ONWARD: Sunday Stealing at Random

           

Sunday Stealing is a blog that provides a service to bloggers by hosting a weekly meme bloggers can participate in for fun and to find great blogs.  The meme is stolen and adapted from other blogs but the original blog the meme was taken from is always credited.  This weeks meme is from the blog MY RANDOM RANDOMNESS.  To participate in Sunday Stealing go to www.sundaystealing.blogspot.com

How did you choose your baby's or pet's names?  I chose the 1st one because it reminded me of something when I heard that name.

Have you ever been fishing?  One of my grandfather's was a commercial fisherman. Can you say catfish y'all?

Have you ever had your national flag painted on your face? No, I will just stick with flag shirts.

What was the last social faux pas you made?  Probably interrupting someone.

What makes you nostalgic?  The music from the 70's and 80's they play in the grocery stores here.  We always moved a lot so I always know exactly how old I was and where we lived and what year the song was a hit.

What's the scariest thing you have ever done?  I picked up a hitch hiker one time and it turned out he had escaped from the small town policeman.  I only had stopped because at first I thought it was someone walking I knew.  Fortunately, they just wanted a ride home.  I went back to my little town and the whole town was turned upside down looking for them.  I told the policeman I gave them a ride home. It was either drive them home or be abandoned on a dark country road without my car....

What fairy tale character would you most associate with?  Rapunzel

How much do you tend to swear in public?  I try not to swear in public as I feel swearing shows a lack of imagination in vocabulary.

If you ruled your own country, who would you get to write your national anthem.  I could write the words myself.

Who is the most intelligent person you know?  The older you get, the less intelligent everyone seems.

What is the worst piece of advice anyone has ever given you?  Dr. Phil says people only treat you how you LET them treat you.  Well Dr. Phil, you have to choose your battles.

If you had to describe yourself as a flavor, what would it be?  I couldn't be described as one flavor.

If you had to describe yourself as a car and/or an animal what would it be?  Fortunately i don't have to describe my self as a car or an animal.

Do you think laughing at some one's misfortune is wrong?  I think there is a little of Schadenfreude in everybody.

If a loved one was to serenade you what song would you most like them to sing?  I used to be frequently serenaded by the song Mama from the movie Soul Food.

Would you ever let your parents pick a partner for you?  ha ha

Have you ever tried spam? (the meat/food kind)  Fried spam usually eaten with eggs.  Great for keeping around "just in case", as in just in case there's a tornado, ice storm, snow, national disaster, or a hungry man in the house.

the end.

image taken from www.sundaystealing.com
sketches by LMA 

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD: The Heights by Peter Hedges

I almost dismissed this book because of the book jacket.  At first glance it appeared to be a vague impression of green trees with the book title in huge, unappealing white letters on top. But then I saw the words Author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape above the title and I had heard of that and so I thought this story would also be of some quality.   

The Plot:  Tim Welch is the nerd school teacher who scored a hottie wife named Kate.  The hottie wife can actually make more money then her husband but she is doing the mom thing at home with the two kids instead.  Things start to get predictable and blah for this big city couple until the ultra rich Anna Brody starts to take an interest in them.  All of a sudden this makes the couple pseudo popular in their neighborhood.  The seeds of temptation are planted for them to stray as the couple starts to feel flattered that people with worldly success desire them. 

What I Feel The Author Is Saying:  So much of life is a game that it can often be hard to tell what is real.  People feel somewhat more validated as a person  if a wealthy or famous individual desires them.  Things are not always what they seem.  Is someone really a fantastic person or is it just hype?

Practical Life Applications:  

1.  It is not a good idea for a husband to spend time alone with his wife's friend.
2.  Just because someone is famous it doesn't make them a better person.
3.  Don't be jealous of people with fantastic public persona's because they might be a jerk at home.
4.  Sometimes a speech is just a speech.  A staged planned out event to get desired results.
5.  Family bonding doesn't always require huge staged events.

Peter Hedges is also the author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape.  It's a movie y'all.  I haven't seen all of it but I remembered it kept the big child's attention.

ONWARD: More! More! More! Sunday Stealing that is...

