Friday, February 13, 2015

I Can Kill Two Birds, Too!

The Sisterhood of the World Blogger's Award is making a circuitous route among my blog friends. Kristi at Thankful Me also received it from our Ten Things of Thankful co-host Lisa, but she actually followed the directions (part of them, anyway) and wrote ten questions of her own for others to answer. And I do love a good questionnaire, so here I am, answering Kristi's questions and stealing borrowing her format of incorporating them into the Ten Things of Thankful for this week.




1. What small act of service have you received that has meant a lot to you?

These were actually HUGE acts of service, but so many did so much for me when I had my bilateral mastectomy nearly three years ago, and I am still overwhelmed by everyone's kindness.  My kids were ferried around, I was given all kinds of gifts, my sister in law and my friend took time out of their schedules and away from their own families to stay with me for a couple of days when my husband had to be away from me after my surgery. I had lovely visitors and received all kinds of flowers and balloons and Diet Coke. I was given a gorgeous Tata to the Tata's party, complete with boobie cake. The list goes on and on. 

I am thankful for good friends who are there for me in times of great need.




2. What was your favorite meal when you were a child?

My favorite meal as a child was my mom's smothered steak. She would cook pieces of round steak with potatoes and carrots in her electric skillet until they were fork tender, then thicken the juices into a gravy. I can make a similar version, but it doesn't taste the same.

I am thankful we always had plenty to eat.

3. Do you enjoy camping?

God, no! 

To paraphrase Jim Gaffigan, I'm thankful my parents loved me enough not to take me camping.

4. Have you moved (changed houses) more as an adult or as a child?

We only moved once when I was a child; the summer after I finished 6th grade, we moved from a little ranch style house to a neighborhood with a little bit bigger, nicer homes. We were still in the same school district, and even though the kids in the new neighborhood went to a different elementary school than I had, we all went to the same junior high.

I moved to college when I was 17. If I'm counting correctly, I moved 17 times in the next 20 years. The last move was into the house we're in now, 16 years ago.

I'm thankful not to have had to pack and unpack boxes for 16 years now!

5. Where would you like to retire and why?

I imagine when I am retired and have grandchildren, this answer might change, because I suspect I will want to be near them. Putting that aside, I'd like to summer either in upstate New York or near Rocky Mountain National Park, because both places are beautiful, and winter somewhere warm and beachy. Florida, maybe.

I'm thankful I have had the chance to visit a variety of places.


Taughannock Falls, Ithaca, NY



6. If you had a free day next week, how would you spend it?

I am always well meaning when I have a day off. I think I'm going to use it to get Great Things Done, but that rarely happens. Now, if it were a snow day, then I would spend the day in the kitchen, baking bread, making homemade noodles, making some kind of cookies. Snow days inspire me to use a lot of flour!

I'm thankful for occasional days off from work and (most) responsibilities that allow me to do whatever I choose, even if it's just sitting in a chair and reading.

7. If you could suddenly develop a new talent or skill, what would it be?

I've always wanted to be able to sing Broadway style. I can sing, but I'm only okay. 

I'm thankful that lack of talent doesn't keep me from singing like a rock star when I'm by myself in the car.

8. Do you know where your grandparents and/or great grandparents were born?

I do! My mother's parents were born near Urich, Missouri. My dad's parents were born near Marshfield, Missouri. I also know where my great-grandparents on both sides were born.

I am thankful to my brother for all the work he has done and shared with me on our family genealogy, and I am thankful to Kristi from Thankful Me for showing me how to make a family tree of my very own!


My maternal grandfather (1890-1960)

My maternal great grandfather
(1863-1941)


9. What is one trait that describes you?

 I'm very positive and optimistic.

I am thankful for the ability to see the cup is always half full.

10. What is one of your family traditions?

On Christmas Eve, after we attend the candlelight service at church, we come home and have a late supper of appetizers. We started this about 12 years ago, when my husband's sister and her family would come for Christmas from their home in Pennsylvania, and we continued it even after we started celebrating Christmas with my husband's family on a day other than Christmas Eve. 

I'm thankful my oven has a timer, so we can come home from Christmas Eve service to an oven hot and ready to bake up some appetizers from your grocer's freezer.

