Has this been the strangest summer (Northern Hemisphere, of course), weather-wise? I know some of you are sweltering; some of you are freezing, and some of you have had way too much rain. We started off the summer with lots and lots of dry hot days. I was really worried about our grass and newly planted trees and bushes. But, we have had lots of rain in the last few weeks. Our grass is lush and green which is not the usual August Indiana lawn! I’ll take it, though!
This month was another yin/yang kinda month. I admit it was difficult coming up with these questions. And, some of them are pretty dumb, I know! Oh, well! I do hope you’ll play along and either link up your post (or any others), comment, or email me your answers.
Without further ado…
- Tell us about your favorite summer vacation. Now, tell us about a vacation gone wrong.
- My favorite summer vacation would probably be our first trip to London in 2001. We went for our 25th wedding anniversary. Nigel travelled quite a bit when he was working so he’d saved up miles and hotel dollars. We flew business class, stayed in a posh hotel just minutes from Buckingham Palace, and visited Stonehenge. That was also the vacation I learned the value of suitcases with wheels! I’d taken an entire suitcase of shoes and sandals. And, the daggone wheels broke! I had to lug that thing through Waterloo station. But, we had a wonderful time, had high tea, and visited many, many museums.
- A vacation gone wrong…that is a hard one. I can’t really think of one where everything went wrong. The only big thing I can think of is the year we went to San Antonio and New Orleans in late October or early November. A cold front came through, and I actually bought a down coat at Macy’s in San Antonio. Thank goodness I had it in New Orleans because it was cold there, too! We took a swamp tour to see alligators and didn’t see a single one because it was too cold for them, even!
- Share an activity from your summers as a kid, but now you wouldn’t even consider trying it.
- Cartwheels! I used to love to do cartwheels and run and jump. Now, my Frankenfoot prevents me from anything that requires jolts to the feet.
- Is there something you love to wear in the summer, but would never wear in the colder months?
- I know there are those who say you can winterize anything, and they are right…for them! I wouldn’t wear a tank top and shorts in the winter because I’d freeze. I was going to say shorts, but I used to wear lined wool shorts with tights when I was teaching. And, who knows? That just might come back!
- Spill the tea! What summer beverage do you need to make it through the day? What beverage wouldn’t grace your table ever during the summer?
- You know what? My summer beverages are pretty much my winter beverages…Diet Coke and iced water with Crystal Light lemonade added to it. I guess maybe hot chocolate wouldn’t be on my table in the summer.
- When you were a kid, was there something you did that kids today would think was a complete waste of time? Is there something kids do today you find a lost cause?
- Pick up sticks and jacks! I loved playing pick up sticks and jacks! I was pretty good at it, too! I can’t say video games for today because I love to play them, too. Texting or making TikTok videos (though that may not be the cool thing anymore) would probably be my answer for something I wouldn’t do. I mean, I do text, but I’d rather just talk to the person instead of texting back and forth. There are people I text because I know they’ll respond to a text rather than a phone call more readily.
- Share a summer movie you watch as often as you can. What summer movie do you wish had never been filmed?
- Who writes these dumb things? I rarely rewatch movies anyway unless they’re old black and white movies. So, a summer movie that I like enough to watch again might be James Bond (minus Pierce Brosnan or that other guy who didn’t make very many). A summer movie I’d never watch would probably be…waiting for the gasps…Jaws. I haven’t ever seen it and don’t intend to, either.
- Tell us about your current favorite summer song. Now, tell us about a song that instantly takes you back to your childhood.
- My current favorite summer song is probably not a summer song at all. My favorite song right now is whatever is on the radio. I am a serial channel surfer! If I don’t like the song, I switch the station. If I use my Pandora app, it would probably be something by Queen or classic rock. The one that will spill me into my seat on the bus is “See You in September” by The Happenings. I love that song and think schoolkids around me would be amazed to think of school starting in September!
- Time to spill the tea again! Are you a bikini type person? Or, do you only dip your toe in the waters in a one piece?
- Well, if I had a place to dip my toe in the waters, the rest of me would be in a one piece! I have a couple of bikinis, but ain’t nobody wanting to see that right now!
