Life is a Meme-ingful Experience

Grandma Nina tagged me for this Mama Moomoo Meme..
I have probably answered most if not all of these questions, and I can hear you screaming...

..."please, spare us any more details about life in the Compound JJ and Phil, or your failed diet and cancelled trips to Colorado and Las Vegas".

I promise to share new and exciting details about my life as seen through the warped mind of a retired public servant who has no idea what she's talking about. Stage II?

Here is what Grandma Nina wants to know:

What are your current obsessions?
Duh....you mean besides blogging? Chicken wings.

Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?
I like to hang out in pj's or yoga pants. When I go to church or out to eat I were pj's or yoga pants casual clothes.

Last dream you had?
I dreamed that my first husband came to visit our daughter here in Texas, but she moved, or he couldn't find her, so he came over my place and wanted to wait here for her. Aren't dreams scary?

Last thing you bought?
I bought chicken wings Freedom Stamps the day before the two cent rate increase. I had to drive eight miles each way to buy them so I'm not sure I saved anything.

What are you listening to?
Huh? Oh, music? Andrea Borceli

Favorite holiday spots?
Home...if your talking Christmas. The beaches of So. CA will always be my favorite place to be.

Reading right now?
The Yankee Years, Joe Torre

Four words to describe yourself.
Spiritual, shy, silly and short....oh wait, it's not S week?

Guilty pleasure?
Ice Cream, and more ice cream, and maybe a slot machine or blackjack table.

Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak?
I love people watching, and laugh when they fart do things when they think no one is looking.

Best spring thing to do?
Plant flowers, or buy fresh cut flowers along with my other produce in the market every week.

Favorite drink?
Coffee and water. Although, I love a Fruitista from Taco Bell on occasion.

Favorite ever film?
I don't have a favorite, and I don't watch movies more than once. I do love nonfiction movies the best. Since there aren't many nonfiction movies produced, I will settle for a good comedy.

Care to share some wisdom?
Wisdom from Grandma J? Just be who you are, and love your children and grandchildren, and let them know you love them. Don't play favorites, unless it's the dog.... everyone will be jealous but that's OK.

Something you are looking forward to?
Outside of my current trip to the VA blogfest in July, I like to make every day special, especially today. I don't focus on long term stuff like grandkids graduating and getting married because, hello.....that makes me that much older, and I don't want to waste today planning tomorrow.

What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?
I don't eat "strange" ever. The very reason I had to turn down being on Survivor was because of the food issues. Once back in the early 80's someone gave me a piece of dog beef jerky and I ate it, thinking it was real beef jerky. Fool Grandma J once, shame on you, fool Grandma J twice, you're a goner shame on her.

One wish?
For world peace and off-shore drilling.

Favorite TV Show?
Forever and ever, it's Big Brother. Do not expect me to be at a ball game, wedding, funeral (not even my own) when Big Brother 11 starts in July. I know it's the lamest reality show, but I love it and go through terrible withdrawals when each season ends.

Now, I'm supposed to tag six people to do this meme. I'm not good at choosing people to do it, so please feel free to pick it up and make it your own. Let me know so I can learn something about you.

Please go visit Grandma Nina's blog. She blogs about her family, home, quilting, knitting, and life in Pennsylvania. Thank you, Grandma Nina for thinking of me.

The Honest Scrap Award

I know what you readers are thinking.....what did Grandma J do to deserve that award? And of course, I say to that......who cares? very little. All I know is, I'm grateful to Treasia at Confessions of a Mid Life Trucker's Wife for her kindness and thoughtfulness. Thank you.


Here's what the Honest Scrap Award is all about:

I'm supposed to pick seven blogs that I find brilliant in content and design. I know that was a difficult task for Treasia, but for me it's impossible! I admire a zillion different blogs and would like to leave it up to each of you to decide if you would like to rat yourself out tell us all ten things about yourself....honestly.

I have done a whole lot of memes moomoos since I've been blogging so some of the ten things I list will be reruns because I can't remember the details of all the different outpourings I have done....

Here are ten things about Grandma J that you may not know.

1. My hair was totally grey by the age of forty. If I let it grow, my mustache would probably be the envy of most men.

2. I am retired and blog full time in my spare time.

3. I moved to Central Texas when I retired from a job as a civil servant in Orange County CA. And yes, I knew what I was doing....sort of.

4. I used to hang glide, go kayaking and I miss the ocean.

5. I've been to three continents. I still want to get to Ireland.

6. I used to smoke like a chimney...and I used to be thin!

7. Since reaching the age of "Oh, God!" umm yeah, I have a whole new respect for velcro.

8. When on vacation in Mexico, I babysat for Barney and Wilma's a friends Iguana .

9. I love sleeping in, and staying in my pj's all day....here in TX I would not be out of place in Walmart in my jammies....no I wouldn't.

