A Sweetheart Of A Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge and another letter in the April A-Z Blog Challenge. You'll find my entry for letter S in today's random thought-question #6. 

If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Comments make planet earth feel a whole lot friendlier. 

1. April 22nd is Earth Day...what's the most 'out of this world' place on earth you've ever visited? Tell us something about it. 

I could take this in a couple of directions, but the first place that popped into my head was Dartmoor. 

It felt like we were the only people on earth. 

This was our holiday rental, and when we were given driving directions they were very light on specifics. We were concerned we might not find it- 

Not to worry...we found it ha!

2. A favorite quote, verse, or song lyric with the word earth in it? 

One of my favorite verses-

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains-

 where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the LORD, 

the Maker of heaven and earth." 

Psalm 121:1-2 

I love the older King and Country song that references this Psalm too-

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3. What's the most trivial thing about which you have a strong opinion? 

This is hard because it seems there are many inconsequential things about which I hold strong opinions. My list would include how the dishwasher is loaded, half-and-half in my coffee, people poking along in the passing lane, and of course grammar, or rather it's improper use. 

Is a strong opinion about something trivial the same thing as a pet peeve? It feels like it. 

Is grammar trivial? I vote no. 

4. What's your most commonly used kitchen utensil or tool? What's the last thing you made using that tool? 

The most common would probably be a spatula which I use pretty much every day. I use my garlic press a lot, most recently for a marinade I made yesterday. 

5. Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me a great book of 3000 questions, and I'm going to try to use one in our Hodgepodge every week. Here is today's - What is your greatest extravagance? 

We added a waterfall to our backyard and that still feels somewhat extravagant. I'm having my hair done on Hodgepodge Day and while I consider it a necessity the cost makes it feel a lot like an extravagance. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm using the random space for today's entry in the April A-Z Challenge. My theme this year is The Things We Keep: An A-Z of Ordinary Objects. 

Day 19-S is for Sweetheart 

While my hubs is far from ordinary, and also not an object, he is the object of my affection so how's that for clever? 

I was actually annoyed with him when I wrote these answers on Tuesday, but I got over it because that's what you do when you're married. You squabble sometimes. You might also sulk (briefly) or seek a little space, but at some point you soften your heart and sort it out. 

You embrace the new mercies we are given every single morning.

I know not every story unfolds the same way, but in our case we’ve continued to choose each other for more than  40 years. Through storms and smooth sailing, in sickness and in strength, in sweetness and strain, we're in it together. Side by side. Steady in all the ways that matter. 

My sweetheart and me.

Home On The 'Range'

I am definitely winging the April A-Z challenge aka writing the posts the day before, but I'm still here so that's something. It's been kind of fun to think about the things I keep and try to match them with each day's letter.  Here's today's-

Day 18-R is for Recipes

How did you learn to cook? Well, first I suppose I should ask do you cook? I'm always surprised when I meet someone who says they don't cook. How do they eat? Lots of take out apparently, but that would be really tough where I live. 

I learned to cook by watching and helping my mama cook. And she learned to cook by watching and helping her mama, and my girls learned to cook by watching and helping me. I'm enjoying doing some simple cooking now with my grands and I hope they learn to cook by helping too. 

Circle of life. 

Growing up we rarely ate out. We were a family of six and dining out was a real treat. My mom cooked dinner pretty much every night and she was an excellent cook. I don't know if she started out that way, but her mom (my grandma) was also an excellent cook so I imagine she came into her marriage with some kitchen skills. 

One of my first 'cooking' assignments at home was making salad dressing. Good Seasons Italian which didn't involve any actual cooking, but you did need to read the directions, measure, and mix, all of which are a part of cooking. We had salad every night because my mom was ahead of her time in terms of healthy meals. She made almost everything from scratch too. 

When I was a young wife finding my way in my own kitchen I quite often called my mom mid-recipe to ask a question or  confirm some note written on the instructions. My own girls do the same and I love it.

Circle of life. 

I have always loved cookbooks and still enjoy browsing them for inspiration. I know when it comes to cooking we're all about the internet now, and of course I use that too. But there's something about holding a recipe card in my hand and thinking about the person who shared it with me, remembering when I've eaten the dish and the event or occasion it's associated with, that makes the cards feels extra special. 

I have a nice collection of cookbooks but my most consulted is the binder filled with hand written cards, recipes primarily from my mom's kitchen, but also from my sisters, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.  I refer to this collection so often that the binding is coming loose and I need to move the pages to a new book. 

I wish I had more recipes written in my mom's hand, but most of the time I would copy the recipe while she was cooking, or she'd tell it to me and I'd transcribe. 

A few years ago for Christmas I put all of our family holiday recipes in binders for my daughters. I wrote those recipes out by hand and it was a true labor of love. 

I won't part with my favorites. They're keepers. And now I feel the urge to make my mama's blueberry pie. 

