Crazy Quilt - 1885

One of the more interesting aspects of my life as I have lived it is that I see a lot of things and am asked a lot of things. Usually I don't know the answer. I am smart because I know I don't know the answers and so I look things up or seek answers. It is what it is.

Anyway, recently I was asked to look at a crazy quilt at the Botetourt County History Museum in Fincastle. The reasoning was that because I am a Firebaugh I would have some idea about quilts donated by Firebaughs.

The quilt has a date of 1885 on it. I am not that old! I'm afraid I am not much help with this particular query.

Apparently this particular quilt was made by Boozes or Zimmermans, both familiar names to the area. I am taking a guess at that because of the Bs and Zs on the quilt.  I suppose it could be Bolton. How it ended up being associated with Firebaugh I do not know, although the Firebaughs and Boltons are related.

An old card, created probably in the early 1990s, indicated the quilt was donated by Firebaughs and there was a question as to whether or not it was created/made or otherwise involved with Willie Firebaugh who was a daughter of a Major Firebaugh (CSA), so I suppose that is where the inquiry came from.

The piece is very delicate but exquisitely sewn. I am not a person familiar with quilting nor do I know much about textile work, but I can tell fine needlework when I see it. This included what looked like embroidery and other types of needlework as well as simply quilting.

I suspect this piece needs to be reviewed by a textile historian.

Here are photos:

Beautiful Weeds

These little lovelies are growing in the ditch near my mailbox. I have no idea what they are. They almost look like a phlox.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Name three things you love about yourself.

A. This is rather hard. I don't think kindly of myself often. Let's see if I can do this. (1) I love that I give of myself to my community. (2) I love that I have a strong relationship with my brother (not all siblings can say that). (3) I love that I have talents, such as writing, playing the guitar, and I love that I have some brains.

2. What’s the bravest thing you ever did?

A. Hmm. Married at 20? No, lots of people do that. Let me go ask my husband. He says it is a tie between going up in a hot air balloon or taking a plane ride in a two-seater with a known drunk piloting the plane.

3. Talk about the craziest night of your life.

A. It was a Halloween party. Big bonfire. Lots of drugs floating around in the air. I slipped in by being in the trunk of a car.

4. Name three things you want in life.

A. To be healthy, to be a good person, and to be helpful to others.

5. Who’s your biggest celebrity crush?

A. I don't really have those, but I liked Viggo Mortenson and Orlando Bloom in the Lord of the Rings movies. However, I do not find either of them attractive in other movies.

6. What’s your most common mistake?

A. I overestimate people.

7. Which three things would you save if there was a fire?

A. Well, the question says "things" so obviously we're not talking about people. I'd grab my wedding ring, my backup hard drive for the PC, and either a camera or a guitar.

8. What’s your favorite sport?

A. I don't play any sports, but I like to watch ice skating/dancing.

9. Talk about something good that recently happened to you.

A. I was asked to be the head of the sub-committee in charge of writing the official 250th anniversary magazine for my county, which celebrates a big birthday next year. So far this means I'm writing most of the magazine and worrying myself dreadfully over it because I seem to BE the committee, but it was an honor to be asked.

10. Which fictional world would you want to live in if you could?

A. Middle Earth.

11. What’s one thing you can never say no to?

A. A hug.

12. Talk about a childhood memory.

A. When I was about four, I was playing outside with a little chair around a tree. I was whipping the tree for being a bad tree when I looked down and saw a snake curled around it. It's a wonder I wasn't bitten. I raced in the house, so frightened I could barely speak, and finally made my mother understand there was a snake around the tree. She called my father, and he came home and killed it. I think it was a corn snake but I'm not sure.

13. Name five things you find attractive in others.

A. Loyalty, integrity, honor, trust, and intellect.

14. Are you good at making final decisions or do you easily change your mind?

A. Once I've made a decision, I usually stick with it. Getting to that point can be a challenge sometimes.

15. Name three guilty pleasures of yours.

A. Eating chocolate, although I have stopped that at the moment; playing video games; staring out the window.

__________
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.

Saturday 9: Don't Envy Me

Saturday 9: Don't Envy Me (1963)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) What is it about you that you believe your friends and acquaintances envy?

