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 like Mexican food okay. I like guacamole, chips, salsa, tacos, pretty much all of it except the weird things. I like refried beans and rice. I haven’t made up my mind yet about black beans. I like medium spicy. We won’t be specifically celebrating Cinco de Mayo, but we may have tacos that day. It really depends on what else we have going on and where we’ll be that day.

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?

No, I have never been to Mexico, nor do I plan on ever going. The only thing about that place that holds my interest is the migration of the Monarch butterflies and I could see that from this side of the border!

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

I may accomplish de-cluttering the room divider. As a matter of fact, I am almost done with it already.

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 have never seriously considered serving in a public office because - PEOPLE! If I were the mayor of this town specifically, I would want to do something about the uneducated, power-tripping cops in this town.

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

It seems to be very popular to go around showing body parts that are only supposed to be seen by one’s husband and oneself. I do not get that. It is like these girls think that is the only way to get a man. I think if that is what it takes to get a man, then he isn’t a man worth getting!

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?

I know who Darth Vader is, but I am not a Star Wars fan. I’m not anti-Star Wars, either. It just isn’t my cup of tea. Our oldest daughter loves the franchise.

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?

It is hard for me to determine exactly what the fourth post on PS Annie! is because I have migrated some posts from my other blogs over to PS Annie! The fourth post that is showing in the list was from my original blog, One Thousand Gifts and it was about how thankful I am for my children, how much they amaze me, etc. And, yes, it most definitely still rings true today. I can’t imagine my life without these people in it!  Yes, I believe that I have mentioned it a time or two over the years. :)

Ok, so that's more than three sentences, but I tried!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I am excited to be making progress in this house. I am also thankful to have the opportunity to sit outside in a bird-friendly yard and try to photograph some of Heavenly Father’s most special artwork.  I know that He cares for me because He takes care of them.

The Bible says in Matthew 10:29-31:

“29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

He knows when the birds fall. They aren’t too little to be noticed by Him. He knows everything about me, down to how many hairs I have. He says that I am of value, even more than those beautiful birds.  I see them and remember that He loves me. No matter what is going on in my life, He sees it, and He has my back.

Chickadee ©2 May 2017 Suzanne G. McClendon

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Wednesday Hodgepodge - 24 August 2016

1. It's National Waffle Day (August 24th)...what decision are you currently 'waffling over'? (or share one you've recently 'waffled over')

I don't know that I'm waffling over anything.  Of course, maybe that is a waffling there.

2. It's the middle of August, but I'm already seeing lots of autumn-related posts. Do you think we rush the seasons? If so, does that bother you? I saw (here) an end of summer bucket list that included-

make s'mores, read a new (or favorite) book in the park, eat something delicious and bad for you at a state fair, be a tourist for the day, have a pot luck picnic, book a last minute summer getaway, relax by or in the pool, take a hike to watch the sunset, have a day on the lake, try a new summer recipe

Which activities on the list might you squeeze in before summer officially comes to a close? 

I wouldn't mind being a tourist somewhere, though right now the kind of tourist I would like to be is the kind that is really someone going back home for a visit before it is too late. A hike to watch the sunset would be nice, too, but our hiking days are over. A new recipe is always nice to try, too.

3. Your favorite summertime 'art' found in nature?

How about a flower garden in full bloom? But I also think that huge fields of cotton and cornfields are beautiful, too.  The cotton, especially, is great because the fields look like we've been blessed with snow.  I call cotton fields, once the cotton has popped out, Texas snow.

4. Stephen R. Covey is quoted as saying 'We judge ourselves by our intentions, and others by their actions.' Agree or no? Do you define yourself based on your intentions, your actions, or something else? 

I think that I judge myself on a combination of the choices given, as well as on what other people say about me. 

5. Are you useful in a crisis? Elaborate. 

I think that would depend on the crisis.  I think I did fine when David had the strokes and when his blood sugar level dropped dangerously low at the hospital (it was 49).  But, there have been times in the past where a crisis has just brought me to my knees, literally and figuratively, and I was useless during those times. I wasn't even really functional during those times. Thankfully, those times are a rarity.

6. What's been your go-to dish this summer? Is it something you'll continue making as the seasons change?

Salad!  Yes, we will continue to have salad, regardless of the season. We love it!

7. Adult coloring books are a thing now. Have you jumped on the bandwagon? If not is this something you think you might enjoy?

No, I haven't jumped on the adult coloring book wagon.  There are a few in our Kindle, but only because I didn't realize they were coloring books when I downloaded them. I thought they were books about butterflies and flowers.  I have always liked to color, but most of my coloring is digital these days.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

My life's breath left me

That spring day you went away

And the flowers bloomed.

©22 August 2016 Suzanne G. McClendon

Life goes on.   Even when we're crushed beyond belief, somehow, life goes on and we recover.   We may think that we never will, but somehow we do.  Maybe, just maybe, no matter how bad the bad was, it helped us to become a better person.  Maybe.

Please be sure to read David's Wednesday Hodgepodge post over at Random Thoughts and Observations. Thanks!


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Wednesday Hodgepodge - 27 July 2016

Wednesday Hodgepodge 27 July 2016

1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why?
(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)

I guess about a 5. It hasn't been spectacular, but it hasn't been horrible either. Well, except for the heat. That HAS been horrible! One day our heat index was 115 degrees!

2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who calls you Aunt (or Uncle).

