Sunday Stealing

What Would You Say at This Moment to:

1) Someone you have hurt?

A. I'm sorry.

2) Someone who has hurt you?

A. I forgive you.

3) Your favorite teacher from grade school?

A. Thank you for teaching me how to read a book aloud with nuance and emotion.

4) Your most hated teacher from high school?

A. Yelling at students is not the best way to teach.

5) Your best friend from college?

A. I didn't have a best friend in college. I went to college part-time while I was married and didn't really have time to make friends. That said, I would like to thank some of my professors. They were wonderful.

6) Your favorite recording artist?

A. You can retire now.

7) Your favorite author?

A. To any author: keep writing.

8) Your first boss?

A. It never was, never has been, and never will be, all about you.

9) Your first love?

A. Thanks for the memories.

10) Your true love?

A. We'll be married for 42 years this year, old man.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Complete the Thought

1. I wish someone would ... invent a time machine.

2. When I order Chinese food ... I always get sweet and sour chicken.

3. I know it's not everyone's favorite activity, but I actually enjoy ... doing the laundry.

5. A major pet peeve of mine is ... poke butts who drive slowly.

6. I remember when my grandfather ... took me to Hills Department Store to buy a toy horse.

7. I am not fazed at all by ... what strangers think of me.

8. Long car rides ... put me to sleep.

9. I don't understand the fuss over ... any celebrity anywhere.

10. When I'm home alone ... I listen to music, dance around the house, and enjoy myself.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

10 Questions with Nigel

1. What's your life's motto?

A. "Do no harm" and "Not all who wander are lost."

2. Where were you living 13 years ago?

A. In the same place I am living now.

3. Is anyone jealous of you?

A. Probably.

4. Where were you when you heard about the 9/11 terror attacks?

A. I was working at a law office in the county seat. The lawyer came in and said a plane had hit the Twin Towers. We turned on a small television and were watching when the second plane hit. Then we heard about the Pentagon being hit. Then the towers collapsed, and the lawyer closed the office and sent everyone home.

5. Do you consider yourself kind?

A. I try very hard to be kind. I am human so I am not always successful.

6. Can you change your car's oil?

A. I could if I had to. But fortunately, there are people I can pay to do that.

7. What's the last thing you heard about your first love?

A. My "boyfriend" from elementary school passed away some months ago. I'm not sure if one would consider him a first love or not.

8. Have you ever been burned by love?

A. Who hasn't?

9. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?

A. I bought a hanging flower basket.

10. Do you hug your friends?

A. Yes. I think hugs are terrific.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

P.S. Today is my birthday.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

This week we're stealing from Christina at Call Me Patsy. Back in 2008, she admitted she stole these questions from a blogging buddy named Liz. Here we don't judge. We celebrate such theft.

Questions Christina Stole from Liz

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?

A. The light bill is not my favorite. We seem to use an excessive amount of electricity for a small home. I'm sure part of the problem is the two air purifiers we run, but when it's either pay for the electricity or pay for the doctor because of my asthma, then I suppose we've chosen the best path for us.

2. Which restaurant would you recommend for a romantic dinner?

A. We only have one nice restaurant in the city. It's called Coach and Four. It's been around a long time; it's where my husband proposed to me.

3. Who was your first-grade teacher?

A. My first-grade teacher was Mrs. Zirkle. I found her to be very mean and quite harsh, and I frequently went home from school and cried. 

4. What should you be doing right now?

A. I probably should be working on making dinner instead of answering these questions, but dinner will keep.

5. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A. I wanted to be many things when I was growing up: an archeologist, a geologist, an astronaut, a college professor.

6. How did you choose the shirt you're wearing right now?

A. It was hanging in the closet and wasn't a t-shirt.

7. Gas prices! What's your first thought?

A. They are what they are. I have no control over them.

8. Do you have a teddy bear?

A. I do not have a teddy bear.

9. Do you own the last book you read, or did you get it from the library?

A. The last book I read came from the library. I try to get most of my books from the library these days.

10. Did you more recently send a text or write a Post It?

A. I sent a text.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

These questions were inspired by a blogger named Becca. Back in 2007, Becca was asked to reveal 8 interesting things about herself. We're turning her answers into questions to learn a little more about YOU.

