Wednesday Medley

I'm joining in with the Wednesday Medley today. I've been trying to write more lately, and I love the little prompts and such that I find from other bloggers :) The community of bloggers is really what got me to start and keep this blog oh so long ago, and I've been missing it.

Wednesday Medley gives a list of questions and prompts, usually based on the calendar date and something being celebrated or recognized somewhere.


1. During Red Ribbon Week a red ribbon or rubbery silicone bracelet is worn to remind others to live drug free lives and honor the sacrifices of all those who've have lost their lives fighting the war against illegal drugs.

Do you have family members or loved ones in law enforcement? Wearing any memorial ribbons or bracelets? Not really in our immediate family. 

2. There isn't an International Day for October 30th.

What is your suggestion for a new national or international day? Hmm.... is there a holiday for zombie culture yet?? It would fit nice being so close to Halloween for the U.S., at least. 

3. On this date in 1938, Orson Welles performed his radio play of H. G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds. Some people understood it to be an actual news broadcast of a Martian attack though there were disclaimers throughout the show.

Have you witnessed an example of people behaving to the contrary in spite of warnings? Not really. Most of what I see is people ignoring warnings to protect them. This was practically the opposite. 

Bonus question: Did you listen to or do you stream radio shows? Listen to books or prefer reading? I love reading! I have a hard time paying attention to stuff I'm supposed to listen to. My daughter and I have enjoyed a few audiobooks while on road-trips. 

4. Happy 80th Birthday, Grace Slick!

She sang with psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane and later reincarnations Jefferson Starship and Starship.

All rock 'n' rollers over the age of fifty look stupid and should retire. — Grace Slick.

Is pop music solely the domain of younger artists? 'Popular' changes so much and so often. I can see her point, but hey, if she was making it work, why quit?

5. Tomorrow is Halloween. Any fond memories of Trick Or Treating or escorting little ones while they made the rounds? Favorite costume? I've always said Halloween is my favorite holiday. Since I've had kids, it's really more about them. I want everything to be exactly according to their plan, which means I mostly leave myself out of the occasion (besides driving and supervising...)
That being said, I am planning to wear fangs and a cape to serve breakfast at the elementary school tomorrow. :)
Bonus question: As an adult, have you attended a Halloween party or fancy-dress ball? Sexy? Or spooky? We did when we were first dating/married, before we had kids. Hubby wants to get dressed up each year now, but I'm more of a homebody. And I hate the fact that SO many female costumes are 'sexy.'

6. Please share with us something interesting about your week. While Halloween figures prominently in our plans this week, we also had our first baton competition for the season last weekend, and have our local dress rehearsal on Friday, getting ready for States competition next weekend. So we're busy for a variety of reasons, but luckily the reasons are mostly fun. 

Wednesday Medley: Independence Day

We will be honoring the USA's Independence Day

for the Wednesday Medley (hosted by Your Friend from Florida)!!

Everything below this line is from the line is from the National Calendar website.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INDEPENDENCE DAY – July 4

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Each year on July 4th, the United States celebrates Independence Day. This federal holiday commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. 

For nearly 250 years, the country has been celebrating a day in history that inspires us still today. On July 4th, speeches and ceremonies are held across the nation. Across the country, people crowd cities for parades and festivals. Streets are decked out in red, white and blue bunting and flags.

While families and friends gather for some of the most mouthwatering food – large picnics and barbecues, local fairs provide a taste of culture and mom’s home cooking, too. With so many converging on their hometowns, family and school reunions take place.

Fire Works

Before the day is over, many communities hold spectacular fireworks displays re-enact moments of victory. Patriotic music accompanies the performance while spectators view the show from blankets strewn along capital lawns or from boats floating in bays. Whether out National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” or “God Bless America,” many will sing along.  In some locations, music will be played by a live orchestra or band, while in other areas it’s pre-recorded. Some of the most popular on the playlist are “America the Beautiful,” “My Country, Tis of Thee,” “This Land Is Your Land,”  “Stars and Stripes Forever,”  “God Bless the U.S.A.,” “Yankee Doodle” and “Dixie.”

