Hodgepodge - Labor Day Style

It's Wednesday and that means the HP questions..............

1. Can you believe we're rolling in to the Labor Day weekend? What's a project you'll labor over this fall?
I have thought and thought about this and I simply cannot think of one project I will labor over this fall.  I probably will after I read some of the other answers, but right now, I can't think of a thing. Sorry!

2. Tell us about the best perks you ever had in a job?
Once we had children I was fortunate to quit my job and stay at home with them.  That in itself was a huge perk or blessing as I like to say.   

3. August 31st is National South Carolina Day. Have you ever been to SC? Any desire to go?
 According to Southern Living, these are the top ten things to do in South Carolina...

Explore Charleston, bike, golf or relax on Hilton Head Island, see the beach and the boardwalk at Myrtle Beach, visit the state museum in the capital city Columbia, observe the wildlife and natural beauty of the Ace Basin, take a walk or hop on a trolley and check out Greenville's charming main street, visit Fort Sumter where the Civil War began, stroll through Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden in Bishopville leaving time to check out The Button Museum, also in Bishopville, see Morgan Island (also known as Monkey Island)-home to nearly 4000 Rhesus monkeys. 

Which is most appealing to you today? If you're a SC native, resident, or frequent visitor what would you add to the list?
Oh, yes, I have been to SC many times as it is very near my birth state of beautiful Virginia.  I absolutely love Charleston, and I've been to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Fort Sumter.  I'd love to go back to Charleston and see some of the sights I have missed seeing.


4. Beef, pork, country-style, barbecued, baby back, spare or short...your favorite kind of rib? What's a dish you enjoy that really 'sticks to your ribs'?
Well, I hate to even say this, but I do NOT eat ribs.  They are just too messy and I do NOT do messy!I do like the taste of pork ribs but I'd much rather just throw a pork tender on the grill as it just doesn't get much better than that as far as I'm concerned.  

This will probably be a weird answer as well but I like a good hot bowl of oatmeal and it definitely sticks to your ribs.  I remember, like it was yesterday, eating a bowl of oatmeal almost every morning of my school years.  My Mom would sit it down in front of us and say, "now that will stick to your ribs until lunchtime."  And, she was right!  And, that was long before the yummy flavors of oatmeal, it was just good ole' plain old fashioned oatmeal stirred up with butter and sugar.

5. What's one important skill you think every person should have? Why?
Wow, there are so many that it was hard for me to pick just one but I'm going with Money Management (the right way).  So many folks have no idea the value of a dollar.  Everyone should understand money management, the correct and incorrect use of credit cards, the value of saving, and investing.  It would have far reaching effects in a positive way. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.
I imagine many of you have been like me, watching the devastating news concerning the flooding in the Houston  area.  It is so sad to see this and the loss it is to these dear folks.  We all know that our stuff is just that, STUFF!  But, when it comes to our losing it all, it is very tough.  Many of these dear folks are left with merely the clothes on their back.  But, on a lighter note, it has made my heart smile to see how all these folks have banded together in unity.  It hasn't mattered if they are Republican or  Democrat, the color of their skin or their social status.  This is the way it should be in everyday life for the betterment of this great country we call America!  And, now, our south Louisiana folks are getting the wrath of Harvey.  May the Lord bring peace and comfort as only HE can give.

Memories of Warren and Bertha

My Dad's parents lived in Fort Smith, Arkansas in the same house for the first 35 years of my life.  My Dad was in the ministry and for the first 5 years of his ministry we lived in close proximity to them.  After that, we lived away from them.  My Dad's only sibling, a sister, died in her 40's and that left my grandparents with really no one nearby other than the 4 children of my Aunt that had passed away.

