I have to be honest and say that I almost skipped the letter "q", because there are no "q" words I can have fun with. No singers' names begin with q; no states or towns. So this week my entry is going to be very boring. But I may as well go ahead; I've made it this far.
1. Quicksilver: SS Quicksilver of Fallneva was a high-class Jersey bull I used on my tiny herd back in the 80's. I was very proud to be able to own some of his daughters. That's the wonderful thing about artificial insemination in cattle: Anyone has access to the best bulls in the world.
2. quiz: Doesn't everybody hate pop quizzes?
3. Quiznos: We ate there once because it was free; I prefer Subway.
4. Quandary: Something I often experience when thinking about certain neighbors.
5. quilt: My mom turned out quilts by the hundreds after she retired.
6. quart: When Cliff and I acquired our first milk cow, he drank a quart of milk with almost every meal.
7. quaint: a polite way of saying "run-down".
8. queasy: I very seldom have a queasy stomach.
9. Quiktrip: That's where Cliff usually gasses up, at least when we're in the greater Kansas City area.
10. quack: I've been to a lot of dentists I considered to be quacks.
11. questions: You get a lot of them when you have small children around.
12. quiet: I love how quiet it is at this house.
13. qualms: That's what I had about doing this entry.
To see who else did the "Q" thirteen, go check it out at Izzy 'N Emmy.
I can't believe I've made it this far through the alphabet with Izzy 'N Emmy. Of course, the dreaded "X" is coming up eventually. I may have to make it "Thursday Three" on that week.
1. Pigs: They are fun animals to have around. Here's a picture of the last two pigs we had on the place, four years ago. Notice my dear departed Mandy in the picture.
2. Porter Wagoner: I never cared much for him, but I loved it when he sang with Dolly Parton. She got her start with him.
3. Peanut butter: One of my favorite snacks is peanut butter on celery.
4. Pennies: I still "find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck."
5. Peppers: I love all varieties of peppers, from those sweet yellow bell peppers to burning-hot jalapenos.
6. Peonies: Lovely, fragrant flowers, but it seems they always get knocked down by spring storms before they're done blooming. There's an old wives' tale that says peonies won't open up without ants on them. It isn't true, so feel free to dust your peonies with Sevin dust; I've done it before with no ill effects. Or, you can live and let live.
7. Powerball: We generally buy one Powerball ticket each week. It's only a buck, so it doesn't break the budget. And it gives us a chance to talk about what we'd do with all that money if we won.
8. Pancakes: Who doesn't love pancakes? Although I prefer my home-made waffles, made with the old Better-Homes-and-Gardens recipe:
Waffles
1 3/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 egg yolks 1 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup cooking oil 2 egg whites 1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt if desired. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside. 2. In another medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in milk and oil. Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy). 3. In a small mixing bowl beat egg whites till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold beaten egg whites into flour and egg yolk mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white. Do not overmix. 4. Pour 1 to 1 1/4 cups batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle maker.
I never make waffles for company because there's too much waiting time between waffles.
9. Parables: Here's my favorite one.
Luke 15:11-32 (New International Version)
The Parable of the Lost Son
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.a]">[a]'22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
10. Poodles: Not my favorite breed of dog, but they're usually very smart. And they don't shed! I may yet end up with one, if I outlive Sadie.
11. privacy: I can't get enough of it.
12. peaches: The only way to get the best peaches is to grow your own, so you can let them ripen right on the tree.
13. pregnant: I've been pregnant twice in my life, and enjoyed every minute of it, except for the constant heartburn.
If you decide to join in on the Thursday Thirteen, be sure to leave your link at Izzy 'N Emmy so everyone can find your entry.
Time for another "Thursday Thirteen Through The Alphabet". If you decide to join in, be sure and leave a link to your entry at "Izzy 'N Emmy" so everyone can check it out.
1. Oleo: I grew up calling margarine "oleo". I never hear that term used any more.
2. Oreo Delight: my oldest grandson's favorite dessert.
3. old: Yes, I've reached an age where I realize I'm old. I'm still enjoying life, though!
4. Outlaws: Ladies love them, says Waylon.
5. Oprah: I'm not a fan; I don't follow the "First Church of Oprah". I enjoyed her performance in "The Color Purple", though.
