Selfless Service

 Hello dear friends and welcome to another edition of  Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  Thank you so much for taking part and heloing make this a lot of fun.

Mister Linky, the site I use to help you sign in for Tuesday 4 is down right now, so if you want to take part, please leave your name and a link to your site in the comments so people can visit you and see your answers.   As soon as Mister Linky gets straigntened  out I will place it at the bottom for sign up so please check back again later.

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their lives in service to the nation.  But if you

think of it, you don't need to be a combatant to serve others.

We rarely celebrate those people who serve in the shadows unseen and largely unknown.

1. What are ways people can serve others?

Don't weary in well doing and consider others more esteemed than yourself.

2. What areas of service do you see as being very important today?

Loving your neighbor and  being hospitable to the stranger within your gates.

Leviticus 19:33-34 "'When a foreigner lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am The Lord your God

3. What service organizations do you think have gone above and beyond in service to others lately?

Not a service org per se but  the Amish who at their own expense and without asking for donations, built hundreds of home for disaster victims.

4. President Jimmy Carter saw his service to the nation as a service to God and so served silently behind the scenes helping the poor, the elderly, the homeless in ways and in a scope so large it was amazing. Yet the public never knew until recently.   Though he was mocked for his foreign problems, no other president ever did as much for the common person as he did.

During the Revolutionary War, Haym Salomon, a Sephardic Jew and great patriot, literally paid for American freedom with every cent he had and died penniless as a result. Though the nation swore to pay him back, they never did and Haym(Chaim) never pressed the issue.

Comedian Danny Thomas, a Lebanese Christian and star of the Danny Thomas show, opened St. Jude Hospital one of the top hospitals in the world for childhood cancer, where patients never pay one cent, sacrificed time, money and nearly his entire career to establish St. Jude to honor a promise made to God.

Many Hollywood stars have silently paid for medical bills of fans, supported homeless and down trodden people without one iota of fanfare.

Do you know of anyone who has served their fellow man selflessly or have you anything to add on the subect of selfless service?

Frankly, most people who serve and do good for others will never be known as they do it anonymously for the sake of  love of their fellow man and not for the praise of mankind. These peopole realize the good they do comes from God and not from themselves.

Lion and Lamb

Welcome back to another Tuesday 4 in honor of Toni Taddeo it's founder.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  

  March 29-31 are the "borrowing days" when weather is traditionally rough or stormy  and the month was named for Mars the god of war because March was the time for the start of wars.

1.  What brings out the lion in you? What brings out the lamb? 

Cruelty and hatefulness are lion worthy as is destruction of the land.  

  Animals and kind behavior are lamb worthy.  Following little Punch Kun right now makes me lamb like    Punch is a Japanese snow monkey rejected by his mother. The zoo staff gave him a little monley to cuddle and his 'people' give him extra love. 

 2. What are you enjoying in terms of TV, movies or right now?

I just found Suits and am watching some of that.  I am not reading anything right now and I am looking for a movie to watch. I think I would like to see Cruella.

3. It's Spring now... are you happy to see it come?  Will you be going out more?  Spring has never been a favorite season for me because the up and down weather makes my spine miserable.  But I have determined a few years ago to love whatever comes and find the good in it, so I deal with it best I can and enjoy the changes.

4.  Create an ideal weather scenario for each seson.. the perfect  weather for summer,spring, autumn and winter.

I think Spring should be rainy and windy with the start of the year's thunder storms.  It should be light jacket or sweater weather, not hot and not icy bundle up weather either.

In ideal Spring or Summer cranes and other pests would STAY OUT OF MY PONDS. Sheesh.. I live on the bay! 

The bay is  huge and they have the whole thing plus the salt marshes to fish in, why my back yard..those lazy little bums.

Summer should never have temperatures about 80°F and never have high humidity no matter what!!  Humid weather is the worst.  Summer nights should be down in the low 60's for relief from any heat of the day.  There should be a thunderstorm once a week all during summer with just the right amount of rain!  Lightning bug or fireflies should live all summer long in great abundance.  Lots of owls hooting in the forest here too.

