Rollin' with the Hodgepodge

1. Thursday is National Pi Day...are you good at math? What was the last thing you had to calculate? Did you use your head or technology? Last slice of pie you ate? 

I am horrible at math. Numbers don't mean a thing to me, but I jokingly say that I can conjugate the heck out of some verbs in a couple of different languages! (I used to be able to, anyway!) I have to use technology...rarely can I use my head. The last slice of pie I ate had to have been pie from Buttermilk Sky Pie. It was probably the buttermilk pie, which sounds kind of gross but is actually quite good.

2. What makes a house a home? 

Laughter. And being comfortable. One of the boys' ex-girlfriends mentioned that our house was comfortable. That's exactly what I go for. My house is lived in!

3. Your current favorite green thing? 

Grass. 

4. How do you define achievement? How does your personal definition look similar to, or different than, society's definition? What's something you think is worth achieving in life? 

Being happy. Society says achievement is having that big house with the manicured lawn and having "things". That is definitely not my definition. If you can be happy and have joy, you have achieved great things.

5. What song is a good soundtrack for your life right now? 

I had to look through some playlists on Spotify to pick just there right one. Here is it:

6. Insert your own random thought here.

An old friend of mine from back in the colorguard instructing days and his wife bought a flat in Scotland that they will live in part-time. The wife has started a blog describing what that new life is like. She's an excellent writer and makes you feel like you are right there with them. Check it out here.  

Awesome Sauce Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. Has March come in like a lion where you live? If not a lion then what animal would you use to describe the weather in your area this first week of March? Does the weather affect your emotions? When did you last feel 'under the weather'? 

We had quite a bit of rain and some very windy weather but thankfully no storms. I don't think weather affects my emotions. I had what I think was a cold a couple of weeks ago but it was kind of weird: I had a scratchy throat & congestion on a Monday and felt like crap, but by Wednesday I felt okay. I guess it could have been COVID; I didn't test because it really doesn't matter!

2. Do you know what your name means? Does the meaning of your name fit with your personality? Do you like your name? If you have children did you consider the meaning of their names before choosing them? 

Mary is a derivative of the Hebrew name "Miriam" or "Mariam". A quick search says it means "beloved", "love", and even "bitter" or "rebellious". I'm not bitter and not very rebellious, so I'll go with the first 2. I love my name! Every now and then, I will come across a child with the name "Mary". It's one of those names that doesn't seem to be used much any more.

When we had our boys, the meaning of the name didn't even come into question. OS was named after CH's father, MS was named after CH's best friend and his middle name came from CH's brother's middle name, and YS was named after both our next-door-neighbors' last names! It's tough to pick a name for your child when you work in a school. 

3. It's National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce? Last thing you ate that used a sauce? 

Shrimp sauce. I don't usually use sauce unless it's shrimp sauce. I don't even use ketchup that much but the last time I did it was on french fries.

4. Something you've seen, tasted, done lately that you'd describe as 'awesome sauce'? 

I really had to rack my brains over this one and didn't come up with anything. I'm just status quo here: I'm in a routine (finally) and haven't done anything out of the ordinary. YS fixed me an amazing swordfish taco a couple of weeks ago. It was incredible!

5. What kinds of things do you love to collect? 

Dust. I'm not a big collector; I've learned through the years to let things go. I do have quite a collection of books that I need to read, though. But they are sitting on the shelf collecting dust.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Inspiration for blog posting has hit me hard. In addition to my Great West Adventure posts, I'm also resurrecting my Friday Fotos post on this blog. I also wrote a post on my Not So Perfect Catholic blog on the stages of hope that I've gone through. You can read it here.

Cup o' Kindness Hodgepodge

I'm really trying to make keeping this blog updated a priority in 2021! The first spot belongs to the Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce.

