Friday Five - Re:

I completely forgot it was Friday, and now it's Saturday! 😚 I have been working on a project that I am doing for my daughter all day today. I am putting together a Photo/Scrapbook of her Girl Scout years and Cheer.

    It's time for Friday Five!

1. What's due for renewal? Probably game memberships, but they are automatic. I just check to make sure they post to my bank account.
   
   
2. When did you most recently replace something good with something inferior? Nothing recently.
   
   
3. What statement did you recently have to recant? Telling my niece that she never visits anymore. She was practically raised with my kids and she always "lived" at our house during summer and school breaks. She showed up this afternoon before going to work the Ren Faire.
   
   
4. What’s refreshed you this week? Actually getting some things done around my house. I have been going through old photos and ditching quite a few that are either doubles, or look horrible.
   
   
5. What’s a fond memory you have of elementary school recess? Racing one of the guys. LOL! I started running track my 4th grade year and I was the fastest girl in my school. We would race each other at recess and it was always quite fun! 
   
   
   

Monday Memes

 

Sunday Stealing - From Facebook

It has been a while since I participated in a Sunday Stealing. Things have been a bit hectic and before I know it, Sundays have come and gone. LOL! I have been gaming a lot lately. My son built his first gaming computer system from the ground up. What a great 21st Birthday present! I am hoping some time in the future, he can help me put together one as well. ☺️

 

 Welcome to Sunday Stealing - hosted by Bev Sykes.
Thanks Bev!!

From FACEBOOK

1. The best story your parents or grandparents tell about the good ole days. My Papaw (my mom's dad) used to tell me the story of the great chase. 😄 Evidently, my Nannie took dating to one serious level, and she definitely wanted to know exactly which man was going to "suit" her. My Papaw said she led him on a merry 'ol chase for months before she finally decided he was the one out of five. I sure do miss my parents and my grandparents.

2. The best things in life are ... waking up and my family.

3. Things that drive me batty. Ignorant and callous people. This has to be the worst thing that is driving me absolutely crazy at the moment. This pandemic has really opened my eyes.

4. A place I'd like to live and why. Somewhere that is not as hot as Texas. LOL!

5. The best thing I've ever found. Well, I would have to say my hubby. Without him, I wouldn't have the two beautiful not-so-little kiddos I have. My family is everything. 💖

6. The best thing that happened recently is. Hearing from our attorney that SSA is FINALLY working on our paperwork.

7. I admire people who ... are kind and courteous. Those out there that still believe in morals and values. 

8. What makes me special. That would be a great question for my husband and kids! 🥰

9. I am looking forward to ... just living LIFE day to day.

10. Things that scare me. A lot of things can be scary. Right now, a huge fearful thought that keeps rising up in my head is that something happening to my daughter. She was diagnosed with Autism right before her 3rd birthday. She is now 17 and was diagnosed with GAD back in November. Her Anxiety has only worsened and she is on three types of meds at the moment. We are waiting for her May appointment to get in to the cardiologist and a referral to see Neuro.

11. Complaints I have. Too many! Top of the list - those that believe this virus does not exist. So, what has killed over 3 million people worldwide?

12. I could never live without ...Water, Coffee, and books!

13. Things that make me laugh ... spending time with my family at home! I enjoy kicking back gaming with my kiddos, or watching a movie/series together. After my husband's TBI, he likes to spend a lot of time outside, and I will sit outside with him, usually at night, and we can just sit back and talk about the days.

14. What is a new skill that you would like to learn? Well, I do wish I was more creative and crafty. I am getting ready to put together two shadow boxes for my daughter. One for cheer, and the other for Girl Scouts. I guess I will see how 'skilled' I get. LOL!

15. What brightened your day today? Grabbing my cup of coffee, and then hearing "Good morning, mummy." My daughter might be 17 years old, but having Autism makes her childish nature shine. And I would NEVER change it!!

Friday Five - Aca-scuse me?

  It's time for Friday Five!

1. In What way you have recently been rebellious? LOL. I left those days behind a long time ago. 😂

2. What fond memories do you have of camping out? I haven't been 'camping' since my military days! One of my fondest has to be during Army Basic Combat Training when we were on Bivouac (camping military style). During training, we always had to have our weapon with us, and this means even at night. My Drill Sergeant tried to steal my weapon, but thankfully I had my sling wrapped around my arm. LOL! It was quite funny. The following pic is out of one of the training manuals. 