Autumn must be chilly with temperatures no higher than the high 50°'sF.  although a few days of 60°'sF might be nice as well.   Leaves must turn brilliant neon colors.. their usual yellows, oranges, reds and golds.      Ideally my father would still be alive and we would go hiking and climbing in autumn. He would be still teaching me to find salamanders and to fish without a pole.   He would be standing in the sunlight as I  can remember him, his black hair shining blue in the sun and his dark brown eyes flashing with joyof being outside. That would be my perfect autumn.  There would still be football games on Thanksgiving Day at the high schools.(my old high school just had their last one this year. BOO HISS! A Pox upon them).

   At night winds would howl and rain would fall.  Days would be cool enough for light jackets, sweaters, scarves and an ever present cup of coffee or tea. Sudden gusts of cold air would send leaves swirling upwards.

 Winter would be cold with temperatures in the 40°s F in the day and 20-30s in the nights.   Snow would fall a few times a month.. not too much just a few inches.  Owls would call in the night from the forest.  The vixens (female fox) would scrrech.. its a eery sound but one I like to hear 

Grocery Shopping

 

Hello friends and welcome to Tuesday 4 in honor of Toni Taddeo.

Here are some questions for you on the topic of shopping.

1. Where do you like to buy your groceries and do you buy by the day, week or month?

I like Shoprite. They are modern, clean and well run.

 Years ago I shopped at A&P and also at Acme where my mother shopped. When in Utah I shopped at Harmons and Smith's/

I order through Instacart and sometimes my daughter buys me groceries as well.   Somethings are bought by the month, others every 2 weeks as I don't need much.

2. What foods would we always find in your kitchen?

I have several kinds of cheese,, cream, milk, lots of eggs, fresh celery and carrots, Guerero corn tortillas, salsa.    The family buys a beef cow from the local farm and that's our meat for the year.

In summer we buy from the Amish.

3.Do you buy anything online and if so what kinds of things are you most likely to buy there?

All of my groceries are bought online.    If I need a specialty item I might buy from Amazon.

4. Do you shop with a list on paper, on your phone or do you just shop without a list and maybe come home with things you never planned to buy?

Since it's online I don't need a list, 

Bonus Question:  What will you be cooking in the coming week?

I have some stuffed peppers my daughter made and froze for me as well as a dozen burritos she made and froze.  I have pasta on the list and baked chicken too. I also think I will make a meatloaf if I feel up to it.

Thanks for joining in. I really appreciate it. If you have a subject you'd like to see on Tuesday 4, let me know in comments ! Ideas are very welcome.

Housekeeping...Ironing

 Hi friends.  It's time for another Tuesday 4.  If you haven't joined in yet, please do. 

 Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 welcomes you and we are very happy to have you back.

Can we talk about housekeeping and chores today since January was usually the time for white sales and replacing linens and towels for the household.

1. My mother  ironed sheets and pillowcases. I iron the cases but not the sheets.  I feel that the cases feel better after ironing and I like the fancy ruffles etc  to look better.   What do you do?  Is  ironing a waste of time for you?

It's not a waste of time, it's a good use of time.

 I don't mind ironing as it produces good results and makes clothing neater.

2. A few friends really enjoy ironing.  Are there any articles of clothing you iron ?  And do you send clothing to the dry cleaner?

 Today I iron a blouse if I am going out but I also have a steamer I can use.  I find the iron faster though. Sometimes I just dampen something and place it in front of a small fan.

I  also iron tablecoths if they are too wrinkled .   Only suits and coats go to the dry cleaner and things marked for dry clean only.  It's rare to use a dry cleaner now though.

3.  Home is enhanced by good cooking, clean rooms, freshly made beds, quilt and the lovely touches women bring to things.

What special touches do you put on your home to make it special, cozy and warm?

I like things on tables, pretty tablecloths on the dining room table, plants here and there and lovely pictures on the walls.

I love to burn candles even though the current fear mongeing psyop is that its bad for you.  

  I like to keep a clean house too and by the way my new Fuller Carpet Sweeper is working out so well on my  carpets.

4. Do you recall Mom or Grandma sprinkling and ironing clothing?  Was there a laundry day set aside and an ironing day?   What is washday like at your house?

