The Saturday Nine

It's another Saturday 9.  I'm really enjoying this link up as it's another good way for my readers to get to know me better. ~as if they wanted to~ It's always fun to read everyone's answers to the questions.  Enjoy!

Saturday 9: The Nanny (1993)


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

1) This week's song is the theme from a sitcom that originally aired from 1993 to 1999. Were you a fan? I vaguely even remember the show, so no, I was not a fan

2) The song tells us that Fran once worked in a bridal shop. Have you ever worked in a retail setting? I sure have.  I worked in a Kroger grocery store the summer after my junior year of high school and I worked at Leggett's Department Store during the Christmas season when I was about 16 years old.  Both of these jobs were in Lynchburg, Va.  I haven't worked in retail since that time.

3) The kids in the Sheffield household appreciate their nanny's "joie de vivre," which is defined as "exuberant enjoyment of life." Are you feeling joie de vivre this morning? 
I sure am.  I love Saturdays and I always find that so interesting.  I do not work outside the home so perhaps everyday should feel like Saturday.  But, it doesn't to me.  I love Saturdays and often I do get caught up on things, but I enjoy getting caught up and staying caught up.  It's a constant battle for sure.  Then some Saturdays it's just doing whatever my heart desires.  But, for today, I am feeling "exuberant enjoyment of life!. 

4) "The Nanny" is the colorful one, the one who wears red when everyone else wears tan. What color do you think you look best in?
Well, what an interesting question.  I wear an  awful lot of black and white so I guess I must think that I look good in it.  Many, many years ago when the "color palettes" were popular I was pegged an "autumn."  And, black was not in my pallette.  Hopefully  most of us have the where with all to wear colors that look good on us and don't have to have someone figure it out for us.~smile~  There are definitely colors that I steer clear of, such as yellow, periwinkle, lime green or any overly bright color and the list goes on and on.

5) The TV show, The Nanny, was the brainchild of actress Fran Drescher. She got the idea while visiting her an old friend in London. Her friend's pre-teen daughter enjoyed having Fran as a confidante and shopping buddy. Do you enjoy shopping as a leisure activity? Or would you prefer to just dash into a store, grab what you need, and get out and go home?
Well, there's no denying that I do love to shop.  But, I'm somewhere inbetween leisure and grab and go.  I like to browse and it doesn't take me long to see if there's anything I'm interested in and it doesn't take me long to make a decision.  I either like it or I don't, I either need it or just merely want it and I don't labor over most of my purchases.  


6) The friend Fran was visiting in London was Twiggy, who was the world's most famous model in the 1960s. Name another famous model.


Cindy Crawford from the 80's.  She was known for her eyebrows and athletic body. ~what an interesting combination~  After modeling she expanded her career into fitness videos, TV commercials and a clothing line.  

7) The Nanny: The Complete Series is available on DVD on Amazon. It consists of 19 discs and takes 55 hours to watch, start to finish. What TV show have you recently binge watched?
The only TV show I have ever binge watched in my life was Longmiere.  Hubby and I binge watched the series together back in February of this year.  It was one of the BEST shows I have ever watched.  Yes, there were some scenes I could have definitely done without but the story pretty much kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire series. 

8) The Nanny theme was sung by Liz Callaway. Her father, the late John Callway, was a long-time Chicago newscaster. Have you, or has a loved one, ever been on TV?
Nope! I've never been nor has a loved one and likely never will. 

9) Random question -- Which of these adjectives comes closest to describing you: sexy, sophisticated or down-to-earth?
Oh, my, what an interesting question.  Definitely not sexy, well, not in the sense that the world views sexy. Sophisticated, hummmmm....I suppose I can be if the occasion calls for it but for the most part I don't think so.  Down-to-earth, yes, very!  My parents use to say to me, "always remember, we all put our pants on the same way, one leg at a time."  In other words, we are no better or no less than anyone else.  The good Lord made us all and in His sight we are all the same. I consider being thought of as down to earth one of the best compliments in the world.

Enjoy your Saturday!!!