3. When did you last have a snow cone, or something similar? Gosh, I haven't had an actual snow cone in a couple of years. We used to have this little snow cone stand down the street and they had the best snow cones. Now ice cream is something that we constantly have on hand. We buy our milk from this store called Braum's, and we always end up with ice cream sandwiches and bars to stock the fridge.

4. Where do you have difficulty fitting in? Where do you easily fit in? Well, being the parent of a child with special needs seems to definitely affect real life friendships, even for the adult. Parents of neurotypical children tend to shy away from those of us that have kids that are considered 'neuro-diverse'. My daughter has Autism and General Anxiety Disorder. She has always had a hard time making friends and fitting in, which made me feel like an outsider trying to fit in with other moms. If the friendship with the child didn't work, then most of the time the friendship with the adult didn't either. At least that has been my experience. Now, I have managed to make a ton of friends online with some of these friendships lasting over 20 years. I am in a couple of mom groups relating to books and gaming, and I am also part of a Minecraft community that supports kids and families with Autism.

5. How do you feel about bananas? I usually have to be in the right frame of mind to eat bananas. Because I have been trying to eat healthier and exercise, they are part of my daily diet now. I try to find them on the small side, and they have to be greenish yellow. Perfect ripeness! Not to hard to eat, and not chewy. 

Happy 21st Birthday T

Happy 21st Birthday to the not-so-little boy that made me a mom:

On April 15, 2000 at 9:33 p.m., you graced us with your presence. I always told people how perfect you were. Always calm and quiet, and you didn't fuss much. We could take you anywhere, especially out to dinner, and you would just look around your surroundings or sleep. You made each day special and worth getting up for. Now, 21 years later – the same holds true.

Thank you for being our amazing and awesome son and the best big brother you can be!!!! We you!!!

Animals on board TITANIC

Besides the many passengers and crew, there were also several animals aboard TITANIC, which included dogs, cats, birds, and even poultry. The ship had it's own luxury kennels and only First Class passengers were allowed to bring their dogs. Like any other ship, TITANIC had quite the population of rats, and one was even seen running across the Third Class dining room the evening of the sinking.

Unfortunately, few of the animals on TITANIC survived. Three dogs were taken aboard lifeboats by their owners. During the sinking, someone opened all the kennel doors, and excited dogs were seen running up and down the slanting deck as the ship went down. Ann Elizabeth Isham refused to leave her Great Dane, and was one of the few First Class passengers that did not survive.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_aboard_the_Titanic

The Carpathia...

April 15, 1912: The Carpathia, was about 58 miles southeast of the Titanic at the time it heard the distress call. She doesn't pick up the first of the survivors until around 4:10 a.m. Finally, hours later after picking up survivors from the last lifeboat, she heads for New York at 8:50 a.m.

The Mackay-Bennett is the first of several ships to travel to the area where the Titanic sank to search for bodies. On April 18, 1912, the Carpathia arrives in New York with 705 survivors.

TITANIC founders...

April 15, 1912: At around 12:45 a.m., the first lifeboat is lowered into the freezing water and the first distress rocket is fired. Lifeboats continue to be launched, mostly only half full. The last lifeboat is lowered into the Atlantic a little after 2 a.m.

More than 1,500 people are still on the TITANIC, now sitting at a steep tilt. At 2:18 a.m., the last radio message is sent and the TITANIC snaps in half. By 2:20 a.m., she has sunk beneath the icy waters of the Atlantic.

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC

TITANIC's final hours...

April 14, 1912: At 11:40 p.m., two hours after the last warning, ship lookout Frederick Fleet spots an iceberg directly in the path of the Titanic. First Officer Murdoch orders a hard starboard (left) turn, but the Titanic's right side scrapes the iceberg.

Ten minutes later, water has entered the front part of the ship and risen to a level of 14 feet. Captain Smith learns the ship can only stay afloat for two hours and gives orders to make first radio calls for help. He orders the crew to prepare the lifeboats and start getting the passengers and crew up on deck. There is only room in the lifeboats for about half the passengers and crew onboard. Women and children first.

