Cottage by the Sea

Meaningful Questions.

2026-11-07T23:28:00.000-05:00

Hello friends, I hope the autumn season is being good to you. I hope your weather is great. I hope you are doing well too.

Our next holiday is approaching. Canada has had their Thanksgiving on October 12th. Ours is coming up on November 26th the day after my birthday.

Tuesday 4 is coming up tomorrow and I hope you will join in. Link is under the header.

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

The website A Life Untold poses questions crafted to gain new insights into your mother and/or father. This week we're using them to learn more about you.

Meaningful Questions

1. If you could go back to any age, which would you choose and why?

The ages between 16 and 21 because I felt good, had lots to occupy myself and enjoyed life.

2. If you could snap your fingers and change any single aspect of your life today, what would you change?

I would be completely healthy.

3. Define a "good" or "successful" life.

We are on earth to develop holy, righteous character. So success is doing that.

4. What's the best compliment you've ever received?

The famous anonymous:"you're the best person I know and you love me"

5. What's the most valuable thing your parents taught you?

From my father: "The most important thing you can do is to conquer the self."

One Less Set of Footsteps

2026-11-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

November is sailing along. September didn't last long and neither did October. Is time getting shorter:? Some scientists say yes! I say drag on a bit longer.

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions!

Saturday 9: One Less Set of Footsteps (1973)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Jim Croce sings that "tomorrow is a dream away." What are you dreaming about today?

That there will somehow be people in government who actually care about the nation and it's greatest resource: it's people. Caring for your neighbor is not socialism it's proper title is decency.

2) He promises that his lover will soon hear one less voice a-talking. Who is the most recent person you spoke to? (Texts, e-mails and IMs don't count.)

My new neighbor. I had ordered fish food and it was on the front steps and her doggy tore it open for a snack. She came over to apologize. I told her it was not a big deal, and that no, she did not have to pay for a new one and that her dog was far too cute to be upset with. She brushed some back into the big bag and brought it inside for me. Nice girl. Cute dog.

3) He admits that he and his lover have run out of things to say to one another anyway. Let's turn that around: Is there someone in your life with whom the conversation always flows freely?

My sons.. Both of them love to talk about politics and history so we can talk for hours.

4) He mentions the jeans hanging upon her door. Do you often wear blue jeans? Yes. I wear them mostly in Spring and Summer. I've got in the habit of wearing thicker pants in Fall and Winter. I have really come to like cozy lined jeans and pants.

5) As a high school student, Jim Croce was not especially interested in music. During those years he concentrated on foreign languages, especially German. Say something to us in German.

Zei gesundt.. it's Yiddish but its the same in German. It means you should be well.

6) His focus changed when he got to college. That's when he joined a choral group that was chosen for a foreign exchange tour of Africa and the Middle East. When did you first travel far from home? Where did you go?

I drove across the United States., 2800 miles or 4500 km. Was the greatest thing I ever did. Seeing how huge it is was a big lesson. And to see how huge the rivers are... wow.

7) In 1973, when this song was popular, Norman Mailer was atop the best seller lists with his controversial biography of Marilyn Monroe. When you curl up with a book, is it more likely to be fiction or non-fiction?

I suppose it is a 50/50 thing.

8) Home calculators were innovative in 1973. You could choose a large desktop calculator that featured big keys and plugs into the wall, or a hand-held, battery-operated model. Today every cellphone and laptop has a calculator built in, so do you ever still reach for a stand-alone calculator?

I never owned a calculator and I never use the one on my phone or computer.

9) Random question: Here's $100. What will you spend it on?

I think I will go out for dinner.

Autumn Fire

2026-11-06T00:17:34.368-05:00

Hello Friday. Are you ready for another weekend?

Here are some photos of firey skies. Autumn has nothing timid about her. She is flamboyant, bold and loud Long live Autumn

The header today is one I painted about 6 years ago. It is called "Waterfall" and it is a painting of some boulders in the ocean where the sea was washing over and into a tide pool. I love painting water and rocks. Of course I change headers constantly so in future if you see this there might be another picture at the top.

We are pouring rain tonight (Thursday late) . I hope your weather is whatever you need it to be.

. “October, the extravagant sister, has ordered an immense amount of the most gorgeous forest tapestry for her grand reception.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes ("Autumn," The Atlantic Almanac, 1868)

Today's header:

Hodgepodge 678

2026-11-04T02:28:12.758-05:00

Welcome friends,

1. Our November Hodgepodges always include a question related to gratitude. What is one small thing you're grateful for today?

The weather is very nice, sunny with a high of 50°F.

2. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage-camellias...your favorite in an autumn garden? Would we find any of these in your yard/garden this year?

