#AtoZChallenge Reflections Post ~ 5/4/21

Ahh now that’s the stuff. The sweet, sweet relief of finishing something. I had the time of my life as Green Day might sing.

I doubled up tossing my posts out to twitter and instagram from WordPress. I would have shared on FB too if not for my ban. I try every once and a while to get back in their good graces but truthfully, it is not worth the extra effort. I met some new folks and spent some extra quality time with folks I have known for a while. If I had planned better, I could have done a roll call of all my stops. I’ll just shout out that you know who you are oh special people of bloglandia!! Or maybe not? But hopefully my comments in the moment gave affirmation.

I tried and failed miserably at the scavenger hunt. But here is what I did get down:

• A is for — Apple 🍏 – https://lisa-musingsofamiddle-agedmom.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-is-for-apple.html

• B is for — Bear 🧸 – https://crackerberries.wordpress.com/2021/04/02/be-bold-be-beautiful-be-you-letters-from-the-heart/comment-page-1/#comment-952

• F is for — Flowers 💐 Lisa’s Garden Adventure https://lisasgardenadventureinoregon.blogspot.com/2021/04/f-fabulous-flowers.html
• G is for — Game 🎲 Big Rich writes about DND – https://deadmanstales.wordpress.com/2021/04/07/g-grit/
• J is for — Jewelry 💍 https://galeriaredelius.wordpress.com/2021/04/12/jewellery-equals-joy/  by  Gunilla Redelius
• N is for — Nuts 🥜 – I found this new blog … nut is in the name https://thesquirrelnutwork.wordpress.com/ and I saw this also https://lisa-musingsofamiddle-agedmom.blogspot.com/2021/04/n-is-for-northern-beans-or-navy-beans.html from Lisa

• O is for — Orange 🍊 – https://astridetal.com/2021/04/17/orange-and-other-citrus-essential-oils-atozchallenge/
• Q is for — Questions ❓Barbara came through for questions … check this out https://teleportingweena.wordpress.com/2021/04/20/a-to-z-blog-challenge-2021-letter-q-20-questions/
• R is for — Rainbow 🌈 – a highlight this year is Janet’s posts of San Francisco.  I feel like I went on a vacation without leaving my house.  Here is her
•  rainbow post https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/a-to-z-2021-r-is-for-rincon-park-and-the-rainbow-crosswalk/   Checkout her others posts, you’ll be glad you did
• U is for — Uniform 💂 I found uniform by way of unicorn … check this out, it is great https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/2021/04/atozchallenge-u-is-for-uniquely.html

If you ask me? Like you did in the survey, I wouldn’t change a thing. I LOVE my new t-shirt and hope it becomes a conversation piece. My list of all 26 entries can be found through my widgets when and if I ever figure out how to do one again. LOL. This is the picture I will use …

We Made It!!

I can’t help but giggle when I see the hard earned badge because Winner/Winner makes me think of Winner/Winner Chicken Dinner!! Yummy!! Now it’s time to eat. Until next time …

As always, more to come.

Z: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/30/21

Can you just hear it? Barry Manilow belting out “Looks like we made it!” What an amazing ride.

I’m tired y’all. No, not tired. I’m giddy! I’m also sad because #AtoZChallenge is over but glad that it happened.

Alrighty, enough rambling and musing. We’ll save that for another day. Rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat tat. Drum roll puhleese!!! Our final idiom.

Starts with Z – Zero Hour

Jilly’s Take: Not a term I am too familiar with but then again Z is always hard. Instead of zero hour, I thought what about midnight hour? Could they possibly be the same thing? If not identical, somewhat related. I’m pretty sure zero hour is the start of something special.

Curiosity took me to my friend Google. Sure enough zero hour is 0.00 AM aka midnight. Mind you this was a quick Google not to be confused with a quick pickle. I’m watching way too many cooking shows. Love me a good quick pickle.

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here. This wiki page has a lil bit more. After that, check out not one, not two but three “zero hour” videos shown below. I wanted to end with a bang!

Writer(s): Wilson Jr. Pickett, Stephen Lee Cropper

Writer: Peter Case – More at the wiki.

Writer(s): Rami Jaffee, Georg Ruthenberg, David Eric Grohl, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, Odie Hawkins

Until next year!!

