Share Your World – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

2025 SYW: Week of 05 May

There are two ways in which you can participate:
Leave your answers to this week’s questions in the comments box below or create your own post and link back to this one.
Ping-backs are activated, but don’t always work properly, so to play safe, leave a link in a comment or if you prefer, leave just the link so that I can see it.

Here are this week’s questions:

Have you ever danced round a maypole?
The only time I can remember dancing around a Maypole was one year in elementary school.
Does the month of May hold any specific memories or events for you?
The month of May holds memories and events special or significant to me.
- 1) 8th — my sister-in-law’s birthday
- 2) 2nd Sunday — Mother’s Day
- 3) 10th — Loss of my Maternal Grandfather
- 4) 19th — My Day
- 5) 24th — My Dad’s Special Day
- 6) 30th — Birth of my Daughter
Does your country celebrate a May Day holiday?
I haven’t heard or seen anything regarding May Day holidays here in America. I think it is more of an individual or family event with some giving out May Day baskets.
Have you booked a vacation for this year?
I have not booked a vacation for this year. I have dreamed about the possibility of taking a vacation. We all know that is not the same as actually taking a vacation. In reality, I have not had a vacation since 2020.

Gratitude:

“Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.”
– Deepak Chopra

Share Your World – 05.05.2025

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in my world. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: Week of 28 April

Season??

Di from Pensitivity101 hosts the Share Your World Challenge , this week she is asking us about what Season we are experiencing in our part of the World.

There are two ways in which you can participate:
Leave your answers to this week’s questions in the comments box below or create your own post and link back to this one.
Ping-backs are activated, but don’t always work properly, so to play safe, leave a link in a comment or if you prefer, leave just the link so that I can see it.
(Instructions on how ping-backs work are found by clicking here. Thanks! )
To make it easy for others to check out your post, title or tag your blog post “Share Your World”.

Here are my answers this week:

1. What season are you in where you live, and what time is it?

Spring is in the air in my neck of the woods (area). The days are warming, the flowers are blossoming, Spring sports ⚾️ are active and Coleman is ready for sleeping past 5:30 am.

2. What is your favourite season of the year?

I like Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Do not care for the cold winter weather season. Spring is the season of warming and flowering. Summer leads to hotter weather, water fun, and the opportunity to be on a time-free schedule (or lack of a time consuming schedule). Autumn is the season of cooling weather, beautiful foliage colouring the landscapes. I maybe odd, but I actually prefer the Summer Season except for when the heatwaves rise towards extreme temperatures.

3. Can you ski or ice skate?

Ski? I have never Snow skied ⛷️and do not have excellent balance for ice skating⛸️ . I have Waterskied 🚤 and enjoyed it tremendously in my youth.

4. When was the last time you built a snowman?

I’m not sure if I’ve built I snowman ☃️. I have made an igloo though in the early nineteen nineties with the Boy Scouts of America.

Gratitude:

“Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks and praise – then you will discover the fullness of your life.”
– David Steindl–Rast

Di’s Share Your World-28 April

God Bless. Enjoy life. Experience the wonders of your Season. Thank you for visiting and sharing in my world. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: 14 April

Here are this week’s questions:

What did you have for breakfast today? I actually did not eat breakfast today. Normally I eat breakfast after I see Coleman off on the bus. I most often fix myself a breakfast sandwich. Sometimes on a muffin, but more often on an onion or cinnamon bagel add Colby Jack sliced cheese & sometimes with cracked pepper turkey breast slices.
What is your preferred fruit juice? I do not drink juice often, but when I do the type various between apple juice or Jumex Peach or Mango Nectar.
What is your favourite snack? My favourite or preferred snack changes from time to time. Currently I snack on Little Debbie’s Nutty Bars.
What is your favourite hobby or pastime, either now or when you were younger? I think I would need to say a favourite pastime of mine over years tends to be photography. My daughter thinks I take too many photos, but I don’t think I’ll ever consider that I have enough. Always see something or someone (especially Coleman) that I want to capture for the lasting memory. When I was younger I used to play tennis quite often. Now it is hiking and photography.

Gratitude:

Di’s Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Share Your World (SYW): 31 March

Di from pensitivity101 hosts Share Your World. Each week she challenges us to answer unique questions about ourselves/ our lives. This week’s questions are about our “firsts” of various objects. Can you remember your “Firsts?”

