I'm Nuts about the Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. When were you last facing an ocean? Using just ONE word, describe how you felt as you faced that ocean.

Unfortunately, it's been much too long since I had the pleasure of facing an ocean. I think it was summer of 2011, at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  In ONE word, I felt soothed.

2. What are three sounds you hate to hear?
    a.  my neighbor's dogs yapping on and on and on
    b.  anything when I'm trying to sleep
    c.  whining


3. This question comes to you courtesy of some real life friends. Hi real life friends! When you shop for yourself, do you try everything on in the store before buying or do you buy, try on at home, and then return what you don't like or what doesn't fit?

I try everything on unless I'm in a big hurry.  I'd rather know "on the spot" if something fits or doesn't. I'd rather stand in line once, rather than twice, and deal with one transaction instead of two. Besides, it seems to take me too long to get back to the store to make returns.  I have a shirt now that needs to go back to Land's End at Sears, and it came three weeks ago. See what I mean?

4. February 26th is National Pistachio Day...are you a fan of the little green nut? Do you use them in cooking and baking or prefer to eat them right out of the shell?

Besides  pecans, pistachios are my favorite! I prefer to eat them right out of the shell, but I also love pistachio pudding and pistachio ice cream. I can make a decent lunch out of 22 pistachios, a banana, and  an ice cream cone      a spinach salad.


5. When did you last have to compromise with someone? Were you happy to reach the compromise or slightly irritated it was necessary?

This evening, as a matter of fact. My daughter, who teaches first grade, informed me that next week is Dr. Seuss week (since his birthday is March 2) and she wanted to borrow some of our Seuss books. Immediately I felt my claws flare.  I am normally not possessive about books, but the Dr. Seuss books and other children's books we have kept, are precious.  I asked Sarah if she could please check copies out of the library. She asked me if I knew that they can't be found right now because it's Dr. Seuss week coming up.  I asked her if she'd be the only one handling them. She said no, but only a few other teachers were reading Dr. Seuss. 
  
Well, I compromised and said she could take the ones that weren't specifically inscribed to our kids as gifts from family members, and she had to put our name in the rest. I put my Left Foot, Right Foot down about getting all of them back by the end of next week.  She was not to read them on a train or on a bus...

The only part of the compromise I was happy about was that I got to see her. She was very pleased with the compromise, as it was accompanied by a big bowl of shrimp gumbo and some garlic bread for dinner.

6. Have you ever written a letter to an elected official? Did you get a response?

I can't remember writing to an elected official.  I have never felt it would be personally read by that official, and I certainly have no interest in receiving a form letter.
 
My dad, however, wrote to Ronald Reagan, and got a response. That doesn't surprise me one bit, in hindsight. His letter is a framed and treasured piece of American history that's a family keepsake.


7. We 'March' into a new month at the end of this week...what's something on your March calendar guaranteed to make you smile? 

Reading my daughter-in-law's lavish, exuberant, superduper, over-the-top accolades of "her hubby, the most handsome and thoughtful man in the whole world" and how she is just so thankful for him and that he is giving her a dream trip for their one-year anniversary . She absolutely loves Disney World, and he surprised her at Christmas with tickets to Orlando. She has already been posting "can't wait" type messages since December 26th!


8. Insert your own random thought here.

Last week, for the first time ever, I met a surrogate mom. She was seven months pregnant with twins, and was carrying twins for a married couple who had had several miscarriages and were approaching midlife. I had a few questions for this woman.  What might be a question or two YOU'D want her to answer?