As I write this month’s answers, I’m still celebrating the eclipse. You guys! It was one of the most incredible sights ever! I’ll admit the half hour or so leading up to totality was kinda boring and anticlimactic. I really thought it would be a lot darker as the moon moved between us and the sun. But, it wasn’t until those final moments that the lighting got a little eerie. Oh, my gosh! When we reached totality, there was all this cheering…I think it was both our neighborhood and the neighborhood behind us…probably more the neighborhood behind us because those voices sounded young!
As always, I don’t write these questions with any idea of what I’m going to answer. I really should think about that, but that wouldn’t be as much fun, right? I do hope you’ll play along with this month’s 10 on the 10th! Please either link up your post (and any others you’d like), comment, or email me your answers.
Without further ado…
- April’s full moon is the Pink Moon. Tell us about your favorite pink item.
- Pink is not one of my favorite colors. But, let me think for a little minute. My favorite pink thing would probably be…I’m looking around my bedroom, and everything is shades of blue! Eeek! I have to have something I like that is pink. OK, I’ve got it. My favorite pink item of all times is a peony. My dad could grow some beautiful peonies. I, on the other hand, could never get any peonies to grow. I love their scent, the way they are those curled up balls that burst open to share all their beautiful pink, white, maroon goodness! The only thing I don’t like about peonies are the ants. I’m sure there’s a reason why you find so many ants on peonies, but I’m too lazy to check right now!
- For those of you lucky enough to be born in April, your birthstone is the diamond. Share a bit about your birth stone or about a favorite diamond.
- Now, I do love diamonds. I mean, I really love diamonds and have quite a few which reminds me I really need to sit down and write out who gets what when I croak! But, that’s for another day. My birthstone is an opal or a tourmaline. I prefer the opal. My Grandma Rose was also born in October and had a beautiful pair of opal earrings. She always told me they would be mine when she died. Unfortunately, my mom did not feel up to dealing with my aunts so I never got those earrings. I have several opal rings, a beautiful opal bracelet, two pairs of earrings, and two opal necklaces. I know that seems so random, right? I do not, however, like synthetic opals and can spot one from a mile away! My daughter-in-law’s birthday is in October, but I don’t know if she would want my opals or not. There’s a saying that it’s unlucky to wear opals if you weren’t born in October.
- For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s time to harvest. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to plant. Tell us about your favorite thing to plant (even if you end up killing it).
- Man, I do not like having to narrow this down! I love to plant lots of things! Hold on, hold on…I’ll come up with it. My favorite thing to plant is a tree! Honestly, if I could, I would plant so many trees on our itty bitty yard. At our house up north, we had a little over an acre of land. Over the years we lived there, we planted over 100 trees. Not all of them made it, but when they leafed out, the house disappeared. Unfortunately, the family that bought our house cut down all but about seven or eight of them. And, if I could, I’d plant a great bit birch clump in the front yard, and a willow in the side yard, and some kind of fir or pine tree somewhere else!
- William Shakespeare was born in April. Please share a bit about your favorite Shakespearean play, quote, character, or plot.
- Confession time: The only Shakespearean play I’ve read, and it may have been a condensed version, was “A Midnight Summer’s Dream.” My favorite character is Puck because he’s the only one who seems to be exactly who he is. As I recall, everyone is in love with someone else, and then you factor in the way Shakespear writes (though this play doesn’t rely as heavily on iambic pentameter), and it’s an easy call to choose Puck.
- The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. Tell us if and how you plan to celebrate.
- I won’t exactly celebrate Earth Day. I will plant lots of plants this year to fill pots. I still have to figure out what I’m planting. I will also add to my perennial gardens as I love the look of a wildflower garden. The hump is still a toss up between trying for a meadow look that I’d have to replant every year or a perennial area filled with my favorites.
- The eclipse will have already happened by April 10th. Share something you did and if you were in the path of totality.
