3 Wishes

Now my idea of wishes is what kids do with their birthday cake.  I feel like I've had to come up with so much stuff for this challenge that has to do with what I want such as dream house, dream wedding.  It's made me realize that I'm happy with what I have.  So for this I'm acting like Miss America and my three wishes are

1. World Peace
2. A cure for cancer
3. a big lottery win

Anything else I could ask for are things I can probably get myself.  Of course the lottery would be mostly for my family and charities.  Do you think that would get me a win?  Sorry for the attitude and I should have seen what the challenge was going to expect of me.  At first it was kind of fun looking at old pictures and reminiscing about my parents and places I've been, but now I want it to be over.  Maybe that was the point of it  -  to focus so much on yourself that you want to see others now.  Tomorrow is the last challenge and I will be relieved and ready to start anew.

Something That Stresses Me Out

This challenge really tries to make you dig deep, even if you don't want to.  I wrote before about how I don't like to merge in traffic and that also causes me some stress but I feel I need to come up with another one for the sake of the challenge.  I find since I retired that I don't have much stress and I even notice it in my hubby.  One thing I do get is a little anxious about  being around other people in conflict or a person that has said stuff to me that makes me uncomfortable.  I'm not going into details but sometimes I anticipate what a certain situation can bring and I feel that dirty sneaker effect.  More often than not I'm wrong and it's all good.  Too many times I've been in a situation where I never say what I feel because usually I'm too surprised to think of something.  So I spend time rehearsing what I would say if it happens so I don't feel like I've been walked on.  Age brings a lot of this stuff on and as I get older I don't want to have things over my head like that. 

Town That I Live In

McKean is the town I live in, at least for now.  I've been thinking about this one for quite awhile and how a decision decades ago influences the lives of your children and grandchildren.  I will miss living here, I know that.  I remember as our house was being built, coming here and climbing in the basement window to get a look at things.  It was the first time I had ever been in this area and thought how far away it was.  I came to realize, especially with the mall so close to the north and Edinboro so close to the south, that it was positioned just perfectly.  Our neighborhood was small and not as elite as Georgetown Hts. was, and that's how we liked it.  Our kids would fill a whole bus going to school, at least when Andy started school.  After that the numbers dwindled.  I think it was so great for the kids growing up because when they were old enough they could walk to so many things, such as the school, rec park (the back way), Country Fair, Post Office and the ice cream store.  When the kids would have friends over, they would be so tickled to have that opportunity as they lived out in the country.  Halloween was great here because the kids could walk all around the neighborhood and even a little up on 99 for candy.  Of course the down side was that we would get so many trick or treaters come here.  But it was always nice to see the preschoolers that would come and say Hi to Mrs. Markievich.

My Dream Wedding

If I had the chance, how would I have done my wedding differently, I guess that's how to think of it.  I've always loved the idea of a pig roast at a wedding.  The guy I used to work with on weekends had one at one of his weddings and I was impressed.  Not that I would want anything real casual like everyone in denim but an outdoor setting would be wonderful.  I'm a hands on, make your own, kind of girl and that's what it was like for my wedding.  I made my own dress and all the bridesmaid's dresses were handmade (I made one of those, too).  I wish now that I had made something a little fancier for my wedding but at the time, money and time were issues and I guess I didn't think I had the ability to do more.  I was probably wrong about that, looking back at all the clothes I used to make for myself and others.  I'm also a realist about this and although I would have loved to have some nicer pictures taken at the wedding, I wouldn't have wanted to pay for them.  Nowadays, there's so much more to do for weddings and I would be in my glory to make centerpieces, cookies, etc.for a wedding.  I'll have that chance with my daughter's wedding coming up and hope she gets her dream wedding.

No iPod

Ok, I don't have an iPod and don't really know what it is except I might have bought one for my daughter for Christmas one year.  So I assume this is about songs I'm listening to right now if I had one.  For a technology-impaired person such as me, I'll tell you what cd I am listening to in the car right now  -  Rod Stewart and his best.  I looked around a long time to find a cd with just the right songs on it.  So many were remakes but I wanted ones he recorded ,especially Forever Young.  This is one we used to listen to at the beginning of every dance show my daughter was in until Patty changed it and things weren't the same.  Now as I listen to this cd, I find myself enjoying all the songs, some more mushy than others.  I sing and move with the Some guys have all the luck and also enjoy When I was younger.  Of course, my hubby likes Maggie May as I do but that might be the only one for him.  That raspy voice of his makes it easy to sing along with  -  I even sound pretty good!  On our trips to the cabin when I start driving, we'll listen to this, maybe zip through a couple of them and then put the radio on.  At least it gives me a little fix.

Something I've Learned

I've learned many things over the course of these 60 years but I think the most important is that I am responsible and solely responsible for my happiness.  No one else can do that for me or make me feel any way I don't want to.  I've seen too much of how other people blame others, be it parents, spouse or children, for their own choices in life and I realize that no one else can force me to do what I don't want to do.  This kind of philosophy is liberating in a way, and you don't have those bad feelings toward anyone else.  I reminds me when the kids were little and would talk of being bored or they had nothing to do.  I told them they had to make their own fun.  We did that as kids down by the creek that ran behind our house.  We would spend all day creating rooms across the water.  I know everyone isn't lucky enough to have that sort of childhood memory but even my kids could make their forts and go treasure hunting at the creek near us.  I might be simplifying things a bit but my point is to start each day with a clean slate and if you need to set someone straight about something, go ahead and do it, then let it go. 

Board Games I Love

Once again I'm unable to just name one board game that I like  -  I have several.  One of my first favorites was the Barbie Prom game.  I know it's a kid's game but I like it so much that I bought one at a thrift store as an adult to play with my granddaughter someday.  I remember playing this at some one's house for a sleepover and then requesting they bring it to my house at a later time.  The first one had cards for Ken, Pointdexter and a couple other guys and also the dresses you could choose.  Another game I first played at a friend's house was Mille Borne (1000 miles in French) and I later asked for one for myself.  I remember my mom and I playing it and saying the french words for everything including essence for gas.  We had a ball.  Then with my own kids I recall us all playing Mall Madness.  It was kind of a hassle setting up but we each had a credit card to put through a slot and it went "ch-ching".  There were sales and clearances all over and the object was to buy a certain amount and then leave the mall.  I wish now we hadn't gotten rid of that one  -  I think even my grandson would have enjoyed that one.  Ch-ching!!