My Grandparents with my Dad and his sister

 We managed to see them at least a couple of times a year and I absolutely loved going to Warren and Bertha's.  Bertha was a character!  She was such a fun Grandmother and she loved to play games and so did I.  These were not games like today, they were mostly paper and pencil games such as tic tac toe and sometimes Dominos.  Her house was generally a mess but she could cook like no body's business and I loved to be in the kitchen when she was cooking.  She could make rolls that would melt in your mouth and never once had a recipe.  It was just a cup of this, a cup of that and a dash of something else.  And, she never put leftovers in the refrigerator, they remained on the kitchen table covered with a tablecloth until someone wanted to dig in.  How on earth we didn't all die of food poisoning is beyond me but........I'm quite sure she wasn't the only person that did leftovers that way.

Warren was a gentle man, not a big talker, a hard, hard worker and a master carpenter.  He could get so aggravated with Bertha but would always give in to her.  I think he thought it was just easier that way.  I remember so well him push mowing their yard with a push mower and not a powered push mower, it was powered with his own energy.

Me with my Grandpa eating watermelon in 1955

Warren and Bertha did fairly well until they reached their late 70's.  By this time my parents lived in Virginia and my Dad mentioned something to them about moving there so that Dad and Mom could look after them.  That idea was not even considered, they wanted no part of leaving their home at that time.  But, within a couple of years it became evident that they could no longer live alone.  My Dad did not like the idea of putting them in a nursing facility there where there was no one to oversee their care, but they still were not on board to move to Virginia.  One day while my Dad was talking with his Dad on the phone his Dad said, "We might consider moving to a facility where Lea lives as it isn't so far away."  Well, you guessed it!  The wheels went into motion to find a nursing facility here.  That was in 1987 and I was 35 years old, I had an 11 year old and an 8 year old and was a very busy wife and mother.  Dad  and I talked about the additional responsibility this would put on me but in the end, I decided that I was willing to take it on.~ignorance is bliss~

I knew the head of nursing at one of the nursing facilities here and she went to work to get a room that would accommodate the two of them. My Daddy went to work orchestrating getting them moved from Ft. Smith to NE Louisiana.  My parents went to Ft. Smith to get Warren and Bertha and they soon became residents here in NE Louisiana with me as the overseer of their care.

And, here they are in their room.  Talk about sad!  Oh, my goodness, the day we moved them into the nursing facility was gut wrenching.  It was the end of life as they had known it and the beginning of the last phase of their lives.  They had been married almost 60 years at this time and they often struggled to live together but neither could imagine life without the other. I so well remember crying when we left them that first night.

 While their health was failing, they were neither bed ridden and I was able to bring them to our house for some visits for a few years following their move in.  I soon slotted them into my  routine and I could write a book on some of the conversations that we had during their remaining years.  About 5 years after they moved, Warren passed away at the age of 87.  He suffered from Black Lung due to working in the coal mines in his younger years.  At the time of his passing they had been married 68 years. We were all sure that Bertha would not last long without him but we were very wrong.

Bertha enjoying an outside stroll

She missed their heated discussions and arguing but she hung in there for 7 more years.  As her health begin to fail we spent many hours in the ER and many days in the hospital.  She had a constitution of steel and she always bounced back. But, during an illness in 1999, at the age of 94, she went peacefully to be with the Lord.

As I look back on the 12 years of overseeing their care I have many, many fond memories.  I also look back and often wonder how I did it.  But, it was that time that prepared me for a whole lot more "overseeing of care" with other family members.  I've learned sooooo much through these times and I've learned that absolutely everyone that is in a nursing facility needs an advocate.  I've gone to bat sooooo many times and I continue to be an advocate for my Dad and will until his dying day.

I hope you enjoyed this really different post from me.  I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting these memories of Warren and Bertha, better known as Grandpa and Grandma Duncan.

Monday's Musings

The 34th Monday of 2017..........and if you do not know that today is the day for the Total Eclipse of the Sun then you most definitely must live under a rock.  More about that later............Meanwhile, let's look at some sweet "back to school" photos.

