To the Captain and Crew of SS Thursday 13.

We are all made of Stardust.....

"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love."

Carl Sagan

Through Tumblr to your amazing gift of consciousness of self ......

Saturday 9: Donna Summers, "She Works Hard for the Money".

Welcome to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! 

Gal, thanks! I love this song, and remember singing along with it.

She Works Hard for the Money (1983) 

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

1) This song is about a woman who works hard as a waitress. What's the hardest job you've ever had?  
Building houses in the desert, though I did love the work. And, in those day, the sky out there was magnificent!  And now, it's time for a for a very interesting factoid.

They are coming for us.... he he he

2) The lyrics tell us she has worked at this job for 28 years. What's the longest you stayed with one employer?  
I can't remember how long I worked for any particular employer but I worked as a carpenter for the longest amount of time - over 8 years.

3) Donna Summer was inspired to write this song during an awards show. She ducked into the bathroom and met the elderly ladies' room attendant, whose job it was to make sure the room the spotless, the complimentary hairspray and moisturizer was abundant, and there was a hot towel for every celebrity who used the facilities. "Wow," Donna thought, "she works hard for those tips." Who is the last person you tipped?  
It was on my birthday last year, the Waiter.  And yes, people who wait on others work very hard.  My niece worked during College as a waitress, and my Aunt was a waitress for most of her life. They both worked hard.

4) Early in her career, Donna was in the touring company of the musical Hair. It played in Munich for so long that she became fluent in German. What's the longest you have ever lived away from home?   You must mean my parent's home?  That would be 56 years.   I've never had to live away from my own home.

5) Sam's dad is naturally outgoing and enjoys striking up conversations with waitresses, librarians, the checker at the supermarket, etc. Sam is always polite but more private. Are you more like father or daughter?  
I'm much more like Sam's father.  Everyone is a brother or sister to me.  I talk to anyone and anywhere.  I haven't always been as confident that other people were friendly, but most people are.  In fact, sometimes they are totally amazing!

6) A little more than 10% of the American workforce is self-employed. Have you ever been your own boss?  
Yes.  I had a craft business, in the 80's and 90's, called  Strawberry Moon Studios, which, apparently was a popular name to steal.  I have a logo and it is copyrighted and also trademarked.  
But American design thieves were already decimating the handicraft industry at this point, and did in all of our guild shows - our Guild just dried up and turned up it's toes.  I think the Midwestern shows and crafters suffered the worst, but it wasn't good for a lot of little businesses like mine.  I used to blame China but then I learned more.

7) Labor Day weekend may offer a golden opportunity for napping and sleeping in. Do you snore?  Sometimes, yes.  I guess I can wake the dead with it, or so DH says. lol  

8) Will you be attending a Labor Day picnic or barbecue? 
Nope.  We might make some bean or potato salad for dinner though.  Maybe a pasta salad.  Hmmm?  I love all sorts of picnic foods.  

9) Labor Day traditionally marks the beginning of the fall. Will you be adding any new fall clothes to your wardrobe?  
No, not really. But I am going to get the commercial sewing machine head (Riccar) set up AND running this winter.  Hopefully everything on it still works. 

The poor thing has been sitting
down below my cutting desk since the 1980's!

Additionally, you can all see that I graduated, with honors, 
from the Bad Cell Phone Blind Drunk Photographer's Classes at the local Pub. 🥂
*Cheers!*  
*wink*

I love her Machine!  It looks like it is a treadle.  
I have two treadles, one of which, a New Home, that I sewed my high school clothes on,
 and one that was my grandmother's Singer treadle, which I received later in life.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Friday ... Mom... just a photo from the archives of my heart....

Mother 💗 at 20, just before the war

Thursday 13... 13 of any old thing that flies through the Synapzoid World of my head.

Bits and Pieces from here and there around the place...
Running through a day in my life at lightning speed....


Visit Pinterest and take a quiz...

