This or That: Summer Solstice Edition

I thought it'd be appropriate to end my Week of Questions with this month's . . . 

Camping . . . OR . . . Hotel

Sneakers . . . OR . . . Flip-flops

Pool . . . OR . . . Beach

Shade-lover . . . OR . . . Sun-seeker

Ice cream cone . . . OR . . . Ice cream in a dish

Motor boat . . . OR . . . Row boat

Iced Coffee . . . OR . . . Ice Tea

S'mores . . . OR . . . SnoCone

Coconut . . . OR . . . Banana

Sunglasses . . . OR . . . Sun hat

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To answer, just copy the the list above, paste it into the comment field, and indicate your answers.
(I've tried it myself and it works.)

This . . . or That? 
I can't wait to see what you choose.

(As for me? Check the comments to find out!)

 

A Week Full of Questions: Thursday

Inspired by the upcoming Summer Solstice, I've got a week's worth of summer-questions for you!

When you were a kid, did you go to camp in the summer? Day camp? Sleep-away camp? Or . . . did you camp in the summer with your family or friends? How about now? Are you a camper still?

As for me, my family wasn't a camping family . . . although we did rent a pop-up camper for one camping vacation when I was quite young. (I remember it being a lot of fun, but we never did it again, so I think that will tell you something about my parents' experience.) I went to a local Parks & Rec day camp with neighborhood kids during the summers when I was young. It was mostly games (I remember a lot of knock-hockey, 4-square, and tether ball tournaments, with some Red Rover thrown in now and then), arts-and-crafts (potholder loom weaving and lanyard-making being my favorites), and . . . popsicles. One summer I went to a 2-week sleep-away camp in Wisconsin with my friend Wendy. It was great fun -- there was a lot of swimming and horseback riding and elaborate capture-the-flag games -- plus funny skits and songs every night. That dark-and-grainy photo above is me (saying goodbye to my sister) in front of my camp cabin. It was all very exciting -- but I did get a little homesick during the second week of camp. As an adult, I camped with Tom once. In 1983. We had fun, but I remember it being an awfully lot of work. . . and I got a bad cold. (And now we have our cabin. With electricity, indoor plumbing, and even a washer and dryer. So I guess that says a lot about my preferences.)

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How about YOU? I'd love to hear about your summer camp - or camping - experiences!

A Week Full of Questions: Wednesday

Inspired by the upcoming Summer Solstice, I've got a week's worth of summer-questions for you!

Did you like to play in the water when you were a kid? Pool? Lake? Ocean beach? Maybe a sprinkler on the lawn? Did you keep cool with water in the summer? And . . . how about now, as an adult?

As for me, I spent as much time as I could in the water when I was a kid. This gem of a vacation photo from 1968 has only recently surfaced, and I just love it! (Especially . . . my mom's Esther Williams-style bathing cap.) At about this same age, I started swimming on a swim team (an activity that lasted through my high school days), so I was very comfortable in the water. We had this little pool in our backyard (below) -- but any water was fine with me! I had a fine time just running through a sprinkler on a hot summer day.

I still like being near the water as a grown-up. Not so much being IN it as being NEAR it. I like kayaking or boating on the lake, but swimming with fish and and loons and leeches kind of creeps me out a little bit, y'know? (I'm totally comfortable in a pool; lake water, though? I'm a bit more hesitant. . . ) And I still look forward to running into a sprinkler now and then!

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How about YOU? I'd love to hear about your summer water play!

 

A Week Full of Questions: Tuesday

Inspired by the upcoming Summer Solstice, I've got a week's worth of summer-questions for you!

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer officially arrives with the Summer Solstice . . . this year on Tuesday, June 21. But, here in my corner of the world, we get little glimpses of summer far earlier than mid-June. So . . . when do you consider the beginning of summer to be? Is it the calendar? Or is there an event (last day of school, for example) or something in the air (the smell of wisteria, for example?) Or is it some other "sign" altogether?

As for me, it's when I absolutely and without a doubt can put. away. the. socks. Hello, Summer . . . for me . . . is all about the footwear, and - in particular - flip-flops all the time! (And that happened for me . . . sometime in May this year.)

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How about YOU? I'd love to hear when summer begins . . . for you!

 

A Week Full of Questions: Monday

Inspired by the upcoming Summer Solstice, I've got a week's worth of summer-questions for you!

As the weather heats up and we spend more time outside, what summer-y treats do you like to eat? (Or drink?) Is it the same kind of treats you remember loving as a child? Or have your tastes changed over the years?

As for me . . . when I was a kid, my favorite thing was waiting to hear the (highly annoying) Mister Softee jingle as the ice cream truck rolled through the streets of my neighborhood. I loved getting "bomb pops" (pictured above; I think they're called "rocket pops" now) or a soft-serve twist cone or a Creamsicle. Other beloved summer treats of my childhood included burgers on the grill, watermelon slices, and my mom's Kool-Aid popsicles.

Some things never change . . . I still like ice cream. And watermelon. And though I don't eat meat much anymore, I do like an occasional burger on the grill. Not so much on the popsicles these days, although I will take a refreshing glass of Chardonnay or a cold gin and tonic instead!