Here are this week’s questions:

Can you remember your first camera? The first camera I ever used was one of my dad’s older cameras, an Argus 40 Box Camera. Later on I used a Kodak Instamatic X-15 126 cartridge camera. In high school I bought my first 35 mm camera, a Minolta XG-7 (which I still own). I have been using a Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR camera since 2014.
Can you remember when you had your first mobile phone? I didn’t own a mobile phone until, I think, around 2002/3. I believe it was a Motorola similar to the MOTOROLA MC2-41h11 talkabout.
Can you remember your first car. If you don’t drive, can you remember your parent’s car? Before I mention the first car I ever drove/owned let me tell you the first car I remember my dad ever driving. It was a 1949 Ford Tudor 2-door Sedan. [My dad had a model 1949 Tudor Sedan he painted to look exactly like the one he owned at one time.] The first cars I ever drove was a 1962 Ford Galaxie (manual steering) and a 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 Select-a-Shift (all 2-doors). The 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 later became my first car.
What was your first job as an adult? The first job I had after high school was as a nurses aide at Alvarado Convalescent Hospital. ( I took nurse aide training my senior high of high school, however, I didn’t manage too well with the science courses so never became a nurse.)

Gratitude:

“Everyone enjoys being acknowledged and appreciated. Sometimes even the simplest act of gratitude can change someone’s entire day. Take the time to recognize and value the people around you and appreciate those who make a difference in your lives.”
~ Roy T. Bennett

Di’s Share Your World-31 March

God Bless. I’m thankful for each and every one of y’all here on WordPress. I’m thankful for the friendships, interactions, and support. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Examples of my firsts:

All images free from Google search with copyright attachments in image captions.

2025 SYW: 17 March —

Pensitivity101 hosts Share Your World and this week’s question are a variety of subjects from auctions, concerts, plays and feelings. The rules for participating are simple and are listed below:

Here are this week’s questions and my answers:

Have you ever been to an auction? The only auctions I have ever been to were church auctions to raise money for missions.
Were you ever in a school play or concert? I was never in a school plays or concerts but I was in plays and choir at church.
In your working life, were you ever rewarded financially for your services apart from your salary? In my job I was rewarded yearly depending on how the store performed.
How are your feeling today? Today, I am feeling fine. Yesterday I was worried because my grandson’s school bus was delayed due to a minor accident the bus was involved in. With no transportation except by two feet I walked approximately 1.5 miles to meet the bus to pick him up from where the bus was stopped due to the accident.

Gratitude

“The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.”
– Robert Holden
Routinely Nomadic

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for Sharing in my World 🌎. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: 10 March — Pets??

Here are my answers to this week’s questions:

1. Have you ever had a pet that was NOT a dog or a cat?

At one time in my life we had an aquarium with a few different types of fish. I don’t recall which ones though. I think we had a Plecostomus, a type of bottom-dwelling fish that helps keep an aquarium clean and possibly a Corydoras Catfish with possibly a few goldfish. (I’ve never owned a cat).

2. Did you have pets in the household when you were a child?

We had various tipoff dogs throughout the years while I was growing up. I only remember the collie we had when I was in elementary school and the short-haired Chihuahua-Dachshund Mix we had for years.

3. Do/did you find pets therapeutic?

While growing up I never considered pets as therapeutic (or even knew of such a thing). My maternal aunt has two emotional support dogs and my daughter had one until we moved and couldn’t bring him (he was epileptic and tended to have seizures that we couldn’t afford his medication).

4. How old were you when you had your first pet?

I’m not sure how old I was when we got our first dog, a collie. All I remember is we had him before I was in third grade.

Gratitude:

“At the end of the day,
I am thankful that my blessings are bigger than my problems.”
Author unknown

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for Sharing in my World 🌎. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: March 3

1. Which of the following could you NOT do without?
Automatic washing machine, TV/cable, Microwave oven.

I could live and have lived without all three of these items. If I needed to keep one of them I would choose to keep the washing machine for its convenience.

2. Which would be your priority of these:
a warm coat or a comfortable pair of shoes.

For me, it’d definitely be a comfortable pair of shoes. I do a tremendous amount of walking/hiking and comfortable shoes are a must for the health and wellbeing of my feet.

3. Would you rather have a hot cup of tea/coffee or hot soup?

Of these three choices, I would not choose any of them. I prefer cold (not iced) tea. Cold tea is practically the only drink I drink all day long.

4. If you had the choice rather than necessity/cost effectiveness, would you rather rent a property, buy with a mortgage, or share with family/friends and split the cost?

If I had a choice and cost was not a major factor; I would rather buy with a mortgage. I have rented and rental are not always the best choice but the necessary option. I have and currently live with family, however, that does not provide privacy or the freedom to come and go by one’s self.

