Wednesday, February 17, 2021

A Penny For Your Hodgepodge Thoughts

Welcome back to another week in the Wednesday Hodgepodge! If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then go say howdy to your neighbor there. Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond

1. This week's Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday which signals the beginning of Lent. Do you mark this season in some way? If so tell us more. Did you grow up 'celebrating' Lent? Is attending church part of your weekly routine? Are churches open for in-person worship where you live? 

I didn't grow up in a denomination that put a great deal of emphasis on the season of Lent, but Easter was most definitely a very special day. As an adult I've grown to appreciate this idea of intentional focus on the days leading up to the crucifixion and the great sacrifice made at the cross. I  don't give anything up, but I do try to read something that sets my mind on that sacrifice and what it means to me and for me as we head into Easter. 

I love church and one of the biggest negatives to all this virus mess has been the disruption to our weekly routine of 'going to church'. Some churches are open, others closed, others open but with limited access. Ours was open for a brief period then returned to virtual. We've been attending our Sunday School class via Zoom for almost a year now, and that's worked surprisingly well. 

I'm ready to be back in the building, which I know is just a building, but again I think worship feels more like worship when we're physically in the same space. Far fewer distractions too. 

2. When is the last time you sat beside a 'real' fire? Do you have a fireplace in your home? Wood or gas logs? Favorite thing cooked over a fire? 

A real fire as in a wood fire? Yes I think that's what I meant when I asked-ha! 


We have an outdoor fire pit that uses 'real' wood and I think the last time we had a fire there was sometime in the fall.  It's been a while. I love a wood fire, but gas is so much more practical and for sure less messy. I always feel like I need a shower after we've had an outdoor fire.  

We sit beside a gas fire most days in the winter months. We have a two sided-fireplace with one side facing the keeping room section of our kitchen and the other facing the family room. We also have a gas fireplace on our screened in porch, which is where we live about 3/4 of the year. 

And finally, we have a 'fire table' on our covered deck which I absolutely love! If you're thinking of getting one I highly recommend. It runs on a propane tank hidden on the under side of the table. 


Favorite thing cooked over a fire? Hubs makes a cobbler in the dutch oven and it's scrumptious. 

3. Something that's currently got you fired up? 

I'm trying hard not to let things fire me up these days. All it takes is for hubs to read me a sentence or two of what's going on in our country on so many levels and I feel my blood begin to boil. So I shut it down. 

I am not a hide your head in the sand kind of girl, but most of what is out there is not helpful, often not accurate or even true, and it's definitely not in line with my current way of thinking which is ...'whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...think about these things..."

I think it's okay to take a break from the bickering, the 'but I must make my point' way of thinking and try being still for a while. Where have all the opinions stated as fact gotten us? Nowhere we want to be that's for sure. At least nowhere I want to be. 

4. February also happens to be National Cabbage Day. Who knew? Do you like cabbage? Is cabbage on your menu Wednesday? Of the following cabbage dishes which is your favorite-coleslaw (mayo or vinegar?), sauerkraut, cabbage rolls, cabbage soup, kielbasa and cabbage, grilled cabbage, bubble and squeak, kimchi, or haluski? 

I do like cabbage. I mean I don't want it on the menu every night, but I like most things on that list. It would be hard to pick a favorite but my top three would be coleslaw of any kind, kimchi, and bubbles and squeak, mostly because I like saying it, and also because it wings me back to the days of dinner in the local pub in our little English village. 

5. Do you hang on to pennies? What do you do with them? Last thing you purchased for $1.00? Last thing you purchased for $5.00? 

I make hubs crazy digging for change when change is called for. We rarely use cash these days so it doesn't happen often, but if you tell me I owe x dollars and .62 cents I'm going to dig up 2 quarters, a dime, and two pennies from the bottom of my purse. Is that a woman thing? I feel like it might be. 

Last thing I purchased for a dollar? I paid a library fine that was considerably less than one dollar and told them not to bother with the change. Five dollars it's harder to remember....maybe the donuts we bought from the Donut Wagon a couple of weeks ago? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A friend shared this with me and I thought it was lovely...a little snapshot of heaven perhaps? It came out quite a while back, but somehow I missed it.  Still timely though-

19 comments:

  1. Wow that video was awesome and then I went to You Tube to save it. Then the Blessing played next. I agree with you on the smoke, a shower is needed to get the smoke off. Less news is better. Enjoy your week!