10. I try to go to the movies once a week, sometimes bringing Phillip Johnny Bob. This is something I did less than once a year before retiring......it's a real luxury and I love it because I hate watching movies on TV.

10.1 My cell phone became my land line 6 years ago. Saving mucho dinero and talking more!

10.2 I love it when my granddaughter sends me a text message that was meant for her boyfriend. BWAAAAAA!

10.3 And for those of you who never knew, I'm the granddaughter of a wanted man!

4 Out Of 4 Ain't Bad

I was tagged by mom x 2 over at It's a Crazy World Out There for this meme....mimi, moomoo. Thank you, mom x 2, I like it because it only required me to rub two of my three brain cells together and presto!

Oh, yeah, and I actually have to do a bit of research. Well...research for me is really just search, which is still research without the re.


Here are the rules:


1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

Here is my entry:

This is a picture taken in the summer of 2003. My two oldest granddaughters and I went to Catalina Island for the day. "T" on the left is my oldest granddaughter who lives in Cocoa Beach Florida, who had just turned 11 years old. "T" on the right is my granddaughter here in Texas, who was 9 years old.

It's a mere one hour ride from Newport Beach aboard the Catalina Flyer to Avalon Bay.

The Catalina Flyer is a three tier catamaran with a restaurant on the first level. One of the really special thing is we always see dolphins and whales on the return trip in the late afternoon. Always!

Now, that was easy!

I don't want to pick just four of you to do this meme because that will leave two of you out, and then come to find out five of you have already been snatched up by mom x 2.....which leaves one lone person left who reads Grandma J's blog, and that one person is a lurker!

So, if I left you out of that mathematical calculation, please feel free to do this meme. It's easy, fun, and educational.

7 X 7 = INFINITY

I hate it when someone has to remind me twice about something. Especially when it appears that I'm ignoring their generosity.



Like when Karen Deborah from Fresh Fixins awarded me with the Kreatv Blogger Award...


So I want to apologize PUBLICLY to Karen Deborah for dragging my feet. I did another Kreatv Blogger 7 x 7 meme back in August. It's similar, but a tad different.....so let me see if I can dust off some more stuff that you guys don't know about me.

Just so you know, I will not delve into boring stuff like colon cleansing or sleep apnea. Those topics deserved their own post...and I did them already....

Let's get started, shall we?

Seven Things I Did Before:
1. Before age 16 I sucked my two middle fingers. wait....I still do!
2. I had a paper route in 7th grade. I inherited it from the boy next door.
3. I got busted ditching school in the second grade. The milkman found me and took me to Sister Annunciata Marie
4. In 7th grade I got busted shoplifting a tube of Tangee lipstick at Woolworth's. My friends got away with theirs.
5. Seriously? I used to hang glide
6. Skiing the Canadian Rockies
7. Twirl a baton. and I was pretty good with a yo yo too.

Seven Things I Do Now
1. Go to the movies once a week. Before retirement it was once a year...maybe!
2. Blog, blog, blog. unless I'm blogging
3. Shop at Walmart. Almost only game in town.
4. Take pictures everywhere I go. Which alerts security in Walmart
5. Eat and sleep at ridiculous hours.
6. Plan more travel adventures.
7. Still give blood every 12 weeks. It's called cholesterol cleansing.

Seven Things I Would Like To Do
1. Travel more
2 Win the lottery....all of them
3. Celebrate Christmas with all four of my kids and their families....the same year!
4. Lose some weight.
5. Take a few classes
6. Convince the powers that be to heat the pool in the winter.
7. Visit some countries in South America


Seven Things That Attract Me To My Husband
1-7 It was all good

Seven Favorite Foods
1. BBQ....anything
2. Coffee
3. Baby back ribs...and other pork stuff
4. See's butterscotch squares...you can have the rest of the box.
5. Bread.....good stuff like rye, sourdough, pumpernickel
6. Ice Cream
7. Water...I drink tons of Aqua Fina

Seven Things I Say Most Often
1. Ok
2. Huh?
3. Yes
4. No
5. Hi
6. Good Bye
7. Thank you

Now, I'm supposed to pass this award on. I only read Kreatv blogs, so I'm leaving it up to you....if you do this Meme please let me know, and don't forget your Award!


PSSST! I really don't suck my fingers...

One Word Meme

Ok, this is a really great meme or mama, moomoo that only requires a one word answer. I borrowed it from Little Toes & Cheerios when she wasn't looking. It's right up my alley because it doesn't cut into my important busy schedule of spending the morning at Walmart bringing McD's to my granddaughter at lunchtime, or cruising with JJ.