Yes! My mother had a sprinkler for the cothing.  She'd sprinklie it then roll it up until it was it's turn to be ironed.

When I was first married, I did the same thing. I did laundry on Monday and ironed on Tuesday.

Reading...

Here is this week's Tuesday 4.

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we try and challenge you to think , discover and make new friends through blogging.

1.  Would you tell us about a book you particularly enjoyed?

One of my favorite books is  Early Autumn by Robert Parker.

It is the story of a boy taken under Spenser's wing.  Spenser is the name of the character from the TV prrogam Spenser for Hire  based on the novels by Robert Parker.  

2.  Do you have a favorite book series?  How about a favorite series when you were a kid?

As a kid I really hated reading books though I hung out at the library reading the Encyclopedia Brittanica and things like that.  I was more into comic books like Archie and Veronica, Little Lotta, Ritchie Rich etc.

As an adult I finally read Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and loved the series a lot. especially for it's historical content.

3.  Is there a book that you just did not like or one in which you just could get interested?   Yes, there have been too many to mention.  I hate tear jerker novels.  

There was one Anne of Green Gables book I was very disappointed in as Montromery seemed to lose interest by the end and gave a very throw away ending.

4.   Is there an author whose books you don't want to miss or one whose books you avoid?

When he was still with us, I didn't like to miss the novels of Robert Parker. Both the Spenser series and the Jesse Stone series were really good.

January has begun with a bang for me which is odd since I sleep so much. The biopsy went okay but it was a bigger deal than I thought and it hurt.  I've been perpetually worn out sleeping often, losing my hair, unable to focus on things much, having problems swallowing  etc.  Friends and family have no idea what I've been going through along with the spinal pain and heart problems.  It's been overwhelming but I keep things to myself since others have their own problems.   I'll know results in a few days. Right now my neck is bruised and I am sore.  I slept most of the day away after coming home.

End of the Year

Welcome friends.   It is Monday night and the wind is howling outside.   We got just a dusting of snow the other day but lots of rain and sleet. For a day the roads were black ice but it's warmed up again and melted now.  It is raining on and off tonight and the temperature is dropping quickly.           

I had a beautiful big velvety black cat visit my yard today to see the fish I suppose. The fish were congregated around the heater in their sleepy hibernation state.  I wondered as he stood sizing me up if he would make a home with me but no, he finally turned around and walked off into the forest.

 My big gift came today and my daughter brought it over and set it up.   It is a lovely 10X14 carpet in a dark academia style for my living room.  I am loving it!    I'll take a photo of it and post it another day. 

 I also bought myself a green leafy patterned Tiffany lamp to go along with my other Tiffany lamps.  I have a lot of them but gave 3 to my daughter.  The Little has dibs on them when I kick the bucket along with my rings and Victorian furniture set my millions of china sets, crystal etc.

The End of the Year

 Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 in the new year.  I wish you a very Happy New Year! 

January is named for  Janus the two faced god who looked into the past and future. Some believe he was Noah who may have been worshipped by his progeny. He certainly looked into the pre flood world and the new world.  

The Anglo Saxons called January Wulfsmoanth meaning Month of the Wolf and the Wolf moon appears in January.

1.  January 1, 1892 Ellis Island opened it's doors.  Did any of your relations enter the United States through Ellis Island?  If not, do you know your family's history?

My father's parents came by way of Ellis Island as did his baby brother and my Aunt Kate.  My grandfather came first at the turn of the centuray(1900), got a job and then sent for my grandmother.  My father was born here in America.   They came over on the Mauritania, sister ship of the Lusitania.

My mother's family were in America since before the Revolutionary War.

2. Januray's birth stone is garnet and the flower is the carnation.  Do you have favorite gem stones or flowers?

Favorite stones are Padparadsha... a rare ruby (Rubies are really just red or pink Sapphires)  which ranges from pale peach to deep orange, Lime green peridot and green beryle which ranges from pale Atlantic sea green to dark green.  The dark green is called an Emerald.  I am also fond of a rare color of Amethyst called  Rose de France, and pink sapphires   As for flowers,,, I do love violets, daisies and  Black Eyed Susans a lot.  Roses and lilies are lovely too.