Gratitude:

“Let us remember that, as much has been given us; much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.”
– Theodore Roosevelt

Di’s Share Your World: 3 March

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: February 12

Share Your World is hosted by pensitivity101. She invited us all to share a part of our world each week by answering a few questions.

Here are this week’s questions:

Do/did you collect anything (stamps, cards, action figures, etc) now or as a child? Yes, I collected stamps with my dad growing up, putting them in stamp covers and into our stamp albums side by side. I once collected bird figurines, and later bears. You might say I collected books because after I read them I tend to keep them and they keep piling up in boxes and boxes and boxes.
What is the silliest thing you’ve ever bought? I’m not sure if I’ve bought anything silly or not. I tend to buy practical things, things that have a purpose and can last for a long long time hopefully.
When it comes to jewellery, do you prefer gold, silver, or gem stones? My preference to jewelry has changed over the years. When I was younger I preferred yellow gold, then silver or white gold. Nowadays I do not wear much in the way of jewelry.
Do you know what your birthstone is? My birthstone is Emerald. My wedding ring had emeralds that surrounded my diamond.

Gratitude:

Share YOUR World

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in my world. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: February 3

Sharing my World

on February 5th

Pensitivity101 is the host for Share Your World and is asking us to share about our school days. She welcome all to Share their World. This is a special way we may earn more about each other and connect in a small way.

Here are this week’s questions:

What can you remember about your last day at school/college? My last day of school/college was a long long time ago. It was a day to stand, sit, and wait for the graduation ceremony to end. My High School graduation was held in the Starlight Bowl Balboa Park’s Amphitheater. The highlight of the ceremony some might not consider a highlight, but instead an embarrassment. There were a couple of streakers who ran across the stage.
Were you close enough to walk to school or did you need transport? For my elementary school, I walked a 0.5 miles extremely long blocks to and from school every day which took a minimum of ten (10) minutes depending on traffic lights. For my Junior High School, I walked approximately 14-15 minutes for O.6 miles each way. I walked past the shopping center and a small strip mall and a long block of houses before entering the school grounds. Now for my High School, I did not live close enough to walk. My high school was near my dad’s work, so he drove me to school and dropped me off on the side street. At the end of the school day, I rode the city bus to my neighbourhood and walked the rest of the way home.
Did you have a favourite teacher? I’m not sure that I remember many of my teachers names. My eighth grade history teacher would give me extra credit to improve my grade. I didn’t care much for history back then, but I did enjoy doing research. This teacher allowed me to research a person or historical topic and write a report on the subject. I had a teacher in high school that allowed a few students a pass from being in the classroom. The only condition was you had to attend a Kiwanis luncheon downtown (yes, we got to eat at the luncheon), listen to a guest speaker and then talk about what the speaker spoke about at the next class session with a written report to turn in to him.
Would you like to go back to school? At this present stage of my life I have no desire to go back to school, however, that doesn’t prevent me from reading, researching, writing, or whatsoever is appropriate to keep myself learning new ideas and experiencing new things and having adventures learning in nature with my grandson.

Gratitude:

‘Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.’
– Anonymous

Share Your World-February 3, 2025

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in my world. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: January 27

Share Your World is hosted by pensitivity101; she is some thought provoking questions for us to answer in this week’s challenge. I personally have not thought very much about these types of questions, but maybe I should be thinking about them and considering a plan in writing of my desired wishes.

Here are the questions for this week’s Share Your World Challenge:

Do you have a bucket list?

At the present time, I do not have a bucket list. There are still some things I dream of doing, however, I do not think I have the means to accomplish some of them. One of my top goals is to visit the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada. I want to visit my former spouse’s (and the father of my grown children) grave to pay my respects. If we make it there, Coleman would be seeing where his Pawpaw is buried. Another dream is take my grandson, Coleman, to California to meet his Pawpaw’s only living brother with a side trip to the Pacific Ocean.

Cremation or burial?

My choice would be Cremation. The cost of burial is extremely expensive and, to me, an unnecessary burden. My parents were both cremated and their ashes were buried in the same burial plot. As to the ashes, I’m not sure if my children would prefer to scatter them or have them interred in a crypt.

Recognised service/celebration of life, or private gathering?

It would definitely be a private gathering. I don’t believe many would gather except for a handful.

Flowers or donations?

Flowers are pretty, but I would not be able to enjoy them if I were no longer present on this earth. Therefore, I would recommend, if desired, for people to make donations to the American Cancer Society or an agency like the Wounded Warrior Project.