A. Not much, although I know there have been times in the past that folks have been envious of my work with the newspaper. I even had a few people say to me, "I could do that, you're nothing special," and if that's not an envy statement I don't know what is. I would always reply, "You should apply to the editor, then. He can use more freelancers." But they never did.

2) Do you have a friend or acquaintance that you envy?

A. I have friends and acquaintances with traits I admire. I don't think I envy them, though. I do envy folks who have good health.

3) This song was not a hit, even though it was written and produced by the supersuccessful team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Tell us about a project you had great confidence in at the beginning, but didn't turn out as well as you'd hoped.

A. Knitting. I really thought I'd be decent at knitting and it wouldn't take me long to get the hang of it, because I did it when I was a child and was fairly good at it. But no. My knitting projects look like a cat spit them out.

4) George Hamilton is better known as an actor. He is proud of his performance in the 1960 movie Light in the Piazza. He played an Italian who romances an American girl on holiday in Florence. Did you ever find love while vacationing?

A. No. I found love at a football game.

5) George had a small part in Godfather III. How many of the Godfather movies have you seen? Have you read the book?

A. I have seen pieces of the original movie. Never read the book. Not my genre.

6) He's gotten a lot of publicity over the years for his personal life, including his 1966 romance with First Daughter Lynda Bird Johnson. At the time, she was living in the White House. Tell us about a memorable experience you had "meeting the parents."

A. I'll just tell this story: when my husband and I were dating, and close to the proposal part, we went out one night and went parking out at Stone Coal Gap. While we were out, we heard noises. Stone Coal Gap is supposed to be haunted (remember, I was only 19). At some point we both grew nervous and raced out of there. When we got to my house, we went inside and my parents were still up. My mother looked at me. "Why is your shirt on wrong-side out?" she asked. "I guess I put it back on that way," I said. I'll let you, dear reader, figure out how that happened.

7) George is also known for his year-round tan. Have you ever used a tanning bed? Or self tanner?

A. I tried a tanning bed one time and got so claustrophobic I was out of there in less than a minute.

8) In 1963, when this record was released, President Kennedy made a historic trip to Ireland. Have you ever visited the land of your ancestors?

A. I have not.

9) Random question -- The last of a batch of delicious chocolate chip cookies just fell on your kitchen floor. Would you eat it?

A. Depends. Do I get them up in 5 seconds? Surely if some landed on top of others those would be just fine to eat. The broken ones . . . hmm. They'd probably be okay, too. Heck, a little dirt never hurt anyone. Let me just sweep up those crumbs.

___________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.

Free Speech - Yeah, No.

Today in my local paper, I saw two national stories that dealt with speech issues.

In one, a nominee of #45 for an office overseen by the U.S. Senate dropped out because he couldn't withstand the pressure of being interviewed by senators. This became particularly burdensome after someone produced articles he'd written and published about 20 years ago. The articles were inflammatory and particularly biased against women.

So he got sent back to the washroom.

Another article said Facebook had deleted the accounts of what it called hate speech groups - most of them on the right of the political spectrum (Alex Jones is the only name I remember). Howls of protest and cries of censorship ensued.

I am not in favor of banning books. A book sits on a shelf and is there until someone goes and gets it. It doesn't do anything unless someone reads it, and if someone checks out and somebody else objects, the problem lies with the person objecting, not the reader. If the reader objects to the content, that's an easy fix. Stop reading the book. Don't stop me from reading what I want.

Somewhat like a book, my blog is here and sits here until someone comes to my blog specifically to read it. It doesn't cross people's Facebook feed because I seldom link to it.