8 Questions

1. What habit do you wish you could break?

A. At the moment, I am trying to stop cursing. It is a difficult habit to break.

2. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

A. I'm not sure I have one anymore. I used to love Myrtle Beach, but it has changed so much that I no longer recognize it as the place I used to enjoy. I like Williamsburg but it's not somewhere I want to go all the time.

3. How many years of formal education have you completed?

A. I have completed my master's degree.

4. Have you ever had a job that required you be certified or licensed?

A. I have never had a job that had certification or licensing requirements.

5. Do you enjoy camping?

A. No. I like hotel rooms and room service.

6. Tell us about a time you got away with something.

A. When I was younger, my foot was much heavier on the gas pedal than it is now. Somehow, I never received a speeding ticket, though.

7. Where have you lived the longest, and what do/did you like best about it?

A. I have lived the longest in the house I am in now. I love it because it belongs to me and my husband, we built it ourselves with help from friends and family, and it is small.

8. When you were a kid, were more of your playmates boys or girls?

A. Most of my young playmates were boys. I had two young uncles and my brother as my companions most of the summer.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Last week we shared questions that centered around your bathroom. This week, with questions stolen from Manic Monday, we're moving to the bedroom.

Back to Bed

1. Let's say your alarm wakes you up with music. What would be the worst song to hear first thing in the morning?

A. A funeral dirge.

2. How many pillows do you sleep with?

A. I sleep on a big wedge pillow with a round pillow under my neck, and two pillows under my knees and feet.

3. What size mattress do you sleep on?

A. We sleep on a queen-sized mattress.

4. Do you always sleep on the same side of the bed?

A. I always sleep on the same side of the bed.

5. Do you make your bed every day?

A. I make my bed every day.

6. Do you keep water on your bedside table?

A. I keep water on the bedside table. We like the little 8 oz water bottles for that. They have a lid and so you can't spill them all over the bed, unless you can't get the lid back on.

7. How often do you change your sheets?

A. I change my sheets once a week unless one of us becomes sick. Then I might change them daily or as required.

8. What's under your bed?

A. I imagine there is a little dust under there, but that's all. And there shouldn't be much of that.

9. Do you sleep in total darkness or do you like to have a light on?

A. It is not totally dark in my bedroom because of light from the alarm clocks, but I do not sleep with a light on.

10. What do you remember about your childhood bedroom?

A. My childhood bedroom had white furniture with a canopy twin bed. It looked a little like this, but not exactly:

Stolen from Pinterest

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

The Bathroom Meme

1. Do you shampoo once or lather, rinse and repeat?

A. I shampoo once.

2. Do you use conditioner a) daily, b) when you need it, c) never?

A. I use conditioner daily.

3. What's your shaving cream preference: foam or gel?

A. I use soap.

4. Is your toothbrush manual or electric?

A. It's battery powered. I am considering the purchase of an electric one.

5. Dental floss, soft picks, neither or both? 

A. I use both.

6. Do you use mouthwash a) daily, b) when you need it, c) never?

A. I use it daily.

7. Are there magazines in your bathroom?

A. There are magazines in one bathroom, none in the other.

8. Is there bar soap or liquid soap on your bathroom sink? 

A. Bar soap in one bathroom, liquid soap in the other.

9. What kind of soap is in your shower?

A. Bar soap and body wash.

10. Now for the most important question: does the toilet paper drape over or under?

A. It drapes over when I install it. My husband tends to put it without concern for the direction.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

I can't trace back where these were stolen from. So sue me.

Time Travel

What were you doing . . . 

1. Twenty years ago?

A. Twenty years ago, in 2005, I would have been writing for the local newspaper and having a fine time of it, too. I so enjoyed that work. I loved dealing with all of the people, I liked investigating things, I enjoyed writing historical pieces and learning about how things used to be. I liked deadlines! I liked seeing my byline in the paper. I liked feeling like I was contributing to my community by ensuring folks knew what was going on around them. It was like teaching but without the pain of students and grades.

