I Wonder

It's the last day of July, and it's summer, and I got not a lotta deep today, so how about a list? In true Thursday fashion we'll make it a list of thirteen, with a throwback in there for good measure.

Some things I'm wondering about lately....

1.  Do those Direct TV ads featuring an insecure marionette wife make anybody actually want to switch their service to Direct TV? Creepy. Really creepy.

2. Why is swimwear so ding dang expensive?

3. And ridiculously unflattering?

4. Where will I buy cute hostess gifts now that my favorite shop in town is closing its doors?

5. Why is it so hard to figure out which smoke detector in your house is beeping?

6.  And why does it stop beeping when you stand under it, then start up again when you step away?

7. What's for dinner?

8. Will my kitchen floor see the vacuum today?

9. Isn't it time for The Bachelor/Bachelorette series to end?

10. Past time?

11. Will I ever be able to do pushups without feeling like I want to cry?

12. World chaos.

13. Determined little people who grow up to be amazing, who remind me God is good and also great.

Revving Up The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, our last one for the month of July. If you've answered the questions this week, add your link at the end of my post and then run see what the neighbors are saying. If you didn't answer the questions, don't link. But do still go see what the neighbors are saying...here we go-

1. "Summer is like childhood. It's full of warm memories and gone too soon." Kellie Elmore  Agree or disagree? Share something you loved about the summers of your childhood.

In a funny coincidence I wrote an entire post on this topic Monday, which you can read by clicking here. Course since I like to follow the rules, I'll post an excerpt-

'Going to the neighborhood swim club with my sister. Sometimes my mom would drive us, but oftentimes we'd ride our bicycles the two miles there and the two miles back. Kids were supposed to leave the lounge chairs for the adults, so we'd spread our beach towels on the grassy hillside and spend hours in the pool. When the whistle sadly blew indicating adult swim, we'd run freezing to our towels and lay in the warm sun to dry off. We'd always bring money for the snack bar and figuring out what to buy was a big decision. One of our favorite treats was a frozen Milky Way bar, but other times we'd get french fries or some kind of candy.'

2. Are you a fan of auto racing-NASCAR, Indy, Stock, Grand Prix? Ever been to a race in person? Any desire to do this? Do you know a lot about cars? Do you notice particular makes and models when you're out and about?

I don't think I'd consider myself a true fan. I don't dislike racing, but I don't go out of my way to see it either. We usually watch some of the Indy, but that's about it. I do think it would be fun to see it in person. I like fast cars and I've heard it's super loud and there's a lot to see at the big races.  I notice certain cars.  If I see an old MG I take note for sure.  

3. What's something you think is too serious to be joked about? Or is anything and everything fair game?

The mentally handicapped and the mentally ill. There's probably more, but those are the two that make my stomach knot up. 

4. July 29th is National Lasagna Day. Are you a fan? Do you have a great recipe, and if so where did it come from? If given a choice would you choose a plate of lasagna or a plate of spaghetti?

I like lasagna, but it's not my go-to Italian food. Do you have a go-to Italian food? I'm not sure I do either, but if I did it would not be lasagna. I do have a good recipe though, courtesy of my mother.  If given a choice I'd choose a plate of spaghetti over a plate of lasagna. 

5. What's a simple pleasure you'd miss if it were not a regular part of your life?

My morning coffee. Without it, life is not complete. #firstworldproblems

6. If you could be the CEO of any company, which would you choose?

Hmmm...tough one. If we're pretending I'm qualified, then maybe World Vision or Samaritan's Purse. I appreciate their heart and would love to see how they operate behind the scenes. 

7. August is just around the bend...bid farewell to July in exactly seven words.

Loved your relaxed schedule and slower pace!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

What do you like to cook that requires hot hot peppers?

Because we've got us more than a few.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 184

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge...answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to link up with the world wide webbers.  See you there!

1. "Summer is like childhood. It's full of warm memories and gone too soon."~Kellie Elmore  Agree or disagree? Share something you loved about the summers of your childhood.

2. Are you a fan of auto racing-NASCAR, Indy, Stock, Grand Prix, etc? Ever been to a race in person? Any desire to do this?  Do you know a lot about cars? Do you notice particular makes and models when you're out and about?

3. What's something you think is too serious to be joked about? Or do you think anything and everything is fair game?

4. July 29th is National Lasagna Day. Are you a fan? Do you have a great recipe, and if so where did it come from? If given a choice would you choose a plate of lasagna or a plate of spaghetti?