Growing up our house had a fire thorn growing up the side and it was spectaculr in autumn. Chrysanthemum is my birthday flower and I love the football size ones. Their colors are so lovely. I also love to see sugar maples and Japanese maples in autumn in the garden. In my back garden I have a ton of moss. Some remains green, some turns a bit yellow and a lot turns orange. I think it's very pretty.

3. If you could clear out or organize one physical space or mental habit before the year ends, what would it be?

The back bedroom. It was fixed up but has since become a storage room and I despise how it looks.

4. Brussel sprouts...love 'em or no thank you? If you said love 'em how do you like them prepared?

Love them! I like them any way they come. They are nice roasted with butter though.

5. It's reassuring to know that

I don't know. There are many things to say but I can't really put any of them into words.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Sandwiches and Housewifery

2026-11-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dagwood made his own sandwiches!

Happy Tuesday friends,

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4!

November 3rd is both national sandwich day and national housewife's day.

In the 1950s working married women outnumbered working single women , In a US population of a little over 161 million, over 9 million married women worked, while only 5 million single women had jobs.

The Dagwood sandwich based on the Chic Young comic
" Dagwood", became very popular and men made them for themselves, the bigger the better.

1. What is your favorite sandwich ? I would have to say a BLT with fake bacon is my favorite and if the fake bacon is not available then sliced Jersey tomatoes on toast with mayo mixed with a bit of balsamic vinegar. I could eat them by the dozen.

2. Do you have a favorite Sandwich shop? We all know that soup and a sandwich is a great lunch but do you ever eat sandwiches for breakfast or supper?

Richard's Sub World and Deli is great for most subs.

Deisel's is good too.

The Roman Pantry in Penns Landing/Carney's Point makes the best Philly cheese steak ever. They don't even make them this good in downtown Philly.

It is Bruce Willis' favorite sandwich shop too. The first time I had a cheese steak there I thought I'd gone to heaven.

Also there was a place in Kenilworth, NJ where they had the best Italian hotodogs known to
mankind. (Italian hot dog is a deep fried hot dog on a sub roll, with fried onions and peppers, fried potatoes and sauce on it. You ain't lived til you have one.

3. Growing up did your mother , grandmother, aunts have a job as well as being a housekeeper?

Of course. My mom was a registered nurse but also worked with my dad. My maternal grandmother worked with the ILGW (international ladies garment workers) , was a piano and organ teacher and also was a baker. My aunt was town clerk.

Of my friends, most of them had working mothers in the 50s-60's, 70s and 80s.

I laugh when they talk about "trad" wives. Women have always worked and even the stay at home women worked hard at home.

Then they quote Proverbs 31 wife as a trad wife proving they never read it. She owned a business, bought and sold real estate and provided for her family. She had vineyards... the woman was a workhorse!

4. According to the United Nations, unpaid domestic labor is the number one most important driver of the entire global economy.

78% of women shoulder all the domestic and child caring labor as well as holding down full or part tme jobs. Without women the global economy would fail.

Did you juggle a family and a job ?

I sure did. At one point I held down two full time jobs and still had 2 kids in school and a bed ridden mother to care for. I worked one job from 8 to 4 and the other from 4:30 to 11:00.

Monday, Monday

2026-11-02T15:27:15.451-05:00

OK, I have been thinking about the so-called Boomer generation and I have to find a problem with their evaluation of it being from 1945 through 1965.

People born from 45 to 55 and were elementary school kids in the 50s... high school in the 60s are not the same people as those born in the later 50s and who were teens in the 70s which was really the drug/free love hippy time.

And certainly those born in 1965 are very different again. They simply made the "boomer' generation far too big. The 60s were a time when boys still wore crew cuts and skirts were knee length. You still had to wear dresses and skirts to school and boys were in dressy/casual pants and button down shirts.

Jeans and tee shirts were 70s era.

I am also not a fan of dividing up generations but labeling seems to be a fixed habit today. Everyone carries labels. It is divisive.

Older people complain about kids.. they can't read cursive. Well, you older ones can't read hieroglyphics either and you most likely can't understand Old English.
Can you read this excerpt from Beowulf in old English? What's the problem, are you stupid? No, of course not.

Things change. Language chanbes, writing changes too.

Education has dumbed down in many cases. We had to learn Beowulf in school. I doubt they do today but still the kids who can program your phone for you and help you with your computer are not stupid in any way. They may lack education but this is the result of the government interfenence.

Read Charlotte Eiserbeat on that!

Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt (1930–2022) was a former Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Education under President Reagan (1980–1982) and a critic of the American public school system

Her book The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America: A Chronilogical Papertrail.

A dumb population is easier to control and to fool.

Anyway, just a few random thoughts that entered my head on a Monday.

Another Sunday, Another Meme

2026-11-01T01:05:55.290-04:00

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the
blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

This week we're inspired by Blogography. More than 20 years ago, he stole this meme from Neil, his blogging buddy. Alas, Neil's blog no longer exists, so that's where the trail goes cold.