1.  What's Your True Celtic Sign?

Oak Tree

Your sign is connected to the most sacred tree in Celtic spirituality, the Ogham letter Duir and the diamond. Animals that connect with you include the wren, otter, and white horse. You are a strong person and someone who has been very successful in your life. Your cup runneth over with both wealth and good luck, and you offer a very healing presence to those around you.

Well, that's a crock...  I think it's because I don't know any of the Irish Singing Groups besides U2?

2. Things to get rid of are:
Odd socks.  DUH! One site says to let them go so that they can be with their mates in heaven. lol  Then there are lots of other places that tell you to make toys/dolls/ tiny coin purses out of that lone ranger Sock.

3.  One site tells you to get rid of old sheets and pillows.  Another site tells you how to make said articles into new stuff that is useful.  You save both sites and keep the pillows and sheets.  For later...

4.  I'm dusting off ceramics and glass to put away so that I can dust the furniture and books.  Sadly, I have no one to take these things from me.  Some of them are darn cute!  Even thinking about selling them gives me the willies...

5.  Gussy up all the walking sticks.  You know you want to do this....

From Bing, or maybe from Flickr.

6.  Memo to self:  Spend less time trolling Pinterest, and more time making things out of your STUFF..

7. Dust strategy:  Vacuum all that annoying CRAP off  the house floors and other flat surfaces, (thank you Mr. Z for taking  over the vacuum wrangling)--and then let the air filter on the AC catch the rest.   Pray for Rain?  Pray for water so we can have lawns again and a lot less dust? 
Last but not least:  Pray that there is NO DUST in the Afterlife, other than STARDUST?  Now, that I can live with....

The WIKI and make it BIG!

8. My doctor's has been asking me, for two years now, to join a grief group, either on line or whatever...

This is all I really need!
And, I need it Now
Before I'm too decrepit to camp out.

9. 

Of course, we have an RV.  Old Bones, you see..

We sort of go Glamping, only it's in our own RV.  I call it, "The Ancient One". Plus, it holds an Awful lot of yarn and books and the bed is comfy for sitting on and reading...

10.   To Mr. Z....

A Love Note

I can hear him saying, "Not if I see you first..."

11. This is the first time since I was a little, scared 9 year old that I've wanted out of reality.  I'm working on it.  It is said that....One foot in front of the other gets you out of anything....

12.  The Salmon Fisheries in Alaska are crashing, one by one.  Maybe the fish will come late but they will find the small spawning streams frozen if they come very late.  And the Bears... what will all the bears do?  This has me worried.  It's possible for a miracle to happen but I don't believe in Miracles anymore. 

13.  Wanting to end this on a happier note.  It's taken all day to write.  

I'd like to introduce you to Little Cotton Rabbits.  If you are a knitter who wants to make things for small scared little kids, this is a perfect project to make and give to the shelter kids and even to the Police Department for little children they come across who are scared to death by what's happening around them.  Little boys would like the Elephant and the Bear and Fox too.  There's even a little Hedgehog.

Little Cotton Rabbits.    Julie Williams' animals are all just so darling.

Wordless Wednesday.. Nat Geo Pledge...Planet or Plastic..

Take the Pledge!

What a wonderful world it would be....

I give you something to Ponder...This Monday is for Musing...  

“Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of things.  That is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world….  It was this vision that gave him his great power, for when he went into a fight, he had only to think of that world to be in it again, so that he could go through anything and not be hurt.”  - Black Elk

How much this was like other holy people who could walk through chaos without being touched by it.....

Europeans are not the only ones with magical stories to tell of this world of dreams.  We, as a people,  need to listen to all the Human Stories because they link us all.  We, the whole Earth, are one people, one Nation, and exist within that One Eternal, Holy Mind....

Want to know more about this heroic and charismatic man?  Go HERE 

Sunday Stealing: Misc Questions -so many questions...gah!

