Thankful Thursday

Rebecca Jo at Knit by God's Hand started this link-up. Thursdays are a good time to stop and remember to be thankful for the little things.

 This week, I’m thankful for…

...a 2 hour delay on Monday so I could go to Daily Mass with my Daddy.

...being able to to stay at home and enjoy the view.

View from my living room:

From my kitchen window:

..for a puppy dog (>65 lbs.) who thinks she's as little as Pepper (< 20 lbs).

...for walks in the snow covered park with said puppy dog.

...for coffee.

...for college students who just want to have fun.

WBIR posted this picture of UT students involved in a snowball fight on their football field for the 2nd year in a row. The police didn't think it was so great...they cited a few students for trespassing and a couple for underage drinking. My 2 cents: they should open the gates for 30 minutes and just make sure that no damage is done. It would keep the students from climbing over the fence!

What are you thankful for? Visit Knit by God's Hand and join in the thankfulness.

Not Much to Say for this Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Did you watch The Oscars? How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash)
Do you think actors should use their acceptance speeches as an opportunity to promote their political and/or social agenda? Does that sort of speech make you more or less inclined to change the channel?

I haven't seen any of them. I don't think actors should promote their political or social agenda at all. There are too many people out there who think that what they say is bible, and won't think for themselves.

2. Speaking of the movies... are you comfortable going to a movie alone? How about dinner in a restaurant (not fast food, but an actual restaurant)? The second half of this question was posed by Carrie who blogs over at It's Not Easy Being Queen. Thanks Carrie! 

I have never gone to the movie alone, but I don't think I would mind it at all. Dinner in a restaurant? A little uncomfortable, I would think.

3. What's the last home repair or home improvement project you had to pay someone to complete? In hindsight was this a project you could have done yourself? 

Off the top of my head, I would say it was the master bath that CH surprised me with a couple of years ago. We probably could have done it ourselves, but it certainly was much easier this way!

4. Have you ever had Indian food? Like it or no? If you're a fan, what's your favorite dish? Have you ever prepared this yourself at home? Is there an Indian restaurant in your current hometown? 

I've never had Indian. There is a rather popular restaurant in the Rival town, but I've never been.

5. A song that reminds you of your parents? 

It's not a particular song, but listening to Perry Como sing Christmas Songs reminds me of them.

6. The 26th of February is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day. What's your favorite, or one of your favorite, fairy tales? Do you have any childhood memories associated with aparticular fairy tale? 

I don't know that I have a favorite. I remember reading them when I was little...it's too bad that kids now don't have that same experience.

7. What's a problem you solved yesterday? 

The biggest problem I had yesterday was figuring out what I was going to eat for lunch. Gotta love snow days!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We bit the bullet last week and had our cable disconnected. We had been talking about it for a while. Most of the shows we watch are on network tv, or on Netflix. We decided to get a Hulu Plus account, so that takes care of shows that we would watch "On Demand". We bought an indoor antenna for each of the tvs & they're working great so far. Hopefully that won't change when the leaves are on the trees.

Post Its on a Snow Covered Tuesday

Taco Soup is in the crock pot. The snow is so pretty...I'll take this over the ice any day!

InstaFriday #3

According to Tori atHome Away From Home:

"So I've decided to do something new on Fridays; INSTAFriday. I'm gonna use Friday to share some of the pics from my Instagram from that week for all those who don't follow me and actually care. *WINK*"

We lost power overnight on Monday. It's unusual for us to be without power for over an hour, but it stayed off from 10:30- 7:30. Not so bad considering there are still people without it.

The following pictures showed up on Instagram as a video. These are from the day after the first wave of the storm.

 The pine tree in our back yard that hasn't snapped...yet. 

I don't think I've ever seen icicles on a tree before:

Laika enjoyed the warm house.

I love watching the cardinals in the snow. (I wish I could get a decent picture!)

No school all week long.

Ash Wednesday. The best line I heard that day: Get your ash in Church!

I saw these tracks in the snow leading up to our front door. Do you have a guess as to from what kind of animal they came? Raccoon?  Rabbit?

It's been a nice week for me with finishing up Parenthood, watching the snow, and spending time with CH & YS. Time to get geared up for this coming week. Only 3 more weeks until Spring Break!