Gratitude:

Dankbare Menschen sind wie fruchtbare Felder, sie geben das Empfangene zehnfach zurück.

Grateful people are like
fertile fields, they give back
what they receive tenfold.
August von Kotzebue
Germany

Share Your World -January 27

God Bless. Life is Short. Be Grateful Always. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: January 13th

Still a bit behind, but better late than never. Trying to catch up … too cold (for me) to go hiking. That’s okay, it gives me more time to think and write.

Here are my answers to this week’s questions:

1. Of all the household chores (laundry, dusting, hoovering, washing up, cooking etc) which is your least favourite?

My least favourite household chore tends to be sweeping and dusting. ( Does that count as one? Oops it’s probably two, but go hand in had.) I have allergies to dust, so anything that stirs dust up is put off until absolutely deemed necessary.

2. With food prices going up all the time, do you buy less, find substitutes, or don’t buy at all?

Regardless of food prices, we try to continue buying the food items we prefer and or need. I have always tended to buy store brand labels whenever possible. All store brand products are manufactured by name brand suppliers and most of the time are equal to the brand name labels. My grandson does not like meat unless it’s veggie meat with the exception of tuna. He prefers to eat fruits and vegetables. For any can or frozen fruit and vegetables, I buy store brand products. And yes, they may cost more but we do buy him plenty of fresh fruits. However, we try to buy them when they are on sale.

3. Do you enjoy meals with left overs?

I grew up having leftovers for meals at least once a week. Serving leftovers for meals helps reduce waste and helps reduce stored food in the refrigerator. So, yes, we still have leftovers for meals at least once a week.

4. Do you prefer bagels, crusty bread, or toast?

Let’s add a few more selections like muffins or biscuits. For breakfast, I prefer Bagels and/or Biscuits. I tend to alternate them throwing in toasted Oat Bread for egg sandwiches on occasion. For lunch, if I have bread it is Oat Nut Bread. For Supper, I like to have Biscuits or Crescents depending on what I choose to fix. Some meals I do not eat any bread.

Gratitude:

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”
~ Denis Waitley

Di’s Share Your World-01.13

“Center your thoughts on the magnificent gifts in the present and embrace gratitude.”
-Maree Dee

It appears I threw in an additional gratitude for this post. It never fails to be grateful for all one has, including the friends I’ve made on WP.

2025 SYW: January 6

Posting a week late, but still sharing my world.

Here are this week’s questions:

1. What is the weather like today where you are?

Today our high was 49° with a low of 26°. It was warmer than the weather we had over the weekend which dipped down into the upper teens and brought us a wee bit of Snow ❄️ (not enough make a Snowman ☃️ and lots of freezing rain overnight. But alas when the Sun came out the next day (even though still cold – low 40’s°) the Snow ❄️ and Ice 🧊 melted.

2. Have you booked your annual vacation yet?

No, I have not booked a vacation yet. Hopefully we will have one this year. Haven’t really had a vacation since 2020.

3. Do you have a passport, and when does it expire?

I do have a passport which I obtained in 2020 and is valid until 2030.

4. When was the last (or first) time you went abroad?

The first time I went abroad to another country was riding a church bus into Tecate, Baja California, Mexico with our church youth group to volunteer and minister to children at the Tecate Mission Orphanage. For this trip crossing into Mexico in the early 1970’s I didn’t need a passport; only needed my U.S. Birth Certificate.

The last time I went abroad was on the Enchantment of the Seas Caribbean Cruise Ship in February of 2020. While on this cruise we docked in Costa Maya, Mexico and Cozumel, Mexico. While docked at the port, I disembarked and wandered around the ports checking out the shops and other places of interest.

Gratitude:

“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.”
— Anonymous

Share Your World

SYW

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 SYW: December 30

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Would you consider 2024 to have been a good year?

I would consider 2024 to be a mixture of good and bad. We had some hard trying times with difficulties, but with perseverance we made it through with the Lord’s strength and guidance.

2. What has been the highlight of 2024 for you?

I am not sure what I would consider the highlight of 2024 to be, however, the best of times I experienced throughout 2024 were the many hiking adventures I had with my grandson, Coleman.

3. Did you keep any New Year resolutions if you made any in January?

I gave up making New Year’s Resolutions a long long time ago. I’ve tried setting goals, but even those are sometimes not met. I did make my reading goal though.

