Wrapping Up Answers to ASK ME ANYTHING

Now that the 

BIG QUESTIONS 

are out of the way I will answer the rest of them.

Question:

What does your hubby do at the hospital?

Does he mind that I am so open about family matters?

Does my family "get it" with my blog?

Are we on our Second Honeymoon?

Answer:

MyHero is a chaplain at a local hospital.

(Married to a pastor-me-yeah-no one in my

family can believe it either) lol

He is used to me being open but there are

things that I don't talk about.

Some things are too private or too painful

so I leave those out.

He pretends to hate it when I make fun of him.

The truth is, if I don't tease him

he wonders if I am mad at him.

He is the straight man in my comedy act.

He is also the straight man in both of our son's comedy acts.

Our daughters are much nicer.

My family doesn't really GET IT with the blog

but I find it much more personal than 

Facebook where they have 5000 friends

and only KNOW 10 of them-snicker....

I KNOW my readers!

2nd Honeymoon?  Hmmm..that implies that we had

a FIRST honeymoon.  We never did.

Question:

Do you forgive easily?

Answer:

I never hold grudges. They would eat me up.

It takes A LOT to make me mad but  

when I have had enough I will 

LET SOMEONE KNOW.

TRUST ME ON THIS!

However, once I have had my say

I am over it and no longer angry about it.

If I struggle with forgiveness it would be with

someone that does the same awful thing 

over and over again.

Question:

What do I like best about myself?

Answer:

That I can roll with the punches and deal with

most things with a sense of humor.

Question:

If you could change one thing about the world

what would it be?

Answer:

That no one would have to suffer needlessly-

That no child would go to bed hungry or sick.

That those that need healing would be healed.

I guess that is more than one thing but they

all kind of tie together.

Question:

If you could spend one hour with any person

-living or dead-

Who would it be and why?

Answer:

My father.

He died when I was 21 and I never got to say Goodbye.

Question:

Someone asked me if I like light, fun blogs 

or ones that delved into real life problems.

Answer:

I like both.  It connects us when we are honest

and real because, let's face it, life is 

NOT always FUN.

I do think there is a fine line though between

sharing a problem/talking about life

and not falling into a pity party.

Illness, depression, divorce, death

all REAL problems to share.

There is a lessening of burden when it can 

be shared with others.

Okay- I think there will be one more day

of answers to

ASK ME ANYTHING

and then I'll move on.

Thanks for hanging in there.

Hanging?

Hope you haven't felt like 

HANGING yourself after all these

LONG posts!

More Answers to ASK ME ANYTHING

Okay then!

Had enough yet?

Shall I continue?

You know I have to show you at least 

ONE PICTURE from this trip.

Look at this lush little flower. Cute, huh?

Anyway, moving right along.

You sure asked a lot of questions.

Here are some EASY answers to some FUN questions.

Question:

What fragrance do you wear?

Answer:

I know you are gonna laugh about this, Liz!

I wear HAPPY by Clinque in the summer-seriously-lol

Or-BEACH by Bobbi Brown.

In Fall I switch to 

Tuscany per Dona by Estee Lauder

Question:

What's your favorite food?

What do you like to cook?

Eating Sugar?

Answer:

I love French food  but don't eat it often.

Don't snicker but the BEST French food I ever had

was at The Bistro in Epcot (Disney).

I like to cook but I like cooking for a crowd

better than just cooking for the two of us.

My FAVORITE though is baking.

I LOVE to bake-pies, cookies, cupcakes,tarts...

you name it- I will bake it.

When we built this kitchen we put in a huge

Bosch double oven and I love it.

Which brings me to sugar-my weakness.

I went for 7 out of the last 10 years 

without eating sugar.

5 years in the first stretch and 

then off an on for the last  five years-

As of this week I am off again 

and hoping to stay off this time.

Sugar to me is like cocaine to an addict.

One piece of candy is too much 

and the whole box

is not enough.  

I could LIVE on sugar.

My blood sugars are good but 

I know it is not good for me.

So, here in front of God and Bloggers 

I am telling you

that I am going to do my best to 

NOT EAT SUGAR.

I feel 100% better when I don't eat it.

Question:

What would be the most surprising thing about you

that we don't know?

Answer:

Hmmmm....A few things probably...lol

#1

I won the state (PA)

FHA (Future Homemakers Award)

as a senior in high school and they called a 

special assembly to present it.

Ummm...My HomeEc teacher hated me

and had to sit on the stage when it was presented.

I wore the pin to school every day.-lol

#2

I married MyHero after only dating him for

THIRTY DAYS.

I would not recommend this for any sane person.

#3
I drive everywhere.  
MyHero never drives when we go anywhere.
He reads or works on his computer.
I am not a good rider and 
he is not a good driver-lol-and admits it.

Question:

Where haven't you visited 
that you would like to go?

What is your heritage?

Answer:

I would love to visit Ireland.

My father's mother came to the US from Ireland.

Her name was Rose Owen. 

So, I am English/Irish on my father's side.

I am Pennsylvania Dutch on my mother's side and French.

Okay- Think that's enough for today.

BUT

Remember that sweet little lush flower I showed

you at the beginning?

Well, here is where it grows.

Yes- It grows right below 

THIS SIGN

No wonder it's so lush.

More answers coming tomorrow.

Y'all come on back now, ya hear?

More Answers to ASK ME ANYTHING

Wow!  Y'all sure have lots of questions

and I am going to answer some more of them.

But----first----

Here's a few more pics of our trip so far.

We hit Grand Marias, MI

And visited Eagle Harbor & Manistique, MI

Alrighty then:

Here are some of the things you asked.

Questions:

How do I visit so many people

 and leave comments?

How do I develop relationships with bloggers?

How do I know so much about other bloggers?

How do I get comments?

Answer:

When I visit someone's blog I READ it.

Usually every word. 

If it is full of pictures of the same thing I usually skim the pictures 

quickly but read the content.

I might mark it to go back 

to look at pictures later

in more detail.

I HARDLY EVER read anyone else's comments

that have been left before mine on a blog.

 I don't want it to influence MY comment

and if I did that I would not have time

to visit so many of you.

If I follow your blog 

you are most likely on my sidebar.

I want to honor every blogger-

not just a chosen few.

If you took the time to write it 

and I am going to visit you,

I am going to take the time to read it.

That's how I come to know all of you so well.

I think I get comments because 

I connect with people.

I don't care WHO you are-

if you are REAL that is the person

I want to know.

I don't care if you live in a tent 

or a mansion because

money and things 

DO NOT define who you are.

I think people respond to me 

because they know that

I genuinely care about them and their families.

I also think SweetCheeks 

has been a good drawing card for me!  LOL

Questions:

How long have I been blogging?

How do I blog everyday &

 balance life & blogging?

How do I go about blogging?

Answer:

I have been blogging about 3-1/2 years.

I started blogging after my friend, Jettie, started

blogging for books. I liked the idea.

For the first few months 

I did not get hardly any comments-

some days I got no comments at all.

But, I was writing my blog as a family "history"

so that my kids/grandkids 

would remember things

that happened.

Then, I started visiting other blogs 

and commenting

and following blogs.

I changed my writing style and shortened my posts

because I find short posts the easiest to read.

(LOL-THIS one is getting a little long though!;>)

I think most people just want the highlights anyway.

.

I take photos all the time and 

I write notes to myself.

I may post something SweetCheeks said 2 weeks after she says it- 

but when the time comes I have the pictures

ready to match the post.

I also do things probably a bit different 

when I write my post.

Once I decide what I am going to write about

I figure out which pictures I am going to use.

Then, as I am writing my story,

I post my pictures

one at a time as I go.

My "gift" if I have one is that I have a wicked

sense of humor-like my father did-

like some of my kids do.

I can see the joke in just about anything

and I try to end each post with a smile.

So...that's about it for this post.

I will answer more questions tomorrow-

keep 'em coming if you want.