5. What's a simple pleasure you'd miss if it were not a regular part of your life?

6. If you could be the CEO of any company, which would you choose?

7. August is just around the bend...bid farewell to July in exactly seven words.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Another summer day...

...has come and gone away...

I've really enjoyed the month of July. We've spent most of the month at home, lingering over our weekend morning coffee, watching the hummingbirds who dine at our feeder and the family of deer who play on our back hillside, savoring the beauty of our big blooming hostas and hydrangeas, sharing a casual BBQ with the neighbors, sitting around the firepit and relishing weather that permits a fire in the middle of summer, indulging in good books or an afternoon nap....

This got me to thinking about what it was I loved about summers as a child.  Here's a few-

Going to the neighborhood swim club with my sister. Sometimes my mom would drive us, but oftentimes we'd ride our bicycles the two miles there and the two miles back. Kids were supposed to leave the lounge chairs for the adults, so we'd spread our beach towels out on the grassy hillside and spend hours in the pool. When the whistle sadly blew indicating adult swim we'd run freezing to our towels and lay in the warm sun to dry off. We'd always bring money for the snack bar and figuring out what to buy was a big decision. One of our favorite treats was a frozen Milky Way bar, but other times we'd get french fries or some kind of candy.

Making homemade ice cream in the garage. I can picture so clearly my dad setting up the freezer. He would cover the floor underneath with newspaper, then add ice and salt and begin churning. My brother always had to help with the churning, and when it would begin to get thick my sister and I were recruited to sit on top of the freezer to keep it from 'walking'. I loved getting that first look into the container. My dad would lift the lid and slowly pull the paddle from inside. He'd let us have a swipe of the just churned ice cream from the paddle, and we'd look forward to dessert all through dinner.

The hours between dinner and dark. The air wouldn't be quite so hot, and we would play outside until my mom called us in. Sometimes we'd meet up with a bunch of the neighborhood kids for giant games of hide and seek or kick the can or ghost in the graveyard. We'd divide up into teams and each team would have some big and some little. When we played kick the can I remember each team would come up with code words to shout out and let someone else on your team know when it was safe to run in for the kick. Straaaaaaawberry meant stay in your hiding place.

Going barefoot. If we weren't playing with the neighbors we might ask my mom for an old mayonnaise jar so we could catch lightning bugs. She'd poke holes in the lid with the ice pick and we'd run around the backyard trying to capture one.  I loved running barefoot in the grass.  I still like going barefoot. Our feet would get filthy though, and even if we didn't have a full fledged bath, my mom would insist we put our feet in the tub before bed.

The Good Humor Truck. Oh how we'd beg. If it was too close to suppertime we couldn't get ice cream,  but sometimes he'd come while we were having dinner and I remember that feeling of wanting to hurry outside so we wouldn't miss him. There was nothing sadder to a ten year old than missing the ice cream truck.

The smell of charcoal burning. That was the scent of summer back in 1960-something. Everyone had a charcoal grill and there was something so comforting about the idea of families all throughout the neighborhood cooking dinner on their backyard grills. I feel like kids miss that today. In the year 20-something a neighborhood full of charcoal grills is sort of rare.

In the July summers of my childhood there was great value placed on doing nothing. No lists, no 'should bes', no guilt. Instead there were blank time blocks and empty space.

Space where I could lay on the grass and watch the clouds. Space to laugh with my sister. Space to not worry. Space to daydream, imagine, pretend and wonder.

Space to sit on the neighbor's glider and let the juice of a ruby red plum run down my chin. Space for a moment,  to not have a care in the world.

Friday Fragments

It's Friday, so why not?

It's been a pretty quiet week round here.  I've been catching up on some at-home projects that I'll share at some point, but not today. It's hard to blog when you're keeping most of the wedding details hush hush.

On Wednesday hubs worked from home and we met his sister and her family for lunch. They were passing through and we were a convenient stop. It was fun to catch up in person.

My neighborhood book club met last night and that's always a nice way to spend an evening. We read a  book called Alex: The Commandant Camille Verhoeven Trilogy. The author is French so this is a translation, and the second in a series. It's dark and some of it was hard to read, but the writing is excellent and the characters intriguing. If you liked The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, then you would probably like this one too. It's written with that same combination of tension, subtle wit, and melancholy as the Stieg Larsson series. Except the names are easier to pronounce-ha!