Thankful Thursday

I'm linking up with Knit by God's Hand for some things to be thankful for.

This week, I’m thankful for…

...friends who can find things to be thankful for...even in times of extreme sadness.

...a warm house...and power.

...the linemen who brave the sleet, snow, ice, and extremely cold temperatures to make sure we can be comfortable.

...a husband who will go out in the cold and de-ice my car.

...a daddy who will allow me to just sit with him...and sometimes nap in the chair while he watches the news.

...puppy dogs who help keep us warm when the power stays off all night.

...cardinals. By coming to the bird feeder, they continue to give me comfort.

...beautiful scenery. This scene was taken during my walk down to see Daddy (when I couldn't get in my car because it was iced over.)

Icy Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. When did you last have to interact, either by phone or in person, with someone in a government run agency? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the experience? (10 being fabulous and 1 being pass the Tylenol)

Yesterday morning. I had to call the electric dept. for the Small Town. I had called a couple of times and used the automated voice mail...left my name, address, and phone number. This time, I stayed on the line and actually talked to someone. I would give it a "10". We had been without power from 10:30 pm to 6:00 am (when I called). He told me that there were workers in the area trying to locate the problem. I know they have a tough job, especially when the weather is bad, and I really appreciate all of them.  Our power was on around 7:30!

2. The current governor of Wisconsin is considering a run for President next time around. Walker attended Marquette University, but never graduated. In terms of any candidate running for the office of President (not asking here if you agree or disagree with Scott Walker's politics) would the lack of a college degree influence your vote or no? Would that be a factor in your support of any candidate running for public office, even a role less weighty than President?
Wow. A governor that didn't graduate from college? That in itself is a bit surprising. I would have to listen to the candidate and make a decision after researching and listening to what he/she has to say.

3. When did you last visit a place or site named for George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, and what was that place or site?
I can't remember the last time. I probably have visited a place and just didn't realize it was named after one of them.

4. February 16th was President's Day in the US, but did you know it was also National Almond Day? I didn't think so : ) Do you like almonds? If so, what's a food/dish/recipe you enjoy that contains almonds? 

I love almonds. In just about anything. 

5.The television program Saturday Night Live celebrated it's 40th anniversary this past weekend. Were/are you a fan of the show? If so what has been your favorite (or one of your favorite) skits, sayings, or characters that came out of the program?
I never could stay up long enough to watch it...even when I was young. Chevy Chase, Dan Akroyd, Dana Carvey, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy...I could go on & on! "Land Shark" "Jane, you ignorant slut", "You look marvelous", "We need more cowbell", I could just go on & on!

6. Anything purple within ten feet of you? What is it?
I really had to look around for this one! My Nalgene water bottle is sitting next to the sink...and it's purple.

7. Back in December I asked you to submit a question for a future HP as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I grabbed this one from those entries, submitted by Zoanna who blogs over at Penchant for Pens. Thanks Zoanna!

She asks, "How often do you make your bed, and how do you like to make it-pull the covers all the way up over the pillows, tuck the covers in around the pillows, or place all the pillows on top of the covers?" 
I typically make the bed when CH & I are at the house all day alone. Our rule is: last one out of the bed has to make it. Which means, a lot of time it doesn't get made. I don't like not having the bed made...it makes me feel like the whole house needs cleaning. Pulling the covers all the way and putting all of the pillows on the covers (which CH HATES!) means the bed is made.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of the Small Town, we had a little ice storm on Monday. There are a couple of pine trees that technically aren't in our yard that have started to bend. Monday night, one of them snapped. The other day, I wondered if  it would hit the house behind us, or their shed went it goes down. Well, when it snapped, it just missed the house AND the shed. The other pine is hovering directly over a power line that runs to our next door neighbor's house. 

CH called the "city" and got someone out here a few years ago to look at them, but they didn't want to take them down. Now that 1 of them has snapped, I wonder if they will decide to go ahead and take it.

InstaFriday

Cathy at Tales of the TCKK Family posted this last week, and it looks like fun, so I decided to join in this week. According to Tori at Home Away From Home:

"So I've decided to do something new on Fridays; INSTAFriday. I'm gonna use Friday to share some of the pics from my Instagram from that week for all those who don't follow me and actually care. *WINK*"

CH & I had lunch at McAlisters on Sunday. He managed to get his high school football number! 

