Dress Code

Blog Prompt: Now that school has started back here, the big issue is the dress code. Do you agree with having a dress code and if so, who should determine what it should be? Should it be the principal, the school board, the students, the parents, the state dept. of ed or someone else?

After teaching all these years, I'm all in favor of a dress code. We are in the business of teaching children, so shouldn't we teach them how to dress appropriately? I am not in favor of uniforms because I don't think that necessarily teaches kids how to dress appropriately, just the same. I am so sick and tired of seeing pants falling off of boy's backsides and showing 4 or 5 pairs of boxers they have on, girls showing their tummies with pierced things sticking out and more than likely many of these young girls are overweight and they roll over the waistband of their stretch pants to show even more skin...oh sorry, I'm getting agitated just thinking about it! Little girls are dressing like hoochie mamas (that's what my students called girls who were loose!). I always wondered if that was Jon Benet Ramsey's downfall. It disgusts me to watch the boys holding on to the front of their pants with one hand, while they talk on a cell phone on the other. What kind of jobs do these kids plan on getting? Even construction workers don't wear sagging pants because of the safety issue!

I think there should be a committee of students, parents, school personnel, and business people who decide what the dress code should be. This way everyone can have input into what and why. I don't think there is any way to please all of the people all of the time, but I think it is time for someone to do something!

Blog Prompt: Just call me nosy Rosy! I had to defrost my freezer this month in hopes of repairing it, which we did. It amazed me to find stuff in there that I had forgotten about! Name 5 things in your freezer right now.

1. brown and serve sausage
2. wine glasses
3. pork marinated in special bbq sauce
4. chicken thighs
5. blue plastic block filled with water for my small cooler

(I told my hubby about the prompt and he said I should have also asked how many people had to go look first! LOL He couldn't name 5 things. His list was more like ice cubes, sausage, and air)

More Herbs, Less Salt Day

Blog Prompt: Today is More Herbs, Less Salt Day. What herb(s) do you like in your food?

I like to cook with garlic and ginger root. I do a lot of stir fry stuff so this really flavors my food. They are the main things that I use but sometimes in my meat loaf I will add basil and oregano. Of course I don't really like cooking much but since I've retired, I've been cooking more at home. Maybe I will learn to be a better cook from reading other people's blogs about the herbs they use.

Now it is time to get ready for a day of hiking. I'm going to the Blue Ridge Parkway with a group to pick blueberries. I hate blueberries but my hubby loves them, so... the things you do for love!

Serious Illness

Blog Prompt: Describe the most serious illness you have ever had.

I have been very lucky in my life (knock on wood!). The most serious illness I've ever had was the food poisoning episode from last week. It hit me so suddenly and involved so much blood and dehydration that it scared me pretty bad. I felt like I was going to die! I know it scared my husband pretty bad also because he didn't leave my side for 2 days. After going to the emergency room (the first time I've ever been there because I was sick), the doctors told me that there was nothing they could do for me and that it had to "run its course" and I needed to stay hydrated. They considered admitting me but I talked them out of it since they couldn't give me anything, I was too cheap to pay the high expenses for them to watch me!

Thank goodness my hubby is such a wonderful caregiver whenever I am sick because I know as long as he is there, I will be taken care of. I had no appetite and didn't want to drink anything but he badgered and nagged me so that I would eat and drink in order to get well. I've been very tired this week and not up to par so I didn't even get to do any hiking for the past week. I have been taking a little nap before lunch and after lunch. Now that I'm feeling so much better, we have started back walking our 3 miles in the evening (at a slower pace than usual) and I will go hiking tomorrow.

10 Favorite Words

Blog Prompt: What are your 10 favorite words.

These are not in order of favorite-ness though:
1. retirement
2. health
3. love
4. chocolate
5. salt
6. hiking
7. sunny
8. internet
9. camera
10. family

Food I Could Never Give up!

Blog Prompt: One food you would never give up is salt.

At first I thought this would be easy but after I started thinking about items, I realized that I would probably be able to give it up. I finally narrowed it down to salt. I love salt! I love food with salt on it and I put salt on practically everything. I can't imagine life without salt. When I was younger, I loved to pour salt in the palm of my hand and lick it off. (Hope that doesn't gross anyone out!) In fact, have you ever baked a cake and forgotten to put salt in it? It is horrible! Salt is probably the most important food in the world! Thank goodness I don't have high blood pressure because I can't imagine what I would do if they told me I couldn't have salt.

Hoodie Hoo Day

Blog Prompt: Thurs. Aug. 23 is Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day -- Long awaited by our Southern-half friends, this is the day to go outdoors at high noon and yell "Hoodie-Hoo" to chase winter and make ready for spring. Do you do something traditional during a specific season (like spring cleaning for example)? If so, what do you do?

