Wednesday Medley - 13/11/19

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1. Sadie Hawkins' Day. Also known as Turn-About Day. On this date in Dogpatch, Judge Hawkins declared a race between the town's eligible bachelors and the spinsters (including his daughter, Sadie) with the prize being matrimony. Nowadays celebrated as a day on which the girl asks the boy to the big sock hop.
For those of us who are single: Any special plans? Is a restraining order and a monitoring anklet hampering you from finding true love? N/A - been happily married for 35 years.
For those of us who are in a relationship: Do you have any words of encouragement for the single ladies? Advice on removing a monitoring anklet?

I think love comes when you least expect it so maybe don't try to hard to find it. 
 
2. Today is Indian Pudding Day. Colonists to America substituted cornmeal which they called "Indian flour" in their recipes for hasty pudding. Indian pudding fell out of favor in the late nineteenth century with its long cooking time.
Are you a crock pot, electric / gas range, microwave cook? Or do you go to restaurants or order take-out / delivery? 
All of the above (except electric cooker - ours is all gas) - we both cook but we do like to eat out occasionally and we like take out/delivery if we're feeling lazy.  Not keen on fast food though although an occasional burger has been known to be consumed! 
Bonus question: Vanilla ice cream is listed as an optional topping. Is it really optional?
Depends on the dessert and if custard or cream are also available. 
 
3. National Education Support Professionals Day recognizes the unsung school heroines: Bus drivers, cafeteria ladies, secretaries, crossing guards, custodial workers...
Anyone special to whom you want to give a shout out?
I think they all need to be acknowledged.

4. Dear Santa Letter Week. Remember writing to Santa Claus for a doll or a book or credits to Google Play to download MP3 songs and apps to your smartphone?
Now we are adults and understand the true meaning of Christmas. What did you wish for when you were little? Did you sit on Santa's lap at the department store for a photograph? What do the little ones in your life ask Santa to bring?

I don't remember too much about when I was little but mine usually wanted whatever was the latest craze at the time. 
 
5. Happy 20th Birthday, Lando Norris! Lando is a Formula 1 race car driver.

Who took you out on the road when you were learning to drive? Did your road test with the examiner go smoothly? What was your first destination driving solo?

I had lessons from a driving school although my Dad did take me out a couple of times.  He also accompanied me on my first drive of my new car - a Ford Anglia that required double declutching as there was no synchromesh on 1st gear.  How many of you know what that means? lol  
I've been driving since I was 17 (passed 1st time) and have no idea where my first solo destination was. 
Bonus question: Ever dream of driving a race car? Or a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500® with the Predator 5.2L 32 valve V-8 DOHC engine capable of producing 760 hp and 625 ft / lb of torque?
Nope, never been a fan of flash cars.  It just needs to be able to get me from A to B and carry all the stuff I need to get there. 
 
6. Please share with us something interesting about your week.

We had to pay a return visit to hubby's sister on Monday as he had left his phone there last Friday.  On the way out I nearly left without mine!  I don't think I shall hear the last of that for a while after criticising him for being so careless lol.

Wednesday Medley - 29/10/19

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1. During Red Ribbon Week a red ribbon or rubbery silicon bracelet is worn to remind others to live drug free lives and honor the sacrifices of all those who've have lost their lives fighting the war against illegal drugs.
Do you have family members or loved ones in law enforcement? Wearing any memorial ribbons or bracelets?

I don't have anyone who works in law enforcement and fortunately I haven't lost any loved ones in this way. 
2. There isn't an International Day for October 30th.
What is your suggestion for a new national or international day?

I'm not sure I could come up with anything worthy of its own day.  There are so many daft ones out there already I wouldn't want to add to them. 
3. On this date in 1938, Orson Welles performed his radio play of H. G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds. Some people understood it to be an actual news broadcast of a Martian attack though there were disclaimers throughout the show.
Have you witnessed an example of people behaving to the contrary in spite of warnings?
No but I was watching something on TV today about how people don't follow the safety instructions for example putting on life jackets when told to. Bonus question: Did you listen to or do you stream radio shows? Listen to books or prefer reading?
I usually only listen to the radio in the car and I prefer reading books than listening to them. 
4. Happy 80th Birthday, Grace Slick!