1. Tell us about your favorite moment or share one of the bright spots from the year we're leaving behind. 

As I look back over the year, so many crazy things happened. Here's a bright spot from the year: daily walks with GurlDogg. No matter what the weather, we took daily walks in the park next to our house.

2. What do you wish you'd known at the start of 2020? Elaborate. 

I wish I had known about how this pandemic would turn our world upside down. Even with the upheaval, things are okay. We adjust and we move on. Faith over fear!

3. Best book you read this year? If you did not read any books this year, what's the best thing you ate all year? We've all eaten, right? 

You would think that I would have read books, but I haven't. I saw a book in the lending library station in the park that was pretty good: Pat Conroy's Beach Music and I would recommend!

4. The Pantone Colors of the year for 2021 are ultimate gray and illuminating yellow (a bright shade)...are you a fan? Would we find either of these colors in your home or wardrobe? 

I actually like those colors. As for finding either one:

This is "Joy"!

5. If you were/are making a list of 21 things to do/accomplish in 2021 what is one thing that would be on it? 

More blogging and more time to just be still.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

As I'm writing this, I'm sitting lakeside in Florida. We are on our annual Christmas to New Year's camping trip. (I'll write another post later.) Here's our set-up:

We have some amazing sunsets! Not "The Keys gorgeous", but still really pretty!

Cheers to the brand New Year!!! So long, 2020!!!

Is My Blog Title a Farce?

Sometimes I feel like my blog title is a farce. Oh, I definitely live in a small town (population around 9000...which is an increase of 1000 over the past few years and a growth of 2000 since I was in high school) but I know there are a lot of people out there living in a true small town. Plus, this small town seems bigger than it is. We have quite a bit of shopping and eating establishments so it's not like we have to drive to go shopping or out to eat.

Progressing into the Future

Big things are happening in the Small Town. Our claim to fame used to be 3 aluminum plants owned by The Aluminum Company of America (a.k.a. "ALCOA"). Those 3 plants have dwindled down to 2, and 1 of those isn't in full production; it hosts a recycling plant. ALCOA has also now split into 2 different companies, so now it is called "Arconic". (That is how I understand it anyway.) The location of the "West Plant" stands empty. The buildings were all torn down but environmental issues questioned how usable the land is. That now appears to be taken care of so plans can be made for that area of the Small Town. For a few years, the citizens have been speculating as to what is going to be built. At first, we were told by the commission that it was going to be a sort of downtown area. Then we were told a Sam's Club was coming in. (Yep, that got my dander up a bit!) Now we're back to a downtown area, complete with multi-family housing, single-family housing, housing for the elderly, shopping, hotels, offices, trails & greenspace, and community garden/farmers market. Looking at the concept, I'll say this: If they can pull it off so that it looks like the pictures (and it's successful), it will be really nice. The land is being cleared and the roads are being paved. It's really strange to see all of those trees gone. There is some speculation that the land being cleared is responsible for a lot of downed trees this time last year during a storm...the trees acted as a buffer; since those trees were gone a lot of houses were damaged. Of course, that's just speculation on a lot of people's part.

The Small Town is just going to get bigger. Someone told me the other day that the school system is already phasing out tuition students. Since it is a city school, some students who don't live in the Small Town can attend if they pay tuition to attend school here. The sad thing is that Small Town High isn't going to be small much longer, which was a huge draw to the town. A bigger high school was built a few years ago in anticipation of growth.

Time for a Change?

So I feel like I'm in a dilemma. I feel like my blog title is a farce. I'm thinking "Life in a Former Small Town". Any other ideas? I would keep the URL the same, just change the title.
If you've changed the name of your blog, weigh in with your opinion!

It's a Weird Hodgepodge

Once again, I'm joining Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. 
1. January is National Mentoring Month. Have you ever had a mentor? Been a mentor? How would you rate the experience?
I don't think I've ever really had a mentor, but I have been one a couple of times. Very good experiences! I long-distance mentored a young girl who went to undergrad school in Saudi Arabia. I had the opportunity to meet her in Orlando a few years ago, and we still keep in touch. She is now in Grad School in Miami. Such a sweet young lady!