Sunday Stealing is a blog that purloins memes from other blogs so the universe can prosper from the wisdom of these memes.  Link up with Sunday Stealing at www.sundaystealing.blogspot.com

For myself I am participating in part two of the MORE meme without having participated in part one. Why? Because this is a blog and there really are no rules so that means I can do whatever I want.

what would you choose to be famous for?  Journalism

if you have a web cam are you ever paranoid people are watching you?  actually yes!  my computer was hijacked and held hostage by some kind of scam and it took a picture of me! so now my web cam remains covered!

do you find it difficult to sleep at night? Any reasons why?  i have so much more energy at night.

if you had to go on a game show which one would you choose?  i have always thought that FAMILY FEUD might be a fun show to be on.

what about if you had to go on a reality show?  which would you choose?  mine

tell me about your favorite TV show.  how can one have a favorite TV show? there are so many!

why were you last irritated?  no one can knows what the exact right time at work is as all the clocks on the computers say different times and this can lead to confusion.

what time did you get up this morning?  i had a nap for about 3 hours while sitting with my grandmother and then i came home about 2:30 a.m.

do you like the countryside?  i like the countryside if that means farms with mowed down or planted fields.  However, if the countryside means truly middle of nowhere places with snakes, raccoons, weeds, mud, then i don't like it.

if you see someone yawn, do you often yawn as well?  of course i do!

Recommend me a good movie.  FAME, the original one from the 80's.

how often do you change you hairstyle?  once a year

do you have a favorite day of the week? what is it?  nope

are you alone?  what kind of fool question is that?

when is the last time you were on the phone at 2 am? if that includes texting then that is today.

we're thru. yay!

this is an ad from the Internet i really like a lot!

ONWARD: Encouragement by The Book (of Luke)

Then turning to his disciples He said privately, "The eyes that see the things you see are blessed!  For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn't see them, to hear the things you hear yet didn't hear them."__Luke 10:23-24 HCSB

    This is a verse that can be taken in a literal sense as well as a supernatural, spiritual sense.  In the literal sense we are very lucky to live in a time of more knowledge and technology then any generations before us. In the supernatural, spiritual sense how lucky we are to know the things we know as believers. 

     The words of Jesus in the book of Luke are full of hard hitting answers that believers as well as the secular world seek about Christianity.  (And) how awesome is a word from the Lord when you need one!!

ONWARD: The Simple Woman's Daybook for July

July 6th, 2013

Outside my window are the tall apartment buildings and eateries of downtown Louisville. It is early morning on a holiday weekend and it is so quiet I can hear the birds chirping contentedly.  It's an overnight trip for me bringing a family member back.

I am thinking of the details of the day: visiting with people, taking pictures, minor shopping, getting a family member's "old" phone set up for me at the phone store, and maybe a nap before driving back to my town.

I am thankful that I live in a time where there are more options then ever for my age and gender.  I am free to think and feel what I want and my thoughts don't have to fit "inside a box".

In the kitchen...I am not at home, so it's not my kitchen. As most people can tell by now, I am not much of a cook. I do like to think I taught the big child  important things like how to cook food on tinfoil in the oven so as not to have any mess to clean up.(smile)

I am wearing...a sage green polo shirt and jeans.

I am creating...a second blog. I plan to feature more original content on it.

I am wondering... about various political things and the economy.  One thing on my mind is the so called "Obama care" health insurance mandate for employers. Is this really going to make employers decrease people's hours at work in order to not have to legally provide health insurance for employees?

I am reading...blogs and current events online. I like Yahoo news.

I am hoping ...to spend more time  with family members.

I am looking forward to opportunities for the "second half" of my life.

I am learning about the social aspects of blogs.

Around the house...I recently had company, so all is clean and neat except for one room.

I am pondering...the question should be, what am I NOT pondering! I am pondering finances, jobs, locations, people, family members, family cycles, science, health, science/technology, and God.

A favorite quote for the day...is a line from a Chaka Khan song.

"Strange as it seems...we make our own dreams come true..."


One of my favorite things are blogs that make me smile...Recently  two great blogs I came across were www.theramblingbiddy.blogspot.com and www.expectbigthings.blogspot.com

A few plans for the rest of the week...working on a new resume, work, and lots of errands I should have done last week.

A peak into my day...

  The flowers we bought at the Dollar Tree store that decorates our window sill.

To participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook go to
www.simplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com
Many Thanks to Peggy Hostler for hosting this.

Photo: Mine
Image: Credit given to www.simplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com

 

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD: The Return of The Native by Thomas Hardy

So I was cleaning out from under the big child's bed and I came across the book The Return of The Native by Thomas Hardy.  It was probably a book the big child was supposed to read for class but it looked like it hadn't been read.  It still had the new book smell of glue.  I decided that I was going to try to read it.