She sang with psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane and later reincarnations Jefferson Starship and Starship.

All rock 'n' rollers over the age of fifty look stupid and should retire. — Grace Slick.

Is pop music solely the domain of younger artists?

I think the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart (and many others) would disagree.
5. Tomorrow is Halloween. Any fond memories of Trick Or Treating or escorting little ones while they made the rounds? Favorite costume?

Trick or treat wasn't really a thing here in the UK when I was growing up or even when my kids were young.  It seems to be getting bigger each year now though. 
Bonus question: As an adult, have you attended a Halloween party or fancy-dress ball? Sexy? Or spooky?

No. 

6. Please share with us something interesting about your week.

I will probably be a bit Bah Humbug on halloween.  Keep the front lights off and pretend to be out. 

Wednesday Medley - 23/10/19

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1.On this date in 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, a pocket-sized media player. Are you old school with Sony Walkman and CDs? Has your iPhone or smartphone eclipsed those functions? Hop in the car and listen to the radio? Or you don't require a soundtrack to your life? 

I don't really require a soundtrack playing - I prefer the quiet.  I never had a Sony Walkman with CDs (I might have had something that played cassettes though!  They're the things with tape in them. lol) I have an iPod shuffle that I do use if I'm going for a walk and want some music playing and I do put the radio on in the car or play CDs - our car came with a 6 slot CD player which is great for long journeys.
 
2. Today we celebrate Mole Day. Not the burrowing subterranean rats. Not angel kisses. Nor the Mexican sauce which is pronounced to rhyme with olé as if we are cheering a matador at a bullfight and is great with chicken and rice.
This mole is a relationship between mass and weight and is a basic unit of measurement in chemistry.
H₂O has a molar mass of 18; a mole of water weighs eighteen grams.
It is expressed as 6.02214076 × 10²³. Ten to the twenty-third meaning October 23rd and 6.02214076 translating to 6:02 in the morning. Or I suppose if you don't keep military time you could celebrate in the evening, too.
So. Are you a science or math nerd? Which begs the eternal question: Why are we cool and guy nerds are dorks? 

Well I enjoyed science and maths but reading the above makes me wonder how? lol  
 
3. Because Mole Day is all sciencey, it kicks off National Chemistry Week.
Did you take a chemistry class? What were your first impressions on being in a laboratory classroom? Do you recall your early experiments? Did you have a lab partner? Did you want to strangle her? Was the prospect of capital punishment or twenty⁠—to⁠—life in the slammer and getting a poor grade on your report card a deterrent? Or was her enthusiasm infectious and she was a sheer joy to be around? Yes I took chemistry for 2 years and it was ok.  Don't remember having a specific lab partner but it was a long time ago!  Experiments using Bunsen burners or things exploding were the best.
ALTERNATE QUESTION: Ever been on a date and the chemistry was just all wrong? Many!
 
4. National Boston Cream Pie Day. Not a pie. Two yellow butter cakes baked in pie tins. A vanilla custard cream filling with luscious slathering of chocolate ganache over the top. Mmmmm. Custard cream. Luscious slathering of chocolate ganache.
Have you ever spontaneously without forethought gone out to the frozen custard stand or ice cream parlour or soda fountain to treat yourself? Met up with friends for coffee and dessert? I can't say that I have although I'll often skip a starter or just have a starter and no main so that there is always room for dessert.  Best part of the meal in my opinion.
ALTERNATE QUESTION: When reading about something delicious, do you do a mental checklist of ingredients and think about heading to the kitchen to whip up whatever strikes your fancy? I am not a spontaneous type of cook.  I can produce pretty good results but I need recipes and a plan!
 
5. Heeeeeeeere's Johnny! Happy Birthday, Johnny Carson! And Happy National TV Talk Show Hostess / Host Day! Have a favourite talk show you regularly watch?
The closest to a favourite would probably be Graham Norton but I don't always watch the show.
BONUS QUESTION: Do you miss Johnny Carson? Do you think he was a great host who set the standard for current talk show hostesses and hosts? From the little I know of him (yes I know shock horror but remember I'm from the UK) yes probably.
 
