Wednesday

J is for . . . Junk Food


Posted for ABC Wednesday (“J is for . . . “)


“J” is for . . . . Junk Food



What is your favorite junk food?

Do you go for the sticky-sweets, or the salty-crunchy snacks?


Just for fun, I tried a blog quiz on this subject, and here’s what I found. Why not try it yourself? Be sure to double back and let us know what you discovered about your own snacking personality.

.

You Are a Salty Person

When it comes to snacks, you're more likely to grab a bag of chips over a bag of cookies.


There's a good chance you're male (men prefer salty snacks)...

Or at least, you feel very comfortable in male dominated environments.


Your taste tends to be complex, sophisticated, and adult.

You tend to crave your favorite restaurant meal... or mom's cooking.

.

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.


Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.


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Naughty-Bad Banned Books Week

Posted for a variety of prompts:

Hump Day Humor (“gasoline”)

Matinee Muse (“dangerous pretense”)

That’s My Answer (“Where are you going Wednesday?”

Three-Word Wednesday (“dissolve,” “trinket” and “jest”)


Naughty-Bad Banned Books Week


The last week of September is Banned Books Week.Where am I going on Wednesday? To the library, of course. A confirmed bibliophile, I simply love the printed word. It may be a dangerous pretense, but I simply love to read and write.


More than trinkets, which time may dissolve, I adore books. I do not mention this in jest, but in altogether earnestness.


Did you know . . .


Many classic literary works – and current bestsellers – were once blacklisted or banned? Government officials, school boards, ideological organizations and others poured gasoline on books they deemed unfavorable and burned them.


Whether you realize it or not, you may have read some of these previous taboo titles. CTRL-click here to read “Celebrate Banned Books Week by Reading.” The free online article includes a listing of popular literary classics that were banned in the past for a variety of reasons.


You may find some of your favorite books on the once-banned titles list.


Express your inner bookworm during Banned Books Week. What a wonderful way to rebel and feed your intellect at the same time,


Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.


Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.


Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!


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Friday

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Avast, ye landlubbers and picaroons alike!


Apparently, today is Talk Like a Pirate Day. And today's prompt at the Meme Express is all about pirates. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

Just for fun, let's try a few pirate blog quizzes. (If you try them yourself, matey, please double back and let us know what you discovered.)
What's my pirate name?




Your Pirate Name Is...



Lord Neck Snapper Nellie


Would I make a good pirate?



You Are 50% Pirate



Garrrr, yer a true pirate down to yer bones.

Yer an originial sea dog, an' ye certainly have earned yer sea legs.

No one be goin' to accuse ye o' bein' a landlubber.

Ye got yer eye on the prize, an' yer willin' to go pillagin' fer some booty.



Holy buccaneer! Who knew?

Based on these results, I'm mighty relieved I posted this entry. I'd hate to have to dance the hempen jig or be tossed upon me dungbe.

Related items:

Ahoy, Matey! Simple Pirate Costume
A-Sailed
Free and Clear
The Manatee of Vanity
Never Eat Soggy Waffles (NESW)
Quick Carnival Get-Up
Spam Jam
The Sparrow's Tale
Using a Map and Compass to Find Your Way in the Wilderness
Waving Farewell
Yachting With Youngsters

Wednesday

"I" is for . . .

Posted for a variety of prompts:
ABC Wednesday (“I is for . . . “)
Camera Critters (photo/s)
Photo Scavenger Hunt (“wild”)
Simply Snickers (“plead,” “poor” and “point”)
Three Word Wednesday (“agree,” “execute” and “providence”)
Totally Optional Prompts (blank verse)
Wordless Wednesday (photo/s)

Note: Usually, my poetry appears in my poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink. Occasionally (actually, increasingly), I publish horse-related poetry at The Mane Point: A Haven for Horse Lovers. Still, it seemed appropriate somehow to put this entry here at Practically at Home. After all, this mother's ideas might echo some of our own.

Photo c2008 by Nickers and Ink

“I” is for . . .
“If I can just see over the top of this hill. . . .”

Does something better await,
Just out of reach?
If I tuck in my wings and stretch,
What might I spy?

A mighty mallard,
A pristine pond,
A quiet cove,
Or adventure?

Youngsters agree.
Time to execute the plan,
Providence to prove.

Curiosity points the way,
Pleading for unseen sights,
Poorly perceived from here.