6. Outpatient: That's what all my surgeries have been, so far.
7. Outside: I can't wait for the sun to come up so I can get out there and check on my growing plants.
8. Okra: I like it fried, or in gumbo stew.
9. Orthopedic surgeon: I have one, Dr. Alexandra Strong. She's not one to push a person into knee replacement. If and when I get one, it will be my own decision.She has done some scraping and trimming on both my knees.
10. opportunity: sometimes it knocks more than once, but if it doesn't, another opportunity will present itself.
11. optimist: I used to be a lot more optimistic than I am now.
12. Opera: I don't understand it and I don't enjoy it.
13. Orville Redenbacher: I love popcorn, and Orville's is the best. Being a died-in-the-wool cheapskate, though, I usually buy a cheaper brand.
1. Natalie: My daughter's youngest. She's her grandpa's assistant tractor-driver. 2. The "Net": Otherwise known as the World Wide Web. Devourer of time and the cause of callouses on my behind.
3. Neighbors: One helped my husband get his job over fifteen years ago. One gives us catfish often. I'll refrain from that one neighbor to whom I often allude, although I have some information from that side of the fence that's KILLING me to keep to myself.
4. North Kansas City High School: That's my Alma Mater. I graduated from there in 1962.
5. Nimble: I am not.
6. Nuptials: I like mine simple.
7. Nelson, as in Willie: I rode the wave of the outlaw craze in the '70's, and I still love Willie.
8. Narcotics: Oh, do I have a story I'm dying to tell, but I know I mustn't. See #3.
9. Noun: All my life, nouns have been my favorite parts-of-speech.
10. Newman, Paul: What's not to love? Look at those blue eyes.
11. Nodaway, Iowa: One of several towns in which I lived as a child. My parents were telephone operators there.
12. Nebraska: Cliff and I went there many years ago to see the Pioneer Village. Because we went in March, we also got to see thousands of Sand Hill Cranes.
13. No-bake cookies: I guess I'm the only person in the United States who hates them.
If you decide you want to play "Thursday Thirteen through the alphabet", be sure and leave your link at Izzy 'N Emmy's blog.
1. Mosh Pit: The first year I attended Van's Warped Tour with my oldest granddaughter, she and I ended up crushed in a mosh pit. She panicked even before I did, and we squeezed our way out of there.
We saw Sugar Cult, among others.
And also some wild and wacky teens. I sure do wish my knees would let me go again; what GREAT photo ops!
2. Maxine: My eighty-one-year-old sister, the nearest-to-perfect person I've ever known. She's a winter Texan, and this is a picture of her in front of her Texas home.
Oh, and by the way: She'll be back home in Missouri this coming Monday.
3. Motorcycle: What can I say? Cliff and I love ours.
4. Monica: My daughter's second child. Until they moved away from the area for a few years, I kept Monica for a twenty-four-hour period each week, so I could get to know her.
There I am feeding her during one of her weekly stays..
That's Monica a few years ago at the Missouri State Fair. She and I stayed in the camper and had a blast together. She's a teenager now. I don't see her often.
5. Mother: Everybody has one. Although she and I locked horns many times throughout my life, I wouldn't trade her for anybody else's mom. Below is a picture of my mom with me and my sister.
This is a rather sad picture, taken at Mother's 91st birthday party. She didn't live to see another birthday. Let me give you a picture of her in happier times.
6. Melon: I love any melon: Watermelon, muskmelon... any kind.
7. Mexico: The only foreign country I've ever visited, thanks to my winter Texan Sister. Here you see my daughter and my sister as we were getting ready to go shop at the market in Mexico.
8. Morels: They grow in abundance on our property. I never get many of them because my neighbor (whose name also starts with "M") and all his relatives sneak in and get them... without permission, and without sharing their finds with me.
9. Morals: That's what my neighbor lacks, or he wouldn't trespass and steal my morels.
10. Meesha: The only Russian Jew (now a Kansas City resident) with whom I've ever corresponded. I'll bet he and I will meet up this summer.
11. Mr. Bojangles: one of my favorite songs, and Sammy Davis, Jr., did it better than anybody in the world.
12. Marcoux Corner: One year when two of my granddaughters and I were at the Missouri State Fair, we saw this incredible a cappela act that we all loved. I wish Youtube had their version of "Obladee, Obladah, Life Goes On". But you'll have to settle for this song. You won't be sorry you listened to this song. I only wish they had someplace to perform besides lousy state fairs.
I add this one so you can see them in action.