6. Please share with us something interesting about your week. 
We survived looking after 2 of the grandchildren at the same time - just!  Blogged about it here.

 

Wednesday Medley - 16/10/19

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1. Today is Bosses' Day. Workplace politics at the highest level of competition. Is this a day for employees to thank their bosses for being unfailingly kind and understanding throughout the year? A meaningless holiday pressuring backstabbing co-workers to kowtow to tyrannic managers? Or just another way for the groveling sycophants to max out their credit cards in a piteous attempt to curry favor?

This could be taken in two ways as our host suggests.  It's very ambiguous but my guess would be it's their day so everyone should be nice to them but that might be a bit tricky. 

Bonus question for those of us who've retired: On the One-To-Ten Scale, how incomprehensibly ecstatic are you about not having to put up with this kind of malarkey anymore? Or any words of encouragement to those of us who still have forty years to go before Social Security kicks in?

I am so glad that I don't have to deal with a boss (particularly my last one) anymore.  Having said that I was also a manager and I hope my team wouldn't be feeling the same way. 

2. October 16 is also National Fossil Day! Just as new living species are discovered, new fossilized animals are found.

A type of trilobite was named Aegrotocatellus jaggeri after Mick Jagger, lead singer of The Rolling Stones. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who feel Mick Jagger is a fossil.

If someone was to name something after you, what would you like it to be?

Not sure I'd want a fossil named after me.  Maybe a flower? 

3. Today is Hagfish Day! What is a hagfish? Well I wouldn't rush to look it up. Those things should come with a warning. All the cuteness of a viper and the cuddliness of an eel. Allegedly very delicious and plentiful, though, if you can get them to stop slithering around long enough to cook them. Which is why we celebrate Hagfish Day!

Which member(s) of The Animal Kingdom gives you the creeps? Or is it a slimy co-worker from Question #1?

I can't imagine EVER eating Hagfish or anything else that wriggles!

4. Cheers! We also celebrate Drink Local Wine Week and National Liqueur Day! Is there a winery in your locale? Do you have a favorite cordial or a mixed drink made with a liqueur? A non-potent potable such as a refreshing smoothie?

The UK doesn't have a great reputation for wine.  We never drink it.  We do drink wine though, from all sorts of places.  We very seldom drink liquers and if I take a drink out with me it's more likely to be water. 

5. Happy Birthday, Angela Lansbury! Her first two roles were as the maid in Gaslight and Sibyl Vane in The Picture Of Dorian Gray. Truly a star of stage, screen and television, Angela played on Broadway and as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote. One of her most respected film roles was that of Laurence Harvey's mother in The Manchurian Candidate, an often overlooked political thriller. She was believable despite being only three years older than Laurence Harvey.

Can you think of any out-of-the-ordinary casting? Or the type of casting in which Hollywood expects us to suspend all logic?

I am rubbish at remembering who's who in which films.  I am aware of Angela Lansbury though - Murder she wrote can usually be found on at least one of our cable channels most days!

6. Please share something about your week.

Quite a run of the mill week this week - 2 days grandsitting and no other major plans during the week but Noah and his parents are here at the weekend so I'm looking forward to that, although on Saturday hubby and I will be grandsitting both Noah and Rory while their parents attend a wedding.  That could be interesting!

Wednesday Medley - 9/10/19

 

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1. Space. The final frontier. October 4th ⁠— 10th is World Space Week. Over the course of your lifetime, how many solar systems or science projects have you created for the school Science Fair? Were any of your projects memorable? Have you ever peered through a telescope or visited a planetarium? Been away from city lights and enjoyed the night sky? I don't remember doing too many science projects but I have looked through a telescope and been to a planetarium.  I have been away from the city lights but we didn't enjoy the night sky - compared to where we live, our country retreat was soooo dark outside once night fell.  There were no street lights, it was a cloudy night so no moon.  We felt we needed a torch just to go around the corner for a meal in the nearby pub!

