It's Springtime!!

 Oh darn, I meant to post at the exact minute on the official first day, but life happens.  I was the only person in my department at work since the 12th and then the weekend was busy. 

I finally got some crocuses pop up in my yard!

Literally these 2 little bunches. 

I was out the day after St. Pats putting my leprechauns away and bringing out the bunnies. 

Supervised by Chuck the Skeleton, of course. 

This will be the last blowmolds out until Halloween.   

I don't have any patriotic ones for Memorial or Independence Days. 

I should know to check my calendar before planning things, since I went & bought the tickets to go see the Monster trucks in Detroit.....and then realized I had a search & rescue drill the same day! 

This did not belong to the person we were looking for!  

Whoops.  

I just ended up leaving the drill early so I could get home & shower before we had to leave for Ford Field. 

The last 2 years we've gone to Huntington Arena in Toledo to see the Monster Trucks.  It's much cheaper, smaller (a hockey arena) but with seats an adult can actually fit in.  The parking is tolerable and we never had much of a wait for concessions or souvenirs and never for the bathrooms.  However Ford Field is much larger (home of the Detroit Lions) and there was also a Red Wings game going on nearby, a concert at one of the casinos and a play at the Detroit Opera House.  So parking anywhere was crazy.   The event was sold out - which I've NEVER seen before. Tickets were insanely expensive for the 5 of us, then add drinks & snacks?  $$$$$$$$  I could just fit my butt in the seat but had to twist and drape my arm across the back of the granddaughter's seat so there was room for my shoulders.  The Spouse couldn't even fit in the seat - he perched on the edge the whole time. 

So yeah.  We will be going back to Toledo next year.  It's only about 1 1/2 hours away which isn't too bad at all. 

My introverted-ness demands it!

I happened to glance over during the National Anthem - I melted. 

Grave Digger - on fire. 

I really liked Avenger's Lions-themed paint job. 

Jim Koehler, the driver, is from Michigan, so he was a favorite. 

Mayhem - possibly on fire!

Driven by Chris Koehler - also a local guy & Jim's son!

El Toro Loco - on fire! 

We've never seen so many actual FIRES - sometimes you might see a little flame shooting out of the bottom of the truck, but these all required the ground staff to use extinguishers!

Anyhoo.  Sunday was pretty low key.  I got new pillows, pillowcases and bedspread for mine & the Spouse's bed.  It's beyond embarrassing how old & gross our pillows were!  So I put all this nice new stuff on the bed last night - a fluffy new pillow is going to take some getting used to!  Even the cat seemed confused.  My old one was flat & I had to fold it when I slept on my side.  They're supposed to be "cooling" pillows, but I sure didn't feel any cooling!  

Anyway, this week might be less bonkers than last week was, since I'm not alone in the office - plus it's a short week!  I have Friday off work and will be doing a girls' overnight trip (with mom & the sisters) to Ohio again.  Woohoo!  I hope it's not raining, that's all I gots to say.

Happy Monday!

SkyWatch Friday 3/20/26

Greenfield Village edition! 

The Village is actually still closed for the season, but someone from the search & rescue team I volunteer for knows someone and we were allowed in to do K9 training last weekend. 

Greenfield Village is one of those places where you can go to see what life in the US was like hundreds of years ago.  Historical buildings have been moved there. 

In particular, Thomas Edison's laboratory is here, as well as several other buildings from Menlo Park, the Wright Brothers' bicycle shop and the house that Henry Ford grew up in  - just to name a very few! 

Martha-Mary Chapel

named after Henry & Clara Ford's mothers. 

Thomas Edison

Scotch Settlement School

Henry Ford attended school here in 1871

We are easy to see!

And for fun - want to see where Henry & Clara Ford are buried?  

This used to be St Martha's Episcopal Church, but the sign out front says Triumph Church, Central Campus.  I'd love to see the inside of it, but I have a strong feeling that it's closed. 

Ford Cemetery is located more or less in the front yard of the church. 

(link takes you to the Find A Grave listing)

someone did a LOT of research because there's a lot of genealogy listed. 

The tall obelisk belongs to Henry's parents, William & Mary and his sister Jane. 

Henry and his wife Clara are under the black grate. 

 

#AtoZChallenge - Theme Reveal

 

It's that time of year! 

I'm feeling very confident with my A to Z this year - I already have topics for each letter and drafts made with the badges for each post.  Now I'll just have to get on the ball with commenting & visiting! 

If you don't know what the A to Z Challenge is, here's the official post about it, but the Cliffnotes version is - you write a post each day (except Sunday) in April.  April 1, your topic would be something that starts with A.  April 2 starts with B, April 3 - C etc, etc.  

The first time I did the challenge was back in 2012 - and I jumped right in with 3 blogs!  Crazy, I know.  I slowly whittled it down to just this one.  

2015 was my absolute favorite theme - it was all stories from the time I was in the Navy. 

2018 was a close second with all about exploring Detroit. 

Btw - I really like the graphics this year!  

Purty!