2. What current trend makes no sense to you?
Leggings as pants. As long as the top goes down to your knees, go for it.

3. I saw a cartoon on facebook highlighting a few 'weird' things that make you happy as an adult. The list included-writing with a nice pen, having plans canceled, freshly cleaned sheets, eating the corner brownie, cleaning the dryer lint screen, and sipping coffee in that brief time before anyone else wakes up. (Credit for the cartoon goes here) Of the 'weird' things listed which one makes you happiest? What is one more 'weird' thing you'd add to the list?
I am one weird lady! All of those things make me equally happy! Oh, along with 2-hour delays and ice days, but I don't think anyone would think that was weird.

4. What's the last good thing you ate?
When CH & I were in Panama City Beach, we went to the Farmers' Market & had lumpia. They were delicious!

5. Describe life in your 20's in one sentence.
Busy, busy, busy!

6. Insert your own random thought here.
I have so many posts to write: I need to do a final post on the kitchen remodel from hell, my Ireland trip (which will probably be at least 3 posts!), and our holiday trip. I will say this: during our trip to PCB, the camper next to us was a blogger. Well, she still is, but putting "is" instead of "was" didn't sound right! Anyway, if it had been warmer I feel like we could've talked about blogging all day. And I could have picked up some tips. But...it was too cold and we really didn't even see them since we were both doing our own things & staying in our own campers when we were at the campground. Anyway, talking briefly with her and visiting her blog (The Adventures of Mini Pearl) rekindled my love of writing. So, thanks, Karen!

It "May" Be the Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Can you tell I'm embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Do you like Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, rice? What about heat-mild, medium, hot? Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo?

I usually stick to my tried & true chicken burrito or arroz con pollo. I don't care for any of the sides, and definitely mild! I won't have Mexican food or drink on 5th May since I'll be at the CCW Convention all day  and well into the night. 

2. Ever been to Mexico? For work or holiday? Love it or no? If you haven't been is this a place you'd like to visit? Can you speak Spanish?

Nope, never been, and have never had a desire. We have some friends who are touring Central and South America.After seeing some of their pictures on their blog, I'm rethinking that, though.
 My minor in college was Spanish, but I am by no means anywhere near fluent. 

3. What's one thing you may accomplish this month?

Surviving the end of school. 

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what's one thing you'd like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished? Is serving in public office something you've ever seriously considered?

I don't know that I"d change anything. There is supposed to be a downtown in the works, but I'm not sure why. The Small Town has survived 98 years without one; I'm not sure why we need one now.

5. What's something that may be popular, but that you just don't get?

Tattoos. 

6. Can't let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in 'May the 4th be with you' ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being 'I've seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year', and 1 being, 'what's a Vader?' -where do you land?

When Star Wars first came out (many moons ago), I saw the 1st movie several times. I'm just not a very big fan at all. I'd give myself a "2".

7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post. Does it still ring true today? Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time?

Who knows? Apparently my first 98 posts are gone; vanished into cyberspace. I can only go back to Jan. 2010. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I'm in the market for a logo for 1 of my blogs. Does anyone know of someone that could help me? I've contacted Joyce's daughter, but I think she's going to be a little too busy to help me out, so I need a backup just in case. I don't want to spend a lot on it, and I don't want it to be "out there"; just something very simple and tasteful. I'd appreciate any and all suggestions!

