Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Slithering Into The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Then leave a comment for your neighbor on the list because that's what good blog neighbors do. Here we go-


1. Three things on your spring bucket list? If you don't have an actual list that's fine, pretend you do.

Sort out new furniture for the screened porch, give my closet the once over, and reserve the church and reception venue for daughter2's wedding happening in 2019. 

You can't believe how early people book these venues. The planner at one of the venues I saw today told me she had someone reserve a date and they're not even officially engaged yet. Whaaaat??? You have to pay deposits when you reserve these sites and I can't imagine doing that without a ring on your finger. People are sometimes a little bit crazy! 

2. Where do you find rest? What restores your soul? When was the last time you did whatever it was you answered here?

I find rest in the early morning quiet, in nature, and sleeping in my own bed particularly after a lot of travel. Reading my Bible, journaling, blogging, hiking, a swim or a long walk, a hot bath with the lights down low, and a good nap are all things that restore my soul. These are all activities that quiet the noise in my head which is a necessary pre-requisite for rest. 

I had a nap on Sunday afternoon because I'm pretty sure that's the way God intended it. I try to ease into my weekdays with a cup of coffee and my Bible and that generally makes me feel balanced, less stressed, and ready to take on the day.

3. April is National Celery Month. Who knew? Do you like celery? What's your favorite dish made with celery? On a veggie and dip platter which would you reach for first-carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumbers or cherry tomatoes?

I do like celery. Hubs has a thing about the smell for some reason, but he likes the taste okay. My favorite dish made with celery would be my mama's cornbread dressing. I also love celery in my chicken salad, but cornbread dressing is a rare treat so I'll go with that. On a veggie and dip platter I go for the cucumbers every time. 

4. I read here eight things to do before 8 am to make your day less hectic-Start one load of laundry, drink water, empty the dishwasher, read your Bible, know what you're having for dinner, get dressed, brain dump (two lists-one what you're thankful for and one what's weighing on your mind), and after the brain dump make your to-list for the day

How many of these are you currently doing? Which one do you think would help the most if you added it to your early morning routine?

I actually do most of these tasks, although not always before 8 am. I mean we're retired so what's the rush? That being said I do like to have my day organized from the get go and I agree tackling the items on this list helps. I rarely start laundry before 8 am and I'm not always dressed by 8 am either but the rest of them I can say I do regularly. I love me a good list! 

5. Describe the view from your window.

I see a dogwood in bloom, a squirrel at play and the lake looking still and lovely. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

So this not so little guy showed up on our driveway Monday afternoon. Hubs likes snakes and I do not. He likes to get a closer look and I like to go in the house and watch from the window ready to call 911 should the snake get feisty. 

Hubs informed me this was one of the 'good guys so I shouldn't kill it'. 

Um. Okay. 

Like I'd kill a snake-ha! 

He was about five feet long and looked like he was still digesting whatever critter(s) he'd recently consumed. Shudder!!! 


Where do you stand when it comes to snakes? Do you want a closer look or do you head for the hills?




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25 comments:

  1. You are pretty organized ! Booking for a wedding a year before, that's crazy could happen that the couple split before.

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  2. I like your thinking about snakes. I do, however, agree that black snakes are our friends. I prefer to keep these kinds of friends at a distance...like a really far away distance!

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  3. Oh man, snakes are CREEPY!!!!! But I have also heard that some are beneficial, so we can agree to let it be, but.... shudder!!!!
    Mmmmmm, we also make cornbread dressing with celery. I was so thankful we got that recipe tweaked and written down before my mother passed away :)

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  4. I run as far and fast as I can to get away. 😜

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  5. Yikes... that's a good size snake. I'm with you - not a fan. Have a great week, Joyce.

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  6. Congrats on your daughter's engagement! I missed that bit of news :) Also, my thoughts are similar to yours, concerning snakes! I don't like them one bit!!! As far as I'm concerned, there is no good snake, but Ed always relocates the harmless ones.
    Kathy (Reflections)

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  7. I hate snakes and that one looks scary, whether or not he's a good snake. Your description of rest is my true idea of a good rest. You just worded it so well. And I forgot about cornbread dressing. That would be the other time I eat celery.

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  8. Enjoy the wedding planning stage.....my oldest daughter is getting married in October this year. Youngest daughter had a summer wedding in 2015, so oldest daughter opted for a fall wedding.
    I do not like snakes of any kind.... I would run for the hills!!!

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  9. As soon as I read your title I just knew you were going to post a picture of that thing again. LOL I hate them. All of them and it matters not to me what kind they are. I won't kill one either because I'd never get that close. All I want is for them to stay far away from me and mine and by that I mean never ever come withing a 100 mile radius at the very least. Anyway, my grandmother's cornbread dressing is the one thing I have learned to make that tastes just like hers and I'm so grateful because Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it. I think we're booking our venue on Friday. Fingers crossed!

