Tuesday 4: Personal Snapshot

 Personal Snapshot

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we try to get you talking, thinking and making new friends while you get to know old friends better.

Today is a hodgepodge of question for you to ponder:

1. What TV programs that everyone else loved/loves did/do you dislike and why? Conversely, what program did you love while everyone else thought it was awful? (or maybe a song, book..etc)  I didn't like "the Wizard of Oz" as a child. It always made me very anxious, and honestly, to this day, if I were to watch it (which I probably won't) it still makes me feel very anxious.   As far as a program or song or book that I liked but others didn't...I will have to think about that one for a while.  For once I am drawing a blank.



2 Do you resent serving without thanks or do you see a higher purpose behind it?   No, I don't resent serving others without thanks...as a mother we often have had to do things for our children or families that no one ever thought to say thank you for...but when you love your family you do things without expecting to be thanked.  The same goes for our jobs in the outside world...yes, we get paid to work, but oftentimes we find we have to go beyond the call of duty to get the job done and do things behind the scene that others don't realize or ever recognize.  When I think about the things I've had to do throughout the years that went without recognition, I think about this verse in the Bible:  

I Corinthians 10:31

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

If I do these things as serving the Lord, I know that even if I never receive recognition or thanks here for my work, God knows my heart and He sees what I do and I will be blessed in ways that are eternal. I don't need man's recognition to make my life better.

"Let all that you do be done in love"

I Corinthians 16:14

3. What flavor ice cream is your favorite and how do you like it served? (Sunday, Blizzard, cone, dish?) What toppings make your day?

At this point in life my favorite flavor of ice cream is vanilla, because you can do so much more with it...like add peaches or strawberries, or hot fudge and chopped nuts and whipped cream, or make a Root Beer Float or a chocolate milkshake by adding chocolate to it.  I actually don't each much ice cream anymore. I think I must be lactose intolerant and so I have pretty much given up ice cream, except for an occasional scoop on pie or cake.  I prefer yogurt, and usually add fresh fruit and granola to it to make it extra good.  However, we usually make homemade vanilla ice cream for the 4th of July if we have a family gathering at our house.  Not sure yet what we are doing this year.

Here I am last year, pretending to be cranking the ice cream maker.  We now use an electric "crank", so we have to take our turns pretending to crank it. It's a family tradition.

And here's the taste test!

I hope we can do something together this year, but not sure who can come. My sister's hubby just had some major back surgery TODAY (Monday), and I don't think he will be ready for a two hour ride to our house by the 4th of July.  He did come through the surgery very well, according to the Doctor, but when my sister called me he was still in recovery.  If you would, please say a little prayer for my BIL Art.  He's older than I am, and the older we get, the more difficult recovery of any kind of surgery can be, so I know he will appreciate all the prayers.

Here's a recent picture of my brother in law Art and my sister Doris, when we got together in April for their birthdays.

Okay, Back to the questions:

4. How many pairs of shoes do you own? How many handbags? Do you use/wear them all? Should you weed them out?

 I am not a shoe or purse fanatic.  I have basic shoes for every day and church. I recently bought a new pair of casual sandals for summer,

but I prefer to wear my Skechers walking shoes.  And I probably have some old shoes in the closet that could be thrown out...some old pairs of heels that I never wear, even though they aren't high heels, they just aren't comfortable. I have one pair of navy blue low heels and one pair of black low heels that I wear with dresses for church. I never wear white shoes because I have "big feet", and white makes them look bigger. LOL.  ("Vanity, thy name is woman..." LOL).

Handbags...I usually just use one bag at a time, unless I am going someplace fancy, which I rarely do. I carry my every day bag to church because It's just too much trouble to keep shifting things back and forth for two hours.  I've gotten lazy in my old age.  I do have some clutch bags that I used to use for church, but I probably should just get rid of them because I never use them anymore.  

I've probably talked about this handbag before.  I carried this bag with me to work for probably close to 15 years, I'm not kidding! I bought it from an elderly woman who actually made this bag. It was the best purse I ever had...it was perfect for my job as a bookkeeper, because I could put the bank bag inside to go make the deposit at the bank and no one would ever suspect I was carrying a large sum of money with me!  It is washable and the straps are made of a very tough nylon that has never frayed or torn.  I only finally quit using it because the lining started to fall apart, but after being used for so many years literally EVERY day...it was time to retire when I retired.  I still have it and hate to get rid of it. I keep thinking maybe I'll find someone who can sew in a new lining for me and I can carry it another 15 years. LOL.   Isn't it beautiful????  LOL.