Oh- yeah- Someone asked me what is the best

thing I have seen so far?

It's GOTTA be this!

Taken in Calumet, MI.

You didn't expect any less from me, did you?

Answers to ASK ME ANYTHING

Whew!

First off- I am going to have to break this down

into a couple of posts.

What fun questions some of you had.

Before I start answering question

 these are some of the things I saw
in the last couple of days.

I will answer one question

right off the bat-

Laurie asked me-

Why are Tete and Jettie NOT allowed

to ask you questions?  

Here is why!

As soon as they saw that they couldn't 

they started e-mailing me.

Here is a sample of their questions!

Do you stuff your bra with tissue paper or foam?

Do you like granny panties or tighties?

At least she didn't ask if I wore a thong!

How many WARTS do you have? seriously, Jettie

When you get up in the middle of the night, 

do you dribble as you walk?

Do you slurp your soup, 

or do you eat it daintly like the rich folk?

Have you read 50 shades of gray?

In the middle of the night, 

when no-one is watching, 

do you sneak food, 

saying those calories don't count? 

Are you REALLY blond?

Now-Do you see WHY?  

These are both very intelligent 

middle aged women

who revert to 6th grade behavior

when they think they can

GET ME!

AND I should have added 

my ex-sister-in-law, Ellie,

to the No Questions roster but I didn't think

her computer was working.

DARN IT!

So...

Moving along to the REAL questions!

I had several questions that asked 

How do you keep up?

Well, for starters I am very organized.

That can be a talent or a curse-lol

I sleep 6 hours maybe 6-1/2 at the most.

If I sleep more than that I am groggy,

When I get up- I make sure I have my post up,

I drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee, 

and watch the local news.

I also read any comments

that came in during the night.

I then have a "list" of things I do-

Sweep through kitchen,

make the bed,

throw a load of laundry in,

do an odd job or two like mirrors or dusting.

After I do my little morning chores I sit down,

pour myself MORE coffee

(Donna asked how many cups- 6 to 8 a day,

Awful, I know.  Hey-it's better than vodka, right?;>)

Then I sit down with my laptop 

 and answer any unanswered comments 

I have waiting for me.

If I have time I will also visit a few blogs.

Then my day takes off from there.

I might go grocery shopping or run a few errands

or I might sew or paint something.

If I am out and about

I try to be hone by 3pm and I sit down with 

my computer and Dr. Phil (yes-I-do)

I answer a few more comments and/or

visit a few more blogs while his show is on.

Then, I usually make dinner.
I might then go to kid's volley ball game
or run one of the grandkids somewhere.
OR

We watch a bit of TV and then 

when hubby goes to bed

(He goes to bed early 

because of his schedule at the hospital)

I spend about 2+ hours on blogging.
I am a VERY fast typist-
seriously fast.
On weekends I usually have kids
so just speed things up a bit with
chores and don't spend as much
time blogging.

Okay- That took way longer than I thought

and I don't want to bore you all.

Tomorrow I will answer several more questions

about how I grew my blog, etc.

Thanks for all the questions.

Some are fun and some are crazy

(not mentioning any names Jettie, Tete, Ellie)

Thanks for hanging in here with me

while I am traveling.

Headed East from Munising, MI

this morning.

ps.  You can continue to ask any questions
you might have!

ASK ME ANYTHING

You know I am on the road

this week with limited ability to blog.

SO-

BECAUSE I LOVE YOU

I thought you all might  

enjoy watching me squirm

want to ask me questions.

You can 

ASK ME ANYTHING!

I promise to try to answer 

any and all questions-

well-there might be a FEW exceptions..lol

I have people emailing me and asking me

how I connect with bloggers 

and never join 

any reindeer games

link parties.

So-There you have it-

Ask away!

ps.  Jettie & Tete you are NOT allowed to play!!!!

edited to add:
I will answer the questions in tomorrow's post
provided I have steady internet.

edited 2nd time:
My kids are not allowed to play either!;>)