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  10. The oy good snake is a dead snake - or one that has moved to another state. Good thing there are no poision snakes in NH. It's just too cold for them here.

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  11. SNAKES! EW! I run for the hills. I don't have very many encounters with them where I live but one summer I did find a rather long (to me) one sunning itself in our driveway. When I got a little (and I do mean little) closer to get a better look I watched it slither into a crack between our house and garage. The thought of it living under our house and perhaps laying eggs just freaked me out the rest of the summer. I still keep a look out for "family" showing up. SHUDDER On that note, I can't wait to see blooms and wildlife in my yard again. Winter just seems to be dragging on this year and yet looking at the calendar it isn't really that tardy...maybe I just have less patience than I used to. Thanks again Joyce and have a great week!

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  12. Jo,

    I'm definitely not a snake fan, even if it's the good kind. I recall once stepping on a garden snack. It scared me to death and I scared it, as it coiled to strike position but it didn't bite me. Although it's not poisonous I understand it's bite can cause some serious infections. The good Lord was watching over me. Sometimes I have to take a Cathy nap during the day to restore my energies. It's nice that I can do that now with all the kids grown and out of the house but I wonder for how much longer. It's a beautiful day. Let's hope Mother Nature continues to improve in the coming days. Thanks for hosting the mid-week fun, dearie!

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  13. Oh, my goodness, in my estimation, the only good snake is a DEAD snake. Yes, I'm with you, a ring on the finger would be a MUST before any booking of venue's. How crazy! Have a great Wednesday!

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  14. That is a huge snake...yikes. I love your list of relaxing things - same for me. And I can see how the to-do list could slow down a little when we hit retirement!

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  15. WOW! What kind of snake is it?
    I also will grab the cucumbers. :-)
    Have a great week!
    Carla

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  16. Just reading your post has had me shuddering over that snake. I'd have run a mile in fact I'm not sure I could live anywhere that snakes might be around. Your house and the lake are beautiful so maybe I could survive but for me no snae is a good snake but I wouldn't want hubby trying to kill it either. Good luck with getting the wedding venue sorted.

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  17. I'm not a big snake fan, and I have been known to kill one or two. Who knows if they were the good kind or not. When there's one in the yard with your babies, then its enemy #1 and off with its head. When I answered the question about the view, I pictured what you were seeing and knowing it must be so peaceful. I was not envious. I was not envious at all. Enjoy your busy month one day at a time, as I will.

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  18. No thank you on any type of snakes!

    We have had a couple in our back yard over the years. One of them Caleb actually stepped over as he went out the back door, it was in the railing of the sliding glass door. Then he saw it and ran around to the front door. It happened again a couple years later when he came up on one in the back yard.

    I liked question 4, interesting to think about these things and how many I do.

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  19. Indiana Jones: "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?"

    Congrats and your daughter's impending wedding.

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  20. I'm excited to get the deets! Is there another January wedding in the works? :) Didn't D1 get engaged in April also? Before Kallie graduated college, she knew classmates who would reserve the University Chapel 5 years out! Hedging their bets that they'd meet someone and get engaged before their date arrived. So crazy! Snakes, I'd be running. 'Good guy' or not.

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  21. Yeah, so I don't do snakes. At all. About ten years ago, I was removing plywood from my screened in porch after a hurricane, and as I lifted one board, I saw a large red snake. It blended in with the red brick on my house, so I almost missed it. It had squeezed under the plywood during the storm. I screamed bloody murder. Fortunately, my husband was home for a lunch break and ran outside. He was able to relocate the snake to the pond across the street. Egads!

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  22. Unless it's a garter snake 18" or shorter, I run, usually after I scream. ;-)

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  23. Not a snake fan at all. Once, many years ago, we had them living in our cellar. I'm sure they were there for the mice. Hubby relocated them and tightened things up in the cellar and we haven't seen one for many, many years, but that was scary.

    Other than the snake question I very much enjoyed reading your questions and answers! Thanks for hosting!

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  24. SWMBO and I often take a nap on Sunday afternoon. It is a real blessing. Regarding snakes, I take a live and let live approach. As long as the snakes do not encroach into my world I will not encroach into theirs. Otherwise it's off to the snake afterlife for them. On the morning ritual, I am not a morning person so most of my Bible reading and quiet time happens in the evening. My mornings consists of getting up, getting dressed and reminding myself not to kill anything.
    Thanks for another fun Hodgepodge.

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  25. No time for the Hodgepodge this week, but always love reading yours! Your list to start the day is admirable and I'm still not organized enough to do it all, but it's something I'm striving for.
    The snake? Yeah we have them here too, but I just try to avoid them, when I see one. NOT interested in a closer look.

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