It's been such fun to see all the back to school photos on Facebook this past week.  Hanna Beth started last Friday and  was so excited about her teacher.  They had the cutest photo props up for the Moms to use in taking their pictures.  Goodness, teachers are amazing in all the cute and cleaver ideas they come up with.  It made the first day of school all the more exciting!

Clancy is a big 3rd grader this year and it will be the first year that his Momma hasn't taught at the same school he attended.  She moved up to the intermediate school, so he'll be there in 2 short years and then eventually little Coleman will start. ~grin~

Speaking of Clancy, let me introduce you to Black Face and White Face, Clancy's sheep.  Yes, I know, their names do leave a little to be desired, but they are going to be "show sheep" not pets.  I don't know if that had anything to do with the name choice or not, but anyway.......... He got them about 2 weeks ago and as they say, sheep are VERY dumb and Clancy has worked hard in training these sheep to follow his lead.  Oklahoma is big time into showing animals and as soon as Black and White Face are ready Clancy will be entering them in shows.  I'll keep you posted!

And, on a totally different note..........Are you interested in your ancestry?  I am to a point but I've never done any research on mine.  My Mom loved it and did trace hers back quite a ways before she died.  Well, while watching TV, my Daddy saw the ad for this ancestry DNA kit and he called me and told me he wanted me to order one for him that he wanted to see what he might discover.  Well, the last couple of weeks this kit has been on sale for $69.95 instead of the usual $99.95, so that made it even better.  Tommy has always had an interest in his ancestry but he's never done to much research either.  But, when I told him that I was going to order Daddy a kit he decided that he wanted me to order him one as well.  So, I ordered the 2 kits and they came in about 6 days.  It's a simple, simple test.  They provide a small tube for you to collect a small amount of your saliva in, package it up as directed in the package and they provide a box to mail it back in.  You will be emailed your results in 6-8 weeks.  So, we wait patiently for their results.

Okay, so where will you be or where were you during the elipse today?  I will be right here inside our house looking out the back windows but I will NOT be looking at the sun at all.  No, wouldn't even chance that with special glasses on.  I value my eyes wayyyy toooooo much!!!  It is to happen here in our neck of the woods around 1:21 PM.  I think the last time I remember this much hype over something was Y2K.  Here's to the eclipse!!!!

Lea's Favorites

Yes, two weeks in a row with "Lea's Favorites."  That a bit unusual but I used every one of these items this past week and while using them I wondered if "my blog tribe"  knows how great they are.  As I've said, sometimes I don't even know about a product or an item until someone else tells me about the item or product.  Perhaps I'll share something today that you don't know about and will find it to be a favorite of yours in the future.

Okay, tell me that you have items to clean from time to time where you need a really tiny brush.  I sure do and I saw these while getting a baby gift and snatched them up so quick.  They are for baby bottles, sippy cups and toddler cups.  Well, I will often need a brush, smaller than a toothbrush, to get in small crevices or places.  They are not something I use everyday but when I need them, I now have 4 of them. I got these at Wal-Mart where the baby items are located.  They really should make these for regular household use and have them over on the cleaning aisle. But, until they do, these will work just fine.

I baked cookies this past week and I feel sure that most of you surely know about these little jewels, but in case you don't, I'm going to tell you about them.  These little pre-cut parchment papers are the "cat's meow" if you are baking cookies.  Besides keeping the cookies from sticking to the pan, the pans never get messed up and can be put back in the cabinet without ever even washing.  Yes, that's right, unless you are one of those people that want to wash the pan regardless. ~that's your choice~ These are found near the Saran Wrap, aluminum foil, etc. And, parchment paper is great to line pans of brownies, and biscuits too. And, probably a host of other items too.