When I was growing up my mother made us do spring and fall cleaning (watching drapes, windows, carpets, and all the heavy duty yucky stuff) so out of rebellion, I don't do any of that stuff. My drapes probably have cobwebs all over them and when I get in the mood, I vacuum them. The windows get washed when they are so dirty, I can't see out of them. I call a professional carpet cleaner to do the carpet every other year whether it needs it or not. All other stuff is ignored!

The only thing I really do is switch clothes. I have a clothes closet and in the fall, my spring clothes go in there and vice versa. Also every spring, I go and buy loads of plants even though I know I will kill half of them before summer is over. Every fall I buy truckloads of mulch and pine needles and complain about why in the world I ever considered this endeavor and if I ever think of this again I hope someone kicks me in the butt!

What Book Are You?

You're To Kill a Mockingbird!

by Harper Lee

Perceived as a revolutionary and groundbreaking person, you have
changed the minds of many people. While questioning the authority around you, you've
also taken a significant amount of flack. But you've had the admirable guts to
persevere. There's a weird guy in the neighborhood using dubious means to protect you,
but you're pretty sure it's worth it in the end. In the end, it remains unclear to you
whether finches and mockingbirds get along in real life.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

This was great because this is one of my all time favorite book and movie!

Be an Angel Day

Blog Prompt: Wed. Aug 22 is Be an Angel Day. Tell something nice you could do for someone today.

My neighbor just had a mastectomy and a hysterectomy so she is left with little energy and going through chemo. If she would let me, I would go to her house and do all those little chores you put off every day. I would clean her bathrooms, vacuum, dust, empty trash, wash dishes (all those chores that are actually waiting for me here at home!) I would even run to the grocery store to get things she needed (I hate going grocery shopping).

3 People I Emailed

Blog Prompt: Name three people you last e-mailed, and why.

1. Group email to the Turtles (hiking group): our leader is away in NY so I am the back up leader. An email goes out every Sunday evening reminding them where our Wed. hike is and what we will be doing. This Wed. we are doing trail maintenance at a state park which is our way of "giving back" for all the wonderful trails we hike on.
2. The teacher who took my place: she wanted some things I developed on the computer to use in the classroom so the transition to a new teacher wouldn't be so bad. I miss the kids already but I don't miss the actual paperwork!
3. Glynis: to give her a blogger award. She is really on the ball with the blogger prompts and leads this the month before I do. I was thrilled to get this award from Tink who lead the prompts the month after me. What a trio we are!

Weekend Happenings

I want to start off by thanking Tink for this blogger award! I'm so honored! What a great email to get when I got home this weekend!

I also want to give 2 others this award who have been very diligent in doing the daily blog prompts and I find really interesting to read:

Glynis's Ordinary Days

Tammy's Personalized Creations

Now I have to go and do the laundry from this weekend's camping trip. We went to the lake to visit my sister in law and her husband. They have this magnificent large motor home and they go all out (it was wonderful having breakfast and dinner cooked for me!) but I think they had a hard time understanding that we like our tent! LOL

5 Things Around My Computer

Blog Prompt: Name five things lying around your computer.

1. TV remote control
2. Can of Diet Pepsi (It is 100 degrees outside!)
3. Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Read a chapter, take a break, play on computer and then go back to reading)
4. Printer
5. External Hard Drive

What can I say, I'm a geek!

Elvis

Blog Prompt: Aug 16 is the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. Do you know who Elvis is? If so, what was your favorite movie? Are you a big fan of his? Why or why not?

I grew up watching Elvis movies because my oldest sister loved Elvis! My favorite movie was Blue Hawaii and I could watch it over and over. I love the songs and the sweet romance and the fact that it takes place in Hawaii (where I've never been before). I'm not a big fan of his other than I like to watch his movies. I remember near the end of his life that I had thought he was just a big fat drug addict. It was such a waste that he abused his body so much when he seemed to have so much so I don't think I would still be a fan if he was alive today.

Relaxation

Blog Prompt: Aug 15 is National Relaxation Day. Tell what things you see, hear or do that relaxes you.

1. Reading: I love to read when I'm eating (which sometimes drives my hubby crazy!) but I find it very relaxing.
2. Music: especially when I'm driving (which tends to stress me out a little).
3. Hiking: I makes me glad to be alive. It puts any problems I have into perspective and I'm not stressed out anymore.
4. Browing layouts in DSP Gallery: I love to look at the techniques used, the stories told, the photos used, the colors used.