- Honestly, I cried. I know that’s totally cornball, but the tears came. I am easily overwhelmed by the majesty of the world, and I cried. Nigel wasn’t keen on sitting outside and watching it, but when we hit totality, he was as awestruck as I was. Luckily, we had three pairs of glasses and were able to give a pair to our neighbor who didn’t have any. When totality hit, the cries of incredulity throughout our neighborhood as well as the neighborhood behind us was so cool. I am so glad I was able to experience this.
- On April 4th, 1964, the Beatles filled the first five spaces on the American singles chart. Tell us about your favorite Beatles song, even if it wasn’t one of those five.
- Now, this is a tough one. I love the Beatles, always have, always will. My favorite songs are almost always the ones where John is singing lead. For a long time, I couldn’t really discern between Paul and John, but my ear has become more educated. I am going to pick “Ticket to Ride” because I remember when it came out, and my mom liked it.
- King Henry VIII became king of England on April 21, 1509. Tell us about your favorite of his six wives.
- have loved the Tudor story since the 70s when the BBC produced The Six Wives of Henry VIII. I watched it on Sundays, I think, on PBS. The next year saw Elizabeth R with Glenda Jackson. Both shows were amazing. So, I read just about anything I can find about the Tudors and often bore poor Nigel to death. He does, however, know most of the six wives and where some of them are buried. My favorite wife is Anne Boleyn. I think she was a spunky young woman caught in a world when girl children had value only by the marriages they could make. I don’t think she wanted to marry Henry in the beginning, but her father and uncle forced her into it. And, of course, you didn’t refuse Henry VIII anything! If only he could have seen the queen his second daughter would become.
- April’s flowers are the daisy and the sweet pea. Share a little about your birth month flower.
- I actually didn’t know months had flowers! October’s flowers are the marigold and the cosmos. The cosmos flowers are one of the flowers I will be planting on the hump even if I go with a perennial garden. I just love them juxtaposed against anything. And, I had no clue they were October’s flower of the month!
- The Ford Mustang was unveiled on April 17, 1964. Tell us about your first car.
- My first car…hmmm…would you believe I didn’t really ever have a first car that was just mine. Some of you may recall I got married right out of high school. At that time, I carpooled to work, and Nigel drove our car to work. We had a 1974 orange Ford Pinto! We didn’t have a second vehicle for many, many years…even after we had kids. I think I would count my 1999 Saab 9-3 as my first car because it was the very first one I picked out myself, filled out all the paperwork, and my name was first on all that paperwork. I loved that car; Nigel did not! In the first couple of months we had it, it spent about six weeks in the shop for one thing or another.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
One of these months, I’m going to write the prompts and answer them as I go so it will be easier on me! Hahaha!! Who am I kidding? Of course, I won’t. That’s part of the fun for me because then I really have to think about it. So, can we talk? Did I leave anything out about April? Do you have a special memory from April? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Don’t have a blog…
Don’t worry! You can always leave all or some of your answers in the comments! If you don’t want to do that, you might discover a new blog! Blog friends, if you’d rather not participate, please share this party with others so we have lots of links!
And, now, it’s your turn!
Please link up your favorite 10 on the 10th posts as well as baking, cooking, decorating, fashion, DIY! If there’s a category I’ve left out and it’s family friendly, please feel free to include it! Please do visit some of the links! If you don’t have a blog, here is your chance to find a new one! You can also drop all or some of your answers in the comments!
Interesting you pick the random questions and then have to figure out how to answer them! I have wanted to do a 10 on 10th for a while but tomorrow’s Active April prompt is less screen time and more movement so perhaps not this month.
Ugh – kids are hard on our vehicles. I had at least 2 totalled, one from each child. But they weren’t injured so that is important to remember. I think they must have updated that Anne Boleyn beheaded site — it didn’t look like that in 1998 when I saw it. Gosh — like I could remember a specific Shakespeare play? I do remember a few lines. We studied one or two each year. I also don’t know what the flower is for my birth month and also like you I can’t figure out a single pink thing I am fond of! Bernie
Thanks, Bernie! Yep, I look up facts about a month, then I make up the questions without a thought of how I’m going to answer them! I hope you’ll join in some time!