Linking today with Joanne for Talking About It Tuesdays

The Weekend ReQap

Good Monday morning everyone. Hope your weekend was nice and you're ready for the week ahead. I'm still working my way through the alphabet in the April A-Z Blog Challenge, and will incorporate today's letter into my weekend recap. Here we go-

Hubs and I had a busy weekend on tap. He was working a booth for his real estate office at the local boat show and I had plans to meet up with my sister in the nearby city to shop for the last of the furnishings we need for my mom's new space. 

On Friday we wanted to hit the nursery and get started planting a few things around the yard. Hubs had to pick up a poster for the boat show so first stop was Walgreens. He thought he ordered a poster on a board but it was just a poster so we made a short hop over to Hobby Lobby who said they could fix it in 20 minutes. 

So we went back to the shopping center we'd just left to pick up the dry cleaning and to kill twenty minutes, then back to Hobby Lobby to get the poster.  Done. 

Next stop the nursery. I love a trip to the nursery, especially this time of year. 

Also, I want roses. 

We had a specific area we were trying to beautify on this trip, so we did not get roses. We did get some beautiful plants to put around a big rock that sits beside our cart path, and I made a couple of pots for the upper deck. 

We'll need more, but it's a start. 

I love this blue eyed grass which blooms with little purple star flowers and I especially love this plant, called lime ruffles for obvious reasons-

Insert today's letter...

Day 17-Q is for Quick Change Of Plans 

While we were browsing the plant life daughter2 phoned and asked if they could come for the weekend. Her hubs grandma lives somewhat near us and she's not well so they needed to make a trip our way. Of course we said yes but my brain immediately went into overdrive...are there clean sheets on the beds? are the bathrooms downstairs clean? is there something I can cobble together for dinner? 

Not without a stop at the market so that happened too. 

We got home and worked in the yard and daughter1 called and said the boys wanted to come paddle boarding if that's okay. It's fine. As long as they manage it because hubs is up to his elbows in dirt and I need to figure out dinner and food for the weekend and all the rest. She said they'd take the boat for a ride instead and would come to us after dinner to see the cousins. 

So I wrapped up my gardening and came in and showered and made sure everything was ready for people to sleep and stay for a few days and then about 4 daughter2 arrived with her littles. Her hubs went straight on to his grandparents, but we had dinner and then the cousin crew was all together again. There were popsicles all around and outdoor play in the beautiful evening weather. 

Saturday was a hot one, and after a breakfast of bacon and eggs everyone went their separate ways. Hubs went to the boat show, daughter2 took her kiddoes to her sister's house to play there, her hubs went back to his grandpa's, and I drove into the nearby city to meet my sister at a furniture store. 

We spent the whole day shopping and forgot to snap a picture, so here ya go-

This is us a few years ago, and we basically look the same. 

Saturday night hubs grilled steaks and after the kids went to bed the adults sat up and chatted for a while. We didn't make it to church on Sunday because hubs had to leave before lunchtime to go back to the boat show, and daughter1 and her hubs had spent the night in the nearby city so they could attend my son-in-law's high school reunion. Her kids were at the in-laws so we just had a morning at home...

Then after lunch we loaded up and went to check out the boat show. They had a bounce house which was a huge hit. Sugar has no fear and needs no help. All the little girls who were playing in there wanted to hold her hand and slide down the ginormous slide with her, but she was not having it. "I can do it myself!... her Nana's granddaughter for sure. 

There was a sweet little lemonade truck beside the booth hubs was manning and daughter2 tried the dill pickle lemonade which was pretty good (I love dill pickles) and I had Princess Peach which was a combo of strawberry, peach, and coconut...heavy on the strawberry, but very tasty. 

Hubs grilled burgers once the boat show wrapped up, and we relaxed afterwards before getting the kids settled in to bed and the adults not too far behind. 

We had a lot of plans this weekend and they mostly still happened but there was some shuffling too and that's the thing I want to keep. The ability to hold plans loosely and be flexible when my grown kids call and say, 'Is it okay if we come last minute?'

I want to always say yes to my girls when they need us. One thing about this season of life is my priorities are crystal clear. I don't get to see my daughter2 as often as her sister due to geography and I want to seize the day when the day is offered. 

She is in a busy busy busy whew! season currently with a two year old and a three year old who are always in ON! mode and I want to be a soft place for her to land. Both my girls. Hubs and I have the opportunity to do a million and ten things here at the lake, but I want to hold on to flexibility and embrace the quick change of plans that can happen, knowing above everything else family gets top billing. 

Linking today with Holly (Pink Lady) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books)  for their regular Hello Monday hop. So what were you up to this weekend? 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 650

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (April 22) to share your answers. See you there!

1. April 22nd is Earth Day...what's the most 'out of this world' place on earth you've ever visited? Tell us something about it. 