Facebook, however, is like a living information center where crap passes in front of your face time and again, whether you want it to or not. TV is like that, too, except now there are more channels to choose from, so there is NRATV and Christian Science TV, neither of which I have ever watched nor will I. But that is my choice and it's not in my newsfeed or on my TV screen.

The information Facebook has banned is available in other places, so if someone wants to find it, they can read it there. Rather like a library, they may have to look for it now. But it's still available.

Facebook is also not the government. It's a corporation, and corporations don't have "free speech" laws that they must live by. They have laws against discrimination that they must live by, and while we don't have actual "hate speech" laws here, "hate speech" in and of itself tends to be discriminatory.

Here's a definition of "hate speech" from Wikipedia (not the best source, I know):

Hate speech is a statement intended to demean and brutalize another. It is the use of cruel and derogatory language, gestures or vandalism often directed towards an individual or group. Hate speech is speech that attacks a person or a group on the basis of attributes such as race, religion, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The laws of some countries describe hate speech as speech, gestures, conduct, writing, or displays that incite violence or prejudicial actions against a group or individuals on the basis of their membership in the group, or disparages or intimidates a group, or individuals on the basis of their membership in the group. The law may identify a group based on certain characteristics. In some countries, hate speech is not a legal term. Additionally in some countries, including the United States, hate speech is constitutionally protected.

So, constitutionally, in these United States, folks have the right to be bigots, racists, misogynists, or whatever, but that doesn't give them the right to be a jerk anywhere they please, or to be a hate-filled idiot without feeling the consequences. (And I also don't believe all speech is constitutionally protected, not really. You can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater, or maybe in today's world, the example should be "gun." Parents can be held accountable for verbally abusing their children to the point of emotional cruelty, and that same term can be used to dissolve a marriage. If the boss is a woman and she overhears someone saying bad things about women, then that person should not be surprised when said person ends up jobless.)

If someone walks up to me and start dissing women, I'm going to turn and walk away. Nothing says I have to listen. People can have their words and opinions, but my eyes and ears need not see or hear them.

I'm sure that in my long career of writing, I've written stupid things; words that I no longer agree with, even. I've grown and changed. That's what happens as you mature, if you move beyond being 14 years old (some people never do, I'm afraid). Your thought processes don't stay the same. Mine certainly haven't.

Fortunately, I am not a politician or a high-ranking political official. Even so, whatever stupid thing I wrote may someday come back to haunt me. What will it cost me? I don't know. All I can do is take ownership of whatever it might be and say, "Yes, I wrote that. I was 27 years old. I think differently now and I've grown past that. I wish I hadn't written it, but at the time I didn't know any better." I don't know that "I'm sorry" helps in that situation but I would have no problem throwing it in there.

In this day and age, I think it is foolish not to think that something you wrote a long time ago won't come back to slap you in the face. I am prepared for that situation, sort of. Since I don't know what it might be, all I can do is think of how I might react if or when the time comes.

So am I in favor of free speech? Yes - to a point. Am I in favor of listening or reading every piece of trash out there? Nope. I prefer freedom of choice. I think Facebook has the right to ban whatever it wants from its operations. I also think if you're a nasty person, then you deserve whatever nastiness you get from being nasty.

I also think I have the right not to see discriminatory items cross my Facebook page, and I liberally use the "no longer see posts from . . . " feature on my Facebook page.

I also hope that if I should ever start writing things that are terrible and disagreeable, someone stops me and shakes me until I come to my senses.

Thursday Thirteen

My new name, per Game of Thrones:

I am
(1) Anita of the House Firebaugh,

(2) Spouse of the Lord Firebaugh,

(3) Graduate of the Green and Gold,

(4) Mother of cattle,

(5) Writer of articles,

(6) Keeper of secrets,

(7) the Insane,

(8) Lady of J&A Farms,

(9) Mistress of Coin for the House,

(10) Baker of food in the kitchen,

(11) Collector of books,

(12) Voice for the Universe, and

(13) Blogger of Thursday 13.