My daddy has one living sibling, my Aunt Charlotte. They had an older brother, Uncle Bobby Joe, that was killed while in service in Germany. My mama had 2 brothers and 4 sisters (3 that made it to adulthood). Also, my grandparents had siblings. The one that I was closest to was my maternal grandma's sister, my Aunt Mae. She was as sweet as could be, just like my grandma. I used to spend time with her during the summer. One night while we were asleep, I had a dream that involve stairs that led into Heaven. I was moving furniture up the stairs into Heaven. I remember wondering about that dream and she helped me to not be so confused. Aunt Mae, and Grandma, too, were fine Christian women and I was blessed to have them in my life. Aunt Mae passed away just before I could tell her that I was pregnant with the son that would ultimately carry her daddy's name. I had promised her when I was a teenager that I would name my firstborn son after her daddy, my great-grandpa, Julius Jared Pressley (surname unknown at the time). When David and I had Jared, he didn't want me to name him Julius, so I dropped Julius. Our son was named Jared Pressley McClendon.

3. What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate? What's your favorite food dipped in cheese?

I think cheesecake would be great dipped in chocolate and in cheese! I wouldn't run from chocolate or cheese-covered shrimp, either. Cheesecake and shrimp are my favorite foods no matter how they are dressed.

4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.

I would have to say it was earlier when David came up to me, totally out of the blue, and laid a major kiss on me. :)

5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered?

I would have to say a Pinterest board. It was one about saving and making money.


6. What's your favorite story from scripture? Why that story?

I think that my favorite story from the Bible, aside from the birth of Christ, is the story of the little boy being raised from the dead. It is in 2 Kings Chapter 4. Elisha stretched himself out on the child a couple of times and the child sneezed back to life. I know how it feels to lose a child. This woman's faith was strong and she knew that Heavenly Father through Elisha could bring her child back to life again. Oh, to have such faith and to have it answered that way!

7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?

This doesn't have to be in a straight line, does it? This adventure would be a little ziggity-zaggity. I don't really like cities, but if I have to chose cities over small towns, I would choose: Asheville, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; San Antonio, Texas; and San Diego, California (but only because our boys have spent so much time there!).

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am just totally amazed at the folks that will go on and on about not liking something, about how something is so wrong, yet close off all avenues to changing it. They don't want to hear or consider any ideas about how to change the problem or work through it. They just want to spit out hate. They shut off two-way conversation, refusing to see that change starts with each of us, thereby proving that they and other closed-minded people like them, are the root of the problem.

Don't blame me for what my ancestors did almost 200 years ago. Don't think that you get a free pass because of what yours endured those same 200 years ago. Neither of us are the guilty party and neither of us are the victim of what went on all those years ago. We can't change the past, but hate can kill the future. We can change that!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 20 July 2016

Please be sure to click the button to join Joyce on her wonderful Wednesday Hodgepodge!

1. Pokemon Go...your thoughts? Are you playing? Do you even know what it is?

All I know about it is that it is a game that is making people behave, to quote a favorite VamPa, "nutsy cuckoo!" As I understand it, you wander about with an app open on the phone looking for Pokemon goomers and generally not paying attention to what is going on around you, thereby endangering yourself and others. Beyond that, no, I don't know what it is. According to the local newspaper, it has become all the rage on the square in town.

2. What was something you collected as a child? Do you still have that collection? If you're a parent what's something your own children collected? Have you ever camped out, stood in a crazy long queue, or paid a ridiculous sum for a 'collectible'?

I can't think of anything specifically that I collected as a child, unless you want to count mosquito bites, which I still seem to be collecting. My own children collected Warrior series books. It was a cool series about cats. They are also majorly into the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series.

I have no intention of camping out or standing in long lines to buy anything, nor the money to pay big prices for a collectible (or anything else, for that matter). I generally try to be practical.

3. "Collect moments, not things"...tell us about a moment you've added to your collection this summer.

Does being in the path of a falling tree count? I was just about to step off of the patio and heard a crackling noise. I looked up just as a tree part fell right in front of me. This was a few weeks ago. That thing was huge and could have splattered me good. Thankfully, I was too distracted by the crackling and stopped to listen to it rather than continuing to step off the patio or the story would have been entirely different.

4. What's something collecting dust in your home right now? Any plans to do something about it?

Everything! This town has to be the dustiest one that we've ever lived in. No matter how much things are dusted or vacuumed, it is still dusty here. There's nothing that I can do about it.

5. A favorite song relating to time?

Remember When? By Alan Jackson

  
6. What's been your most frightening or your most interesting encounter with wildlife?


I would have to say the time that we were at Brazos Bend State Park and I almost put my foot into an alligator's mouth. The thing about it is I was walking along being very aware of the thousands of alligators on all sides of us. I was just so busy looking at those a bit away from us that I missed the one right at my foot. David said, "Look out!" I'm surprised I didn't fall into the water from the startling it gave me. Thankfully, the thing didn't chomp me!

For more information about Brazos Bend State Park, see the following sites:

Texas Parks and Wildlife - Brazos Bend State Park
Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer Organization

7. On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong set his foot down on the moon. If you could travel to the moon would you go? Why or why not?

Absolutely not! I can only imagine the hassle and man-handling one would get from the TSA going on *that* trip! Besides the aversion to strangers touching me, I am very claustrophobic and couldn't stand being closed up in something as long as it would take to get to the moon.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Can it be winter now?
Please?

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 13 July 2016

1. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or is it more the other way around?

I think more often than not, it is influencing me, and not necessarily for the better. There are things going on that are bad enough in their own rights, but reactions to them are making them even worse for everyone around. Why should I be punished for something someone else did just because I have some things in common with them? It's all making me pretty cranky!

'79 is the year that I met David.

2. July 14th is National Tape Measure Day...the device was patented on this date in 1868. When did you last use a tape measure? Do you always know where to find one in your house? Tell us one way in which you feel blessed 'beyond measure'.