 
Bonus question: If you helped your child or a younger sibling with a science project, what grade did you receive?
2. It is also National Carry A Tune Week. Do you sing in the shower? In a choir? Carpool karaoke? Whistle while you work?
I do not sing aloud very often although I have been known to do karaoke at our annual family gathering.  (It's almost compulsory lol)

 
3. On this day in 1992, seventeen-year-old Michelle Knapp was watching television when she was startled by crash in the driveway. Little did she know but she'd have to cancel her date with her boyfriend. Her Chevy Malibu had been struck by a meteorite!

What is the strangest excuse you've ever heard? Or come up with?


It's a long time since I was dating!
 
4. Happy Birthday, John Winston Ono Lennon! John Lennon was resistant to The Beatles wearing identical suits which played a part of their early image leading to commercial success.

Have you ever worn a uniform or an outfit that you disliked?
Yes, when our school merged with another - our uniform was bottle green, theirs was navy blue.  The new uniform was described as petrol blue.  It was awful.  Plus you had people still wearing the old ones until they outgrew them.  It was such a mish mash.

5. We are in the midst of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

At the time of writing, the New York Yankees swept the Minnesota Twins to advance to the American League championship.

Is there a team you are cheering for? Is your team out of contention? Do you prefer a different sport? Or are sports not your thing?

American sports are really not my thing.  I used to follow UK football more closely - had family members working in the industry but when that ended I lost interest. 
6. Tell us something interesting about your week.

Nothing exciting going on here but going to a family party at the weekend so that will be fun! Of course the week is flying by - that's why I'm doing this on Thursday!

Wednesday Medley - 2/10/19

Well I'm a day late but better late than never.

Our former host Terri is currently recovering from knee surgery but thankfully Katsumi has taken up the baton so the medley continues. Here goes:

1. The first week of October is National Mystery Series Week. Do you sleuth alongside Nancy Drew or Miss Marple? Fan of Nero Wolfe?
Well I have to confess to never having read Nancy Drew but I'm a great fan of Agatha Christie. I'd also never heard of Nero Wolfe. Not sure he's available in the UK. But I definitely enjoy a mystery.

2. The first week of October is also National Chili Week. Do you plan on celebrating with a bowl of red? Have a top secret recipe to share?

I'm not a great fan of chilli although I will use it if a recipe asks for it.

3. October 2nd is National Name Your Car Day. Does your car or did a family car have a name?

Yes, it's called The Car lol. I don't think we have ever given our car a name.

4. Today is also National Walk To School Day. Did you walk to school with your friends? Take a school bus? Ever have someone carry your books home from school?

As a child I was fortunate enough to live close enough to my schools to be able to walk to them. For my own children I drove them to their primary school it was easier than trying to walk all three of them there. We did walk occasionally, especially on National Walk to School Day (we actually had a walk to school week) and once they went to secondary school and were capable of going to school on their own they all walked. Living in London there is no real need for school buses generally. Bus services are provided for children with disabilities but public transport is ok for kids who need to use it.

I never really had anyone carry my books but when I had an operation on my feet and couldn't walk to school my Maths teacher brought me home by car each day.

5. And it is National Pumpkin Seed Day. Do you like pumpkin seeds? Do you carve the pumpkin and roast the seeds? Do you buy packaged, prepared pumpkin seeds? Or more of a pumpkin spice person?

I AM NOT A PUMPKIN PERSON.

6. Please tell us something interesting about your week.
Back to normal this week after my holiday so back to Grandsitting on 2 days with Rory. He is developing a real love of books. He loves to have books read to him, then read again, and again and.....I'm sure you get the idea! One advantage of being a grandparent though is that I have the time (and patience) to read with him. (Although there are some books that are nicer to read than others!)

If you want to take part in the Medley or read the entries of other bloggers this is the link.

Wednesday Medley - 14/8/19

The Wednesday Medley is hosted by Terri over at Your Friend from Florida.
The questions usually start with the National Day and follow on from there. No rules and there is no obligation. Link up if you want to over at Terri's site and see who else is joining in the fun.