Another Sunday, Another Meme

1. Do you have a business card? If yes, what's your job title? Not anymore, no. At one time I had a cute little business card made for me in Virginia Beach that said my name and then "Professional wife and Mommy."

2. What day of the week were you born? Tuesday's child is full of grace.

3. What vegetable do you refuse to eat? I like them all. Brussels Sprouts and broccoli are at the top of the list.

4. How many times have you stayed overnight in the hospital? I had extensive spinal surgery and was in the hospital from May 18th to nearly the end of August. I was supposed to stay another 2 months but I went home because I was so homesick. So they gave me a home nurse and physical therapist to vist me each day for another month until I was fit to go out for PT.

5. Do you have more piercings or tattoos? No tattoos but pierced ears.

7. How much cash is in your wallet right now? Not much.

8. Let's play MASH: Do you live in a mansion, apartment, shack, or house? I live in a little house in a coastal community.

9. Where are you in the family birth order (oldest, middle child, youngest, or only child)?

I am my mother's only child and my father's youngest child, but I was raised as an only child as the half siblings were very much older and off with their own families.

10. When you were 5 years old, what did you call your parents? Mommy and Daddy

Halloween Saturday 9

2026-10-30T22:31:57.776-04:00

Hi friends and if you celebrate Happy Halloween.

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

I've Written a Letter to Daddy (1962)

Unfamiliar with this week's featured song? Hear it HERE.

1) This song is from Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, which was released on Halloween Day, 1962. Do you like scary movies?

Not at all. I don't need it in my life. Too much of real life is scary, escpecially today..

2) The "Baby Jane" of the title is Baby Jane Hudson. Jane was a child star, singing and dancing in vaudeville. She was so popular that Baby Jane dolls sold well at her shows. Tell us about one of your favorite childhood toys.

I really enjoyed paper dolls very much.

3) Baby Jane's career hit the skids when she hit her teens and audiences no longer found her cute. Adolescence can be a tough time for many of us. Did you ever go through an awkward phase?

I think the time between 13 and 15 can be a bit trying as a young teen trying to figure it all out.

4) Meanwhile, Jane's older sister Blanche blossomed into a beauty and became a major movie actress. Her career was cut short when, at the height of her popularity, her back is broken in a car accident involving a drunken Jane. Most of the movie takes place in the mansion Blanche bought back when she was a star. Blanche is confined to a wheelchair and completely dependent on Jane, who is bitter, jealous, and well, bonkers. Very bad things happen. Can you think of another movie where scary things happen in a big old house?

Home Alone
Practical Magic

5) As a (crazy) older woman, Jane convinces herself she can relaunch her career and recapture the love of the public. She dresses like she did as a little girl and makes up her face to look like those Baby Jane dolls that were sold long ago at her childhood performances. Then she rehearses this week's song. The result is so memorable that now, more than 60 years later, you can still find "Baby Jane" Halloween costumes online. Tell us about a Halloween costume you really enjoyed wearing.

My mother once made me an authentic Martha Washington dress and mob cap for a dress up. She was a very good seamstress. Another time I was dressed as Queen Esther and I really liked that.

6) Which kind of spooky movie villain do you find scarier: supernatural monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, ghosts, etc.) or human monsters (Baby Jane, Michael Meyers from the Halloween franchise, etc.)?

I think the ones from the gory movies which is why I just won't watch them.

.....Questions inspired by Halloween ....

7) Orange and black are the traditional Halloween colors, with orange representing the autumn harvest and black symbolizing all things scary and mysterious. Are you wearing either color as you answer these questions?

Yes. I have on a Led Zepplin tee shirt which has black and a dark dusty orange in the logo.

It's now a work shirt for around the house as it's seen better days.

8) Jack-o-lanterns originated in Ireland, though instead of pumpkins, they carved gourds. When Irish immigrants arrived in the US, they used pumpkins because they were more readily available. Did you decorate your home with a jack-o-lantern, or anything else, for Halloween?

I have a wicker pumpkin with twinkle lights in it and I see it more as an Autumn decoration than Halloween.. I just like it.

9) Think back to your trick-or-treating days. Which candy were you happiest to find your bag?

I am a Snickers fan. I also like Baby Ruth.

Golden Autumn

2026-10-29T21:45:55.740-04:00

Friday is the 6th day of the week and the entrance to the weekend. It's like an open door leading to rest and peace after a busy week.

It's football season too and high schools and universities are high on excitement. Bonfires crackle on campuses the night before the big games. Everyone brings wood of one kind or another , even chairs, until the pile is well over a story hight.

And, it's sweatshirt weather. Nothing is more inviting and cozy than jeans and a sweatshirt.