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 601th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

May Dreams

    

 

 

 Ah, a new month. Another time to look at the self and consider renewal, or perhaps a time to look back and see where you've been. The first day is all in how you look at it, I suppose.

I am going to look at dreams today. I am still young enough to dream, to think that someday I might . . . what? What ARE my dreams?

My dreams, those real things I have at night, have generally been the stuff of horror films and freak shows. Full of dark things, real and unreal, making for long nights with real screams and wakings covered in sweat.

But those secret dreams - those things held close and dear, what of those? Those dreams of a husband, a house, all of that - I have those old dreams and desires. Dreams achieved.

Being a writer was always the number one dream, and I have obtained that, as well. But not the book. Still haven't written a book and I don't know that I ever will. I have written thousands of articles - there are thousands of entries in this blog, even.

I never wanted to write the Great American Novel anyway. I wanted to write . . . Nancy Drew books. I wanted to be a hack. I wanted to write under a pseudonym and write adventure stories for young women who would grow up to be senators and presidents, CEOs and leaders.

Then I went to college and I'm pretty sure that deflated that dream. Because at college, you were supposed to want to write literature (with a capital "L") - or poetry - or something else similarly "up there."

Sometimes I have written things that are "up there." I've won contests and published poetry. But I loved writing articles for the local paper. Loved it better'n chocolate even, and that's sayin' a lot.

Now that is (mostly) over, and I keep trying to turn my attention and talents elsewhere, only to be dragged back into articles and writing history pieces or doing the things I thought I was moving away from. A sign? Maybe. An inability to move forward? Maybe a little.

After all, I honestly don't know how to go about being a Nancy Drew ghost writer. For one thing, I don't think I could write for young women now. I am an older woman and I've never been around children much. I think there are basic desires and hopes all people have, and I could translate those into something, but I'd have to set them in the 1970s or some time that I am familiar with. I don't talk the language of the youth of today.

So no young adult unless perhaps I wrote a fantasy, where the language would be my own anyway, and only those basic desires, needs, and wants would be what mattered.

They are probably all that matter in any story. They are all that matter in dreams, I daresay.

So right now I am doing, not dreaming. Moving along trying to work on a project that is as scary as it is exhilarating. A time-consuming project at that, one that is forcing me to restructure my days and find a new rhythm. This is not a bad thing, just a different thing. Change is always needed and necessary for growth.

My dreams are in a growth phase, I think. Hiding behind the waning side of the moon, perhaps to pop out at me when the brightest star reaches its zenith. How will I know when I see it, I wonder? Will it grab me by the throat and shake me, saying, "Now!"? Or will it sneak up behind and whisper softly, caressing my neck, sending shivers down my spine, an idea that winds its way through my heart and into my soul until I can't stand not to deliver on it?

Game of Thrones Fatigue

After watching the 87-minute Game of Thrones Season 8 episode last night, I told my friend on the phone that today I have Game of Thrones fatigue.

Don't worry, I won't give away anything in case you've yet to see it.

I stayed up until 10:30 p.m. to watch the show, and then stayed up another half-hour waiting on my sweetie. So I went to bed a little later than normal.

Us older folks need our shut-eye time, you know. Can't be out prowlin' around like them young kids. Or the young kids we used to be.

I am enjoy Game of Thrones but I do not rewatch the episodes all the time. I find them gruesome and they have many bad things happen to women. But I like the story line and some of the characters, although everyone knows by now not to like characters in this show because they generally die.

I was thinking back though to my very first "fandom," which wasn't Star Trek or anything like that. No, it was Xena: Warrior Princess, which started in 1995 and came along about the time the Internet was becoming a thing. We were tied into our desktops then and half of us could only access through dial-up with America Online, but it was the first place and first time I ever found myself involved with other people who liked the same TV show to an extreme that others found, well, nerdy or weird, I suppose.

The fandom gave me many friends, a number of whom I am still friends with today, mostly on Facebook. But these are some of the people that I have known the longest now, people who have been on my radar for almost 25 years.

