Grumbleeze

My answers to this week's Monday Madness These were fun to answer!!! ;-)

Name 3 of your favorite.......
1. Colors = red, pink, blue

2. Pizza Toppings = cheese, pepperoni, sausage

3. Department Stores = Meijer, Walmart, Target

4. Flavors of Candy = chocolate, coffee-flavored nips, cinnamon

5. Scents of Candles = cinnamon, vanilla, floral

6. Days of the Week = Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday

7. Vegetables = broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes

8. Fruits = nectarines, strawberries, cantaloupe

9. Meals to cook = stuffed green peppers, tacos with rice & beans, beef stir-fry

10. Kitchen Gadgets = can opener, microwave oven, an old metal spatula with half the handle broken off

11. Olympic Sports = figure skating, gymnastics, swimming

Small Pleasures...are sometimes the greatest treasures. Went north with intention to 'just enjoy' and were greeted once again by the results of torrential rains. Yes, gullies in our hill, although not terribly deep or all over like the first time. Relocated sod works; he just didn't finish the job... that's where the sand washed downhill!

Friday night we were able to catch the sunset over Lake Michigan. Since then the weather has been either rainy or cloudy and very very cold! Michigan weather in August is traditionally hot and muggy. Who can figure?

The cold weather kept me indoors where I was finally able to change the look of sherle's photos. It's always a scarey move to change your template because all the special stuff previously done to the template has to be done all over again. I just copied the whole old template in case of some catastrophe with the new one. Then I chose one of Blogger's new templates and just dressed it up with my own stuff on the sidebar. I like it. I like it a lot!

The other good thing... we had plenty of opportunity to observe the heron resident on Hackert Lake. Got a few photos, one of which you see here. Weather was overcast but the camera caught him pretty well anyway, don't you think?

...added to the day's agenda What can you do when the kid and her spouse phone you and volunteer to come over and help with any ol' project you might want to get done? You say, 'Okay honey, come on over!!!'

Yeah she knew we bought new windows and they were ready to help install them but the windows weren't in yet. The backyard trees however, weren't going anyplace... remember? Those are the logs that floated downstream in our 4 springtime backyard floods this year! To help further, the husband brought his big-a** truck and pulled out a dead tree in the front yard! It's in that big ol' bonfire too! It's really motivating when you get 4 people working on a project like that! Thanks kids!!!

Fear not, the windows will arrive and we will let you know when we're ready to put them in.

Who's the grownup here, eh???

What a fantastic weekend! The more people at the lake, the less photos I take however. Why? ...because I'm busy enjoying the people! Good thing so many of us have cameras! I took some... this is one. We will combine photos and share with everybody in the family who wants copies.

Now for a bit of Monday Madness, starting with this week... August 23...
1. Which is more fun, kid's toys or grown-up kid's toys? (ie. Lego's vs. power tools)
I like grown-up toys like boats!!! Real boats! Right now I have a little Boston Whaler Squal, an O'Day that needs sprucing up and I really really really think I might get an absolutely beautiful pontoon boat! (Yeah, I know, we did just sell a big sailboat!)

2. What's your favorite food and why? Which food is your number one weakness?
I think even though I love pizza, chocolate might be my biggest weakness... chocolate anything!

3. How many blogs/journals/diaries would you say you read?
4 daughters that blog regularly... everybody that meets the PhotoTime Tuesday challenge every week (anywhere from 45-65 currently)
4. Do you feel you have an obligation to spread your religious belief system to others, or do you think religion is a private matter that everyone needs to decide for themselves?
No... I believe a person's religious belief is a private matter... unless you are involved in a discussion about it.

5. Did you keep a paper journal before blogging?
No, I did start keeping a journal on my word processor years ago, but it wasn't as fun and it didn't last long.

6. Describe your life in 3 words.
full..... wonderful..... serendipitous!!!

7. What was the last thing you were wrong about?
me? wrong? are you kidding? I'm THE MOM!!!

8. What one thing would you do to help the world be a better place for all?
Tend my own little piece of the world... nobody can 'fix' it for everybody else!

9. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
I like dogs, but cats are my favorite!

10. If you could start your own meme (And you can!), what kind of questions would you ask?
I have my own meme - PhotoTime Tuesday, but for your kind of meme.....
1. You are given 1 million dollors. You must give it all away before the donor gives you $1 million. Who would you give it to?
2. If you had $1 million what would you do with it FIRST?
3. Do you participate in lotteries?
4. Name 3 of your best physical features.
5. ..... 3 of your biggest virtues.
6. ......3 or you biggest vices.
7. ...... 3 of your favorite pleasures in life.
8 If you were a member of the opposite sex, what would you choose to do for your occupation?
9. If you were to come back after death as another animal, what animal would you choose to be?
10. What kind of 'baby' are you... water, clouds, beach, garden?

.....and here is August 16!!!

1. If you could only take one item with you on to a desserted island what book, movie, music would you take?
the Bible..... Fiddler on the Roof..... Dave Brubeck

2. What's the most disgusting thing that you have ever eaten or even just put in your mouth??
...the gross soft squooshy fat on a piece of beef.

3. What one thing would you do differently if given the chance?
... I would not start smoking!!! Yes, I quit but it was tough!

4. What political party, if any, do you belong to?
I do not belong to any political party, vote for the individual, but lean more toward Republican.

5. Do you like icees?
Yes. Used to buy them all the time. Rarely do now.

6. East or West?
in the state of Michigan I prefer the western side... in the USA I prefer the East Coast... On earth I prefer the West. All these only because they are familiar to me.

