Happy Wednesday! I am joining Joyce for a quick hodgepodge of questions. These five questions are going to be fun, so let’s get to it!

1. What’s a characteristic you admire in others? Elaborate. Of course I admire people who are kind, respectful, and loving. As I’ve gotten older, I admire people who are direct when they say something without being rude or abrasive. It’s a tough line to walk and I would love to be better at this.

2. Do you have a favorite mug? Let’s see it. Why is this one your favorite? I do not have a single favorite mug, but I do have a favorite kind of mug. I love my Swig mugs. They are big enough for my Diet Pepsi and the handle makes it easy to take everywhere I go. I am not a coffee drinker and I rarely drink tea. These mugs do keep my Diet Pepsis very cold! 

3. July 15th is/was National Give Something Away Day…will you (or did you, depending on what day you answer these questions) give something away? If so what? Do you regularly give away or do you tend to  ‘accumulate’?  I often give my quarter and my cart away at Aldi if there is someone waiting. I regularly give clothing away as my preferences or comfort level changes and as the boys are growing. I should probably give away more that I do, or really just purchase less.

4. You’re planning a trip. Do you prefer exploring big cities or smaller, more off the grid towns? World Atlas lists these 12 ‘off the grid’ towns to see in 2025. How many on the list have you seen? Of those listed which one would you most like to visit? Tell us why? I have only been to one of those towns – Rehoboth Beach, Delaware – and I’ve been quite a few times. I love to do it all. I love to explore a big city, a small town, a way out in the middle of nowhere town, places with water, places with mountains, places with activities, and places where you relax. I have a hard time planning a trip because I want to do it all but know that I can’t. I struggle deciding what to skip and what to hit.

5. Have you ever…ridden a motorcycle? been to a Disney park? met a celebrity? won a contest? Tell us something about whatever you answered yes to on this list. I have never ridden a motorcycle. I have been to Disney World three times.

I’ve met tons of author celebrities! I did meet Benji Madden on year when his brother was dating Jeff’s aunt’s husband’s daughter was dating the third Madden brother. Benji, mom, third Madden brother came to Jeff’s parents’ house for Christmas dinner and we all had to act like they were just regular people. It was wild. I love to stick around or try to sneak backstage at concerts to meet musicians. We met Mac McAnally from the Coral Reefers last year. In 2002, I ended up backstage at a Poison concert and met Bret Micheals and the band. We met the Wheeland Brothers last summer. Luke and I met Hoda and Sheinelle at the Today show a few summers ago.

Jeff and I won concert tickets to a small Beastie Boys by getting on TV at an Orioles game with a poster for a radio station contest. It was an AWESOME show!!

6. Insert your own random thought here. As I type this on Monday night, we are watching the Home Run Derby and it is a great summer tradition for our family. Jack’s been into baseball for as long as I can remember. He used to yell and cheer at the derby, and tonight is no different. ☺️

That was fun! I can’t wait to see what everyone else answered! Have a great day full of sunshine and books!