I last used a tape measure a few days ago to measure the circumference of my pony tail. Did you know that people buy human hair to make wigs? While I likely won't cut my hair for any reason, including selling it, I measured it to see what I could possibly get for a 3" circumference, 6" long, gray, virgin (as in undyed, untreated, etc.) hair. If it were accepted by the place, I could earn $118 dollars for it. David likes it long, so it is worth much more than that staying on my head!

Update! I missed parts of this the first time through. I almost always know where to find my tape measure.  I have a bucket near my chair with my knitting/crocheting things in it and it is almost always in there.  Sometimes it goes on walk-about.

I am blessed with a great husband and beautiful children. I am blessed with generations of strong men and women behind me.  All of them make me who I am today.

3.The Plaza Hotel (Eloise), The Land of Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh), Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), or Never Never Land (Peter Pan)...which storybook land (on this list!) would you most like to visit and why?

It would be between The Hundred Acre Wood and Never, Never Land. I love Winnie the Pooh, but Laynie has played Tinkerbell for the last few years at a local character breakfast. So, Never Never Land would be perfect.

4. Where and when do you get your best ideas?

It most often happens when I am somewhere without a pen and paper, like in the shower or in bed. If I'm lucky, I remember them long enough to write them down.

5. So what have you been watching on TV this summer? Anything good?

We don’t have a TV service anymore. When we watch something, it is a DVD or something on Amazon or Netflix. We generally watch My Little Pony and the cutest little movie called Hotel Transylvania II. It has the most adorable little curly-haired baby vampire baby. :)

6. 'Don't swim for an hour after you eat', 'Dog days of summer', 'Knee high by the Fourth of July'...choose a summer saying from the list or share one of your own, then tell us what image or memory comes to mind when you hear it spoken.

I don't know that this saying is inherently "summer", but it is one that I remember from my childhood. We had a neighbor named Joanne with a husband named Epp and a daughter named Dawn. We spent a lot of time at their house. She even let me vacuum her house, which I thought was way cool (we didn't have a vacuum cleaner or carpet). Anyway, one phrase that I often heard at her house and never anywhere else was, "I'll be jumped up!" It was an expression of surprise or wonder. I know what it means; I just can't seem to find the words at the moment.

7. In a single sentence, sum up one life lesson you've learned.

No matter what anyone else says about me or my worth, Heavenly Father made the determination of my worth when He sent Jesus to die for my sins.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This world is not perfect, neither are the people in it. Sometimes we can hold so fast to our own thoughts that we do not open up to the possibility of a solution. We close our minds and hearts when the answer is standing there right in our faces, but we refuse to see it. If we aren't going to be open to a solution, then we need to quit whining about the problem.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 30 March 2016

1. What are two or three expectations you have of yourself?

• I expect perfection in many things. If I am making something and it has flaws, I undo it. I've been "un-knitting" a LOT lately. David says these are things that only I would notice. I am my own worst critic.
• I expect to improve in all things that I pursue.
• I expect to be able to take care of my family.

2. In what way does your outdoor space need sprucing up this spring?

It needs a lot of work! Our neighbors smoke like dragons. I have COPD. Because of their cigarette smoke, I can't work in the yard, can't cut the grass, and can't trim the bushes, nothing. I can't even walk out into our carport without getting choked on their smoke. Most of the time, I take out the garbage at 2 or 3am, and they're out there sometimes even then smoking. I feel sorry for their babies. David can't do it because he isn't supposed to be on his feet due to the diabetic ulcer on the bottom of his foot. If he doesn't stay off of his feet, he could lose them. He's already lost one toe. So, it is pretty much a jungle out there until the neighbors decide to toss the cigarettes so that I can do the yard work. Or, they get out there and do it for me since they're keeping me from doing it. To their credit, they do usually mow our front yard and I do appreciate that very much.

3. According to this site (Roadtrippers), six of North America's most wondrous waterfalls are-Webster's Falls in Ontario, Upper Whitewater Falls in North Carolina, Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, Multnomah Falls in Oregon, The Lower Yellowstone Falls, and Niagara. Have you seen any on the list? Which one on the list would you most like to visit? Prettiest waterfall not on the list that you've seen in person?

I've never seen any of the above mentioned waterfalls, but would love to be able to see all of them in person, especially Niagara Falls. I would also love to see Angel Falls, but it is in Venezuela with the creepy spiders. I get spider-bitten enough around here. I don't need to bring home any of their eight-legged freaks!

4. Looking back, what's something you wish you'd done as a teenager?


I wish that I had known that the band program was indeed available to me. From a young age, I wanted to play an instrument. As a little girl, I wanted to play the violin, but Mama said that they couldn't afford the music lessons the school was offering. So, when I got to high school and wanted to play the saxophone, I didn't even bother asking about it. David says that our school would have provided the instrument to me and I wouldn't have had to pay to be in the band. I wish that I had known it back then!

5. Ham...yes please or no thank you? If you said yes please which of the following do you like best-baked ham with all the trimmings, a ham and cheese sandwich, prosciutto with melon, a ham biscuit, a bowl of split pea and ham soup, or a slice of pizza topped with ham and pineapple?

I love ham! I like baked ham, a ham and cheese sandwich, and ham biscuits. But, we're working toward a more vegetarian or vegan diet, so ham won't be featured in our meals very often.

6. Are you typical of your generation? How so?

I don't think that I'm really typical for any generation. I fit in the best, though, with people of my grandparents' generation. I have never really fit in with people my own age.

7. April rolls in at the end of the week, and in keeping with that theme...'act the fool', 'nobody's fool', 'a fool's errand', 'could have fooled me'...which foolish idiom most recently applies to you? Explain.

I don't know which one does apply to me, but I know which one does not: act the fool. I am generally a very reserved person and bashful. I don't want all…or even any…eyes on me most of the time. I don't cut up in public or anything like that.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes. ~Carl Friedrich Gauss

Quote Source: BrainyQuote

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 23 March 2016

©2016 Suzanne G. McClendon

1. Has spring sprung in your little corner of the world? Other than the calendar how would I know? What's your favorite thing about spring?

Oh yes, it most definitely has and a week earlier than last year. You would know because of all of the beautiful wildflowers everywhere. We saw the first bluebonnet on February 26th! The flowers are my favorite thing about spring. I love to photograph them. The other thing about Gulf Coast Texas springs makes that difficult. They are always dancing because of the wind!

2. Besides the weather, what's put a spring in your step recently?
 

Knitting and crocheting are bringing me a lot of joy (and pain…thanks, arthritis!). This is something that David and I are enjoying together…the knitting, that is; not the pain.

3. How does Easter impact you?

It represents the day that Jesus gave His life and overcame death for me, little, old, nobody me. It grieves me that He endured such torment because of me and blesses me that He proved my value by dying for me. What greater act of love is there? I am glad that He loved me enough to do such as He did, but wish that it had not been necessary. It is a day for thinking and thanking.

4. I saw this somewhere on Facebook and thought it would make a fun Hodgepodge question. Which of the following would you find most disappointing...

A just stuffed taco shell breaking open and spilling out before you take the first bite? Dropping a just-purchased Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts coffee? Opening the peanut butter jar and finding it empty? Upending onto the sidewalk a just-purchased ice cream cone? A burnt bagel popping up in your toaster when you're rushing breakfast? Or cutting into an avocado and finding out it's rotten?

First, the no peanut butter thing would be a problem. I LOVE peanut butter. Is the ice cream Blue Bell? If so, then the dropped ice cream moves to the front of the line. Then comes the rotten avocado. After the peanut butter, ice cream, and avocado, out of the choices that are left, I would have to say the spilling taco. I don't drink coffee (I just sniff it…it smells great!) and I don't eat bagels.

5. What's something held together with tape at your house? Or a paper clip? Or a wing and a prayer?

I would have to say the house. It is as old as I am and everything is falling apart in it just as it is in me. haha

6. Do you feel underappreciated? In what way?

Most of the time, yes. I have a lifetime of "not good enoughs" behind me and it is difficult to silence those old tapes. Very rarely do I genuinely feel appreciated or valued. I realize that my value, though judged by people on this earth, does not come from them. Heavenly Father proved my worth when He sent His son to die for me. His thoughts of me have eternal ramifications. The judgments of other are temporary and, ultimately, do not matter.

7. What's something you'd build if you knew how?

I would build a house of our own. On a smaller scale, I would build an antique-looking armoire. Or even a bird house. I just want to be good at creating something!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." - Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 17 February 2016

1. February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. It lands on the calendar one day after National Do Something for a Grouch Day (February 16) which somehow feels related. Perhaps the 16th inspired the 17th?

Tell about a time you performed a random act of kindness or were the recipient of one. Will you make an effort to perform a random act of kindness on the 17th? Share details if you're so inclined, and if you have something specific in mind.

One of the customers at the store where I've been working often gives us a tip, of sorts, when he wins on the lottery tickets that he purchases. He is a sweet guy that reminds me in some ways of my daddy.

The best answer for this one is written about on my husband's blog. Read the story of Thanksgiving here in David's testimony.

2. What's the most uplifting or encouraging thing you see happening in the world right now? You may have to dig deep for this one.

I find it encouraging that so many people are getting away from traditional employment and going into businesses of their own. It gives me hope that ours will be successful, too.

3. Black olives, black currants, black grapes, black beans, blackberries, Oreos...your favorite food the color of night? Your least favorite on the list?

I am allergic to black olives, or at least intolerant of them. They make me shiver, though I like the taste. I have never had a currant of any variety that I know of, nor black grapes. Black beans, blackberries, and most definitely Oreos I like just fine, especially the Oreos!

4. A while back I read (here) a list of twelve things you should do before you turn 50. They were-

travel when you have the chance, take care of your skin, learn a foreign language, make exercise a habit, leave a toxic situation, stop caring what others think about you, stop worrying, volunteer, spend time with your grandparents, pledge to work less, learn to cook an amazing dish, and seize an opportunity as it arises

What do you think of the list? What would you add or remove and why? If you're over 50, have you done all 12? If you're not yet 50, have you done any at all? What's on the list that you haven't done, but would like to do?

I think that it is a nice list. I haven't done all 12 and I just turned fifty this past August.

I have not yet stopped worrying or caring what other people think about me.

I am giving two weeks' notice at work tomorrow so that we can go for an opportunity that has presented itself to us and we actually feel good about this one.

We haven't traveled often or extensively. Our last - and only - vacation since we had our last child almost 21 years ago was when we had to evacuate for Hurricane Rita in 2005. It was great! We ended up staying in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but went to Coffeyville, Kansas, for a day. It was such fun!

I have never made exercise a habit. I was born with asthma, which made things difficult. Any exertion triggered an attack and I haven't always had access to the necessary inhalers. Now, I have COPD and get winded just walking. I do what I can, when I can, and spend a long time trying to recover a calm breathing pattern afterwards.

I took French in high school (1 year) and college (1 semester) and did okay in both and can still figure out what some French things mean. But, I wouldn't dare try to speak it with a real French person.