There you have it. Ten answers, ten thankfuls. Pick one and answer it below. Consider yourself nominated and pick all ten and post them yourself. And don't forget to link up with us, below.





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38 comments:

  1. My nephew did our geneology to a point and I have taken it over from where he left off for now... I love your grandads! Awesome photos! I cant help but notice neither is carrying a chicken!

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    1. That is the brother and the father of Daisy, the chicken holder!

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  2. I love this title. Am I FRIST? REALLY?

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    1. If it weren't for the Russian spammers who clog my inbox, you probably would have been. Thanks to them, I have comment approval on.

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  3. Frist. I totally love this format for answering the questions. Genealogy is so cool. I am just starting to get into it. Others in the family have begun the process. Love that boobie cake. I used to sing show tunes (off key) to my colicky son back in the day. I lived near Rocky Mountain National Park for awhile. It was spectacular.

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    1. Another disappointed non-Frister. Maybe I should turn off comment moderation and see what happens?
      My brother has done tons of research on our family's genealogy. I'm very grateful for that!
      I should have found the picture of me pretending to bite the nipple (I was forced to in front of a lot of people).
      I used to sing my own version of "Til There Was You" every morning when I drove to work with my son in the car (up til he was 2 and we moved). It started out "There were cows on the hill..."
      Estes Park is so nice! We spent almost a week there several years ago. I need to write about some of our experiences, including getting VERY lost on a hike.

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  4. Oh, how I love those old pics! So gorgeous! I know where my grandparents and great-grandparents (OK, some of them) were born, too! I can spend hours daydreaming of the lives of my ancestors.

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    1. My brother has a big box of my mom's family pictures (I will add that she's not happy about that, a she wants to look at them from time to time). He put those photos on our family tree at ancestry.com.

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  5. I can totally see you doing Broadway Mz. DiAnn! (that be your stage name lol)
    But I'm with you - the car - best place to let loose:)
    Yes, half full!!

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    1. In another life, I HAD to have been a stage actress! But the car always has the best acoustics. I've been driving my dad's car with XM radio and have had a ball singing to 70s on 7 and the Broadway station.
      ALWAYS half full.

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  6. The photographs of your grandfather and great grandfather are impressive.

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    1. Aren't they wonderful? I have my brother to thank for publishing them on the family tree he has posted on ancestry.com.

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  7. What a lovely thankful post. Your positive attitude made me smile. Thank you for that.

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! I'm a cockeyed optimist! (A Broadway reference, in case you aren't a closet Broadway star.)

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    2. Ooh, I know that one. I'm not a closet star. I am shameless. I only pretend to be closet because the Hub HATES Broadway. Long story.

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  8. nice doubling… ( Jim Gaffigan… one of the top three funniest humans)

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  9. Now I understand how you were ready for the hop so soon! :-) Thanks for playing along; I loved to read your answers. Those are some cool family photos! Did you know you can add photos to the family tree you started? Let me know if you need directions.

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    1. Guilty as charged! Thanks for such great questions. I will have to steal, I mean copy the pictures my brother has posted on his family tree project.

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  10. I love the photos of your ancestors. Your grandfather was especially dapper. Clearly, you got that gene. Women can be dapper, right? We have come at least that far!
    Wow, that cake! WOW.
    ~May@AchievingClarity

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    1. I love that picture of my granddaddy! He had an 8th grade education, was a farmer and a barber, He died right after I was born, but my mom said he read all the time and was really intelligent.
      When my friends give me a Tata to the Tata's party, they don't hold back.

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  11. That cake though,

    And how cool you have those pictures!

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    1. My friends had a lot of fun planning that party!
      My brother has the pictures. I kind of lifted this from his ancestry.com account :)

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  12. Those pictures of your great grandfathers are truly family treasures. I have to admit that while my grandmother has put together some family geneaology I haven't paid it much attention. I should change that. I also love the landscape and vibe in upstate NY. How clever you were to incorporate the questions into your TToT. I was so flattered to be chosen too, but I got too overwhelmed and never did my questions. Do you think it's too late?