- Share a favorite summer recipe you love to fix over and over again. Now, what recipe did you try one summer and will never attempt again.
- My all time favorite summer recipe is something I never make…macaroni salad! My Aunt Lou made the absolute best macaroni salad and always made extra so everyone could take leftovers home. A recipe I tried and would never make again would probably be something to do with Jello! Do ya’ll remember Jello salads? Yeah, I wouldn’t make one of those again.
- What is your absolute favorite summer smell? What summer smell makes you want to vomit?
- My favorite summer smell is a three way tie between freshly mown grass, roses, and petunias. The summer smell that makes me want to choke is roadkill! I know there’s roadkill all year long, but summertime is just the worst.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
This was a tough one so I’ll understand the posts that decry my prompts!! I struggled with writing them, and I struggled even more answering them. Any suggestions are appreciated. So, can we talk? Is there a format you like best? Or, do you like alternating? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as possible.
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I had trouble with a couple of the questions film and song – and I see you did too, very funny. We were very fortunate growing up when we did. We were easily entertained and expectations were low.
“We were easily entertained and expectations were low” – I 100% cosign this as a Gen X kid growing up in the 80s. We had to keep ourselves entertained and use our imaginations; I think my sister and I could make a toy or game out of basically anything! Sometimes limitations can be a great spur to creativity.
I think it was the narrowing it down to one and one in the summer for the songs and movies. I do think we were extremely lucky to have grown up when we did. I look at my grandkids and am sad they didn’t get to experience the ease and fearlessness of my childhood.
Thanks, Gail!
You are funny – I’m glad you laugh at your own questions!
Thanks, Beth! I laugh at myself a lot! When I write these questions, I really need to be thinking, “Can I even answer that?” Obviously, I don’t!
Thank you for the trip down memory lane with “See You in September” … I haven’t heard that in forever but it took me right back. Wow!
I can’t believe you never saw “Jaws” … but I do understand. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen it. To me, that film has the very best opening scene ever.
What a fun post today!
I hear that song, and I swear I’m right back on the seat at the front of the bus smelling those diesel fumes! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. OK, now, I’m going to have to google the opening scene, but that’s all!
Thanks, Beth!
I thought these were interesting questions! I definitely had to think about some of them for a bit but I that’s the fun of this series! I remember doing cartwheels way back when my joints could handle the impact. I can’t even imagine the pain I would feel if I tried a cartwheel now. In fact, I partially dislocated my shoulder yesterday…scratching my ear! Oh, the pain that such a tiny movement caused me…so definitely no cartwheels here!
Shelbee
Oooh, sorry to hear about your shoulder! I have reached the stage of life where I can somehow injure myself just sitting in a chair – what the heck??
I find bruises and think, “Huh, I wonder what I did.”
I was trying so hard to keep to the yin/yang aspect, I didn’t realize how difficult the questions were. But, they made me think, too! Years and years ago, my brother dislocated his shoulder. I had to go get him at my aunt’s house in our little pickup truck with all three kids so there were five of us in the cab of that truck. I tried to keep the kids up against me so they wouldn’t bump him. It didn’t take long for them to fix him at the hospital, though. I hope you’re feeling better soon.
My post will be up on the blog tomorrow and we have the exact same food answer– I love macaroni & pasta salads but man I really hate Jell-O! I did struggle with a few of the questions and asked for help from my whole family. I got them all answered though and did think it was fun.
Thanks, Joanne! What a good idea to add in your family. Mike would probably just say, “I don’t remember!” I used to really like Jello when I was a kid, but now…nope!! I can’t wait to read your answers.
There are no dumb questions; only dumb answers. Wait, that doesn’t sound very good! I enjoyed seeing your answers. I am absolutely STUNNED at the idea of needing a down coat in San Antonio in Oct/Nov; I wouldn’t have thought they even sold heavy coats! What a fluke.