I should take better care of my skin, but I don't know what to do about it. It is sensitive to most everything and I get way too hot when I use any kind of lotion. Plus, I don't like feeling gooey.

I left one toxic situation into another one when I left South Carolina for Texas.

Now, for that amazing dish thing... I love to cook, but picky people have, for the most part, kept me from exercising that love because they preferred what we refer to as "robot food". David isn't as picky as other folks that have been here, but I have to keep in mind his acid reflux problem. However, he is game for me to experiment in the kitchen.

5. Besides the classic Christmas flicks, what's your favorite film where winter plays a part in the setting?

None come to mind at the moment.

6. When did you last feel helpless, and what did you do about it?

The one thing that comes to mind is when I was assaulted at work back in early 2010. Two young men came into the store and one distracted David, having him go to the back of the store for something, while the other guy pinned me to the beer trough and did what he did. David couldn't hear me from the back of the store, nor hear what was happening. As soon as I could break free, I went to the back of the store. I could hear the one guy saying, "Where did she go?" and they left the store at a fast pace and were gone before David fully realized what had happened.

7. Share a favorite proverb.

Of the Biblical proverbs, I can't think of any that I wouldn't count as a favorite. I came across this one earlier today and it is one that I need to remember often. Frustrations would be fewer if I did, maybe.

Proverbs 19:21

"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand." (KJV)

And in the New King James Version:

"There are many plans in a man’s heart,

Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand."

8. Insert your own random thought here.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 3 February 2016

1. Describe love using all five senses.

Love feels like…a cool breeze or sunshine on my skin.
Love smells like…strawberries
Love looks like…a chess board with 7,000 miles or so and 15 hours between players.
Love tastes like…dark chocolate.
Love sounds like…a whisper.

2. February is Canned Food Month. What's your favorite food that comes straight from a can?

I love sliced pineapples and rutabagas. The only way that I've ever had rutabagas is from a can.

3. A principal in a UK school recently sent home a letter to parents requesting they (the parents!) dress appropriately when escorting their children to/from school (basically saying please don't wear your pajamas) You can read the letter here. It's gotten a lot of publicity, both positive and negative. Your thoughts? And do/did you ever make the school run (or hit Starbucks, Walmart, etc) in your pjs?

I don't remember going to any of these places in my pjs, but if I did, I know I didn't get out of the car!

I agree that there should be a parental dress code just as there is for the children. If there isn't, what is to keep someone from doing the school run in their VS or FoH nightie rather than the toddler suit variety of pajamas? There has to be a limit somewhere and there is always someone out there bent on pushing it.

4. Crew neck, V-neck, turtleneck, scoop neck...which is most prevalent in your wardrobe?

I am too claustrophobic for turtle necks. I think they are pretty, but I just cannot tolerate anything close to my neck. Most of my necklines are scoops, but not low enough to be immodest.




5. I read here recently a list of four things to avoid so you wake up happier. They were late night snacks, hitting the snooze button, social media just before bed/upon waking, checking emails.

Are you guilty of any of these behaviors? Which on that list do you need to work harder at avoiding?

Yes; we are guilty of eating way too close to bedtime. By eating just before we go to bed, we hope to avoid David having an insulin reaction as he sleeps. I need to work on the fact that I don't need to eat something just because David is. It is just hard not to!

6. Share something you remember about a house you lived in as a child? Of all the homes you lived in as a child, which did you love best?

I don't know that I loved any one of them more than the other, but the level of pride was different. The last place that I lived with my parents was the first and only property they have ever owned.

The place that I probably had the most fun and made the most memories was at 508 Wellington Street, Anderson, South Carolina. As I recall, I was about 5 years old when we moved into that house and we moved to our own place the year that I turned 13. It was a rental house in a mill village and we were the Kool-Aid house. Everybody came to our house to play. The boys in that neighborhood also learned that girls were stronger than boys in that yard.:-) I can still hear the sound of that bat cracking his head 40 years later!

Another cool thing about this mill house was that you could run around it in a circle from one room to the next. The foyer opened into the living room, which opened into the kitchen, which opened into the hallway, which opened into the children's' bedroom, which opened into the foyer. It was great! It was also in this house that I found the Santa stash closet. :-)

Although the Wellington Street house was a rental, my daddy made some modifications to it. All four of us children (two girls, two boys) were technically sleeping in the same bedroom. To fix this problem, my daddy built a partition which divided this big room in half. He painted one side a shade of blue for my brothers and one side pink for me and my sister. The boys had the half nearest the front of the house, and the girls had the side nearest our parents' room (which also was closest to the bathroom!).

This house, along with all of those of my childhood, no longer exists. It was burned. The home that I last lived in with my parents was blown away by a tornado with my daddy in it at the time. Thankfully, he survived that tornado. Unfortunately, he didn't live too much longer afterwards.  

7. Your favorite movie based on a true story? 

I saw a Jesse James movie once, supposedly based on a true story. I'll pick that one because #1, it is the only one that I can think of and, #2 he's family.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

"But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God." Psalm 31:14 KJV

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 27 January 2016

1. Share a winter memory from your childhood.

My daddy worked at Owens-Corning Fiberglas for most of my childhood. However, sometimes the plant would have down times and lay people off. One year during the layoff season, Daddy was a trucker. He had to go to Oklahoma and got snowbound there. He was there for about six weeks (at least it felt like six weeks to this little girl!). He wasn't home for Christmas. That was one of the saddest Christmases in my life at that time. I had never had Christmas without my daddy at least being in town until then.

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?

Last year at this time, I had only posted once and that was the "Happy New Year!" post and I didn't post again until sometime in August. For most of last year I was in a major battle with depression. While that hasn't changed, I have posted more so far this year.

