25 Things About Me

1. I'm a follower, evidenced by the fact that I am doing this. Enough said.

2. I am afraid of heights yet that doesn't stop me from doing some things. I have gone rappelling off of cliffs out west and actually enjoyed it.

3. I would give up meat before chocolate. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't have at least one piece of chocolate but it isn't unusual for me to go an entire day and not have any meat.

4. I can't fall asleep at night if my feet are cold. I keep a pair of socks stashed at the bottom of the bed in case I need them.

5. I want to learn how to quilt. Thanks to my sister I just may.

6. I have this thing about my stove top being clean, even while I am cooking. That has resulted in more than one burnt finger.

7. Someday I am going to sleep in a tent in the Sahara Desert.

8. I don't own one piece of Steeler clothing and in this town that is highly unusual.

9. I used to have panic attacks when I was around junior-high age. They always occurred when I was in a place with a lot of people. Of course, in those days there wasn't a name for it and one day they just stopped. One of life's mysteries.

10. I watch The Hills. I know, I know.

11. I gained thirty pounds when I was pregnant with Sarah and didn't acquire one stretch mark to show for it. Go me.

12. I have always wanted to live so far up in the mountains that I couldn't be found. That leads right into number

13. I'm a loner and love the time I spend by myself.

14. I still have my pillow from when I was very young. If you find that disturbing, it wasn't new when I got it. That is one OLD pillow.

15. I believe in love at first sight.

16. I decided about three years ago that I needed to give up Mountain Dew. Too many calories and too much caffeine. I had my last Mountain Dew the day we moved from Monroe. I haven't had one since, not even a sip. I loved that stuff, fountain only, but it hasn't been that hard to give it up.

17. I ate the same breakfast every day for four years when I was in high school. Two eggs, two pieces of toast and a glass of milk. I still love that breakfast and had one egg and two pieces of toast for breakfast this morning. Some things I won't give up.

18. I understand how the electronics for the tv work better than Dave.

19. When I was young I vowed I would never leave the farm and now I know I will never move back.

20. I have gotten a finger stuck in an ice maker. I was lucky I only lost some skin getting it out. Did you know if you unplug the refrigerator that doesn't stop the ice maker from trying to turn? I have also glued my fingers together with Super Glue. That necessitated a call to Poison Control. Two words, vegetable oil.

21. I don't drink. I think that is a reaction to seeing so much alcohol abuse growing up. I vowed to never go there.

22. I am always cold. Until the thermometer hits eighty, I have to wear long sleeves or a sweater. I've gotten used to it.

23. I am disgustingly healthy. I haven't had the stomach flu since I was a child, have never had a sinus infection and maybe average one headache a year. I have been told by doctors that I have a high metabolism and a high pain threshold. Whenever I tell a nurse at the doctor's office that I don't take any medications they are always shocked. I attribute it more to luck than a healthy lifestyle.

24. I was recycling long before it was popular.

25. Sometimes I feel bad for Sarah because she is an only child. Maybe I should have tried harder to give her a sibling.

Bonus: Some know that my major in college was Plant Ecology but few know that I also have a minor in Chemistry. What can I say? I love numbers and chemistry is all about numbers.

By The Numbers

The first month of 2009 is behind us and eleven more months loom before us. How are you doing on your resolutions? When I belonged to the Y in Monroe this was about the time when the people who had made exercise one of their resolutions were beginning to fade. January was always busy and crowded but by the end of February everything was back to normal until next January.

I, myself, have done fairly well. So far I have walked 56 miles. Last year my total was 604 so I am well on my way to meet or exceed that goal. I have also spent 11 1/2 hours on the bike trainer. D and I went hiking once during January. I am still walking Jo most days and have shoveled the driveway a few times.

I believe I am supposed to be eating at least one piece of fruit a day. As far as I know I missed three days. I thought of it late at night and just didn't feel like doing anything about it.

So all in all I haven't done too badly. I am hoping the momentum of January carries on into February. I will just keep pushin' on.

Say What?

While I am sorting through my pictures and making some kind of sense of them I thought we could play a game. After all, this family seems to like games. This will be easy if you were paying attention. Can you you tell me who said what? Give it your best shot. In a couple days I will post the answers. Good luck.

I will start with an easy one. 

1. "I'm a winner!"

2. "There was a day I could do it all."

3. "Do you Twitter?"

4. "I'm voting for this person so then everyone will feel good."

      With the response, "You must be a Democrat."