New Jersey is awash with colors that deepen by the day. Orange, reds, plums , yellows are all on display now. Days are cool and nights are downright cold.

The open bay is at the horizon, not that far really.

Sunset sends a golden glow over everything. They don't call it the Golden Hour for nothing.

No one travels
Along this way but I,
This autumn evening.

Haiku by Matsuo Basho

In the backyard the trees show off. Soon enough the leaves will be gone and skies will turn silver.

The old pump sputters
then bursts to life.
Moss is grateful for a drink.

Happy Autumn

Goosebumps

2026-10-28T00:47:43.151-04:00

The weather has gone full on Autumn and the temperatures are low. Tonight it is 39°F and the other night we were down to freezing. The pond is being readied for winter. The new leaf net arrived and last year I bought a super heater that kept the entire pond completely warm and ice free. The fish are still eating but that will soon stop as they go into hiberation once the water temperatures lower to below 50°F.

Well Halloween certainly is Goosebumps time. It is the night before what is called All Saints Day when martyrs are remembered and honored. Do you remember the Canadian show Goosebumps? Most of the really great kids/teen/young adult programs were from Canada.

From this Side of the Pond

1. What most recently gave you goose bumps?

Tonight a draft from the window next to my desk gave me a chill and goosebumps. It's getting very cold outside.

2. What does Halloween look like in your home and/or neighborhood these days?

Homes with children are decorated. A family on the corner go all out for every holiday and their home is always one of the best decorated.

Do you participate? I hand out bags of chips and Doritos to kids who come by.

3. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy, chia...your favorite seed on the list? What's something you like to make/eat that calls for one of these seeds in the recipe?

I love hemp seeds in soup, stew, sandwiches, etc. I make homemade soft pretzels and put sesame or poppy on those too. And below is the recipe for a good Hobbit lemon poppy seed cake.

Belladonna Took-Baggins

Belladonna Took-Baggins Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (the Hobbit)
1 box of lemon cake mix... follow the directions but add 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to it.
Prepare a bundt cake form and pour the mixture into it after oiling and flouring.
Bake at the time and temperature on the package.
Serve with lemon frosting or sprinkle on confectioner's sugar.
Lemon Frosting
1 cup of butter
5 cups of powdered (Confectioner's ) sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of lemon zest ( grated lemon peel)
yellow food coloring ...but you don't need it.
Mix the sugar with the butter until completely mixed.
Add the lemon juice and zest and mix it in.
If you need to stiffen up the frosting you can add more sugar as you need it stirring in until you get the right consistency.
Frost the cake when it is cool and sprinkle with more Poppy Seeds.

4. What's the most (or one of the most) 'fall photos' you've ever taken? Share it here. Just one.

One of the most fall photos I have taken. This is the scene behind my house through the woods and is one of the hundreds of creeks that stream into the bay.

5. Somehow we're rolling in to November next week. If your October were a chapter in a book, what would the title of this chapter be?

"The Gentle Amber Days of Autumn"

6. Insert your own random thought here.

US Homeland Security News

@defense_civil25

22h

Commentary account

Daylight Savings Time was created during World War I to give farmers and workers more daylight to work. The government kept it when they discovered it causes heart attacks and strokes in the elderly, and during the time change people had more car accidents, falls and injuries. 

Our bodies have an internal clock that is damaged during every clock change. Today we have universal electricity and lights. We have no need for DST anymore. It’s time to stop the madness! End DST clock changes forever!!  

It's News to Us

2026-10-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we give you 4 questions to ponder and blog about each week.

The details of our lives are 'news'.

1. Do you or did you ever have a nickname? Care to share?

A friend in high school called me "Ang" which morphed into Angie.

2. Did you ever have a penpal or have you chatted online with someone you don't know in person?

Yes. As a teen I had a penpal in Germany. Yes, I've talked to other bloggers online too but I am not much of a talker at all.

3. Do you read a newspaper ?

I used to read several. Now I see them online.

How do you keep up with the latest news? I read online for the latest news from all corners.

4.Is there any news in your life lately? It seems like we will soon begin working on fixing up the kitchen.

Kitchen Redo

2026-10-26T04:35:13.570-04:00

Don't forget to join in for Tuesday 4. Link is in the bar under the header painting.

Here on the coast it is 30°F at 4:00 AM... more wintery than autumn. After I post this I am going back to bed.

So my daughter mentioned that I need to get my act together over the redo of the kitchen.

Now from the photo you might think it's just dandy. Photography done right can cover over a multitude of ridiculousness. For instance, the sink is rusting through on it's bottom. Sides are already rusted out in places and covered over with white tape for safety sake. The sink is lopsides and falling through the counter top which is water damaged. The floor is tile, not the wood of the picture. I put in the wooden floor to see how it would look. The tile floor is dangerous with missing and broken tiles and being disabled I can't afford that kind of risk. So the countersops and sink must be replaced and later the floor.