4. Are you looking forward to 2025?

I am actually, for once, looking forward to experiencing new adventures with Coleman and possibly with my daughter on occasion. Hopefully, we can make the trip we’ve been wanting to take since June of 2018. The trip would be to go out to Boulder City (just southwest of Las Vegas), Nevada to pay our respects at burial site of my husband and my children’s father. And hopefully as down to San Diego, California to visit with his only living brother.

Gratitude:

“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 SYW: 09.30 —

Remembering Past Home,

Relatives, the 60’s.

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Did your parental home have a ‘parlour’ or front room reserved only for when you had visitors?

The home I live in beginning in junior high did have a front room, however, visitors were always welcomed into the family room for visits. The front room was just a passageway to the dining room or family room.

2. Did you ever go to stay with relatives during the school holidays?

I often stayed with my maternal grandparents when school was out. I would ride the city bus with my grandmother to go to church or shopping. Sometimes when we were at the house we would snap beans getting them ready to cook. Times with my maternal grandmother were good times I’ll always remember and treasure.

3. Did relatives (cousins, grandparents) come to stay with your family in the holidays?

Relatives never stayed at our house growing up. We usually always gathered at my maternal grandparents home for Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and for extended family gatherings.

4. What do you remember from the 1960s.

What I remember from the sixties is the carefree life, the playing outside till the street lights came on, the skateboards we made ourselves using old shoe skates, riding my bicycle all over the neighbourhood without a helmet (never knew we needed one back then) and the ease of walking the streets never being afraid of anything or anyone.

I remember the music, the cabinet television (only one in the home) with having to go to it to change a channel, its signing off at midnight (they didn’t use to plays shows all night long).

I remember a lot about the sixties, it was a great time to be a kid. The joys we found in the simplest things. Things are so simple anymore, life changes and we adapt.

Gratitude:

“Life is one big, continuous circle of giving and receiving energy. Be thankful for who and what’s in your life, instead of complaining about what you don’t have. If you focus on gratitude, you’ll start to attract prosperity and abundance.”
consciousreminder.com

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for sharing in my world. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 SYW: Week of 05.06

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Have you ever roller skated?

I have roller skated, but not for a very long time. The last time I roller skated in a skating rink was when my children were little and I injured my wrist. When I was growing up we used to skate on our sidewalk with “shoe-skates” which you fastened onto your shoes. The metal sidewalk roller skates strapped onto your shoes needed a skate key to adjust them to fit your feet.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, roller skates typically had a design that included metal wheels and a boot made of leather or canvas. The wheels were attached to the boot with a metal frame. The skate keys were used to adjust and secure the skates to the wearer’s shoes.

The skate keys were typically T-shaped tools with a small socket or prong at the end. The skate keys were used to adjust the tightness of the skates by turning screws or bolts located on the skate frame. These screws or bolts were often located at the front and back of the skate frame.

To adjust the skates, the skate key would be inserted into the appropriate hole on the skate frame, and then turned clockwise or counterclockwise to tighten or loosen the screws or bolts. This allowed the wearer to customize the fit of the skates to their feet.

In addition to adjusting the tightness of the skates, the skate key was also used to remove or replace the wheels on the skates. By inserting the skate key into the wheel axle and turning it, the wearer could remove the wheels for maintenance or replacement.

2. Have you ever ridden a horse (or donkey)?

I have ridden a horse, but not since we lived in Arkansas in the early 1990’s. Coleman, my grandson has ridden a horse when he was three. It’s about time to arrange for him to ride a horse again.

3. What was your favourite ride at a fun fair?

I actually do not remember riding any rides at a fair. We usually looked at all the exhibits and listened to the musical performances.

4. Choice of fun fair prizes:
coconut, cuddly toy, £10/$10 cash prize.

No games, no prizes.

Gratitude:

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your world. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 SYW: Week of 04.15

1. Regardless of whether you had them or not, can you remember three popular toys from when you were a child?

Three popular toys from my childhood were:

1. Barbies
2. Skateboards
3. Zippy, the Howdy Doody Monkey

Other popular toys from my childhood were:

• Hula Hoop
• Slinky
• Mr. Potato Head
• Lincoln Logs
• Lionel Toy Trains
• Duncan Yo Yo
• Sting Ray Bicycle

2. Did you ever want something specific as a child, but never had it?

I had bicycles growing up, but the type I really wanted was a Schwinn Sting-Ray. No other bicycle compared to the Sting-Ray even though other companies like Huffy tried to compete and were more affordable.

3. Do you still have any toys or games from your childhood?

The only toy I still have is Zippy, the Howdy Doody Monkey.