As always, more to come.

#AtoZChallenge

Y: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/29/21

Starts with Y – You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink

Jilly’s Take: My oh my! Sounds like trying to get a toddler to do something they don’t want to do. Here’s a tip, does not get any easier as they get older.

Pony wanted to take a gap year after graduating from high school. But no, B and I pushed him insisting he start college in the Fall of 2006. He started off with two courses to test the waters. His first round in school, he lasted only two semesters, earning nine hours in total. Two As and one B. He had the ability but his heart was not in it no matter how hard we pushed. Hence the “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”. Another contributing factor for his dropping out was the “unfortunate event”.

He went to work for Toyota instead. At the time, Toyota had just opened up here. They were hiring anyone and everyone age 18-26, no experience necessary. They needed bodies. The pay was good, the benefits better. Hard work though with alternating two weeks of day then two weeks of night shift.

Pony is like my daddy and B. Their minds work differently. Despite no formal training, they are good at ciphering and/or otherwise figuring things out. They are the no direction types when it comes to something mechanical.

One day Pony (who was way ahead on his quota) was auditing scrap while quietly watching a big hubbub around a certain machine. Multiple engineers had gathered around to fix it. Pony eventually piped up. He told them he knew why the tool was malfunctioning. They poo-pooed him at first then humored him all the same. They ran a “test”. Sure enough our boy was right!

He came home super excited. They had given him a spot bonus. His boss praised him. Told him he had the makings of a fine engineer. Told him he could make a lot more money with a degree. So what did Pony do? He quit. To go back to school.

Returning to college was based on his own decision. No more leading the “horse” aka Pony to water. In round two, he completed two more semesters. A total of twelve hours this time. Straight Bs. Then he dropped out again. This time for good.

He went to work at Gamestop. Retail selling was his calling. Not just the games but merch. Of course the big incentive was in magazine subscriptions. Had he stayed, he would have been a director of several stores.

Instead he left Gamestop for Best Buy (disaster). Eventually he made it to his current gig. Everything happens for a reason. All those different sips of water led him right to where he is supposed to be. B and I, now older and wiser, would have ENCOURAGED that gap year. Screw what other people think. You may never get another chance. But in true “everything happens for a reason” fashion, all is well.

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here. Then check out the video below. Songwriters: George Harrison and Dhani Harrison. What I read at this wiki brought tears to my eyes. George will forever be my favorite Beatle.

#AtoZChallenge

X: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/28/21

Starts with X – X Marks the Spot

Jilly’s Take: Ahoy matey! Of course I thought about pirates. Burying treasure … gold doubloons. Before there were books on tape, there were albums with books that accompanied them.

I have very vague memories of listening to an album with lost boys and something about the Jolly Roger. I guess from Peter Pan. The boys went on a treasure hunt arguing over who could hold the map. The classic X marks the spot! The sounds of cannons firing and water splashing. Or I am making stuff up. Not again!! Hehe.

About this same time, we listened to William Tell quite often too. Anyone else of certain age remember that? B recalls something similar with an album about Peter and the Wolf.

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here. Then check out this video by Karmic who is new to me. Hope you enjoy them also.

#AtoZChallenge

W: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/27/21

Starts with W- Wear Heart on Sleeve

Jilly’s Take: I’m cursed! Wearing my heart on my sleeve is in my DNA. My emotions are always right there boiling up to the surface. Ready to spew!

When my mom was in hospice, a lifelong friend came to see her. As they were talking, I overheard mom say “Reach out to Jill when I’m gone. She is the only one I am worried about. She wears her heart on her sleeve”. Well of course I do. Have you met me yet? Ha. My parents tried to toughen me up. But nope, I’m still a heart on sleeve wearing neurotic who is insecure and emotional. What’s a girl to do but soldier on. I’m okay momma. You didn’t have to worry about me. ❤

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here. Then check on Olly Murs. Apparently he too wears his heart on his sleeve. Songwriters: James Morrison / John Shanks.

#AtoZChallenge

V: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/26/21

Starts with V – Variety is the Spice of Life

Jilly’s Take: This idiom goes back to 1785. Another oldie but a goodie. I think it means we should live a little, try new things. You’ll never be bored if you take chances. Experience all that life has to offer. Then you can live with no regrets.