Normally in the summer we read a little lighter fare, but not this summer.  We've read Slave: My True Story by Mende Nazer set in Sudan, recounting the horrific tale of a 12 year old girl sold as a slave into an Arab family. Not light. Or easy to read. But real. Then in July we read Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller, which in typical Jodi Picoult fashion is full of twists and turns and shades of gray. It's a modern story intermingled with a story set in Nazi Germany so yeah, also not really light.

We're home again this weekend which makes two in a row, so whoohoo! We're having three couples over on Saturday for a barbecue and so far the weather looks like it will cooperate. It's gorgeous out there today.  Everyone is bringing something which is my favorite kind of party, but I'm doing the main, an appetizer, and dessert. I think this party may be the excuse I need to make a peach cobbler.  The peaches are so good this year, unlike the tomatoes which have had too much rain. Jersey tomatoes are late.

And finally there's this...

Just taking care of his weekend banking.

He walked right in front of my car early this morning, across a main street in our little town. I was on my way home from boot camp, so it was early and not a lot of traffic, but still...we don't normally see them in the middle of town.  I followed him into the bank, but he was on to me and slipped through the hedges to the Burger King next door.

Judging from the size of him, I'd say this was not his first trip to the BK. They really are beautiful creatures and amazing to see up close. It pays to get up early and exercise...if I'd slept in I'd have missed it.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Sky Blue Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Grab your coffee or your tea or your ice water with a slice of lemon and settle in for a chat.  Be sure to add the link to your own answers at the end of my post.  Here we go-

1. When I look at the sky I feel ______________________________________.

...anything is possible. 

I'm completely enamored of the sky. A soft summer blue, a deeply royal cloudless October, a pale hopeful white it's gonna snow in January...they all make me feel quite a lot. 

2. If you had to run for political office, which one would you run for? Do you have any real desire to actually do this?

Sometimes I feel so frustrated with our government I think I'd like to get in there and do something, but isn't that how most politicians begin? Then somewhere along the road from idealism to accidentally-making-it-a-career they lose sight of why they ran in the first place. Not all, but most. I'm for term limits.  If there were term limits, then maybe.

When I think of which office I'd run for, I'm stumped. School board? No. City council? Even at the local local local level of government politics seems to rule the day, so no. Mayor? Maybe I'd start there. If I were starting anywhere. Which I'm not. Next question.

3. What scent makes you think of home?

freshly mown grass, laundry right out of the dryer, a turkey roasting in the oven  

4. How often do you take a step back to think about where you're headed in life? Do you need more or less self-reflection?

I think in this empty nest stage of life a bit of self-reflection is warranted. Too much is never a good thing, but I do like setting goals, knowing my purpose, and figuring out new ways to use my gifts, no matter what season of life I'm in. 

5. July is National Ice Cream Month...besides a cone, what's your favorite food item to top with ice cream?

I'm going with a brownie. A scoop of vanilla ice cream atop a warm brownie is one of the best things I know. I haven't had a brownie in eons, but when I do it will be topped with a scoop of vanilla.  

6. What might your autobiography be called?

If I tell you now, you won't be surprised when I write it. 

You think I'm kidding. 

I have a title, I just need the story, and it wouldn't be so much an autobiography, as a memoir. That's as far as I've gotten. 

7. Your least favorite mode of transportation? Why?

Ferries. 

Why? I don't know what it is about ferries, but I cannot ride one without wanting to lose my lunch.  I'm always pretty susceptible to motion sickness, but ferries really do me in. 

Here I am on the ferry from Capri to Amalfi. It was chilly up top, but I'd ridden over down below and (barely) lived to regret it. I told hubs I didn't care what the weather was doing, I was making the trip back to Amalfi up top. He thought he was hilarious taking my picture, and I look a little mad, but I'm not. It was blowing a gale and water was pelting my face. My stomach was a-okay though, and that's all I cared about in that moment. 

Here I am (barely) recovering from a ferry ride to an island off the coast of Hong Kong. I'm the one nursing a Sprite. We rode a ferry over to a fishing village. 

That smelled like fish. 

Which is not what you want to smell when your stomach is rebelling against a ferry ride.  

So yeah, ferries. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

So it's that time. Time to begin the great mother-of-the-bride dress hunt, and I'd like you to weigh in on something. If the bridesmaids are in long gowns should the mothers be as well? Or can we wear short without breaking some kind of unspoken law of etiquette? The only request my daughter has is that we both wear the same length. She doesn't want me in short and his mom in long or vice versa.  