Sudden sounds set me aright,
Back on the bank.
A duck may always dare
Another day.



Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Saturday

Ask Bill About Credit


Ask Bill About Credit

Here are a few rhetorical questions about credit. (You don’t have to answer these out loud.)

How’s your personal credit? Do you know?

Do you know the difference between charge credit, installment credit and revolving credit?

What is amortization, anyway? And how might the Equal Credit Opportunity Act affect you personally?

Have you ever been turned down for credit? What can you do about it?

Do you know how to establish personal credit? How about improving your current credit standing? And how can you even find out where you currently stand?

Where can you find answers to these sticky credit-related questions? Just ask Bill.

Founded by a group of Stanford Business School graduates, Bills.com is an online resource site offering information and how-tos on bill consolidation, credit, debts, insurance, loans and mortgages.

Perhaps the most helpful section pertains to credit counseling. Here, consumers can find informative descriptions and details on credit cards, credit monitoring, credit rate comparisons, credit reports and more.

For personalized credit counseling and financial advice, users can “Ask Bill” and receive a specific response via email.

In today’s challenging economy, as financial institutions seem to offer increasingly complex lending programs, while tax codes grow ever more undecipherable, this online help may prove extremely helpful to consumers.


This simple-to-navigate site, with helpful tabs and links, can help individuals and families to navigate the modern-day credit marketplace more effectively.

What Does Your Name Mean?

What Does Your Name Mean?

I found this interactive blog quiz through a friend. Just for fun, here are my findings. Why not try it yourself? If you do, please stop back with a comment, and let me know what you discovered about your own name.

My name: Linda

. . .

What Linda Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.

You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather

quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.

You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.


You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.

You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.

You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.

You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.

People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.


You are usually the best at everything ... you

strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

. . .

Because my granddaughter is celebrating her one-year birthday, here’s her name too: Hazel. I simply cannot believe we were holding a newborn baby girl a year ago.

. . .

What Hazel Means

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.

Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia.

Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.


You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.


You are incredibly wise and perceptive. You have a lot of life experience.

You are a natural peacemaker, and you are especially good at helping others get along.

But keeping the peace in your own life is not easy. You see things very differently, and it's hard to get you to budge.


You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.

You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.


You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

. . .

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

And guess who shares your birthday?

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

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Friday

Dream On - with Friday Fun

Dream On – with Friday Fun


Today I discovered an adorable blog, so I decided to participate in another meme.

Friday Fun’s questions are in bold, and my responses are in italics. Doesn’t this sound like fun? Why not post and answer the same questions on your blog? (Be sure to include the link to Friday Fun, so others can read your responses.)

C’mon back, and tell me how you responded to the prompts too.

1. You are in an adventurous mood. Do you go deep sea diving or sky diving? (Thanks to Donovan for this one!) Any idea where you would like to do it?

I think I would opt for deep-sea diving, as I’m not a big fan of heights. Hey, I’m not very tall myself, and if the Lord wanted me to enjoy heights, then perhaps He would have granted me a bit more stature. As it is, I dislike ladders, scaffolding, catwalks, roofs and other lofty spots.

Besides, who knows what I might find at the bottom of the ocean?

2. You just won an all expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world. Do you go to Japan or to France? Why? (Locations courtesy once again from my helpful son!)

Bien sur! I would go to France. Although, I would love to see Japan someday, I adore Paris and the French countryside. As a teenager, I had a wonderful time in France, and I would really like to return someday. Still, there was that scary night, when those creepy guys followed us down the Champs-Elysees.


What was my favorite spot in France? Lake Annecy, of course, “The Cleanest Lake in Europe.” (It’s near Geneva, another wonderful European city.)


If I could go ANYWHERE, though, I would surely go to Israel. I have always wanted to walk in such a wonderful historic place with spiritual and biblical significance.


On the way home, could we take the long way around and stop off in Australia and Hawaii? They’re on my list too.


3. You meet a stingy genie that will only grant one wish. Do you wish for more money or a better body? Why?

Better body – hands down. Better yet – hands off! After all, “The Mirror Lied.”

4. You have $50 burning a hole in your pocket. Do you head to the book store or to a spa? What would you get?

Look out, bookstore! Here I come. I am bibliophile. Hear me roar!

Read “The Library Life – Rhyming in Style with a Bibliophile” to see what I mean.