I would love to paint the cabinets a pale beige color. Right now they are plain cherry hardwood. Not the dark cherry but as you can see the natural cherry.

Here is the kitchen now with the wishful floor, though I think I would go with a darker color.

Using the photo I took above, I had Chat GPT paint the cabinets, place the sink back unter the window where it belongs and replace the stupid countertops with a dark butcherblock. Butcherblock is one of the cheaper options at Home Depot . I can't afford much.

Here is what the AI did:

Now the oven no longer works and neither does the left front burner. The stove ia about 20 years old and I will probably have to replace it too. Remember back in the day and how those old stoves are still going strong? Not today boy, they are built not to last.

I don't have a dishwasher though the AI put one in.. and I like that idea a lot.

AI even replaced my mother's old orange La Crueset dutch oven with a blue one. I had to throw out the old one as it was missing some enamel making ti bad to use. I can not afford La Crueset but I do need a new Dutch oven.

All in all the fix up will require a new sink , butcher block counters and paint.

Over all I am in love with this look. What do you think?

Smoke Rise

2026-10-24T01:46:31.071-04:00

A chilly Friday at 38°F...

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants po ts and leave a comment Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Smoke Rings (1933)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? HEAR IT HERE

1) In this song, Donald Mills of the Mills Brothers encourages us to "puff, puff, puff" our cares away. When did you most recently smoke a cigarette?

Never. I was never interested in smoking and so I never even tried it.

2) In the 1930s, when this week's song was recorded, an estimated 40% of American adults smoked cigarettes. By the early 1960s, that number reached a high of 42%. According to the CDC, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to 11%. Do many of your friends and relatives smoke or vape?

No, not many at all.

3) Donald was the youngest of the singing Mills Brothers, and he's the one who most often sang lead. That squares with popular birth order theory, which proposes that the youngest tends to enjoy being the center of attention, the middle child is the diplomat, and the oldest is the high-achiever. Think of your own family and the families of your friends. Do you think this theory holds true?

No I don't. I am sure it applies in some families but none that I have ever seen.

4) The Mills Brothers were one of the first famous singing brother acts. The Williams Brothers – which featured future TV star Andy Williams – followed in their footsteps. Can you think of another group of singing brothers?

The Osmond Brothers.
The Jackson 5
The BeeGees
The Wilsons of the Beach Boys
The Everly Brothers
The Jonas Brothers
The Nelson Brothers (Ricky Nelsons twin sons)

5) In addition to recording hit records, The Mills Brothers were a staple on radio in the 1930s. They were among the first African American artists to host their own radio show and sang jingles for Standard Oil and Crisco. What commercial do you recall having seen, or heard, recently?

There are very creative commercials for Resilia on YouTube recently. Resilia is aged oil of oregano and black seed oil capsules.

I also like the Ryze commercial with the little mushroom.

6) In 1933, when this week's song was popular, actor Robert Montgomery and his wife had a daughter they named Elizabeth. That little girl would become famous in the 1960s for her own TV show. Without looking it up, do you know what show Elizabeth Montgomery starred in?

Elizabeth was Samantha on Bewitched.

7) Johnny Cash was also born in 1
933. Do you have a favorite Johnny Cash song?

Jackson which he sung with his wife June Carter Cash.

8) In 1933, five French airlines merged to form Air France. Think of the last time you were at an airport. Were you taking a flight or meeting a flight?

I was meeting a flight.

9) Random question: Your best friend just received a certificate for completing a car maintenance course at your community college. Would you let them work on your vehicle?

Sure. I'm a Jersey girl. If they make a mess, they will regret their life choices. hehehe.

See ya later..

Ber Months

2026-10-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,

From this Side of the Pond

1. This week's Hodgepodge lands on 'Back To The Future Day'. October 21, 2015 was the date the movie characters (Marty McFly, Doc, and Jennifer Parker) traveled to in the future in the 1989 film Back To The Future Part 2.

Did you see the movie? Yes I saw the movie. Did you know the character of Biff was patterned by writer Bob Gale on his relationship with D J Tr ump in the casino days.

Tell us a something about what was happening in your life in the fall of 2015. The famous anonymous was a young teen and the little was in elementary school. Life was much fuller then.

2. Which -ber month is your favorite? (September, October, November, December). I like them all. They all have wonderful attributes.

Explain why. September is back to school. October is turning leaves and Halloween.

November is a bunch of family birthdays including mine and Thanksgiving Day.

December is the silver month filled with holiday expectations and family warmth.

3. Red, yellow, orange, bronze...your favorite fall color to wear? I like the combination of camel and navy blue, bronze and red, bronze and blue... all good.

To eat? Orange... as in oranges, Clementines, cinnamon, Pumpkins and sweet potatoes.