3. January 6 is Epiphany. Many take that day as the final day of the Christmas celebration and take down their decor.   What about you?     January 7th is Orthodox Christmas. It is equivilent to Dec. 25 but on the old Julian Calendar from 2000 years ago . It is the Little's birthday and she likes that thought that a major holiday is on her birthday so, all festivities continue until January 19th which is 12 days after the 7th.   

4. There is some scientific  evidence that January can set the tone for your entire year. What do you think of this? Do you make resolutions, etc? Do you pick a word of the year or have any traditions like that?

No resolutions, no words just high hopes for good things for one and all.    

Holiday Specials.

A new week has begun and a new set of 4 questions at Tuesday 4.

 

Thank you for joining in for Tuesday 4, begun by Toni Taddeo and kept in her memory.

Christmas is fast approaching for billions of people...

1. Do you have a favorite Christmas carol and if so is there a particular version you especially like?

There are a few I enjoy.  Silver Bells is one because it was playing on the main street of my hometown during the winter holidays.  Silver Bells were hanging as decorations spanning the street from side to side.

2.Do you have a special dinner for the holidays? What foods are included?

Roast beef, roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts, Yorkshire puddings,  gravy, rolls and yule log ,and in childhood it included plum pudding with hard brandy sauce and fruit cake with rum sauce. 

 3.Holiday movies ... which do you like to watch?

We always watch A Christmas Carol with George C Scott... The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young.  Then of course we see Meet Me in Saint Louis!  I also am big on the Walton Christmas story.

4. What traditions do you continue to keep year after year for the holiday.  Watching the traditional movies, decorating the house, big brunch with the family including eggs, waffles with ice cream, bagels and toppings, Swedish meatballs, etc.

December Fun

Hello friends,

 Welcome, welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we sometimes like to be very silly. December is a fun month filled with expectation and hope.  We should be light hearted and thankful as the month progresses. What do you think?

Let's be light hearted today and ask some not so serious questions shall we?

1. What is the dumbest  rule you've ever had to follow?

While working for Bell.. they had us filling in a "where are you now" thingy for efficiency junk.   A bell would go off during the day and you had to fill in where you were and what you were doing.     I worte "At the water fountain"  or  "bathroom" for each time.    

 2. What is the weirdest or funniest thing a guest ever did/said in your home?

 Not a guest but me. Long ago a friend was teasing me at dinner mercilessly. There had been an accident on two  different days with hot chocolate spilled on my dresses by my little daughter.  After a bit the teasing got a bit nasty.  I asked her to stop.. it was enough. She said, what are you going to do push food in my face and laughed uproariously.  He husband was kind of sick of her pushing. I loaded my fork with some mashed potatoes and held it in a sort of slingshot fashion. She dared me and I let it fly. Splat right in the face.  Everyone laughed including my friend.  

Years later on Thanksgiving the Famous Anonymous Kid teased me about that incident and said I would never do it again no matter what and stuck her tongue out at me and other daring things. So a fork full of mashed sweet potatoes went winging her way.  I have photos of it and everyone laughed. No one was hurt at all and it was all thought it was funny.   

Again me... my youngest son was being very rude and monkeying around at the table.  I told him if it didn't stop he would end up wearing his soup.  He didn't stop.  He did end up wearing the soup over his head.

3. If you had a warning label what would it say?

4. What is the first thing you must do in  case of a Snoopy/Charlie Brown Apocalypse?  Who is the first person you call for advice when that happens? (Imagine that The characters of Charlie Brown series take over the world! What do you do as your first move? Who would you call for advice on how to live in that world?)

The first person to call for advice would be Lucy of course. Advice is only 5¢ !

The first thing to do is assemble your  assorted snacks for the show!  

Toni would be the one to call for more advice.. she loved Charlie Brown!!

Autumn Musing.. Tuesday 4

 It's time again for Tuesday 4 held in memory of Toni Taddeo it's founder and previous host.   Thank you so much for joining in and helping to keep this alive. It is much appreciated.

