A Star Spangled Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger there before you. Here we go- 

1. What does freedom mean to you? 

In terms of being a citizen of the US of A I see freedom as having the ability to make choices, to speak and act according to my beliefs and values, and to choose the path I want to walk in this life. To move, change course, raise a family, worship, get an education...all without unnecessary constraints. There are so many things we take for granted that I don't want to take for granted. 

That being said, the word freedom holds an even deeper spiritual meaning for me. I'm free not only from the punishment of sin, but also from its power. God sent His only Son into the world to pay the penalty I deserved. Because of that, I’m free to live joyfully and with the hope of heaven—even when the world feels confusing and dark.

2. How will you celebrate Independence Day this year? If you live outside the USA answer this question as it relates to your own country's patriotic holiday, wherever that may land on the calendar. 

I love the 4th and all the goes with it. The food, decor, music, fireworks, lake time, family, the flag waving...all of it. We'll have hubs brother and sister-in-law here for the weekend and we always have fun with them. 

On the 4th daughter1 and her family will come for lake time, a cookout, and then fireworks once it gets dark. My across the cove neighbor puts on a fabulous show and people come from all around the lake to watch. We have prime viewing from our shoreline and dock which makes it extra fun. There will be a lot of boats anchored outside the cove and whenever a particularly beautiful firework happens the boaters honk.  

Wouldn't be the 4th without one of my favorite throwbacks shared here...

c. 1998

3. This or that...red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Watermelon, home made ice cream, or blueberry pie? How do you feel about fireworks?  

Red, white or blue...depends what we're talking about but probably blue. 

Stars or stripes...stars in nature, stripes in my closet.

Watermelon, homemade ice cream, blueberry pie...a tough one, but I'll say watermelon. 

How do I feel about fireworks? I love fireworks and enjoy seeing them on the 4th. 

4. What have you purchased recently that made you excited? 

Maybe not excited, but happy. We haven't made any large purchases lately but I love this cute Kelly and Katie purse I bought recently to carry at the wedding we attended.

It's a nice size, has a fun summery feel, and was a good price. It can be a clutch or a shoulder bag with a slim gold chain strap. 

5. I'm thankful to live in America (or fill in whatever country you call home) because_____________

Back in 2022 I wrote a whole post on this topic. It's linked here (Raindrops on Roses), but this was the heart of it all-

What do I love about America? 

I love her can-do spirit. 

I love her wide open spaces and her too noisy cities. I love her diversity of thought, experience, culture, food, and climate. I love her music, college football, and small town USA. 

I love her many freedoms and the men and women who fight to preserve them. 

I love her natural beauty and her volunteerism. Her history and her modernity. Her compassion and her fortitude. Her southern drawl, New England clam chowder, purple mountains majesty and the way the sun sinks into the Gulf on a warm July night.

I love her optimism. It may be harder to find these days, but step away from the angry rhetoric filling our screens and our news feeds and sometimes even our neighborhoods, and you'll find the extraordinary. Everyday people working hard, loving their families, helping their neighbors, and praying God's blessings on this nation we call home.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

"In summer, the song sings itself." 

~William Carlos Williams