Oooh, A Repost! A Repost!

I wanted to post something about my sweet son's *Gotcha Day*. Yes, 20 years ago this week our handsome and beloved son arrived from Korea. Dan is not always keen on having his picture or too many details about him posted for all to see...a little shy and retiring like his Dad...so he always suggests I let you all see a little something I wrote awhile back. It was re-printed in the St. Louis Dispatch 2 years ago in celebration of adoption awareness month. Each one of these questions really and truly came out of the mouths of real and true human beings.

I have then added the answers I SHOULD have given to these lovely, thoughtful folks.

We now present, "Adoption Antics" in celebration of adoptive families everywhere!

1.Did he ever eat a dog? (I don't know but he did take a bite out of our cat. Said she tasted stringy.) 2.Koreans are very intelligent. I bet he is one of those. (Ooh. I hope so! I would hate to have gotten one of those dumb ones!)
 3.Did they run out of babies? (Yeah, dang it. They gave us a used kid instead but the warranty really is great.)
 4.How much did he cost? (Oh! There was a sale at K Mart! Only $19.95!)
 5.If he doesn't make you happy, can you ask for another child? (Oh sure! We bought replacement insurance!)
 6.If he gets sick or anything, will the adoption agency pay all the costs? (Sure! They also put braces on his teeth, send him through Harvard Medical School and buy his first house.)
 7.What's it like being with a Korean? (Well, he whips up a great kimchi dish and gosh but those Koreans can sure be funny! Keeps us in stitches all the time!)
 8.It is a good thing he is so cute or it would have been hard to love him. (Yeah, I hate those ugly ones too. They give me the creeps. *shudder*)

 And then we braved the onslaught of silly questions and adopted again....here came the questions about Grace!

 1.Did they charge you the same amount of money because she has scars? (Oh no. They were having a scratch and dent sale!)
 2.Those Chinese are so smart. They can also be tricky and sneaky you know! (Uh...well...she did beat me at poker. Took me for $5.27 the other night. )
 3.Do you know if she is a Communist? (Well, we DID find her Communist Party membership card in her wallet but she swears, she will only practice Communism on every other Friday.)
 4.Can you return her? (Oh yes. The return department is open 24/7. We can ask for our money back or an agency credit)
 5.Why did you get another one? (We were just so bored and thought this was what we need to add that special spark to our marriage!)
 6.Did they give you a bigger girl because you are old? (Ehhhhh??? Speak up a little louder sonny. )
7.When you got to China, could you have chosen a different kid if yours wasn't pretty? (I had planned to do just that. Seeing our daughter crowned Miss Ohio is exactly why we did all this!)
8.Since she was so shy, you should have asked for another. (We did but that stubborn facilitator forced us take THIS one. Phooey. )
 9.I could never raise someone else's kid. I guess it is nice that somebody does it. (Yeah, we are just so nice....angels...no, wait, saints actually.)
 10.Does she know how to eat real food? (Nope, she is still eating that plastic Fisher Price stuff and it is costing us a fortune!)


Happy Gotcha Day Daniel. Being your mom and dad has been nothing short of amazing! We love you!

Susie The Interviewee

~ Bill and Sue on their first married Christmas together~

The lovely lady we all call Smiling Sally

recently offered to send any 5 of us a 5 item interview. In return, we are to *interview* 5 more blog friends! So, do I have 5 takers? I get to ask any questions I choose (Don't worry! Nothing TOO personal!), you answer and then choose 5 more friends to interview and so on. I thought this would be fun so, here goes! Thank you dear Sally!

Why do you call your Blog Rabbit Run Cottage?

On the day we made our final walk through of this home, Bill noticed two small brown rabbits sitting in our driveway. As he started walking towards them they took off like a flash! He exclaimed, "Look at those rabbits run!" Uh huh. Just that simple!

When and why did you decide to blog?

It was October 20th, 2006. The post was titled , "First Post from Rabbit Run Cottage". Whoo Hoo! Original title eh? To visit it, click on the first post title. I had one commenter on that post...and in those days, if I got 3 comments I was tickled pink!