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC

TITANIC Humor...

 

Nothing but stars...

April 14, 1912: The temperature has dropped to 32 degrees F and Titanic is traveling at 22.5 knots. The sea is calm, the skies are perfectly clear, and the stars appear as brilliant points of light, but no moon. Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee take over lookout duty in the crow's nest. Interestingly, they did not have binoculars.

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC

Tribute pages...

My tribute to my favorite ocean liner and movie. These pages were part of my old website that I had back in 2009, and I revamped them.

https://www.jens-chaos.com/leavingport

Captain Smith retires to his room...

April 14, 1912: Captain Smith retires to his room around 9:20 p.m. The last of seven warnings regarding icebergs is received around 9:40 p.m. in the wireless room. This warning never makes it to the bridge.

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC

Autism Acceptance

 

Ice berg warnings received

April 14, 1912: Captain Smith cancels the lifeboat drills for the morning. As several iceberg warnings are received throughout the day. Captain Smith changes the Titanic's course, heading slightly south. Titanic's speed is not lowered.

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC

The Queen

 This picture of Queen Elizabeth II really tugs at the heartstrings. 😔

TITANIC has calm weather...

April 13, 1912: The weather is good and the sea is calm. The temps are getting colder. The Titanic receives several wireless messages from other ships reporting ice.

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC 

TITANIC at sea...

April 12, 1912: The Titanic is at sea, continuing her journey as passengers enjoy the pleasures of the luxurious ship.

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC

Monday Memes

 

National Pet Day

 Today is National Pet Day!

TITANIC leaves Queenstown

April 11, 1912 - The TITANIC leaves Queenstown (with a few more passengers and mail) at 1:30 pm, and begins her journey across the Atlantic Ocean headed for New York.

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC

PATREON Supporter mug

Aw, look what I received in the mail today! My Patreon supporter coffee mugs for Autcraft!

 

TITANIC sets sail

On April 10, 1912 at around noon, the TITANIC leaves the dock at Southampton for her maiden voyage with over 2,200 passengers on board. Her first stop is in Cherbourg, France, and then on to Queenstown, Ireland (now known as Cobh). 

 

 

TITANIC: HONOR AND GLORY © 2013-2019 FFE CO. & VDR LLC

Friday 5 - III III III III III

   It's time for Friday Five!
Yay! I finally get to participate again! The last few weeks have been crazy crazy for me and my family.

1. Who are your three latest celebrity crushes?

LOL! I don't really have celebrity crushes, but Nick Bateman pops up quite a bit in my Smoaksters book group on FB and he is absolutely without a doubt my Professor James Hunter. Well, aside from my hubby that is. 😉

2. What three strange things have you done during the pandemic?

I don't think I have done anything strange. I have always been a homebody, so staying home and not going places has not really affected me.

3. What three goals do you have for the weekend

#1) This weekend will be filled with cleaning. I have to clean, mop, disinfect, and bleach both bathrooms.
#2) Grade papers. Term 2 just ended and now I have to rev up the projects for Term Three. My daughter is not exactly happy that I added an extra month on to school, but with all the Dr. Appts, Therapy, and hospital visits - there has just been too much going on to slack off. The end of August is now Graduation month.
#3) Organize my desk.

4. What three things are you avoiding?

I really don't try to avoid things. But I guess you could say that I have definitely limited my contact with others because I want to try to stay healthy, and it's not just Covid, although I wish more people that I know would take it more serious. My son just got out of the hospital because of cellulitus, which is a bacterial infection. We have no idea how, as this usually enters through a wound or bite. I am also getting ready to start up a Blogilates program with Cassie and I want to be able to keep at it. I need energy to do this. LOL.

5. What three things are you feeling pretty good about

#1) Losing Weight and keeping my stress levels down
#2) Getting my house organized
#3) Making this year awesome

Throwback Thursdays

 #TBT

Today marks seven years since the hubby walked through the door with this little guy. I had said I didn't want anymore animals. But the kids fell in love with this pup, and Zac became part of our family, sharing his Valentine's Day Birthday with our beloved GS, Bo.

Happy Easter!

 

World Autism Awareness Day!

 Accept - Understand - Love