Saturday 9- Thank U, Next

 

Saturday 9: Thank U, Next (2018)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Ariana Grande thanks her former boyfriends for what they taught her about love, life, patience and pain. Do you believe you have learned more from your successes, or your mistakes?  mistakes

 

2) One of the young men mentioned in the song is Pete Davidson, a cast member of Saturday Night Live. SNL has been on for more than 45 years now. Who is your all-time favorite cast member?  Eddie Murphy

 

3) Thinking of funny people ... As you can see from the video, Ariana performed "Thank U, Next" on Ellen Degeneres' talk show. Ellen makes people laugh every afternoon. Who in your life can you always count on to make you laugh or smile?  My husband, the kids I work with at the school, people I work with at school.  I laugh a lot.  I am very lucky.

 

4) It looks like Ariana Grande's personal romantic saga will have a happy ending because at Christmastime, she announced her engagement. Do you know anyone who is getting married in 2021?  no

5) Ariana loves Harry Potter and named her dogs Snape, Lily and Sirius Black after characters in the J.K. Rowling books. Are you a Harry Potter fan?  no

6) She loves board games, especially Monopoly. Sam isn't crazy about Monopoly because it takes so long. How about you? Are you a Monopoly fan?  I love Monopoly

 
7) In 2018, the year this song was released, Toys R Us closed all its stores and went out of business. Who received the last toy you purchased? What was it?  I can't remember.  Probably my great nieces though.

8) Also in 2018, Aretha Franklin died. What's your favorite Aretha song?  Respect

9) Random question: Are you more likely to shed a tear at a wedding or during a movie?  definitely a movie and because of the music playing in the background.  I do not think I have ever cried at a wedding.  My son is not married.  I would think maybe his wedding would make me cry.

Sunday Stealing- January

   

1. What are your plans for January?  Same as always, I will be working during the week and as 

of right now I just have a hair appointment next week and I see the chiropractor end of this 

month. We took Christmas decorations down yesterday, except the tree.  It will probably come

down today though.  I have started cleaning up my house.  This is a long weekend.  I get to stay

home Monday, so I will probably spend some time reading.

 
2. What do you want to see happen in 2021?  I want covid to go away and everyone be safe

and healthy.
 
3.  What would you give a 5 star rating?  I gave the book Anxious People a 5 star rating yesterday.

 It is such a fantastic book.  I recommend it.  It is fiction and by the author of A Man Called Ove.

 
4. Do you have writing goals for 2021?  Just to keep spending time here at my blog.
 
5. How do you feel about memoirs?  I love them...are we talking books?  Educated is a good one

if you are looking.
 
6. If you could join any musical group who would you choose?  I am not sure, but I would want to be

a backup singer.  

 
7. What are your favorite genres across all media?  thrillers, fiction/drama and comedy.  I like to 

watch romance, but not read it.  Historical fiction and children's books.  I enjoy most music.

 
8. What candle scents are your favorite?  bakery scents/cookies, hot apple pie, peach bellini,

Autumn, apple/pumpkin, sweet cinnamon pumpkin.  My candles rotate at the seasons.

I have Winter candle now, that is what it is called Winter....Bath and Body is where I get

my candles.

 
9. How well can you mimic other accents or voices?  not very well.
 
10. What books are on your TBR list in 2021?  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (fiction),

 The Cousins  by Karen McManus (thriller), Home Before Dark by Riley Sager (thriller),

 The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg (fiction), and The Therapist by B.A. Paris.

  I have even more, but these are ones I am excited about.

 
11. When do you decide it’s time to upgrade/buy something new?  When things get worn out

or broken.
 
12. Why is your favorite color your favorite color?  My favorite color is red, but I like all of the

colors, it is my favorite because it is such a strong color and also one of our school colors.

 
13. Who understands you the best?  My friend Lori and Tina that I work with at school.
 
14. Do you write letters?  Not too much, but sometimes.  I had a pen pal for a while,  but it was

super hard for me to keep up with it.