I Thought About It

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately; a lot of things blog and social media related. Here's what I've come up with:
⭐Blogging in general: What's the purpose? I'm just an average Jane...my opinion isn't any more important than any one else's. And, does anyone really care about what's going on in my life? I mean, like I said, I'm no more important than anyone else, so does it really matter?
⭐I try to keep my family's personal life out of my blog posts, so what is there to write about?
⭐I'm so sick of the political posts on FB & IG. Franklin Graham said my thoughts exactly during an interview (and I'm paraphrasing): The whole "everyone gets a trophy" has ruined today's young adults; they don't know how to lose. (He's my new hero!) 
It's great that we live in a country where we have free speech, but the destroying of property is not okay. They just look like spoiled brats who should have been at work or at school instead of destroying property.
⭐I can't even seem to find time to do the Wednesday Hodgepodge, or when I do, I don't have time to go back and read what everyone wrote. I'm such a Hodgepodge Failure. Big time. 
⭐And the Friday Foto Friends? Same thing. 
⭐I thought about shutting this blog down for a while. It pretty much has been shut down anyway. Or, maybe I should just commit myself to writing more some. I just get so far behind that it's just overwhelming to think of catching up, and this is supposed to be fun; something I want to do, not something I have to do.
⭐Honestly, my dad isn't doing well. My time & energy is going toward him. It's tough to see this big strong man who has never been sick deteriorate. I've had a bad cold this week, so I haven't been able to see him, and that's been tough...real tough. Talking on the phone isn't the same as seeing him and being around him; just spending time with him. 
⭐I'm trying to put things in perspective: what's really important and what's not. The political rants on social media are not important. Writing posts when I don't feel like it aren't important. Spending time with my daddy is important. 
So, here's my conclusion:
If I feel like writing, I'll write. That's basically what I've been doing, anyway, with this blog. If I feel like participating (and I mean really participating) in the Hodgepodge & Friday Foto Friends, I'll do it. And I won't feel guilty when I don't. 
I have a lot of things that are being put on hold right now, and this blog is just a small part. Thanks for your understanding and prayers!

Long Time No Write

I'm amazed that it's been over a month since I last posted! March was busy, busy, busy! I kept meaning to write several posts, but it never happened (obviously!). I was super focused on Lent and spending more time writing on my Catholic Blog that I just didn't have the drive to write anything here. I'm afraid to even open up my Bloglovin'; I shudder to think about just how many posts I have to read!
So, what happened last month? Well, at the end of Feb., CH & I took a long weekend trip to see this one for Family Weekend:

It was a really good weekend. We got to see MS, meet his friends/classmates, sit in on a class, go to the casino and a baseball game, and just get a taste of what his life is like. We managed to get in some good food & drink, too!

(Gator...we discovered that it's acceptable to eat gator on a Friday during Lent!)

 (Oh, yes I did! I also found out that Community Coffee has a King Cake Coffee, so I made sure to pick up a bag from Winn Dixie before we left!)

The live oaks on campus are just beautiful.

As an added bonus, I got to meet another Speech/Language Pathologist who invited me to be a part of an online group. We're called The Frenzied SLPs. It's an awesome group...most of us have at least 10 years experience in the field, and we "talk" frequently through FB Messenger. Anyway, this lady is just a fantastic person. We met in a coffee shop with our husbands for beignets & coffee. It was like we've known each other forever!

A couple of weeks after our visit with MS, I had Spring Break. CH took a week off, and we headed to Edisto Beach State Park to camp for the week. We left on Sat. & spent the night with some friends we met on our trips to The Keys. They live on Lake Murray, so they took us out on the boat to see the sites from the lake. We had Laika with us, and we were concerned about how she would do in a boat...with the noise. She was quite the champ; she acted like she had "been there, done that"!

They have a beautiful house. This is what we woke up to on  Sunday morning:

Edisto was absolutely wonderful. Before break, when someone asked if I was going anywhere & I would tell them Edisto, I was immediately asked where it was. When we got there, I think half of East Tennessee was there! Most of the campers were from East Tennessee. After some boyscouts left, a family who lives a couple of streets over from us moved in! Spring Break deserves a post of its own, so I'll save that for another post. This pretty much sums it up:

I guess that's enough for this post! Next up...Edisto Beach, SC!