5. "You should live my life."

6. "She took my world away from me."

Last but not least, "Where's my picture?" and "I've never had a fire at my house."  Those aren't the exact quotes from this person but they are close enough. 

Older Than Dirt

My not that much younger sister sent me this email yesterday about objects and events from a long, long time ago when the earth was still cooling. It was interesting to see the things from my youth that I still remember and were a part of my childhood.

1. 45 rpm spindles. We didn't have a record player so I have no idea what this are.

2. green stamps. Yes, I remember these being in the junk drawer. I believe there was a catalog that you could choose things to "buy" with your stamps.





3. metal ice cube trays with levers. Yes, we had these.





4. Beanie and Cecil. Who?

5. roller-skate keys. We lived on a dirt road, need I say more?

6. cork pop guns. Nope. We weren't allowed to have guns, even play guns. We were forced to use sticks.

7. Marlin Perkins. Again, who?

8. drive-in movies. Score! The first movie I went to was a drive-in theater.





9. drive-in restaurants. Not a part of our lives. We never ate out.

10. car hops. see number nine.

11. studebakers. I wasn't aware of the names of cars. The only car I rememeber from when I was young was a pink station wagon with buttons.

12. Topo Gigio. Who doesn't remember him? He was on the Ed Sullivan Show which we watched every week. Thankfully, it was on CBS or I wouldn't know that one.





13. washtub wringers. We had one of these bad boys in the basement. Loved watching the clothes go through the wringer.





14. the Fuller Brush Man. Nope. Heard of them, don't think they ever stopped by our house.

15. Sky King. I need help here.

16. reel-to-reel tape recorders. I have heard of them, but we never had one. Come on, get real, we didn't have a record player. We did have an eight track player, though.

17. tinkertoys. didn't have them.

18. erector sets. ditto.

19. lincoln logs. We had these and spent hours building things with them.





20. 15 cent McDonald hamburgers. We never ate out. I think the first time I ate at McDonalds I was 10 or so. We led a sheltered life what can I say?

21. 5 cent packs of baseball cards. There may have been a few around. They weren't something we really collected like D did. Now he has baseball cards.

22. penny candy. Now where were we going to buy stuff like this?

23. 25 cent a gallon gasoline. I had no idea what gas cost when I was young.

24. JIffy Pop popcorn. I know we made popcorn on the stove in a pan. We may have had these occasionally.



25. 5 cent stamps. What things cost were of no concern of mine.

26. gum wrapper chains. Score! I made these by the yard. And the best part is they smelled so good.





27. Chatty Cathy dolls. My not that much younger sister had one of these dolls and I had Thumbelina. My doll was better.





28. 5 cent cokes. We didn't have pop around the house until I was older and we didn't live where we could buy Coke off the shelf. Man, we were so deprived growing up.

29. Speedy Alka-Seltzer. I have heard of him.

30. Falstaff Beer. I have never heard of this brand. Strohs would have been the beer of choice in Michigan.

31. Burma Shave signs. Don't remember them.

32. Brownie camera. We had one of these. It was blue if I remember correctly.





33. flash bulbs. We had these too. They were in the linen closet.





34. tv test patterns. Don't remember them. Of course, we only got one channel and it didn't always come in that clear to begin with.

35. Old Yeller. It wasn't on the right channel. Never watched it.

36. Chef-Boy-Ar-dee. We didn't eat this growing up. No fast food and no box mixes. Wow.

37. fire escape tubes. I don't think I have ever seen one.

38. Timmy and Lassie. It was on CBS and I believe we watched this occasionally.

39. aluminum christmas trees. Ours was always real. The better to strip the needles off of it, right, brother?!


Well, how did you do? Can you claim to be older than dirt?

My Favorite Movies

I totally stole this from S, but who cares? At least you have something new to read. These are the movies that I could think of off the top of my head. I know I have missed some really good movies but I don't have a DVD library that I can go to and prompt my memory. And we all know what kind of a memory I am dealing with!

1.

"It's better to use your head than break your back, I always say." Ernest Robinson

This movie is not really one of my favorites but it is the first movie I ever saw. We went to a drive-in somewhere in Clare to watch this. I bet you young'uns don't remember the first movie you went to.



2.

"Just because some kid smacks into your wife on the turnpike doesn't make it a crime to be 17 years old." Lieutenant Dave

No, this is not another favorite either. I saw this one afternoon at O'Laughlins. I was traumatized when I saw it then and to this day can not stand to watch scary movies.