 
15. How do you keep going when times are hard?  I rest and pray.  I just try to keep my eyes on

God. I think about this Bible verse.

Saturday 9- All Shook Up

 

Saturday 9: All Shook Up (1957)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

Chosen because January 8 is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's birth.

1) In this song, Elvis shares quite a list of maladies: he's itching, his hands are shaky, his knees are weak, he has chills ... How are you feeling this morning? My body is always achy... well, my back and hips are anyway. It stinks getting older.

2) He also mentions being "tongue tied." The dictionary defines it as, "unable to speak freely, as from shyness." Do you often find yourself tongue tied? I do... I am very shy and my words do not come out quite right sometimes. I am a better writer as far as getting my feelings across.
 

3) Even after he was wealthy, Elvis never lived away from his parents. At one point Graceland Mansion was home to four generations of the family: his grandmother, his father and stepmother, Elvis, his wife and daughter. Have you ever lived in a multi-generational household? No

4) Thinking of family, Elvis Presley was a distant cousin of President Jimmy Carter. Both of their family trees can be traced back to the 18th century and Thomas Preslar (before the surname was changed to Presley in the early 1800s). Have you traced your ancestry? If not, is it something you'd like to do? I did trace my family and Karl's family for Josh when Josh was really little. 

 

5) As an adult, Elvis never wore denim (except for a movie role). That's because when he was in school, his classmates teased him for "dressing poor" in jeans and coveralls. Is denim a big part of your wardrobe today?  definitely

 

6) Before becoming famous, Elvis drove a truck in and around Memphis. Have you ever had a job that kept you behind the wheel most of the day?  no, I hate driving for a long time.

7) In 1957, the year this song was a hit, the Allstate Mechanical Freight Set was popular, too. Kids would wind up the engine and watch it pull two cars and a caboose around the track. To enhance the realism, sparks would shoot from the engine's smoke stack as it rumbled by. Did you ever play with a toy train? If not, tell us about a childhood plaything you remember fondly.  Josh had a toy train that I played with while playing with Josh.  My favorite toy when I was a kid was the Barbie doll and my Barbie house that my Grandpa made.

8) The best-selling book of 1957 was Peyton Place, a scandalous tale of life in a small New England town. Do you suppose there are enough steamy stories behind closed doors in your town to fill a novel?  I would imagine so.  You just do not really know people.

9) Random question: Can you do 10 push ups?  I am not going to try and just say no.

Tuesday 4- Wondering...

 

Wondering...

Welcome back to Tuesday 4 where we remember the wonderful memes of our

friend Toni Taddeo by continuing them on in her memory. I am glad you've

stopped by to join in.

To begin 2021 I thought I would re-post the final Tuesday 4 from Toni, posted

on Monday Dec. 9, 2019! Enjoy playing along friends.

A Repeat ~ Just Wondering

1. When was the last time you tried something new?:

Well, with covid I have had to try a lot of new things.  Masks, audio books 

because the libraries closed and also teaching a class I have never taught.  I am

a preschool teacher and I was asked to teach digital literacy...which is basically

how to be safe online.  I even created a digital classroom for online use should it

be needed.  The preschool numbers were down this year and the elementary was

in need of a computer teacher for this year.  So I said I would do it.

2. Who in your family do you compare yourself to?:  My dad, he was a teacher.

3. What lesson in life did you learn the hard way?:  Every decision you make will change

the path of your life.  I had to learn to make wise decisions.

4. What can you do today that you weren't able to do before?:  Develop and teach a computer class curriculum.

I was going to link my original post of this meme for comparison, but I guess I did not participate that week, so this is my first time answering this one.

Sunday Stealing- The end of the year

 

  

 

First things first, did you have a good year?

It is not the best, but it was ok.

What was your favorite article of clothing this year?  My sweat 

pants maybe?   I wore them all of the time during

quarantine.

What song sums up this year for you?  
R.E.M. - It's the End of the World as We Know It 

(And I Feel Fine)

What was your favorite movie of the year?  I didn't see many

new movies.  I am watching Dumbo..the CGI version right now

and it is very good.

