Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It's officially summer (in the northern hemisphere anyway). Which summer month is best and why? Here in Missouri, there is NOT a single summer month, that is best.  I hate summer.  I hole up in the house with the AC, and only venture out to walk the dogs....early! Spring and Fall are the best months. I do miss living on the coast during the summer.

2. Can you swim? How did you learn? June 27th is National Sunglasses Day. How many pair do you own? I took swimming lessons at the community pool in our town when I was in second grade.  I took lessons at the YMCA when I was a little older, and in my freshman year of Junior College, where you had to take a semester of gym, (1966) I did a semester of swimming.  I loved the pool.  I have a pair of sunglasses that fit over my regular glasses.....very stylish!

3. What characteristic do you judge most harshly in yourself? How about in others? Procrastination is the worst....While I am in my house in the summer, I put off everything.  Cleaning my house.... I just hurried around yesterday to pick up the house, before the delivery of all Paul's medical supplies. 
Paying bills, when I was cleaning the flat surface that is my dining room table, I found a bill that I thought I had lost, so I had to go last week to the city office in a rush to find out what I owed and pay it.  It is the only bill I have to actually write a check for, as our town is so outdated, that I can't pay it over the phone or by computer.
Now, I tend to judge pessimism, disloyalty and greediness harshly in others.

4. Robert Frost wrote the now well known poem entitled The Road Not Taken. What's a road (literal or figurative) you've always wanted to travel, and where do you hope it takes you? I always wished, I had a chance to live and work for a while, in another country.  At my age, I might still be able to travel to other countries but, I don't think I want to live anywhere else but here. 

5. Popsicles-yay or nay? If you answered yay, what's your favorite flavor? 
Popsicles-Nay, because, sensitive teeth and brain freeze.

6. Brexit-on a scale of 1-10 how knowledgeable are you on what's involved here? (1=very knowledgeable and 10=what's Brexit) Is this news you'll follow or is it something you think won't impact your life in any way shape or form?
I understand it like a 5 or  and I believe it will impact the global economy and spread, I am not sure it will impact me directly....but I believe, and if Trump thinks it's good....it can't be! Will there be other exits? Could be.

7. Share a favorite song on your summer play list.




8. Insert your own random thought here. 

The Missouri Legislature Republicans have enough votes to override the Governor's veto of a new law. The measure, which would allow people to carry concealed weapons without permits, that are needed under current law. 

In a late Sunday interview with The Associated Press, Nixon cited concerns with a provision that would allow most people to carry concealed guns even if they haven't gone through the training currently required to get a permit. He said it should be left up to sheriffs to deny concealed carry permits and that changing those laws would mean "dramatic steps backward for public safety."
 
So untrained gunslingers will be walking the streets of Hooterville and its environs, thinking they are a well regulated militia, 'protecting' us all.

#Throw Back Thursday, 1987

The girls are 11 and  14 and it is July, 1987, in Missouri and we were living in California.  Grandpa had a horse named Tony Boy and the girls claimed him as theirs.  The first time DD1 rode him, was when she was 10 and he bucked her off. She had riding lessons at camp that year, so she was encouraged to get right back on. DD2 always complained that she never got to ride him as much and maybe that was true, but  Tony was quite assertive and Grandpa was worried that she might get thrown off.  DD2 always had to ride with some one. Boo Hiss!  What beautiful girls if I do say so myself.  

Throwback Thursday-Soldier, Dad, Grandpa

A couple of weeks ago I posted a pic of my mom and dad and Mr BC's mom, I have been fooling around with the scanner again with some pictures of Mr BC's  dad in the Army, the three of them together, and Grandpa and DD2.  The 40's to the 70's.

Chatting About This and That #154

1.  Please tell me something you have done recently that was really fun. Absplutely nothing.  The last few weeks of summer have been a round of dentists and their various specialities.  This week I lost another tooth to an ageing root canal and had to have it pulled on Tuesday.  While I hate losing my teeth...the pain was really bad.  Thought I was going to OD on Advil.  I got my bridge installed, two weeks ago and the implant is now put off until the first of the year.

2.  Do you worry about any issues regarding food/food quality/food production? I truly believe in global warming.  Our weather in the midwest has been crazy.  My Brother in law has had two bad garden years because of drought. Also I worry about the problem of bee losses.