3.

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." Han Solo

I would also include E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial with this movie. I saw Star Wars for the first time In Fisher Hall at Michigan Tech with a bunch of drunk college boys which in my opinion is the best way to see a movie like this. They read the opening lines of the movie, whistled when Princess Leia appeared, and hissed everytime Darth Vadar was on screen. Too much fun!



4.

"Well, yes, ma'am, I do... I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count." Jack

What can I say, I think I have seen this movie at least 10 times. The ship sinks everytime but maybe one of these days there will be a happy ending.



5.

"Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...
...and an athlete...
...and a basket case...
...a princess...
...and a criminal...
Does that answer your question? ...Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club."

I love, love this movie. It speaks to me on so many levels. I can't tell you how many times I have watched this on TV. I think everytime I happen to run across it, I stop and watch. I would also include St. Elmo's Fire with this movie. I don't like it quite as much nor have I seen it as many times as The Breakfast Club but it still makes my movie list.



6.

"It will come to you, this love of the land. There's no gettin' away from it if you're Irish." Gerald O'Hara

One of the few instances where the movie lived up to the book. I have read the book too many times to count. Love her or hate her, Scarlett had spunk. I really admire that in her. And Rhett? What a scoundrel! :)



7.

"I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Harry

When Harry Met Sally. Also included with this movie would be Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and My Best Friend's Wedding. Yup, chick flicks. I love'em.



8.

"Dear God, make me a bird. So I could fly far. Far far away from here." Jenny

I think it is the music I love the most about this movie. From beginning to end the music defines this movie. I would also include The Big Chill in this category.It also has a fantastic soundtrack. And add Apollo 13 to this list. I have seen all of these movies more than a few times and never tire of watching them over and over.



9.

"I must be crazy to be in a loony bin like this." McMurphy

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I would also add Saving Private Ryan and Million Dollar Baby. These three movies were excellent. The funny thing is I have seen them only once and will probably never watch them again. Even though they are probably some of the best movies I have ever seen and for that matter have ever been filmed they are difficult to watch. When Saving Private Ryan ended the theater was silent and I don't think anyone said a word as they left. If you have never seen it, you should. It just won't be with me.

Well, there you have it, some of my favorite movies. Predictable? Surprised at some of my choices? I can't wait to see your list.

My Hobbies

Like I have said before I am not above stealing someone else's ideas and when my not that much younger sister did a blog post about one of her hobbies, well I just had to do one of my own. After some thought I came up with four hobbies that occupy much of my time.

First, I like to garden. Almost everywhere we have lived I have had a garden of some sort. Some smaller than others and some more pot oriented but I have always grown something. I am lucky right now because I live in a house where a former gardener lived. She loved irises so I have beds of irises everywhere. I'm not thinking they are my favorite flower. They only really look good two weeks out of the year and then not so much. I have a lot of ideas I want to try and because we plan on being here a few more years I should be able to get some of them done. I want to make some planting boxes, ala Longs, and also want to put in a water garden this summer. I even have a greenhouse which is really cool.




Another hobby which I spend quite a bit of time on is scrapbooking. I can thank C-4 for that one. Some of you saw the calendar scrapbook that I have been working on when I was visiting last month. I basically scrapbook every month with photos and quotes that pertain to the happenings of that particular month. Let's just say it has turned out to be much more involved than I ever intended. Just be careful, people, because you will probably end up in it at point or another. Here is the month of May which is still a work in progress. Do you see yourself?





Number three, baking. That probably doesn't come as a surprise to most of you. I bake quite a bit. Today was brownies. I love trying new recipes and tomorrow's experiment is a trifle courtesy of Giada. Our friends here in Butler love eating my experiments and it saves D and I from eating all of that fattening goodness.





And last, photography but you probably knew that from the numerous photos I post on this blog. I still have a lot to learn but that is part of the fun. I take a lot of pictures and really only end up with a handful of keepers. Here a couple that I really liked from my last visit. I couldn't decide which of the two I liked better so I decided to post both of them. You can be the judge as to which is better.







I look forward to hearing what you do in your spare time that you find fun and rewarding.

My Newest Favorite Things

My not that much younger sister posted an updated version of her current favorite things. Here is my updated list, subject to change in the future of course.

Now, I noticed her favorites leaned heavily toward the food catagory. I have a couple new food obsessions myself. I am still a fan of Stacy's chips but I found something else that I may love just as much. Unlike the other family members, I am not even going to pretend these are healthy. You will not find the word "veggie" anywhere on the packaging. That being said, these is good!