To see in nature? Here in the northeast we see all those colors in spades in trees and shrubs.. gold along the sea side.

These photos will also be for my Friday photos.

Except for the top photo, these are my backyard.

4. What do you miss most about being 20? Being able to dance, run, jump, swim, ride horses, ice skate, camp in the mountains, surf! Go places. Walk!!!

5. We're roughly three quarters of the way through the year. What's one goal, habit, or mindset you want to purposely carry into the final weeks of the year? Elaborate.

This post is late because I don't have any answer and waited to try and think of one. I can't.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This is my living room. I had AI paint my walls green, change out my wall art and change my furniture to leather to match my leather hassock that I use as a coffee table. It also added bookcases on the side of my TV table etc. They put a light on the piano . Not much else is changed. You might think it's dark but I am a fan of English Gentleman's club/Dark Academia looks and while I like the light airy stuff in someone elses' home, I don't want it here.

What do you think of these?

Here is the second idea it gave me

Then I asked to see where AI thought a Christmas tree should go. It failed to move the chair but, it does show where I had planned for the rree to go.

Bookish Pursuits

2026-10-20T00:24:26.678-04:00

White washing the fencefrom Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer

Welcome to Tuesday 4 kept up in honor of it's founder Toni Taddeo.

Over 12,000 books, many once required reading in schools and including children's books have been banned. Even Jane Eyre finds itself under scrutiny..

1.Do you think any book or series has helped form your view on things.. life, love, etc?

Many will say the Bible but how about more secular books that you feel have taught or influenced you? The Little House on the Prairie series influenced me with a greater respect for pioneers and the difficulties they faced.

The biography of George Washington Carver made me get my nose to the grindstone in school instead of goofing off. He is one of my heroes. He was a genuinely good man.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens which made a heavy impact on taking care of the poor and homeless.

"It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child. Oh God! to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!"

There was a Scottish series of books my mother's friend sent her yearly called The Friedhship Book. of Francis Gay. My mother never read them but I did. It was full of inspirational stories and poems I devoured them as a teenager and ever since too.

Francis Gay was the pen name of Herbert Leslie Gee (1901–1977), a prolific English writer, journalist, and ardent Methodist born in Bridlington, Yorkshire.

I've done a few posts on his articles. Here is one very short story from his books.

Mister God, This is Anna.. heart breaking but inspirational.

My grandmother read the pamphlets called The Upper Room and I read them after she did.

2. What is your favorite book or book series and why is it a favorite?

I am a fan of the Robert B. Parker Spenser series of books and his books based on the character of Jesse Stone. I like them because they are fast paced, lean on words and descriptions . They get to the point!

Like Toni, I am also a fan of Agatha Christie's mysteries and have read most of them.

3. If your favorite book or book series was being cast for a TV/Movie series, who would play the main characters?

Spenser for Hire was cast with Robert Urich playing Spenser and Jesse Stone was cast with Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone . Avory Brooks, a professor at Rutgers (where I went to university) played the part of Hawk.

Miss Marple was best played, I believe, by Joan Hickson.

Hercule Poirot was best with David Suchet I think.

4. Are there any books you have read many times?

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

44 Charles Street by Danielle Steel

Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker

A White House Diary by Lady Bird Johnson

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Complete Sermons of John Wesley

Getting to Know You

2026-10-18T13:16:40.797-04:00

It's 31°F tonight and the heat is on.

Tuesday 4 is available. We are due for another nor'easter by Monday.

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

Ignore the above paragraph. This week we're going rogue with questions inspired by a website devoted to giving penpals topics for their letters.

Getting to Know You

1) Describe yourself in three words.

Studious, exhausted, and I have no clue.

2) What's your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant?

I really don't have a favorite. The 18oz ribeye at Delmonico's in NY is really good.

3) Did you set goals for 2026? If yes, how are you proceeding toward them?

I don't set goals anymore as I can't live up to them because of physical limitations.

4) What's something you have learned the hard way?

That many people are not trustworthy or nice. That if there is one thing we get wrong over all in life is to weary in well doing and treating others better than we treat ourselves.

5) If you could skip one item on today's to-do list, what would it be?

Not much on the agenda at all today. I need to clean the kitchen up a bit more and I'd rather skip that.

Somewhere Over Laredo

2026-10-16T22:27:59.476-04:00

Hi friends,

Another stormy weekend ....

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every
Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Somewhere Over Laredo (2025)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it HERE

1) In this song, Laney Wilson namechecks Tito's Vodka. Is there a product you you are very brand loyal to? (It doesn't have to be liquor. Maybe you always reach for Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, even if another soap is on sale.)

I am loyal to Rienzi canned products from Italy. They are natural and extremely low sodium and healthy.

2) The lyrics start with her in a window seat on a flight out of Houston. Do you prefer the window or the aisle? Aisle seat. I don't want to climb over people and I don't care what's outside.