The National Day today is V-J Day (Victory over Japan in WW2). Here are Terri's questions and my responses:

1. I'm sure many kids today have no idea what V-J Day is all about. Did you have a loved one who fought in WWII?
 
Yes my Dad was in the army during WW2.

2. The iconic sculpture from the famous photograph of "The Unconditional Surrender" has been defaced recently because of the #metoo movement. I know we can get very political about this subject, but just keeping it in the spirit for which it was created, what are your thoughts? 
 

Well of course I googled this and it seems the sculpture is based on a photograph taken in Times Square, New York on VJ day. Given that it's been reported that the woman was unknown to the sailor it's understandable that it's been tagged with the #metoo slogan.

3. Terri's grandson, Tristan, loved playing a game called "Axis & Allies". It was quite complicated, took up the entire dining room table, and was not something Terri wanted to play (Grandpa understood it and played though). Can you name three Axis countries and five of the many Allies (okay to look it up!)?
 
Well I don't remember them being referred to as the Axis countries although it makes sense. It was a lot easier to name the Allies.

4. Terri was surprised to learn that most historians agree that WWII began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Others say it started when Japan invaded Manchuria on September 18, 1931. And some scholars suggest WWII is actually a continuation of WWI, with a break in between. Have you ever visited Pearl Harbor in Hawaii or any other WWII memorials around the world?

Interesting that there are differing opinions but unfortunately with conflicts still going on around the world today you can understand why. I've not visited Hawaii or any major war memorials.

5. Calvin Graham was only 12 years old during WWII when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He won a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart before the Navy found out how old he was. (God bless him.) Terri doesn't know any 12-year olds today who could qualify or get away with something like that. Times are so very different now but (in the US) we do have ROTC in high schools. Do you know anyone who started in ROTC and went on to enlist in one of the services?
 
No I don't. You have to be 16 to enlist in the armed forces in the UK. I think my Dad was probably 16 when he enlisted so that would have been in 1935. He joined the army to get away from working in the coal mines in Yorkshire.

6. Please tell us something about your week so far.
 
It's another fairly quiet week although there are quite a few things on my to do list which I'm slowly working my way through. Mainly linked to our family holiday at the end of the month. 

Wednesday Medley - 7/8/19

The Wednesday Medley is hosted by Terri over at Your Friend from Florida.
The questions usually start with the National Day and follow on from there. No rules and there is no obligation. Link up if you want to over at Terri's site and see who else is joining in the fun. 
The Medley this week is all about "Lighthouses".  Here are Terri's questions and my responses:

1.  Let's start with a number! How many lighthouses have you visited?

I have no idea!  We've been to the coast a lot so I've seen a few but it's not something I've kept count of.

2.  Have you been inside a lighthouse and did you walk to the top?

Yes I have and got right to the top where the lamp was but again don't ask me where lol

3.  Do you seek them out when you are traveling the coastlines or are you not that big a fan?

I don't actively seek them out but I don't totally ignore them either.  This was one we saw when in Australia in 2017 - it's on Cape Byron, the most Easterly point of Australia.

 

4.  Do you have a favorite scripture or another reference to share with us concerning a guiding light in your life?

Well I'm not great at quoting scripture and apart from the obvious answers I think my conscience helps to guide me - between right and wrong.

5.  If you don't collect lighthouses when you travel, is there something tangible that you tend to collect as a souvenir when you are on vacation or a road trip?

I'm not really a collector, especially since my Mum passed away.  She collected pigs.  Lots of china pigs, many of which were piggy banks (money boxes) but all sorts really so when we were away we'd often look out  for a different pig for her.  I inherited the collection but they're really not my thing.  I kept a family set but then donated the rest to the school I worked in at the time to sell at a school fete.

6.  Please share something with us about your week.

I was out at the supermarket earlier and the radio was playing.  The DJ mentioned it was Lighthouse Day!

Wednesday Medley - 24/7/19

The Wednesday Medley is hosted by Terri over at Your Friend from Florida.
The questions usually start with the National Day and follow on from there. No rules and there is no obligation. Link up if you want to over at Terri's site and see who else is joining in the fun. 

