Wednesday, May 2, 2018

The Hodgepodge of Happiness

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, our first in the month of May. We're finally enjoying some gorgeous weather here in the southland and I hope spring is springing where you are too. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you because that's how we roll here. Let's go-


1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Is there a flower you associate with a particular memory? Explain.

When I see a bed of iris I always think of my mama and her green thumb. How she used to grow the most beautiful iris in a big bed at the corner of our property. I wish I had a picture. 

2. Last time you helped someone? Tell us how.

We bought new furniture for our screened in porch and some of it was delivered today (Tuesday). I helped hubs carry the old furniture down to the lower patio. Normally my helping someone doesn't involve manual labor, because I'm not all that helpful in the heavy lifting department. The old furniture was light so I managed. 

Mostly. 

Stairs are tricky y'all. 

3. It's National Salsa Month (the food, not the dance) so tell us, do you like salsa? Hot, medium, or mild? Homemade, store bought, or from your favorite restaurant only?

Yes I do like salsa, medium is my favorite. I like homemade, store bought, or salsa served beside a warm bowl of chips in a Mexican restaurant. I also like salsa on scrambled eggs. If you haven't tried it you should. Yum! 

4. When I was twelve years old...

I was in the seventh grade and I'm gonna be honest and say not my favorite year, school wise anyway. It was my first year in Jr. High which back then was grades 7 and 8 in one building. I rode a bus to school for the first time and mostly I remember it was hard trying to figure out where I belonged. I had super skinny legs and long hair and I did enjoy the fashion. It was the early 70's after all. I had friends and a family who loved me so it wasn't all bad. Just a year of growing and figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be. 

5. It's the first of May so let's run with it-first things first, don't know the first thing about it, first dibs on something, first impression, first rate, first cousin, first string, first come first served, at first light-which phrase can best be applied to something in your life currently or even recently?

Probably 'first things first' as we have a number of things we want to do to the house, and we're trying to prioritize them in order of importance. FYI-most important isn't always equal to most fun. Just sayin'. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.


We've had a bluebird house ever since we moved in here. Hubs set it up one day and bluebirds declared it home a couple of days later.  (hubs took all these pics)


He whistles on his way down the walkway to feed them in the morning and mom and dad fly around his head and sit on the tree branch above the birdhouse and are not skittish at all. 


There are four noisy babies in the house right now and I hope I'm sitting outside when they take their first flight. I hope the hawk is not. 


Mom and Dad have been a bit bold of late and have started buzzing the covered deck and sitting on the porch railing. 


We really need them to stay on their own property so to speak but we're cutting them a little slack since they're new parents. We definitely don't want them making our porch their vacation home. 




Even if they are beautiful little creatures. 



25 comments:

  1. What a nice bluebird house ! Love the bird pictures. Carrying furniture, would cost me an effort too !

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  2. Love the bird pictures! So pretty. I do love iris' but I love Lilacs and Hyacinths the best. I guess I am really attracted by scent! Have a great day, Joyce!

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  3. I agree -- salsa is great with eggs. I often will serve it alongside an egg bake or omelet.

    Fun seeing your photos of the bluebirds. My mother loved bluebirds and there were several bluebird houses at their place. Many times when things were difficult, a bluebird would show up and she always felt God allowed her to see that bluebird as an encouragement.

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  4. Beautiful pics of the birds, Joyce! Have a good week.

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  5. Jim is the nanny for our many hummingbirds, it’s kind of fun watching him lavish them with watchful care and sugar water 😊
    Agreed, 7th grade was a hard one. It’s hard to not feel comfortable in your own skin.
    Good luck with the prioritizing, and here’s hoping you and Hubs are on the same page with that! ☺️😉

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  6. What a blessing to have those beautiful little bluebird neighbors!! I've only seen one this spring, but several years ago a whole crew stopped in one day to congregate before migration. It was fabulous! Great photos. Thank you

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  7. One of our most wonderful teachers at school earned a grant for a digital camera and blue bird house a few years ago. The whole school could tune in to watch the nest being built, the parents taking care of the eggs, the eggs hatching, the feeding of the baby birds...it was fantastic! Everyone at school felt those birds were 'ours' and the excitement never waned. They still have the camera and they still love watching. At first I was concerned about the camera but it makes no noise at all. It made me want one in my yard. LOL Have a wonderful day!