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    1. The picture of my great grandfather is a little creepy in the eye area, but that makes it even cooler.
      We vacationed (briefly) in upstate NY. We had spent most of it in eastern Pennsylvania with family and wish we had left more time for NY. Spent most of a day at Lake Cayuga at a beautiful park with swimming beach. The next day, we spent a lot of time at different parks along the shores of Lake Ontario.
      It's not too late to answer the questions. Do it!

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  13. It's cool to see old photos of your ancestors--I want to frame all the ones I have an put them on the wall.

    Also, my parent DID take us camping, so I know first hand that I really, really, hate it.

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    1. My brother has a bunch of the family pictures framed at his house. I need to make him scan them for me.
      See? I was right!

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  14. Love those old photos.
    Good heavens, that is a lot of packing! Bryan and I were basically nomads until we started having kids. It's pretty easy when you rent and don't have kid stuff. We moved houses once, and that is not something I want to repeat more than once.

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    1. I moved a lot from college until I got married. I think that probably screams that I wasn't ready to settle down. We moved houses twice, once when we bought our house in LA, and then when we moved from LA to Missouri. Except I just remembered that we warehoused everything and lived with family for just over a year before we bought our house, so there are another couple of moves to add to the list.

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  15. Some of us are multi-taskers, and that takes out a few birds :)
    I was Johnny on the spot with that Frist!
    Kristi asked great questions! And now you know why I was ready on Wednesday with my post.
    It's a fun, fattening one!

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  16. great 10's and wonderful answers - the pics are terrific - moving is a P.I.T.A you must be a saint - holy moly - 17 x - retiring upstate NY for the summer months sounds wonderful - I spent my childhood summer months and holidays in the Catskills - hope you had a wonderful Valentines day!

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    1. Thanks, Marisa! I love those pictures!
      Moving is a PITA (we use that term at preschool, too). I wasn't a saint, though; I was single and stupid.
      WERE YOUR SUMMERS LIKE IT WAS IN DIRTY DANCING?!

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  17. Old photos are so grand, aren't they? My stepmother is currently cleaning out my paternal Grandmother's house. Her second husband passed this summer and she's left with the job. She's finding photos here and there and I love seeing them.
    I know that my maternal grandparents were both born in the same town as I was. Not sure the precise location of my Grandfather's birth, but my Grandmother was born in the home that they shared for all of their marriage - they purchased it from her parents. My great grandparents on that side, I'm sorry to say I'd have to look up. I think my Mom knows - she did a bunch of digging when my youngest sister was born. On my father's side, I don't know much. I would have to ask and most of the relatives on that side are gone. There is one aunt I could contact and my stepmom probably knows some. I'll have to ask.
    I loved this format when Kristi did it and I love it again. Well done!

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    1. I love old pictures! I wish my family had taken more from when I was little. I don't know why they didn't (they loved me, they just didn't love me enough.... :) )
      My mother was born at home. My great aunt used to have the actual bed in her bedroom, and it fascinated me to sleep in it and know my mom was born in it.
      My mom's family was all from the same two-county area. My dad's family was all from one county. None of them were particularly nomadic. Ask and write it down. Zilla will want to know some day.
      I am so thankful for Kristi for coming up with the format and for not complaining when I stole it and used it as my own!

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  18. Wow, moving 17 times in 20 years, how did you remain sane?? I'm also thankful for not having to move anymore for the next few decades, if nothing bad happens! I agree, my parents must love me, too, for not having made me go camping. Camping sucks! Or I'm a princess.. Either way! :-)

    Have a wonderful week, Dyanne! Calvin sends a special toothless, drooly smile!

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    1. You have to realize that most of my moves were while I was single and in college and working. I had no one to blame but myself. Our house is kind of big now, and close to 90 years old, and part of me would like to move to something a little smaller and newer, and part of me doesn't want to move until they put me in a nursing home.
      I'm a princess AND camping sucks. They are not mutually exclusive :)
      Love toothless, drooly smiles from Calvin!

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  19. Love the pic of the booby cake. Sorry to hear about your mastectomy, but happy to hear that you had such great friends around to support you through that time!

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    1. It was a great cake! And I had great support from friends and family. Check your boobies, get your mammogram!

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