Ch-Ch-Ch-Chodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to hop over and leave a comment for the blogger linking before you today, because comments make the blog world go round. Here we go-

1. Thursday (September 22) is the first official day of autumn in this part of the world...how will you welcome the season? I know some of you have been celebrating way too early, but it's official now so permission granted. House Beautiful recently listed ten ways to make your home smell like fall (you can read the list here) What's a scent you love this time of year and how will you add it to your home?

We're still in the upper 80's/low 90's here, so temperature wise it doesn't feel very fall-like. I do love the light this time of year, particularly just before the sun sets. The air feels different too, and there's a hint of turning in the leaves. That said, I'm still wearing flip flops and a bathing suit on the boat so we're not quite there no matter what the calendar says. 

How will I welcome the season? I have a little unexpected trip in the works so I'll likely spend Thursday getting my head around travel, which isn't very fall-like but is necessary. I generally change up my meal plans about now too, and have homemade soup on my Thursday menu. I guess that's my shoutout to the day. 

 As far as scents go I love candles year round, but especially this time of year. And I enjoy simmering cinnamon sticks with orange peel and cloves to make the house smell inviting, but not in September. Maybe November? 

2. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Apple cake or pumpkin bread? Warm apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte?

Apple all the way! Apple pie, apple cake, warm apple cider. I do enjoy a very small slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day (heavy on the whipped cream please!), but other than that I'm not a big fan of pumpkin anything, especially coffee-yuck. 

3. Do you occasionally suffer from what's sometimes referred to as an afternoon slump? What helps ward it off before it hits and/or tell us what helps you shake it off once it's here?

Sometimes I 'slump' mid-afternoon. If I'm busy and power on through it passes, but if I sit down forget it. I have a cup of tea most afternoons about 3 o'clock and that usually does the trick. A cup of hot tea makes nearly everything better. 

4. Ladies-how have your friendships with women inspired you or made you a better person? For the men here today- how have your friendships with men inspired you or made you a better person?

I think when you have healthy friendships with women, healthy in that these women friends support, encourage, and love you for you, then you are so lucky. I know I've been inspired by so many of my women friends all across the decades of my life. Inspired to think differently, try harder, let go, forgive fully, laugh more, dig deeper, offer a helping hand, create something, extend grace, step out on that limb, get off that limb!, learn something new, and most especially- to love well. 

5. Are you a people pleaser? If you said yes, do you think that's a good or bad thing? If you said no, do you wish you were more of a people pleaser?

Yes for the most part. When the people around me are happy I'm happy. I'm not a doormat, but I like peace to rule the day and if I can make that happen I will. 

6. The seasons are a-changin'...share a favorite song relating in some way to change (not necessarily seasonal change, it could be change of any kind).

Landslide by Stevie Nicks...'can I sail through the changing ocean tides, can I handle the seasons of my life...'

7. What do you wish would never change?

I don't know the answer to this one. Change is inevitable, and for the most part in my own life God has used change to grow me up. I guess if I have to pick something I'll say we're all reasonably healthy right now, and I'd like that to continue.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

This isn't new, but I just saw it recently and it's pretty incredible. FYI-you'll want a towel to dry your sweaty palms! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 281

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Here are this week's questions...answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the whole wide world. Here we go-

1. Thursday (September 22) is the first official day of autumn in this part of the world...how will you welcome the season? I know some of you have been celebrating way too early, but it's official now so permission granted. House Beautiful recently listed ten ways to make your home smell like fall (you can read the list here) What's a scent you love this time of year and how will you add it to your home?

2. Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Apple cake or pumpkin bread? Warm apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte?

3. Do you suffer from what is sometimes referred to as an afternoon slump? What helps ward it off before it hits and/or tell us what helps you shake it off once it's here?

4. Ladies-how have your friendships with women inspired you or made you a better person? For the men here today- how have your friendships with men inspired you or made you a better person?

5. Are you a people pleaser? If you said yes, do you think that's a good or bad thing? If you said no, do you wish you were more of a people pleaser? 