S0, here you go.......

• Where is your cell phone - pocket
• Your hair color - brown
• Your mother - gone
• Favorite thing - laptop
• Your dream last night - forgot
• Your dream goal - lottery
• The room you're in - den
• Your hobby - blogging
• Your fear - tornados
• Where do you want to be in 6 years - here
• Where were you last night - School
• What you're not - deprived
• One of your wish list items - books
• Where you grew up - SoCA
• The last thing you did - phoned
• What are you wearing - hoodie
• Your TV- flat
• Your pet- borrowed
• Your computer -Toshiba
• Your mood - satisfied
• Missing someone - Grandkids
• Your car - Escape
• Something you're not wearing - shoes
• Favorite shop - Bed Bath & Beyond
• Your summer - perfect
• Love someone - yes
• Favorite color - blue
• When you last laughed - today
• When you last cried - movies
  
  Now, it's your turn.

TAG! .... I'M IT

LOOKY!

Suz over at, Day by Day..My Life as a Busy Bee, tagged me when I wasn't looking. Silly Suz! I'm not sure there are seven things about me that you don't already know, or that I haven't already confessed to in another meme, or moomoo. I'm gonna dig deep in my psyche, but forgive me if I'm redundant....or boring.

1. Since retiring, I try to stay up to watch the sunrise so I can watch Red Eye at 2 a.m.

2. When I was in seventh grade, I wanted a bra in the worst way. Now that I'm retired, I hate bras....period, but I still wear one....sometimes.

3. I would rather have eggs for dinner than breakfast.

4. I would rather have pizza for breakfast than for dinner.

5. I was shocked to see that, in a recent poll on my blog, that the dance my readers wanted to see the most on Dancing With The Stars was the Hokie Pokie.

6. I have a huge carbon footprint, but I'm gonna buy some of these bags at Walmart even if it puts me in the poor house. The price of the bags won't break me, but maybe the trash can liners I'll have to buy will. Just saying.

7. I intend on doing all my Christmas shopping this year with Billy Mays.

The rules:

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random,
some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their
names as well as links to their blog.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment
on their blog.

5. If you don't have 7 blog friends, or if someone else
already took dibs, then tag some unsuspecting strangers.

Here are the bloggers I'm tagging

1. Cortney at: The Cortney Chronicles
2. Big Hair Envy
3. Marey at: Elemento-P
4. Cooper at: Cooper Griffin Scott
5. Hank at: Hula Hank
6. Caroline at: The Zen in You
7. Chesapeake Bay Woman at: Life in Mathews

Whew! I don't know who has or hasn't been tagged before...if you have, then please pass it on, or just pass......

THE ONLY 4 MEME

I was tagged by My Second Journal to do The Only 4 Meme. It's an easy one, and I love easy things....simple, uncomplicated...bring it on!

Four places I go to over and over
1. Walmart
2. Walgreen's (do you see a pattern here?)
3. JJ's house
4. The pool

Four people who e-mail me regularly
1. Walmart
2. The Biggest Loser Club (I don't belong, but obviously someone wants me to).
3. John McCain
3. Nick

Four places I would rather be right now
1. Catalina Island
2. Hawaii
3. Beaches of Orange County
4. The slopes of Colorado

Four TV shows/programs that I watch
1. Fox News
2. Big Brother 10 (and BBAD)
3. Survivor
4. The Dog Whisperer

Four things I have for breakfast
1. Coffee
2. English muffin (sourdough)
3. Coffee
4. Pizza

Four animals I like best
1. Dog
2. Dolphins
3. Monkeys
4. Dogs

Four beaches I've been to
1. Huntington Beach (my home town and every beach in Southern California)
2. Cocoa Beach, Florida
3. Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (summer vacations in N E)
4. Mazatlan & Cabo San Lucas MEX.

Tagging 4 people. I'm making this a serve-yourself-buffet to all that want to do it. But I would really like the following Bloggers to give it a whirl.

1. Kim at Heart Shaped Hedges, Because she's my daughter
2. Rebeckah at Life With Kaishon, because I would like you all to meet her
3. Chesapeake Bay Woman at Life in Mathews, because we need to keep her busy.
4. Cortney @ The Cortney Chronicles

Please let me know if you do this easy as pie The Only 4 Meme. Don't forget to visit My Second Journal for a good read, and one of my favorite blogs.

SHE TAGGED ME, I'VE BEEN MEME'D

Two days ago The Keeper Of All Things tagged me to do a meme of 7's. I was delayed a bit due to a serious medical condition that took me away overnight to sleep while Gary laughed at monitored me. Now, I'm ready! Follow me if you will, and please feel free to do your own 7's because I'm doing a virtual take it or leave it tag.