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  2. I feel like you on #3; trying to be positive and then someone mentions something that is happening and my thoughts begin raging.
    Great video--WOW!

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  3. Joyce,

    I loved how you answered #3 something that fires you up. I feel precisely like you. It is what it is but I don't have to let the deceit and ugliness control my world. If I allow that to happen then Satan wins and I am not going to let that happen. Beautiful, beautiful rendition of "Amazing Grace". Jesus offers His saving grace to all people. Have a wonderful day, my friend!

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  4. Happy Wednesday! I love your fire table. I didn't think about fired up in the sense of what's going on in our country right now - I've tended to bury my head in the sand a bit, hardly watch the news anymore, it's just too depressing and I skim right past the variety of political posts that pop up in my social media. I know everyone is entitled to their opinions but really, enough already!

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  5. How funny, I am the very same way about change. Perhaps it is a "woman thing." We love, love our fire table that we purchased this past spring. A lovely addition to our back porch. As always, thanks for hosting us each week, you're the BEST!

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  6. That video is awesome. Thank you so much for sharing it. It made me tear up and that is rare for me. I think I really needed to hear that today.

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  7. Hi Joyce:
    I enjoyed your questions today.
    I love your comments!
    The cobbler in the Dutch oven sounds delicious, I love cobbler.
    Thanks for sharing your pictures.
    Have a good Wednesday.

    https://gloriasretiredlife.blogspot.com/

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  8. There is definitely a different when you are around a wood fire. Feeling like you've been camping and you definitely need to clean up. I pray you get back into your church building soon. So nice that you still do the zoom on Sunday morning. Your double sided fireplace sounds perfect. I hear you about getting heated up about current situations. The video is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.

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  9. I like your idea of reading a book leading up to Easter to help you reflect. Great answer! My hair always stinks after a wood fire. I hate rewashing my hair since it is such a pain to blow out ;)
    Thanks for another week at the Hodgepodge :)

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  10. So jealous of that fire table. I live in an apartment with a small patio, too small for something like that fire table.

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  11. I miss being in regular interaction with my church friends. It’s just not the same now when we aren’t supposed to congregate after and aren’t going to regular class or small group.

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  12. Love your fire sources! How nice to have a screened in outdoor space so you can enjoy more of the seasons without being bugged. :) I hadn't heard that rendition of Amazing Grace and it brought good tears to my eyes. I hope many will see and repent and be saved in these crazy days.

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  13. Your answer to #3 resonates with me. I have given up watching the news - really! We have a similar firepit (as in it is metal and runs on gas!). We love the ease. We had a wonderful firepit where we could burn real wood but we felt like we had to wash all of our clothes (plus ourselves) every time we sat outside. I asked for the new one for my birthday (last June) and it finally came in right before fall - perfect timing.

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  14. Interesting questions this week. About pennies and digging for change. I don't think it's a girl thing. My hubby does it and so does my older son. And I do, too. I think it's a frugal thing at its core.
    Oh, I love your fire options!

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  15. Thank you for sharing the amazing video of "Amazing Grace."

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  16. Yes it's hard to watch the news at the moment. I'd much rather be sitting by any of your fires.

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  17. We have a woodstove, a fireplace and an outdoor fire pit and we try to use them often. In fact I'm planning on having a fire going today as we are in line for a big snowstorm.

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  18. I had fun joining in with Hodgepodge this week. I signed up for the link, but I don't think it went through.

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  19. I remember seeing the video, but never tire of watching. Your answer to #3 is exactly what I wish I had been capable of voicing/writing/formulating. Thank you for doing it for me. I'm a bit envious of all the sources of direct heat and fire at your house. We have gas logs, but are being discouraged from using them now until our power grids are more capable of handling it all. Besides, I heard a young woman say that her gas bill for using hers to heat her house this week, exceeded $3,000. That was the deterrent I needed.

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