Anyhoooo......

My theme for this year is random stuff in my life that I'm grateful for.

It's a pretty broad & varied theme, and one that required a little bit of thought for each letter. 

Ready to get going! 

Skywatch Friday 03/05/26

 Today is a cemetery edition!   I stopped on my way to the store and also on the way home to get the sky from the other direction.  

This was the night before the lunar eclipse (which I missed since it never fails that it's cloudy here in SE Michigan) but the sunset was pretty! 

Linking up with Yogi and everyone over at 

SkyWatch Fridays

Roaring into the HodgePodge

This is the extent of the St. Pat's decorating I do at home.  

And ever since I got these guys, I've questioned if they're leprechauns or elves....?   

I have plenty of Christmas blowmolds, so they can identify as leprechauns. 

I'm late for the HodgePodge again this week!  

1. As the saying goes, 'March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.' Did your March come in roaring or like some other animal? Every month carries with it certain feelings, which is why some people love and anticipate December and others dread it. How do you feel about the month of March?

March definitely came into SE Michigan like a lamb, even if this was my commute yesterday morning. 

We've got spotty rain today but it's been a sun/cloud mix all week and not terribly cold. 

I feel my mood is starting to improve since on my way home yesterday, I saw 3 (very rotund) robins, which is a traditional sign of spring and I heard a red-winged blackbird making noise as I came into work this morning.  Another sign!  

Before I met the Spouse, I rented a house where the entire side yard there was planted with crocus blubs (which I didn't know until spring!)  It was so pretty!  I planted some at my current house, but I think the critters are digging them up since I'm getting fewer & fewer every year.  I'll have to plant some more - they make me happy! 

2. Where in your life are you a lion?  I had to peek at other answers and general consensus was when it came to protecting family.  I agree.  Or cussing at people while driving.  Where are you a lamb?  Umm.  Also with the grandkids & pets.  

3. The Hodgepodge lands on National Pound Cake day. Do you like pound cake? If so do you have a favorite flavor?   Vanilla or chocolate. 

Let's play this or that-
pound cake or layer cake?  PC - it really depends on the frosting of the layer cake.  Some are just yucky. 
pound cake or cheesecake?  Cheesecake! 
pound cake or angel food cake?  I could go either way - especially if strawberries are involved. 
pound cake or brownie? Brownie with ice cream! 
pound cake or pie?  Again, either way but I'm leaning toward the poundcake. 

4. What makes you feel childlike wonder right now?  

The typical signs of spring - birds / flowers / baby critters

5. What's one thing you need to add to your wardrobe to get ready for spring? If you're in the southern hemisphere, then answer for fall?

Holiday earrings!  My office is always cold, so I wear jeans & a hoodie year-round.  But I love funky earrings!  I'm currently wearing shamrocks, but I have rainbows with a pot of gold and also leprechauns.  I just got some neat Easter eggs ones that I can't wait to wear.  And I wear my Halloween ones year round.  I had skeletons on earlier this week.   

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Last night at my Weight Watchers Workshop, we were talking about macros, which led to what else do we track - which led to fitness trackers  (they just re-started weeknight workshops fairly recently so there's not many of us going yet - so the coach can wander off topic if we want!)  

I used to have a basic Fitbit that just tracked steps and was linked up with my WW app.  Of course it went obsolete, so I've been without one for several years.   I was looking at them last night and it seems like 99.98% of fitness trackers are watches - I don't usually wear a watch unless I'm doing something with search & rescue, since it's easier to glance at my wrist to log radio traffic instead of tapping my phone....  And then none of them are basic anymore!  They all want to track heart rate & sleep & how many times you poop, etc..  So of course they're $$$, too. 

Maybe I'm just too set in my ways and as the Spouse has pointed out to me in the past - I'm practical and basic in the "I don't need fancy stuff" way.  Sigh.   

Linking up with Joyce & everyone at

From This Side of the Pond

I feel eyes.......

Happy March!

 And that also means......

Hooray!

Just a quick post of randomness so I can get this posted!

My manager & I snuck out of work the other day and went to 5 Below to look for some St Patrick's stuff to decorate the office with.  I saw these and thought they'd be perfect for the granddaughter's Easter basket.....

I was going to send a pic to the Spawn and that's when I noticed the flavor.

WHY????? 

Pickles that taste like green apple. 

That's just wrong.

The truck at work with the eyeballs was spying on me....

I'm so glad I got this picture!

Daisy is very ummmm, flighty.  

Normally when anyone walks into the bedroom, she runs & hides.  She's a tiny bit little less flaky since we lost the other two cats, but will still run. 

I had been laying on the bed when the grandson came in with his tablet, but since he was fairly quiet and didn't make any sudden moves, she stayed there! 

Anyhooo. 

Reminder - it's now tornado season, so don't sleep naked!

On a serious note....

thoughts & prayers for safety to all of our military that are currently seeing action in the middle east.

Especially those on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. 

It was my home for 2 1/2 years and there will always be a piece of my heart shaped like a 72!