August 26, 2018

Misc Questions

Hi! I'm your host Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World". 
This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. (Past hosts include: Our first - Judd Corizan, Mr. L, Kwizgiver and Bud)  Cheers to all of us thieves!

Dear Readers: if you'd like to participate or see other entries, go HERE

1. How has your life most benefited from the Internet? Whether it’s meeting people, cutting business overhead, finding rare collectibles, or simply sharing funny cat pictures, share how the web has made life easier.
I'm not really sure the internet is a benefit because it can be very isolating.  IF we still lived in the neighborhood we gave up to move here for our one daughter's health, I'm not sure I'd even use it as much as I have.  But here, in  this place, it's given me a lot of friendship and camaraderie that I missed from my old neighborhood.  However, I'm still in danger of becoming a hermit.
Meet Sister Wendy......

FROM THIS WEB PAGE
Called City Desert

The single most important thing that having the internet did was that it let me meet some caring,  sweet and fun people, which effectively countervailed the isolation it is also supremely capable of amplifying.  Well, as a perk in favor of Internet,  there is Amazon shopping.  You just can't leave that out can you? 

2. The getaway car is waiting outside – where is it taking you?
It's taking Mr.Z and I on a AirBNB three month tour of the entire west coast, with side trips along the way, from the South Bay to the Canadian Border.  Go BIG, or GO HOME!!  Yeah??

3. Do you reply to comments on your blog? All of them? Or just the really interesting ones?  Do you go back to check if the authors or the blogs you comment on reply to your comments?
I try to answer all the comments. It's the most polite thing to do.  If it's spam, the Google filter  usually catches it.  Comment mods are a necessity now that I'm not blogging a lot, and also because this blog goes back 14 years.

Yes, I do try to keep up with the comments on other people's blogs, and I usually get notifications.  
However, if it's a WordPress, or Typepad, or some others,  I hardly ever see those comments.  It usually escapes my mind, especially now, to go back and check them.  
Sorry, truly,  to those whom I miss but I don't usually see those comments.... 

4. On average, how long does it take you to make an important decision?
Well, since I don't have a lot of "filters" to run it through,  I can usually make decisions quite quickly.  

5. Do you gather a lot of information prior to making the decision, or do you go with your gut in the heat of the moment? 
I gather a lot of info the first time through, and then it's there forever.  The next time something happens where there is any sort of decision to be made, the research pops back up, and the next time it only SEEMS like a gut reaction in the heat of the moment thing.  If I were a kid I'd have to Mull.  However, I'm older than Dirt now,  and I don't have to Mull anymore.

6. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned recently? 
What heat stroke looks like in a dog, and you can bet that I will NEVER let anyone do that again.

7. What’s your hidden talent? Are you double-jointed? Can you sneeze the alphabet? Share your unique skill.
Sometimes, I can do a very short bit of this... Nothing like the singer here, but I can pull off a tiny riff.  
When I was younger, I could do a little more of this as I had the time to practice and The Voice wasn't gone then....It's amazing.  Sort of Peace making with your voice.  Calming and Centering, too I think...



8. Rate the level of intensity you have about wanting to know God – no desire, low priority, curious, great desire, high priority, desperate to learn more. Explain your answer.
I have a great desire to know more and have chosen to use Eastern meditation practice and quieting the mind to do it, to learn more about the Supreme Being and what that entity wants from any human being in general and me in particular.  I wrote a lot more about why I'm grounded in my beliefs but took it all out.  This isn't the place for personal revelation.  I'm saving it for my children, so that they will know all that I know some day.  

9. What’s one of your nicknames?  How did you get that nickname?
I really never had one.  Probably because I've got a short name anyway.  My brother had a sort of nickname for me, but he doesn't use it anymore.  It was funny.  I called him Farnk, and he called me Linipoo.

10. What do you have to have with you when you travel? Why?
My doggie.  I can't leave him in a kennel as it would be like being abandoned all over again.  He's far too fragile for that.  And frankly, so am I. 