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 a great many flaws in my life, but I also know that once some obstacles are overcome, there is a lot of potential, too. I have started to address the potential that has the most promise. We'll see where it goes.
I don't know that any particular day feels like a fresh start to me, but I guess that spring would be the time frame that makes me feel most hopeful. The wildflowers start to bloom and there are all sorts of pretties around to photograph. New life is everywhere then.

4. Who's an athlete you admire or respect and why?

I am not really into sports, so I can't give an answer for this one.

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 don't drink coffee, but I love to smell it. I like whipped cream/Cool Whip on most any dessert. I don't like bagels, but I do like cream cheese. I like sour cream on a baked potato and a few other things. I used to hate sour cream. I have never had a scone that I remember, and I have not had clotted cream. It sounds icky! Cream of Wheat IS icky!!! Blech!! Of the foods mentioned, sour cream on a baked potato sounds most appealing to me at the moment.

6. Where were you last kept waiting for 'hours on end'? Or for what felt like hours on end? How well did you cope?

This often happens where I work. The owner says when he'll be back to change the shift so that I can leave, and then rarely ever makes it back at the appointed time. If he says 1pm, then don't bother looking for him until 2pm, or even later. If I tell him that I have an appointment at 1pm, in the city (2 hours away), he says "I'll be back at 1pm."…setting me up to be late from the get-go.

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.

Farewell. Sorry for the wasted moments.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

"Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters." ~Albert Einstein

Quote Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/trust_quotes/

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 20 January 2016

1. Speaking of skating...when did you last 'skate on thin ice', 'skate over the details', 'encounter a cheapskate', or just plain skate?

I don't know about the first three choices there, but the last time that I roller skated was when the kids were, well, kids. I had taken our older kids and their cousins roller skating. It was the year that Celine Dion's song "Because You Loved Me" came out. You can listen to it here.  I was in the rink when it played and it immediately made me think of David. The line "you were my eyes when I couldn't see" just hit me right in the heart. It was released in 1996, the year that my husband had to retire due to diabetic retinopathy.

2. What would you say is the biggest problem of people your age?

This one didn't take me long. The biggest problem for people my age is people half my age. I don't think that I should be ruled out of this or that because I am fifty instead of twenty-five. Sure, I may not be young, or beautiful, or pencil-thin, but I didn't get to be *this* age by being stupid. Unless one is trying to be a model, I would think that brains should matter more than beauty or age.

3. What's your favorite accessory? Is it something you wear every day, often, or only on special occasions?

The only accessories that I wear are my wedding band and a scrunchie. I almost always wear my hair in a ponytail because I can't stand it getting in my face while I'm trying to do things.

4. January 20th is National Cheese Lover's Day. Are you a lover of cheese? What's your favorite dish made with cheese? Last thing you ate that contained some kind of cheese?

I love cheese, but it doesn't love me in return. It makes it hard for me to breathe, but I generally eat it anyway and just fight my way through the extra congestion that it causes. The last time that I remember having cheese was last week when we had pizza.

5. What's something guaranteed to make you roll your eyes?

Though I know that I roll my eyes plenty, at the moment I can't think of what makes me roll them.

6. Your favorite book series?

I love the Blossom Street Series by Debbie Macomber. The first book that I read in the series was Susannah's Garden, which was actually the third book of the series. I was hooked and in tears before I finished the first chapter.

7. Why did you choose your profession?

Does motherhood count as a profession? There were several things that I wanted to do when I grew up and on the top of that list were getting married and having babies. I also wanted to be a teacher and an architect. Three out of four isn't all that bad. I chickened out of architecture due to the math. I didn't want to be responsible for a building collapsing and killing people due to my faulty design or inability to "math". Specifically why I wanted to be a wife, mother, and teacher, I don't know, but I know that I was very blessed to have those dreams come true.

The other profession, merchandising, chose me. I didn't choose it. Apparently, arranging store merchandise in a manner that increases sales is something that comes naturally to me.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's almost October. Mo wigi! Sorry, a family joke. I couldn't resist!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 13 January 2016

1. Share one thing that really makes your day.

Leaving the place where I work makes my day! While there are some fun moments, and even some sweet ones, mostly it is just one headache after another and I'm anxious to leave before I even get there.

2. Lots of these kinds of lists out there, but one found here says the fifteen most colorful places on earth are: http://thesundaychapter.com/2016/01/15-most-colorful-places-in-the-world/

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 would choose Italy out of all of those listed, and maybe Poland.

The most colorful places that I have traveled in my life are in the place that I left behind when we moved to Texas in 2004: the Blue Ridge Parkway at the gorge in the fall and the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina wasn't too shabby, either!

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 know about absolutely everything I want being on the other side of fear, but I think mostly that this statement is correct. There is a fear of failure, a fear of the unknown, and both are wreaking havoc on me these days. I am afraid to take the leap with my business idea because I don't know what will happen. I can't afford to fail, yet I can't afford not to try, either. I know that I am not the only one out there being held back by the fears and the incessant "what ifs". If the fear of failure and the unknown can be overcome, then one can possibly have what one wants. If not, well…I guess one just stays on the wanting side of things because it isn't going to happen on its own. I can't think of anything that I want that doesn't involve some sort of risk, either physically, emotionally, or financially.

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?

I would hope that it was cheesecake with strawberries and strawberry sauce!
Yes, I often have trouble remembering which one is which, but I just thought of a way to remember. "Desert" is missing the "s" because the rattlesnake has it!

5. What song almost always makes you cry?

Streets of Heaven, by Sherrie Austin.