A Childhood Sound

Blog Prompt: Describe a 'sound' from your childhood. What was it? When did you hear it? What does it bring to mind?

Yesterday as my hubby and I walked in the park for our evening exercise, I heard the music of an ice cream truck. Immediately that brought back some memories of childhood. I didn't get to buy ice cream much from the ice cream truck (called Mr. Softee) but when I did, it was a big deal! I used to get a cone that was called Mickey Mouse (nonpareils were used as the ears, and a cherry for the nose).

Another time I remember staying at my aunt's house during the summer one time when I was about 8 years old. There were 6 kids much older than I was and when they went to work, I was left alone with my aunt and uncle, who did not speak any English. Of course, I didn't speak any Chinese so this was a challenging time for me. I was a little lonely, bored, and scared but I had my books with me so I knew I would be alright. My aunt brought me in this huge tray full of hard candy that tasted like coconut so I was happy as I read the morning away. In the afternoon, she came and took my hand and made me go outside. I was a little confused until I heard the ice cream truck. With a huge smile on her face, she handed me some money and let me buy ice cream. When everyone came home from work, I realized that I had a wonderful day and it didn't matter that we couldn't speak each other's language, we still communicated!

Scary Movies

Blog Prompt: August 13 is Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday. In honor of his birthday, name the movie(s) that scare you the most.

I refuse to watch horror movies that are filled with blood and gore but the suspenseful scary movies really get to me (and I try to avoid them too). The movies that have scared me the most are Halloween because of the suspense of waiting for something horrible happen. There is one scene where they are walking towards a tall hedge and you just know something evil is waiting on the other side. The music is building and they are walking closer, closer, and then...nothing happens. It is like the downhill side of a roller coaster. The other movie is When a Stranger Calls which has recently been remade. I saw that at a drive in movie theater with my boyfriend (who is now my hubby) over 25 years ago. It deals with a babysitter who gets creepy calls from a killer telling her to check the children. The next day I had to babysit and I made the kids sleep on the couch and my boyfriend stayed on the phone with me the entire evening until the parents returned home. That was the end of my babysitting days.

A Rough Day in the Woods

(This photo was taken with my new camera!)

In order to get out of the heat, my hubby and I fled to the mountains. We decided to go up to Mt. Mitchell, NC and do some hiking. First we got up and went to the flea market so my hubby could buy some "treasures". We arrived at Mt. Mitchell in time to look at some beautiful views and have lunch. After lunch we decided to hike the 2 mile Commissary Ridge Trail (rated easy) and back. Well, the trail was an old logging road full of rocks and in full sun. I decided that we needed to get on the Camp Alice trail and hike the .5 mile strenuous uphill to get out of the sun. I thought when we got to the top, we could take the Old Mitchell trail back down to the car because I was worried that my hubby was not drinking enough and he was dripping with sweat. After a few minutes he let me know that he was pretty nauseous so I assumed he was experiencing some difficulty due to the heat and tried to encourage him to drink more. This made him a little grumpy but we continued slowly up the trail. Finally we reached the top only to find out that the trail kind of went up and down instead of all down like I had hoped. At least we were in the shade and hubby was drinking more. I noticed he was even looking better as we traveled down the trail. Thank goodness because thoughts of having to drag his butt out of the mountain was not thrilling me! When we were about 10 minutes from the car, I was attacked by yellow jackets behind my knee and above the ankle on the back of my leg. The bee got stuck in my sock and kept stinging me or there was more than one but whatever happened, there is a pretty big bite on the back of my leg. Of course I was worried about my allergies and having an allergic reaction so I immediately took the Allegra D that was in my pocket (I had forgotten to take it this morning) and when we got to the car, I took a benedryl too. Don even chewed up an aspirin into a paste and put it on the stings. Boy, was I sleepy all the way home. I could barely keep my eyes open at McDonalds for dinner. Of course by the time we got to our town, I was awake enough to eat freshly baked hot doughnuts! Now I am recuperating at home but I can't believe after 5 hours it still stings. All I can say is Ouch!

Smithsonian Item

Blog Prompt: Friday Aug. 10 is the anniversary of the Smithsonian Institute. If you could put one item in the Smithsonian (national Museums in Washington DC), what would you want preserved for future generations?