I do enjoy looking back at the first year's posts to see where we were and what I was up to on a specific day. The why I began blogging is pretty easy. I was about to turn 50 and just wanted to try something new, something fun and begin to write about my life...to have a record of our day to day activities. I had no idea how far blogging would take me and how many dear and special friends I would meet along the way. I feel so blessed to be a part of this great circle of amazing people!

What is your favorite thing for dinner?

Hmm...well. I am a foodie. As you can tell by my ample tushie, I love food. If I had to choose just ONE thing to eat for dinner, for the rest of my life, it would be soup. Really! There are so many kinds of soup and they can be so warming, so comforting, so satisfying. Barring that, I will always choose a great dish of pasta!

How did you meet your husband?

March 20th, 1976. 3 friends and I were driving down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for our Spring Break from college.

We were passed by a car which had a sign in the rear window. It read, Smokies Or Bust. and you can imaginme how the *bust* was illustrated. Ahem. Hey, they WERE 19 year old college boys after all! One of my friends thought she recognized the car and, when we stopped at the Welcome to Kentucky rest stop, there it was again. Uh huh. She knew the car and it belonged to a class mate. As we entered the building, 3 college boys were leaving. Turns out that 2 of my friends knew 2 of the boys and began a conversation. They were going camping in the mountains, we were staying at the Twin Islands motel in town. It was decided that we would meet them for pizza the next evening.

Flash ahead to that night. Pouring rain made their campsite unlivable so they drove back into town and found the Twin Islands.Motel They asked for a room and mentioned they had some friends staying there, and could they have a room in their section? The desk clerk, thinking himself rather cute, not only put them in our section but in an adjoining room. If I told you we played Charades and ate pizza all evening, would you believe me? Well, that is exactly what we did. Had a great time too. Very innocent, lots of fun and all the girls even called home and told our folks. As my dad said to me, "I raised you to be a nice girl and I trust you!" I know, boring huh? But I never did a thing in my life to lose that trust I am proud to say!

The boys went back to their campsite that next day and invited the 4 of us to join them for a cookout that night. We drove into the National Park, in the dark and the dense fog and never found the place. We turned around and came back to town. Late that night we heard a knock on the connecting door. It was the guys, back in their motel room for good. It seems a nosy skunk wandered into their tent and decoded to snooze upon the chest of one of the sleeping boys. That was it, no more camping for them! We spent the rest of the stay being squired around town by Rick, Mark and Bill with our evenings spent trying to out do one another in Charades. After our return to Dayton we all remained good friends and spent many a weekend evening together throughout the rest of college watching that new program, Saturday Night Live. The guys became known as The Landsharks after a skit from SNL.

My girlfriends knew I had a huge crush on Bill, his buddies knew he liked me so they conspired to see us together. On May 15th we had our first date. Bill took me to a Cincinnati Red's game and dinner. That was that. We have been a couple ever since. I still have all the notes that the guys wrote us during that Spring adventure. So sweet and innocent, silly and cute. I also have a note that Rick and Mark placed inside the gas cap of Bill's car as we prepared to leave on our Honeymoon. (Remember when gas stations had attendants who pumped your gas! *laugh*)

The next day, after filling the car, the station attendant came to the window laughing and gave us the note. It read, "This couple is actually a pair of runaway minors who do NOT have their parent's permission to be away. Please call %$#-*&^% (which was Rick's home number) or alert your local law authorities." Ah, youth!

I need to post the picture of the guys taken during that trip...look for it soon!

I remember the attendant saying he COULD ask for proof of age (We were both 21) but he would trust us! That note, as well as the others, resides in our wedding book as sweet reminders of a courtship that began in a highway rest room!

Which magazines, if any, do you subscribe to at home? Do you have time to read them? Do you throw them away when you are done reading them?

I began receiving Mary Englebreit's Home Companion beginning with Issue #1. I will miss it so, so much. I had been a subscriber of Country Home since 1982. I am so sad to see it go as well.

I now get Victoria (And had for years before they stopped publishing and now again!), Romantic Homes, Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens, (Both are Christmas gifts from my Mother each year). I also get Country Living and have since 1979.

Bill has subscriptions to National Geographic and Sports Illustrated (Christmas gifts from Mom each year), Military History and Runner's World.

As a family we receive

Budget Travel, National Geographic Traveler and Smithsonian Magazine.

Yes, we DO have a daughter who sells magazine subscriptions each year for her school! *laugh*

Do I read then all? Yup. Sure do. I am a voracious reader. I will read the back of a macaroni package. I read a lot! So does Bill. In fact, Bill reads far more than I do so our magazines do get devoured! Daniel gets 2 computer magazines that I don't read but I do read his Rolling Stone occasionally! Grace gets American Girl and Kiki which I look through but I don't often read the Disney teen star magazines she buys occasionally. Okay, so I looked at a few of that Zac Efron's posters but hey. He IS mighty cute! *smile*

Throw a magazine away? Perish the thought! I still have every single issue of ME's Home Companion and my Victoria's old and new. I have a huge collection of Country Inn and Bed and Breakfast Inns magazines that I used to get before THEY too went bust. Phooey.

All the others are checked for interesting recipes, decorating or travel ideas before they leave my hot little hands. After any *must keep* item is removed, each magazine is then donated to the WPAFB hospital. Believe me, their magazine selection can be pretty awful! I once found myself in the ER waiting room with nothing to take my mind off my discomfort save for a 5 year old Air Force Exchange catalog that had been well thumbed by some sticky digits.

I also take some magazines to Grace's school where they are used in the art programs. There is always someone who can use them!

Thank you Sally! That was fun! Now...who wants to be the NEXT interviewee? Step right up. Don't be shy! It won't hurt a bit...

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

Ah...Those Pesky Questions!

You see? I did remember that I still have many questions left to answer...many wonderful ones that you, my dear blog friends, sent in. I hang my head in shame that I still have not answered them, so, without any fan fare, here they are!

Dear Janet asked:

1) what is your favorite HGTV show currently in production?

2) what is your favorite HGTV show no longer on the air?

I love to watch Candace Olson on Divine Design. Even if the room is wildly contemporary (which I am decidedly not), I know I will love what she did with it. I have never seen a room she designed that I did not think was stunning. And she is a breath of fresh air on HGTV.

I have been watching Myles of Style and am enjoying her very much.

I do look forward to seeing the new Rate My Space when it premieres.

Oh how I miss Kitty Bartholomew. I miss This Small Space...I miss Country Style very much. I also liked watching Debbie Travis' Painted House.

There are so many how to sell or de-clutter your home now and I don't get much from them. House Hunters was a must see for Bill and me at one time. Now? I get a little queasy watching

people tromp through enormous homes complaining how they are "too small". Beautiful spaces they those same folks deem "outdated". When did people get so greedy or to lazy to paint and re-do a home to their liking? They want it all THEIR way today! Okay, that is a story for another day!

I think the HGTV viewer dynamic passed me by a while ago...*sigh*

Now I spend more time with the Food Network. I am in love with Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives! We have found a place to eat while on our trip to Minneapolis next month!

Sweet Rue asked:

What is the most precious object in your home, no matter what it cost? People and animals don't count ;)

My bible. It sits on my little secretary in my tiny study. It was given to me by my late Grandmother the year I turned 20. She wrote in the first pages and that note means so much to me. It also holds many pieces of family ephemera. There is a favor from my grandparent's wedding, Grandma's handkerchief that she carried during the wedding is tucked inside the pages..

There is the letter from Buckingham Palace that was sent to all the US troops who fought in

WW I. It was sent to my Grandpa upon his return from France.

I have my Grandfather's high school graduation announcement, Mom's HS and college announcements in that bible as well.

There are several items from Bill's Grandfather that have to do with his farm during the 30s and 40s. There are some little treasures from my paternal Grandfather's days as a farmer too.

There are a few letters from Bill to me written during the Gulf War, from my Grandparents, my Mother and my Father all written to me. My Dad was not a big letter writer so when he did, it was special. he wrote things that I will cherish all of my days.

There are also letters from Grandpa to Grandma that are so sweet it brings tears to my eyes thinking about them.

This bible probably means more to me than any other item in our home...

From the lovely Andi:

If you were to purchase one silly frivolous thing that you really didn't need but wanted...and money were no object...what would you buy? Just 1 now!

Oh wow. THIS is tough! I love frivolous! I am the Queen of frivolous fun!