2. Ten years ago? 

A. Almost to the day, I was working on an involved article that made me miss the work I was doing in 2005, because by then the work had slowed down considerably with the influx of more internet and print editions of newspapers were dying.

3. Five years ago?

A. Five years ago, we were in lockdown from the Covid-19 pandemic, still. Thanks to this blog, I know that I was home, and my husband came home early and scared me so much that I threw a piece of bologna at him (apparently, I was in the midst of making a sandwich).

4. One year ago?

A. We saw the Northern Lights! They came all the way as far south as we are and then some. They weren't vibrant green, but they were red, and they were splendid.

5. Yesterday?

A.  We went to the farmers' market and bought a hanging basket. Then we watched it rain. Since we are in a drought, that was a happy occasion.

Bonus! What will you do tomorrow?

A. I'm taking a relative to have blood work done.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

The Gale Interview Questions

1. What's the most daring thing you've ever done? Did it take physical or emotional courage?

A. I went up in a hot air balloon and flew over my county. I also went up in a small airplane and flew over my county. The former took courage, the latter was just not thinking.

2. Where did you meet the love of your life?

A. We met a high school football game, although I had known him since elementary school. We rode the same bus. However, he was four years older than I and paid no attention to me, or I to him, really, except I remember him, but he doesn't remember me.

3. What brand/flavor of coffee are you drinking these days?

A. I do not drink coffee.

4. What's the coolest place you've ever visited and how did you get there (car, plane, motorcycle, etc.)?

A. The coolest place I've ever visited New York City. I got there by car once and by plane another time.

5. What's the best concert you ever attended?

A. We went to an Elton John concert in 1999 when it was just him and his piano, no band. It was sensational.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Since it's Easter weekend, we're going to keep this simple. We stole this from a blogger named Idzie, who called this the F.A.B. (film, audio, book) meme.

F.A.B.

F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching?

A. I am watching The Bionic Woman when I walk on the treadmill. I am in season 2. I haven't seen the show since the 1970s and I remember very little of it, so it's mostly new to me. It has been somewhat eye-opening to see topics that are still current today. For example, there has been mention of fluoride in the water being bad, the price of oil, and unrest in the Middle East. Aside from the use of two-way radios instead of cellphones, and of course the 1970s vehicles, the show holds up much better than I thought it would. 

A. Audio: What are you listening to?

A. I am listening to Alexa play Bread's Lost Without Your Love on Amazon Music. 

B. Book: What are you reading?

A. I am listening to an audiobook called Once & Future by Cory McCarthy et al. It's a King Arthur retelling, set in the very far future.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Odd Little Meme

1. Do you own a pair of cargo pants?

A. I do not own a pair of cargo pants.

2. Which of these gifts from a romantic partner would please you most: a) jewelry, b) wine, c) a book, d) something grown in his/her garden?

A. The answer is (c) a book.

3. Who was the last person to toss a harsh word or phrase your way? Do you think that maybe you had it coming?

A. That likely would have been something my husband said, and I probably deserved it, whatever it was. It must not have been too much of anything since I can't recall anything specific.

4. Did you appear in any plays back when you were in school? If yes, what role(s) did you play? Earn extra, non-existent points for sharing any of your dialog.

A. I did not appear in any plays when I was in school.

5. Which Osmond do you like better: Donny or Marie?

A. I don't care for either Osmond.

6. Who is your favorite radio host or podcaster?

A. I don't have one.

7. Is your personal workspace filled with fluffy, plastic wind-up, rubbery or edible items? Or are you all business and clutter free?

A. My personal workspace has a lot of clutter, but it is mostly paper such as books, mail, notebooks, research items. 

I didn't do so well with these questions today.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

1) What's the longest you've gone without sleep?

A. About 24 hours. This has happened twice - once in 2010 when my husband and I drove to Myrtle Beach and back in the same day, and again in 2014 when my husband caught his hand in the hay baler and had surgery until late into the night.

2) What was the highlight of your last week?