11. What do you think about reading books on an electronic reading device? Do you have an electronic reading device? Do you love it? Why? If you don’t love it, why not?
I like Kindles and the apps that let me read library books on that and my iPad.  
Love?  Well, I love printed books.  So, I'll still read a printed book when I can.  Kindles can store a hundred books, and for this reason alone, they are very special when travelling.  Almost indispensable now that they are in existence.  

12. Do you prefer writing on paper or a keyboard? Why?
I used to love to write letters to my pen pals, and, to some extent, I still miss that.  I'd like to write on paper again, but now I'd probably not do it.  Once that letter is out of my hands, I have no record whatsoever that it was even written.  IF I were to do physical letters again, I would type them out on the computer, and print and send.  I have hundreds of letters from my friend in Turkey but she probably wasn't able to save any of mine to her.  

13. If the shoes make the man (or woman), what do your shoes say about you right now? (Assuming you’re wearing shoes. Although if you’re not, that certainly says something, too.)
I have on a pair of Crocs.  I was going barefooted for days but it was becoming a problem...a painful heel... so I put on the Crocs.  My shoes say, "My feet hurt!"

14. Describe your favorite pair of shoes.
My favorite shoes were a couple of pair of short platforms with nearly solid leather over the top- one pair black and one pair brown.  I wore them out.  They were comfortable and looked very nice.  They were similar to these, but the leather band was solid and decorated with brads.

I'm planning to wear these at the Holidays.

15. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one ability or quality, what would it be?
Complete Serenity.  

BONUS:  When they "cool sculpt" your body, where does the fat go? 

I'm not sure, but my paternal grandmother once showed me that I could rub some lumps on my body (called Lipoma) and they would disappear, and they did.  I'm sure Cool Sculpting is something like that.  The fat melts away from massage and pressure, then goes into your lymph system and is used up or expelled.  I'd have to study more about it.  

Saturday 9: Aretha , The Queen of Soul..

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Readers: If you would like to join in this Famous Meme, or see other participants answers, Go here

Think (1968)

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.
In fond remembrance of The Queen of Soul (1942-2018).
Aretha and I were born in the same year.  I'd have loved to sing with her, even just once...

1) As befits one of America's premiere artists, Aretha Franklin sang at three Presidential inaugurations. The first was Jimmy Carter's in 1977, when she sang "God Bless America." What's your favorite patriotic song? 
"Born in the USA", by Bruce Springsteen is my favorite. It's sort of a modern Anthem for whatever class I have, and yes, that is funny, but it's also the truth... I am a member of the Class of 1960, and the working class...


2) The daughter of a Baptist minister, Aretha grew up with church music. She told Rolling Stone one of her favorite songs was the hymn, "Victory Is Mine." What's your favorite religious song?  Old timey , I like "Bye n Bye".... which I can't find by the Blue Grass Group I like but here is Helen (oops) Elizabeth Cotton on the guitar, in her style..



And there is this more modern one, too... "Down in the River to Pray"...It's really beautiful......




3) She welled up a bit when President George H. W. Bush presented her with the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. When is the last time you shed a tear?
Really?  Ah well... the raw emotions....You caught me by surprise.  
So I have to say, that time is just prior to reading this question while musing,  and then typing out the truth of it all.....so it would be this afternoon when I thought of how much I miss my daughter, and her brilliant mind.  I love the way she could figure out the most complex things.  I miss her every day and shed some tears about it.

4) In 1980, the Queen of Soul sang for the Queen of England in a Command Performance at The Royal Albert Hall. Have you ever been to London?
No.  I thought I'd backpack all over Europe at some point but that point never arrived.  I really don't think I missed out on anything; on a personal level, it doesn't matter at all, and it certainly doesn't matter to the world.

5) Since Aretha had many honorary degrees, it would have been appropriate to refer to her as Dr. Franklin. Who is the last person you referred to by his or her title (Officer, Father, Sgt., Dr., etc.)?
That would be our vet.  Wolfie needs his allergy meds again, too.  Thanks for the Reminder!

