Wednesday, July 27, 2016

A Bi-Coastal Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! One item of business...I'm declaring next week summer vacation here so no Hodgepodge on Wednesday August 3rd. I'll have out of town visitors and will be coming and going so not sure how much I'll be online. Thanks for understanding! The Hodgepodge will be back in action the following week-August 10th. 

Also, we're here today so let's get to it-


1.  On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why? 
(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)

It's been a strange summer so I'm going with a 5. Not awful, but definitely not the best ever. 

2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who call you Aunt (or Uncle).

I had a lot of aunts and uncles, but sadly we rarely lived near one another. I remember fun trips as a kid to visit extended family in Colorado and New Mexico, but they were few and far between. Families of six didn't just hop on a plane and fly cross country the way we tend to do now. We did have an aunt and uncle in the D.C. area, so we saw those cousins more often, but still not a lot. 

I felt a special closeness with my mom's only sister and we wrote letters back and forth which were dear to me. We both loved the Anne books, and this particular aunt called me her kindred spirit. As an adult I did get to know my mom's brothers better and my uncle came all the way from Arizona to be part of my Daughter1's wedding day. That meant so much to all of us. 

I'm called aunt by some super sweeties and I love the title.

3. What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate? What's your favorite food dipped in cheese?

A Dairy Queen soft serve vanilla cone would be my favorite food dipped in chocolate. I love how it hardens on the cool ice cream-yum! Thursday, July 28th Dairy Queen will be holding a Miracle Treats Day, and $1 (or more) from every Blizzard sold will be donated to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Go share a Blizzard with someone this Thursday! 

My favorite food dipped in cheese? Crusty cubes of bread in a cheese fondue. Preferably served tableside in a charming little French place in the Alps. 

4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.

I'm going with the current election season and will leave it at that. 

5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered?

Well not an ironing board-ha! I'm going with bulletin board because I helped Daughter2 in her classroom this week, and it takes two people to cover a bulletin board. 

6. What's your favorite story from scripture? Why that story?

Daniel in the Lion's Den. Why? Because Daniel managed to do the right thing no matter the cost. He was a boy/man of the utmost integrity, whose faith guided his every decision, and who throughout his life held true to the courage of his convictions.  

7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?

I wish this question asked which 50 cities I'd most want to see. Five is too hard! I've spent a lot of time traveling on the East Coast and have lived near NYC, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. I've been to Boston and points north and have also seen a good chunk of the Southeastern section of America. I've also spent time in portions of the Southwest, so for my imaginary trek I'm going with five places new to me. 

Here are five I'd like to see, but they're not the only five! 

Mackinac Island, MI
Rapid City, South Dakota
Portland, OR
Lake Tahoe, Nevada
San Francisco, CA

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have a million words about all the things happening in the world today, but I'm going to share this instead. 'There's a light at the end of the trouble...'


(available now for preorder or everywhere August 26)

27 comments:

  1. While I really don't want anything to do with going to a big city, I do think that it would be cool to see the row houses in San Francisco. I think that is what they call them. Anyway, the architecture there is beautiful and I would love to see it.

    You and David have the same answer regarding things dipped in chocolate. I was silly with my answer. :)

    I hope that you have a great time with your visits next week. Have a blessed week!

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  2. Love your random thought. Have a great time next week and I look forward to hearing about it.

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  3. You are right. This current election season seems to me messed up. It is kind of like trying to choose which venomous snake to give your children to play with.

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  4. Hi Joyce, interesting questions today and I enjoyed attempting to answer! I think I agree with you about the ice-cream dipped in chocolate--that brings back memories from the past since we don't have a DQ near here. Have a good time with your visitors!

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  5. I am sickened more than astonished over the elections and will leave it at that, too. The cities were hard for me because there are more places I would rather see than cities. Your answer about Daniel was good. There are too many Bible stories that I love, but you are right about Daniel. A boy of courage who never changed his standards as he grew old in the midst of godless surroundings. We can take a lesson there for sure.

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  6. I'm going to be up at school helping Daughter 4 get her room ready this week and next. I'm also going to tutor in her room on Tuesdays and Thursdays since I won't have Baby M until noon on those days. :) I love knowing I don't have to get the lab ready for this school year. But I'm also a bit sad because I'll miss my friends up there. We're like family and I loved seeing and interacting with them daily. I forgot all about DQ! The hubster and I had a Dilly Bar on the way back from Nashville! When is move in at the new house?