It's Autumn and temperatures in many places will be going down, days will be shorter and leaves are tumbling down. 

1. What kind of weather and temperatures make you feel most comfortable, most healthy?

Over all it's autumn and winter but I used to feel good all year long before they began geo-engineering weather.   Now, weather and barometric pressure are a big chaollenge for me.

2.  Do you like the colors associated with Autumn. Clothing wise do they look good on you?

I do like the oranges and yellows but they are not my best colors. The bright reds, however, are very good on me.

3. Would you rather:… 

•   … get lost in a corn maze or go a hayride? I've never been in a maze... so hayride for sure!
• … visit an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch ?  Not sure, never did either of them.
•  … eat a caramel apple or  a candy apple?      I like the caramel best but the candy are nice too.
•  … have some cinnamon buns or Pumpkin muffins?   I will take the cinnamon buns! I am not a big muffin fan although if you recall the giant bakery mufiins that came in a box mix, those were very good!!

4. There are 7,500 varieties  of apple.  What is your favorite and do you regularly eat apples?   What fruits do you keep on hand?

I like sweet apples to eat. I think I like Fuji apples for that reason.    Granny Smith are only good for pie.

A Musical Tuesday....

 Rainy and cold... that's the forecast.    44°F    

It is raining now on Monday evening and it's a typical autumn evening.                                           

Tuesday 4 is hosted  in memory of Toni Taddeo who started it a few years ago and I hope you will join in with us each week. It is a great way to visit new bloggers, make friends and discover new and interesting things about your friends.

The topic for this week's Tuesday 4 meme is Music..


1. Do you play a musical instrument? 

Yes. I can play piano and organ , and I've had lessons on flute and violin but didnt like them.

 I have a little Irish flute as well but don't practice enough to be much good.

I was a church organist for about 15 years. My grandmother also played for several churches and was a piano and organ teacher as well.   This  helped her make a living during the depression.   She also ran a snall in home bakery for bread and cakes.

2. Have you taken music lessons? What kind.

I had one formal piano lesson.   But, my grandmother and mother and father all played extremely well and I learned by watching.  I was playing simple songs by age 3.

I learned to read music in school as we were taught from kindergarten to 6th grade to read and play a flute.

 If not, is there one you might enjoy learning. It is never too late to start.  You might be surprised at how accomplished it will make you feel.  

Maybe I should try the violin again... hmmm.

3. Is there music in your home as background to your day's activities or do you have music playing in your car, etc.? 

Sometimes there is music in the house if I am playing a game. Never in the car, as I don't like the distraction.

If so, what kind of music do you enjoy hearing?   I like many kinds of music and it depends on my mood or frame of mind.
What kind of music do you NOT like?  Music with disgusting lyrics or discordant sounds.

4.  Do you have a favorite composer or genre of music that you like most? Maybe you like several. Please share with us your thoughts?

I am a fan of several composers.. John Williams, Leroy Anderson, Astor Piazzola, Henry Mancini, Burt Bacharach and Bach.  

As for genre.. so many!

Here is a little story about my music "career"/

In the 5th grade my friend Lynn and I began taking violin lessons at our school.

Lynn had a little dog named Cleo and a pet Crow that could talk.

One day we were practicing violin together at her house and the song of the week was Reuben and Rachel.  When our screechy playing began, Cleo howled and ran under the bed to hide and the crow began shouting  "shut up, shut up, shut up!!"  

And that was the end of our violin careers.

Here is what it should sound like... 

And the lyrics:

 Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking
What a queer world this would be
If the men were all transported
Far beyond the Northern Sea!
Rachel, Rachel, I've been thinking
What a queer world this would be
If the girls were all transported
Far beyond the Northern Sea!

 

Weathering the Storms

Hi friends and internet family!!  

You are very welcome here and  I do look forward to your visits so very much.

It's time for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  After Toni passed into Paradise, I wanted to keep her memory and her meme alive. 

When thunder and lightning happen, cats, dogs, squirrels like to be in a small, safe , enclosure. Inside animals will hide under beds, outside they are appreciative of a box or little house to hide in. People are no different it seems.

1. Do storms frighten you or make you cautious?

They can, yes and they do make me cautious for sure.