In some parts of the country, people will shoot their own fireworks. Children delight in the bright colors and sparklers. They roast marshmallows and make s’mores.

HOW TO OBSERVE INDEPENDENCE DAY

• At noon, a “Salute to the Union” is fired, each July 4th, by any capable military base.  This is a salute of one gun for each state in the United States. 
• In 2009, New York City hosted the largest fireworks display in the country. 
• Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States. 

Use #IndependenceDay, #July4th, #4thOfJuly, FourthOfJuly to share your celebrations on social media.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything above this line is from the line is from the National Calendar website.

1.  Please share a favorite July 4th memory with us. I hope my Gigi will forgive me for sharing, but this is the first memory that came to mind.... when I was growing up, we always took our mini motorhome to see the fireworks. For many years, we went to the west side of Michigan - Pentwater, Ludington, Grand Haven. And the top of the RV gave us great seats for viewing! Well, this particular year, Gigi had no problems climbing up the ladder to watch with us, but was absolutely petrified to come back down. My dad had to help her put one foot at a time on each rung of the ladder on back of the RV to come back down. We were afraid we were going to have to get the fire department to get her down for a few minutes! She made it :)

2.  How do you plan to spend tomorrow?  If you are working, will you celebrate later? We're spending the middle of the day with some friends. The plan is to go out tubing on their lake. The kdis are really excited. Later in the day, we'll come back to our neighborhood for a potluck and fireworks with the neighbors and some other friends.

3.  Is there a favorite food always reserved for your 4th of July celebration? Not really? Grilling is kind of standard. We'll have lunch at home, but the potluck later on includes burgers and dogs, I think. Oh, and corn on the cob (which I love, but I hate making a mess of myself eating it, especially when I need to be taking care of the kids).

4.  Are fireworks legal in your state/community and does anyone you know put on a display for your neighborhood? Hubby went shopping to the local fireworks store with the neighbor who will be putting on our display. The awesome ones for the whole community were last weekend, but the kids and I were out of town.

5.  Do you have a favorite movie that you always watch sometime during the 4th of July? I love movies, but nothing comes to mind! I'll be reading others' posts for ideas ;)

6.  Share something from your week, please. My week has been a bit topsy turvy. I usually have lunch with a friend, but she wasn't feeling up to it this week. And then today the kids and I had dentist appointments, and rescheduled our usual Thursday library day. The only thing that makes me a little crazy about summer is the inconsistent schedule. This has only been getting worse as I get older. LOL

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Independence Day!!

Wednesday Medley - National Strawberry Day

Shout out to Terri at Your Friend From Florida for hosting the Wednesday Medley.




Today the questions are inspired by National Strawberry Day!

1. For National Strawberry Day, do you have a favorite strawberry recipe to share? I wish I did! Unfortunately, I'm looking out the window at a few inches of snow here in Michigan, so the only strawberries I was able to enjoy today were the frozen ones from school.

2. Some people think that the smaller, northern varieties are sweeter than the larger berries that grow in the south and in California. What are your thoughts on that? I'm thinking I really don't pay much attention to my food! I would expect most of the strawberries I find are the smaller, northern varieties, and I like them just fine. Short of noticing the origin on the packaging, I'm not sure I'd know the difference.

3. There is a Strawberry Festival in Plant City, FL. It is a huge event that lasts for 11 days with headliner acts each day. Have you ever been to a Strawberry Festival? I don't recall attending a Strawberry Festival, but my family used to travel for a couple weeks every summer. I may have been and not really remember what it was. My hubby makes fun of me for traveling so much when I was younger, and not really remembering the details.

4. Strawberries are grown in every U.S. state. Have you ever grown them in your garden? I have not. I just read another post today that talked about growing them in a hanging basket. Since I don't have a 'real' garden, this may be right up my alley!

5. Strawberries are the only fruit that has seeds on the outside, and technically it is not a berry but rather a fruit. Strawberries belong to the rose family! Do you have any strawberry trivia to share? Eight medium-sized strawberries contain 140% of the U.S. RDA for vitamin C!

6. Tell us something random about your week. This is the first week in which our kitchen (at the local elementary school) will work five full days IN A ROW since January 7 - 11. We've had 11 snow days so far this school year!