6. The seasons are a-changin'...share a favorite song relating in some way to change (not necessarily seasonal change, it could be change of any kind).

7. What do you wish would never change? 

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

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Another Birthday In The Books

In case you missed it I had a birthday. Ha! If you're on social media it was pretty hard to miss. But it was fun!

Let's back up to Thursday which for the sake of blogging we'll just go ahead and call my birthday eve's-eve's-eve. I told you I can work a birthday.

A friend who lives on the lake invited me to join her for an outing with her neighborhood day trip group.

They were going to spend the day at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and since Dale Chihuly currently has an installation there how could I say no?

He is one of my absolute favorites. I went to his exhibit in Seattle in May while visiting my daughter and wrote about that here. Coincidentally I noticed he has a birthday tomorrow, and since I imagine he's reading my blog...happy birthday Dale Chihuly! Your art in cities and gardens all around the world is so very lovely.

And inspiring. There's something about glass in a garden I find inspiring.

I'd never been to the Atlanta gardens and would definitely go back. Workers were in the process of installing holiday lights (I know!!) for the Christmas season, and since there are literally thousands they have to start wrapping tree trunks at the end of summer.

It was a great day and I spent Friday catching up at home. Hubs returned from an out of town business trip that evening, and then I woke up to this on Saturday morning (aka my birthday eve)-

We were going to walk a trail into a nearby town and while I was getting ready to go he ducked out and came home with these gorgeous roses. He wanted to sneak out and back before I noticed, but I noticed and was preparing to be annoyed that he had gone to wash the car before we took our walk, so I popped out to scold him and caught him coming in.

I did not scold him.  He also knows I love these ginormous balloons and got me two for my birthday. He gave me one for Valentine's Day and I might have left it tied to the kitchen chair for months. Those things have some serious staying power. 

We walked a little over three miles to a restaurant one town over (there's a great paved trail, mostly through the woods), had a yummy breakfast, then walked a little over three miles back home. It was cloudy and not too humid so really enjoyable.

I did a little birthday shopping in the afternoon, then we headed downtown for dinner. We started at one of my favorite little venues, a rooftop wine bar overlooking downtown.

The temperature was just right and we toasted another year with a glass of Prosecco before heading a few blocks over for dinner in the park. Al fresco dining is on my list of favorite things, especially on my birthday eve.

Sunday (finally-my actual birthday!) we met Daughter2 and her boyfriend for a noontime brunch and I was spoiled with gifts from my girls. Then hubs and I had to trek out to the lake to give the go-ahead on stain color, because there is no escaping the home build even on your birthday. Since it was beginning to drizzle we pretty much trekked right back home for some football and a nap on the couch. Hubs picked up Chinese food for dinner and we called it a day.

Cheers to birthdays, thoughtful husbands, adorable daughters, friends near and far, and finding beauty wherever a new year takes you.

A Classical Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered the questions add your link at the end of my post, then run say hi to your neighbor (the blogger before you). Here we go-

1. What's changed in your life, home, or community since your last birthday?

I have a birthday in a few days, so essentially this question asks what's changed in a year and I bet you can guess where I'm going with my answer.

Home build-September 2015

rip rap in and ready for dock install

manly men doing manly men stuff

should the house sit here or 1/16th of an inch to the right?  

Aaaand home build, September 2016

pulling in to our much enjoyed dock

 kitchen nearing completion

out back

and from the front

Still not living there though.  That hasn't changed!

2. September is Classical Music Month. Do you like/listen to classical music? If so what's a favorite piece and/or who is a favorite composer?

I like some classical music and will sometimes play it when I'm home alone and writing. I'm not sure I have a favorite piece but Vivaldi's Four Seasons, anything from The Nutcracker, and Pachelbel's Canon in D Major are a few that I enjoy. 

3. Besides The Bible, what's a book that has positively changed your life, relationships, career, or perspective? How so?