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How about YOU? I'd love to hear about your favorite summer treats . . . then and now!

 

 

This or That . . . February Edition

In this week of asking you questions . . .  it seems like a This or That list might be the perfect way to wrap things up!
So here we go . . . 

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Flowers . . . or . . . Chocolates

Rom-Com . . . or . . . Action Movie

Bubble Bath . . . or . . . Long Shower

Dot your i's with little hearts . . . or . . . Never did that!

Tulips . . . or . . . Roses

Red . . . or . . . Pink

Get Dressed Up . . . or . . . Go Casual

Brunch . . . or . . . Dinner

E-cards . . . or . . . Snail Mail Cards

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To answer, just copy the following, paste it into the comment field, and indicate your answers. (I've tried it myself and it works.) 

Flowers or Chocolates
Rom-Com or Action Movie
Bubble Bath or Long Shower
Dot your i's with little hearts or Never did that
Tulips or Roses
Red or Pink
Get Dressed Up or Go Casual
Brunch or Dinner
E-cards or Snail Mail Cards

As for me? Check the comments to find out!

This . . . or That? 
I can't wait to see what you choose.

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And thanks for answering my questions this week. I hope you had as much fun as I did!

 

A Week of Questions: Thursday

This week I'm asking you questions!

So. Today, I'm going to invite you play along with a "thought exercise" Tom and I have been thinking about (off and on) since last summer. Oh, it's nothing hard or confusing. Just a bit of fun to rumble around with. Here goes . . . 

Let's pretend . . . you're headed to a desert island. On this island, there is a very fine, old school stereo system with a turntable . . . but no albums. (And there is no internet, so no ability to stream your favorite playlists.)  You have room for five albums in your "luggage." Which albums will you bring with you?

(You don't have to come up with a list of 5 here, but that's the ultimate goal. After several months of considering this question - and listening to several albums that are/have been in contention - we still don't have a final list of 5. . . I'm just interested in the albums you'd be considering.)

As for me . . . well. As I mentioned above, Tom and I have been debating this very question for several months. We've suggested various albums to each other, played them, and rejected most of them. (With only space for 5, you really have to be choosy, y'know? You have LOVE every song on the album - not just one or two favorites. . . ) At the end of the day, we've only ended up with THREE "for sure" albums: Fleetwood Mac Rumours, Rolling Stones Some Girls, and Nirvana Nevermind. There are many, many others still in contention: The Beatles White Album (or maybe Abbey Road instead?), Carole King Tapestry, Doobie Brothers Minute by Minute, CSNY Déjà Vu (or maybe 4 Way Street instead?), The Eagles Hotel California, Bruce Springsteen Born to Run??? You can see the problem here . . . 

How about YOU? 
I'm eager to hear which albums you'd pack along!

A Week Full of Questions: Wednesday

This week I'm asking you questions!

On an Unraveled Wednesday, let's talk about projects we love. What's your favorite finished project (of any kind)? And what makes it your favorite? Did you like the making of it? Or do you like the wearing/gifting of it? Or is it something else altogether?

As for me, it's a project like this one . . . from way back in 2018. Fun to knit. Entertaining, too. Beautiful yarn. Great colors. A sense of accomplishment when it's finished. And something I love to wear, to boot!

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How about YOU? I'd love to hear about your favorite project -- and what makes it so!

A Week Full of Questions: Tuesday

This week I'm asking you questions!

Let's talk rom-coms! What's your favorite romantic comedy? And what is it that you love about it; what makes it your favorite? 

As for me . . . this is a really tough call, but I think I'm going with . . .  High Fidelity. I love the characters, the situations, the dialogue. It's clever and funny and Tom likes it, too. It's one of those movies we've watched over and over -- and it still makes us laugh every time. In fact, some lines and scenes (like the one in the screen shot above) make us laugh just thinking about them! (In second place, I think maybe Four Weddings and a Funeral? But what about Bull Durham??? This is such a hard question. . . )

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How about YOU? I can't wait to hear about your favorite rom-com!

 

A Week Full of Questions: Monday

This week, I'm asking you questions!

So. It's Valentine's Day . . . a day I have mixed feelings about. Tell me why you love it. Or why you don't love it. Share some memories. What's your favorite way to celebrate or acknowledge Valentine's Day, if you do at all?

As for me . . . Tom and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day in any special way, although in the earlier days of our relationship we exchanged cards and chocolates. Now, though? Not so much. And that's fine with both of us. But . . . the other day, I mentioned to Tom that I had seen some really yummy looking treats on the Instagram feed of one of our favorite local restaurants. He decided to run over and see what they had; maybe pick something up . . . and came home with $80 worth of bakery goodies!!! (Because he couldn't decide . . . and everything looked good . . . ) $80 in bakery goodies, my friends, is a LOT of bakery goodies. Cookies and heart-shaped brownies and heart-shaped mini cheesecakes and some chocolate shortbread hearts filled with caramel and chocolate . . . and a mini pear tart. All of them beautiful. All of them delicious. (Because of course we sampled them all weekend!) 

(My Valentine. Sometimes he brings home Mr. Heater . . . and sometimes he brings home an embarrassing supply of Valentine treats!)

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How about you?
I'm eager to hear your Valentine's Day stories!