Answer Me This: July 12th

1. At what temperature do you keep the thermostat set? Summer, winter, day, night?
     Currently in the summer the thermostat is set at 75 F day & night; during the winter it is set a 68F during the day and 65f at night.

2. What is your favorite frozen beverage?
    With alcohol a Frozen Margarita ~ without a Coffee Milkshake.

3. Where do you keep your keys?
    We have a key hook by the door though in the winter they usually come to rest in a coat pocket.

4. Have you ever really been lost?

      Our house for much of my growing up (9-18) backed a nature preserve which we all explored to some extent. One time my exploring went very wrong with me getting very lost.  I somehow managed to wander back out of the woods miles from my house and was happy to find someone to give me a ride home.  Looking back as an adult I'm beyond grateful that the stranger was a Good Samaritan and actually drove me home.

5. What is the last movie you saw in the theaters?
     Julie/Julia! It's been a while!

Now please head over to Kendra's for more takes on these questions.

Answer Me This: July 4th

1. How did you celebrate the 4th of July? (Or, for you international types . . . Do anything fun this weekend?)
    We did for the first time this year take the kids to the local fireworks; and overall it went well ~ they were not as amazed as I had hoped but the spot we selected was far enough away that the noise did not both them!! Usually we go the parade a couple towns over but are having friends over and likely won't make it this year. Grilling for dinner and watching "A Capital Fourth" completes a typical fourth for us.

2. Do you sunburn easily?
      No luckily; I do burn but a reasonable effort at precaution does generally spare me a painful burn.

3. Hot dogs. Yay or nay?
    Yay ~ especially at our favorite beachside place in Maine with ice cream to follow!!

4. Have you ever personally set off fireworks?
     No! I remember my dad doing it a few times when I was kid.

5. Have you ever jumped off the high dive?
     Yes; years ago as a kid. Though as a former gymnasts one of my favorite Olympic sports to watch.

6. Do you do anything weird in your sleep?
     I've been known to talk ~ according to my husband and past roommates nothing too embarrassing!

Now please head over to Kendra's for more Answer Me This.

Liebster Award ~ Fall 2014

Firstly and most importantly my thanks to Laura of String of Pearls for nominating me.  If you are not already a reader of String promise me that after this you will click over and have a read. Laura is kind, funny, and a wonderful writer who is about to have her second book published. She is also a mother of five grown sons and grandmother to four grands (so far) and such an encouragement to those of us in the day-to-day life of raising littles.

Now my answers to her questions:

1. Do you have a favorite saint, and what drew you to him/her?
     So many really but currently Saint Therese du Liseux because of her teaching that even little things done well matter, Saint John XXIII for his example to reflect God's goodness to all we meet and Dorothy Day who (though only currently a Servant of God) inspires me with her personal commitment to caring for others and social justice.

2. I think every Liebster questionnaire includes a question like this; but I'm crazy about books, so I just have to know: do you have a best-loved book that you've read multiple times?  (And will you probably read it again?)  Or do you always just read a book once and pass it on to others?
    I'm a HUGE rereader: Anne of Green Gables series, Crosswick Journals by Madeline l'Engle and A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer topping the list.

3. What is your family's Christmas Eve tradition?
    We are generally traveling ~ so if visiting my family then we are having Vegetable Lasagna and maybe opening one gift. My husbands family has the traditional Polish Wigilia and opens lots of gifts. With both families we likely attend the Family Mass with Children's Choir and read the Christmas Story from the Gospel of Saint Luke.

4. When you dress up in heels, do you wear panty hose/tights, or do you go bare-legged?
   Depends on the season: I'm usually bare-legged during the summer especially in sandals, the rest of the year hose/tights.

5. How did you and your husband meet?  (And if you're not married, what's the most important quality you're looking for in a spouse?) 
    Short Version: We met at the Penn Newman Center when we were both students. Longer version found here.

6. What's your go-to prayer in times of distress?
     The Serenity Prayer

7. Where is the one place in the world you would visit if you could?
     Rome

8. How many siblings do you have?
     3 ~ 2 sisters and 1 brother 

9. Are you a worrier?  (I'm worried you'll think that's a weird question.)
    Yes

10. What, if any, sport do you enjoy watching the most?
     Football and Gymnastics

Now my questions

1. Favorite breakfast when you have the time to indulge.
2. Did you make or buy your wedding dress (if unmarried what would you like to do)? 
3. What exotic animal would you own if you could?
4. Favorite book/movie on a rainy afternoon?
5. First hymn you remember learning/singing?
6. What was your favorite Halloween costume growing up?
7. What language do you wish you spoke?

Nominations:

Kelly from Familiar Joy
Chrystina  from Chrystina Noel
Mary from Let Love Be Sincere

Answer me this: August 2nd

1. When driving, are you more likely to listen to the radio, to CDs or an iPod, or nothing at all?
      When driving with kids ~ their CDS, when traveling by myself ~ radio or silence!!

2. Do you prefer window or aisle?
        Window

3. Do you fall asleep on your side, back, or stomach? What position are you in when you wake up?

         I fall asleep on my left side and almost always wake-up on my left side too, as in I assume I move in my sleep but am not really sure.

4. When is the last time you attended a zoo, circus, carnival, county fair, or parade?

Parade on the 4 th of July, carnival was last fall ~ zoo was a couple years ago.  Can't honestly remember the last time I went to the circus or a country fair.

5. Do you have a favorite quote or inspirational saying?
The Serenity Prayer for the longest time; and of late this attributed to St Teresa of Avila:

6. What's the best thing about summer?
      Sunshine, homemade ice cream, family time at the beach

Thanks to Kendra for hosting such a fun link-up!