A. It wasn't a nice highlight, but I lost a cousin/friend in a motorcycle accident.

3) You have to give a 10-minute speech to a group of high school students. What's your topic?

A. I would talk about writing and communication.

4) What is the single best decision you've ever made in your life?

A. The best decision I ever made was to marry my husband. 

5) If you could ask a coworker, friend or family member a question and be guaranteed an honest answer, who would you choose and what would you ask?

A. I would talk to my father, but I will not reveal what I would ask.

6) Do you cook for yourself when you're home alone?

A. When I am home alone, I generally do not cook for myself and make do with whatever is handy. Sometimes when I am alone, I forget to eat. This was especially true when I was freelancing full time. I would get so into my work that I would lose track of time.

7) Do you most often access the internet from your computer, your phone, or your smart watch?

A. I access the internet mostly from a desktop computer. The phone also connects to the wifi but I am on the computer more.

8) Do you have more email addresses or phone numbers?

A. I have more email addresses than phone numbers. I have at least 9 email accounts.

9) What's the biggest source of anger in your life right now?

A. Myself.

10) Mondays make me feel like it's a chance to start anew.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Stealing from Shannon 

 

1. What book are you currently reading?

A. I am listening to The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz and reading Obsession by Stuart Woods.

2. Have you ever smoked?

A. I tried cigarettes when I was a teenager but did not like them and never picked up the habit.

3. Do you own a gun?

A. When I was 10, my grandparents visited from California. My grandfather brought with him a .22 "survival gun" that broke down and fit inside of the gunstock for easy carrying. I admired it and my grandfather told me if I learned to break it down and put it back together in less than 2 minutes, he would give it to me. I practiced and before he left, I broke the gun down and put it back together in under 2 minutes. He kept his word and gave me the gun. I don't think he had thought I could do it.

4. What is your favorite candy?

A. Chocolate. At the moment my favorite is Lindt's milk chocolate, a Lindor bar.

5. Hot dogs: yay or nay?

A. They are ok occasionally.

6. Favorite movie?

A. The Lord of the Rings, all three movies (The Fellowship, The Two Towers, The Return of the King), extended editions.

7. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?

A. I drink a cup of hot water in the morning.

8. What do you drink throughout the day?

A. I drink water throughout the day. I stopped drinking anything but water about five years ago.

9. Do you do push-ups?

A. I do not do push-ups.

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?

A. My favorite piece of jewelry is my wedding band, followed by my cheap Timex watch.

11. Current worry?

A. My current worries . . . (a) fixing the roof, (b) the lack of rain, (c) my husband's health, (d) my brother's health, (e) my father's health, (f) my mother-in-law's health, (e) my own health, (f) the state of the nation.

12. Current annoyance?

A. The air purifier in the hallway has developed a very annoying squeak. My husband can't hear it, but I can. I am also having a bought of tinnitus, and the squeak doesn't help that.

13. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?

A. I do not know that I have ever slept on satin sheets. Mostly I sleep on cotton sheets.

15.  Can you whistle?

A. I can whistle. Some days I can whistle better than others.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

These journal prompts were stolen from CountryDew, (hey, that's me!) who originally posted them in February 2021. She undoubtedly stole them from another blogger, but we're not busting her. Here at Sunday Stealing we encourage theft. 

Prompts and More Prompts

1) How do you show others love? What makes you feel loved?

A. The book, The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman, says there are 5 ways to show love. They are physical contact, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, and receiving gifts. I show love to others in all of these ways, as I think most people do, but mostly through time, offering words of affirmation, and giving gifts. In order for me to feel loved, I would need someone's time, words of affirmation, and an occasional box of Tic Tacs.

2) Who is someone you admire? Why?

A. I admire my friend Teresa. She has it all together. She is a terrific artist and does all sorts of crafty cool things and is a great cook. She is smart, funny, and thoughtful.

3) Do you have the qualities you value in a friend?

A. I would like to think I have the same qualities that I value in a friend, and I probably do, but not necessarily to the same degree as other people. Some I may have more of, others less. Here's what AI says makes a good friend: 

Trustworthiness: A good friend keeps your secrets and is reliable.