6)  In this week's song, Aretha tells her lover that it doesn't take a high IQ to understand what's going on in their relationship. Do you know your IQ?  No.  I did score very high in the College Boards, a test that predated the PSats.  Fat lot of good it did me, eh?  Lol!    

7) A sculpture of Aretha is on display at Madame Tussaud's in New York. Do you think wax museums are cool, or creepy?
I'd probably come down on the side of "Creepy" if I ever went on a tour of the place.

8) Aretha and Motown legend Smokey Robinson were literally lifelong friends, since they were playground buddies in Detroit. Smokey is one of the only people who can claim to have seen The Queen of Soul with a bucket in a sandbox. If we went to the playground today, would you head for the swings, the slide or the jungle gym? Or, like Aretha, would you play in the sand?
I'll see you in the Sand Box, my friend...

9) Random question: Do you like pumpkin seeds?

I like what is called, "Pepitas".  

From The Find Cooking Web page

These two seeds are not equivalent to each other....

The others, unshelled and unmeaty pumpkin seeds, were tasty when, as kids, we roasted them with Mom, and ate them after Halloween.  But when I look back, it was probably because we were always pretty hungry for any treat.  

Friday Craft day...

I've been neglecting my crafting gene, other than knitting, so the troll through Pinterest yielded this ...

From the Etsy shop, Simple Country Burlap,
 whose owner kindly has made this lovely video..

And, I've set my mind and hear(t) to make it!  Hopefully in the next month....

Today I worked today, cleaning and resting; The war on dust is going well.
My sore crooked back has been with me since I was 26 and it's not going to ruin the rest of my life if I can help it.  I have, after all, hauled the ungrateful thing around for 50 years.

I'm also going to make three little burlap and felt pumpkins to go with the cornucopia that I made a few years ago.....  I feel that fall is coming and it can't get here a moment too soon.

This Image is from FairField World  and the pumpkins were created by Pink Lemonade – Keri Lee Sereika  Whose blog is HERE  but who has since graduated to the big leagues of LinkdIn and other social media...

Anyway.... Isn't Pinterest wonderful?

Saturday 9 will publish at midnight....

Thursday Thirteen: A Thirteen word Apology....with emoji

Sorry, I can't think of anything clever to post for this Thursday Thirteen.  😉 

Wordless Wednesday

c/o Seattle Times and the  David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Music Monday on a Tuesday... The Platters, and also, a near death experience that is so interesting.....

Just for fun..   It is my present ear worm...

Hope you don't catch it!

And now, for something completely different......



There is something called, The Mundane Mind.  It rules us, until it is stilled .... then the Spiritual mind takes over.  Christians aren't the only ones who have these experiences, though they are the ones who usually are willing to tell about it on mass media.... 

Have a great week.. See you later...

Zinke, on Climate and the fires in California....

The man is a complete dolt but what else can be expected from a Trump administration "Official"?



This is WAY beyond politics.  This is a fight for the survival of  Earth's Biosphere. 
We are one step closer to the brink with this crappy administration that wants to deny climate change is real.  Sadly, we've been brought here by the GREED of some for short term gain.  I will say again, "You do NOT take anything with you except for the sins and the karma.  You OWN them."

There are many reasons for these fires, not the least of which is that we've had an intermittent drought for over 100 years in the state, all with increasing population and encroachments into wild lands in that time.  These assessments are two years old, and we've had two more rainy season that failed since then.

https://ca.water.usgs.gov/california-drought/california-drought-comparisons.html

Ignorance should not be celebrated.  Why does anyone still think this man is anything more than a bad joke?

Sunday Stealing: Just think of them as little kids....

Hi! I'm your host Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World". . Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. (Past hosts include: Our first - Judd Corizan, Mr. L, Kwizgiver and Bud)  Cheers to all of us thieves!