When I started thinking about my answer I decided I could make this a blog post (and I will).  Several came to mind immediately, and I could easily come up with a list of ten. For now I'll go with My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I'm re-reading it again this year and it is absolutely jam-packed full of life-changing wisdom.  

4. I read (here) these ten hobbies will make you smarter...play a musical instrument, read voraciously, meditate regularly, work out your brain (puzzles, sudoku, board games, etc), exercise often, learn a new language, write your feelings down (blog, journal, just write), travel to new places, cook different kinds of meals, participate in sports actively

Are any on this list your current hobbies? Which hobby on the list would you be most inclined to try?

I currently read voraciously, pray regularly, work out my brain, exercise, write, travel and cook. Learning a new language has been on my personal to-do list for a while now, but I haven't followed through. I'd still like to!

5. What sports traditions does your family have?

Go VOLS! 

6. In a few words, weigh in on the current football/National Anthem brouhaha. Keep it family friendly please.

Not sure I can do the 'few words' thing on this topic, but I'll try. Yes it's America and freedom of speech and all that jazz, but....the way I see it, the field is a football player's workplace, and freedom of speech does not extend to the workplace. Employers can require all sorts of things of their employees and if the employee doesn't like it he's free to find another job. People pay money to see you play football, not to protest what you think is wrong with America. I really do think the league is at fault here for permitting it. 

Football and sport in general is one area where people of all race, creed, and religion can share common ground. We unite in our love (or dislike) for a team or player or a spectacular catch or whatever. These protests are ruining that. They are creating division where there doesn't need to be division and I'm so weary of it. 

And to kneel as a statement of protest against our police forces on the anniversary of 9-11 I think is outrageous. If I were their mother I'd be so ashamed. Remember those people dressed in Blue who went running in to burning skyscrapers as they crumbled to the ground while everybody else was running out? Remember how those people dressed in Blue were Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, male, female? Remember how they just reached for anyone of any color they could pull from the rubble? It's despicable on this day most of all that an overpaid football player can't stand and show a little respect for that if nothing else.  

Standing for the anthem doesn't make you a patriot, nor does standing mean you think America is a perfect place. I know we can't force someone to feel respect, but I do think we can ask that our citizens show respect. People have died, spilled their very blood for the liberties we take for granted. The least we can do is stand. 

7. Where do you have loads of patience, and where do you most lack patience?

I have loads of patience for all sorts of things including small and large children (not talking about adults who behave like children), anxious parents (I was a teacher), baking, grocery shopping, gardening, and most of the everyday things we encounter in life that slow us down or deter us from our plans.  

What I do not have patience for are people driving way too slow in the left lane, particularly if it's because they're texting, (also, p.s.a-the left lane is for passing...just throwing that out there in case you're one of the drivers who try my patience), chronic complainers, laziness on the job, and technology glitches. And obviously I have no patience for highly paid professional athletes who use the 'workplace' as a means of protest. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This is a beautiful story...take a minute to read it if you haven't already.  

Remembering a Hero, 15 Years After 9/11




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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 280

Sorry I dropped the ball last week, but it needed dropping. Whew! Happy to be back in the Hodgepodge this week, and here are the questions. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow (Wednesday) to share answers with the universe. Here we go-

1. What's changed in your life, home, or community since your last birthday? 

2. September is Classical Music Month. Do you like/listen to classical music? If so what's a favorite piece and/or who is a favorite composer? 

3. Besides The Bible, what's a book that has positively changed your life, relationships, career, or perspective? How so? 

4. I read (here) these ten hobbies will make you smarter...play a musical instrument, read voraciously, meditate regularly, work out your brain (puzzles, sudoku, board games, etc), exercise often, learn a new language, write your feelings down (blog, journal, just write), travel to new places, cook different kinds of meals, participate in sports actively

Are any on this list your current hobbies? Which hobby on the list would you be most inclined to try? 