13. Moses: A great prophet, but so very human, with the faults and shortcomings that plague us all. Only he managed to overcome them and become a leader.
If you'd like to play along, be sure and leave the link to your entry at Izzy 'N Emmy's, so everyone can visit.
1. Lucky: I prefer the term "blessed", but yes, I consider myself lucky. If I were to die tonight, I feel life doesn't owe me a thing. It's been a great ride.
2. Libby: One of the most positive experiences I've had with horses was with a filly named Libby. I didn't succeed in breaking her to ride, but she left me a much better person for knowing her. That little lady had heart. I was blessed to have spent time with her.
3. Lemon pie: My sister's recipe is the best. You'll find that recipe HERE.
5. Liver: We had beef liver this week (another of the things my husband shouldn't be eating). The liver came from a steer we recently butchered whose name was Meatloaf. The liver-and-onions were delicious.
6. Lexington, Missouri: A nearby city that's jam-packed with history. A Civil War battlefield, the Anderson House museum, and lots of antebellum homes.
7. Lionel Richie: I discovered him late in life, but one of his songs is part of a favorite memory: my daughter, driving, took me to Georgia to see my son graduate boot camp; on the way home she was fighting sleep, and a certain song came on the radio: "Come on, Mom," she said. "Sing it with me." Here's the song:
8. Life: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose LIFE in order that you may live, you and your descendants..." Deuteronomy 30:19
9. lettuce: The lettuce I planted in my garden in February is up and growing.
10. loner: That's me.
11. Luke: My favorite of the four Gospels.
12. love: "But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love." I Corinthians 13:13
13. Lyndsay: My youngest grandchild. My little Georgia peach. Here's a picture of her riding my big horse, Blue, last July:
4. Idea: Whose bright idea was this Thursday Thirteen thing, anyhow? (Just kidding, of course; or I wouldn't be doing it.)
5. Iambic pentameter: Shakespeare used it often.
Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And Summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And oft' is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd: But thy eternal Summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
6. Iris: A flower so easy to grow that even I can't kill it.
7. Iris Dement: Everybody knows I love her music.
8. Indian: I always wished I were an Indian.
9. "Is It Raining At Your House?" One of my favorite songs by Vern "the Voice" Gosdin.
10. Idiots: Describes a few people I know.
11. Irate: That's what I get when surrounded by idiots.
12. "It Happened One Night". One of my all-time favorite movies, the original "chick flick", made in 1934. Since I have DVR now, I caught it on Turner Classics the other night and watched it yesterday. Here's my favorite part, the hitchhiking scene:
13. Imagination: I feel sorry for people who don't have one.
1. Hormones: tell me about 'em. I've been through the ups and downs.
2. Heidi: The first "big book" I ever read. Loved it. After that I read "The Bobbsey Twins".
3. Honda: What can I say? We love our Gold Wing!
4. Harley: Cliff says if we win the lottery, we'll have a Harley too. Just for that macho noise it makes.
5. hearing aids: A gift for those who, like Cliff, can barely hear without them.
6. happiness: means different things for different people.
7. Harlen Howard: One of my all-time favorite country music songwriters!
8. Hot tub: I love mine.
9. Hawkeye: One of the best dogs you'll ever meet; he owns my daughter's family.
10. Hank Williams: He pretty much made country music what it is today.
11. habits: Some are good, some are bad. Hank Jr. had a song about habits.
12. Hepatitis A: Cliff and I both had a case of it when we were newlyweds; mine was mild. His was severe. I gave it to him. I have no idea where I got it, but the doctor said it was probably from a rest room. Ick.
13. headaches: The only time I have headaches is when I have a fever.
Want to play along? Great! Just be sure to leave a link to your entry at Izzy 'N Emmy.
2. Gumption: We're all going to need a double-dose of it to get through these hard times.
3. Guthrie: I listen to Woody's Library of Congress recordings pretty often; I also sometimes listen to his son, Arlo ("I don't want a pickle, just wanna ride on my motorcicle").
7. Graveyards: I've always loved them. Enjoy a horseback ride through the local graveyard with me, riding my horse, Blue. And once I'm dead and buried? Just remember, I loved graveyards!
8. Guilt: I've often wondered, do atheists carry guilt in the same way Christians do (help me with this, Guy)? Perhaps some of them don't, but I'll bet the mothers do. One of the chief ingredients of motherhood is guilt.
9. Grace: The only thing that works to overcome guilt. At least for me. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me."
