Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Wednesday Hodgepodge Mardi Gras Style- Vol 17

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge and our own little Mardi Gras...be sure to add your link to the bottom of my post and click around to see how the rest of the internets answered...
here are mine-


1. The season of Lent begins on March 9th this year...do you participate and if so, in what way?

I didn't grow up in a denomination where 'giving something up' was common, but I can appreciate the meaning behind that idea. I do like to focus my head and heart in the days leading up to Easter so I usually find a devotional to read that is geared towards that. This year I ordered a book called Bread and Wine-Readings for Easter and Lent which is a collection of writings featuring C.S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, Martin Luther, and more.

2. Traditionally pancakes are eaten on the day known as Shrove Tuesday which is the last day before Lent (March 8th this year) So....butter and syrup? Blueberry? Chocolate chip? Ewwww, no thanks!! What's your pleasure when it comes to eating pancakes?

I like pancakes any old way but blueberry are my favorite. With syrup and a side of crispy bacon. Did we have pancakes last night? No, but if we had they'd have been blueberry.

3. Spring is coming. (It is coming, right?) What's your favorite springtime flower and do you suffer from seasonal allergies? That's two questions I know but they're lightweights.

Tulips...I love them and they are one of my favorite flowers period. I bought an unusual bunch in the market the other day...green and really lovely!


I've always had seasonal allergies but this year I don't even care...I am so ready for spring I say bring on the Allerest and the Visine AC and the sunshiny warm weather please.

4. "Our opinion of people depends less upon what we see in them than upon what they make us see in ourselves." Author unknown. Agree or disagree? Why?

There are definitely people in my life who cause me to take a hard look at myself but certainly not everyone I know falls into that category. And I think when I am immediately drawn to a person its not necessarily because of something in me...it's generally due to some quality they posses. That quality could be something I lack or something I have in abundance.

I guess what I'm saying (see, even I don't know what I'm saying) is that for some of my relationships the quote rings true, for others it does not. Does that make sense? I hope so because answering this one strained my brain.

5. Since it's "March" and also the season of Mardi Gras...have you ever been in a parade? What's the best parade you've ever seen?

I've never marched in a parade but my favorite ones to watch are the slightly hokey home town 4th of July celebrations. I think of all those summers spent living in small town Maryland sitting on the curb with my little girls as the fire trucks and swim teams and scouts passed by. Candy was tossed, balloons were set free and miniature flags were waved to the sounds of a high school marching band....


Oh be still my heart.

Once the parade wrapped up we'd head to the pool for an afternoon swim before packing a picnic dinner and making our way over to the Naval Academy grounds..a
nother parade, this one with marching military men...


Afterwards my girls would comb the grass in search of four leaf clovers, turn cartwheels in the setting sun and hula hoop until it was dark....


We'd snuggle close together on a blanket and watch fireworks rain down on the beautiful Severn River.

I love a parade.

And summer.

And blonde headed blue eyed little girls.

6. You would jump up and down and shout for joy right now if someone told you_________?

...those same sweet girls, now fully grown, were standing just outside my front door.

7. How clean is your car on the outside? Inside? Is there junk in your trunk?

Have I mentioned the weather here lately? Yeah. Rain, snow, and sleet combined with salt on the highways do not a clean car make. We have rain with a chance of snow forecasted for Thursday so I'll probably wait until the weekend to have it washed. The inside isn't bad although it could use a good "Hoovering" due to the aforementioned rain, snow, sleet and salt you encounter everywhere you go around these parts.

For the record-there is absolutely no junk in my trunk.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My mother in law has a birthday this week. I wrote a post about her this time last year which you'll find here...go ahead and click over...you know you want to.

I'm blessed in the m-i-l department...Happy birthday m-i-l!

28 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading your answers. I recently uploaded(or is it downloaded !!??) two books written by C.S Lewis. Unfortunately, with family, work, study for Bible class and Blogging, I have not started to read them.
    I loved the pictures of your girls..fun memories!

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  2. Your memories of your girls during the Fourth of July celebrations and their photos were precious. Your tribute to your mother-in-law was such a wonderful gift to her. Being a mil is a tough job. We could all do well to take a page from her book!

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  3. Great questions Joyce, thank you :)

    I hope you get signs of Spring soon, you must be so fed up of the snow by now. We have been blessed with a couple of days of cold but bright sunshine this week and it's been like a shot in the arm. It's amazing how something as simple as sunshine can make you feel so much better! I do hope you see some sunshine soon. Best wishes, Pam :)

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  4. Enjoyed answer to #4-brain hurt on this one too. Love blueberry pancakes-my favorite.