The Medley this week is all about family.  Today is National Cousins Day and the 26th July is National Aunts & Uncles Day.  Here are Terri's questions and my responses:

 

1.  What can you tell us about your cousins, please, or someone who is close like a cousin?  

I have quite a few cousins but the one I'm closest to is Jill who is the same age as me (despite her trying to convince her grandchildren otherwise lol) and was the closest thing I've had to a sister.  We often spent time together during school holidays and are always in touch if only by telephone these days.

2.  Do you still see your cousins and will you contact them on National Cousins Day?  

I still see Jill and this year I will be holidaying with her, her sister Julie and our other cousin Pat.  I'm really looking forward to that.  Sadly we don't see each other as much as I'd like but distance plus our own family commitments make it tricky.  I probably won't contact any of them today as I was unaware that it was Cousins Day today!

This is the 3 of them on holiday last year.

L-R Jill, Pat & Julie

3.  Terri had a favorite aunt and uncle she will tell us about.  How about you? 

I think it's always a bit tricky picking out favourites in family.  Sadly I only have 1 Aunt left now.  I was closer to my Mum's family because we saw more of them, particularly when we were young and I have fond memories of family holidays with some of them.

4.  Did/does your family have reunions and can you tell us about them?  

Hubby is the eldest of 8 children so just getting all the siblings and partners together feels like organising a reunion at times and we often include all the youngsters as well.  We'll all be together in August for our annual week away in Kent.   With all the siblings, partners, their children & partners and now Grandkids the current family members total 63.

5.  If you have children, are they enjoying relationships with their cousins, aunts, uncles?  

Our kids have good relationships with their aunts and uncles - we've always got together regularly and now the cousins organise their own get togethers too.

6.  Tell us something random about your week so far.  

It is so hot here this week.  Yesterday Nick and I were looking after Nathan as usual and in an effort to keep cool we were playing with water on their patio.  I encouraged them to pour water over my bare feet.  Nathan thought it was very funny.

 

Our daughter sent us the cutest recording of her chatting with Nathan about it at bedtime.  He's using more and more words all the time now and stringing them together.  He was full of "Granga (Grandpa) feet wet" lol 

 

 

 

Wednesday Medley -10/7/19

The Wednesday Medley is hosted by Terri over at Your Friend from Florida.
The questions usually start with the National Day and follow on from there. No rules and there is no obligation. Link up if you want to over at Terri's site and see who else is joining in the fun.

Today is NATIONAL CLERIHEW DAY

July 10th of each year celebrates National Clerihew Day in the United States.  Edmund Clerihew Bentley created the whimsical, four-line biographical poem.

An English novelist and humorist, Edmund Clerihew Bentley (July 10, 1875 – March 30, 1956), was a 16-year-old student when he thought up the lines for his first ever clerihew.

Sir Humphry Davy Abominated gravy. He lived in the odium

Of having discovered sodium

As with most poetry, the Clerihew is defined by a set of rules. It must contain four lines, rhyming couplets of AA/BB, a person’s name in the first line, say something about that person and it should be humorous. It is meant to be a funny poem, of course.

1.  Try your hand at a Clerihew poem or two or three!  

There was a little boy called Nathan

Who had a favourite television station

It's called CBeebies and it's lots of fun

And it shuts down each day when bedtime has come

There was a young boy called Rory

Who thankfully is always hunky dunky

He smiles and giggles and cuddles his Mum

And when Nanny Grandsits we have such fun

There once was a boy called Noah

Who likes to take things slower

His nature is sunny and he finds things funny

But his favourite thing is to cuddle his Mummy

There once was a woman called Wendy

Who when she was young was quite bendy

But now that she's older and time's flying past

She's cross because her suppleness didn't last

2.  Tell us something about your week so far.

I am having a hectic week.  Because my daughter cannot get about easily due to her injured ankle and my daughter-in-law is self-employed so can't afford to take time off work I've doing an extra day with Nathan this week which means 4 days of Grandsitting altogether.  

I am tired!  And I still have tomorrow to get through.  But then hubby are away for the weekend - just the two of us.  Can't wait!