10. George Jones: What a reprobate he is, but I love him anyhow. I wouldn't waste money to see him live again, though.
11. Grandma: Some of my best memories are of my grandma. I can still see her sitting in her rocking chair crocheting, or upstairs at the quilt frame, stitching away.
12. Guns: My son loves guns; he's downright fanatic about them! He lives in Georgia, another "G" word; but I already have 13 without using that one. Oh yeah, and his daughter, Amber, was born in Germany. I guess I could have gone on and on with the letter "G".
13. Google: How did we ever get by without it? I love me some Google!
You should be playing along with this, it's so much fun! Thanks to the blog "Izzy 'N Emmy" for keeping this going.
1. Fire: only idiots start a grass fire deliberately on the windiest, driest day of the year. You'd just have to be here to know what I'm talking about.
2. Fifties: I believe the fifties were the best years in which to grow up. I entered them a five-year-old and left them as a sixteen-year-old.
3. Farm: We've never had a real one, but we've had the best of both worlds here. We don't have to depend on the vagaries of weather, politics, and other things that make farming as a livelihood such a risky business, but we've been able to enjoy any of the animals and crops that we find entertaining.
4. friends: I'm not a person who has a lot of close friends; when people get too close, I tend to push them back. It's my loss, I know, but it's just the way I'm made.
5. failure: We all fear it, but let's face it: everybody's a failure at something or other. The good news is that failure isn't final.
6. fat: I've gained some this winter.
7. fig newtons: One of my favorite cookies as a child. In fact, I wish I had some right now. I wonder why I never buy them? Excuse me while I add that item to my grocery list.
8. fried: I love all things fried. Taters, liver, catfish, okra. Kentucky Fried Chicken. However, we limit frying around here.
9. fish: I could never keep them alive as pets and I don't have much luck catching them at the lake for eating. But I sure do like to eat the catfish our neighbor gives us.
10. Forgiveness: It's hard to give, and sometimes even hard to accept.
11. fleeting: Life, indeed, is fleeting. 1 Chronicles 29:15 "For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding." James 4:14 "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."
12. formaldehyde: I remember its smell from ninth-grade biology when we dissected frogs, fish, earthworms and oysters.
13, Foxtrotter: My horse, Boogie Midnight Rhythm Blues, is a registered Missouri Foxtrotter.
I really am having fun doing this with Izzy 'N Emmy. I keep a sheet of paper on my desk here, number 1 through 13, and every time I think of a good word to use on the next weeks letter I jot it down. I don't worry about what I'll say about the word until the evening before the next Thursday Thirteen.
If you'd like to play along as we go through the alphabet, be sure and leave the specific link to your entry at Izzy 'N Emmy.
1. Eggs: I love them boiled, fried, poached, or scrambled.
2. Esther: One of my favorite Bible people. What a brave, brave woman.
3. Elvis: Wow, what an explosion on the music scene when he came with "You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog".
4. Eccentric: That'd be me.
5. Electricity: I don't have it at my cabin. For a few hours, that's a good thing. Any longer and I go mad. What, no computer?
6. Embryo: I can't help it; I believe an embryo is a person. Maybe your embryos weren't/aren't. I can only speak for mine.
7. embarrassed: I've embarrassed myself many times.
8. eagle: We sometimes see them around here, but I've never been able to get a picture of one.
9. enchanted: "Some enchanted evening you may meet a stranger...". I used to listen to those words and hope that would happen for me, that someone would smile across a crowded room and somehow I'd know, I'd know even then, that somehow I'd see him again and again.
That isn't how it happened, exactly. But it's worked out just fine.
10. Easter: Oh, what wonderful memories of Easter egg hunts and baskets and coloring eggs and dinners featuring ham as the main course.
11. Economy: It's a worrisome word these days.
12. Eagleville: I only lived there for two or three years as a child, but it seems like my "home town". Maybe because my Grandma had an Eagleville address.
13. Everly Brothers: I loved those guys, and I still like to sing "Bye Bye Love".
1. Chickens: I wouldn't mind having a couple of them.
2. Cats: I like them as long as they live in the barn.
3. Coffee: The only reason for getting up in the morning, and one of the chief reasons for living.
4. Clara: My beloved grandma's name
5. Confetti: I've made a lot of it out of old newspapers and magazines.
6. Cows: one of my favorite animals
7. Cigarettes: I gave them up sometime around 1980.
8. Candy: I wish I could give that up.
9. Carter Family: they practically invented country music
10. Cash. Johnny Cash. Enough said.
11. Church of Christ: The church I was raised in, with a Capella singing. I have them (and my mom) to thank for my Bible knowledge.