End of January Hodgepodge

Joyce has more questions for us this week. Join in, learn new things about bloggers you follow, and meet some new ones!

1. Share a winter memory from your childhood. 

I thought about this the other day when I was at my daddy's: Walking down to the basement to get the paper out his driveway, the snow days that we had came to me. I remembered coming in through the basement after sledding on the hill across the street. We would sit down in the hallway and take off all of our wet things. The best times!

2. What was on your blog this time last year? (Besides the Hodgepodge of course!) If you weren't blogging, what in the world were you doing with all that free time? 
I actually had 2 posts on the 01/26/15. That doesn't happen very often! I wrote about being rude in "Excuse Me!" and my Weekly Meal Plan. 

3. Ellen Goodman is quoted as saying, 'We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.' 

Do you see more flaws or more potential in your life at the start of a new year? Have you done anything specific this month to address either one? Does the new year truly begin for you on January 1, or is there some other month of the year that feels like a fresh start and new beginning?
I see potential. Fresh starts and new beginnings are all in your mind.  They could happen any time!

4. Who's an athlete you admire or respect and why?
Oh, you KNOW I'm going to say Peyton! He always seems to be the nicest guy. In college, he bought 
pizza for the students waiting in line for tickets. He's the "favorite son" around these parts!

5. Do you like cream in your coffee? Whipped cream on your pumpkin pie? Cream cheese on a bagel? Sour cream on a baked potato? Cream of wheat for breakfast? Have you ever had a scone with clotted cream? Of all the creamy foods mentioned, which one sounds most appealing to you right this very minute?
I've never had cream of wheat or a scone with clotted cream, but everything else is really good! The kolaches I made last weekend had a cream cheese filling with ricotta cheese. They were excellent!

(Kolaches aren't really round. I know how to fix that next time!)

6. Where were you last kept waiting for 'hours on end'? Or for what felt like hours on end? How well did you cope?
I can't think of anything right now. Weird, huh?

7. Believe it or not, when next week's Hodgepodge rolls around it will be February.Huh?!? Bid adieu here to January in seven words or less.
Short, unexpected snowcation.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
We're having a Mardi Gras Party at church on Friday, and I have to bring an appetizer. Any ideas for something that is quick and good?

Wednesday Hodgepodge

How do you like that post title? I just don't have any creativity in my right now!
Thankfully Joyce has enough for most of us.

1. Share one thing that really makes your day.
Just a kind word will do it.

2. Lots of these kinds of lists out there, but one found here says the fifteen most colorful places on earth are:

Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy~Burano, Italy~Havana, Cuba~Rio de Janiero, Brazil~Chefchaouen, Morocco~Balat, Istanbul, Turkey~Menton, France~Jodhpur, India~La Baca, Buenos Aires, Argentina~Guanajuato, Mexico~Capetown, South Africa~Valparaiso, Chile~Wroclaw, Poland~San Francisco, California~and Pelourhino, Salvador, Brazil.  

Of those listed which would you most like to see up close and in person? Of all the places you've seen or traveled in your own life, what would you say was one of the most colorful?

I think it would be really interesting to go to Cuba, but I don't think it's the one I'd like to see the most. I would say somewhere in Italy. I really have no desire to go to S. America.  Or S. Africa or the Middle East. 
I haven't traveled a whole lot, but I would say the most colorful place I've been is Charleston.

Although, Nyhavn (Copenhagen) is pretty colorful as well:

3."Everything you want is on the other side of fear." Jack Canfield  In general, would you agree or disagree with that statement? Why?
I don't think that "everything I want" is there, but I see what he's saying. To face your fears and do something is definitely an accomplishment. 

4. Imagine you're stranded on a desert island and dessert appears...what do you hope it is? Do you ever struggle to remember which spelling is desert and which is dessert?
Chocolate. I do have to think about the spelling for a second, but then I'm okay.

