Leaping Into the Hodgepodge Vol 68

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge...be sure to add your link to the bottom of my post so we can all stop by and say hi. Here are my answers to this week's questions-

1. The Hodgepodge falls on the last day of the month this year, a leap year. How will you spend that extra day?

Nothing too extraordinary...I'll spend a portion of the extra day waiting on Mr. Tile Guy to touch up the grout in my bathroom shower. We put a new shower in last spring and he recommended a grout re-touch a few months down the road which is where we are now.

I'll do the usual laundry-dust-meal prep, return some library books and drop off/pick up dry cleaning and hopefully finish my book club book so I can pass it on to a neighbor. I'll also spend some time organizing the trillion or so travel docs I've accumulated so far for my Asia trip happening later this spring + our graduation travel happening in May + our post-graduation family vacay happening after that. Being your own travel agent is time consuming.

2. What has recently required a leap of faith on your part?

Parenting. My girls are young adults now and I need to trust that I've poured into them what's needed in order for them to make wise decisions. Not as easy as it sounds.

I think most healthy decisions are a delicate balance of reason and emotion best reached after you've talked all the particulars over with God. At this stage of the game I have to trust that message has been sent and received.

3. We're one week into the season of Lent...are you marking these forty days in some way? Giving something up or adding something extra to normal life? How's it going so far?

I didn't grow up with the tradition of giving something up for Lent although some years I have chosen to do just that. This year I borrowed an idea I'd seen on Kelly's Korner and I'm sending a handwritten letter or a card to someone via snail mail each day of the Lenten season. I'm writing family, the children we sponsor through World Vision, friends who may need some encouragement, and anyone else who is brought to mind. I am loving this exercise!

4. When was the last time you sat beside a fire?

We have a gas fireplace in our family room but rarely turn it on. In fact we didn't use it at all the first two years we lived here but last fall I had it inspected and we've run it a time or two. Not often because it wreaks havoc with the already too high gas bill, but once in a while on super cold days we'll flip it on. Haven't had many of those this winter either. We had an outdoor firepit built last Spring and have really enjoyed that. Here's some of my family chillaxing over the Christmas break-

I think December was the last time we sat out there but I look forward to more of that once winter wraps up.

5. Surf and turf is on the menu. Do you order as is or do you ask for just the surf (lobster), just the turf (steak) or a menu so you can select another option?

Surf and turf.

Bring it.

Is it kind of obnoxious for a 51 year old woman to say bring it?

No need to respond....I think I already know the answer.

Just to reiterate-I am way younger in my head.

6. If you could have any television show back, not in reruns but in new episodes, what program would you choose?

I asked my hubs this question and we had the same answer. The first thing that popped into my head was The Andy Griffith Show. So sweet and funny, plus the whole family could watch without anyone needing to squirm or suddenly remember they needed to check on something in the other room.

It seems like most of the comedy shows that today bill themselves as 'for the family' will eventually decide to explore super serious, often controversial issues. They start off as family fare but once they gravitate towards these topics they become too overtly p.c. and inappropriate.

You could watch Andy with your grandma or your teenager or your 7-year old and everyone felt warm and fuzzy when the credits rolled.

7. They say an elephant never forgets. These days would you say your memory is more like an elephant or a gnat?

A gnat.

A gnat that has been stomped on by a big fat giant elephant.

The dulling of my memory is my second least favorite thing about mid-life.

My suddenly non-existent metabolism gets the blue ribbon in case you're wondering.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This is the last day of the February photo challenge and, as has become my custom with this venture, I'm breaking the rules. Today's prompt is 'something you're listening to' but I prefer Monday's prompt which was-'something you ate'.

Of course I do.

I had to bring snack to Bible Study this week so I made a recipe I'd seen on Pinterest-Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze.

Positively scrumptious!

You'll find the recipe here.

You're welcome.

One for the Money, Two for the Hodgepodge

Before I post the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge I'm going to subject you to my picture for today's photo challenge prompt-'money'. I actually have something that works for this one.

If you read here you know my hubs travels all around the world and he typically comes home with a bill or two of currency from where ever he's been. Most of Europe is on the Euro now which I suppose makes life more convenient but definitely not as interesting.

Anyway, I have some odds and ends bills from hither and yon and recently had a few of them framed and matted. The money isn't uniform in size which made the project a little challenging but I'm really happy with the finished product-

From l-r we have United Arab Emirates, China, India, Brazil, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, and South Africa. That's a start.

Now on to the questions for this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog and then come back tomorrow to link with everyone else who plays along. Be sure to add a link to my blog or the button (code is in my sidebar under the button-just copy and paste) in your post. That way, visitors to your blog will be directed back here so they can join the party too.

1. The Hodgepodge falls on the last day of February this year, a leap year. How will you spend that extra day?

2. What has recently required a leap of faith on your part?

3. We're one week into the season of Lent...are you marking these 40 days in some way? Giving something up or adding something extra to normal life? How's it going so far?

4. When was the last time you sat beside a fire?

5. Surf and Turf is on the menu. Do you order as is or do you ask for just the surf (lobster), just the turf (steak), or a menu so you can select another option?

6. If you could have any television program back, not in reruns but in new episodes, what program would you choose?

7. They say an elephant never forgets. These days would you say your memory is more like an elephant or a gnat?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Real Life, Blog Life on a Monday

Sometimes its hard to put the right words together. Sometimes your days and your head and your heart are filled with stuff you don't feel comfortable putting out there on your blog. Because the story isn't yours you don't say a lot about it here.

Behind every little blog there is a lot of life. My niece is a part of ours and as such we're part of a story that isn't being told here. She's been in the hospital essentially since mid-August. All but roughly 2o days since first being admitted and diagnosed with leukemia have been spent in hospital. Six months.