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  8. Most important isn't always the most fun:). Nice pics of the bluebirds. Have a great rest of the week.

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  9. Oh, I'm pretty sure my days of carrying anything up or down stairs, besides myself, is over. I can't fall at this point in my life. :o)) We have some very noisy bluebirds as well and they can get "up in our business" as well. Porches seem to attract birds and the results of that are not always pleasant, as you know. Happy Wed! Oh, I might have to try salsa on my scrambled eggs sometime.

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  10. Jo,

    I don't do well in the lifting department, either. 20 years ago, I did better but I wouldn't say great. I'm very small built and while I had more strength then I'm pitiful now. It's sorta troubling to say the least. You did a fabulous job capturing the adorable blue bird couple. I'm jealous! *wink* Enjoy this beautiful weather. It's beginning to feel more like summer than spring. Thanks for hosting the mid-week fun, my dear and kindly keep DH in prayer tomorrow as he has combo surgery - cataract and to have oil bubble removed from last year's retina attachment procedure. Blessings to all!

    ~Curious as a Cathy
    Sevier Country Courthouse National Pride #WW

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  11. Birds sitting on the fan blades. Now that's something I've not considered before. We have a screened-in porch due to the insects here, but in previous houses the fan blades would have been fare game.

    Great pictures of the blue birds.

    And yes, the 12th year was awkward and hard for me, too.

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  12. Our daughter has a family of bluebirds in one of her birdhouses. Last Saturday, we watched, in horror, as the babies were learning how to fly. At one point, Ed and I had to put a couple of our cats into one of our empty chicken coops, for a while. Whew! It's a wonder any baby birds survive, but most do. I love bluebirds, and really enjoyed your pictures.
    Kathy (Reflections)

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  13. My memory of seventh grade is very similar to yours. ;) So glad we grow up and (mostly) figure things out. Have a beautiful day!

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  14. Mark's trying to complete a small project each night after work. Gosh I'm home all day completing nothing half the time! I love your random, they are so cute. Enjoy the rest of your week and your new patio furniture.

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  15. Yes to eggs and salsa! Lovely association between Irises and your mom. Those bluebirds are sweet. Junior high was challenging for sure. Hope you are able to tick all those things on your list of to dos without sore muscles!

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  16. I immediately thought of Cinderella when you talked about the bluebirds flying around his head - was it bluebirds that carried the train of her wedding dress? Silly thought!

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  17. We had some similar answers this week. No stairs in my son's flat though - on the ground floor. I hope there were no accidents on your stairs when you were moving furniture. Those pictures of the bluebirds are lovely. Thanks for the Hodgepodge.

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  18. I like your little blue bird, they are so fun to watch.

    My flower for #1 was also iris.

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  19. Ah, love the birds!! Great photos! This was a fun Hodgepodge, Joyce! Thanks!

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  20. Oh I LOVE the birds! I don't see bluebirds in our area...wish I did!

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  21. I miss the Hodgepodge. Somehow I'm not finding time to blog at the moment. But loved reading here again.

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  22. Hi Joyce,
    My dad's favorite bird is the bluebird. I will have to show him your photos. Beautiful captures!!
    I agree, lifting and moving furniture is not an easy task and stairs!! Golly, I am so slow going down with furniture down stairs it is not funny. ;-)

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  23. Iris also remind me of my mom too...so many flowers do! Yes, 12 years old is certainly an awkward age to be but we made it through! The bluebirds...oh I just love them and you have captured such wonderful shots! We have had some off and on since early this spring (when it cold) but they never made a home in the box. I do hope they return. Enjoy the rest of your week!

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  24. What beautiful pictures of the blue birds! I would love to see your house as well.

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  25. Hello! I read your post for today about hubs visiting your daughter's classroom. I empathize with him. Kids are exhausting in a number of ways. Your Hodgepodge random thought and photo's were nice. I'm glad you were able to help hubs with the patio furniture without incident. Thank you for another fine Hodgepodge.

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