Do not laugh...okay, go ahead and laugh. I probably should be laughed at for saying this.

A movie warehouse in LA is having an auction of wardrobe and props tomorrow.

My buddy in LA sent me the info about it...and yes. They have a Dennehy item. Well, actually, items would be more exact. His police uniform from from Assault on precinct 13. Jacket, short, pants, belt, badge...yup. The whole shebang. Is that frivolous enough? *laugh*

I know it is but I can not help wishing I could have it, just because. Now, go ahead and laugh at this silly, silly woman.

Andi also asked:

I know your beautiful daughter is artistic but I also understand you do some painting. When are you going to show us your artwork and do a post about it? And if you've done one and I missed it...please advise me of the date so I can read about it.

I have never posted any of my drawings...someday I will. I have not done much for awhile and most I did were given away. I should get back to this I think. I always enjoyed it. I am not really so gifted at it but I love it.

Dear Teresa queried:

How did you meet your sweet hubbin? We want the entire "scoop" ...when, where, how, what you were wearing...what he was wearing...what was said, when was the second date planned...how long did you know him before you KNEW????

Ah...now this is a post I have been planning. You see? Our 30th anniversary is this coming August and I will address these questions and more. I will also get some wedding photos scanned and up as well.

Here's a quick tidbit. I actually met him in an I 75 rest stop. I think I told this once early on...

he was headed to Gatlinburg, TN with 2 friends and I was headed there with 3 friends.

One of his buddies knew one of mine...we met, we talked, we agreed to meet up in Gatlinburg.

The rest will be shared soon I promise!

Sweet Gretchen asked:

What's your best, no fail mothering tip, and what have you learned to do differently (not just based on gender) between your son and your daughter?

I doubt that I am the best woman to offer any tips. I have made more than my share of mistakes believe me. I am much calmer with Grace than I was with Dan. Of course, part of that is our life is much more settled now. I was so new at mothering and here I was with an almost 8 year old who spoke no English. On top of that, Bill left just after Dan's arrival and was at sea for

9 months. It sounds trite but I learned to pray. I learned to trust and believe and to hold onto my faith that all would work out. It usually does.

I believe that I must be the mother first and foremost, not their buddy and pal. Dan says I was always his most trusted friend but never a *pal*. He knew what lines he could not cross and they were set in stone. He also knew he was loved unconditionally but that I did not always *like* him. I know that is the same for all Moms right?

My only real tip, and I bet you all are good at this, is to listen, really listen to what your kids say.

Read between the lines if you can but listen and listen hard. It often surprises people how much their children will tell them if they know they are heard.

Respect them as people...they have ideas and desires and thoughts in those heads! I hate to hear parents callously dismiss their children's questions, their input. What happens in the family, the home, your life, does affect them as well.

As touched on earlier, I am calmer with Grace. I am calmer with everything in general I suppose. I am tough on many things but probably lax on others. I pick my battles...*smile*

I am older now, that has helped too!

Then my friend Andi asked one more thing:

I would love to see a post of your "favorites". As much as I know you dislike posting a "list". It should include things like your favorite song, movie, movie star...like we have to guess at that one, game, sport, book, color, ballet, Broadway show...that you've seen, restaurant, auto, etc...you get the idea. But...you can only name "1" thing for each category...no 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices....my rules.Then...once you create the "favorites game" you have to get 5 more bloggers to do the same thing. I love making rules!!!And you have to create a cute little "I played Susie Q's Game" icon that we can post on our blogs when we play.

I would love to do this! Not that I love lists or anything...but I will do it!

Need to work on that logo and get the questions up. How about next week? Are you all up to that?

I might have to skip the Favorite Star question. Is there anyone left in the free world that does NOT know what my answer would be? *laugh*

So, be here next week and I will introduce that new exciting blog game that is sweeping the nation. Okay, so it is only sweeping around on my dirty kitchen floor but hey.

Have a sweet weekend and stay well. Smile often and know you are loved!

Susie Q

Now...To The Questions!

Some of you came up with wonderful questions! I had asked, in a moment of blog fog when I could think of nothing about which to write, you to leave a question or 4 for me. Many of you came through! Thank you so much for that! I am going to try to answer them as best I can!