After careful thinking, I believe I would like to see my accordion put in the Smithsonian. I only know one other person personally who plays the accordion and he is in his 70s. I recently started to play my accordion once a week during lunch at a local nursing home. I played some sacred songs and was thrilled when I heard some of the residents singing the songs while I played. It gave me such a wonderful feeling! You always hear of people playing the piano or an organ or a band or symphony instrument but not many accordion players. I remember growing up watching the Lawrence Welk show and my parents hoping that I would someday be as good as the one on TV. I also remember wishing that I wasn't the only one in my age group (I started when I was 4) who played an accordion because all of my other teenage friends were playing the "cool" instruments. I eventually taught myself the guitar and I took organ lessons but after all these years I have come back in a full circle to the accordion. I'm not worried about what other people think anymore and can really enjoy playing my accordion. In the past few years I have been asked to play in different homes during the Christmas Tour of Homes and I have played for friends who were very sick. I realize that this instrument is easier to bring along than a piano or an organ and now I am proud of playing a different instrument than most people. I imagine that playing the accordion will become a lost art.

Favorite Day/Gas and Weather

I'm a little behind because yesterday I bought a new camera (took half the day to buy it and the other half to read the directions!). I got a new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8K. I'm so excited and I can't decide what to photograph!

Wednesday's prompt:
What is your favorite day of the week?

Now that I'm retired, my perspective on this question has changed immensely! My favorite day of the week is now Wednesday. It is the day I go hiking with my hiking buddies. We all come from different walks of life and are all different ages. I love to talk with them and find out what they have done all week, their opinions on books, movies, and life in general. I love being around them because of their love for life! Many of them are over 75 and don't want to waste a minute of living. I hope I will be like that at that age.

Thursday's prompt:
Blog Prompt: I'm in the mood for some "current events" today and would love to hear what the weather is like in your part of the world. Also, how much did you pay for gas the last time you filled up your car?

This morning I filled my car up with gas that was $2. 48 per gallon which is the cheapest it has been in a long time. I don't understand how the same store could have it 10 cents more across town. Is that not an example of price gouging? Oh well, I won't get started on that. As for the weather, it is supposed to get up to 103 today with a heat index of 110. My hubby uses this as an excuse not to walk our 3 miles. Can you believe that?!

My Hands

Blog Prompt: Look at your hands. Why are you grateful for them?

I'm so grateful to have hands to:

• Hug others.
• Use the computer.
• Garden.
• Care for myself.
• Take pictures.
• Feed myself.
• Help others.
• Play the accordion

After I typed these, I wondered if it was just off the top of my head or whether my brain made me put them down in order of importance. Hmm....

Joke for Monday

Blog Prompt: Aug. 6 is Lucille Ball’s birthday. I thought she was a great comedienne so in honor of her birthday, I thought we could tell a joke. Since it is also Monday, I think many of us need a joke to make us smile today!

Q: Two yellow jackets were flying through the air. One of them had his legs crossed. What were they looking for?

A: A BP station

If I found $20...

Blog Prompt: How would you spend a found $20 bill?

I would probably use it to buy more DSP kits. Now that I'm retired I'm really trying not to spend so much money but I can't help it. I have limited myself to $12 a week and it is really hard to choose what to get. And of course, I don't count Club Digital! I can only hope that the ones I don't get will be on sale some day.

Ideal Picnic

Blog Prompt: If you could plan the ideal picnic for your family, what would it look like? Be sure to include the following: Food, Location , Activities

My hubby and I've gone on more picnics this year than we have in probably 10 years. We are not picky about the food as much as the location. One time we just had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, one time we had Kentucky Fried Chicken, and another time we made sausage dogs. But all of the times, we were near a mountain river and it was just the 2 of us. We usually have a picnic when we are hiking too because we are usually miles into the forest and we bring our lunch. Around lunchtime we try to find a nice spot along a river or if there isn't any river, we try to find a place with a nice view. For some reason I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when I'm hiking. I usually bring fruit for us to eat, and cookies for desert. If we are near the water, we usually play in the river after we are done eating (in the summer, not the winter).

The Internet

(Decided to scrap yesterday's photo last night!)

Blog Prompt: Tell how the internet has made an impact on your life.

1. It has made doing research on places we plan to go much easier. I don't have to run to the library only to find out the book I want is already checked out and the book store has the book but it costs a gazillion dollars!


2. I also love emailing vs. snail mail! I save on money, time (because I get quicker responses), and it is soooo much easier! I hate talking on the phone so this is much better for me.


3. I have reconnected with relatives around the country through AOL Instant Messenger. I have a cousin in California that I haven't seen in 35 years and I hope to see him next summer. I have also gotten much closer to my sister because we talk every day on the computer which has led to both of us getting Verizon so we also talk on the cell phone more frequently.


4. I have learned how to do digital scrapbooking because of DSP! If I hadn't been searching for answers on why my first attempt at paper scrapping was so bad, I would never have found DSP. I was so disappointed and frustrated, that I was delighted to know there was an easier way. I've been hooked ever since.