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 183

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge...answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to join the linky party.  See you there-

1. When I look at the sky I feel________________________________________.

2. If you had to run for political office, which one would you run for? Do you have any real desire to actually do this?

3. What scent makes you think of home?

4. How often do you take a step back to think about where you're headed in life? Do you need more or less self-reflection?

5. July is National Ice Cream Month...besides a cone, what's your favorite food item to top with ice cream?

6. What might your autobiography be called?

7. Your least favorite mode of transportation? Why?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

In The Good Old Summertime

We had a quiet weekend here and it was nice. Better than nice. It's Monday and I feel rested, grateful, and content. I enjoy going and doing and seeing and people. I also know I need solitude, nature, stillness and slow added to the mix every now and then.

We didn't do much of anything to write home about. Hubs ran, I gardened, he washed the cars, I dusted, he grilled, I read a book. We napped, watched movies, and took the little red car for a spin.

We sat in the backyard and watched hummingbirds hum and a team of chipmunks give chase. They dart in and out and over the boulders like small children in a game of tag.

Where's Waldo?

We concentrated on the cacophony of sounds coming from the woods. The catbird has returned and she's noisy. You'd swear there was a cat caught in the shrubbery instead of a bird who sounds like one. The woodpecker has a lot to say too, as do any number of unidentifiable birds and creatures. The leaves are thick on the trees just now, but we imagine all the life that lurks there, in the backyard woods.

We laughed at our bird dog who didn't so much as bat an eye when our magnificent hawk buzzed the patio. Literally, about two feet above her head. If she'd lifted a paw, she could have grabbed it. She did not. The lazy days of summer my friends.

The hawk used to sit at the very tippy top of one of our tallest trees, but lately has taken to perching herself on the peak of our roof. From there she surveys her domain and we sit completely still so as not to disturb her reverie.

And then there was the sky.

That glorious summertime blue sprinkled with cotton ball clouds that make you feel like anything is possible.

"In summer, the song sings itself." William Carlos Williams

Wedding Planning 101

So it's been pretty much all wedding all the time around here in recent weeks and I'm not sharing a lot of detail online, hence the lack of posting here. I spend my days on the phone, online, booking, signing, copying, faxing, and paying. My head is filled with guest lists and due dates and timelines and all the many other decisions still to be made. I'm thinking Daughter2 will benefit from all I'm learning this go round when she's ready to plan a wedding.

I can't decide if there has been a little stress because of the logistical complexities we're dealing with or if it's because wedding planning is always a little stressful. Course it could also be related to the fact that we are a family of four who know what we want and we want it now.

If I had to guess I'd say probably a little bit of everything, but that last bit tends to be the one that keeps me awake at night.

We like what we like-ha! That's something we say in a joking way around our house, except we're not really joking. We all really do like what we like, and mostly that's a good thing because, whew! All.the.choices. No wonder so many brides feel overwhelmed. It honestly does help that my daughter knows her own mind when it comes to how she wants her day to look and feel.

And luckily I've got my trusty binder to keep me on track. There are all sorts of binders and organizational tools out there for the bride-to-be, but trust me... the mother of the bride-to-be needs one too.  I bought a plain white binder and found a cute printable for the front insert-

I printed a couple of engagement pics for the back-

Voila! A mother-of the bride-binder. A place to keep track of all my many papers, contracts, receipts, deadlines, and contact information. Every mother of the bride needs one.

We've finally pinned down, contracted, and paid deposits on most of the big things that need pinning, contracting and depositing. That includes the church, the reception venue, the catering, the dress, the photographer, the wedding planner, and the band. The bride-to-be and I will spend a few days in SC next month revisiting the church and reception site before meeting with florists, cake bakers, and the rental company. We'll also get to meet our photographer in person. Daughter1 found him via a friend's wedding photos and he comes highly recommended by absolutely everyone. His pictures are stunning, so I'm not worried.

In fact, while wrangling all of these vendors for the day and time has been a little challenging, there is not a single one I feel like I have to go behind and check up on. The wedding planner will do that as appropriate, but really we've got fabulous vendors so I feel like now that they're on board I can relax a little.

And I will.

Just as soon as we figure out the invitations and the welcome bags and my dress and forty seven other small details, but eventually I will relax. Actually hubs and I have a little vacay coming up, which sounds insane given the fact that we've got a wedding in less than six months, but when you think about it, a vacation in the middle of wedding planning makes perfect sense.