5. What sports traditions does your family have? 

6. In a few words, weigh in on the current football/National Anthem brouhaha. Keep it family friendly please. 

7. Where do you have loads of patience, and where do you most lack patience? 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Brought To You By The Letter B

B is for Birthdays-

A friend posted a little thing on Facebook, filled with questions you're meant to ask your hubs or wife and the first one read, 'What's something I say all the time?' And my hubs replied, "It's almost my birthday." Ha! I guess there's some truth there, particularly during the month of September.

Y'all it's almost my birthday.

Also my baby girl entered the world 26 years ago Saturday, and we loved celebrating with her this past weekend.

I made her favorite dinner and her favorite cake on Friday night and she opened our gifts and told us all about how her sweet students (and their moms!) made her school day so special and then she went home because she teaches kindergarten and kindergarten wears a body out.

She is so precious.

B is for Boating and Beaches-

We've spent a lot of time on the boat this summer and it requires a fair bit of schlepping and such to make it happen, but once we're underway it's all good. There are many many little islands in the lake and a fair number of them have little beaches so we've had fun exploring and checking them out.

They're not beaches as in white soft sandy beaches, but there's sand and there's land and we set the anchor and swim over with our chairs and our lunch and our sunscreen and we enjoy.

B is for Building-

Still at it. We were excited to see actual stairs go in this week. Hubs can finally sleep at night and quit worrying about me accidentally stepping off the edge where there was no railing, just a big drop down to the lower level. I only almost did that once or twice
or every time I'm there so no biggie.

They still need to be stained, but they are beautiful.  

And that's our weekend in a nutshell. Just for fun, leave a B-word in the comments that describes your weekend.

Wait, did I tell you it's almost my birthday?

Every Which Way But Loose

Long time no blog right? I need to catch up here, but honestly I'm not sure if I'm coming or going which means this post might read a little bit sideways. So where are we in Realzville?

Well NOT living in our lake house, but on the up side we have given notice to the apartment management so there's that.

Are y'all sick of hearing about the lake house? Because I'm a wee bit tired of talking about it so I won't go there today. Not too much anyway. How 'bout some pictures instead of words because stuff is happening!

There's tile in the back hall, or a part of a part of a floor anyway-

There are lights, or at least a few recessed lights have been installed, and (this is key) turned on-

The air conditioner units are in and running so the stairs will be built this week or next week or whenever, but there's light and air and boxes of tile and part of a floor where a floor should be so we.are.getting.there.

Still plenty to do, but let's keep looking at the half full glass k?

So what else? Well hubs had a birthday and it fell at the end of a week where I'd been not my best (aka thought I was going to have my gall bladder removed) but instead managed to get myself together and we had a fabulous dinner downtown with Daughter2 and her boyfriend.

I missed the Hodgepodge this week, but I did have lunch with a Hodgepodge friend on Wednesday and that counts I think. K was visiting in the area and we made plans to meet in person before she headed back home. Here we are in the parking lot outside the restaurant because we neglected to take a picture inside. We were too busy talking.

We might have shut the restaurant down, hence the parking lot snapshot. K blogs at Still No Whining Allowed and it was really fun to meet in person, finally. I think hers was one of the first blogs I read, back when there were hoards of bloggers writing about the ordinary everydayness of their lives.

Those are still my favorite posts to read, but there are fewer of those bloggers out there now. Blogging has become a business, but I just want to drink coffee and read about your dinner plans, your summer vacation, or that funny thing your kid said. I don't care how many people follow you, sponsor you, or forward your posts to social media, I just love words that paint a picture of your everyday ordinary. An ordinary that looks different than my own yet in a funny way feels reassuringly familiar.

What else? We spent last weekend in Hotlanta tailgating and boating with friends. Also watching my diet because ugh-gallbladders. I know plenty of young people have gallbladder surgery but does anyone else feel about 100 years old at just the mention of the word? I do.

There's more...more little bits of nothing too extraordinary that make up the minutes and the hours and the days of late summer, but this is a start. Homes and birthdays and daughters and friends, and writing it all down...

...because ordinary is what connects us to ourselves and to each other. Happy weekend friends...