And, Cheers for our intrepid Captain, Bev!

Want to join in?  Go HERE... to the mother ship....  I'm going to be doing this early from now on because I need to get some things done around here... sorry if that is causing problems.  

Stolen from Penny Royal Princess

1: 3 Fears

Loss, Losing more people, and the loss of my mind

2: 3 things I love
I love God, my family, all of God's children, AND even the Poots like The Mad Toupeé.  He was probably a not so bad little kid at some point, or maybe even a sweet little bebé.  I find it hard to believe but there you go....
My once upon a time pastor (who was the nicest Methodist pastor I've ever met) told me that if I had trouble loving someone, think of them as little kids or babies...  And, so,  I have done so, for many years.  

3: 4 turns on
I'm too old for this one, I think...

4: 4 turns off
See # 3.

5: My best friend
Sadly, I think she has passed away.  

6: My favorite book
Many and various.  And no, I don't consider the bible a book.

7: My best first date
There's a joke about this when the question is posed in a slightly ambiguous manner.. but I'd say I'm too old for this.  Besides, best first date would imply that that you could have any number of first dates?

8: How tall am I
Since my spine is in a constant state of collapse, I'd say I'm shorter than I was last week.  And I have no IDEA what that height was.  I quit measuring.

9: What do I miss
My Eldest

10: What time were I born
3 AM, in the dead of winter in Ohio.  

11: Favorite color
To wear?  Blue.. to look at?  Yellow 

12: Do I have a crush
You mean like Kwizgiver's one on George Clooney?  (that Handsome devil) 
No, I do not.  🤩 

13: Favorite quote
"Though you, My Lady Queen are fair tis true.. Snow White is now far fairer than you..."

14: Favorite place
ANY place along the coast of California as long as it's above Los Angeles County.

15: Favorite food
I'm inordinately fond of any noodle from anywhere in the world.

16: Do I use sarcasm
You have to ask?

17: What am I listening to right now
The whir of the PC, with top notes from the re-circulating fan on the AC.  They have a little harmonic thing going that is pretty interesting.  Sounds a lot like modern musical "whaa whaa.."
Oh, and there is a circling helicopter flying overhead that just adds to the interesting sound effects...

18: First thing I notice in new person
Well, now I've seen it....it's hard to ignore question 19.  However, I DO notice the eyes of a person first.  I mean if they are facing me.  I pay no attention to hindquarters, male or female.  Though I did just recall some rather epic adventures into plastic surgery which once started an unfortunate and a very ugly fad.  *rolls eyes*  Can we all spell "deformity"

19: Eye color
As a child of two they were still blue.. But then, in the long days of youth and parenthood, they were dark brown.  Now they are a faded taupe color.  One of them needs a nip and a tuck.

20: Hair color

Alas, 'tis Salt  
and Salt alone 
Where once there was some Pepper 

Life makes a halt. 
For this old Crone 
Hair Gene's blown Asunder.

Monk .... Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! 

Readers:  Want to see other entries?  Go here..  It's a fun meme; you also might like to join in. 

Saturday 9: It's a Jungle Out There (Theme from Monk) (2003)

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

1) This week's song is the theme from the detective show that ran from 2002-2009. Were you a fan?  No.  And that's not because I knew about and rejected it.  I'm going to look for it... I love this actor to bits.  (I just found out that Netflix took it down.  CrastaFingle!)

2) The song warns us about the air we breathe and the water we drink. Does your home have an air or water filter?  We have a Britta, and we have an air filter on the furnace/AC unit which circulates air any old time.  

3) The lyrics say, "People say I'm crazy to worry all the time." Are you a worrier? Or do you just take things as they come? Let's see.... do I take things as they come?  Well,  I used to think the future was bright.  But, over time,  I lost that illusion.  Now I'm just a Watcher.  It's just not possible to worry about any of this anymore.  