3) She's dreaming of rodeo nights with the guy she loves. If you could spend this evening with anyone at all, anywhere at all, where would you go and who would be with you?

Out to dinner with my friends and family.

4) Lainey is from Baskin, LA, population 200. Do you prefer big cities or small towns?

Both have their place. I live in a small coastal community now but I wouldn't mind living in New York City at all.

5) There's a Netflix documentary about Lainey called Keepin' Country Cool. What show have you recently streamed? I haven't streamed anything in a while but I do watch a number of things on YouTube.

6) This week's song borrows liberally from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," so much so that "Rainbow" songwriters Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg receive credit. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is the most beloved song from The Wizard of Oz. Can you name another?

If you mean from the movie it would be the songs If I Only Had a Brain and Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Oh.. and We're Off to See the Wizard.

7) In 2025, when this song was popular, more patients took advantage of telehealth than ever before. Have you ever had a virtual doctor visit?

No.

8) Also in 2025, smart home technology was integrated into more new home construction. Do you use smart devices to automate your lights, thermostat, or doorbell?

No but I do have a smart device. I use it for time, weather, information and to make hands free emergency photo calls..

9) Random question – On which day are you happier: a) the day you take off on vacation or b) the day you return home from your trip?

It's exciting to go and it's a pleasure to return home again. I think they are about equal.

Another Wednesday

2026-10-13T23:43:48.833-04:00

Hi friends, I have spent the day looking for some relatives graves in Pennsylvnia and found quite a few

The weather was very temperate today and nights now are chilly.

The banner I am using is one of the first times I ever put up a finished product... I never really do. They are always half done. This one has a cheat on it... I used AI to amplify the light from the lighthouse. Otherwide, its my own painting.

Here are some prompts from Wednesday Hodgepodge:

1. Do you think you're driven more by curiosity or comfort? Explain.

Always curiosity. I have an insatiable drive to study, learn, find, etc. When there is a question about something I will immediately research it to find the meaning, etc.

2. What non-food item is in your refrigerator or freezer?

I have some cold packs of various sizes in my freezer.

3. Are you comfortable with silence? Yes.

If you're home alone, do you like silence or do you need regular background noise?

I am not one who needs music and TV on all the time and actually I don't like that very much. I prefer the sounds of the outdoors that leak in through the day: kids, dogs, seagulls and etc.

Today there is a cricket in the office who has come inside. He is singing all day long.

Do you seek out times and places to be silent?

No, I don't actively seek them out, they are just there in the place where I live.

What's your favorite place to find silence/be silent?

My own home and neighborhood are usually quiet. I am in a unique area where nature is very close.

4. Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, landscaping...which skill would you most like to possess and how would you put that skill to use today?

Landscaping. I would redo my property for sure. Secondly I would love to be a carpenter to fix up my home.

5. Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent?

I go between both.

Which do you find harder to deal with in others?

Needy. I am ill equipped anymore to help anyone with that except on a verbal basis and even then not a lot.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

“I was burning, while you came blaming me for the smell of ashes” Kamryn Tanner from the poem I Burn for You.

This quote fits the view of the poor and disadvantaged, the abused wife,child... so many.

A similar quote is one about mocking how someone swims while they are drowning.

Ideals.. Tuesday 4

2026-10-13T01:53:23.285-04:00

Welcome to Toni's Tuesday 4... all about ideal situations.

1. What's your ideal road trip/vacation?

My ideal road trip is to just cruise along and stop for meals along the way.

2. What is your ideal evening out? Going out for dinner is my ideal.

3. What is your ideal way to handle criticism? Brush it off? Take it personally? Reflect on it?

It depends on the criticism. If it's real and said correctly I think about it. Most times though people criticize because of jealousy or to hurt your feelings. In that case I brush it off and then write them off.

4. What is your ideal day off? I like to just take it easy at home.

Happy Columbus Day

2026-10-12T14:37:52.244-04:00

Hi friends!

In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue!

Survey Says...

2026-10-10T22:26:17.599-04:00

Hello! Mornings by the bay are very chilly now that Autumn is in full swing.

This week's highly random questions were stolen from Love Me Some Surveys.

Survey Asks ...

1. What was the last gift you received? While I paid for the lumber, the labor of building my back porch was a gift from the Famous Anonymous.

2. Who did you last hang out with? My youngest daughter.

3. Do you often lose the remote? No. I make it a habit to put things in their place so I rarely lose anything.

4. When did you last check Facebook? Today.

5. Are there scented candles in the room you're in? Yes. Amazon delivered more Glade Smooth Bourbon and Oak candles that I like so much.

6. Next time you leave the house, where will you be going? I have no clue.

7. Do you know anyone named Steven or Stephen or Steve or Stevie? Yes.

8. Which do you prefer: macaroni salad or potato salad? Potato salad. I often have found macaroni salad to have a slight bitter taste if peppers are added.

