Hump Day HOPS!

I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I'm praying (begging) every day that fall get here swiftly, last a long time and be quite chilly AND that winter follow and be a cold one! Meanwhile, I'm getting through the summer heat with the Wednesday HOPS! Just click the buttons and play along!

1. I included this quote (attributed to William H. Danforth) in my blog post yesterday... "The best cure for a sluggish mind is to disturb it's routine." When was the last time you 'disturbed your routine' and how'd you do it? The best way to disturb my mental routine is to turn off the TV and ReadReadRead and then READ some more! And debate issues with an old friend- I love debating with people who don't try to force their opinion on you but, instead, respect that you have an opinion and appreciate the act of participating in debating the issues-whatever they may be. I only have that pleasure with an old friend from college and the lovelies, particularly Breezy (DD1). I love doing this so much that I will often take an opposing side just to enjoy the indulgence. 

2. What's your favorite fried food indulgence? Fried foods used to my BFF but not anymore. I haven't eaten anything fried in YEARS! However, when my SIL prepares one of her native Filipino dishes, lumpia, I cannot resist! The lovelies call them Aunt Francy's egg rolls! 

Source

3. Did you have an allowance as a kid? What did you do with it? Do you give your own kids an allowance? No, no allowance. If we needed something, our parents mulled it over and gave us the money. Of course, we had chores that we were responsible for so it's not like they just gave it out for free. My granddaddy was always handing money to the grandkids (for free). He loved doing it and we loved receiving it. LOL

4. What's something you wish you knew more about? The list is long but I'm going to go with photography.

5. Is there anything you feel too old to do anymore? If so, what? I feel too old to go out and party with the kids when they come home. I can't take the bar atmosphere anymore- it makes me want to say unkind things to drunk, stupid people.

6. What's a song you think has a great first line? When it comes to questions about music, I always have many answers because I love so many different genres. This time, I gave my top ten songs with a great first line a number and picked one out of a bowl. Here's the one that won (which is fine because I could drool over look at John Mellencamp 24/7): 

 

7. Who are you writing to/for when you create a blog post? In other words...as you write, who is the audience in your head? I write for the lovelies and for an audience which spans from those just starting out with families to empty nesters. And then, sometimes, I write for myself---you know, just to get it out there...almost like a venue for venting. Sometimes, it's just for fun.   

8. Insert your own random thought here. As a parent, I am not unfamiliar with the feelings of pride that children bring us. But, I realized yesterday, that it's kind of nice when you discover they are proud of you too. Birdie and I were discussing the fact that I was able to climb those three flights of stairs in the parking garage without slowing down or stopping and that I could still talk and walk at the top and she said, "Mom, you know, we are all so proud of you and how far you've come. We talk about it all the time."

Oh, and Joyce, I thought of you when Deanie sent me this via text message yesterday:

And NOW:

Questions:

1. What was your biggest fear as a child? I think my biggest fear was that the house would catch on fire while we were sleeping. I have no idea why or where it came from.
2.  Who taught you to cook? Initially, my mother. Accompanied closely by my grandmother and my aunt.
3.  Do you have a lot of books in your home? Y!E!S!
4.  Do you like carrot cake? Patrice says frosting is good on top. If you like that cake, what kind of frosting do you like best? On top? Hmm. I guess you wear it like a hat. LOVE me some carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! And I've got a killer recipe that is completely organic and gluten free!
5.  What's did the last funny t-shirt you read say? (It doesn't have to reflect your personal feeling about the topic, just be funny and family friendly.) I can't put it here because it's not family friendly...but it was funny. No. It was hilarious! It was on DoodleBug...and yes, I bought it for her.

Don't forget to enter to win a copy of The Divorce Girl right HERE! Winner will be announced this weekend!