***Coleman***
***holding my***
***Zippy Monkey***

4. I think I’ve asked this before, but what was your favourite toy as a child?

I am not sure if I had a favourite toy as a child. Growing up I had Barbie dolls, loved playing marbles, baseball, freeze tag, riding my homemade skateboard ( steel roller skate wheels attached to a piece of wood), card and board games. This being said I do not recall favouring one particular toy over any other toys.

Gratitude:

Share Your World-April 15

God Bless. Thank you for sharing in my world and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 SYW: Week of March 4

Here are this week’s questions:

1. What to you is the first sign of Spring?

The first sign of Spring is seeing the new buds on plants and especially the blossoms blooming on the magnificent cherry trees. However, it was the Flowering Dogwood when I lived in Lancaster, South Carolina. The whole street was/is lined with the Dogwood trees. When they started blossoming, one knew Spring was just around the corner.

2. Do you have a favourite flower at this time of year?

My favourite flower anytime of the year are roses. Growing up we always had roses and carnations in our garden. Seasonally, I do not have a particular preference.

3. Does your country exercise the hour change?

My state exercises daylight savings time. There are, however, two states along with five U. S. Territories which do not observe daylight savings time.

The states and territories which do not observe Daylight Saving time are:

Arizona
Hawaii
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands

Personally, I wish all states would do away with daylight savings time. It is hard on the mind and body to have to adjust to the time changes.

4. Do you spring clean your home throughout, change furniture around or keep to a normal routine?

Spring clean, yes. Change furniture around, no. Thorough cleaning is done every few months or so, but purging the old and unused is not done often enough. Otherwise, I keep to a basically normal routine.

Gratitude:

Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.
~ Charles Dickens

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 SYW: Week of 01.15

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Do you use an air freshener in your home? If so, do you prefer a solid gel, spray, timed release, potpourri or something else?

I use air fresheners in my home in the form of sprays and plug-ins. I prefer the apple cinnamon scents; however, I do occasionally use other scents just no flowery scents due to allergies.

2. When good weather permits, do you open your windows to let in the fresh air?

When the weather permits, usually in the spring, summer, and early autumn I enjoy having the windows open to allow fresh air to fill the rooms.

3. With the extreme variants in weather these days, do you feel the cold in the Winter months?

The apartment we are living in does not have very good insulation or airtight doors and windows, therefore, we feel the extreme cold this winter. In other places we have lived we didn’t feel it so much in the home only when we went outdoors.

4. Which would you prefer…to curl up in front of a log fire or log burner, turn the heating up, or go to bed early with extra blankets.

I would love to curl up in front of t of a log fire 🔥 or log burner, but since I don’t live in a home that has a fireplace I contend with going to bed under a pile of thick warm quilts. I prefer to conserve energy thereby reducing heating costs, so therefore I do not turn the heat up on the thermostat.

Gratitude:

“Grumbling and gratitude are, for the child of God, in conflict. Be grateful and you won’t grumble. Grumble and you won’t be grateful.”
— Billy Graham

Share Your World-Week of 01.15.24

2024 SYW: Week of January 8

Here are this week’s questions:

1. When you look out of your kitchen window, what do you see?

When I look out the kitchen window I see a vast expanse of overcast skies verging into partly cloudy with the sun trying to peek through and not succeeding lately. Overlooking the first impressions on the horizon I trees the trees across the road stirring to and fro giving strength to the winds crossing through our area.

2. When was the last time you used public transport?

The last time I used public transportation was the day before Thanksgiving. Since then it has been raining and cold most days and Coleman and I haven’t featured out to the bus stop. Having just ( more or less) gotten over a bacterial virus I haven’t wanted to stand out in the cold or rain to wait for a bus.

3. Do you prefer cut flowers or a potted plant?

I prefer plants I can plant in the ground around the house and garden to potted or cut flowers, but I would not turn down cut flowers if they were given out of love.

4. Do you believe in Karma?

Yes, I believe in Karma. There is always a cause and effect to everything we say and do. It is wise to think before saying or doing anything. Think about how what I do today would affect future aspects of my life.

“⁷Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction;whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:7-9 NIV
)New International Version)

We reap what we sow. If we sow love, kindness, and compassion we in turn we receive the same in return. If we sow hate, gossip, bitterness, or any negative energy they will also be shown to us.

Gratitude:

Share Your World- Week of 01.08.24

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2023 SYW: Week of December 18

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Do you enjoy or get frustrated with the run up to the festive holidays?

The older I get the holiday festivities are not important. I do not do a lot of extensive shopping or engage in any festivities anymore. My family no longer congregates together for holidays. I wish it was different, but it’s not, so no point in getting frustrated over it.