Birthday Recap - Part 2

Okay, if you are a Pioneer Woman fan then you will love this post and you also need to plan a trip to Pawhuska, Oklahoma.  Bridget and I planned our trip back in March.  We are both fans of PW and since Bridget and her family only live 2 hours from Pawhuska, we knew we had to go. So, we decided that my birthday would be the perfect occasion.

We arrived around 10:15 in the morning and immediately began browsing some of the area shops and at noon we went to Pioneer Woman's wood fired pizza restaurant.  Oh, my goodness, it was so very good! We had pizza with a Caesar salad.  

After lunch we continued our browsing and shopping.  Around 2:00 PM we decided we needed a break and decided to go and try out a pastry from the Pioneer Woman bakery.  Again, it was delicious.  We had a cup of coffee with a blueberry scone that melted in our mouth.  The bakery is located on the  second floor of the Mercantile.  They have a nice seating area that overlooks the small town.  It was definitely "the pause that refreshes."

After "the pause that refreshes" it was time to go and check into the Boarding House.  The Boarding House opened in mid-March and we felt very fortunate to even have gotten a room.  Bridget was online the minute their website opened for reservations and we got lucky and got a reservation.  Their website literally crashed the evening they opened it.  They never anticipated that over 32,000 folks would be trying to make reservations.  They booked up through March 2019 in a matter of minutes.  Their website is currently closed for reservations but they told us that they would be opening it up soon for reservations after March 2019.  There are only 8 rooms, so that helps to understand the wait.  But, let me assure you that it is worth the wait.  They treat you like a Queen and the rooms are fabulous.  We stayed in the Prairie Room.  BTW, the building that is now the Boarding House has been several things over the years but the last business that it housed was J.C. Penney. 

It was just beautiful as you can see from the pictures above.  Everything to perfection, very roomy and any and everything that one could need for a memorable stay.  Once we were settled in we took off to go to the Mercantile shop before we had dinner  at the Mercantile restaurant. 

AND, who did we run into????  Yes indeed, it was Marlboro Man himself, Ladd Drummond, Ree's husband.  He was milling around visiting with folks so Bridget and I took advantage of the moment.  He was so very nice and even obliged us with a picture.  Someone commented to me that he sure was mighty fit to be married to an excellent cook like Ree.  Well, I can't even imagine the calories he must burn working their ranch.  

Our dinner that evening at The Mercantile Restaurant was wonderful.  We met up with another mother/daughter staying at The Boarding House and we enjoyed their company over dinner. They have vintage looking dishes, lovely cloth napkins and a fabulous wait staff.  Bridget and I opted for one of their sandwiches and they did not disappoint at all.  We topped it off with another delicious blueberry dessert.

The next morning we checked out, very begrudgingly, and headed toward home.  On our way we stopped by The Lodge where Ree films her TV show.  It is 6 miles down a gravel road and I didn't know if we would ever get to it.  At one time it was the house that Ladd grew up in.  They refurbished it with a HUGE commercial kitchen, HUGE pantry, several bedrooms and a nice living area.  It is obviously very much lived in.  We stood at the very stove she cooks at on her show.

Above is a picture of her food, spices and staples pantry.  You name it and she had it in there.

Above is her dish,  utensil and pot and pan pantry.  Oh, my goodness, I've never seen so many mixing bowls, pots, pans, dishes of every description.  It was like being in a kitchen store. 

All the way across the back of the lodge is a wooden deck over looking a part of their ranch.  I'm sure in the early morning and late afternoons it is a wonderful gathering spot.  As with most things, our time had come to an end but we left with so many wonderful memories of a fabulous time.

Pawhuska is a town of 3200 people so it is quite small.  Ree and Ladd have done so much to refurbish the little downtown area and have even more plans for the future.  They will be opening a top notch steak house Nov. 1st and then they have another building taking shape but no one seemed to know what it was going to be.  One of the staff speculated that it might be a spa.  