5. What song almost always makes you cry?
It would be easier to say what song doesn't make me cry! A beautiful song is all it takes. One with meaningful words, for sure. The past couple of days, this song has made me cry:

If you don't know the story, Rory & Joey are a singing couple. Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer about a year (I think) after this video was made. Joey stopped treatments in October. Rory wrote on the blog on the 9th that Joey is ready to go home. 

6. January is National Soup Month.  Everything from soup to nuts, in the soup,thick as pea soup, souped up...which saying most recently applies to your life in some way? Explain.
None of them.

7. Write a two word note to your younger self. What does it say?
Be Brave.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
A young lady who is very near to my heart just started a blog: Young, Broke and Travel Hungry. If you have a minute, please stop by and give her some encouragement! Follow her on Bloglovin' to keep up with new places she's visited.

Friday Fragments

If you're looking for this week's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", click here.

Mrs. 4444 is ready to help us declutter those fragmented thoughts we have running around in our head!  She does this every Friday so we can start fresh for the weekend!

  Laika wasn't too thrilled with our walk Wed. morning.  I had the leashes on her & Pepper and started out the door, but didn't notice that it had started to rain.  So, I grabbed an umbrella and we trudged on.  Laika kept looking back toward the house when we first started walking, but then she trotted beside me the whole way.  No pulling or trying to chase anything that morning!

  Last year, I talked about a duck couple that I kept seeing at the duck pond. There's a mallard couple at the fountain in the park this summer.  I've seen them every day; they're so sweet.  It really seems like the male looks out for the female, ready to protect her.  There's also a female & 2 male mallards (what's up with that?) on the other end of the park.  I've seen them for a few days.  One morning, they were in the creek where there's a high bank & where the dogs will go in to get a quick drink.  I didn't notice the ducks were in there until Laika was in the creek and the ducks flew out!  I don't know who was more surprised:  Laika or the ducks!

  Y'all have GOT to see this!  Ingenious!
http://www.scarymommy.com/cut-grapes-in-half/

 9 pounds down...28 to go!  Slowly but surely it's coming off.  It's not as fast as it was 10 years ago, but I am 10 years older!

  My favorite app developer sent me another free app yesterday to review on my speech blog!  This one is the first test to be standardized in an app format.  I'm super excited to get a good look at it and write a review!

  On Wednesday, I had a couple of people let me know that my pictures (header, background, and pictures in posts) weren't showing up on my blog, but I checked it on Chrome, Firefox, and Explorer and didn't have any trouble.  Now, the background isn't showing up on my speech blog.  My next step is to change the background and see if that does it.  That really stinks because I really like the background I was using.  

  OS' picture of the week.  He snapped this picture when he was flying home for a friend's wedding:

And then this one on his way back to Utah:

Have a wonderful weekend!  See y'all back here on Monday!

Friday Fragments

~  I had good intentions of cleaning our bedroom yesterday, but I found other things to do.  Then it started raining, so it seemed like a good time to sit down, read a bit, and take a bit of a nap.  That's what summer break is for, right?

~  After about a year of talking about it, CH & I started a camping blog together.  It's just getting off the ground, so we'll see how it goes.

~  I finally got my winter clothes put up and my summer clothes out.  I really hope some of this weight comes off quickly; there were quite a few items that were just a tad too tight.

~  This commercial just warms my heart, especially the last little girl at around 18 seconds:

~  Remember to check out other frags at Mrs. 4444's!

My, How Time Flies!

Tomorrow is my 1st year "blogiversary".  Some people actually have their act together and have a give-away, but nope, not me.  I'm more of an "Oh my gosh!  I should have done that!" kind of girl.  So, instead of a give-away, I'm going to grace you with 10 things I've learned this past year through blogging:

1.  I'm not quite a boring as I thought!
2.  CH can learn a lot about me by reading my posts.
3.  I can get stuff from CH by mentioning that I'd like to have something in my posts.
4.  I live in a wonderful part of the USA.  (Although I already knew this!)
5. There are way too many books out there that I would like to read; I just don't have the time.
6.  If I need an opinion or suggestion, all I have to do is put it in a post and I'll get them.
7. Some people actually seem to care about my opinions.
8.  Most bloggers are the nicest people on earth.
9.  I can get great beauty tips by reading blogs...tips that I've never gotten before since I'm in an all-male household.
10. Bloggers will answer any question you have.  And I do mean "any question"!
Bonus:
11.  I've learned to pay attention to the little things during the day...you never know when it will be a great post opportunity!

And the recipes!  Thank goodness there are people out there with cooking blogs!  My family thanks you, too.

In addition, a couple of the great things about blogging are meeting new people and really connecting with people I may never meet in person, and reconnecting with people I knew in the past.

If you've been reading from the beginning, thank you for giving me the confidence to continue.  Thank you for answering my endless questions.  Especially Joyce, who introduced me to the wonderful world of gadgets and backgrounds! 
If you're a new follower, thank you for joining me for a glimpse into my life.  Thank you for thinking that I'm worthy enough to think about from time to time!
Here's to another year of blogging!  Can't wait to see where this year takes me!

Identity Crisis

My blog seems to be having an identity crisis right now.  If you change your background regularly (like I do), what do you put up when you're in between holidays?  Valentine's Day is over and it's too early to put up a St. Patrick's background.  Right now the weather is nice...the highs have been in the 60's...so I don't feel like putting up a winter background.  And, Spring is still a month away.
I was surfing and found this one.  I like it.  I think it's going to stay for a while. Okay, a few weeks, anyway!

Dreaming

What a weird dream last night!  H-mama and the girls were in there, along with Karen, and bloggers I don't know.  It started off in a store (Target, maybe...since I used to work part-time there) and I was working as a cashier.  I spotted H-mama & her girls first, and another blogger happened to be there (but I have no idea who it was...I didn't know her).  Then it switched to a room with tables.  I sat and talked with H-mama's girls, and told everybody that if they wanted to know anything about H-mama to see me.  Obviously I was getting quite an education from the girls!  

Then, it was kind of a hotel looking thing, but it was actually a hospital (?) that had been turned into a hotel.  There was only 1 bathroom (a nightmare, right?) for everybody to use, but, since I was in the handicapped-accessible room (I have no idea why), I had my own bathroom.  The only thing about that bathroom was that the door wouldn't close all the way, and there were workers outside of my room at a table during their break time.  One of the workers ended up being one of my sister's co-workers (whom I have never met, so I'm sure she doesn't have a co-worker by that name or those looks!). 

Does it get any weirder than that?  Guess I can blame it on that 1/2 piece of pumpkin cheesecake I had last night at Olive Garden!  (I had soup & salad, so that made up for it, right?)

Have you had any weird dreams lately?

Guilty

I'm feeling guilty.  I love to participate in blog hops, but when someone follows  me, I feel that I have to reciprocate and follow back.  That means getting even more behind in my blog reading.  That means neglecting house chores.  And, if I do house chores, I feel guilty because I'm not reading posts, or writing my own posts.  I need to remind myself why I started writing a blog.  
So, when I started my blog, did I care how many people were following?  (The answer is 'no'.)  I couldn't (and still can't) believe how many great blogs there are to read out there.  Some of you guys are terrific writers, and I'm very, very envious.  Me?  I hope that when you read my posts you feel like you're talking to a friend. Maybe your best friend, or your sister ('cause if you know anything about me, you know that I don't have friends, I have sisters!).
How many of y'all  have met people in real life that you've "met" through blogging?  I may have an opportunity to meet a terrific lady that I've been reading since I discovered blogs, but,to tell you the truth, I'm a  little anxious about it.  What if we don't have anything to say once we actually meet? (I really don't foresee this happening, though)  Then there's a fairly new blogging friend who lives across the county. We've been at the same place at the same time, and we've known we'd be there, but haven't actually met yet. How weird is that?  We just can't seem to get it together. 
Okay, now be honest:  How many of you talk about people you read in your real-life everyday conversation?  I find myself being careful when I talk about something I've read.  I don't want to seem like a weirdo or a person without a  life, so I'll say things like "I read somewhere...", or "Somebody said..."  Then I feel a little guilty because I feel like I've let somebody down by not giving them the proper credit.  
I'm just a guilt-ridden woman.  Must be the ol' Catholic Guilt thing.  Speaking of which, I feel guilty not posting about my faith enough.  The only explanation I have for all of this guilt is hormones.  Or lack of. 
Now, to top all of the blogging guilt, MS called last night. His rugby team is having a family reception at one of the coaches' houses.  On Friday night.  When there's a home football game.  When the band boosters take care of the concessions.  Did I mention it's Fall Break for them so we're already going to be short-handed?  He said he wants one of us to be there, and CH runs the chains, so guess who it's going to be?  (Breathe, Mary, Breathe)  I can do this:  I can leave work, go the high school, get the condiment table ready, wrap some hamburgers, then go to the reception.  I may even be able to make it back to the game when it's over to help clean up.  Maybe.  But not likely.  This is a good thing, yet a bad thing about MS going to school so close to home.
Back to blogging guilt:  CH asked me to get him some water.  Did I?  Uh, no.  I was too busy writing this post, and kinda forgot about it.  (Yes, I realize this post is all over the place, but I will not feel guilty about it!)
And now I'm going to go to bed, 'cause this guilt thing has worn. me. out!

My Blog

I've read a few posts that have talked about pet peeves on blogs.  So, I started wondering:  what do I do that irritates people when they visit?

Apparently Playlist is one of the top peeves.  I had Playlist on my blog at one time, down at the bottom, but I didn't have the music playing automatically. I have to admit, sometimes when I visit a blog, I have to quickly scroll down the page to find the Playlist to put it on pause.  This is mainly because YS has borrowed my computer and has turned the volume up loudly.  Of course, the better choice would be to make sure the speaker was turned off before I started browsing, but who thinks of that!  There are a couple of blogs that I visit that have an awesome playlist. Sometimes I'll leave those blogs up while reading others just so I can listen to the music.

Then there's the comment moderation.  Apparently this really irritates some people to the point that they don't leave a comment, or don't revisit that blog.  So, I turned the comment moderation off, then got a couple of spam e-mails.  I've turned it back on.   If I don't get a few comments because of it, so be it.  I'd rather not get some comments than have some humongous virus on my computer that Norton didn't catch.

Since we're on the comment subject:  I try to respond  to each comment I receive.  If the commenter has an e-mail address link with their profile, I'll e-mail.  Otherwise I'll visit their site and leave a comment.  I get a little frustrated if the commenter doesn't have their blog address available in which to link; I feel like I'm not reciprocating their time. 

When I read others' blogs, most of the time I leave a comment.  Sometimes I'm rushed for time, so I'm doing good to just briefly visit.  But, please know, if I follow you, I visit at least once a week.  I also don't have time to go back and revisit someone's post after I've commented.  So, if  you want to comment on my comment, e-mail  me!

I usually post in the mornings, but since I've had to go back to the coal mines the teachers are back at work, I'm going to have to post at night.  I just can't post in the morning and get ready for work.  Unfortunately, I think getting ready for work takes precedent!  When I first started blogging, I would do a "draft" in the evening, then revise in the morning before I posted.  Yes, I know I can be very OCD, but I would think of things during the night that I had left out.  Okay, who am I kidding?  I'm sure I'll still revise in the morning, but I'm going to therapy for that do my best not to do that any more.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and take a peek into my extremely boring life!  Constructive criticism is welcome...in fact, I have received a couple of suggestions that were wonderful!  Y'all are the BEST!