Since I have been back in PA the weather has turned HOT. We closed the house up and lasted about three days before we had to turn this new favorite on. Hoping for a break in the weather on Tuesday but until then this will stay near the top of my list.





My garden is changing day to day. I have plants blooming everywhere. I went to the garden center this weekend and picked out some plants for a pot on my deck. I am loving the color combination. Until fall, my garden is on the list.




Another new food addition. I eat one of these every afternoon for a snack. Believe it or not these are kind of healthy. One cake mix, chocolate reduced sugar is my choice, and one can of pumpkin. Mix and bake for about 20 minutes at 350. Of course, I can't leave it at that so I always mix in half a bag of bittersweet chocolate and some dried cherries. Both health foods I might add. Can't beat the combination of chocolate and cherries. Sweet!





Need I say more about the following picture? Umpire Man doing what he does best this weekend. He is definately on my list of favorites.





Jo was feeling a little left out so I am posting Jo's obsession at the moment. That would be cars. Foreign or domestic. Compact or sedan. Moving or parked. She doesn't care. All she knows is she loves to be in them. If the car door is left open she is in it. I believe she spent a good hour in the car on this visit.





So there you have it, the things I am loving right now. What are your favorite things?

I Go Back

I was walking my 4 miles the other day and listening to my ipod when this song came up, I Go Back by Kenny Chesney. I have always liked this song and a portion of the lyrics got my attention. "we all have a song that somehow stamped our lives, that takes us back to another place and time". I started to think about the songs that have stamped my life. After all I have 4 miles to cover, what else is there to do? With a little thought I came up with three songs that can take me back to another place and time of my life.

The first song is Precious & Few by Climax. As a family we spent a lot of time at Grandma W's cottage at the lake. I can clearly remember a drive back one night from her cottage. I even remember where we were on that drive home that night when this song came on the radio. We were coming back in the truck. Yes, probably all 6 of us in a truck. And this was in the days when the cab was just a cab. There were no such things as extended cabs with extra seating room. I can't remember if it had a bench seat or not but there was a small space behind the seats that if you small enough you could squeeze in and sit on the floor. I remember being smashed on the floor of that truck when this song came on the radio. Why I would remember this and why it stuck with me I don't know. But it did, and when I hear that song I am sitting on the floor of that truck driving home from a day at Grandma's house.

Crimson & Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells. We grew up in a house without a record player and probably until we were in high school no radio to call our own. When our mother had her radio on it was tuned to a Mt. Pleasant station that played oldies. And at night it was Lawrence Welk and Ed Sullivan. But by high school we had access to the music we wanted to listen to. We had an 8 track player! For the punk readers, 8 tracks were the answer to albums. In those days, listening to 8 tracks meant listening to the music all the way through and praying the player wouldn't "eat" the tape. There was no rewinding back then. I can still remember standing in the living room facing the bookcase (different bookcase, same spot) playing our 8 track of Tommy James. I loved that song, maybe because it was a change from what we had listened to growing up. We were rock and rollers listening to our music.

And the last song that defines a specific time in my life is Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. That time was my time at Tech. I don't remember if it was my brother and D's dorm's hall dances or if they were parties put together by the smaller group they had formed called the FWADS. (Yes, my not that much younger brother it isn't spelled right). But this song was always played. We were so young then but we didn't know it and didn't care. I had a boyfriend and we had a group of friends that did everything together. It was a time of freedom. It's not a song that is played that often anymore but when I do happen to hear it I go back to my time at Tech.

So do you have any songs that can take you back to another place and time? Share them if you do. I would like to hear what songs hold some meaning about your life. And now I will let Kenny say what I have not so eloquently tried to say.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Let me start by saying that I am going to list the little things that make my days a little bit happier. It goes without saying that my family and friends would, of course, top the list. Well, on most days they would! Now on to the small things that make my days brighter.

1. Jo. I know I said no family but could I not list her? She thinks I am the greatest thing to ever walk the earth and honestly should I even tell her otherwise? She is never more than 10 feet from my side. When I come home, whether it has been 10 minutes or 10 hours, she is beside herself that I have walked through that door. Yes, Jo, is at the top of my list.

2. The Detroit Free Press. I love this paper. I have been reading it since I was a young girl and now I read it every day on the internet. For Christmas last year Dave gave me a Sunday subscription. I don't get it until Thursday or Friday but I don't care. I read it from front to back. It is one of the things I miss the most about Michigan.