Hahaha!! There may have been a couple dumb questions and answers, Sally! It was really cold in New Orleans. The first day we were there, we were sweating like crazy. Then, the cold front that had hit San Antonio arrived with lots of wind and rain. When we got to the place for the swamp tour, they had fleece blankets (from WalMart even) so I bought one. Even with the down jacket, I was freezing and so glad to have that extra layer.
Thanks, Sally!
I had a hard time thinking about movies — Jaws is a good one NOT to watch! Great choice. Thanks for coming up with the questions!!
I don’t know why I never watched Jaws and just have no desire to see it now. Thanks for coming by, Lisa!
I shared a post I wrote about our Alaskan cruise, which was just about perfect. We had previously done a Caribbean cruise which was not so perfect but not horrible. If travel enough you’re bound to have some mishaps. At least it gives you something out of the ordinary to talk about when you get home. Thanks for the opportunity to link up.
That’s a wonderful way to think about less than stellar trips, or anything for that matter! I would love to go to Alaska and on up to Vancouver some day. I’m so glad you came by, Aletha!
That’s so funny because I can’t stand the smell of fresh cut grass. When Rob used to mow the lawn, I made him take a shower right afterwards, LOL.
The time we went to San Antonio in February, it was much colder than expected, and I had to buy boots (Rob thought it was a ploy to get new shoes, haha)
I will say that I’m shocked you drink diet coke. Girl, we need to get you off of that.
XOXO
Jodie
I will admit there have been times I’ve “forgotten” something in order to buy it where we were going. But, I usually overpack! Are you allergic to grass and that’s why you don’t like it? I drink Diet Coke when I’m in the mood. Usually, it’s ice water with just enough lemonade to make it taste less like water!
Thanks, Jodie!
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I’ve never seen jaws either lol. So many movies I haven’t seen from in the 90s I need to catch up. So good to get to know how your summers went and jello salads was always discussting to me also I didn’t understand that and ambrosia lol
I know what you mean about 90s movies. I was busy raising kids and starting teaching. Oh, I had completely forgotten about ambrosia! Thanks for coming by, Kita!
Very nice answers here. Thanks for sharing them.
Thank you so much, Patrick! Perhaps, you’d like to play along in September?
I couldln’t really think of one that went wrong either (vacations).. haha…nope I can’t really do a cartwheel anymore either. Sometimes I’ll wear shorts inside in winter because I tend to get overheated easily. I LOVED pick up sticks and jacks.
I think I maybe could do a cartwheel, but I’d probably end up hurting myself and not be able to move for weeks! There were very few people who had bad vacations so that’s a good thing!
Thanks, Kirstin, for coming by!
I have never ever successfully made Jello. I can make a salad similar to a Jello salad but with pistachio pudding but my Jello never gelled. And my fudge never…fudges?? Never sets?? Solidifies??
I drink Crystal Light, too. All year. We make big pitchers of it. But I am having trouble finding the plastic containers of the multiple packets. I think they make a half gallon? I just checked the Crystal Light site and they are launching something called Pure. Maybe that’s the latest thing.
Cartwheels. Gosh, that brings back memories. Thank you. Happy memories of summers in my childhood home in Memphis (Bartlett), TN. Doing cartwheels all over the backyard. Then one summer going to visit my father’s best friend, a Catholic priest in the one dog town of Buffalo, Oklahoma. I was doing cartwheels in the yard of his parrish home when some teenaged boys a little older than I drove by in a hearse!!! They asked if I wanted a ride!! Ha. Wasn’t ready then, not yet ready now.
Hahaha!!! I knew there was a reason why I love you! I can’t make Jello either…the bottom is always thick and rubbery. Is the pistachio pudding dessert the one with layers of cream cheese and whipped cream? I love that one and substitute different flavors. The first time I made it was when we were newlyweds and didn’t know to use instant pudding!
I make big pitchers of lemonade though I dilute it with crushed ice and water when I drink it. I wonder if it’s because of the uproar about aspartame. They’ve switched up here to using boxes instead of the plastic containers. Maybe that’s why you can’t find it?
I loved doing cartwheels! I’d probably fracture something now if I tried to do one. One of Mike’s friend’s dad owned the local funeral home and would often drive the hearse around town! I’m not ready either!