I'm one of those folks that can't stand for my trash to be nasty so I put anything nasty, such as food scrapes, inside another bag before putting it in our kitchen trash can.  Yes, may sound weird but it's just the way I roll  and I'm likely not going to change at this point. ~chuckle~  I found these 2-3 years ago and LOVE them.  When opened up they are flat bottomed which allows them to stand up and when finished filling they have flap ties to tie up.  Then they are ready to go in my trash.  In the past year I have had difficulty finding them anywhere except Amazon.  They are not at any of our local grocery stores but they may be where you live.  I just make sure and order 3-4 boxes when I order. ~it's all about clean garbage ~

Okay ladies, this is a must have!  If you do not know about "fashion tape" then let me enlighten you.  Do you ever have a bra strap showing, a scarf that will not stay straight, a wrap blouse that won't stay wrapped or any number of other clothing malfunctions?  Well, fashion tape will take care of everyone of these aggravating issues for you.  It comes in various shapes and sizes, sort of like band-aids.  I generally only use the stripes that come in the above metal container.  They are about 4" in length and can be cut to a shorter length if need be.  Fashion tape is like super sticky double sided tape and I can assure that once it is in place it does the trick and whatever item you stick it on will stay PUT.  And, it can be removed without any damage to your clothing.  I have only seen it at SteinMart and of course, it can be ordered off of Amazon.

Monday's Musings

We're wrapping up the end of summer around here.  Well, I guess Poppa and I aren't, but our kiddos are.  Our DIL returned to work last Tuesday and our daughter returned on Friday.  They have both been busy in their classrooms preparing for the year ahead.  Hanna Beth will start 2nd grade this next week and Clancy will start 3rd grade.  Time marches on!

This is my DIL's classroom.  I went with her a couple of weeks ago and assisted her in putting up her bulletin board covering.  The girls tagged along and did a great job in cleaning her dry erase board.  She teaches middle school Special Ed.
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Bridget, our daughter, had the opportunity to move back to her favorite grade this year, which is 5th grade.  And, she will only be teaching Math, which is also her favorite subject.  She's been hard at work moving from one school to another and getting her room all fixed up.  This will be her first year to ever have the balance ball seats and it will be interesting to see how that goes.  She only has 3-4 and I suppose she will know in a week or so the kids that might need to be assigned to that particular type of seating.  She says they are for kids that have difficulty staying in their seats.  Well, okay, I can only imagine them bouncing around the room on those seats but time will tell.  I'll be anxious for a report.

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The Princess doesn't start school until this Friday and since her Mom's school started last week, she spent the days with CiCi.  She absolutely loves to decorate cookies or cupcakes.  So, one morning we whipped up some pretty purple cupcakes.  Pillsbury makes many colored cupcake mixes and Hanna Beth could hardly decide which color she wanted to make.  She decided on purple mix and turquoise icing.  She had a great time and especially when it came to using sprinkles on top of the icing.  Most of the icing went on the cupcakes but she had a lot on her hands and shirt as well.  But, hands and shirt wash and no permanent damage was done. ~making memories~
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Hanna Beth came on Friday and told me she had a marble game in her bag that she wanted to play with.  Well, when she pulled it out I suddenly realized that it was brand new, still in the box, and NOT put together.  It is called Zoomarang.  Let me just tell you that putting 100 piece toys, or anything for that matter, is NOT my "thing!"  But, for a sweet little girl, I was pursuaded to tackle it.  As you can see from the above pictures, it was serious business for me.  It had detailed instructions with pictures and I followed it step by step and low and behold, it worked when I finished an hour later.  I told her Momma that she owed me big time. ~chuckle~
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Ever so often I enjoy doing "bulk cooking."  One morning last week I did just that.  I had seen this recipe on Facebook and while I've seen several recipes with this name, most of them are made with spaghetti.  The one is made with white corn tortilla's and you can find it here. It calls for the onions and peppers to be sauteed but I just used the frozen seasoning blend and pretended that I had done as the recipe called for. ~smile~  I doubled the recipe and it made 6 of the small aluminum disposable pans, enough for about 3 people in each pan.  I buy these great pans at The Dollar Tree, 3 to a package.  Now, I have a stash of ready meals that only need a salad and some french bread to finish it off.  I shared with my DIL too. 
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I'm not sure about you, but at this time of year I start looking forward to fall and it's arrival.  And, here in Louisiana,  that is still quite a ways off, but it doesn't hurt for me to wish it here earlier.  Wishing you a wonderful new week as we pray in earnest for the state of affairs in our country.  