12. Carolyn: one of my cousins
13. Cross: 1 Corinthians 1:18: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
This really is a fun exercise. If you decide to go through the alphabet with us on Thursdays, be sure to leave a link to your entry at Izzy 'N Emmy.
1. Boogie Midnight Rhythm Blues - the registered name of my horse, Blue. 2. Babies - I love babies, and miss having them around. 3. Bananas - even at 59 cents per pound, they're a bargain. 4. beans - Very few days go by around this house that we don't have some dish that includes beans. (Don't say it, I know what you're thinking.) 5. bread - I have to keep mine in the freezer because Cliff and I can't eat as much of it as we'd like to. 6. Bible - I have several. 7. Banties - Tiny little chickens that are so much fun to watch. They only lay eggs for about six months out of the year, though. Very tiny eggs. And banties go broody often. 8. Burglars - We get burglars in our neck of the woods every December. Thank goodness they haven't made an appearance at my house. (knock wood) 9. blood pressure - Something I never thought twice about until I got into my forties. 10. Barack Obama - God help him, he has a big job ahead of him. 11. Brett - my second-oldest grandchild. 12. Bobby McGee - One of the best songs EVER! 13. Brandy - the name of a Chow we had who died at a ripe old age.
This really is a fun exercise. If you decide to go through the alphabet with us on Thursdays, be sure to leave a link to your entry at Izzy 'N Emmy.
As I understand it, we'll be doing this meme for the next twenty-six weeks.
1. Allen, my maiden name. 2. Arick, my first grandchild and oldest grandson 3. Amber, my first granddaughter 4. “All In The Family”, a show I still love. I have the DVD’s for the first four seasons. 5. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. 6. Alfalfa, a high-protein food for cattle 7. Apples: I always have apples in the house. 8. Air conditioning: Finally, as of last summer, I have it! 9. Apple computer; if I every win the lottery, I’ll buy a couple of them 10. America. No matter what you say, there’s no better place to live. 11. AOL. I’m watching it slide into oblivion. 12. Avon products. My mom sold those for years. I love my Avon Christmas plates. 13. Alabama: I’ll never forget touring the ship, the USS Alabama.
If you want to play along, leave a comment with your link at "Izzy 'N Emmy" so she can include you.
This is harder than you think. I imagine I'll pass when we get to X and Z.
I've seen others do this for Thursday Thirteen and decided it was a good idea:
THIRTEEN GOOGLE-SEARCHES THAT LED PEOPLE TO THIS BLOG:
1. rules for fruit basket game 2. Neopets: What happened on September 11, 2007? 3. Richard Nixon’s piano 4. Just Me (this seems to be the commonest google to my blog) 5. motorcycling after heart surgery 6. Older daddy 7. to everything there is a season 8. framing+old+hankies 9. Family Reunion in Misouri 10. motorcycle trips 11. what to know when getting a horse ready to ride 12. when my morning comes 13. Barefoot all day
I wasn't planning to participate this week, but I saw where somebody did a TT entry on concerts she had attended. Hey, I could come up with more than 13 of those if I had to!
1. Kris Kristofferson 2. Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton (You know that had to be YEARS ago, don't you?) 3. George Jones (Twice, but never again. He seems as though he wishes he were home.) 4. Travis Tritt 5. Sawyer Brown (Twice, and I would see them again in a heartbeat. Real crowd-pleasers.) 6. Charlie Daniels 7. Waylon Jennings (I miss Waylon.) 8. Willie Nelson 9. Joe Diffie 10. Mark Chestnut 11. Tracy Lawrence (I saw numbers 9, 10 and 11 together, at one concert.) 12. Shelly West 13. Merle Haggard
1. Cold Case Files 2. CSI 3. CSI Miami - mainly because of the incredible colors; we recently got HDTV on DISH-TV. 4. House 5. Grey’s Anatomy 6. Down-Under Horsemanship 7. Criminal Minds 8. Dog Whisperer 9. The Closer 10. Law and Order 11. Law and Order, Criminal Intent 12. Without a Trace 13. CBS Sunday Morning - the best news magazine show EVER.