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    1. No official date, but cabinets go in next week (fingers and toes crossed) and they say it's about six weeks from that point. We shall see : ) We feel like end of September for completion.

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  7. Enjoyed your answers, Joyce...have a great day. smiles

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  8. Ha! Loved what you answered for #4!
    I like the DQ cones too. I have not had one in years, you made me hungry for one. ;-)
    I bet you just loved helping set up Daughter2's classroom with her.
    Have a great week!
    Carla

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  9. I agree, choosing five cities was hard! Thanks for letting us know about Miracle Treat Day, my kids are gonna love that :D

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  10. I didn't think about a dipped cone from Dairy Queen, or that would've been my answer, too!
    We are astonished by this election season, too :( It's a sad situation to be in.
    I know this hasn't been the greatest summer for you, but, hopefully, next summer will be one of the greatest, ever :) That house, that boat, the lake.... Need I say more?
    Thankfully, the linky worked for me again today :) but I sure do appreciate your help when it doesn't!
    Enjoy your week!
    Kathy (Reflections)

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  11. Oh how I love that "Light at the end of the trouble"!!! I enjoyed today's HP, Joyce. Had to think hard on a couple of the questions. I enjoyed reading your answers!

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  12. Why didn't I think of Mackinac Island? I'd love to see that! I haven't really seen the northern border states, so I put St. Paul, MN for lack of a great idea. You'll love San Francisco. Might be my favorite city west of the Big Apple. The election season is astonishing in a negative way, isn't it? I'd love to sleep through the next four years when I think about it.

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  13. Loved your answers....I love Mackinac Island and would go back any time....except maybe Winter.

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  14. We lived for several years we lived in Michigan and never went to Mackinac Island.

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  15. Nice that you did have that closeness with your moms sister. I haven't had a dipped Dairy Queen in a long time. We have them here in CA but not close by. That's a great answer for #4, it is astonishing! I don't believe I've been to Portland, Or but I've been to the others and we honeymooned on Mackinac Island!

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  16. How could I have forgotten about Lake Tahoe? That's on my 'must see' list, for sure! The scenery looks breathtaking! Oh, yes, Dairy Queen vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate is pure bliss! Enjoy your day, Joyce!

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  17. I'm sliding in late to the party this week!
    Glad to see I am not the only one astonished by our election. Heavy hearted sigh.
    Mackinac Island is fun, and of course the fudge :)
    LOTS of good to learn from Daniel's life!
    I still have to read the Anne books. I don't know how I missed them as a child.
    Enjoy your company!

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  18. Good answer for #6. I often wonder if I was ever really tested, not even to that extent, if I would have the courage to follow through.

    Sounds like a good reason to go to DQ tomorrow!

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  19. Oh I love DQ but we don't have any here. Someone eat one for me, please! Setting up bulletin boards for the new school year is the best. Miss that. Thanks for another great week at the Hodgepodge :)

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  20. It was tough to narrow it down to only 5 cities! And good call on sharing the video rather than more ugliness from the world.

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  21. I cannot believe you haven't been to SFO! Crazy. Anyway, it's only 1.5 hr flight from us so you could kill 2 cities in one swoop! :) Go West Young Lady! I crack myself up today.

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  22. Chocolate? Cheese? How did I miss a question with two of my favorite things? Sure, I can count - 1, 2, 4, 5...ha ha, had to update my post to fix it. Loved that you added the setting for that cheese and bread moment.

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  23. Loved your response to #6, Daniel. He is an example for us all, and perhaps most especially with our current political climate.

    As for your 5 cities to visit, Beloved and I lived in Rapid City, SD for 4 years. Our 2 sons were born at the USAF hospital nearby. The Black Hills with Mount Rushmore are great.

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  24. Times of transition are not always our favorite times are they? But, I can't wait to read how you will answer that question next summer. Daniel! Of course, such a powerful example of both integrity and faith; standing firm on the principles of what is right and true,and Godlike. Oh do we need that today. Like you, I will leave it there.

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  25. It's been a very long time since I had a chocolate-dipped Dairy Queen cone. That sounds so good! I also like your choice of Bible character and the reasons you give for your choice.

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  26. I apparently touched a nerve with my ironing board comment. I also received a fair amount of feedback on my random thought. I agree with your answer to #7. It was hard choosing only 5 cities. Thanks for the Hodgepodge. All the best to you and Hubs.

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