This will be a total vacation vacation. Not a let's see and go and do every minute kind of vacation. This will be a sit in a lounge chair-read a book or ten-swim-soak up the sun kind of vacation.

The kind every mother-of-the-bride needs five months prior to her first born baby girl walking down the aisle, and then right on across the country to set up a home of her own.

They grow up fast, but the sweetness remains.

Bella Hodgepodge!

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Add your link at the end of my post then travel around and see what your amiche are saying...here we go-

1. The month of July was named for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar.  He's quoted as saying, 'Experience is the teacher of all things.' So, what has experience taught you lately?

Well I've learned a few things in the people department this past year, and I'm still kind of mulling it all over. I think I'll write about it eventually, not the specifics per se, but more the lessons learned. 

As cliche as it may sound, experience has taught me, or maybe it's more accurate to say, experience has confirmed for me, the importance of acting with integrity, staying true to who I am on the inside, and how a kind word can encourage someone who feels like quitting to stay the course.

2. Where did you last 'roam'?

Portugal.  

Roaming around foreign cities makes my list of favorite things. 
I don't actually have a written list, but there's one in my head and that's on it. 

I wrote several posts about our trip, beginning with this one. 

3. Speaking of 'Rome'...pizza, pasta, gelato...you can only pick one, which would you choose?

Pizza. Eaten in one of those amazing city squares Rome is famous  for. 

4. 'Rome wasn't built in a day', 'All roads lead to Rome', 'When in Rome...' which 'Roman' idiom have you most recently encountered? Explain.

Definitely 'when in Rome...'  That's kind of my travel mantra and it's a good one. That little saying is the pep talk I give myself when I'm handed an unidentifiable 'local' food in a foreign country. It's the proverbial push I need to embrace all sorts of opportunities that arise when trekking someplace new and different. 

Sometimes I need to be pushed.  
Just ask the hubs!   

5. What's a movie you've seen or book you've read, that makes you want to book a trip to Italy?

Under the Tuscan Sun makes me want to move to the Italian countryside and buy a fixer upper villa. Except from what my friends who've lived in Italy tell me, dealing with the red tape there is not quite as 'charming' as the movie makes it seem. 

6. Walt's original Disneyland opened almost sixty years ago this week, on July 17, 1955.  Have you ever been to the California park? How about any of the other Disney parks around the world? What's your favorite amusement park ride or attraction?

I've never been to Disneyland California, but I have been to Disney World in Orlando several times, and also Disneyland Paris, some 9102 km from the original.  The sign said so.

  
I haven't been to a Disney park since 2007, so way overdue for a visit. 

I don't know if I have a favorite ride, but I do have a definite do-not-ride list. Ha! I'm not a fan of roller coasters, or any ride whose sole purpose is to spin me ad nauseam or turn my stomach upside down. I like the Disney parks because they have so many rides that fall more under the category of attraction, and attractions are more my thing. 

7. It's that time of year...when were you last bitten or stung?

I honestly can't remember, unless you count a couple of mosquito bites I acquired while sitting outside this past weekend.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

My random thoughts on Wednesdays have been a little lame lately-sorry. There's plenty of random in my head, just not enough space left over to formulate it into something coherent. How about a dog video? One minute guaranteed to make you laugh.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 182

I guess I won't bother saying that eventually I'll catch up around here, because I'm beginning to doubt it myself. How about I just post the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge, and we'll see how the day goes?

Whether your brain feels too full lately or not full enough, there's always the Hodgepodge to provide a little mid-week focus.

1. The month of July was named for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. He's quoted as saying, 'Experience is the teacher of all things." So what has experience taught you lately?

2. Where did you last 'roam'?

3. Speaking of 'Rome'...pizza, pasta, gelato...you can only pick one, which would you choose?

4. 'Rome wasn't built in a day', 'All roads lead to Rome', 'When in Rome...' which 'Roman' idiom have you most recently encountered? Explain.

5. What's a movie you've seen or a book you've read, that makes you want to book a trip to Italy?

6.  Walt's original Disneyland opened almost sixty years ago, on July 17, 1955  Have you ever been to the California park? How about any of the other Disney parks around the world? What's your favorite amusement park ride or attraction?

7. It's that time of year...when were you last bitten or stung?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Come back tomorrow and add your link to the party...see you there!