  
3.  Have you painted any of your walls with colors other than white, beige, or tan? Yes I have.  In CA I tried to get an adobe color on a feature wall and It just looked pink and gold instead of adobe and cream.  Since I was a kid I wanted to have pinkish beige walls in my bedroom, again with a rose feature wall. Feature walls were the thing in those days. Again it did not turn out the way I wanted and was more pepto bismol pink, We eventually changed the color, but never changed the living/dining room as we had Cathedral ceilings and couldn't risk getting up on the scaffolding again at our age. We really only have wallpaper in this old house. Not fond of it.

 

4.  What is your favorite way to have a hamburger? If you do not eat meat, what is your favorite sandwich? I will have a beef hamburger every so often....nice restaurant, I won't waste eating beef at McDonalds....I like a California type burger with swiss cheese and avocado and lettuce etc 

5.  Please finish this sentence: If I could, I'd like to play Tennis really well. And with Sean Connery back in the day. (This could be a musical instrument, a part in a play- use your imagination:)

What's What-Sunday Stealing

The What's What Meme

What is on your bed right now?
Mr BC, though technically he is in bed.  It's 5:49 am.  The puppies are there too.

Come to My Window-Saturday 9

Melissa Etheridge is a breast cancer survivor and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please spread the word about early detection.

1) This song is about a woman passionate about love and willing to pursue it, no matter what "they say." Are you fearless when it comes to public opinion? Or do you worry about what "they" think of you?
Here in the Bible Belt, Missouri's a Red State, I tend to keep somewhat quiet about my thoughts on Religion and Politics as they differ so much, even from close friends.  I am not going to change anyone's mind and I don't actually like debate.  The past two weeks have been different though, all of congress has been stupid. I don't feel the same way about airing some things on my blog as it seems so much more anonymous. So here is my message to the GOP.

 2) Melissa's father was a high school teacher. Tell us about a teacher who had an impact on you.
Unfortunately, I don't remember a teacher who really stands out in a positive way, I had a lot of good teachers over the years.  However, if one counts the teachers who had a negative impact on me, it would be my 8th grade teacher, Mr. Ginsberg, I even remember his name after all these years.  I was on the chubby side when I was 12 or 13, I also was developing my breasts and was self conscious.  I tended to stand around with my arms crossed over my chest.  He called me Buddha, all the time,  and I was hugely embarrassed.  I guess I could have objected now, but at the time, the late 50's, there was no political correctness or anti harassment. It was bullying pure and simple. I guess he thought he was being funny....Not!  He was a terrible person and should not have been a teacher. 

Sunday Stealing-Collapse

This week's questions come from FoxyDanish but she didn't say where she got it. It was labled COLLAPSE but I am not sure why.

Have you ever clicked on an ad on the side of your screen by accident?: All the time.  My computer is very wonky and when I click on a link in google, I sometimes get some advertising spot and not the place I want. I need to have it serviced.

When was the last time you were disappointed?: Nothing comes to mind right now. I guess that we haven't traveled as much as we wanted to in retirement. 

Do you like the smell of rain?: I love the smell of rain and of the air in general, moving from CA to MO has made a real change in air quality, I love to drink in a sunny day.

What was the last thing you took a picture of?: My Furbabies.

When you go to McDonald's, what drink do you usually get?: I love their iced coffee.  It stays strong to the very last sip.

What were you doing today at 2:15 in the afternoon?: Yesterday, I was doing laundry, so I could change the sheets.  I have an 800 thread count set of sheets that I love so I take them off, wash them and make the bed right away.

What's the nickname of your home state?: The Show Me State.

Daddy's Back Saturday 9

If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.
1) Crazy Sam's dad often traveled for business, and always remembered to bring her the little complimentary soaps or body lotions he got from the hotel. When you travel, do you bring back souvenirs? Send post cards?

I don't send postcards, though I will sometimes buy them for the picture.  I try to get something for the grandsons.  When we went to Branson, we came back with an engineer's hat and whistle, that were a big hit.  I use to bring back something that would be appropriate for the Christmas tree, decorating in December would bring back memories for all of us. 

Arkansas Ozarks Bound

Eureka Springs also known as Little Switzerland
www.arkansas.com

We have made some plans for traveling in Mlle Cozette, at the end of June.  We are going to venture further into the Ozarks by crossing the border into Arkansas and visiting Bentonville, the Pea Ridge National Military Park, and Eureka Springs.  We are going to leave on a Monday and be back the next Friday or Saturday.  Where we want to go is primarily dog friendly but I have located a couple of doggy day cares in Bentonville.
Bentonville is where Sam Walton of Walmart fame hailed from.  I want to soak up a little vintage retail therapy while we are there, but we are primarily going for the art museum Crystal Bridges, Museum of American Art.  We have wanted to see it ever since we saw it on Sunday Morning. 