4) TV's Adrian Monk is known for his outstanding deductive powers, an homage to Sherlock Holmes. Have you read any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books featuring Sherlock Holmes?
I believe that I've read them all, and some more than once.

5) Monk was also known for fastidiousness and precision, an homage to Hercule Poirot. Have you read any of Agatha Christie's books featuring Poirot?
I have all my mother's Agatha Christie's and have read them, so yes, I've read Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries.  I love them. ❤️❤️❤️

6) This song was written and performed by Grammy and Emmy winner Randy Newman. Do you have any trophies or plaques? 
Mr. Z and I shared a Rockhound of the Year award, and a plaque, one year.
I also have my referee's whistle which was a prize for becoming a certified Basketball referee in high school.  Trophies weren't given out that much back in my HS days.

7) Before winning an Oscar in 2001, Mr. Newman had the distinction of having the most nominations (15) without a win. Do you consider yourself a graceful loser? 
Yes.. I've lost enough to get lots of practice in gracefully losing.  Besides, no one likes a sore loser.  Well, maybe mean people who live to pick on others love them.  Another scorn target? 

8) In 2003, when this song was introduced, Lance Armstrong won his fifth Tour de France. Later, he was disgraced in a doping scandal. Can you think of a time when a hero disappointed you?  From a very young age, my heroes have been firefighters.  The reason being that I watched a neighbor's farm house burn down when I was five, and I watched the firemen trying to save it. 
So, no, I can't think of a single firefighter who was a disappointment.  

They are, to me, the bravest people on the planet. 

c/o Jeff Hall from CalFire

9) Random question -- We're catering lunch. Should we put you down for a burger or a taco?
A taco, please.  Thanks!


Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Thursday Thirteen: 13 things I want to do for the rest of my life.

1.   I want to create a low maintenance cactus and succulent garden...

Have

Want

Goes to Nell's Garden Page with THIS link.
Though it's for all Gardens....It will pretty much show you what I mean to accomplish
in the way of Succulents.

 2. Knit Short Fingered gloves and boots socks for the hospital, and finish the Aran sweater.  Two of the glove sets have been sent....

3. Read all my books! And stop getting more.. There is a limit to the patience of a spouse who was not struck with the same brick..

4.  Love and  spoil our Wolfie.   I think he's our last one...

He is our little angel.. this was taken two years ago

He's been "through the wars" this past 6 months

5. Grow  more Epiphyllum...  and bromeliads

6.  Travel and explore more of the West Coast!

7. try to find more creatures, like these little toads that are the size of a finger tip.... I've been trolling Pinterest seeing some amazing baby Amphibian and Reptilian babies.  So Cute!

8.  Make wire wrap and other silver craft but this time, just for fun....

9. Remember my mother, for her quiet and mindful ways.  She did her best for her kids.

And, I shall remember that, even though I am a mouse, I have super powers ;o)

10.

Use this...A LOT

11.  And, I intend to take a LOT more flower pictures.  They stand still whereas birds, all of which I adore, give me the "tail feather flit"......an Avian world version of the famous Human "one finger" salute...

12. Knit more socks!

13. Decorate and Fire my own Pots: I like Majolica and Telavera pots.  They are all over Pinterest if you want to see them.. I'd planned to do this years ago but was hit by Fibromyalgia, CFS, wrist, knee, and gall bladder surgery, most horrible of all, the death of a daughter in her prime... not all the four horsemen but quite a few of them...so....I  want to create these for my plants - and finishing up other things in Ceramics.  I Have a kiln.  I'm going to use it.

I plan on filling and Firing my kiln a couple of times a year.. Finish everything and make pots ....

This one is done and packed away..

Well friends, if you see less of me, don't think less of me.... For, these are my plans and it takes time...

I wish you the very best of luck in all that you want to do with the rest of your life.....May your plans not suffer the fate of those dreams in  Of  Mice and Men  A PDF you can read if you are of a mind to.
And, A YouTube.....