From dear Rosie came: 1. I'd like to see your favorite thing to wear.

Okay now, this is gonna be hard. Should I choose the jeans? Or maybe I could pick my jeans. Or, it might be the jeans...yup. it's the jeans. I also love sweaters when it is cool and T shirts when it is not. And I have a jean jacket that I love to wear. It has some pins on it that were gifts from friends and it makes me happy to wear it. I am going to now do something very difficult for me to do. I will *gasp* post a picture of me in the jacket...*sigh*. I normally would consider losing 3 or 4 hundred pounds and 5 chins before posting a picture of me but, since it is for sweet Rosie, here goes.Oooh...that ouched a bit but see what I am willing to do for all of you?

And: 2. I'd like to know the title of the last book you read for fun.

Bill Bryson's "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir". I can not recommend Bryson more strongly! Both Bill and I giggle ourselves silly when reading anything this man has written. We have each one of his books and often find ourselves re-reading them just for the pure joy of doing so. This book is a memoir of Bill's growing up years. Anyone who was a child or teen in the 50s and 60s can surely relate to these pages. If you have never read Bryson, give one if his books a try. You just might find yourself laughing! Thanks Rosie!

Now, our lovely Kat asked: If you could be anywhere by twitching your nose, where would you be? (Kat said her spot would be a sidewalk cafe in Italy, with her handsome husband, a glass of red wine and a plate of pasta! Sounds pretty wonderful right?)

This is tough for me (Even tougher than posting my fat, little face picture!) because there are so many spots I have been that I want to see and so many I wish to see again. Yes, Italy too...to stand in the shadow of the Duomo in Florence. Ah... But, after thinking about it, I would have to say, London. I LOVE London. I would love to be there again, with Bill, and dining at the tiny Italian cafe we discovered. (See Kat? Pasta in England too!) They waiters were all from Italy and the food was absolutely to die for. I had, hands down, the best minestrone soup and risotto I have ever tasted. There was music, a lovely setting, a charming waiter and a knock out view of the city from our little table. It was a perfect evening. So, if I could twitch my little pug nose, I think I would like to be plunked down there, in that comfy seat by the window, with Bill right across the table.

Thanks Kat! Tomorrow I will continue (And you are asking, WHY?? WHY?? For the love of all humanity, why does she go on!?) with some more questions from Andi, Rue, Janet and Tara. If anyone else has a question, please drop me a comment! I can see you all racing to type, "Why do you persist in this Susie Q?" Not THAT question you sillies but any others! Love and hugs to you all... Susie Q

Adoption Antics

I wanted to post something about my sweet son's *Gotcha Day*. Yes, 18 years ago today our handsome and beloved son arrived from Korea. Dan is not always keen on having his picture or too many details about him posted for all to see...a little shy and retiring like his Dad...so he suggested I let you all see a little something I wrote awhile back. It was re-printed in the St. Louis Dispatch 2 years ago in celebration of adoption awareness month. Each one of these questions really and truly came out of the mouths of real and true human beings. I have then added the answers I SHOULD have given to these lovely, thoughtful folks. Oh! I am also enjoying seeing the questions you are sending me via yesterday's post! THANK YOU! I love it and will answer them all the first of next week! You are all the very best. We now present, "Adoption Antics" in celebration of adoptive families everywhere! 1.Did he ever eat a dog? (I don't know but he did take a bite out of our cat. Said she tasted stringy.) 2.Koreans are very intelligent. I bet he is one of those. (Ooh. I hope so! I would hate to have gotten one of those dumb ones!) 3.Did they run out of babies? (Yeah, dang it. They gave us a used kid instead but the warranty really is great.) 4.How much did he cost? (Oh! There was a sale at K Mart! Only $19.95!) 5.If he doesn't make you happy, can you ask for another child? (Oh sure! We bought replacement insurance!) 6.If he gets sick or anything, will the adoption agency pay all the costs? (Sure! They also put braces on his teeth, send him through Harvard Medical School and buy his first house.) 7.What's it like being with a Korean? (Well, he whips up a great kimchi dish and gosh but those Koreans can sure be funny! Keeps us in stitches all the time!) 8.It is a good thing he is so cute or it would have been hard to love him. (Yeah, I hate those ugly ones too. They give me the creeps. *shudder*) And then we braved the onslaught of silly questions and adopted again........... 1.Did they charge you the same amount of money because she has scars? (Oh no. They were having a scratch and dent sale!) 2.Those Chinese are so smart. They can also be tricky and sneaky you know! (Uh...well...she did beat me at poker. Took me for $5.27 the other night. ) 3.Do you know if she is a Communist? (Well, we DID find her Communist Party membership card in her wallet but she swears, she will only practice Communism on every other Friday.) 4.Can you return her? (Oh yes. The return department is open 24/7. We can ask for our money back or an agency credit) 5.Why did you get another one? (We were just so bored and thought this was what we need to add that special spark to our marriage!) 6.Did they give you a bigger girl because you are old? (Ehhhhh??? Speak up a little louder sonny. ) 7.When you got to China, could you have chosen a different kid if yours wasn't pretty? (I had planned to do just that. Seeing our daughter crowned Miss Ohio is exactly why we did all this!) 8.Since she was so shy, you should have asked for another. (We did but that stubborn facilitator forced us take THIS one. Phooey. ) 9.I could never raise someone else's kid. I guess it is nice that somebody does it. (Yeah, we are just so nice....angels...no, wait, saints actually.) 10.Does she know how to eat real food? (Nope, she is still eating that plastic Fisher Price stuff and it is costing us a fortune!)