Lea's Favorites

It's that time again, and one of my favorite posts to do, my favorites.  It's quite an array of things today.  I aim to keep it interesting! ~big smile~

If you eat sandwiches and want some really good bread and spread, then you need to go and get these two items.  I saw this bread about a month ago and decided to give it a try.  It's a flatbread and once made it just folds over very neatly.  And, you see, it's only 100 calories!  Then if you like hot and spicy you will absolutely love this chipotle spread on your next sandwich or hamburger.  I do love this stuff!  There are several chipotle spreads made by different brands, but I personally think that Kraft hit a "home run" with this one.

I admit, I LOVE purses!  But, I have strict guidelines for the purses I carry.  I like one big enough but not too big.  It has to have an outside pocket for my phone and if it has more pockets, that's all the better.  I like a flat bottom so that it will set standing up and not all in a big lump.  I like for it to have at least 3-4 inside pockets and enough space for me to organize everything that is in it. I do not want one with a depth of more than 12" as it's just too hard to find things in one that's any deeper.  I want it to be light weight too.  AND, I rarely, if ever, buy a black or brown purse.  I love to carry purses that have color.  I mean, why would anyone want to carry a neutral color when they could carry something like this gorgeous lime green color?  I know, it's personal preference and that's what makes the world go around and that's okay.  I am currently carrying the purse pictured above.  It is a Baggallini Gumption Medium Tote and it is on sale for $69.  It is regularly $118.  I got it off of Amazon here.  Baggallini makes all sizes of purses from crossbodies, to small totes all the way to large totes, travel totes and everything inbetween.  Their bags are made of nylon and are of the highest quality.  They have a pocket for everything and they come in lots of fun colorsl  You can often find some Baggallini selections at TJ Maxx too.

If you own sterling flatware then you need to know about this awesome silver dip.  I own a set of sterling flatware and I always hated cleaning it until I found this.  I store my flatware in a silver drawer but over time it still needs a good cleaning.  This silver dip is so easy to use.  It comes in a tall container that you just dip 4-5 pieces of silver flatware into it, leave it a few seconds, take it out and ta-da, you have cleaned your flatware!  Wash it and it's ready to use.  Hagerty makes several silver cleaners but for flatware I think this one is the best and the easiest to use. And, yes, you can order it off of Amazon!

Over the years we have owned several beanbags and I've always gotten them from Penney's.  Most recently I ordered these medium sized corduroy beanbags.  Our Grans love a beanbag and enjoy curling up in them.  These were regularly $200 each and they were half price when I ordered them.  Penney's offers the BEST online deals and they have quite a selection of beanbags, from very inexpensive to very expensive and in a wide range of colors.

I admit it, I LOVE dishes too!  And, I really LOVE the new melamine dishes.  Unless you pick them up, you would never know that they are not porcelain.  They are so lightweight, come in all kinds of pretty solids and patterns, are unbreakable, dishwasher safe  and can be inexpensive. Some are so expensive you would think they might be fine dishes.  The only negative that I've found is that they cannot be put in the microwave but that's not an issue for me but might be for someone else.  I well remember my Momma having a set of melamac dishes when I was little and my goodness, there is no comparison to the new melamine of today.  The melamac was easily scratched and stained.  The other negative is that I have yet to see a set that comes with a coffee cup.  I suppose repeated use might stain them so they just decided to not make cups.  But, I do know that cups came with the set of melamac my Mom had and I also know that coffee stained them terribly.  So, to solve that issue, I bought some of the clear glass mugs at the Dollar Tree to use with the melamine I have.  They go with any color or pattern. 