That's a very long time.

Fandoms are interesting. I found myself with trading cards, dolls, comic books - anything Xena-related suddenly became a prized possession. I think most of my collection is now rotting away in the storage shed, with the exception perhaps of the trading cards and one Xena doll that sits on a bookcase.

Now I have a few Wonder Woman dolls on my shelves, but nothing like with Xena. It can be exciting to throw yourself into a TV or movie show, into its world, to visit with other folks who enjoy the nuances and weird eccentrics of a show.

But not to the point of fatigue.

Part of that fatigue comes from GoT not being on for a year and a half. I'm straining my brain trying to remember the characters and why they matter. Or if they matter. Or what they did to bring them to where they are now. But after seven years, those fine details have fled my brain.

Like I said, I didn't rewatch GoT because of the gore and nudity. I can see it once but I have no desire to revisit it. I've not read the books, either, and have no plan to do so. The TV show is all the gore and gruesome I care to deal with.

That said, if you like fantasy, then Game of Thrones is an interesting watch. If you like intrigue and character assassination, it's interesting to watch. There are many elements to it. People who automatically dismiss it because it's fantasy are missing the point.

Fantasy is dream come to life. It also harbors a lot of truth buried beneath the dragon hordes. Fantasy makes you think, makes you feel, makes you empathize with others. Besides, mysteries are fantasies, really. There's no Dick Tracy wandering around out there. Most fiction is fantasy of a sort. I'd argue that the Bible is the most fantastical of all books, really. The Lord of the Rings has nothing on that piece of work.

I suspect people who say they dislike fantasy have never seen a good fantasy. Their loss.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Your favorite songs.

A. I like most anything from the 1970s. According to Alexa, I have great taste. (Yes, I asked her.)

2. Your favorite bands.

A. Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, ABBA, etc.

3. Your favorite actors or actresses.

A. Right now anyone who is still alive on Game of Thrones.

4. Your favorite books.

A. I read a lot of fantasy. I also like mysteries, young adult fiction, and some memoir.

5. Your favorite movies.

A. Lord of the Rings (all three of them, extended versions please), Wonder Woman

6. Your favorite TV shows.

A. Game of Thrones, Supergirl, The Big Bang Theory, Survivor, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Star Trek, etc.

7. Your favorite foods/drinks.

A. I drink mostly water but like root beer occasionally. I don't eat hot spicy foods because of my ulcer but otherwise I try not to be picky.

8. Your favorite animal.

A. Deer.

9. Your favorite scents.

A. Vanilla. It's the only scent I can stand, generally speaking. Everything in my house is unscented. Unscented soaps, lotions, candles. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find unscented stuff?

10. Your hobbies/ things you do in your free time.

A. I read and play video games.

11. Your pet peeves.

A. People who agree to do something and then don't, finding a hair on my chin, and seeing a ding in my car and I don't know how it got there.

12. Things you collect.

A. I collect Santa Mouse items, lots of books, and things related to Lord of the Rings.

13. Things you like to swap.

A. I don't do swaps. I'm not even sure what this means.

14. Places you've been.

A. I've been everywhere man, I've been everywhere! Cross the desert there, man, I breathe the mountain air. Travel I've had my share, man, I've been everywhere! (That's a song. Anybody else know it?) I've been to many states in the U.S., Spain, and France.

15. Places you'd like to visit.

A. New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Italy.

16. The songs you dislike.

A. I am not fond of rap and hip hop though I have listened to it. Some of it is tolerable.

17. The movies you dislike.

A. I'm not a fan of horror movies anymore.

18. The TV shows you dislike.

A. I don't watch any of the police dramas like NCIS, CSI or whatever.

19. Classes you liked in school.

A. English classes.

20. Classes you disliked in school.

A. Gym. I missed the A honor roll a couple of times because of gym. I mean, really? I do my best and I get a B?

21. Crafts you would like to learn.

A. Painting. I really wish I could paint and draw.

__________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.

Saturday 9: Every Time You Go Away

Saturday 9: Every Time You Go Away (1985)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about separation. Who is the last person you said goodbye (or maybe just "so long") to?