2. Do you like family gatherings on a regular basis?

When I was growing up family gatherings happened often with extended family, however, that seemed to end after my maternal grandfather passed. Nowadays, each part of the family unit tends to do their own thing and are not interested in gathering for large family get togethers. I miss them, but I don’t stress over them.

3. What is your favourite family memory?

I’m not sure I have a favorite family memory. I treasure the memories I spent with my dad, sharing a common interest in stamp collecting and photography. We took a class through adult education on the local high school in photography where we learned how to develop 35mm film. The time we spent together was what was memorable.

4. Do you prefer to be a host or visitor for a special occasions?

I would have to select visitor. I have never had a suitable place to host a special occasion.

Gratitude :

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.

2023 SYW: Week of 11.27

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Do you watch and enjoy reality TV shows?

No, I do not watch or enjoy reality TV shows. Years ago, I would watch American Idol, but lost interest over the years.

2. If you had the power, where would you send anyone you didn’t like?

Timbuktu. A place often referred to in the heat of the moment when one wants to be far away from someone regardless of whether there is a dislike of the person or just infuriated with them currently. Most times I would not want to send someone away permanently, maybe I might distance myself for a time, but would be better to just show kindness and ask the Lord to help you to understand and show love towards others.

3. Do you enjoy your own company and what do you do with your ‘Me Time’?

I do enjoy my own company and I think I always have. When I have “me time,” which is rare lately, I read and work on blog posts. I used to go on walks or hikes by myself, however, that is currently impossible as am the primary caretaker of my grandson. The only “me time” I get is when I can finally get him to sleep for the night which means I am awake very late into the early morning doing what I love to do, read and write.

4. If you wanted to change anything about your partner/pet/family what would it be?

If I could change anything about my family, I would change some of their habits like vaping, but I know I cannot do that, that can of habitual behavior change had to come from within themselves. I would instead change, if it were possible, our current living environment. I would live in a completely different and separate dwelling and possibly different environment than now. I would prefer, not financially possible currently, to live in a camper van and travel continuously across America visiting relatives and seeing parts of this vast great country I have never seen before.

Gratitude:

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time in a portion of my world and for sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2023 SYW: Week of 11.13

Here are this week’s questions:

1. If you can, how often do you exercise every week?

When I am able I exercise in the form of walking and/or hiking two to three days per week. I would hike out in nature more when the weather is warmer if I had my own transportation.

2. Do you belong, or have you ever belonged, to a gym?

I belong to the Gastonia County Warlick Family YMCA. With my Medicare advantage plan the membership for myself is included. It is not free for my grandson, however, so we mostly hike on the YMCA hiking trails whenever we go. He is also allowed to play in the outdoor playground if YKids (Paid membership after school program) are not using the facilities at the time.

3. Do you prefer to exercise alone or in a group (ie. aerobics)

Since 2020’s pandemic and the ongoing global occurrences of COVID, I only rarely hike (exercise) in a group. The majority of the time I am not alone during my hiking adventures as my grandson is always with me whenever I go hiking out in nature.

4. Do you enjoy it or feel it’s something you ought to do?

If I were to do regular work-out exercises I would feel it to be a chore and not something enjoyable to do. When we hike, wherever we hike, it is always a joyful experience.

Gratitude:

Gratitude empowers us. It makes joy and love possible. It rearranges the way we see and experience what is all around us.
Gratitude makes all things new. It transforms how we understand what is broken and gives us the ability to act more joyfully and with hope.
— Diana Butler Bass,
Grateful: The Transformative Power
of Giving Thanks

Share Your World-Week of November 13

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

2023 SYW: Week of November 6th

This week’s QUESTIONS in honor of Melanie:

Do you ever feel more excited about getting the package in the mail, rather than the item that’s in it?

I have long passed the time when I would be excited to receive packages in the mail. As for the item in the mail, I look forward to receiving items I have ordered but I would not state there were any excitement involved in receiving it.

What is the difference between your ideal self and your real self? (i.e. what attribute or physical feature would allow you feel the ideal ‘you’?)

My ideal self would have perfect teeth, a beautiful personality, and a gracious and loving spirit which would shine forth onto others. My real self has a flawed tooth structure, which effects how I look when I smile. Hopefully, others can see the real internal beauty and the love of Jesus through me.

If you found $2,000 on the ground and there were no witnesses, what would you do with it?

Regardless of whether there were any witnesses or not, If I found $2,000 or any amount of money on the ground (except for pennies) I would turn the money over to the local police.