I'm a big fan of Ree Drummond, affectionately know as The Pioneer Woman.  She has just come out with a magazine and I bought it and I would have to give it a 5* rating.  It sells for $3.99 and there is a special introductory offer to subscribe to it for $15 and that covers 6 issues. ~a pretty good deal~  I seldom ever look at magazines any more but I have thoroughly enjoyed this magazine.  Of course, it has a zillion ads, but also some great articles, gorgeous pictures, wonderful recipes and it almost feels like you are having a personal visit with Ree.  Grab yourself a copy!

Okay, that's it for this edition of My Favorites.  Now, go and have yourself a splendid weekend!!!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Well, since our last HP, Joyce has become a Grandmother for the very first time.  I'm pretty sure she hasn't come down off of her cloud just yet.  But, she put him down long enough to compose our questions for the week.  Congratulations Joyce, we are so happy for you and you are definitely in for a fun time in the months and years to come.

1. Do you try to set rules for yourself about how you use your time? Explain.
I was raised by parents that were both very time conscious, so it came by me naturally to be the same way.  Now, do I always use my time wisely, no, I don't.   I don't know that I set rules for my time and perhaps for "some" things I should.  Time, at my stage of life, is precious and I certainly want to be using it wisely. 
 
2. Monday was National Lighthouse Day. Have you ever visited a lighthouse? If not, do you have any desire to see one up close? Of the 10 Most Beautiful that made this list which would you most like to see in person-
I have never visited a lighthouse but, I've seen a few.

Lindau Lighthouse (Germany), Fanad Lighthouse (Ireland), Portland Head Light (Maine), Yaquina Bay Light (Oregon) The St. Augustine Light (Florida), Peggys Point Lighthouse (Canada), Start Point Lighthouse (England), Tower of Hercules (Spain), Bass Harbor Head Station (Maine), and White Shoal Light (Michigan)
I would love to go see the two in Maine.  We went to Maine on a cruise about 8 years ago and we were there just long enough to make us want to return and spend several days there.  

When you've been away, what's your 'lighthouse' telling you you're on the right road home?
Our 'lighthouse' would be seeing row after row of corn, soy beans and cotton crops.  It's a sure sign that we are getting nearer to home.

3. What have you unintentionally stopped doing? Is this something you need to pick back up and begin again, or is it something you need to let go of for now (or even permanently)?
Well, the first thing that came to my mind was reading the newspaper.  I can't remember when I stopped but it was a while back and it seemed it just happened.  I guess I began getting all the news I needed from the internet.  I don't think it matters a bit if I ever pick it back up and I'm really wondering how much longer there will actually be newspapers.  

4. We've had a full week of August. Share a GRAND moment from your month so far.
It would definitely be last Friday when I saw my Retina Specialist and got good news concerning the healing of my retinas.  It was indeed a GRAND moment!

5. Tell us one song you love with the word 'baby' in the title.
Baby Love, sung by The Supremes in 1964.  I'm pretty sure I could belt it out word for word right this minute.  I loved the Supremes and their music.  In my humble opinion, the folks under our generation have no idea what really good music is. ~just sayin'~

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Are you having as hard a time as I am realizing that it is August and 2017 is more than half way over.  We won't turn around twice and the stores will have Christmas decor and all the trimmings on display.  It may sound trite as we say it often, but time really is flying by.  We are about to celebrate the 8th and 9th birthday  of our two oldest Grans and it doesn't seem possible that they are no longer babies or toddlers.  Yes, time is marching on and all the more reason for us to make every moment count.