My husband got one of the first PT Cruisers, and he loaned it to our oldest. He was turning and sneezed (his story anyway) and hit someone. It bent the frame which totaled the car. Luckily, we got more from insurance for it than we had paid!
I just remembered Puck because he was so ornery! And, yes, the Anne Boleyn site was updated sometime between 2004 and 2016 (our first and last trips to London). I thought it was beautiful but always wondered at the choice of color.
Thanks, Bernie!
I saw the eclipse on the telly. I thought it was rather scary, lol. But special too.
It was amazing, Nancy! It wasn’t scary at all because it happened so slowly until it hit totality. Then, it was over in no time, it seemed!
Thanks, Nancy!
I loved your answers today. I definitely think a pink peony is pretty!!
Thanks, Lisa! I just wish I could grow them!
Marsha, you crack me up – having to jot down who gets what when you croak – ha!!! I mean, I know that is something that needs to be done but you had me laughing out loud!
I can see why you’d cry at the eclipse, I was moved too while watching it on tv. It was incredible to see totality in places and just seeing everyone coming together!
xo,
Kellyann
Thanks, Kellyann! I’m glad you got a chuckle out of that! I giggled a bit as I wrote it! I was totally unprepared for what the eclipse would even look like. It really took a long time to get to totality, and I kept thinking it was just going to be a bust. But, oh, my goodness! It was amazing!
Thank you for the link up! I enjoyed these questions.
I’m glad you joined in, Dara! I’ll be over to read your post soon!
My sister was born in October too and my grandmother always said it was bad luck for anyone not born in October to wear opals as well… and yet my grandmother (who was born in April!) had a few opal pieces she wanted to leave my sister in her will. She had all us ladies sit down together one day and go through ALL her jewelry– real and the expensive paste pieces and we wrote up a huge 5 or 10 page document on who was getting what. Sadly as my grandmother declined and passed away all her jewelry went “missing” and no one got much of anything. The lawyer we consulted afterwards implored us to give away our own belongings early if we really wanted them to go to certain pieces since items listed in wills rarely get to the right person…
Anyhow, that was waaay off topic! LOL I love peonies too but never pick mine and bring them in because of all the ants. From what I can read the peonies provide food for ants and that is why the plant is usually crawling with ants.
I love peonies and birch trees! We are actually planting a few birch this year – hopefully. Lol.
I can definitely see crying over the eclipse. It was such an awe inspiring sight. And to experience it with others in your community makes it so much cooler.
This was a fun one Marsha! Thanks for hosting and for these great questions!
Thank you, Erin! We had several peonies when I was growing up, but I’ve never been able to get them to grow. Our oldest son worked at a nursery wholesaler during his college summers. He would rescue trees from the “dead pile” and brought home lots of birch trees that I nursed back to life. I also love weeping willows.
I really didn’t realize just how special the eclipse would be. It was just amazing…the cheers that went up were cool, too, because it meant everyone could tell how special it was.
I’m so glad you joined in.
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I had so much fun with these questions! By the way, I also teared up some watching the eclipse in totality. We were all pretty fairly awestruck by the phenomenon!
Shelbee
I’m glad you liked them! I had fun answering them even though some of them stumped me for a bit. The eclipse was just so awesome in every sense of the word.
Thanks, Shelbee!
Favorite thing to plant? Yes for us that would be favorite thing to kill. In fact Lesley bought us plant for our housewarming and it’s almost dead.
As a joke she bought us a sticker that says serial plant killer too!
It’s a sad thing that I can’t remember to water a plant. I have no trouble watering and feeding myself and my family and my animals!!
Xoxo
Jodie
Hahaha! There are some plants I just can’t grow even though they say they’re easy growers! Then, there are the ones I just can’t seem to kill! I used to have a very green thumb and could grow anything. I think it was because we’ve always had houses with good natural light.
Thanks, Jodie!
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these were some hard ones I had to look up the wives question because it’s been so long and I had to brush up on some History. Also shakespare is so boring lol I don’t know how I made it through school reading it.