Are you ever morally obliged to take action? Under what circumstances?

Yes, I (we) am morally obligated to take action. I am morally obligated to treat myself and others with respect and dignity. I am morally obligated to always be honest with myself and with others. I am morally obligated to show kindness and compassion to everyone I meet. I am morally obligated to work hard and be cooperative with others. I am morally obligated to be grateful for what I have been given and for the love of God, my family and friends and my country. I am morally obligated to assist in any way I can when the situation arises and there is a great need. I am morally obligated to keep my word, no breaking promises or commitments. Under any and all circumstances, these moral obligations should be withheld.

Gratitude:

Share Your World

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2023 SYW: Week of October 9

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Do you prefer a duvet, quilt or sheets and blankets on your bed?

I prefer to use sheets, blankets, and Quilts on my bed. The Quilts I use were lovingly sewn and stitched together by the skilled and talented hands of my beloved maternal grandmother.

2. Do you sleep with one or two pillows?

The only time I ever used only one or two pillows was as a child in my parents home. Now I use at least four pillows on my bed. I currently have six pillows on my bed.

3. Do you prefer a single, double, or kingsize bed?

I have never had a king size bed, not even when my spouse & I shared a bed. I have slept in a twin as an adult ( my husband was an over-the-road truck driver and hardly ever home). So upon moving, I slept in a twin and saved money for a larger bed. I have also had full-size (double) beds and queen size beds. The Queen size was nice, but since it is only me now, a queen would be more room than I really need. Therefore, I currently sleep in a full-size bed with my six pillows, top & bottom sheets, four blankets and one quilt covering me each and every night.

4. In the winter, do you have a hot water bottle or an electric blanket?

Many a winter I have used an electric blanket to keep me warm at night. Even while living in campgrounds for six months out of a year, I had an electric blanket over me while I slept on an air mattress in a tent through 30° winter weather. I mostly used it to keep my feet warm throughout the cold winter nights.

5. Fun question: have you ever slept in a hammock?

I have never slept in a hammock. Slept on the ground or on an air mattress in a sleeping bag, but never in a hammock.

Gratitude:

Share Your World-Week of October 9

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

2023 SYW: Week of September 25

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Do you remember your first teacher at school?

Remembering my first teacher at school is not something I can do at the present time. However, I can remember a few of my high school and college professors. I remember one of my high school English teachers being named Mr. Watson. I remember him more for his name than any of the lessons he taught. His last name, Watson, is my mother’s maiden name.

2. What was your best and worst subjects?

Best: My best subject in school was mathematics, at least while I was in high school. In college, the math classes were of a more advanced level and of greater difficulty than any I had ever taken previously so I struggled somewhat to the point of needing a tutor to help me better comprehend the principles being taught. Worst: I always had a harder time in my history classes than any other subject. Today, I enjoy history as it pertains to my ancestral heritage.

3. Were you encouraged in class or did you just muddle along?

I think some teachers were encouraging while others I just muddle through the classes. One of my junior high teachers encouraged me to do research as a means of improving my grade in my history class. I loved to do research and write reports on what I learned regarding the requested topic.

4. Would you like to be a student today?

Would I like to be a student today? Not in the formal sense of actually having to attend classes, take tests, or turn in assignments. However, I believe we are all students in life, ever learning and growing in wisdom and knowledge.

Gratitude:

Share Your World – 2023 September 25

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

2023 SYW: Week of 18 September

Here are this week’s questions (my apologies if I have used any before):

1. How well do you know your immediate neighbours?

I do not know the neighbors directly next door to us. The apartment to the left of us ( if you’re looking outside) is currently vacant and only see the ones on the left occasionally as the enter or leave. I have met a few of the other neighbors when Coleman and I go out walking.

2. Do you notice changes in your neighbourhood : ie. new car, new dog, home improvements, etc.

I really do not notice changes in the neighborhood, not dogs, cats, cars, or home improvements. I sometimes notice when yards are decorated for a season like several in the area are now decorated for Halloween.

3. Should new neighbours move in next door, do you introduce yourself once they are settled in?

We recently (just this week) had neighbours move in next door. The new neighbors are a single woman with three girls and one son. The youngest, a girl, is only a year older than Coleman, my grandson. They also have a very lively dog named Asha. Introductions have been made and they are still in the process of settling into their apartment.

4. Have you ever had to complain to your neighbours?

As of yet we have not had to complain about any of our neighbors. Hopefully, we won’t ever have a need to do so.

Gratitude:

Share Your World – Neighbours

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.

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