Front Porch Hodgepodge Sittin'

Welcome to this July edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Add the link to your answers at the end of my post, then grab your ice cold lemonade and go say hey to all your friends neighbors. 

1. July is National Anti-Boredom Month. When was the last time you were bored? What's your go-to cure for boredom?

Hmmm...I don't even know. Maybe 1974? I'm never bored. 

My go-to cure for boredom? Read, write, nap, cook, call my mom, a cup of tea on the patio or in my sunny sunroom, make some lists...any or all of the above work for me.  

2. What's the last thing you made a reservation for?

Have mercy. We have been the reservation making fools around here in recent days. I will attempt to outline it for you here. Strap in-

a) planes, rental cars, pet and human lodging for our beachy getaway later this summer 

b) an 80th birthday celebration for my father in law happening in Tennessee that has me arriving from SC, but returning home from TN with my hubs, who will either drive or fly from NJ after we figure out what to do with the dog, who will only have been home from the kennel following our beach trip the week before, and then my girls also coming from hither and yon 

c) firm date and logistics for family and bridesmaids to travel/stay in MD the weekend of the bridal shower when the bridesmaids alone live in 8 cities, 6 states, and two countries, let's not even count the places family comes from

d) Christmas arrangements which may or may not involve travel, rentals, a kennel, and 

e) can't forget a fabulous wedding soon after, many states away, which definitely involves a whole lot of reserving everything under the sun including travel, hotels, rentals, a caterer, photographer, florist and more. 

Do you see why hubs and I need that beach trip???
And why I'm never ever bored???

3. What's one thing on your summer bucket list? Any plans to make it happen?

A week with my toes in the sand, a book in my lap, and a glorious sunset sky.

Any plans to make it happen? Absolutely. 

4. What's your favorite summertime sip?

Pimm's, but that's a rare treat. My most sipped summertime sip thanks to the daily email reminders from the boot camp instructor is water. 

5. What do you find is the best way to handle another person's hostility and hopefully ease the tension?

Do.not.engage. 

Step away from the offender if at all possible. Of course there are oftentimes where that's just not possible, and if that's the case then I try to say very little. In my experience lots of words just add fuel to their fire. 

Hostile people. Shudder. Ugh. Ick. But...

I do try to remind myself that person has a story, and perhaps their story is painful and hard. I don't think that excuses bad behavior, and in my opinion hostile behavior is near the top of the list of bad behaviors, but still they are the way they are for some reason and it's not me it's them. 

6. Your favorite film set in summer?

That's a toughy, but I'm going with The Parent Trap, either the original with Hayley Mills or the remake with Lindsey Lohan. It's one film that makes my top ten in any setting. 

7. What's a word you're using too much of lately.

I'm stumped. I think that second question did me in-ha! How about 'book' as in reserve that plane seat, hotel room, venue, rental car, you get the idea.  It's all fun stuff that I'm excited about though, most especially #2-e. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Humans are awesome-

Post by Jacquès O. Beatty.

and a little bit crazy! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 181

Today's my mama's birthday and she likes to read my blog so happy birthday mama! Now on to less important stuff-The Wednesday Hodgepodge. I've asked the questions, you provide the answers. Don't forget to hop back here tomorrow and add your link to the party! See you there..

1. July is National Anti-Boredom Month. When was the last time you were bored? What's your go-to cure for boredom?

2. What's the last thing you made a reservation for?

3. What's one thing on your summer 'bucket list'? Any plans to make it happen?

4. What's your favorite summertime sip?

5. What do you find is the best way to handle another person's hostility and hopefully ease the tension?

6. Your favorite film set in summer?

7. What word are you using too much lately?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Weekend Wrap Up

Not an original title but my brain is too full to come up with something clever. It is likely to remain so until at least the second week of January, 2015. And this is a weekend wrap up sooooo...

The weekend. It was fun. And full but it seems all weekends around here could be described as such. Maybe not next weekend. Next weekend is looking like I might finally get a long overdue nap. Maybe.

We headed to my brother's house on Friday morning to celebrate Independence Day. My brother lives about two hours south of here and his house overlooks a river. They have a deck out back, then beyond that a path through a little bit of woods, then the property opens up and voila-the river. Conveniently it is directly opposite their spot on the river that their little town shoots off fireworks every fourth of July. Let me just say for a small town they put on a big show. Some of the best we've ever seen anywhere.

The weather was odd, but delightful. I'm not normally in jeans and a sweatshirt on the fourth, but I think I enjoyed that more than the ridiculous heat and humidity we typically have on the day. Daughter1 trained it to Philly on Friday afternoon,and we've just decided to have her come home as often as she can this summer and fall, since she's getting married soon and moving thousands of miles away.

Carpe Diem!

Back to the fireworks. I have not mastered the art of photographing fireworks, but I don't think I'm alone in that. Plus I think fireworks are something we should watch with our eyes as opposed to viewing through an iPhone camera lens. On top of that, we were so close ash was literally falling at our feet, so I had to pay attention.

After the big and very grand finale we moved back up to the deck to sit for a while. Remember that scene in E.T. where there's a whole slew of people rummaging through the woods with flashlights looking for the alien? Well my brother's back woods looked a lot like that after the fireworks ended. There must have been six or seven firemen with flashlights patrolling the woods all along the river, I guess checking for any lingering hot stuff. Worrisome and reassuring at the same time.

Daughter1 brought her mandolin home and my brother and a friend of his played their guitars while she
pickedpluckedstrummed along on her almost new mandolin.  My brother gave it a try too, but his guitar was too big for Daughter1 and the mandolin is made for brides with dainty fingers.

I love the way a mandolin makes any song sound a little folksy. We were pretty impressed with her playing since she's only had it a month and she was following along with guitar chords. Apparently the mandolin is set up more like a violin and the placement of your hands for the chords is reversed from that of a guitar. Something like that...I'm not the one to explain it (obviously!!), but suffice it to say it took some skill.

Which she got from her father's side of the family.

Saturday morning we took my mom out to breakfast because she is celebrating a birthday tomorrow, and that calls for breakfast out. We drove home Saturday afternoon, and Daughter1 and I got busy addressing save the date cards for her big day. I ordered special pretty stamps that should be here today, and will be happy to have something ticked off the to-do list. Almost. I still have the mother of the groom's list to address but we're 2/3 of the way there and that's something.

We had a leisurely, low-key dinner beside the lake on Saturday evening which was really enjoyable. We knew we had a long list of things to tackle on Sunday before Daughter1 headed home, so we all sank into the tranquility of sunlight dancing on the water, an al fresco meal served lakeside, and a to-do list that would still be there tomorrow.

And of course it was.

A wedding to-do list is pretty much three steps forward and two steps back, because as soon as you tick three things off the list you remember two more things you need to add. Daughter1 and I attempted to synchronize our calendars for a trip to wedding town, made a list of questions for the wedding planner, photographer, and videographer, screened potential bands, went through items the bride and groom want on their still unregistered registry, confirmed an October shower date with a special family friend who will open up her beautiful home as the venue, discussed welcome bag containers and contents, previewed invitation options, and attempted to capture what we want in terms of the 1001 details that we'll lump under the heading of 'reception'... all in a matter of a few hours.

Hubs grilled out Sunday afternoon and then we did that thing we do so often and so well-take a child to the train station and send her back to her city far away. Not as far away as her new city will be, but it's Monday and I'm not going to think about that today. That thought would be about number 457 on my list of 10,000 things to think about between now and January so it can wait.

Happy Monday!

Thursday Friday Fragment Throwback

Lumping all my end of the week thoughts into one teeny tiny post. Actually not all my thoughts, but some of them. Not teeny tiny either, but you probably assumed that.

It's been a while since I've participated in Friday Fragments, so thought I'd jump in there today. I know it's Thursday, but tomorrow is the start of a holiday weekend which means today is 'Friday'.

It's also July. Is anyone else scratching their head wondering what happened to June? On the bright side, the absolute best corn in the world hits our area this month. There is no sweeter corn than Jersey corn.

Let's talk camp.

Last weekend I was here, catching up with friends from long ago summers spent in cabins beside the Bay. The weather was perfectly perfect and the hours and minutes were too.

I sat beside a campfire and sang old songs, songs whose lyrics reside in the furthest reaches of my mind, yet spill out of my lips like it was yesterday. I participated in an early morning 5K. I swam, and talked, and reminisced. I soaked up the beauty and the bounty found in the woods and the water and the people that are 'camp'. A much needed retreat for body, mind, and spirit.

In other news, this little munchkin gets married six months from today. TODAY!!

She's coming home for the holiday weekend, because planning a wedding with the bride-to-be in one state, and the bride's mama in another state, and the groom-to-be in yet another state, and the wedding itself in yet another state presents some challenges. Thankful for the Internet, Facetime, text messaging, patient vendors, the US Army, friends and family willing to rearrange life to celebrate with us on the day, and sweet gentle girls who grow up to be brides.