A. Does telling my husband goodbye when he goes off to work count? Or are you looking for some kind of more permanent relationship end? I don't generally end my relationships. They sort of either dither away or the person leaves me.

2) This week's featured artist, Paul Young, was a gifted athlete during his school days and briefly played professional football (aka soccer). Sam enjoys playing tennis, though her serve doesn't give Serena Williams anything to worry about. What's something you enjoy doing, even if you don't excel?

A. Photography. While I am, by all ways of looking at it, a professional photographer, I'm not National Geographic class or anything. I get by with the help of enough knowledge to be dangerous and the automatic setting on the cameras.

3) Mr. Young and his wife Stacy were married for 31 years, until her death in 2018. What do you think is the key to a happy marriage?

A. As a member of the happily married crew of over 35 years, I would say compromise is key. If one person is always giving, or always having to win, or whatever, that relationship is likely doomed. Both people have to give in sometimes.

4) Paul Young's performance of this hit song was one of the highlights of the July 1985 Live Aid Concert. This international benefit raised more than $100 million to alleviate hunger in Ethiopia. Tell us about a charity you support.

A. I support the Roanoke Area Ministries. This is a grassroots, interfaith organization that serves as an advocate for people who are homeless and poverty stricken. RAM helps people in need through a variety of programs including emergency financial assistance, a day shelter serving a daily hot noon-time meal, providing clothing and job placement assistance. The organization aims to empower people to move from dependency to self-sufficiency to build a stronger, healthier community.

5) This song was written by Daryl Hall, of Hall and Oates. What's your favorite Hall and Oates song?

A. Sara Smile.

6) In 1985, when this song was popular, the New Coke was unsuccessfully introduced. What's the last beverage you drank?

A. A ginger ale about a week ago. Mostly I drink water.

7) In 1985, the New York Stock Exchange had to close because of Hurricane Gloria. Has a hurricane shared your name? (Find a list of recent/upcoming storm names here.)

A. I couldn't find it on that site, but a google search turned up Hurricane Anita in 1977. It reached Category 5 in late August of that year and hit northeastern Mexico on September 2, 1977, landing with winds at over 175 mph. The storm left 25,000 people homeless and dropped over 17 inches of rain, which caused flooding and mudslides. Eleven people died. I'd never heard of it before. Good question.

8) 1985 was the year that the Titanic wreckage was discovered. There have been at least 11 movies and TV shows about the fatal voyage. Have you seen any of them?

A. I saw that famous one in the 1997, directed by James Cameron, with the Celine Dion song.

9) Random question: Would you rather own and run a coffee shop or a shoe store? Why?

A. I'd rather own a coffee shop with a bookstore in it. I don't like to play with people's feet. I don't drink coffee either but at least with a coffee shop you have some chance of mixing things up and serving tea.

  ___________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.

Birds and a Squirrel

Pileated Woodpecker

Robins

Squirrel

Squirrel



Wrens? Brown Thrasher? Not sure.

Thursday Thirteen

Happiness is . . .

1. A kiss from my husband.

My husband. He's so
wonderful.

2. A warm shower.

3. New socks!

4. Chocolate.

5. A good book.

6. A great song on the radio (or whatever you listen to these days).

7. Talking to a friend.

8. Laughter over an inside joke no one else understands.

9. Writing a great line.

10. A phone call from my brother.

11. Memories of people I've loved who are no longer with us.

12. Being old enough to go phhttt to the people whose opinion no longer matters.

13. Having a blog with 601 Thursday Thirteen entries in it! That's over 11 years.



Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 601th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Spring

Another Gobbler

Gobbler in the woods.

Sunday Stealing

Hoppy Easter!