The first time I heard this song, I was driving, on my way to get David and the kids from church. They got into the car telling me about the Bibles they had been given. I burst into tears. They thought that I was crying because I wasn't given a new Bible, too. That wasn't it at all. Once you hear the song, you'll know why I was bawling my eyes out. It was the saddest, most mournful song I had ever heard.

Another one that makes me cry most every time is A Dozen Red Roses, by Tammy Graham.


Okay, I know you only asked for one, and I've already posted two. But, I cannot fully answer this question without including Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. It was played by a piper at my father-in-law's funeral way back in 1987. It still gets to me and I guess it always will.


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.

"Everything from soup to nuts" I think would be most applicable these days to my life. There are some "soup" folks…the serious and hearty and really caring folks. "Nuts" speaks for itself and that would cover a large number of the rest.:-)

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

Red flags.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 
~ Isaiah 43:2, King James Version ~

Trust quote:

"Your words must match what you do. In so many words, you need to show sincerity with your words." John Garret

Trust quote source: Inspirational Words of Wisdom 

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 9 December 2015

1. Many families have a story they love to tell every year around a holiday. Does your family have one? Are you the star of that story, or does another family member take center stage? Share your story if you want.

I cannot think of any particular stories that have to be told in our family around the holidays. However, we do have two shows that we have watched every year for as long as I can remember: It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street (the version with Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood). These are great, classic movies and this season just wouldn't be the same without them.

2. Are you afraid to speak your own opinion?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the situation. Mostly, though, I figure I am fifty years old now and beyond having to have someone else's permission or blessing to state my feelings on this or that. If they don't like it, they can get over it, much as I've been expected to do over all these years.

3. Pantone has announced the color of the year for 2016, and for the first time have chosen two shades-rose quartz and serenity. Hmmm...did you know serenity was a color? You can read the thought behind their selection here, but essentially it's blending the warmth of rose quartz with the tranquility of a very soft shade of blue. So what do you think? Are these colors I'd find in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in these shades to either place in the new year?

I think that these are very pretty colors and look great together. I especially like the color that emerges when the two colors are blended together. Blue (Serenity) is not a color that I wear, but pink (Rose Quartz) I would wear. I love pink!  I think that these colors and their blending would be very beautiful in a nursery setting and baby layette. It works no matter the gender as pink used to be the color for boys and blue for girls. Read this very interesting article about colors at the Smithsonian website: When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink?

4. If you could be in a Christmas carol, which one would you choose? Why?

I would choose Oiche Chiun, Enya's version of Silent Night. It is a beautiful, peaceful song and I would love to feel that peace, to go to the place that it takes my heart when I close my eyes and soak it all in.

I found it on YouTube for you:


5. December 9th is National Pastry Day. Will you celebrate? When did you last purchase something from a bakery? What's your favorite treat that falls under the heading of pastry? Do you make it yourself or buy from the professionals?

I experimented making little packages with blueberry pie filling and pie crust. It didn't turn out quite how I had pictured, but it was still edible. I had pictured them remaining like little packages, but they decided to flatten themselves instead. Naughty crust!

We love Toaster Strudel, and definitely leave it to the professionals at Pillsbury. I don't think that I could ever compete with the dough boy!

6. When it comes to holiday decorating_____________________________.

We don't start any holiday decorating until our oldest daughter's birthday, which is exactly a week before Christmas. We generally just have a tree, not any outside decorations. This year it will be hard looking at the tree and remembering how much in intrigued our little Xerxes last year.






7. When did you last laugh so much it hurt? Explain.

It was not too terribly long ago, a few days maybe. David and I were playing a trivia game and I kept getting tickled, which made him laugh, which tickled me all the more.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Jimmy Ray Gunter 12/03/1941 - 12/09/2012

I sure do miss you, Daddy…















NOTE: The link to Oiche Chiun is an affiliate link. If you click this link and purchase the CD, we will financially benefit from your purchase. Thank you for your support of PS Annie!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 2 December 2015

1. Did you watch The Charlie Brown Christmas special Monday night? Who's your favorite Peanuts character and why?

"Most psychiatrists agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch is excellent therapy for a troubled mind."~Linus

Would you agree?

No, I didn't watch The Charlie Brown Christmas special. I haven't seen it in years. I don't know that I have a favorite character, but my favorite character name is Peppermint Patty. I think that it is a cool name for a tomboy-ish girl. She's all rough and tumble, but her name is sweet.

Yes, I would agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch could be good therapy. Personally, though, I find a cemetery far more therapeutic. There are lots of things to contemplate there, wondering about the folks around and their families. It makes one realize how really quickly time is passing and what we should just do rather than wait for the "perfect" time. Often, waiting for the perfect time sees us getting there too late for the ones to whom it would mean the most.

2. Describe a sound from your childhood. What does this sound bring to mind?

Most men that I have known in my life never really matured beyond junior high. My daddy was no exception in some situations. One of his favorite games involved the phrase, "Pull my finger", which would be followed by a particular sound and smell that would leave the children around gasping for breath and giggling.

3. You've won a trip to a winter wonderland...would that excite you? Which one of the following would you most want to experience (or which one would you dislike the least)-see the Aurora Borealis in Norway, stay in Sweden's Ice Hotel, go dogsledding in Lapland Finland, take a winter wildlife safari in Yellowstone or celebrate Winter Carnival in Quebec?

I would love to see the Aurora Borealis someday, but out of those mentioned, I would most like to go on the safari in Yellowstone. What a wonderful photographic opportunity that would be!

4. Who or what keeps you humble?

We have been at rock bottom, so to speak, having to start over from the ground up, on several occasions during our 31 years of marriage. Knowing that it could happen again, that nothing is guaranteed, keeps me grounded, I believe.