2. What is the worst weather you can remember?

I have been through a 4/5 tornado as a child in Massachusets that took over 100 lives.  Hurricane Sandy was pretty darn awful damaging billions in property and taking lives and the Perfect Storm of 1991 was awful doing so much damage. My yard was 4 feet deep with water from the bay and rain.

3.Are you in a personal storm right now and do you need our prayers to help you through it?  I think many bloggers are prayer warriors indeed.

Yes, my spine is bad and I have a nodule on my thyroid that must have a biopsy. I have lost 3 inches in  height from my spinr going from 5'6" in  2012 to 5'3" last week.  At least now my legs match my height.. I have very short legs that match length with the Famous Anonymous who is 5'2".  The Little towers over me now ..she is nearly 5'6".

4.  What is the best advice you can give to others about weathering storms of any kind.

Always put God first in your mind and heart.    Job said, "though he slay me, yet will I trust Him"

and this is what is the best course of action.  You are not promised a rose garden, we got kicked out of there remember? And this world will never be okay again. God's kingdom is not of this world.

 We are strangers here belowand  but like Avraham we look to a kingdom not of this world.

Rabbi Avigdor Miller of blessed memory said that this is the vestibule where we await going into the banquet.  That is where life really begins.

My advice: Hang tight and trust your Creator.

Autumn Nights

My weather ap tells me the temperature in the middle of the night nere is 45°F  

My Google home assistent says 50. Who knows .. but feels more like 40.

Autumn weather has really arrived and trees are turning beautiful colors now.

Autumn evenings were always special when I was a kid.

The day ended early and the family gathered in the living room where my mother and grandmother watched a little TV and my father sat on the sofa reading and smoking his pipe.  My parents enjoyed a cup of coffee and sometimes a snack.

1. Does your life go along in the same way all year or do  things change with the seaons?

Things in my life change with the seasons and I like that a lot.

I like to take advantage of the seasons.

2. Do you have a favorite meal on the chilly night?

I really enjoy Chili on a cold evening.

3.  Do you have a snack while you watch TV or read?

Sometimes.   I like to make popcorn and I like to chop up celery and carrots and eat them as a snack too.

4. Do you have a fireplace in your home?

No.  We used to heat the house with a coal stove but it roasted us out!  Coal heat if very strong.  The house had electric heat and it was way too expensive. Then we put in gas hot water heat and that is very nice indeed.     I miss the days of the old coal furnaces.  I remember my Dad shoveling in the coal from the bin in the cellar.

 

❤️ Heart to Heart ❤️

Rain, wind, high tides, flooding are the order of the day as the Nor'easter continues to pound the Atlantic. We have battened down the hatches and are attempting to keep warm and dry but the rain has been nonstop almost 3 days and I come in wet after stepping out onto the porch to feed the fish who love this weather!    I come back inside after just seconds on the porch shivering and wet.

The words 'heart to heart' remind me of one of my mother's favorite TV programs Hart to Hart. '

Let's do Tuesday 4

Time once again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4...

Heart to heart conversations can be painful or fun and I suppose a bit of both.  Let's discuss it okay?

1. Has a conversation ever made you change the way you see yourself?

Yes.  Sometimes I see things I need to change .

2. What makes  a conversation truly meaningful  for you?

 Conversation is defined as: 'a talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged."

The idea here is not seeking just to be heard and validated but to give and take ideas.  When the goal is just to be heard you are really seeking a bit of  pschological help and not conversation. which also has it's place.  Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on every now and then.

Disclaimer:  I am simply defining what I think conversation is according to it's definition.

(Isn't it sad that we live in a time when every word must be explained away in order not to  cause offense among a people who find offense in everything?  And the why of the easily offended is a whole lecture on  being out of step with God.  .  "Great peace have they who love your law and nothing will offend them"  which is a lesson for those who are bent out of shape , irritated and unhappy people.)  And here, in this,I will take a lesson for my self!

3.  How should a person handle a conversation that grows awkward... press on through or find a way to end it? What would you do?