Happy Gotcha Day Daniel. We love you!

Howdedoo, Let's Ask Old Sue...

...lots of tough questions and she how she'll do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But first, I do so want to apologize to each of you for being such an awful bloggy friend of late. I have been a neglectful visitor and am now, at almost 1:00 am, almost finishing stopping in to see you all. I have also been just pitiful at posting of late and even resorted to having my poor dog do my writing for me! Sad isn't it? I just don't know where the hours and days go...if any of you find some of my lost time floating around in your area, please overnight it back to me and I will reimburse your costs. How do so many of you do it? I am constantly amazed and inspired by you, my talented and creative friends...my friends who get more done in one day than I do in a week I am sad to say! You have all been so busy and working so hard on gardens and throwing parties and decorating those gorgeous homes of yours. Like I said....you are my inspirations! But I plug along, itchy eyes and achy joints and all. Humming whatever song or commercial jingle is the first sound out of the radio to tickle my ears each morning. I had intended to write a post about several things but have scrapped all those ideas...one seemed too preachy, one too grumpy, one much too silly. I almost asked Kipper to write another but getting him to do more than one a month is almost impossible! So, on this rainy day when my imagination is less than active, I have decided that a nice interview would be the ticket! Uh huh...after all, Barbara Walters just released an autobiography and she is the Queen of Interviewers is she not? That got me thinking...hm. Now, Babs seemed too busy hawking her new tome to come and ask little old me anything. She failed to even ask me, ala Kate Hepburn, what tree I would be if I were to be a tree. A willow would have been my answer but she never asked. Nope. So, how would you all like to step in for Babs and do the honors? Ask me a question. Anything. And everything. Don't hold back. Interrogate me. Query me. Ask, challenge, quiz and interview moi. And I will answer them all. Whether you want me to or not. You know you want to. Okay, so you know you do NOT want to but I will pester you about it so you might as well get it over with. Kip begs you to do it or I will make him write another post and his little paws are so worn out from typing. Do it for him. So, who will be first? Hmmmm?

Thoughts...

So tired tonight (but a happy tired) and another busy day tomorrow...not much time for deep thinking (as if I ever really do) but here are a few tidbits that are floating around in my sleepy head...

Will Henry (The new kitten) ever come out from under the bed to eat? Drink? Pee? Re-arrange the furniture? Rotate the tires? Anything?

Will I ever finish decorating the tree? (Hey! I finished and mailed the cards. Remember that!)

Will my blog friends ever be able to leave comments again?

Will Bill get *the* local job soon? (Please keep a good thought, a prayer or wish for him!)

Will I be crowned the next Mrs. America? (Um, I really do know the answer to that question. Just threw it in to see if you were paying attention.)

Will Brian Dennehy ever win an Academy Award? Will I?

Tune in tomorrow, same blog time, same blog station, for the exciting answers to these questions!