Sunday Stealing

1. What did you have for lunch?

A. Yesterday we ate at O'Charley's and I had a terrible chicken pot pie with a side dish of horrible broccoli. I sent it back and asked for a salad. They did not charge me for either, to their credit. Today I will have a late breakfast so my lunch will probably be eggs.

2.  Do you dance in the car?

A. I sing in the car and I tap on the dashboard or the steering wheel in rhythm to the music, but I find it impossible to stand up and dance in a vehicle.

3.  Favorite animal?

A. Deer.

4.  Do you watch the Olympics?

A. Yes.

5.  What time do you usually go to bed?

A. When I am tired.

6.  Are you wearing makeup right now?

A. No.

7.  Do you prefer to swim in a pool or the ocean?

A. The pool.

8.  What was the last thing you ate?

A. A Luna bar. I guess that was actually breakfast.

9.  Bottled water or tap water?

A. I drink both.

10. What makes you happy?

A. Reading a book, spending time with my husband, playing guitar, listening to good music, being with friends.

11. Did you like swinging as a child? Do you still get excited when you see a swing set?

A. I was not a big fan of swing sets and I do not get excited when I see a swing set.

12. Do you work better with or without music?

A. Depends on what I am doing.

13. Do you make your bed in the morning?

A. Usually.

14. Do you like your music loud?

A. I like mine medium rare.

15. Do you fear thunder/lightning?

A. No. I actually find thunderstorms quite exhilarating.

__________
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.

Saturday 9: Mighty Clouds

Saturday 9: Mighty Clouds of Joy (1974)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song celebrates serenity. Are you feeling peaceful this morning?

A. I am many things, but I don't think "peaceful" is ever really one of them.

2) The lyrics include allusions to sun and clouds. How does the world look where you are? Is it sunny or cloudy?

A. As I am writing this we have been under tornado warnings all day, and one touched down in a nearby county, sending my husband's fire department out for search and rescue duty. We had at least 5 inches of rain, so there has also been flooding.

3) This week's featured artist, BJ Thomas, is in the Grammy Hall of Fame for another hit record that uses weather as a metaphor, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head." Make up a Hall of Fame that you believe you should be inducted into. (For example, Crazy Sam has inducted herself into The Meme Mistress Hall of Fame for her service to Saturday 9.)

A. I shall be inducted into the Introvert's Hall of Fame.

4) When Crazy Sam hears this song, she always sings along . . . loud. Is there a song you simply cannot resist singing along with?

A. Bohemian Rhapsody, American Pie, Band on the Run, Dancing Queen

5) BJ Thomas has performed this song at The Grand Ole Opry. The Opry has been broadcast on the radio every week since 1925, nearly 95 years ago! Of course, back in the 1920s, radio was the only broadcast media. Today we have other choices. Is listening to the radio part of your daily routine?

A. I listen to music through Alexa, mostly, and tend to listen to songs from the 1970s and 1980s, although I also favor music by Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge.

6) Though their dress code is lenient, country music fans who attend the Opry for a live show are warned: "Just remember, there's one rule we take very seriously here at the Grand Ole Opry -- you must wear something." Easter Sunday is a day many of us dress up. What will you be wearing today?

A. Probably sweats and a t-shirt. I don't have plans.

7) Easter is recognized as the start of the spring season. What are you looking forward to this spring?

A. Getting over the allergic part of it, for one thing. Also, I am having a wedding reception/baby shower for my nephew and his new wife. They eloped back in January and I thought they should have a party. I am looking forward to that and I am looking forward to the birth of my great niece.

8) Lilies are popular at Easter. Do you have a favorite flower?

A. I like irises. Mine have just started blooming, although they may be drowned from today's weather.

9) Which would rather find in your Easter basket: yellow marshmallow chicks (aka Peeps) or a plastic egg filled with pennies?

A. How about a plastic egg with a big check for $1 million in it? No? Then I'll take the pennies. I don't like Peeps.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.