Now, I have a completely random question for you.  Do any of you participate in Linkedin or use the Linkedin app?  I'm asking because I get requests all the time to join or to be added to someone's Likedin list.  I just ignore the requests because it appears to be more of a business app to me, and I really think I'm adequately connected through other means. ~chuckle~

Questions and Answers with TBB

And, once again, I'm linking up with the gals over at The Blended Blog to answer their questions.  It's always fun to read everyone's answers as it lets us know a little more about them.  Always interesting!

 1. Pool, lake or ocean? I love the ocean, but I rarely go to the beach.  I'm not fond of sand, but to listen to the waves is so soothing and peaceful.  But, I prefer our little pond just a few feet behind our house. ~just sayin'"
 2. Camping, cottage or hotel? Well, there's NO camping for this gal!  So, a lovely cottage or hotel room will work for me.

 3. Favorite ice cream flavor?  It's rare for me to eat anything but vanilla.  Now, I might add some slivered almonds to it. ~grin~

 4. PJ's, Nighgown, T-Shirt/Shorts or Birthday Suit? I bought some of the silky soft tee shirts from Soma a few years back and that's my sleeping attire.  I cannot stand anything on or around my legs when I am sleeping.

 5. Fave Summer Beverage? I'm a big time water drinker, but, especially in the summer, I love to drive thru Sonic for a cherry vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper.  LOVE!!!

 6. Would you rather be hot or cold? Well, I can warm up easier than I cool down so I'm going to say cold.

 7. Sandals with heels or flats? Heels, always!  I do not like flats at all.  And, I only wear a moderate heel but I love the wedges that are elevated flats with just a slight curve. ~great description, don't you think~ 😉 

 8. Shorts or skirts? This would be a tie, I like them both.

 9. Sit in the sun or the shade? It would be SHADE with a capitol "S."

10. Water, tea or soda? I like all 3, I try to drink mostly water but I do indulge in tea and soda on occasion.

11. Favorite summer fruit, vegetable I'm not a big fan of fruit, but I love some peas and okra

12. Sunrise or sunset? I would have to say a sunset but here on the hill we live on we have some gorgeous sunrises too.

13. Bike ride or walk? I have not ridden a bike in a very long time so I'm going with walk because I do enjoy walking and not so sure I would enjoy a bike ride anymore. ~it's just the truth~

14. Winery or brewery?  Neither

15. Garden or no garden? We have a nice little Farmer's Market where I can get all the fresh produce I want, so it's no garden for me.

16. Big summer concert or music in the park? I'm not much into big crowds anymore so I'd choose music in the park on a cool evening.

17. Fave cookout food  It would b e a grilled hamburger. ~the best~

18. Dine indoors or patio? 90% of the time we eat indoors but we have enjoyed some back porch dining on particularly nice days a few times. 

19. Fave summer destination I have no particular favorite summer destination now.  Growing up my favorite place to go was to see my Grandparents and cousins.  We lived 1000 miles apart and we always traveled to see them in the summer. ~sweet memories~

20. Big theme park or local carnival? Again, at this point in my life I'm not much into either one but I might could have my arm twisted and go to a local carnival.

21. Drinks blended or on the rocks? I love my tea or soft drink over lots of ice but my water anywhere from cool to room temperature is fine.

22. Popsicle or freezie flavour of choice  I'm not much into popsicles or anything of that nature.  They hurt my teeth.
23. Hot dog or hamburger?  A hamburger with spicy mayo, lettuce, onion, and pickles.  Not much better!  

And, there you have it.  

Added Note: If you are connected with me through Facebook then you saw my post about my good report from my Retina Specialist on Friday.  I was most thankful that he said my eyes are healing nicely and he lifted the restrictions.  I will go back in two months.  He did say that I should be mindful of lifting anything that strains my neck muscles because if it strains the neck, it also strains the eye muscle.  I did not know that.  He said folks are always concerned about their backs when lifting but they should also be concerned about their eyes.  Who knew?  I'll stop and think a little harder now before lifting a heavy object.

Have a great new week!