I started reading the first few pages which was this long involved description of the heath that I just couldn't concentrate on.  In desperation I tried the experienced reader's trick of opening the book in a few different spots to observe what the text was like there.  I was able to tell that the story picked up a lot better at some point and that I would be able to read it.

First Impressions:

After the long description of the heath the story proceeds by introducing the colorful characters as they walk about this heath.  This sets the scene as a time before cars. Night falls and the characters do not go home but continue walking around the heath for a special holiday where they light a lot of bonfires.  A romantic tryst is made and people spy on each other as they walk up and down in the dark on this heath. Indeed a good portion of the story takes place in the dark and it reminded me of some stories by Shakespeare while at the same time being reminiscent of a few Woody Allen type movies.

There were lots of big words in the book that I hadn't seen or thought of in years!  However, I was delighted to have to concentrate closely to be able to read it and I actually started to enjoy reading the story.

The Plot:

The youngish Clym Yeobright returns to the so called dreary environment of Egdon Heath after living in glamorous Paris.
He sweeps the local beauty off her feet but then they get married and reality sets in for them. Romantic trysts, love triangles, and misunderstandings lead to tragedy.

What it made me remember: 

It made me remember how many things can happen to people emotionally as a result of arguments and/or misunderstandings.

What the Author wanted to say:

I feel the author wanted to say that reality often does not live up to our dreams, goals, and visions due to circumstances as well as other people having other plans.  In Clym Yeobright's case he blamed himself a little too much for things that happened.  He made himself a villain in his own mind. At the same time he proceeded with his goals although they were going to be slightly different from his original goals due to his personal losses.  Also by revealing the characters strengths as well as their weaknesses none of the characters came off as being more of a villain or heroine then any other. Everyone's faults were involved in the tragedy as the characters stories were intertwined.

Practical life applications:

1.  Don't go out and wander around heaths in the middle of the night during a rainstorm when you are emotionally distraught.  Stay home instead.

2.  Don't spend too much time dwelling about what if's in life.

3.  Wait a situation out a trifle longer instead of giving up because good news may have been delayed or may come in a "letter" soon.

Thomas Hardy is also the author of Tess of The D'Urbervilles among other books, stories and poems.  I had read Tess of The D'Urbervilles a couple of decades ago but didn't remember the author's name from then. 

The Return of The Native was originally published in the year 1878.  I read the Dover Thrift Edition published in 2003.  The story is set in the years between 1840 and 1850. 

Now it's time to find the movie!

ONWARD: Sunday Stealing, Part Two

SUNDAY STEALING is a blog that hosts a meme every weekend that bloggers can participate in for fun and finding new blogs.  SUNDAY STEALING originated on WTIT:  The Blog by Bud Weiser.  This week's meme was taken from the blog DO THESE SHOES MATCH THIS PURSE? which is authored by Maggie.  No one knows where Maggie got this meme but the name of the meme is The Weird Question Meme.  For myself. I am learning that all memes could just all be retitled to something like, "The Highly Irritating Personal Question Meme."!  I have to admit that last week I left out the questions I did not care for...!

Here we go! The Weird Question Meme, Part Two

What is your ring size? Not what it should be.

How often do you wear jewelry? Almost daily.

When was the last time you consumed alcohol? Over 21 years ago,

Any big plans for the summer?  Lots of changes for this summer.

Do you prefer broccoli or asparagus?  I can't remember what asparagus tastes like.

What color are your bedroom walls?  Off-white.

Which Star Wars movie is your favorite?  None

How about Harry Potter?  What about him?

What was the last movie you saw in theaters? I don't remember!

Did you get popcorn or candy? Both

What is the most romantic text in your inbox? Spam

What is your favorite kind of hat to wear? Hat????

Have you ever played miniature golf on a date? Yes.

What's a phrase you overuse?  The word OK.

Do you always use good grammar?  I ain't perfect.

Do you have an accent or a speech impediment? That would be a yes.

What did you eat today? Nothing. Yet.

What do you do at work?  Read, talk, data entry, laugh, smile.

Do you know the rules to any sports?  Basketball! We got the basketball going on in Kentucky! Shout out to the U of L Cardinals that won the final four this year!

Do you pray?  Unceasingly.

To whom do you pray? "There's No God Like Jehovah."

What is the closest mountain to your house? I don't rightly know.

What do you need to do tomorrow?  Father's Day and Birthday Celebration otherwise known as Sunday Dinner.

Ta Da! We made it through the weird question meme. If you would like to participate in memes from SUNDAY STEALING go to www.sundaystealing.blogspot.com

All meme material and all images used are from www.sundaystealing.blogspot.com