I Survived....Many Things

I talked about how I was feeling about this challenge here. If I do this again, I believe I will have a theme and I have another year to think about it.  I appreciate my new followers.  I have 70 now,  Woo Hoo! I have also found some new blogs to add to my reading list and now that I am back I am catching up and commenting.  It is not as daunting a task to read and comment because not all of my new reads are posting every day.  Life is getting back to normal.

My HOMESTEAD'S Front Doors April A to Z

My House-Commonly know as the Homestead

Our house, built in the mid to late 19th century (we have plans to check it out), has 2 front doors. Many of you know, we inherited this house from Mr BC's mom, and since she has owned it, we have noticed a lot of houses here in the mid-west that share this architectural oddity. 

Maelstrom - Write at the Merge

www.fanpop.com 

 I hear the cacophony of disaster
I raise my head to the churning maelstrom
Fear and wind propel me forward
To the descant sound of
The hammering cellar door.

   

This week, one of your offerings is the phrase “cellar door”. “Cellar door” is considered a perfectly euphonic phrase, some say the most beautiful in the English language. Also we could use the word propeller and write at the merge of both those prompts.

Spring Sunshine is on the Way-Saturday 9

1) The best known Brady Bunch song is, of course, the shows theme. Do you know the lyrics?
Oh yes. It is a ubiquitous little ditty about a lovely lady.....Don't get me started or it will be on my mind the rest of the day!

Wordless Wednesday-First Real Snow this Year

Friday Fill-Ins

tvline.com

1. Wow, this Hub Bub about Beyonce should so be over.

2.  I am pretty good with Jane Austen trivia.

3. Finally, I'm all caught up with my laundry!

4. If I never hear about that gullible football player again it would be all right with me.

5. Sweet or savory: I love them both, especially eaten together.

6  The pains in my left shoulder are new.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to folding sheets,

    tomorrow my plans include Seeing Les Miserables and Sunday, I want to

    take the dogs for a walk if the weather is nice!

I am so turning into a curmugeon, thanks to Mr Bankerchick, he talks back to the television and I am starting to talk back to it as well, lately it has been about the trivial things that the NEWS people think is news.  I am so over #1 and #4.

What I Did On My Christmas Vacation

It is wonderful being home.....we had a great Christmas with the grandsons.... they had grown so much and are so smart and so loving.  I wish I were a younger grandma as I get tired just trying to keep up with them.  Especially the youngest.  Caшa is always on the move, Mr BC refers to him as Bam Bam as he pounds on everything and laughs when you pound along with him.  Лука is fine- tuning his skills.  He love riding his coaster bike at the park, especially if he can ride through a puddle.

A Little Christmas Eve Mirth

 

Christmas Eve and I am ready for tomorrow and for our trip to California for New Years with the Grandson and Orthodox Christmas on January 7th.   The different dates has to do with the adoption of the Julian calendar vs. the Gregorian calendar.  The grandsons get to celebrate 2 Christmas’ as a result.  Tonight we will have our traditional Chili for dinner with DD2  and tomorrow lunch with Mr BC’s sister.  On the 26th or the 27th we will head to California and the grandsons.  We will be gone for two weeks and I am not so sure how often I will be able to post.  Maybe pictures but we are going to be too busy having fun and the posts may or may not happen.  I hope all my bloggy friends have a Happy Holiday Season and I will be back in 2013.

 

A Little About Me-Sunday Stealing

 

 

Who is your favorite artist (Any field.): Jean-Claude Picot, he paints lively colors of the Cote D’Azure, I have 2 of his seriolithographs. They are still packed away, one looks similar to the one above. I like them because they have a painting in them similar to the one above.

Describe yourself: I am a short, sweet, slightly overweight Senior Citizen. I have a moderately liberal, independent out look. I tend to be more humanistic in my beliefs. Others can believe in a higher power if they want, as long as they respect that I am unsure. I really don't want their viewpoint on how to believe, impressed upon me.

Carols-Saturday Nine

1) What's the first holiday song that comes to mind?
I just heard it's a Holly Jolly Christmas and it is stuck in my head.

Silver Dollar City Lights

Our dear friends Maggie and Jigs took us to Silver Dollar City, in Branson, on Thursday for a the Light Show and Christmas celebration.  We had a lovely day for it and as usual had a great time with them.  The City was alight with over four million tiny lights and once night fell it was spectacular.  We went early in the day and saw a couple of shows and took the railroad ride around the park.