Hi Marsha, I really enjoyed participating in 10 on the 10th and will hopefully join in again as you give us the questions early. The great thing about these posts is getting to know each other a little better. If you want Opals you need to come to Australia! Alas, we missed out on the Eclipse but apparently are in line for 2028. I’d forgotten about Puck but yes what a character. I’m now wanting to delve further into Henry’s wives thanks to you! Have a great week. x
Whoa! Over a hundred trees! I don’t think I’ve ever planted an actual tree before. I tried planting flowers once and got frustrated and ended up throwing the seeds across the yard. LOL
Hahaha!!! That makes me chuckle! Yes, we planted well over 100 trees, but not all of them made it. Some of them were actual seedlings from Mike’s mom’s yard. You know when the maple trees shoot off those helicopters and some of them take root? We planted several of those. We also bought some through the Arbor Day Foundation. When we first built the house waaaay back in 1989, it was bare land with just the house sticking up. We had it professionally landscaped that summer and had three trees, I think, planted. Then, a few years later, we bought some silver maples and planted those. A couple of years, I got leftover spruce seedlings from the school where I taught. We just kept putting them in the ground, and they grew. My favorite, though, was the weeping willow. I’d always, always wanted one. I finally convinced Mike to buy one, and it had just reached “having a tea party beneath the branches” stage when we moved. It was also one of the first trees the new owners cut down. I would live in a forest if I could!
Thanks, Daenel!
Interesting questions, I must have missed it, I would love to have taken part. Love the pic of your dream garden. Glad you saw totality. I remember in 2000 how we all had glasses and high expectations, but it was too cloudy. Very disappointing. I didn’t know there was a flower for each month. Must look up mine!
Thanks, Gail! You can always participate a few days before or later. I’m still debating that dream garden. I’m wondering if I bought one of those bags of “wildflower” seed if that wouldn’t accomplish it especially if I sowed the kinds of flowers I especially want on their own. I was truly shocked at how good the weather was for the eclipse. I was sur it would be cloudy or even storming that day.
I don’t blame you for loving pink peonies. They are my fave! My mom’s birthstone is an opal and I love the jewelry she wears with opals in it. So glad you got to see the eclipse. It was so cool!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
I may try planting some peonies this summer. They just scream summer to me. Opals really are beautiful and so very unique. How close to totality did you get?
Thanks, Kathrine!
Chrysanthemum, the November flower (from SA), is laced with so much meaning and I love them.
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at SSPS 305. See you again next week https://esmesalon.com/tag/seniorsalonpitstop/
I do love chrysanthemums, but I don’t usually have any luck with them. All three that I planted last year have come up! Thank you for hosting the SSPS!
We love peonies too. They used to grow in front of my old house and when we moved into this house we found six bushes around the house. We have one pink one and we have so much fun watching them bloom in the summer.
I’m going to try to expose my son to some Shakespeare next year for school. I read Taming of the Shrew in high school and actually enjoyed it so we will probably read that one. I actually read Romeo and Juliet as well. I almost forgot that I had read that one as well. I enjoyed them and only hope I can teach them.
We had all pink peonies with one white one. My son has raised some beautiful really deep burgundy ones. I just love the way they smell. I’m glad you have some!
Oh, I forgot Taming of the Shrew! I read that one, and I actually remember liking it. I think I read the Readers Digest Condensed version of Romeo and Juliet! I think it’s important to expose each generation to classics like Shakespeare but not exactly force him down their throats.
Thanks, Lisa!
I was early to post my 10, but I’m very late in commenting on the others! EEEks!! I used to really dislike peonies because I associated them with ants, but they really are so beautiful! I forgot about Ticket to Ride – another great Beatles song, and yes, it was very hard to narrow them down!
No worries, Kym! I recently read the ants actually protect the peonies by getting rid of some kind of pest. I just grew up literally surrounded by peonies. We had them all around the house. I do wish I could grow them. Maybe, I’ll try again. It was hard to pick a song because they are almost all wonderful!
Thanks!