Bridget and I were there right at 24 hours and did everything there was to do in Pawhuska.  So, most of the folks that visit are day visitors.  But, for me, staying at The Boarding House was the high light of our visit.  There are areas nearby that one could visit to add to their stay but we had left our men behind and once we did "all things Pioneer Woman" we were ready to head towards home.

Some interesting facts about the Drummond family:
Ladd is a 5th generation rancher
The Drummond family are the 23rd largest land owner in the US.  They own 433,000 acres of land in Oklahoma.  Yes, 433,000!!

If you are a Pioneer Woman fan then you need to read the book, "From High Heels to Tractor Wheels."  It was written by Ree about how she and Ladd met, fell in love and married.  It is such a wonderful and interesting book. 

Yes, it was indeed a birthday to remember and a most special time for Bridget and me to share.

Birthday Recap - Part 1

Well, I have just enjoyed one of the best birthday celebrations!  I pretty much celebrated for a week, but, hey, at this age, I think that's pretty much okay.  I just wanted to share bits and pieces of my #66 with you.

It all started with a lovely dinner at one of our favorite restaurants with dear friends.

I received so many lovely gifts and remembrances and one extra special one came from my blogging friend Andrea.  It was such a wonderful surprise and she sent me "all things lemon."  You can check out Andrea's blog, Living on Cloud Nine, here. She's a real sweetheart! I also received a boatload of wonderful cards from friends and family. 

My "day" started with breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  We had gone to Little Rock, AR the day before as we were in route to Oklahoma.  I generally love Cracker Barrel but breakfast that morning was just not all that good.  I was a tad disappointed as it was the beginning of MY birthday.  But, it was just the beginning and the day held all kinds of wonderfulness later on.

We arrived at our daughter's mid-afternoon and when we walked in she had a big banner and a pretty birthday cake.  I felt so special and so celebrated.

Clancy and Coleman were so excited about giving me their gift so that was done before my birthday dinner.  It was the lovely personalized bracelet that you see above.  My grandmother name with the birth stones of the grandchildren.  Two of the grandchildren have the same birth month so it worked out perfectly to have the 3 stones placed evenly among the 4 letters.  I love it!!!

After a delicious dinner it was time to blow out the candles and cut the cake.  Of course, I was shocked when I saw all the colorful layers of the cake and I was quite impressed.  And, when I tasted it, I was more than impressed.  It was absolutely delicious!!!  Bridget had put her best foot forward in creating this masterpiece.  The base of the cake is the white super moist boxed cake mix and it is true to it's name, super moist.  I am now anxious to try my hand at creating one of these.  Bridget said it isn't necessarily hard, just time consuming.  Needless to say, I felt more than a little celebrated!

After the celebration we all headed outside to watch Clancy work his sheep.  He just got his sheep a couple of weeks ago so they are still quite stubborn and haven't really figured out who is in charge.  But, it won't be long until Clancy will have the upper hand. ~smile~ It's such a great way for him to learn responsibility and commitment.  It's hard to believe this sweet boy will be 10 years old in Oct.

Okay, this wraps up Part 1 of my birthday celebration.  Stay tuned for Part 2, on Friday, when I recap mine and Bridget's trip to Pawhuska, Ok to do "all things Pioneer Woman."  

Let me just say, it was "all that and a bag of chips."  I can't wait to share it with you.

TBB Asks - All About A Party

It's good to be back after a wonderful "birthday getaway."  I'll be sharing all my birthday fun with you on Wednesday but, for today, it's all about  partying with the Blended Blog gals. 

1. Favorite Birthday Party as a Child?

Here I am, ready for my 6th birthday party.  I got a Schwinn bicycle and it was wayyy bigger than me.  But, excited was not the word, I was beyond excited!  It was just a simple party, cake, kool-aid and a few friends but all that mattered to me was my new bicycle. ~those were the days~

2. Do you like to Entertain? Yes or No?
I do enjoy entertaining and I can go with the most elaborate to the most simple and everything in-between.  Most of mine, these days, is more simply done and I've found that guests don't really care, they are just thrilled to be sharing a fun time in your home.  I've never been one to do much fretting and stewing over entertainment.  It takes too much of the fun out of it.