 What I do depends who I am talking to.  You can decide to push on or change the subject depending on the personality and strength of the other peson.   Some people need velvet gloves whilst others can take it straight to the chin.   It's very easy to get this wrong though so it's best,I think, to err on the side of caution.

4. What's one conversation from your life that changed your perspective on something important, and why?

Long ago a man educated me on the fact that God is not a Democrat, a Republican, a monarchist , communist, socialist ,or any of the isms and denominations and politics and ideas of this world.   

See I Samuel 8  as part of the argument.

He further taught me that accepting the lesser of two evils is itself evil.  

October Reading

Happy Tuesday friends.

 Welcome to Tuesday 4 in memory of  our friend Toni Taddeo..

Most people love to read.  It opens other world's to us.  Autumn weather is often conducive to reading as weather can be chillier and rainy. Cozying up with a book can be a lovely way to spend some time.

1. How do you relax in the evening after dinner?  I usually watch something on YouTube or listen to radio with a cup of coffee or tea.  
2. Do you read in bed? What kind of books do you read?  No, not anymore. Sitting up in bed is too painful on my spine.  I used to though. Most of the time I will read a book at the dining room table or at my desk.
   
3. Do you have a list of books you look forward to reading?  I think I would like to reread some Agatha Christie and perhaps begin with a series like Jan Karon's Mitford books,   Also on the list is Death and Darjeeling by Laura Childs,  and Murder She Wrote: Trick or Treachery.    I would also like to reread  The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.
4. What is the best book you've ever read and why?  This is a very hard question to answer.  There are several books I have really enjoyed a lot.  I liked A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield very much.    Or.. how about the worst book you feel you wasted time reading?  There was one book from the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery that was nice until the end when it seems she lost interest in the  story.  It was very disappointing.

Autumnal Equinox

 

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4... are you ready for Autumn?

Monday,  September 22 is the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of the Autumn season.  

Autumn is the name of the season and fall is the term for the time of Autumn when leaves begin to fall from the trees.   Let's discuss it.....

1. Are there pumpkins or chrysanthemums on your porch or are you planning on putting some out?    No, not yet but I do like to put out some chysanthemums and some orange and purple fairy lights for autumn.

2. Are stores around you showing Autumn clothing and decor now?  Here in New Jersey, leaves on some trees are changing slowly and temperatures are way down . What is it like in your neck of the woods?  Since I wrote this... the description in this question is what it's like here in New Jersey. In the middle of the night (early Monday) it's 53 °F.

3. Do you have plans for Thanksgiving yet?            Probably going out.with family. Coming home to watch our traditional movie list and have pie.

4 . If we can arrange an autumn trip or get away for you, where will you choose to go and why?   I would enjoy a trip to Plimouth (the old spelling) Massachusetts home of the first settlers.  A ride up through the mountains would be very nice too.

Pondering....

 Welcome back to another of Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 memes.

Across much of the USA autumn has come early.

It's so nice and chilly here that I made myself a nice cup of pumpkin spice coffee today, an autumn treat I really enjoy,  While I enjoyed my cuppa I was pondering a rew things I want to do with my home.

Here are some questions for you  to ponder:

1. If you could live in the world of any movie, which one would you choose and why?

I would like to live in the iold world of the New York City of  You've Got Mail.   It is the New York of the old days when  there were with in Manhattan, small neighborhoods with their own schools, grocers, etc.  It was safe, and lovely with every cultural advantage at your fingertips.  The NYC school system was the finest in the world.

I spent a lot of time in NYC as a teenager.

2. If you could have coffee or tea with a woman from history or from fiction come to life, who would that be and why?

I would like to have tea with Anne of Anne of Green Gables.  I think we would have a lot in common and much to talk about.

As for a real person I think it would be interesting to have tea with Abigail Adams wife of John Adams our 2nd President or  Lady Bird (Claudia Alta Taylor) Johnson, wife of Lyndon Baines Johnson our 36th President .

Falling Leaf Festival

3. If you could create an autumn-themed festival, what unique events or foods would it feature?

There are apple festivals now but we could use a falling leaves festival.. with delicious fall foods..  We would have contests for the best chili, stew, soups and desserts like apple , pecan and pumpkin pies.  Hot pretzels, caramel and candy apples.. quilting contests with a sale.   We will have hayrides, sing alongs, dancing and especially line and square dancing.    People can sell their beaded jewelry and other crafts as well.  

