing, fun and relaxing weekend! 

4th of July Memories

I hope everyone had a safe and  happy 4th of July.  

My sister and I were reminiscing on past 4th of July's. The one that stood out to us is what a firework magnet our Aunt Mary was!  It did not matter where she sat or stood, some firework, whether  on the ground or in the air seemed to find her.  Case in point: One of the adults, probably my dad, put this spinner on the fence and lit it. It was to spin  around and shoot off colored fireworks. However, it jumped off the fence and spun on the ground and chased Aunt Mary around! 

Ahhh the memories. Other memories spring to mind like punks and sparklers, black cats and snakes, and family food gatherings ending with home made ice cream. I've been blessed growing up in a small town. This allowed us to have these fun family outings. I wouldn't trade my small town years for nothing.

What is your favorite 4th of July memory. 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Yup, you guessed it! It is time for Hodgepodge!! Thanks again to Joyce From This Side of The Pond for her questions. Where does she get them?

1. On Saturday July 4th America celebrates her Independence. (If you're not American,  feel free to answer in terms of a national holiday in your own country) What is your favorite thing about the day? Your favorite food on the 4th? Do you fly a flag at your house? Fireworks-yay or nay? Any special plans this year?

Yes, we fly a Flag on July 4. I have such great childhood memories of waking up on the fourth and popping fireworks until dusk! Love n me some punks! As an adult, I enjoy the fireworks at night the city puts on because it is a bigger display that lasts longer. I have shot off fireworks at a friends house before and that was fun, just 3 families having fun. 

My sister usually has a BBQ and will again this year; however, I will be with my dad and enjoy the boom booms from his back porch and spend time with him. 

Longer story, one year I was on a Mediterrean cruise on July 4. I was heart broken I was not in America for it. It totally felt weird being on the ocean. Oh, the cruise line tried to be festive, but it was sad and there were no fireworks. But made great memories on that trip otherwise!

2. What's something you recently got for free?

I have a former student who works at a fast food chain. Usually I get a discount but I have gotten a tea for free. It is really good tea!

3.  The Statue of Liberty, The Liberty Bell, The Washington Monument, or Mount Rushmore...how many on the list have you seen? What is your favorite historical American monument, and why? 

I have been to the Washington Monument and Mount Rushmore, both on trips with my parents as an adult! My dad and I love history so it was right up our alley. As for the Liberty Bell, I have not been to Pennsylvania yet, but it is on my list. And sad to say, of all my trips to New York (about 6 years worth), I have never seen the Statue of Liberty, even while on the plane (it was on the other side). Maybe one year I can.

4. When it comes to the news are you more ostrich (stick my head in the sand) or hog (they have room to take a whole lot in)? How much attention have you given the recent news reports regarding ISIS and the acts of terror they've perpetrated against those who do not share their beliefs or support their cause?

Funny you should ask! I am an ostrich and LT is a hog! It ends up where he will watch the news EVERY time it is on, even HLN on Saturdays! He wants to stay informed (even when they give the same news reports all day) I have been forced to be a piglet. I get the news while he is home, otherwise I don't watch it.

5. We're talking plain ice cream...vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry? Choose one.

If I had to chose one with nothing mixed with it like delicious nuts or syrup, then chocolate.

6. Share a song you love containing the word 'stars' in the lyrics or title?

Lucky Star by Madonna

You must be my lucky star
'Cause you shine on me wherever you are
I just think of you and I start to glow
And I need your light and baby you know

Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight
Starlight, star bright, make everything all right
Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight
Starlight, star bright, yeah

You must be my lucky star
'Cause you make the darkness seem so far
And when I'm lost you'll be my guide
I just turn around and you're by my side

Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight
Starlight, star bright, make everything all right
Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight
Starlight, star bright, yeah

Come on, shine your heavenly body tonight
'Cause I know you're gonna make everything all right
Come on, shine your heavenly body tonight
'Cause I know you're gonna make everything all right

You may be my lucky star
But I'm the luckiest by far
You may be my lucky star
But I'm the luckiest by far

Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight
Starlight, star bright, make everything all right
Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight
Starlight, star bright, yeah

Come on, shine your heavenly body tonight
'Cause I know you're gonna make everything all right
Come on, shine your heavenly body tonight
'Cause I know you're gonna make everything all right

He may be my lucky star
I'm the luckiest by far
He may be my lucky star
I'm the luckiest by far

He may be my lucky star
I'm the luckiest by far
He may be my lucky star
I'm the luckiest by far

Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight
Starlight, star bright, make everything all right
Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight
Starlight, star bright

Starlight, star bright, you make everything all right
What you do to me baby
You better stay by my side tonight

Starlight, star bright
Starlight, star bright
Starlight, star bright
Starlight, star bright

Starlight, star bright, baby
Starlight, star bright, stay by my side tonight
What you do to me baby
What you do, what you do to me baby
Stay by my side tonight

7. Describe and/or say goodbye to June with an acrostic. 

 Jamming to music at concerts and in the car
Unfortunate rockslide closing I-35 to Oklahoma !
Never-ending rain causing havoc with flooding
Energy sapping heat

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Last night I was awoken to big bad thunder. My first thought…crap the umbrella is up! I ran outside in my jambes with lightening all around praying it doesn't hit the umbrella and electrocute me! I had to run inside 2X because it was so close. After the second I said, screw it and went back to bed. Thinking back on it, I was pretty stupid to run out in a lightening storm!