3. What kind of Parties are your favorite?
Hosting or attending, I prefer smaller but I have hosted and attended large.  Of course, large is a whole lot of work but outside of the work, I prefer smaller more intimate gatherings.

4. Big or Small Parties?
Guess I just answered this in #3

5. Favorite thing to do at Parties?
I am very much a people person so mingling and visiting with people is my favorite thing to do.  And, of course, there is generally some really good food at parties and that's always a plus!

6. Party Food Favorites?
It would be the things that I rarely, if ever, eat, other than at a party. Such as, meat balls, various dips with chips and crackers, pecan tassies, and lemon loves.  There's much more but those were the first to come to my mind. 

7. Favorite Flavor of Birthday cake? 
Just give me plain vanilla/almond cake.  There's nothing better in my book! I can't wait to share with you the birthday cake my daughter made for my birthday last week.  The.best.ever!!!!

8. Balloons? Yes or No? 
Well, of course, balloons add a festivity that nothing else can, especially if children are involved. 

9. Best Party Song? 
I'm just going with the very first one to come to my mind.  That would be from 1963, "It's My Party" by Lesly Gore.  Not even sure it would qualify as a party song but.......

10. Do you like to Dance? Yes or No? 
Well, I grew up in the dancing era for sure but, being a "preacher's daughter," I was not allowed to dance.  And, I didn't really think to much about it and not sure it was even that big of a deal to me but, I was pretty much the ONLY one of all my friends that was not allowed to "shake a leg."  I never attended a prom because of that and, I'm living proof that you can live over it. ~chuckle~  I said all that to say, I have danced, but it's not something I really enjoy and probably because I'm not all that good at it. I'm sure if I had grown up dancing that might be different. ~who knows~

Have yourself a great new week and check back on Wednesday for my Birthday recap!

The Saturday 9

It's Saturday and that means time for 9 questions and 9 answers.

Saturday 9: Love Is All Around (1970)

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

1) This week's song is the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a sitcom that originally aired from 1970 to 1977. Were you a fan?
Yes and I know every word of this song.  This was back in the day of good clean sitcoms.  There's no such thing today.  Such a shame!

2) The song tells us that Mary Richards can turn the world on with her smile. Yet the real-life Mary Tyler Moore said she was uncomfortable with her "wide mouth." If you could improve on one of your facial features, which would you choose? 
Well, I'm overall pretty happy with my face but I wouldn't mind having bigger eyes.  I don't have small eyes at all but they could be bigger. ~wink~

3) We also hear that Mary can "take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile." What do you think makes a day "a nothing day?"
Oh, I rarely have "a nothing day" but for me a nothing day would be not really getting dressed,  doing nothing, seeing no one or interacting with no one.  Unless I'm sick, I'm dressed and accessorized everyday, I do some kind of housework, run errands and generally talk with a friend or two and hopefully in all that I've done something with eternal value.

4) Mary works in the newsroom at WJM. Her desk is neat as a pin. Are you neat? Or do you lean to the sloppy side?
Oh, goodness, I'm a "neat freak."  I operate by the premise that everything has a place and everything should be in it's place.  I mean, life is (for me anyway) so much better and so much easier that way.

5) Mary's best friend, Rhoda, worked as a window dresser at Hempel's department store. What department store did you most recently shop at? What did you buy?
This past week my DIL and my two Granddaughters went shopping for some back to school clothes for the oldest one.  Our last stop was to Dillard's where we found some cute things for her at some great sale prices.  Trouble is, just about everything she tries on looks great on her, but she definitely has her opinion and is not shy about saying whether she likes it or not.  


6) Mary Richards lived in Minneapolis. What city is nearest to where you are right now?
Well, Monroe is where I go for any big shopping that I may have but if you mean a bigger city, then that would be Shreveport (about 2 hours from us).  