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  5. Love tulips ....growing up Catholic I always try to participate in "giving up " or doing something for others, I'm not extremely active right now but still celebrate lent this way! last parade I was in was in 5th grade for Girl Scouts....long time ago! I have never been to New Orleans I hope to one day sounds amazing down there. My car is clean only thing in trunk is my emergency winter kit..not time to take out we are expecting snow tonight! uhg!! Happy Birthday to your MIL!

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  6. Well what you are getting for weather tomorrow is coming our way for Friday so please keep as much as you want OK! I too had a great MIL! She made me feel special every day of her life. What a blessing.

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  7. It's funny...it occurred to me that my mother might jump and down like a crazy woman if I was to show up at her door with both sweet grandchildren in tow. HA!

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  8. I'm glad to see that you had a little trouble explaining #4, too!

    I loved your parade memories...those days went by too fast, didn't they???

    I'll be so happy for you when the snow is finally gone, and spring (and allergy season) is in full bloom :)

    Thanks, once again, for a great set of questions, Joyce!

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  9. I love the pictures of your girls at the parade and hula hooping. So cute. Oh the memories! We've got lots of rain and possibly some snow coming tomorrow. Yuck!

    Have a blessed day.

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  10. Excellent questions again this week, even if #4 made me think too hard too early in the morning. ha!

    What precious memories you have of your two blond-headed, blue-eyed girls.

    What a sweet tribute to your MIL.

    Have a wonderful Wednesday!

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  11. Chocolate chip pancakes seem gross to me too, but my kids love them. I prefer banana nut myself.

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  12. Enjoyed reading your answers Joyce! What sweet photos and memories of your girls!

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  13. I would comment on some of your answers, but I got distracted as soon as you mentioned bacon.

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  14. Our family is big on huckleberry pancakes.
    Are you surprised?

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  15. The pictures and memories you shared of your girls was so touching...and I can certainly relate. My oldest daughter started to college in Aug. and she's 5 1/2 hours away. I haven't seen her since Jan. 13th, but she'll be coming home on Saturday for 4 days...I can hardly wait!

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  16. I like blueberry pancakes too. I like our hometown parades, but they don't happen here on the fourth of July. I hope I can be a mother-in-law like the one I have, I'm blessed too.

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  17. Love the memories of the parade and the pictures are precious! Oh, I hope my DIL will always love me as she does right now. We have a very special relationship and it thrills me too death. I, too, was blessed with a sweet one. Blessings to you!

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  18. No wonder you have such a fondness for parades! Looks like a fun time!

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  19. Good Answers!
    Mama Bear

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  20. I love parade days like you explained...
    watch a parade, go for a swim, have a picnic.
    What a great life!

    Happy Birthday to your sweet MIL.
    My MIL passed away January 2010,
    she was a very special woman.
    She raised a very special son.
    I am blessed!

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  21. Happy Birthday to the MIL. I lost mine in 2002. Loved the flower pics.

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  22. I LOVED your answer for #6....so I am stealing it. What I wouldn't give for another day at the park with 2 growing girls and my toddler boy keeping pace! We didn't take many video shots of everyday (just Christmas, Easter and events) life and I am so sad when I watch a video and wish fervently..."oh keep going,now follow them up to brushing teeth and tucking in matching pink beds with AG dolls in tow, then reading a story and saying prayers and then asking sweetly, mommy will you fall asleep with us"....wahhhh.

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  23. love me some blueberry pancakes, m-i-l, and tulips, too. ;)

    your girls are just too cute. i have to admit that it makes my heart sink a bit, though... reminds me that this season we're in won't last forever. *sigh*

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  24. ou know I was just thinking about a parade I watched in Florida. It was at Christmas, and it was all around the canals in the area we lived in. All the boats were decorated with lights, and all the canals were lit up as well. Christmas in Florida was beautiful!

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  25. Your parade pictures and memories put me in the mood for the 4th of July! : )

    I love tulips and the green ones are very unusual. So pretty!

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  26. I'm glad #4 gave you fits too!
    Darling, darling girls. Pictures are a kiss on the cheek from God!

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  27. I like the tradition of pancakes on Mardi Gras -- although I have never heard to the term "Shrove Tuesday" before. Coincidentally, my husband made us pancakes on Tuesday morning this week -- chocolate chip! I have to admit, I love them!

    I'm anxious to see how you like that Lent devotional book -- I've seen it mentioned here and there around the blog world this week.

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  28. Can't believe I didn't get over here yesterday!
    I think I need to start making pancakes again, they are so good. I love tulips too! Love the pictures of the girls. Thanks for hosting!

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