5. What part of preparing for Christmas do you like the most? Explain.

I like decorating the tree. Our oldest daughter's birthday is our traditional tree decorating day. She was born exactly one week before Christmas. We didn't want her birthday to be lost in the Christmas rush, so no decorating is done before her birthday. Putting up the tree on her birthday is an important part of the day to her and we wouldn't dream of doing it ahead of her birthday.

I also love cooking the big dinner (and eating it!). In some ways, it is almost like Granny Gunter is still here with me, although I'll never be the great cook that she was. Rest in peace, Granny.

6. Gingerbread-yay or nay? Is making a gingerbread house part of your family holiday tradition?

I like gingerbread okay. It has never been a part of our family tradition, but I am contemplating giving it a go. Maybe it will become a tradition in future years and be a fun thing to do with future grandchildren.






7. What's one thing you want to start, do, or complete before the calendar rolls into a new year?

I would love to get my new business idea off the ground. I am working on some details and when it launches, I will share it here with all of you. Wish me luck. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
 

Mo wigi…because it makes us giggle!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 18 November 2015

1. What's surprised you most about your life or about life in general?

I guess what surprised me the most is the fact that I ever got married. I figured it would never, ever happen for someone like me. Since I didn't think that anyone would ever marry me, I also didn't think that I would ever have babies. David and I have been married for thirty-one years now and I am thankful for all of my beautiful babies.


2. Among others, these ten words were added to the Oxford English Dictionary this year...awesomesauce, beer o'clock, brain fart, buttdial, cat cafe (apparently this is a real thing), fatberg (gross-read the definition here), fat shame, hangry, Mx (gender neutral), and skippable.

Your thoughts? In looking over the list, which word do you find most ridiculous? Which word would you never in a million years say out loud? Which word would you be most likely to use in conversation?

Hangry and skippable are alright by me, and I kind of like the idea of a cat café (assuming that the definition that I found is actually what it really means! http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/cat-cafe). I love cats. "Buttdial" has become a way of life around here as folks are always calling us that way. We've heard some very interesting conversations due to this. I think several of the other words sound either crude or downright rude.


3. Do you like gravy? Is there a food you'd rather not eat unless it comes with gravy? Do you make your own or buy the canned or store-made variety? Turkey and gravy, sausage gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy, country ham and red eye gravy, biscuits and chocolate gravy, pot roast and gravy...which one on the list is your favorite?

I love gravy! I would be one guilty of having everything swimming in gravy. However, we buy the jarred or packet variety because I still have not mastered making home-made gravy. If you want gravy that you can slice, I have you covered!


4. Do you have a plan? Do you need a plan? Have you ever had a plan fall into a trillion pieces? Explain.

I always have a plan, but there is always something in motion to show me that I shouldn't have bothered with a plan in the first place. Things very rarely actually come together as planned.

A prime example would be our twenty-eighth wedding anniversary. We saved all year to go out and splurge on that anniversary weekend…hotel, nice dinner, and the works. The day before our anniversary, David was admitted to the hospital, on death's door, and entered our anniversary with one less body part due to the amputation of one of his toes. He came out of surgery just before midnight, just in time for us to bring in our anniversary together. This started two months of stays in hospitals and a nursing home, not at all what we had planned for our anniversary.


5. November 19 is National Play Monopoly Day. Do you own the original or some version of the game? Do you enjoy playing Monopoly? How likely is it you'll play a game of Monopoly on November 19th? Ever been to Atlantic City? Ever taken a ride on a railroad? Is parking in your town free? Last thing you took a chance on?

I like to play Monopoly, but not necessarily for as long as it takes to play the game all the way through. In the past, we've had the original game, but now we have the My Little Ponyversion and we enjoy playing it with our children (now all adults) whenever they are home.
It is unlikely that we will play it on November 19 as none of our kids will be home then.

I have never been to Atlantic City. I have ridden the trains in various theme parks, if that counts. I have been in real train cars, but not while the trains were operating. If there is paid parking in this town anywhere, we haven't come across it. Everywhere that we park is free. Driving to Corpus Christi, I guess, would have to be the last thing I took a real chance on. I just knew I would have to drive across horrendously long bridges out to the island, but it wasn't scary at all.


6. A song you like that has the word (or some form of the word) thanks in the title, lyrics, or meaning?

The Old Rugged Cross has been my favorite hymn since childhood. It very much speaks of thankfulness for the sacrifice made for our salvation, for the gift that Heavenly Father gave to us.



7. In keeping with this month's theme of gratitude....what is something you're taking for granted that when you stop and think about it, you're grateful for?

At this point in my life, I can't think of anything that I take for granted. However, during my childhood, I would have to say that I took my grandparents being alive for granted. I never imagined life without them and thought they'd always be there. Obviously, no one lives forever and they were no exception. I am very thankful for the time that I had my grandparents in my life, for the lessons that they taught me, and most of all for the love that they freely gave to me.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

More of a question than a thought… Why does life have to be such a challenge for someone in my age group? I turned fifty this year and that in itself doesn't really bother me. What bothers me is being compared to 20-somethings and always falling short, regardless of my knowledge or experience or their lack thereof.

Also, am I the only one that gets indigestion from just drinking water? If I laced it with jalapenos, I would understand. But just drinking plain old Dasani or any other bottled water gives me indigestion. The tap water here causes an entirely different problem!



NOTE: The My Little Pony link above is an affiliate link. If you click the link and purchase the My Little Pony Monopoly game via that link, we will financially benefit from the transaction. Thank you for your support of PS Annie! Have a blessed weekend!