7) Originally the part of Mary Richards was written as a divorcee, but in 1970, there were no TV shows that centered around a divorced woman. Think about the women in your life. Are most of them married, divorced, single or widowed?
Most of the women in my life are married but I do have a few that are widowed.

8) The MTM production company logo featured a mewing kitten. The cat was found in a Minneapolis shelter, and, after her sequence was shot, she was adopted by a crew member who named her Mimsie. What's the name of the last cat -- or dog or hamster or rabbit -- that you petted?
I cannot even think of the last cat or dog that I petted.  It would most likely be one of the Rag Dog cats owned by a dear friend of mine.  I'm not much on cats, dogs or other furry creatures but if I were, I would own a Goldendoodle, hands down, they make the best pets and hardly even know they aren't human. 

9) Random question -- Would you rather have a job that kept you seated on your fanny or standing on your feet?
Well, I would prefer to have a mixture of about 70% standing and moving around and 30% sitting.  Not even sure if there is such a job but I have to move.

NOTE:  My birthday is tomorrow and I have been celebrating and will continue celebrating the next few days.  We'll be headed to Oklahoma tomorrow for part of my celebration and I'll have a "Birthday Recap" post as soon as I can upon our return.  See you then!!!

What's Up Wednesday

Linking up with What's Up Wednesday.............

What we're eating this week.... this past week we've had BLT's a couple of times and something just as easy the other days.  No joke, I'm so bad about cooking these days.  I enjoy fall and winter cooking far more than spring and summer.  

What I'm reminiscing about.....I generally go almost every afternoon to see my 88 year old Daddy at the assisted living facility where he lives.  Our conversations often turn to days gone by and it's such fun to reminisce with him and it's generally about the various churches he pastored during his 50+ year in the ministry.

What we've been up to.....In recent days we have trimmed up all the Crepe Myrtles in our landscape. They had all gotten top heavy.  Hubby trimmed and I picked up the trimmings. ~such a good wife~ We went to see Momma Mia, Here We Go Again and then visited with dear friends that we had not seen in a while.  We're always up to something, sometimes nothing all that special, sometimes very special, it all balances out to what we think is a fun life. 

What I'm dreading........in the next couple of months it will be time for me to begin my yearly checkups with various Drs.  And, the thing is, I'm as healthy as a horse at this time but I go to about 5 or 6 Drs. for yearly checkups.  I suppose on the "up" side is that these check ups will keep me healthy as a horse.  I just do not like all the time that it takes.  Ugh!

What I'm working on........just the everyday stuff right now, laundry, changing the linens, dusting, and always straightening or organizing something. ~chuckle~

What I'm excited about.......going to Pawhuska, Oklahoma next Tuesday with my daughter to do "all things Pioneer Women."  Bridget and her family only live a couple of hours from Pawhuska so Hubby and I will head to their house on Sunday.  

What I'm watching/reading....I am currently finishing up season 1 of The Crown.  I did not watch it when it was on TV so I'm now watching it on Netflix and will be ready for season 3 when it starts after the first of the year.  I had heard so many rave reviews and I have not been disappointed yet.

What I'm listening to.....I listen to various types of music everyday.  I usually play some type of easy listening instrumental but occasionally I'll play contemporary christian or 50's and 60's music. As I said, I enjoy various types of music.

What I'm wearing......c-o-o-l clothing, lots of shorts and tops at this time.  It is soooo hot here in NE Louisiana with humidity out the "wazoo."  I don't wear sleeveless tops and most of my tops are three quarter sleeves, and they are not that cool but I just think, at this stage in my life, I look a whole lot better with a sleeve.  Yep, that's the truth!

What I'm doing this weekend......celebrating MY birthday!!! More on that in a minute.

What I'm looking forward to next month.....Well, school will start for our DIL but it doesn't start for our oldest granddaughter for several days later.  So, she will stay the day with me and we'll make some memories together.  She will soon be 9 years old so time with her CiCi will not always be as exciting as it is now.