Is a bride only a bride on her official wedding day? Is she a bride-to-be until then, or is a bride a bride once she's engaged? 100 meaningless points to anyone who can answer. And another 100 to whoever can tell me the name of the blogger who used to award meaningless bonus points.

Hubs and I just booked a little getaway for later this summer. It's a sit by the pool, toes in the sand kind of getaway, which is my favorite kind.

I love the July 4th holiday weekend. I love BBQ's and fireworks and little people dressed in red white and blue. On that note, here's my shoutout to Throwback Thursday-

My girls pretty much spent their entire childhoods watching fireworks like this.
Maybe they still do? I don't know for sure because it's been a while since we were all together for fireworks.

What I can tell you for certain is they do now have all their front teeth!

Wishing you all a safe and happy Independence Day! 

Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Please add your link here, only if you're participating in the Hodgepodge! Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July!

Here we go-

1. Speaking of 180...when was the last time you 'did a 180' on something?

Winter weddings.

It's not that I had anything against a winter wedding, its just I always imagined my summer girl would get married in warm weather.  As we were trying to pin down a date I prayed God would wrestle the calendar from my tightly held grip and take command of the calendar. Daughter1 and her groom will have a winter wedding, and I am absolutely loving all the possibilities. 

I love the elegance and  the twinkle lights and the no humidity and the fact that its less common so feels a little bit original and so much more. At one point we thought we might have to push the date out to next summer, and I was actually disappointed to think about giving up the winter theme. So glad it all worked out to keep it there!

2.  It's Independence week in the US of A! What's your favorite thing about America right this very minute? Favorites only! Let's hear what you love about America!

'The mountains, and the prairies, and the oceans white with foam....'

3. Stars or stripes? Red, white, or blue? Watermelon, homemade vanilla ice cream, or blueberry pie?

All of the above. 

Okay, I'll play along...stripes if we're talking clothing, but stars if we're talking Christmas-ha! 

Navy blue. 

Watermelon, but I wouldn't turn down any of those last three!

4. When did you last see stars, figuratively speaking?

I think the expression is normally associated with a bonk to the head and thankfully I haven't done that in quite a while.

5. 'Clear as a bell', 'with bells on', 'lots of bells and whistles', 'saved by the bell'...which phrase 'rings' truest for you lately? Have you ever seen The Liberty Bell?

Hmmm...these type questions always tax the brain a little, don't they? I'm going with 'lots of bells and whistles' which is loosely defined as things not necessary, but that make something more exciting. 

We're deep into the wedding planning round here, and really the only thing necessary is a bride, groom, and officiant, right? Except we want lots of bells and whistles! 

Not literally, but details help make the day more memorable I think, and they're the fun part of the planning. 

6. Are you caught up in World Cup Fever? Have you watched a lot, a little or none at all?

Definitely! I don't always find 'futbol' exciting to watch, but there have been so many last second wins (and losses, sigh) in this series it has been fun tuning in. We became real fans living in the UK, plus Team USA's star (Clint Dempsey) went to the same small uni as my girls, so we love rooting for him to do well. Such a tough loss yesterday!

7.  Bid farewell to June in ten words or less.

Over already? Huh? Wait, what? It's July???

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."~ Thomas Paine

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 180

We've hit Edition #180 in the Wednesday Hodgepodge Hodgepodgers! Whoohoo! You know the drill...answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. Newcomers are always welcome to join the party! See ya there!

1.  Speaking of 180...when was the last time you 'did a 180' on something?

2. It's Independence Week in the US of A! What's your favorite thing about America right this very minute? Favorites only! Let's hear what you love about America.

If you're playing along today, and you're not an American but have been to America, what do/did you like best about this country? If you've never been to America, do you have any desire to visit? What's the number one thing you'd like to see?

3. Stars or stripes? Red, white, or blue? Watermelon, homemade vanilla ice cream, or blueberry pie?

4. When did you last see stars, figuratively speaking?

5.  'Clear as a bell', 'with bells on',  'lots of bells and whistles', 'saved by the bell'...which phrase 'rings' truest for you lately?  Have you ever seen The Liberty Bell?

6. Are you caught up in World Cup fever? Have you watched a lot or a little or none at all?

7. Bid farewell to June in 10 words or less.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.