So come on over to our Falling Leaf Festival!

Lady Autumn

4, If autumn had a personality, how would you describe it, and what kind of friend would it be?

Autumn has a colorful, sparkling personality full of life  . She is fresh, brisk and romantic.

Autumn makes a good friend.. she comes early but does not stay too late. She cools down a hot temper and soothes her friends with comforting temperance and warm ways.

Coffee? Tea?

Fall y'all!

Yes, leaves on the Green Ash are turning... some of the swamp maples too. Grass is a goner.

Nights and mornings are chilly, days are mild and lovely.

The longest living cat on record, Creme puff,  lived to be 38 years old and was given coffee at breakfast all his life.  Breakfast for him was bacon, eggs, broccoli and coffee.

The previous ownder of the record was Grandpa Rex Allen who\ lived to be 34 years old on the same diet.

Coffee reduces chances of Alzheimers, Parkinsons.  

Tea without adding milk can "tan" your bladder making for many problems  Milk binds the tanic acid making it safe to drink.

Homemade food increases an animal's life span too.  Let's talk about it, okay?

1. Coffee increases a bee's memory and does the same for you.      Bees love caffeinated coffee  flowers.  What
do you love about coffee or tea?

I like the warmth of the drinks. 

2. If you opened a tea or coffee shop in your neighborhood what would it be named?  How would you decorate it? Would pastry or cake be served?

Maybe "The Rendezvous"  and yes, I would serve cake  and pasteries.   Wouldn't it be nice if a book club met there once a week too?

3. Beethoven required 60 beans per cup of coffee.  How particular are you about your coffee or tea?

 

I am particular.  I don't like strong coffee and it must be mellow. 

4.Italian clergy in1600s  declared coffee the deIvil's brew and forbid it.

Pope Clement the VIII wanted to taste it, loved it and blessed it ... today, new research shows black coffee is drunk mainly by psychopaths... 

Sweden banned coffee in 1746 as dangerous and Islam banned it for causing free thinking!

How do you take your coffee you free thinking, radical  you and what's your favorite brand of devil's brew?

I like WaWa's brand of coffee, Chock Full O'Nuts, Dunkin Donuts and Tim Horton coffee.

I take it in a medium brew with lots of cream.  I sometimes squirt some whipped cream on top too.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know....

This is an interesting week.A big hurricane is barreling down on the east coast. 

Rip currents are very bad, waves are very big and the
atmosphere is weird as usual with the coming of very ugly weather.

It is aimed now at the outer banks of North Carolina but, that's a hop,skip,and jump to us here by water.

Swimming has been forbidden, several young people have drowned this week swimming where there are no lifeguards.. always a very bad decision to make.

Tourists often really  have no clue how dangerous the ocean is.

      

 Hello!  You are so welcome here at Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  

 I hope you are enjoying the questions and the chance to blog about your likes, dislikes and opinions and find out about those of other people.  Be sure to visit around.  That is part of the fun.

Let's inquire about stuff....

1. What gets your blood to boiling?

People who remain ignorant and fail to look at all sides of a situation.

People who tempt nature by taking chances with their safety and life.

2.What does a really good day look like for you? What makes you say, "That was a great day"?

Lately I have been hurting a great deal more than usual and all I have wanted for a good day is a hot water bottle on my spine and my warm blankets.

But when days are nice, whether rain or sun, it's happy things going on, good food, good people amd omteresting things to read or think about.  That makes a great day.

 

3. Are you continuing to grow mentally, spiritually, talent wise or are you  just marking time?

I do try.  I study, learn, practice and I am always into something interesting.

I spend most of my day learning and researching.

4. Have you changed your hair style since high school?   Why or why not?

Yes I have.    In High School it was very weather dependent but not so much now and I wear my hair many different ways.

In the photo I am about 20 but my hair was this way for a long time. It was very long, down below my elbows.   I wore my hair this way for a very long time and was growing it out just a few weeks ago.