9. Do you have an ice maker in your refrigerator door? No. It's in the freezer but since my refrigerator is on the opposite side from the sink it's not set up and besides, I don't use much ice so it's not necessary. If I need ice for guests I just buy a bag.

10. When you woke up this morning, did you get up straightaway or lounge a bit? I just got up straughtaway.

Big Girls Don't Cry

2026-10-10T07:32:29.918-04:00

Saturday 9: Big Girls Don't Cry (1962)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) When is the last time you shed a tear?

I'm writing this on Thursday and I cried today from pain. I am exhausted with it.

2) Lyricist/producer Bob Crewe recalled he got the idea for this song while watching a movie on TV. "Big girls don't cry" was a line from the 1956 film Slightly Scarlet. Click on the title of the movie to watch Slightly Scarlet for free on YouTube.

Give us a quote from another movie.

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” You've Got Mail

3) This inspiration came to Bob during the late night/early morning hours. What time of day are you most productive?

I don't notice a difference in productivity based on the time.

4) Bob wrote another song for the Four Seasons, "Silence Is Golden." The band was not happy with their recording and never released it as a single. Three years later, The Tremeloes had an international Top 10 hit with "Silence Is Golden." Tell us about a decision you wish you could do over.

There are too many to list.

5) Before he got his big break, Four Seasons lead singer Frankie Valli worked as barber. Do you have a hair care appointment scheduled?

No, but I wish I did. I haven't had a pro cut in years.

6) Oscar-winning actor Joe Pesci has a connection to the band. He was a young chum of Four Seasons founding member Tommy DeVito. By the time DeVito left the group and found himself overwhelmed by gambling debts, Pesci was a star. He helped his friend out, making Tommy his personal assistant and getting him cameo roles in films. Tell us about someone who has been there for you in tough times.

My friend Keegie and there are others as well throughout the years.

7) The Four Seasons disbanded in 1977 after 17 years together. The original bandmates reunited onstage 1990 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was an important night for them professionally and personally, too, as it gave the old friends a chance to reconnect and mend fences. Is there anyone from your past you wish you could reach out to?

No.

8) Another hit song from 1962 was "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Tony Bennett compares San Francisco to Rome, Paris and Manhattan. Have you visited any of those four cities?

Autumn in Central Park

I have been to Manhattan hundreds of times.

9) Random question – You're home all alone. Do you close the door when you use the bathroom?

Nope. Safer for you not to close it. It's closed only if someone else is around.

Autumn by the Bay...Friday Photos

2026-10-09T09:23:14.157-04:00

A cool night here on the coast.

Skywatch Friday does not let me log in to post there...so no more Skywatch Friday for me.

Darkening autumn skies are beautiful

Rich orange is all over the place

Cranes lift boats in and out of the water. Woods are right on the bay here.

The yard is ablaze with color

Phragmites reeds turn from green to gold .The open bay is right behind them here.

The fish are yellow, orange and white.. and match fall perfectly.

Cool autumn attitude with the Famous Anonymous

Autumn Leaves

2026-10-07T09:29:23.522-04:00

Welcome to New Jersey

photo found on FaceBook

Don't clean up the yard until Spring. Leave place for protection of bugs and animals. Lightning bugs depend on leaves in winter.

Routines.. Tuesday 4

2026-10-06T02:39:44.778-04:00

Howdy!

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

They say having routines in your life keeps you mentally healthier than living a disorganized or haphazard life. Schedules have a profound effect on our well being. Belonging to clubs, organizations is good for us.

According to research from UCLA Health, " a predictable daily routine supports mental health by reducing stress, lowering cognitive load, and creating a steady sense of personal control. "

It keeps sickness away too. People with good daily routines and habits live longer and decidedly healthier lives. It promotes a feeling of productiveness and purpose.

Boredom contributes to sickness and cognitive decline in the elderly.

1. Do you have a daily routine for yourself and for your home?

I try to keep one up but since I am disabled it is now harder but I try to use the Fuller sweeper daily, do dishes on time or the next morning, keep the kitchen and bathrooms clean daily, change sheets, etc.

2. What is your morning routine? How about your bedtime routine?

In the morning I wash my face and hands, brush my teeth, make my Stumptown Holler Mountain coffee, drink a bottle of water. Then I feed the fish and get some sunshine.

At night, I wash my face, brush my teeth . I apply castor oil .

3.Do you have a routine get together for a family meal or game/movie or pizza night?

We used to do that like clockwork but now 2 of us are in other places so it's harder.

4. AnyTV programs, clubs, organizational routines you never want to miss? Do you attend town meetings, choir practice?

There is nothing on right now that I must see and I havent been getting out much lately at all.