7 Things I plan to do before I die

1. Finally take my Alaskan Cruise
2. Travel to Ireland, my grandmother's homeland with my distant cousins from NY
3. Travel to the Holy Land, walk the original Stations of the Cross that Jesus walked
4. Write a book.
5. Watch my grandchildren grow up
6. Don't let any of my kids push me around forget who's the parent.
7. Be at peace when the end comes.

7 Things I can do.

1. Hmmm, this can be on so many levels. OK, I used to hang glide, I still kayak
2. For eight years I mentored ESL children in the third world country of Santa Ana CA schools.
3. I used to be able to twirl a mean baton, but not while hula hooping.
4. I used to surf, with a long board, because 45 years ago there wasn't much else to do in my So CA beach town.
5. I can stay up as late as I darn please because I don't plan anything before noon, unless it's a flight somewhere.
6. I can stay up for days on end if I'm winning at black jack in Vegas...without getting hungry!
7. I can snore louder than most people. Verified by my friend Gary.

7 Things I say most often

1. I love you
2. Your kidding
3. Call me back. this is usually ignored
4. I can't believe a pint of ice cream is four servings
5. My prayers.
6. What do you want.
7. Holy mother of all things sacred

7 Celebrity crushes

1. Mel Gibson
2. Kelsy Grammer
3. Drew Carey
4. Robert Downey Jr.
5. Garth Brookes
6. Kevin Costner
7. Nick

There you have it! I'm not tagging anyone in particular because Keeper passed it on to people I know who in turn passed it on to 49 other people I know....and I don't even know 49 people. Unless Hollywood starts her blog...then she has to do it. Hollywood? If you do the 7's, let me know, I want to read them!!

TAG, YOUR IT!
words that every blogger loves to hear
...in their dreams.

I was tagged by Kimberly over at Pumpkin Delight to do a meme. I am supposed to tell you about six quirks that I have. It will be difficult to find six things I am quirkish about...but I will wrack my brain.

1. I don't like cream cheese or sour cream. I won't eat anything that has cream cheese as an ingredient even if you can't see or taste it. If someone makes a cake that has cream cheese or sour cream in it, I won't eat it. I know I can't taste it...it doesn't matter. Now, when I'm eating something I really like, I hum. I do.

2. I have to have real butter. I can tell even in cooking if there's margarine in something. My mother Rita, used to put margarine in a butter wrapper thinking I wouldn't notice. It drove me crazy. I'd rather eat something dry than taste margarine. I'm extremely insulted when a restaurant serves margarine. I was at a steak house called Black Anus and they told me they didn't have real butter because it's bad for our health...Huh?? The next time I went there with HSH and her Honey, I brought my own cube of butter. Healthy is a matter of perspective. Some people find red meat unhealthy, or desserts.

3. I love slot machines and playing blackjack. If you go to a casino with me and you don't want to play, that's fine. Don't stand over my shoulder to bring me "good luck" because it doesn't work that way. If you ask me if I'm hungry, and I say no, please, go eat without me. Thank you very much.

4. I Can't stand clutter. I like everything in it's place. People at work used to make fun of me because the only papers on my desk were in one folder for one project. I used to wipe my desk and work area with rubbing alcohol at the end of each day. don't ask me why.

5. I sing when I drive, with the music loud, especially on the open road. I was enjoying my singing once on my way to San Diego, and a CHP on a motorcycle had to come up and cut me off to get my attention. I didn't hear his siren. I cuss at bad drivers (with the windows up).

6. I let my grandchildren eat whatever they want, whenever that want, where ever they want. We don't ever tell the parent units what we do.....ever!

7. I sleep with the TV on. I never turn it off. I also make my bed as soon as I get up, before I do anything. I like white sheets only, 400+ thread count, no flannel, no satin.

Ok, I did seven because there are several more and it was hard to pick just six. But as long as I'm on a roll, I have to say, I hate salad dressing....all salad dressing. I love salad, and don't assume that I want lots of lemons to compensate.

Now I'm supposed to tag six people. I was going to break the rules because Pumpkin took all my friends. Well, except for Hollywood and Nick. They don't have blogs. Of course there's Bossy and P-Dub, but they don't do meme, mimi, mama's. If you would like to do this quirky thing then please do! Let me know cuz I'd love to read them.

If you decide to do this meme, here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Mention the rules on your blog. (Here they are.)

3. Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.

4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them.

5. Leave a comment on each of the six blogger’s blogs letting them know they have been tagged.