Okay, I've probably driven you all crazy with my stories, so it is time to quit for the night.   Now be sure to go visit the other friends who are sharing their "Personal Snapshot" HERE.  Thank you, Annie, for these fun and thought provoking questions each week!

Proverbs 16:3 NIV

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do,

and he will establish your plans."

Tuesday 4 - July 4th and More!!!!

 Tuesday 4

Happy Fourth of July (yesterday!) and welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4!
Let's talk about Independence Day.


1. In previous times every family read the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights on July 4 to keep in mind the huge price paid by a minority of patriots for freedom and liberty. What do you think about this tradition? I hope you will institute it and value it. It is so important.

We have never done that before, but it sounds like a wonderful idea and tradition to keep.  Our family certainly values our freedom and the price that was paid to achieve that. We continue to stand strong for freedom and the values upon which our nation was founded. If you missed what I wrote about this yesterday, you can read it HERE.

2. Fresh made lemonade was a huge deal in the Midwest when Laura Ingalls Wilder was a young girl. It was a very special treat. Every family brought a dish to the town celebration. What foods and drinks will you have on this important day?

Well, we didn't have fresh lemonade, but I would love to have some one of these days! I haven't had any real fresh homemade lemonade in a long time.  We had iced tea, both sweet and unsweet, with our meal yesterday.  And as for food, well, see for yourself:

(These two pictures of the food are courtesy of my sister Doris, as I forgot to take one)

And here we are, posing for that all important picture of the family at the table enjoying their meal:

Left to right: Tina is our DIL Rose's sister, but Rose couldn't be with us because she was scheduled to work at her job at Home Depot. But Tina, and her son Charles (next in line), were here helping our son Benton and Rose (before she had to leave for work), with some major projects for their store, Dixie Cottage. But they took a break to come and eat dinner with us. Next, is Benton, then Scott, who came home from his new place for the day to grill the chicken for us and help with a lot of other special projects for us, like finding the ice cream maker and all its parts in the shed, where it has been stored since we moved here almost 3 years ago and never used since until now, and thankfully he found all the parts which were stored in secret hiding places that we never could have found on our own. LOL. Moving right along, next is my brother in law Art, who came with my sister Doris all the way from their home about 2 hours away. Oh, and Doris also brought the potato salad, watermelon, and the delicious Oatmeal Cake that we had for dessert...

Here's my hubby John after filling up his plate

And finally me with my sister Doris. "Now, may we please eat and stop taking pictures?" everyone asked.  LOL.

After lunch was over we got to work on making the home made ice-cream, which is a family tradition from my side of the family.  Of course, in my family we only had the hand crank style and everyone had to take a turn cranking the ice cream or they weren't allowed to eat any! (well, that was the threat, anyway, but everyone always got to eat some home made ice cream!)

So here's our "boys", getting the machine hooked up and iced up and salted and ready to run. So happy to have my kids still taking part in this all important rite.

And now members of Rose's family, Tina and Charles are participating in the family tradition. Even if this is an electric churn, you still have to take your "turn"...pretending of course...

There's my sister Doris taking her turn at the "crank". 

And Benton, pretending it's just SO hard to turn that crank! LOL

And of course I make it look easy. LOL.

Here's Scott, making sure it is finished before we can turn off the motor and eat it. 

And now for the real test...homemade ice cream over my sister's oatmeal cake.

Yes, it was very very good!

Here's the "old guys", staying cool in the house while we did all the work outside...but they still got to enjoy the fruit of our labors:

And Benton enjoying his bowl...and yes, he took home some for Rose for later.

And there's Doris with hers...

Tina and Charles enjoyed theirs...

John says, no more...but it was sure good!

Yeah, I'd say we had plenty to eat and wonderful memories were being made and traditions being carried on.  My Dad and Mom would be pleased to know their families are still keeping this tradition alive.
Here's a link to a previous post about these wonderful family memories and traditions, with some wonderful pictures and memories attached.

3. Will you be watching fireworks.. a great American tradition on this day? They are deeply rooted in the American tradition .

Well, since it was SO VERY HOT and muggy, we really weren't planning to go watch any fireworks last night. Plus we were just dog tired after everyone went home.  But then around 9:00 p.m. I said to  John, let's go see if we can see them from a distance anyway...and so we drove into town and found a parking place nearby where we could actually sit in our car and see the fireworks from downtown Interlachen just fine.  Here's a few pictures I took from inside the car. It was too hot (and buggy) to go outside:

Of course, these photos don't do them justice. They were much prettier (and LOUDER) in person.

But it was fun to go and watch for a few minutes and then we came home and went to bed.

Thankfully the noise died down pretty quickly last night and we didn't hear a lot of loud booms once we got to bed.

4. Will your flag be out? Do you own one?

Yes, we put our flag outside on the front porch every day, weather permitting. We are very proud to wave our flag for all to see.  Sometimes I even recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or sing the Star Spangled Banner when I take it out and put it up.  I don't care what the neighbors think.  I'm proud to be an American!

These are some of the decorations I had. The candles are burned down a bit today. You know it is getting really hard to find tapered candles anymore.  No one seems to sell them. Walmart only has a few and you have to watch for them or they will disappear.  I love using dinner candles on the table.  I don't like scented candles mixed with food. 

Quick 4th fact: Did you know that the term Commander in Chief cannot be used except in times of Congressionally declared war? A president has no authority over the military until then.

No, I guess I never realized that before. Very interesting information that apparently not even our "Commander in Chief" seems to know.  

Well, that about sums up our Independence Day Celebration. I know some of you have already seen most of these photos on Facebook, but for those who haven't, I hope you enjoyed spending the day with us.  I don't do many big gatherings anymore like we used to, and I miss having a lot of people around, but I must admit I don't miss all the work involved. I just can't do it anymore. Thankfully everyone pitches in and helps with food and cleanup and that is a BIG HELP.  I commended Rose's sister Tina yesterday for taking over washing the dishes.  She became my adopted "daughter in law" for the day. Rose usually is right there helping with everything.  But she still works part time at Home Depot and holidays are busy days for them, so she had to work. I do have some big news, however, that I've been just dying to share with you.  

Most of you are aware that our son Benton and his wife Rose own a store in St. Augustine called "Dixie Cottage".  It is a furniture and decor store, specializing in coastal themed furnishings and custom built furniture that they build.  Well, with the economy the way it is, and the GAS prices soaring, and their commute one hour one way each day, they have been really struggling to keep up.  Business fluctuates seasonally, but with the added cost of gas it has really hurt them.  So, when an opportunity came up for a very excellent location for a store here in our hometown of Interlachen, they took a leap of faith and rose to the occasion!

They have leased this building for almost 1/2 the price of what they were having to pay in St. Augustine, and it is in a very good location at a busy intersection right in the heart of town:

They are still operating their store in St. Augustine until July 23rd, and then they will make the big move here and open up, Lord willing, on August 2nd.

They will still be offering custom built and/or painted/repurposed good used furnishings along with interesting and fun decor items.  Coastal items will still be available, but not their main theme, since we are not a  coastal town.  It may take on more of a rustic/farmhouse/Americana style of furnishings, but again, custom orders are always available in any style.

We stopped by their workshop last night (at their home) and Benton showed us a few of the items he and their nephew Charles were working on yesterday (in between eating BBQ chicken and homemade ice cream).

Benton showing off how he works. LOL.

HERE is a link to their Facebook Page if you want to check it out.

And here is their Instagram address

They will be making a public announcement sometime today, so that is why I had to wait until today to tell you this good news.  We are excited and happy for them, even though St. Augustine is a wonderful destination for people to shop, it just wasn't paying off for them in the long run. So we pray this step of faith will be exactly what is best for them and that God will bless their business even more than before.

Oh, and since it is right here close to home, I will probably be spending a bit more time there to help out in the future.  

Okay, so that's our big news!! I hope you will drop by and visit us anytime, after August 2nd, at the new location!

So, back to the Tuesday 4 meme...thank you, Annie, for hosting this each week, and for all of you who participate and follow along. I will try to get around and visit you soon!

 

Happy 4th of July! Some Random Thoughts and Memories - UPDATED 7-4-16

I originally posted this on 7/3/2013.  A lot of things have changed in our lives since that Independence Day three years ago.  But some things have not changed and hopefully never will.  We still gather with whatever family and friends we can bring together to celebrate the holiday, holding fast to as many of the old family traditions as we can.  I am so thankful that we still have that freedom in our country...and I pray we never lose the freedoms that we hold most precious.  This is a presidential election year, and it  would appear that a lot of those freedoms and rights are being tested and tried in our country's midst.  We need to pray for our nation as we make decisions that will affect our future generations in ways that could mean a great loss of many freedoms that we take for granted right now.  

Original Post 7/3/2013 (with a few additional current pictures and comments):

I know you may not understand why I am posting a picture of a doll for the 4th of July, but that's okay. You don't have to understand. I just wanted to take her picture all dressed up for the holiday! This is my "Margie Doll", named after my Aunt Margie, who gave the beautiful doll to me for my 7th birthday! I won't tell you how old that makes my Margie Doll. Let's just say that she would qualify for a senior discount at most restaurants.

The Original "Margie"...My Aunt Margaret Tedlie Moss a  "real doll"!

I don't know how I found such favor in the sight of my sweet Aunt Margie to receive such a wonderful gift for my seventh birthday, but as you can see, it is a gift I have treasured.  My mother actually made the dress that my Margie doll is wearing.  She also made her a couple of other dresses that she wears for other occasions. (Click for picture of Margie in her Christmas Dress, with her friend "Valerie", another special doll)
(see the Page "A Few of My Favorite Things")


Here is a picture of my wonderful Mother, all decked out for the 4th of July also:

My Mother, Always the patriot!!
(1917-2006)

This is one of my favorite pictures of my mother, Dorothea Tedlie Mursch, waving her flag proudly on the 4th of July! I sure do miss her.

Tomorrow (2016- we already did on 7/2/16! Couldn't wait!)  we will celebrate the 4th of July in the traditional family manner...we will have a gathering of some friends and family, bar-b-que some chicken, eat potato salad, deviled eggs, baked beans, and all the other good stuff that goes along with that...and then we will make homemade ice-cream, following my mother's recipe.(Click on link to go to "It's Recipe Thyme-some of My Mother's Recipes" , and then scroll down on the page until you come to the recipe.

Yes, holidays and birthdays have always been special occasions in our family.  I am so thankful to have grown up in such a family.  Here are some pictures from some of our 4th of July memories from the past.  These are pretty special to me, as now my Daddy is in heaven,(4/19/2011) and so is our son Matthew. (5/28/2014) *UPDATE 7/4/2026...Since this was written, my oldest brother Russell also went to heaven on  4/29/2019, and my mother in law Vivian also entered heaven in August of 2018.  

Our son Matthew, 7/4/2009

My sweet Daddy, 7/4/2009, with my brother in law Art assisting

My grand-niece Sarah, my brother in law Art, brothers Russell and Clifford
7/4/2009

My grand-nephew Jack, 7/4/2009

Our grandson Noah - 7/4/2009

I come by my doll interests honestly...my mother loved dolls too...so that is another family "tradition" passed down to me.

This is my "Baby Elva" doll, all dressed up for the holiday  (7/4/2016)

I guess you could say that I am just an old fashioned girl.

yeah, that's me, "several" years ago, dressed up
like an old fashioned girl

 I like doing things the way we did when I was growing up.  I enjoy carrying on the family traditions, playing with my dollies, dressing up for fun, having tea parties, acting silly, laughing and enjoying life with my family and friends. I also look forward to sharing these thoughts with you, because you are my special friends.  Many of you may never actually visit with me in person, but we share many wonderful treasures of memories and dreams together through our journals and daily posts. (weekly, monthly, whatever, whenever!)

So thank you for indulging me this evening while I allowed you a little glimpse into my childish heart. You know, Jesus said

"Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

In another place He said, 

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." 

(Matthew 19:14)

I know He didn't mean that we should play with dolls and act childish, but He was speaking of the faith and humility of a little child...that we should trust in God like a child, and not worry ourselves about things over which we have no control. We ought to: 

"become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." (Philippians 2:15-16)

Some final words to us personally as we celebrate our independence as a nation in a time of great turmoil and anxiety and disappointment in our current national and world situation:

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men.  The Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:4-7

Amen...and Have a Blessed and Happy 4th of July!


These pictures are from our 2016 celebration (we celebrated on 7/2/16 this year)

My sister Doris and my son Benton, getting the ice cream maker ready
to "crank"...we cheat now and use the electric motor...

My niece Debbie and her hubby Darrell enjoying a sweet moment

Me with my sister Doris...carrying on the family traditions

Here's the finished product!

Doris says it is perfect!

Taking out the dasher...and sampling the goods!

That first spoon full off the dasher is the best ever!

My 93 year old mother in law Nanny Steiner says it is delicious!

Some more of the family enjoying the wonderful treat!

Son Benton

That's my grand-nephew Jack...much bigger than the earlier picture above in 2009

My son Scott...

My niece Debbie

My sister Doris with a BIG spoon full!

And saving the "best for last" ( Ha - ha) Yours truly!

Happy Independence Day!