3. Google Reader. It has changed the way I keep up with my blogs. Now I can go to one place and see automatically which blogs have been updated. It has been a real time saver and now that I have my own blog to keep up with that has been a great help.

4. My Uggs. I wear them summer and winter. I wear them all day in the house and whenever I go outside. My feet love to be surrounded by sheepskin! And yes, I have two pairs, I love them that much.

5. Stacy's Bagel Chips. I love the plain ones. They do have other flavors but I have never tried them. I found perfection with the first flavor I tried so I have never explored the other possibilities. I love them so much that I now limit myself to one bag a week. In fact, I saw D munching them today and gently reminded him I only get one bag a week. The horror if I should run out before my next shopping trip.

6. Lettuce Wraps. Specifically the wraps from the Cheesecake Factory. I don't even look at the menu when I eat there. I have tried the ones at PF Changs and Chilis but they don't even compare. The last time I had them I was in Hawaii. Sadly, the closest Cheese cake Factory is an hour away so I don't get them very often.


7. My Mini Cooper. What is there not to like? It gets great gas mileage and is cute to boot. It's small and fits me just right. It's biggest drawback is it is horrible in the snow. But until we move back to Michigan that is a minor inconvience for now.





8. Coke Cherry Zero. Love, love this stuff. The biggest drawback is they don't make a caffeine-free version. But I haven't let that stop me from enjoying this as a treat now and then. I take caffeine-free diet Coke and mix in a little cherry juice. It's almost as good as the real thing.

9. Black and white photographs. There is something timeless about a black and white photo. I don't think anyone has done it better than Ansel Adams. I have been to two of his exhibits and have walked away both times inspired by his work.




10. Dark chocolate. The darker the better. In fact, I don't like milk chocolate anymore. I have it everyday and was happy to hear that there may be some health benefits to eating dark chocolate. I usually eat 85 percent but in Hawaii found some 91 percent chocolate. I was in heaven.

11. Reality TV. My most favorite is What Not to Wear. I watch it every day at noon while I eat my lunch. I never tire of seeing them over and over. I have to admit it has changed my shopping habits. I find it much harder to find clothes and happily for Dave I have found I buy far fewer clothes.

12. My ipod. I love music and this has changed the way I listen to music. I now can have it everywhere I go. I walk almost every day and my ipod is with me. When I am doing yardwork my ipod is with me. When I travel my ipod is with me. When I go to bed at night my ipod is with me. I think you get the idea. As I told D the other day, the day my ipod breaks is the day I am on Amazon ordering another one.

13. Pumpkin. Pumpkin in all forms. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cookies. Imagine my delight when I found pumpkin chai in the airport one day. I just finished a half-gallon of pumpkin ice cream that I had bought last fall. It makes me sad to think I have to wait another nine months before pumpkin ice cream will be available again.

Well, there you have it, some of my favorite things. When I started I didn't think I would be able to come up with very many things but as you can see I did. In a few months I will do this again and see what new things have become my newest obsession.

Something Fun For a Monday Morning

I was laying in bed last night listening to my ipod when I suddenly realized something was wrong. Three Bob Seger songs in a row! How can that be? I always have my ipod set to shuffle and statistically he would not come up that many times. I love the randomness of not knowing what song will play next. In fact, at one time I had playlists set up but have since deleted them because I never listened to them.

Now here is the fun part. What songs would I hear on your ipod if I set it to shuffle? Would it be something cool and edgy meaning you are oh so cool or would it be something embarrassing that would show just how geeky you are? See that is the fun part. With shuffle you can't control what is coming next. So set your ipod to shuffle and tell me what five songs come up and why they are in your music library.

. I will go first and I pray at least one cool song comes to the top. I have everything from Kid Rock to The Clarks to Kenny Chesney so who knows what will play. So here goes:

1. Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood. I have quite a few of her songs and this happens to be one of my favorites. If you are a country fan this is a good one.

2. Pieces of April by Three Dog Night I am showing my age with this one. This was my favorite band while in high school and is my favorite song.

So far so good.

3.This One's For the Girls by Martina McBride. Another country song but that isn't surprising because I probably have more country music in my ipod than anything else.

4. Drift Off to Dream by Travis Tritt Country again. I see a trend here. One more chance to come up with something different.

5. One Tin Soldier by Coven Another oldie but goodie.

So give it a try and let me know what your ipod reveals about you.