Wednesday Medley - 26/6/19

The Wednesday Medley is hosted by Terri over at Your Friend from Florida.
The questions usually start with the National Day and follow on from there. No rules and there is no obligation. Link up if you want to over at Terri's site and see who else is joining in the fun.

Today is National Parchment Day!

1. Who knew there was a day to celebrate parchment paper?! Do you ever use parchment when you bake or cook? Tell us about your favorite way to use it, please.

I do use it but not much and usually only when a recipe calls for it.


2. When Terri thinks of parchment paper, she usually thinks about special writing or artist papers. She loves using specialty papers for creating cards or other art projects. Tell us about a creative way you have used parchment paper other than to bake with!


I've used parchment paper in creating cards or signs for things in the past but not recently - I'm not a particularly creative person - I can copy stuff ok and follow instructions but I'm not very original.

3. Terri used to be in the cake business and has piped many borders and roses and leaves and letters, etc., etc. You can make a pastry bag from parchment paper! Have you ever tried decorating a cake with a pastry bag and specialty tips? Do you have a picture to share? Don't be shy, now!

I've never decorated with a pastry bag, I've always used a piping set. I've made quite a few cakes in the past when the children were little but not recently. I got the bug from watching my Dad. He would make and decorate cakes for family events.

4. Tell us about something you baked or cooked in the past week or so that turned out great, parchment or no parchment. Will you share the recipe?
 
I cooked 2 new recipes last week, a lemon chicken and a mushroom stew that we had one night and then I turned it into a pie the next. The chicken was ok but nothing special. The mushroom stew was good - it had mustard in it and artichokes. No parchment involved.

5. The last Wednesday in June!! How can that be? Has your June flown by or have you been able to enjoy each day and make it slow down for you?
 
It has flown by, busy with Grandkids, a few days away and now.......

6. Tell us something about your week so far, if you will.
 
It's my birthday! Celebrating by catching up with my best friend this morning, a meal out with hubby this evening and away with all the kids and grandkids this weekend at the seaside. I'll just gloss over that it's a big 0 birthday lol

Wednesday Medley - 19/6/19

The Wednesday Medley is hosted by Terri over at Your Friend from Florida.
The questions usually start with the National Day and follow on from there. No rules and there is no obligation. Link up if you want to over at Terri's site and see who else is joining in the fun.

NATIONAL GARFIELD THE CAT DAY – June 19

1.  If you have ever followed the Garfield comic strip, you know Garfield loves lasagne.  What is your favorite Italian food?  Do you over-indulge when it comes to pasta?

I love lasagne and I love most pasta dishes.  We have a few favourites we make regularly and I always eat too much.

2.  Tell us about your very first pet.  If you have never had a pet, can you tell us about an animal that touched your life in some way?

My first pet was a family dog.  He was a fairly small crossbreed and because of his colouring he was called Sandy.  I think the first pets I had as my own were guinea pigs.

3.  Garfield sleeps his day away, only waking to eat or sweet talk his girlfriend Arleen.  How many hours sleep do you normally get each night?  How much sleep do you really need?

Well according to my fitbit app I average anywhere between 5.75 to 6.25 hours each week but it's not very accurate.  It sometimes says I'm awake when I'm not and I don't always bother to edit the logs.  However it's still way less than I need but I'm not a great sleeper.

4.  Garfield lets the mice in the house have their way.  When was the last time you had to chase out a little varment?  

We had mice in the house a long time back - it was one of the reasons we got cats.  It's been a long time since I had to chase anything out even though we no longer have any pets in the house.

5.  Garfield also loves his teddy bear Pooky. Did you have a favorite stuffed animal when you were young (or now!)?  If you didn't or don't, what about someone you know?

I had a cream coloured (originally!) teddy bear that I loved.  It wasn't very big but it was definitely loved judging by how worn he got!

6.  Please tell us something about your week, so far!

I ordered 2 new rose bushes for the garden last week and they arrived yesterday in time for my gardener to plant them today.  I was pleasantly surprised to see how big they are and they are both full of buds and will be flowering very soon.  Hopefully when they're in bloom I'll remember to take some photos!