What else is new......My 66th birthday is this next Sunday, the 29th.  Some of our running buddies put together a fun dinner out for this Friday evening and then we'll head to Ok. on my birthday.  The trip to Pawhuska was planned to celebrate my birthday and Bridget and I are so excited.  We don't have much one on one time anymore so we're especially looking forward to that.  Happy Birthday to ME!

And, I leave you with this................

It's All About Food, Glorious Food

Today's Sunday Stealing questions are all about food......they were fun for me to answer and hopefully will be fun for you to read. 

1.  Do you like pie?
Indeed I do, pies are my favorite dessert and I have many favorites, coconut, pecan, granola, apple and on and on.

2.  Italian or Mexican?
This would have to be a toss up.  I love them both.

3.  Can you bake? If so, what are your favorite things to bake?
Yes, baking is my favorite type of cooking and my favorite thing to bake is all kinds of bundt cakes.  One of my family's favorites is my Almond Pound Cake.

4.  Do you use cook books or do you try to find recipes online?
I still have a few cookbooks but I find it's just so easy to look up a recipe online that I do that most often.  I do have a file of my favorite recipes and I'll often just look through it.  There are still times though that I enjoy browsing a cook book.

5.  Do you own a kitchen aid mixer?
No, I do not and never will.  They are entirely too HEAVY!!  I have a Bosch mixer and it more than serves my purposes and I love it.

6.  Ever cooked a meal for more than 15 people at one time?
Yes, I have a few times and for that large of a crowd I generally do a "pot of something" or a big casserole.

7.  Do you like hospital food?
Well, it's been a very, very long time since I had to eat hospital food and I suppose it was sufficient.  Probably wasn't salty or spicy enough for me. ~smile~

8.  Favorite fast food restaurant?
I guess I'd say Sonic since I love their drinks and their popcorn chicken.  I rarely treat myself to either, but I sure do like them.

9.  Any picky eaters in your family?
Well, we all have definitely things we do.not.eat. but it's not such a big deal that it causes me stress if I'm cooking for them.

10.  Soda or Tea?
I like tea with my meals unless I'm eating a hamburger or sandwich and then I want a soda.

11.  Hot chocolate?
I do like it but rarely drink it.

12.  Favorite holiday dish?
I would have to say pumpkin pie.  I never ever have it except at Thanksgiving or Christmas and I so enjoy it.  Remember, I told you that pie is my favorite dessert..

13.  What is the most tasteful strangest looking thing you have ever tasted?
Brussel sprouts that have been roasted.  They do look a bit strange but they are so, so good.

14.  Fries or tater tots?
Definitely fries.  Tater tots are generally greasy. Ugh!

15.  Do you like cheese? If so what kind?
Indeed I do, and pretty much any kind!!!

16.  Home made or can soup?
I make really good home made soups and we eat various soups a lot in the fall and winter months.  For can soup, we enjoy Progresso Tomato Basil. It's very good!

17.  Do you like to eat out?
Yes, and Hubby and I do often.  We're by ourselves sometimes but we have a group of friends that we often eat out with and we have the best time.

18.  What kind of food is popular where you are? (Like in Alaska it is seafood)
It would definitely be Cajun food which means very spicy and very good.  We live in North Louisiana and South Louisiana is known more for their great food but we certainly have our fair share at this end of the state as well.

19.  Do you like cotton candy?
NO! NO! It is entirely too sweet and sticky.

20.  Turkey or Chicken?
I will definitely eat turkey but I much prefer chicken, there's just so many ways to cook it and it's always good.

21.  Hamburger or tuna helper?
We have eaten our fair share of tuna helper but not in a very long time.  Give me a hamburger any day.

22.  Raw or cooked veggies?
I love veggies but prefer they are cooked.

23.  Do you like salad? If so, what is your favorite kind of salad?
I've pretty much never met a salad I didn't like.  

24.  Favorite pizza topping?
I'm a pepperoni gal, add some bell peppers and onions and that's all the better.

25.  Do you like meat loaf?

It would be at the top of my "do NOT like" list.  I think it's the texture and I almost gag at the thought of meatloaf. ~isn't that awful~

Blessings to you this Lord's Day!