French Toast Roll-ups.  They were good, y'all! I'll definitely be making some of these again!

This happened yesterday:

And then it was gone. 

I didn't actually put this picture on Instagram, but it's too cute not to share!

Winter Reading Challenge: Tardy for the Party

Wow. We're down to the last 2 posts for the Winter Reading Challenge, and it's my first time participating. Go, me. I don't even know where I'm supposed to start since I missed the beginning of the challenge. I guess that means I get to start where I want!

                            

Do you think I've had a Ken Follett obsession lately? I finished Winter of the World (Part 2 in the Century Trilogy) mid-December. I absolutely loved this trilogy! Edge of Eternity (Part 3) was so intense at times that I had to just set it down & digest it. That is, until the end. I was a bit disappointed that the ending was a bit rushed, and there was a huge chunk of time when the Russian & East German characters seemed to be forgotten. He could have easily made this series a 4-parter.

Eye of the Needle was also excellent. I love how he intertwines fiction with historical facts. This book was about a German spy who could have very easily changed the outcome of D-Day. It was amazing. The book was actually made into a movie that was released in 1981 with Donald Sutherland playing "Die Nadel".

After all of those long books, I wanted to a "quick read". Kristin Hannah's books are like Nicholas Sparks' books. I know it's a good book if it makes me cry, and this one was a tear-jerker.  It was hard to put down.

I would highly recommend all of these books. I would also recommend There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell  (Lucille Colandro), The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats), Snowmen at Christmas (Caralyn Buehner), Clifford's First Snow Day (Norman Bridwell), The Wild Toboggan Ride (Suzan Reid), Snowmen at Night (Caralyn Buehner), and There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Rose (Lucille Colandro).  (Think those would count towards my Goodreads Reading Challenge?) That pretty much sums up all of the books I've read since December!

Linking up with Knit by God's Hands today!

Not Snowy Here for the Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you wear your heart on your sleeve, or keep your emotions tucked in tight?
Oh, I'm definitely a wear my heart on my sleeve kind of gal! If something is going on with one of the boys or I'm just feeling "blah", my close friends can tell. I try not to let it show (especially at work), but they can just tell. If I'm displeased with something, someone will know about it! 

2. How did you meet your closest friend?
I've said very often that I don't have friends, I have sisters. CH is my closest friend...we met at college. That's all I'm saying about that.  

3.  Pink lemonade, grilled salmon, cotton candy, pink grapefruit, a strawberry milkshake, or raspberry sorbet...of the pink foods listed, which one is your favorite? Least favorite? Which one have you most recently consumed?
Strawberry milkshake: most favorite
Pink Grapefruit: EWWWW!
I don't remember having any of them, and can't think of the last time I had any of them. I did have a grapefruit beer. It wasn't pink, though, but it was really good!

4. When were you last 'tickled pink' over something? Explain.
Monday.  I found out that an article I wrote was published in a professional magazine. I wrote a blog post for the magazine last year, and was asked to write a full fledged article!

5. Are you a fan of television talk shows? Daytime, nighttime, or both? What's your favorite?
Not so much. I do like to watch "The Chew". I just love Carla Hall!

6. When was the last time you wanted to ask a question, but felt too foolish to do so?
I usually ask when I have a question...even if I think it's probably something I should already know. 

7. My favorite __________________right now is _________________.
My favorite son right now is MS.
At least, that's what MS suggested I write!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
We seriously need a snow day. SERIOUSLY. Why should all you Northeasterners have all the fun?

Menu Plan Monday #2

Since I get paid on the 15th & 30th of every month, I usually try to plan for 2 weeks at a time. The 15th is on a Sunday, which means payday is Friday the 13th.

(For the recipe, click on the item. The stars denote new recipes.) 

Monday:  Oven Fajitas

Tuesday:  Red Beans & Rice

Wednesday: Angel Chicken in the Crock Pot **

Thursday:  Pan Fried Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Friday:  Healthy Chicken Quesadillas

Saturday: Sloppy Joe Casserole **

Sunday:  Eat  Out

Linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie.