Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. July is National Ice Cream month...your favorite flavor? Soft served, hand dipped, or frozen yogurt...which do you prefer? And technically yogurt is not ice cream but its hot outside so I'll let that slide for today.

Favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone.  We have an ice cream shop-not no lying here-but the name of the ice cream parlor is Hodgepodge on Main!!  Will post a pic later for all to see.  Anyway I love mint chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone!!  Usually, Charlie and I will walk around the block and then walk to Hodgepodge on Main for ice cream.

Second part of question--I prefer frozen vanilla yogurt.
You can say it is hot-temperature at 4:30 today was 103!

2. When you travel do you tend to pack too much or too little?

Definitely too much-I have try to lighten a little on this now that the girls are older.  When the girls were younger, I thought of everything under the sun to pack.  Of course, most of what I packed I never used-but hey one never knows.

3. What's your favorite cleaning product?

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers---Oh my gosh I cleaned my blinds with these and they looked brand new!!!!

Even though Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are my favorite, the cleaning product I use the most is Clorox Wipes-constantly using them.  As a matter of fact, I probably keep them in business between home and school use.

4. Which is the greater tragedy-an innocent person imprisoned or a guilty person set free? Explain.

To me it would be a guilty person set free.  Because if a guilty person is set free, then that person has another opportunity to commit either another crime or the same crime-more people could be innocently hurt.

5. What's the longest trip you've taken by car
The longest trip by car would have to be Florida-12 to 13 hr. drive.  I need to also mention my husband drove and he really doesn't like to travel as I have mentioned before so we only stopped one time!!!!

6. tennis-golf-canoeing-biking...pick one.

The last time I played golf, my husband hit my golf cart (as I was driving) with a golf ball-Cross golf off the list. To this day I don't even enjoy playing putt-putt.

Canoeing-not much into water sports--cross this one off.
That leaves tennis and biking. Which I like both but since I have to pick one I choose.......
TENNIS!!!

7. What sound drives you crazy?

Someone smacking their mouth as they are eating.  This drives me nuts.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I just said to my husband earlier-this winter it was too cold to go outside and now it is too hot to go outside!!
Planning on leaving Sunday or Monday for a short trip so ......Enjoy Life!!!!!!

Rainy Days and Mondays

Began raining in the wee hours of the morning---not very heavy rain or thunderstorms just rain.  I had planned on working in my flowerbed and washing the siding at the back of the house.  I really needed to get these done today, because my week is full and I will be leaving Sunday and today was the day I had to fit these into my schedule.  But the rain stopped me.  Now I know what you're thinking-I could was the siding at the back-since I usually get soaked when doing this anyway-but the deck gets too slippery when wet--so...I decided to eat a snack.  The only problem now--no snack but I can fix that a quick trip to the store.  Charlie and I went to the store and........
Daughter #2 called in a panic.  She had gotten out of class and couldn't get back to her condo because the road was closed due to raising water.  Hub told her to go through town.  Few minutes later, she called back.  She couldn't go through main street-road closed due to water.  Now- she is according to her starving. She thinks she might try and find another way around to park her truck and try and walk.  No-I am saying to Charlie-that might be too dangerous.  Again Charlie tells her to drive back to campus and go to the cafeteria.  Few minutes pass by and she calls cafeteria is closed.  Now she begins yelling in the phone and I can tell Charlie is getting upset, so I say tell her to figure it out-call some of her basketball friends and see where they are.  More yells--some of her friends have went to the beach.  Well, just sit for awhile and see if the water will recede. Twenty minutes later another phone call-she has tried to make it again to her condo.  She sees a TV crew and I tell her to wave and smile.  This wasn't what she wanted to hear.  You have to make lite  of a situation, right??  She sees construction road crew.  The road is no longer there!!!  It has been partially washed away!!!  She is again saying she is starving and she wants to eat--NOW!!!  No clue when road will be fixed.  I tell Charlie to tell her, this want last long-many people live in the condo units and.....everyone is in the same boat now.  Just drive back to campus and .....she doesn't want to go back to campus...she is furious with professor because other classes let out earlier due to the heavy rain; but he kept his class the entire time and if he had let them out earlier she would be back at her condo.  My response--what does that have to do with anything???
So that is where conversation ended.  Just figure something out-Emily!!!
Before all this happened...I get a text from Verizon.
Daughter #1 had trouble with her phone so she went to the store and got a replacement.  No time to switch everything -contact info. and etc. over.  Text from Verizon-if we don't receive old phone you will be charged $500.00.  It didn't take me long to text #1 daughter and tell her to call me as soon as possible.  In the conversation she has had the new phone for three weeks, let me repeat that three weeks and still hasn't transferred her information over.  She was told to get everything done and fed ex the old phone by Wednesday or else.......
I just can't believe -I would say kids-but mine are young adults today!!!  We have made life too easy for them.  They have difficulty handling a situation....and they call like-jump in car and come over-I am starving.  I say go to a gas station and grab a pack of crackers and something to drink--You are not starving. And then...to wait three weeks to update your new phone which you haven't been using.  My thought on this.. did your phone need replacing because if it needed replacing,  I sure the heck would have not waited three weeks.
I guess the rain was a blessing in disguise because I would not had gotten my flowerbed taken care of or the siding at the back of the house washed-with all this DRAMA!!!!!
Girls do see to have a lot of Drama--don't they?

Thankful Thursday

a little rain
AC
friends
people who go the extra-mile to help me
people who give their time to help RAM--free dental, medical, etc. on Friday and Saturday-this does say a lot about people in the medical profession--
our church group on a mission trip in South Dakota

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. July 20th marks the anniversary of the first time man stood on the moon. Flash forward 42 years to July 8, 2011 which marked the start of the final Space Shuttle mission. Should we continue to explore space? Should nations devote more or fewer of their resources to exploring space? Would you want to go into space if the opportunity arose?

I think we should continue to explore space-if it wasn't for our exploration of space we would not have the 'stuff' we enjoy today like microwaves, radio, television, etc.  There is much more we need to learn about space.  Tough question-should we devote more resources to explore space?  This depends on what we need to devote more to.  I do believe we need to devote more resources to finding cures for cancer, alzheimer, and other diseases.  Maybe exploring space would help.
I remember watching the tv-eyes glued to the screen when man first walked on the moon.  I was amazed.  I did apply-being a teacher to go up in space. :( got turned down.

2. What are three things in your freezer?

 Skillet Meals, Corn, and Hot Dogs-

3. If you could see any band/artist perform live tonite who would it be? It has to be someone living...no Beatles, Elvis, etc.

Lady Antebellum

4. Ice-cubed or crushed? Or are you one of those people who don't like ice?

Prefer crushed ice because it is easier to chew-okay with ice-cubed even though I make a slurpy, sucking sound.

5. The owner of a small restaurant outside of Pittsburgh recently announced he was banning children under six, saying they regularly disrupted other customer's meals. You can read the story in more detail here but isn't this a perfect topic to discuss in our Wednesday Hodgepodge? Have at it friends...what are your thoughts?

As a mother, I know that sometimes children can be annoying at a restaurant.  After a few trips to the bathroom, well...you know the rest of the story.  Today when Charlie and I go out alone (which is very few), I see children misbehaving badly-some parents do what I did-bathroom time-and some parents just  ignore their child.  I tune out the noise of children-maybe that is my teacher instinct.  
I do not agree with the restaurant owner on this.  How annoying can it be, really?  For people who want a peaceful and quiet atmosphere to dine in-then I suggest go somewhere you know no young child will be or simply stay at home.  

6. What was your first car? How did it come to be yours?

Charlie bought me my first car.  Until then I drove my parents' cars.  I think the only reason Charlie bought me my first vehicle was because I could come home on weekends (still in college) and see him.  It was a Fiesta.
Now my daughter has my car at pharmacy school--Gran Prix

Not my VW convertible--windshield is cracked.  And I am driving her car

I hope I make it up the
 mountain on Friday!!!!

7. If I had a nickle for every time I _________________ I'd be rich.

If I had a nickle for every time I blinked I'd be rich.
If I had a nickle for every time I told the girls what to do and take my advice I'd be rich.
If I had a nickle for every time I worried especially at night I'd be rich.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I desperately need a hair cut!!!!
After taking Nathan to the library, we had something to entertain us.  Our neighbor had decided to do some serious tree trimming----all the way down!!

There goes the nice shade for the side of my house==oh well!!!
 

Have a great day!

Tammy

Friday.........

The Hungry Mother Festival is this weekend.  This is a weekend full of crafts and is really enjoyable to go. There are many vendors from all over and the food is fantastic.  I try to go on

Friday to beat the crowd and take my time looking and then I go back on

Sunday to purchase what I want.  My thinking is the vendors

don't want to pack the crafts back up and I can

get a good deal!  The weather has always been extremely

hot but a breeze off of the water helps cool a little.  I keep Nathan on Friday so Charlie and I 

planned on taking him.

Thursday night I got out the sunscreen, his hat, and packed his diaper bag.

When I woke up Friday morning, it was drizzling rain.  I stepped outside to get the newspaper and Whoa...my gosh it was cold.  I thought well it will warm up later on. By 11 it hadn't gotten any warmer.  I dressed Nate in sweat pants, shirt, and a jacket-in mid July!!! and we were off.  It was much cooler at the festival.  As a matter of fact, the van temperature said 62.  I was freezing so I hurriedly walked through the festival to try and keep warm.  Instead of my usually frozen lemonade I was searching for coffee or hot chocolate.  Come to think of it, I have never seen coffee or hot chocolate at the festival. After a couple of hours, I told Charlie I think we should head out; I was freezing. 

I had to purchase a tractor.  Just look at that smile on his face-how
could I resist not buying him something!!!

I was glad to get back home and put on jeans, socks, and tennis shoes.  I laughed when I was unpacking the sunscreen--what was I thinking????????

#1 daughter came home to attend a drug class by.  This was a good

idea on her part. She still had to get up at 5 and leave at 6 but this 

was better than getting up at 3 and leaving her apartment at 4.  

Now she is driving my car until we can get her VW  fixed. Oh not

my convertible VW (that's another story for later on). Now #1 daughter has

a good head on her shoulders but sometimes we have to help her

make a decision on some things--especially when it comes

to traveling to see boyfriend 280 miles!!!!  Yep, this was

our discussion later on that evening.  Charlie and I didn't think it was

such a good idea for her to be traveling that far after getting up at 5 and sitting

in a class from 7-12:30.  She didn't agree with us...so a long discussion followed.

Dating has changed a lot-what happened to boys going the 

extra-mile?

Enough said on this topic....

The night was getting cooler...and a fire makes us happy....and helps to ease the tension....so

that's what we did.

Daughter #1 decided to join us--

this made her dad and I happy.  Maybe she will think about our discussion and how we felt about 

the traveling discussion.  She seemed okay but.....I know she was sad...and this made us sad.....and we

were only saying what we thought was in her best interest.  

After the fire had gone out, I said to Charlie wasn't parenthood much easier when the girls were younger.  I knew where my girls were at all times and I didn't have to worry so much about their feelings (with boyfriends) or their safety on the road.  The girls would be tucked in bed sound asleep...but now they are probably texting their boyfriends and saying what ole fashion parents they had and how we are over protective of a 23 and 21 yr old girls.  

Not only did the day begin on a dreay note; it ended on one as well. 

Follow Friday

This week’s statements:

1- When I was younger, I used to ______

2- I always start my day with ______

3 – When I get some time alone I like to _______

4  – I think _______ is ridiculous

1.  When I was younger, I used to want to hurry up and grow up!!!  Now I wish I was younger!!!!
2.  I always start my day with coffee, then a shower and then a prayer.

3.  When I get some time alone I like to read.
4.  I think food prices is ridiculous. My town has only one grocery store and well.....the prices are outrageous!!!!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. How has your hometown changed since you were a kid? What has changed most about the neighborhood you grew up in?

My hometown has changed drastically.  I lived in Baltimore, Maryland for a while then moved to Saltville, Virginia.  I would go and spend my summers in Baltimore before I was a teenager.  Saltiville was the home of Olin.  Olin produced mercury.  My backyard was full of muck and mercury.  I remember putting mercury in a pop bottle and then busting it later.  Saltville was a booming town.  Olin was shut down and many people left Saltville.  Now the house I grew up in has been tore down.  In fact, about all the houses in my neighborhood have  been tore down.  Like I said, not many people live in Saltville anymore.  Now, the high school only has around 200 students grades 9-12.  Last year, we had a 'Muck Dam Reunion.'  We all met and went to church and then we went to where our house use to be and had a picnic.  What a blast we had!!!

'Good times and good ole friends'

Muck Dam Reunion

2. What song makes you laugh?
The only song I can think of is by Ray Stevens--"The Streak"

3. If t Are you a fan of Harry Potter? Read the books? Seen any/all of the movies? Will you be standing in line somewhere close to midnight later this week? For those of you playing along today who live outside the US or UK is Harry Potter a phenomenon in your part of the world?

Not a fan of Harry Potter.

4. If the truth hurts, will you tell a lie? Are we better off as a society in a world that allows no form of deception whatsoever?

Sometimes....it depends on the person and the circumstance.  I am not the type of person who wants to hurt someone's feelings (even though I am accused of being too blunt) so instead of giving an exact answer I usually say ---ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies-the easy way out, right?  But the truth can hurt sometimes, so if I am pestered enough I say " okay-get your big girl panties on" and spill the truth. I have made it very clear to my daughters to always tell me the truth because if I find out otherwise the punishment will be more severe!!!!!
For the second part of the question- As a society do we dodge the truth?  because we don't want to know the truth.

5. What is your favorite 'sauteed in garlic and butter' food? Or garlic and olive oil if that makes you feel better.

Shrimp on the grill.

6. Attending any reunions this summer/year? High school? family? Other? Do these events stir up excitement or dread?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I will be seeing Joyce in a couple of weeks.  We will be having a sorority college reunion.  
In September, I will be attending a high school reunion and my neighborhood reunion.
Definitely excited about all reunions!!!!

7. Lilac, hydrangea, peony...pick one.

Peony

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Just received a phone call about my teaching assignment next year.  Now the summer is ending too fast for me.  Of course, I am not too thrilled  about it either.  Don't call me now-wait until the night before!!!!!
Tammy

Another Project

What shall I do today?????

Windows/Blinds desperately need cleaning.  DONE--well decided to call it quits after tackling three rooms.  Plus doing laundry.

Last Friday, I decided that I wanted new stepping stones out front.  So hub and I went looking and I found some I like-thinking we could wait till early fall and begin.

WRONG!!!

Started today....in this heat.  I mean it is only in the high 90's with a heat index of 100/105!!!  When I last heard, the weatherman said avoid being outside today and stay in as much as possible.

Scream..........................

Originally there were 22 small stepping stones so we figured on about 11 bigger ones.

Hot, hot, hot!!!!!  Drink, drink, drink!!!

Okay, enough is enough--STOP!!!!

After three stepping stones were laid, Quit!!!!

The truck can stay in the front yard until morning or yet another day!!!   I need a shower and a drink.  Wait--weatherman also said avoid alcoholic  beverages--Well, a shower and a drink is what I need.

The stepping stones will just have to wait!!!!!

Tammy