But and it’s a BIG but, the flip side is a wanderlust that cannot be cured because the person is never satisfied. Hopping from one thing to another. No purpose. Unfulfilled.

Takes all kinds though as they whoever they are say. We need the diversity don’t we? Humans want to be challenged. But taking a pass is okay too when you’re not in the mood.

Boy this ‘lil write-up of mine is loaded with hidden idioms beyond variety is the spice of life. No surprise there. I speak in idioms. I write with them too. Doing so is my jam. LOL.

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here. Then check out The Doors. Songwriters: JOHN PAUL DENSMORE, RAYMOND D MANZAREK, ROBERT A KRIEGER.

#AtoZChallenge

U: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/24/21

Starts with U – Up in the Air

Jilly’s Take: To me, this idiom means things are unsettled. Jilly don’t play that. As a planner, plodder extraordinaire, I need things to be solid down on the ground. Never up in the air! That’s torture!! LOL.

Up in the air also reminds me of daddy answering “let’s play it by the ear” any time we asked if we could do something. He always added “the” instead of saying … by ear. We heard that often growing up.

Back to up in the air. Spontaneity is not my thing. Until afterwards of course when I comment “why don’t we do such and such more often??” Well duh Jilly. Your compulsive need to plan everything to the nth degree interferes with doing things spur of the moment.

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here. Then check out the video. Songwriter: Jared Leto. Yes! That Jared Leto.

#AtoZChallenge

T: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/23/21

Starts with T – Troubled Waters

Jilly’s Take: Oh man!  Why did I pick this one?  Glutton for punishment.  Yet without trouble waters, I would not appreciate the beauty in life.  “Troubled waters make for a skilled mariner” was in a fortune cookie I had once upon a long time ago.  I remember when I used to collect my fortunes, leaving the tiny strips of paper at my desk in the office.  I’d randomly re-read them to bring comfort or laughter.  Some fortunes are very funny/punny/clever. You’re supposed to add “in bed” at the end as you read them for a chuckle.  At least that is what K always did when we went to Bei Fang for lunch out.  Yum!   Now I want some pork fried rice and wonton soup.  For breakfast?  Sure!  Why the hell not?!?!?  See what the Rona has done. 

Originally my mind was taking me to write about Lulu’s trouble waters.  But that is not my story to tell.  Glad I went with a sweet memory instead. 

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here. Now to the song that always brings a tear to my eye.  One we sang in Glee Club for Sister Teresa.  Songwriter: Paul Simon

#AtoZChallenge

S: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/22/21

Starts with S – Show True Colors

Jilly’s Take:  The origin of this idiom goes back to 1551.  Wowser!  Who knew?  My take has always leaned toward the negative.  Someone being a fake until sH!t hits the fan showing you who they really are behind the facade.   Isn’t façade such a lovely word?  Words are my jam.  Moving on …

People showing their true colors is why I cooled it on facebook aka Faux Book (FB).  I probably should have left when they banned my blog.  The week I deactivated my account for seven days, my screen time dropped by over 40%.  I am no longer deactivated because I have way too many pictures there which I have not figured out how to move.  Stuff back to 2011, pre-blog which are not saved anywhere else.  The only thing I do on FB these days is create picture stories, no words which fly out to Instagram.  Any comments go to my private messenger.  I can reply without any fanfare on my actual feed/page. I also unfollowed several people to save myself from myself with that urge to be a keyboard cowboy.

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here.

Now for the song.  In my effort to be more positive, I think of Cyndi Lauper singing the anthem for being yourself!  Showing your true colors in a good way.  Show your real authentic self.  Be damned what others say or think.  Here is a stripped down version.  Songwriters: Billy Steinberg / Tom Kelly.

#AtoZChallenge

P.S. Happy Birthday Griffy Grif. We miss you!

R: Idiom of the Day ~ 4/21/21

Starts with R – Run AMOK (AMUCK)

Jilly’s Take: To me, this means to go nuts, wild and outta control. 

For more on today’s idiom LOOK here. 

And now for a new to me song.  Hope you enjoy as much as I did.  The end really sounds what running amok must “feel” like as the guitar playing speeds up!!

#AtoZChallenge