5. It is time for a caffeine jolt. Do you go for the coffee pot or for the soda? Any favorites?

Actually, I’d prefer iced tea with lemon. A frosty Snapple offers as much of a caffeine boost at a cup of java or a cola anyway.


Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!



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Donuts and Other Fun with Friday 5

Donuts and Other Fun with Friday 5


Just found a witty meme for today, so I decided to play along. Friday 5’s questions are in bold, and my responses are in italics. Want to play? Check out Friday 5. C’mon back, and tell me how you responded to the prompts too.

1. Who lets you have your way more than you should?

Well, I have this adorable young sorrel paint horse (see photo at right, copyrighted by Nickers and Ink) who is extremely patient with me, and he lets me get away with all sorts of miscues. He is also wonderful with kids.

2. According to the cliche, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but what’s the way to yours?

The way to my heart is probably through words. As a writer and communicator, I treasure words. Of course, actions often do prove the truth and sincerity of a person’s words.

3. What’s something that should have been put away but hasn’t been?

Besides O.J.?

4. When did you last weigh yourself?

I stepped on the scales yesterday morning, and things seem to be heading in the right direction, at last.

5. What do the cops in the donut shop say?

I can’t stand stereotypes, and this one is all too prevalent. At least in our town, the policemen are rarely seen in donut shops. Although they may grab a cup to go, they tend to be quite vigilant about their work. Still, let’s have some wordplay fun, with all apologies to police officers. Of course, most of those we know personally do have an excellent sense of humor. Having said that, let’s eavesdrop a moment in the proverbial local donut shop:

“If we made as much dough on the street, we might not be in here.”

“That’s the hole point! Wish the brass would sprinkle on a bit more each week.”

“Are you guys sure you wouldn’t like a little cream or sugar in your coffee?”

“Whaddya think we are, a couple of cream puffs?”

“No kidding. This job is no cake walk.”

“Hey, Bismarck, are you gonna let ‘em talk to you like that? You look a little frosted, buddy.”

“If that doesn’t just put the icing on the cake.”

“Go on and cream ‘em!”

“That’s right. Give ‘em a little cruller and unusual punishment.”

“You got it. Make ‘em kringle with fear till they roll on the rest of the gang.”

“How ‘bout a baker’s dozen reasons to cough up the truth? After all, that was no torte. Assault and battery is a felony, for cryin’ out loud!”

“When we get done with ‘em, they’re gonna wish for a little pie in the sky.”

“Hey, Hazel, how about a refill on the java?"

"C'mon, guys. We'd better roll."


Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

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Tuesday

Back-to-School Labeling

Back-to-School Labeling


As yellow school buses roll through neighborhoods again, families melt their plastic credit cards to purchase school supplies for their elementary, middle school and high school students.

How can students keep track of their spirals, scissors and school supply boxes? How can pupils prevent loss of their pens, pencils, papers and protractors? And how can learners look after their lunchboxes in lockers and lunchrooms?

Smart students and their families label their file folders to organize at-home and school studies.

Here’s the DYMO tip I found most helpful:

Does your child have allergies to peanuts, latex, bee stings or anything else? Why not label your child’s lunch bag, daily planning notebook, or even your child’s own clothing accordingly? You can even print allergy alerts on colorful tapes to notify teachers and school staff easily to prevent an allergy episode.(Why not include your emergency phone number, just in case?)

DYMO label makers make label making a breeze. Marking backpacks, gym uniforms, binders, sports gear and even toys is simple. Embossers and basic labelers range from about $8 to nearly $25. Electronic labelers start at $30. Label refills are available from the secured DYMO website.

What could be simpler?



Monday

A Thistle's Epistle

Posted for a variety of prompts:
Manic Monday “best way to relieve tension”)
Odd Shot Monday (photo/s)
Scenic Sunday (photo/s)
Seek the Lord Sunday (open topic)
Slice of Life Sunday (“writer’s choice – what life memory moves you today?”)
Sunday Scribblings (“miracle”)
Today’s Flowers (photo/s)

Weekend Snapshot (photo/s)
Wordless Wednesday - Monday edition (photo/s)

Photo c2008 by Nickers and Ink


"Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things
will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.”
(Isaiah 65:17, NIV)


A Thistle’s Epistle
(Weeds of Thought from the Ultimate Transformer)

Three miracles the Maker wrought
That cancel out our highest thought:
He meets our needs,
Brings blooms from weeds
And all our failings He has bought.


Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

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