WWC #99: Earth 8

This week’s assignment was to focus on and interpret the number 8 and the word, EARTH.

One of Earth's beautiful places

This is the rock the previous picture was taken from

The credit for the pictures above goes to my husband.  He took the kids hiking on the A.T. while I was traveling to PA on Sunday afternoon.  (Be patient with me, I took pics in PA for this post!)

8 tubas marching

I was in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, on Sunday evening for the ordination of our youth director (now associate pastor).

Bonus pic of the rose window in the old church there in Eighty Four:

Not too bad for a wimpy little camera phone, eh?

The Weekly Words Challenge has become a schitzophrenic operation of sorts… Jay manages the blogworld side of things while Tink is hosting over on facebook … and then there’s always flickr.  So many choices, so many views, and so many creative minds!  Join us!

Meme from Melli

Twenty-four questions in the meme… twenty-four hours in a day… Coincidence?  I think not.  So, without further ado, ME ME ME ME!!!!

1. What are your most common nicknames?
   Mom & Hon…
2. What is today’s weather?
   Today was a glorious 72 degrees. I think that is just about The Perfect Temperature: warm enough for shorts, cool enough to not make you sweat. 😛
3. Where did you go on vacation this year?
   I went on 2 trips this summer.  The kids & I went to Washington State to see friends and family in late July. And couple of weeks ago, the 6 of us drove to NY for the weekend.
4. What did you do there?
   Gary let us try out making pots and we were awed by the beauty of Niagara Falls.
5. Where did you stay?
   We were at the Holiday Inn in Ithaca the first night and then we camped at Four Mile Creek the 2nd night.
6. What job do you do?
   My job is to keep the home fires burning, which includes keeping my man happy, making sure the kids get up for school, and attempt to keep the household running in general.   Some might say I’m a kept woman, LOL
7. Describe where you live.
   I fondly refer to this place as “the middle of nowhere.”  We are between 2 small towns — one has a population of about 5,000 people and the other has 600 people within town limits.  It’s quiet and we can see the stars at night.  [insert happy sigh]
8. What do you usually do on weekends?
   I prefer to sleep in on Saturdays, but now that school is starting back up, that little luxury is about to be a distant memory.  Saturdays will include cross-country meets and marching band competitions.  Both are a lot of fun to watch. 😀   On Sundays, I am at church all morning and then I like to chill in the afternoons, preferably with a book and a nap.
9. What food hits your ‘bliss spot’?
   Hmmmm… A nice cheesecake is delightful, but so is a margarita, fresh seafood, …. the list goes on!  I’m especially fond of food that I did not have to prepare.
10. What drink really does it for you? Does IT…?
    Satisfies my taste buds? Coffee with half-n-half in the mornings… Water with a splash of lemon (or some very weak Crystal Light lemonade) for the rest of the day.  If I’ve been outside doing yard work, there should be a cold beer waiting in the fridge for me!
11. Describe the first friend that comes to your head.
    My partner, my other half, my friend for life: my husband.
12. What was the last restaurant you went to?
    We popped into the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls for dessert after watching the fireworks.
13. Where would you like to live if you had unlimited money and nothing stopping your dreams?
    I’d love a house on Fish Lake up near Lake Wenatchee in Washington State.  That area is where I feel the most at peace, likely due to my youth spent at Tall Timber Ranch (which is also where I met my husband).
14. What is the likeliness of you achieving this dream home?
    With the cost of buying property there and the accompanying taxes, this scenario is highly unlikely.  Instead, I will be perfectly satisfied with living in or near Spokane.
15. What do you like to do in your spare time?
    Ha! This is my problem: I have been struggling with time management lately.  I enjoy blogging, but I also enjoy scrapbooking, reading, beading, napping, walking, hiking, and so much more.  I am working on being more balanced in my life.
16. What’s your favorite genre for TV programs?
    Our family enjoys watching “Wipeout!” together, along with the Miss Marple mysteries on PBS and occasional shows on Discovery or History channels.  I’m also fond of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Oh, and I usually check in with The Weather Channel.  I suppose this makes me hard to pin down for a genre.
17. What’s your favorite genre for music?
    I’m rather eclectic in my musical tastes: I like rock, alternative, classical, country, bluegrass, and more that escapes me at this moment. I usually prefer listening to Christian lyrics.  Lately I have been listening to a lot of Alison Krauss, TobyMac, and Kutless.
18. What’s your favorite song that’s sad?
    The one that comes to mind right now is “Where’ve You Been?” as sung by Kathy Mattea.
19. What are you looking forward to at the moment?
    In the morning, I’m going to meet a new blog friend, and then Ella will be coming to stay with me for a few weeks. 😀
20. What are you dreading at the moment?
    Cleaning the kitchen: the guys had watermelon last night and the floor is disgusting.  They also forgot to run the dishwasher.  See what happens when I am gone for the evening?
21. How would you describe your personality?
    I’m not sure I can do that!  I usually leave that to others.  I do try to be welcoming and accepting, because that is what I believe Jesus would do.
22. If you had a personality eraser, what part of yours might you erase?
    Well, seeing as how I’ve been struggling lately with my tendency to be lazy and procrastinate, those are definitely on my “hit list.”
23. You are given $5000 to spend in 1 day, what do you do with it?
    Melli brought up a lot of questions about this one:  Do I have to spend it the day it’s given to me??? Can I have a week or two to THINK about what I might want to do with it? Or am I simply handed it at 8:00 on a Monday morning and told it has to be GONE by 8:00 pm? Since I really don’t NEED anything, I like Melli’s idea of restocking a food pantry. I know the local relief agency in our area (supported by many churches) is in need of food and other supplies.
24. What is your biggest fear?
    I do fear something happening bad to my family.  I guess that just comes with the territory of motherhood!

I stole this meme from Melli; feel free to take it from me and make it your own.  Don’t forget to link back here so I can see your answers!