2. A favorite quote, verse, or song lyric with the word earth in it? 

3. What's the most trivial thing about which you have a strong opinion? 

4. What's your most commonly used kitchen utensil or tool? What's the last thing you made using that tool? 

5. Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me a great book of 3000 questions, and I'm going to try to use one in our Hodgepodge every week. Here is today's - 

What is your greatest extravagance? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A Peony For Your Thoughts

Saturday blogging is not my norm, but I'm rolling right along in the A-Z Blog Challenge and don't want to drop the ball now. Today's post will be short and sweet. I think. I'm enjoying my theme (The Things We Keep: Ordinary Objects From A-Z), and had to get a little creative today, but it works. You'll see. 

Day 16-P is for Peony

About six years ago I finally got a peony plant for our garden. My mom had quite the green thumb and grew gorgeous flowers of all shapes, size, and variety, but I don't think we ever had a peony. 

I fell in love with them in England because my next door neighbor there had a back garden full of them. So much beauty! He had many heirloom varieties and then the more familiar too and he would tell me about them on occasion. I was determined to have a peony in my own back garden someday. 

Fast forward, and we'd been in this house about four years when we finally purchased a small, but healthy looking plant. Hubs put it in a spot we thought was fine, but turns out it wasn't fine and by the  middle of the summer it looked deader than a doornail. 

Sidebar-did you know that expression deader than a doornail dates back to the 14th century? 

Anyway, the peony appeared to be dead but I could not let it go so hubs dutifully dug it up and moved it to another spot closer to the lake. Like my mama, hubs also has a very green thumb but he felt sure this was a lost cause. It was basically a little stub of a plant, scrawny and all stem, no leaves. 

Well don't you know the next year that little stub popped up! yay!, but then she just sat there. Boo. She didn't die but she didn't exactly live either. Didn't grow even a millimeter and of course didn't bloom. Hubs thought we should get rid of it, but I said it wasn't hurting anything so we left it. 

Year three same thing. Year four nothing. It became something of a joke between hubs and I, but for some reason, without actually saying it, we agreed to leave this six inch 'shrub' alone. 

Year five. It grew! What??? Now it didn't grow a lot, but it grew leaves and maybe an inch or two in height. We for sure didn't think it would ever bloom. 

Well guess what? 

Year six.

Still a tiny little thing, but today I saw TWO blooms ready to burst open on that plant and I cannot tell you how exciting it is. 

I'm viewing this as a testament to resilience, proving we can thrive even after a long dry season. When this tiny mighty beauty blooms I'll be sure to share. 

So glad we kept her! 

Merry April!

Still at that A-Z Blog Challenge thing...

Day 15-O is for Ornaments 

I didn't overthink this one, but went with something obvious. I was inspired by the attic cleanout we started at the end of March and will finish sometime soon. I have several bins of photo albums left to tackle still and will need a full couple of days to go through them. I know myself and know I'll get majorly sidetracked looking at old pictures, so the job will take longer than it should. 

But that's a post for another day. Today we're talking Christmas, or more specifically Christmas ornaments. 

I think the trend now is to have fancy trees or themed trees, but in our house we always like something more homespun. Our tree is filled with ornaments that mean something to us, and I feel sentimental about almost every one. They are in a way, the story of us. 

There's one from our 'first married Christmas'-

Babies born-

Places we've lived-

Beloved pets-

Cities we've traveled to-

hobbies-

and my favorite...those made by little hands-

I love pulling the boxes out every year and taking a stroll down memory lane. 

A Circle Of Names

We're a little more than halfway through the alphabet and this is usually the point where I start to run out of steam. I ask my family to help by giving me a word, and sometimes that works. Today I got nothin'. 

As in N is for Nothin'. 

When I really started thinking about things I've kept, or things I want to keep, that begin with the letter N I came up with one thing, and when I told hubs he said it was a little lame. 

But lame is better than nothin', right? Hubs and I agree the object isn't lame, it's just hard to make it a blog post, but of course that won't stop me. 

 Day 14-N is for Nana's Necklace 

My Nana necklace-

Rest assured I will not be posting a picture of my neck here because just because. 

Eight years ago I became a Nana, and for my birthday a couple of months later daughter1 bought me a necklace with two small charms. One was a bar with the word Nana engraved on it and the second was a round charm with the mancub's name engraved on it. I flipped the charms over in the photo because I try not to use their names on the blog. This necklace is such a treasure. 

Becoming a grandmother is just all around grand. 

When baby boy number two was born, aka Max, daughter1 gifted me another round charm with his name engraved there. His actual name, not Max which is his blog name. 

Then along came baby boy number three, and daughter1 shared the charm link with her sister and daughter2 added yet another round disc to the chain with her baby boy's name engraved there. 

A few months later Little Miss arrived and a fourth round charm was added, and then grandbaby number five joined the party and one more charm was added to the chain with her name on it. 

I've told my girls if there are any more babies I'll need a bigger chain. 

I love this necklace so much and wear it pretty much every day. I tend to handle it now and then too, and when I do I say a quiet prayer for these precious little people who have brought so much joy to my life. 

This necklace is a keeper.