Did an actor/actress catch your attention for the first time this year?  no

Favorite new TV show?  New Amsterdam, Million Little Things

Did you make any big permanent changes this year?  I am sure I did, but nothing is coming to mind. 

On a smaller scale, because of covid I started using the online library (Overdrive and Libby). 

That will be a permanent new thing.  Sometimes I can get books faster on there.  They were

checking out books when all of the libraries  were closed too.

What was one nice thing you did for yourself?  I had to buy some new clothes for my different

position at the school.

Did you develop a new obsession?  audio books

Did you move?  no

Did you get a pet?  no

Do you regret not doing anything? no

Do you regret doing something?  no

Did anyone/thing make you so mad it stayed with you for days?  yes, I don't think I will share

that drama though.

Did you lose anyone close to you?  no

Who was important to you this year but wasn’t important last year?  Maybe some of my new

co-workers at the elementary.

Who wasn’t as important to you this year as they were last year?  I can't think of anyone,

I have kept in touch with my co-workers at the primary school.

What was the best moment of the year for you?  Maybe the first day of school, it was really

special.  I was scared but it was good being with people again.

What was the worst?  My friend Lori lost her husband to covid.  He was a Pastor and they are such

a good family.  My heart aches for her.  He had a heart condition and then got covid and the

complications killed him.

What have you learned about yourself this year that you didn’t know in the years prior?  I am more

flexible than I thought.

What do you wish for others for the coming year?  health and happiness.

What do you wish for yourself?  the same

Saturday 9- Feels like the First Time

 

Saturday 9: Feels like the First Time (1977)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

Welcome to the first Saturday 9 of 2021! 

1) Look up from your screen. What's the first thing you see?   My tv.  I am watching Handmaid's Tale on Hulu.

2) Looking back on 2020, what surprised you?  That it was not worse than it is once Covid started.  I will admit, covid was the biggest surprise along with all of the shutdowns.

3) Have you made any resolutions for 2021?  no

4) In Italy, it's said that if you wear red underwear on New Year's Eve, you'll have good luck all year around. Do you have a lucky charm? no

 

5) In Spain, some New Year's Eve revelers believe that, at the stroke of midnight, you should eat exactly 12 grapes, one at a time and one right after the other, to bring you luck for the next twelve months. Did you have anything special on your New Year's Eve menu?  we do not do anything special for New Year's Eve.  My mom always made black-eyed peas.

6) In this week's featured song, Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm lets us know that he'd sail across a stormy sea to reach his true love. How is the weather where you are today? Are you kicking off 2021 under calm skies, or is it stormy?  SNOW!!!!  I am so happy!  We do not get much and it will melt fast.

 

7) In the 1990s, Gramm joined forces with Billy Joel in a series of concerts to preserve the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Do you have a favorite Billy Joel song?  That is so hard!  I love Billy Joel.  We Didn't Start the Fire, Piano Man and Uptown Girl are up there for me.

8) In 1977, when this song was popular, Star Wars was breaking all box office records. The Spy Who Loved Me, a James Bond movie, was also a hit. If you were going to binge on one of these film series, would you choose Star Wars or Bond?  Star Wars


9) Random question: Would you rather have nothing but green lights for all of 2021, or never have to stand in line for anything all year?  I am going to go with never have to stand in line, because I do not mind red lights and I do not have to deal with many stop lights unless I go into the city.

Happy New Year 2021!

Happy New Year, WOTY and a blessing

 

Happy New Year 2021 everybody!  I hope this is a better year for all of us.  We are having ice and snow today, so I will not be putting my Christmas things away because we store them in our shed outside.  I am working on my word of the year.  In 2020 my word was Believe.  I am thinking this year I will just go back to my Bible verse I live by which is Proverbs 3:5-6 and I will go with the word Trust for 2021.

There are so many unknowns as we enter any New Year, so this is a safe word for me to rely on.  I hope you have a great day and I will leave you with this blessing: