Monthly Archives: November 2016

Hallmark – I can’t help it

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Image Provided by: IMDb

A year ago this month in my post ‘Christmas Movies‘, I wrote the following –

Okay, I admit it – I am a sucker for those made for TV Christmas movies!

Do you know what I am referring to?

The Lifetime Channel Christmas movies –

Holiday Switch, Holiday Baggage, Christmas on Chestnut Street, A Very Married Christmas, Nothing Like The Holidays, All She Wants For Christmas, Holly’s Holiday, Home By Christmas, and the list goes on.

The Hallmark Channel Christmas movies –

A Royal Christmas, The Christmas Ornament, Moonlight And Mistletoe, A Coral Christmas, Love’s Christmas Journey, Naughty Or Nice, The National Tree, and the list goes on.

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Image Provided by: Movies – PrettyFamous

In today’s post, I write the following –

Okay, I admit it – I am still a sucker for those made for TV Christmas movies!

As I did last year, I am watching those made for TV Christmas movies again this year!

I can’t help it, I must watch these movies this time of year and started watching them before Halloween.  I watch several each week including the following –

My Christmas Dream, The Mistletoe Promise, Christmas Cookies, A December Bride, Broadcasting Christmas, Love You Like Christmas, My Christmas Love, and the list goes on.

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Image Provided by: Its a Wonderful Movie

huffingtonpost.com article 11 Reasons to Watch Hallmark Christmas Movies includes the following –

I wanted something sweet when I have given up sweets. Can one get cavities from watching TV?

I wanted romance. I have written a few things down for my husband that seem to work in these movies. Like one must go ice skating and fall down. No problem there. Apparently lying about your identity is also very romantic. I’ve tried to tell my husband I’m Nigella Lawson, but no spectacular gifts seem to be arriving addressed to “Nigella.”

I wanted to see the real meaning of Christmas. I do love how these movies just make me think everyone loves each other. Really. You just have to wait until Christmas.

I wanted to feel connected to humanity. At least, I’d like to be connected to Hallmark Humanity. These are nice people. They give you cookies and hot cocoa and show up at your house at all hours of the day and night to make sure you’re okay.

I wanted to uncomplicate life. Who wouldn’t want to live in a Hallmark town? You either work in a coffee shop, a gift shop, play Santa or get the promotion of your dreams. And every town has a cute skating rink and Christmas carolers.

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Image Provided by: Kristen Padilla

The article list more reasons to watch these movies and if you are interested, just click the link above.

For me the reason I watch these movies – these holiday movies make me happy and fill my heart with joy.

Just Sing, Sing A Song

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Not quite a week has passed since Thanksgiving; and the past holiday was spent eating lots of food, resting, relaxing and spending time with my family.

There were no Black Friday sales for me last Friday – I left that up to others.

There were no movies this past weekend – too many people out and about.

Today another Tuesday and the week after Thanksgiving and all is calm, peaceful, and easy.

Several weeks ago, fellow blogger and friend Brooke over at theutopiauniverse published a post ‘SATURDAY’, that I felt appropriate for today; Tuesday.

When I read the post, for some reason it reminded me of the song ‘Sing’ by ‘The Carpenters’.

The lyrics and tune are simple and I think sometimes it would be nice if life was the same – simple.

But sometimes this time of year with the holidays – life is all but simple.

When I read Brooke’s post several weeks ago, I thought it simple – she took simple words and reminded us all to do something simple –

Don’t Forget To Live

Thank you, Brooke, for the reminder, I appreciate it very much.  For those readers unfamiliar with Brooke’s blog, please take a visit to her site theutopiauniverse.

The ending lyrics to the song ‘Sing’ by The Carpenters are –

Sing, sing a song

Make it simple to last

Your whole life long

Don’t worry that it’s not

Good enough for anyone

Else to hear

Just sing, sing a song.

If today you are working, resting, relaxing, shopping, seeing a movie or something else.  Remember what Brooke tells us –

Don’t Forget To Live

Let’s also not forget what The Carpenters sang 43 years ago –

Sing, sing a song.

Make it simple to last

Your whole life long

sweet memories we created

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A week ago today in my post ‘What the heck is Thackerville?‘, I wrote the following –

Again, I ask “What the heck is Thackerville – more accurately where the heck is

Again, I ask “What the heck is Thackerville – more accurately where the heck is Thackerville?”  I respond “Well, Thackerville is in Oklahoma which is a course North of Texas.  Thackerville is also where our favorite casino is.”  You may remember in past posts I have written posts about our casino trips while living in Dallas, TX.

So, this trip back to Texas, we will again visit our favorite casino.  Next Sunday, we will spend a day just an hour North of Dallas at the casino and then we will drive back to Dallas to catch our flight back to Florida on Monday.

Today we leave for Texas, Thanksgiving, Turkey and Thackerville.

In today’s post, I write the following –

Gary and I had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving, spending time with my family and the sweet memories we created.  We also very much enjoyed our casino visit.

Now it is Monday; Gary and I are making our way back home today to Pensacola, Florida.  We left Thackerville, Oklahoma and one of our favorite casinos this morning and drove South for a little over an hour to arrive back in Dallas, Texas.  Later this afternoon we will catch a flight back to Pensacola, Florida and our Thanksgiving holiday trip will come to an end.

So, this Thanksgiving holiday visit is over and now it is time to proceed and prepare for the next month, the next holiday and the next year.  You know this time of the year will fly and before we know it the new year will be upon us.  For this next month, Gary and I will look forward to our cruise – you remember I mentioned we would be taking a cruise in December.  We also look forward to the next holiday; yes, Christmas is right around the corner.  This year, Gary’s family will visit here in Pensacola to spend Christmas with us.  And then there is the next year; aww yes, the first of the year will dictate what the year will hold for us.

My friends, stay tuned for lots of future posts about many different topics about me and my life.  I will continue blogging about my current health with regards to my cancer and what lies ahead with my health.  Let’s not forget about My 70s Music Collection posts; and then there will be posts about the upcoming cruise, the Christmas holiday, some off-the-wall posts, more video posts and some wrap-up posts to end the year.

I have much to write and post this next month and the upcoming year.

I want to conclude today’s post with the following lyrics to the song ‘Memories’ by Elvis Presley –

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind

Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine

Quiet thought come floating down

And settle softly to the ground

Like golden autumn leaves around my feet

I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories

Sweet memories

July 1972 – Lean On Me by Bill Withers

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July 1972 – a song popular in this month – Lean On Me by Bill Withers

This song has a very broad appeal, as people from just about any background can relate to the lyrics. It was a hit on a variety of formats and did well all over the US and throughout much of the world.

Interesting facts about Lean On Me & Bill Withers

Withers did not record his first song until he was 32 years old. He was in the US Navy for 9 years, then worked at a factory making parts for airplanes.

A dance version was a US #1 hit for Club Nouveau in 1987. It has also been covered by Tina Turner, Tom Jones and Al Green.

Withers was born on the Fourth of July, 1938. He was the youngest of six children.

Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, and Keith Urban performed a downbeat, emotional version of this song on the charity telethon, Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, which was held on January 22, 2010.

When Withers was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, Stevie Wonder (who gave the induction speech and John Legend performed this song). Withers appeared midway through the song and joined in, marking his first high-profile performance since he left the industry in the ’80s.

This information was provided by Songfacts.com

Popcorn

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Several weeks ago, Gary and I went to the movies.  The Naval Air Station Pensacola has its own movie theater and the price is cheaper than your typical movie theaters.  How lucky are we that we have access to recently released movies and at a cheaper cost?

So, we sat off to see ‘Sully’ starring Tom Hanks and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  No review from me – as I would have no idea how to write one – and certainly no spoilers!

When arriving at the movie theater on the Naval Air Station Pensacola, we encountered no crowds and there was no waiting in line at the concession stand.  We bought a soda and popcorn for a bargain that included free refills of both – who gets free refills at the movie theater for soda and popcorn?

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Before the movie began, Gary and I were talking about popcorn and I mentioned I remember popping it on the stove in a pot with a lid, then pouring into a brown paper bag.  We would then melt butter on the stove (for you young folks – there were no microwaves when I was young, yes really!), then we would pour the butter into the brown paper bag and shake it to spread the butter on the popcorn.  Gary and I also discussed in our conversation remembering Jiffy-Pop Popcorn.  Who remembers Jiffy-Pop Popcorn and is it still in available for purchase?

Yes, I had to Google Jiffy-Pop and I did receive the following –

People also ask

Do they still make Jiffy Pop popcorn?

It can be hard to find Jiffy Pop in stores, leading some to wonder if Jiffy Pop was discontinued. The good news is that Jiffy Pop is still made. One reason it could be harder to find Jiffy Pop in stores now is that Microwave popcorn has become more common in the home.

Well this makes perfect sense because Jiffy-Pop Popcorn is made from foil and we know what happens with foil in a microwave.  Then I searched popcorn, and received these among the results –

How to Make Perfect Popcorn on the Stovetop

Why Do We Eat Popcorn at the Movies?

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Image Provided by: blogstage.peewee.com

There is an interesting article titled The Science and History of Popcorn – the Snack that Saved the Movies on the filmmakeriq.com website that has the history of popcorn.

This is my interesting post about movies and popcorn.  I thought this post appropriate because I understand that Thanksgiving Day is historically the day most people go to the movies, followed by Christmas Day.  And Thanksgiving weekend many times sees box office records for movies.  Okay, just for those that want to know, the record holder movie for Thanksgiving weekend was back in 2013.  Any guesses?

Yes, it was Frozen.

And I am guessing on that Thanksgiving weekend in 2013, there was a great amount of popcorn being eaten.

If you are going to the movies this weekend – enjoy, have fun and eat some popcorn!

Oh, I almost forgot, there is also a popcorn song –

gratitude for you

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Last year around this time, I published a post ‘All Things Thanksgiving & Turkey’.  The post included fun facts about Thanksgiving and Turkey jokes.  I figured it would not receive many likes being it was the day before Thanksgiving and I did not have many followers back then.  That post did receive 16 ‘Likes’ and 4 ‘Comments’ from bloggers that continue to follow me today.

I am going on 18 months blogging and I have learned that followers will come and go, some leave and return and others leave never to be heard from again.  We all have lives that take us in directions that at times are unexpected.   These turns in direction sometimes require us to make changes in our lives; sometimes those changes involve no longer spending time on WP.  Whatever the reason for followers leaving WP, I wish them the best and hope their lives are happy and healthy.

allabouthistory.org article Meaning of Thanksgiving has very good information about the Real Meaning of Thanksgiving.  One of those meanings is Expressions of Gratitude.  This part of the article begins with the following –

The meaning of Thanksgiving has undergone numerous transitions — an expression of gratitude for survival, a council’s recognition of its flourishing community, submission of the local natives, the defeat over the British, resulting in a collection of our nation’s traditions and values. Over the centuries, families added their customs to the Thanksgiving celebration, preserving that which they held most precious.

In this post, I want to take time to express my gratitude to you the followers and readers of this blog.

Many have followed me for over a year – with a few almost from day one with the first post.

Even though life is busy at times, many of you stop by every day to read and/or comment, and others take time every couple of days or weeks to catchup.  No matter how much time you spend here and if you have followed me for quite some time now or are recent – I appreciate you very much and am thankful for you.

I feel extremely fortunate that many of you I consider friends.  And yes, yet we only correspond via online on WP, I feel close to many of you.  Over the past 1 ½ years, I have shared my early years and my recent years with nothing hidden.  My posts, my writings and my words are accepted by many bloggers and I know not accepted by others.  I appreciate the opportunity to write and express my life and myself here on WP.

I express my gratitude to WP for allowing me to express myself here on my blog.

I express my gratitude to each one of you who follow my blog, who read my blog, who ‘Like’ my posts and leave encouraging comments.

I certainly consider all of you friends. – from the bottom of my heart – gratitude for you.

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What the heck is Thackerville?

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This past Friday in my post ‘– the time has come‘, I wrote the following –

Because of Thanksgiving, next week I will be publishing posts related to the season and other topics.  I decided I will not post about my cancer or the results of tests or the results of my doctor’s visits or decisions until the following week after Thanksgiving.

Today, the decision is made that Gary and I will travel to Texas for Thanksgiving to spend with my family.

Next Tuesday, Roxy will be left with Gary’s younger brother where she will stay for a week.  Next Wednesday, Gary and I will fly from Florida to Texas and spend several days with my family.

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Image Provided by: http://www.karnayo.gr

In today’s post, I write the following –

Today we leave for Texas, Thanksgiving, Turkey and Thackerville.  What the heck is Thackerville – more accurately where the heck is Thackerville?  Well, Thackerville is in Oklahoma which is a course North of Texas.  How does Thackerville relate to the Texas Thanksgiving trip?

Initially when planning this trip to Texas several months ago, we were unsure if I could go or not.  Several months ago, I spoke with my Oncologist Dr. D. about the possibility of a Thanksgiving trip and her response was “I would not buy tickets.”  So not knowing what was to take place regarding my chemotherapy we did not buy tickets, but instead reserved the flight using airline points.  This way, if the trip was to be cancelled at the last minute, the points would be reinstated and nothing lost – except spending Thanksgiving in Texas with my family.  With the airline points and knowing we were flying near a holiday and the amount of flights available to us; the best option was to spend 4 plus days with my family.  I love my family and this is an important Thanksgiving this year – but I still cannot spend 4 full days with them.

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Image Provided by: TripAdvisor

As time grew nearer, adjustments were made to our original plans and the actual time spent with my family will be about 2 ½ days.  Our trip involves traveling by air to Dallas, renting a car and driving 5 hours to West Texas.  We then spend the 2 ½ days including Thanksgiving with my family and then will drive to Thackerville, OK.

Again, I ask “What the heck is Thackerville – more accurately where the heck is Thackerville?”  I respond “Well, Thackerville is in Oklahoma which is a course North of Texas.  Thackerville is also where our favorite casino is.”  You may remember in past posts I have written posts about our casino trips while living in Dallas, TX.

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Image Provided by: Intertops Poker

So, this trip back to Texas, we will again visit our favorite casino.  This Sunday, we will spend the day just an hour North of Dallas at the casino and then will drive back to Dallas to catch our flight back to Florida on Monday.

Today we leave for Texas, Thanksgiving, Turkey and Thackerville.

Brother, it may be the chromosomes

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I wrote a post back in September titled ‘Brothers‘, in which I ended with the following words –

The years preceding today, for the brothers, it was not always easy to embrace compassion, love and expression.

I think they are changing – what a nice birthday present for us all.

Happy Birthday Brothers.

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Image Provided by: vord.dvrlists.com

In today’s post, I write the following words –

This brother and I: maybe what we do not have in common is our chromosomes?

Today is my 2nd oldest brother’s birthday.  This brother and I have had little contact for most of our lives.  We seemed to have had very little in common for most of our years, and we still do in many ways.  But as we have grown older we have changed and come to realize as many people do; life is short.  The very little we have in common is no longer important, and now that we are becoming older – we realize what we do have in common.

We have the same father, who is starting to diminish due to Parkinson’s Disease.  We have a mother who is doing well, but has had her share of health issues the past several years.  Our parents are in their early 80s and us kids know this and realize as our parents are aging, so are we.  And I guess as many people age; sometimes our thinking changes, sometimes our attitude changes and in the case of my brother who I have very little in common with – so is our relationship changing.

This change came about recently and most likely due to my health issues.  Yes, I know, the recent health issue should not be a reason to bring us closer, we should have always been closer.  I think many families are not perfect and my siblings would agree with me when I say our family certainly is not perfect – far from it.  Being an imperfect family is fine with me and I am okay with my 2nd oldest brother and I becoming closer as I battle with my health issues.

I performed a search about why brothers can be different and not have much in common.  I was unsure what I was looking for with my search results and I certainly was not expecting clear-cut answers.  The results I did receive has our differences coming down to chromosomes and gene sequences.

For my 2nd oldest brother and I; well I think no matter our chromosomes or gene sequences or what very little in common we had; they still exist.  But I believe it is what we have in common that brings us closer together.  Parents, aging, health issues, changes in thinking, changes in attitude – that is what is bringing us closer.

I am good with having the improved relationship with this brother – he is important to me.

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Image Provided by: quotesgram.com

I embrace you and I love you.

So 2nd oldest brother, you may never see this blog or read these words – I am thankful our relationship is better than it ever has been.

Happy Birthday Brother!

Celebrate each other

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In two days, Gary and I will travel to West Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  We will travel by plane for the Thanksgiving holiday and return to Florida next Monday.

From theweek.com article; 6 Thanksgiving celebrations around the world –

Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, originated in the fall of 1621, when Pilgrims celebrated their first successful wheat crop. The holiday has since evolved into a day in which bickering families and drunken friends gather to consume massive amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, before lounging for hours in front of the TV or battling strangers during midnight Black Friday sales. But while all of that revelry seems uniquely American, we are not the only culture to celebrate a bountiful harvest.

The article goes on to describe the following agriculturally-based festivals around the world: Canadian Thanksgiving, China’s Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Korea’s Chuseok, Liberian Thanksgiving, Ghana’s Homowo Festival and The Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles

All the previous mentioned festivals around the world are about celebrating.  Neighbors, friends and families gather together to celebrate by sharing food & stories, dancing, singing and giving thanks.

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Last year around this time I wrote a post ‘This year will be different‘; and I started with the following –

Later this week, my partner and I will spend Thanksgiving with my family in another city about 5 hours away.  Every year on Thanksgiving my siblings, parents, nephews, nieces, and their kids, my sons, and grandkids gather at my sister’s home.  I have not spent Thanksgiving with my family in over 10 years!

This year will be different; I will be there to spend time with my family.

In today’s post, I will conclude with the following –

This year will be the same: I will be there again to spend time with my family.

This year will be the same: Thanksgiving again with my siblings, parents, nephews, nieces and their kids, my sons, and grandkids will gather at my sister’s home.

This year will be different: this year, my spouse and I will spend Thanksgiving with my family in another state about 15 hours away.

This year will be different: this year, I have cancer.

This year my family will gather and have a festival to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We will gather to share food & stories, maybe a little dancing & singing and unquestionably giving thanks.

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Image Provided by: Unveiled Wife

We again will spend another Thanksgiving together and celebrate each other.

My hope for you reading this post, whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or any of the above-mentioned festivals around the world, let us keep one thing in mind.

We are diverse in many ways, but then again we are similar in so many more.

Let us celebrate each other.