Empathy: They listen and understand your feelings without judgment.

Loyalty: They stand by you through thick and thin.

Honesty: They give you the truth, even when it's not easy to hear.

Supportiveness: A true friend cheers on your successes and provides comfort during challenges.

Respect: They value your boundaries, opinions, and individuality.

Humor: A shared sense of fun can make even tough times more bearable.

Do you agree or disagree with Miss AI?

4) What is something you enjoyed doing when you were younger but don't do anymore? Why did you stop doing it?

A. I used to enjoy bicycle riding when I was young, but I do not do that anymore. I stopped because I grew up and married and didn't have time for it.

5) What is something other people think is fun but you don't?

A. Parties. I do not like parties much. An occasional one is fine, but I don't like them very often.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

This week, we're stealing from Steph, aka Cry Baby. She loves Taco Bell and asking questions like these

1) Think about the last person you forgave. How long did it take you to forgive them?

A.  I can't remember the last person I had to forgive for something really important. I forgive most people for trivial things fairly quickly.

 

2) Steph's favorite fast food is Taco Bell. What's yours?

A. We get take-out from China House. We usually get one large order of chicken and broccoli with three egg rolls (my husband eats two). I don't know if China House is a chain or just a local eatery.

3) Who was the last friend you hung out with? What did you do?

A. The last time I hung out with anyone was at Christmas. We did Christmas. If my hairdresser of 30+ years coming to my house to cut my hair counts as hanging out, then I had a haircut. We do chit-chat, so I guess that might count.

 

4) Did you do anything this past week that will still seem important a year from now?

A. Possibly. But most likely, not.

5) Will this coming week be better than last week? How so?

A. This past week has been one of constant worry. I don't see that changing much into next week. A better week would be nice but not expected.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

FIVE people who mean the world to you. (Not necessarily in any order, it's just a list.)

1. My husband

2. My brother

3. My mother-in-law

4. My father

5. My friends (which makes more than 5, but I will lump them all together)

FOUR things you fear.

1. Illness.

2. Living under a bridge.

3. Losing my husband.

4. The loss of democracy.

THREE words to describe how you feel right now.

1. Overwhelmed.

2. Tired.

3. Confused.

TWO things you're excited about.

1. Spring is coming!

2. Um. That's about it. I don't have a lot to look forward to. I think that's kind of pitiful, actually.

ONE thing you'd like to say to someone.

1. Get your filthy, dirty tiny little hands off of my democracy.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing is back! Look below the "ask for a volunteer" post for the questions!

Sunday Stealing: The Put Your Questions in the Box Questions

1. Where were you three hours ago?

A. In bed. I am answering these on Sunday morning.

2. Make a confession.

A. I despise someone.

3. Do you have bad habits?

A. I swear and, given my size, must eat too much even though I don't think I do.

4. What is your favorite color?

A. Blue and/or purple.

5. Can you drive?

A. Yes. I have been able to drive since I was 12. My father taught me first to drive a stick shift, which was an old Jeep that my brother and I used to get up and down the driveway (long, long driveway) to the school bus.

6. Name 3 pet peeves.

A. I am peeved when I receive spam phone calls, whenever I hear a certain person's voice or see his face, and when websites don't work properly.

7. Who is the last person you hugged?

A. My husband.

8. Name something you miss.

A. I missed Sunday Stealing while it was taking a break!

9. What song is stuck in your head at the moment?

A. I don't have one at the moment. It's too early. But that made me think of the one that goes, "It's too late baby, now it's too late, though we really did try to make it." Carole King song. 

10. What is your favorite quote?

A. Not all who wander are lost - J.R.R. Tolkien

11. Name your favorite band.

A. I'll go with Fleetwood Mac, although I can't really say I have a favorite band.

12. Name something you're excited for.

A. I can't think of anything at the moment.

13. What is your favorite movie?

A. I'll be predictable today: Lord of the Rings. All three of them, all 14+ hours.

14. What type of phone do you have?

A. I have iPhone SE. 

15. Name your favorite animal.

A. I like pandas.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.