7. Will we ever "all" be happy with the current political situation????
Now, wouldn't that be boring? A stepford nation.... WOW!!! I hope not!

8. Cookies or Crackers?
cookies - all time favorite is NutterButter!!!

9. What fun thing did you do today?
...answered these questions AND this week's questions too!!!

...and #10 has nothing to do with any of the above questions.........

10. Why??
...just BECAUSE!!!

We saw this at the Clare Rest Stop yesterday. The fire was out when we arrived but there were still two fire engines and they were cleaning up the foamy stuff you see all over the parking lot. The truck parking area, of course, was off limits to traffic... only one semi-truck and the driver at the entrance stopping traffic.

Frank visited with some of the firemen while I was snapping away. They told him the mother and her three children, who were traveling in the motorhome, were just fine. The fire chief took them to his home where they were waiting for the husband/father to come and get them.

Well Sharba, if it's any consolation, I'm having weird problems with Blogger too! Did a test post because I was having problems... had to 'publish' several times before I could get it to actually be published, and then it was there twice. Couldn't even sign out which frustrated me because I've had somebody 'crack' my salascove domain!!! It kind of makes a person slightly paranoid. No harm was done but I got rid of their entries and changed my password anyway.

Looking for 'Later Granni..... '? It looked like that was the venue by which the hacker cracker got into my domain so I deleted it too! Some people... some times... just do things because they are giant hemorrhoids!!!

Celebrate Happiness Happens Month! You'll be glad you did. You might even end up being happy more often. Smiles are contagious, don't you know? ...so is happiness.

Want to know more? Just click that big ol' happiness button right here in this blog... and smile, baby, smile!

Our small town has an airport. If you live here the sound of planes is unavoidable. This morning had an excess... some louder than usual. Advance stuff happening no doubt. Our President is coming to town. We, along with a select many more admirers of President Bush, received an invitation to be among the crowd in Saginaw to listen to him.

As much as I admire Mr. Bush & his family, I am not at all fond of crowds! The only thing worse than crowds is getting away from them... in the car when everybody is trying to leave an event at the same time. We chose not to attend the event.

Now... all is silent above. No planes in our area... only sounds of road traffic. Even that is slowing down.

Me? I'm waiting for the sound of a jet plane! I find myself hoping Airforce One will be flying right over my house so I can get a good picture! I find myself wishing I had said yes to the invitation, even if I would be in a crowd... even though I will be able to see him better on our television set.

Hooooooray!!! I'm done! I'm number 140 at Tracey's third 26 Things Photographic Scavenger Hunt! This was the most challenging scavenger hunt she has given us to date. I loved it! Got so many great shots I had a difficult time choosing, so after I got my web page done with my 26 Things III, I put the 'losers' together in a web gallery! Hope you get a chance to visit both sites.

Home Sweet Home (away from home)! We've been spending lots of time 'up north' lately. We have a little cottage there... actually two little cottages, one for us and one for sharing! It's not much but it's ours and a nice little place where we can retreat from the homefront!

When our kids were young we had a houseboat... sort of a floating cottage you might say. Had loads of fun with it, with them, and taking trips via Michigan's waterways! Kids grew up, we took to sailing for awhile. Had fun, had adventures... and I still love to sail, but on a small boat and close to shore.

Had a pop-up trailer for awhile but it was not all that comfortable, so we went to a trailer complete with slideout room. It was cozy but dragging it around was not at all like taking our trips via water. Seasonal parking for trailers proved to be less than desirable so when we saw the potential in our little cottage right on the waterfront we grabbed it! Just wanted to share this photo of it. Nothing pretentious, just like me!

...and now, here's my Monday Madness
.......True or False:
1. I always exercise my right to vote. TRUE!
2. I pay little or no attention to the campaign ads aired on television prior to a presidential election. TRUE!
3. I can see myself running for some type of political office someday. FALSE!
4. I believe we will see a woman become president in my lifetime. unfortunately TRUE... I say unfortunately because of the women who are being prepared for the job. We have a woman governor and she is extreme in everything she does... photo ops are just that... in one door and out the other... and Mrs. Clinton is no better.
5. I try to keep an open mind regarding all political issues. TRUE
6. I believe the drinking age should be raised. FALSE
7. I think the legal age to vote should be raised. FALSE
8. I thought these qustions were interesting. TRUE
9. I will be back to play again! TRUE
~Bonus Question~ (stole this idea from wild fl0w3r!)
10. If I was the moderator of this meme, one question I would ask is........ What's "it" all about, anyway? :-) Chew on that one awhile, OttO! Love you.
...here's a bonus for you OttO... Conservative or Liberal?

...and last week's Monday Madness
1. Skipping and Running - skipping, if my knees didn't hurt.
2. Coke or Pepsi - Diet Pepsi!!!
3. Rock or Hip Hop - really old fashioned rock 'n roll type of Rock!
4. Laptop or Desktop - both... each has it's purpose for me
5. Cold Weather or Hot Weather - If that was my only choices I'd go with hot. You can always get in the shade somewhere or in an air-conditioned building.
6. Swimming or Bicycling - bicycling... I just barely know how to swim
7. Chocolate or Vanilla - Chocolate!!!
8. Day or Night - Day... I LOVE the sunshine!
9. Looks or Brains - me brains, husband looks! (Just kidding.) I enjoy most being with people who are my intellectual equal more than just another pretty face.
10. Cable, DSL, or Dial-Up - Cable, but would prefer DSL if it was available to us.