In writing about the everyday nonsense that I record here I'm not pretending her story isn't happening. I want to be respectful of her privacy and also allow her story to be told in first person, by her. Or her parents. The thing is, that story is the backdrop to our lives right now and some days I struggle to write about the trivial. Let's face it, most of the stuff we blog about is trivial.

I have two choices. I stop writing or I write but refrain from talking about a piece of our very real family story on a daily basis. I've opted for the latter because writing has become a necessary outlet, but every now and then I feel the need to acknowledge here that a big chunk of our everyday life is not being talked about on my blog. And that's okay.

It was a quiet weekend here at the ole homestead and no, I don't live on a farm but I like that phrase. I live in the suburbs. With a lot of wildlife all around. So kinda like the woodland version of a homestead. What was I saying again? Hubs worked out his schedule so he could spend the weekend with his brother and sister in law and our niece. Sometimes when families are separated by geographical distance you need to get on an airplane and be near. I drowned myself in paperwork and attempted not to lift off the ground in the icky cold wind. It's still February in case anyone had begun to think otherwise.

How did I fill the rest of the weekend hours?

Well I got that pesky tax organizer submitted to the accountants so yay me! I also met with our attorney about updating our wills.

Wills and taxes.

Don't be jealous.

I had my second lesson with a local photographer.

I vacuumed.

I wrote.

I talked to my girls on the phone.

I listened to music.

I ran some errands.

I went to church.

I thought about the A-Z blog challenge coming up in April and tried to come up with a plan. If you'd like to join the fun go here to link up and get details. I participated last year and really enjoyed it. I used that month as an opportunity to record some of our happiest travel memories and it helped to have a theme. I sorta kinda maybe came up with one for this year's challenge.

It may or may not involve travel.

Remember how I said I have a big trip this spring?

Moving on.

The Oscars...did you watch?

I'm all about the fashion.

My favorites were Gwyneth Paltrow, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and George Clooney's date-Stacy Kiebler. She had the best accessory, wink wink.

I wish I had Robin Roberts arms.

Just sayin'.

While I did a lot of writing this weekend I did not do a lot of picture taking. I made an attempt at capturing one of the February photo challenge prompts and that was Day 26-'night'.

There is something very comforting to me about seeing the moon in the night sky. No matter if its gloriously full and bright or the tiniest sliver of a fingernail it is a reminder at each day's end that Someone far bigger than me holds the universe and each one of us in it in the palm of His hand.

These boots were made for walking

I really do want to be caught up on the February Photo Challenge but I just don't see that happening. Today's prompt is 'inside your bathroom cabinet' so here's a picture of my shoe.

You followed that logic, right?

'Shoe' was yesterday's prompt, which I missed, so in the crazy mixed up random that is my blog I decided to skip photographing the inside of my bathroom cabinet and am posting a picture for the shoe prompt instead. The inside of my cabinet feels way too personal, plus why would I ever want a picture of that?

Course you may be wondering why I'd ever want a picture of my shoe and the answer to that question is I wouldn't, but I did take one recently in anticipation of the shoe prompt so I'm running with it.

This shoe is never kept in my closet because it's almost always muddy. It was purchased (along with its mate of course) for one of my girlies many moons ago, just prior to a Young Life Service project trip. They spent most of the project week in Romania that year standing in water that looked something like this-

circa 2006

We threw their clothes away when they got home but hubs power washed the boots and I wear them for hiking. They also brought home a nasty cough, hearts overflowing, and a boatload of memories that all the power washing in the world cannot erase.

Young Life.

Every kid, Everywhere, For Eternity.

Not just a slogan.

In all our many travels while living abroad if you ask my girls what was their favorite trip they both immediately say Romania. It was hard, get-your-hands-dirty, kind of work.

It was Jesus loves the little children of the world.

It was life changing.

There's my boot!

On the foot of my daughter.

In Romania.

Sigh.

If only these boots could talk.

Houskeeping

I hosted a luncheon yesterday for my gourmet group. Each person prepared a dish and the theme was French food. Ooh-la-la everything was tres delicieux. There should be some accent marks in there somewhere but that particular task remains outside my current skill set. Ha-doesn't that sound so much better than saying I haven't got a clue?

Anyway lovely luncheon, lovely day.

Which reminds me...I need a trip to France.

Immediatement!

There is a lot going on around here lately. I need to stop and smell the roses this weekend so while I will take some pictures for the photo challenge it's likely I won't post them until next week.

This is not breaking the rules.

And yes, Thursday is too the weekend.

Also, I have some things I want to write about and the words are not fitting with photo prompts like phone and button and drink. I'm going to step back, put words into sentences, and get a grip on all my swirly thoughts these next few days.

Before I do that though, I will post a picture for Day 16 of the February Photo Challenge. The prompt is-'something new'.

I had to get a new passport last fall. So sad. My previous passport was wonderfully worn and extra thick...a trip to the embassy in London to have extra pages added ensured I wouldn't have to replace it before its expiration date. It was chock a block full of visas, stamps, and memories. Flipping the pages in my passport makes me happy.

Life goes on.

My new passport arrived in the mail just before Thanksgiving and until last week it was blank. Who wants a blank passport?? Although I have yet to take a trip with this one I did have 'something new' added to it so that's a start.

Some countries require visas for entry.

My new passport now holds a visa to one such country.

I realize I'm doling out details bit by bit but there's still a few hoops to jump through before our trip happens. Rest assured I will be spilling out more words than you can handle once I get started.

It is not France.

Or England.

But there will be passport stamp(s) involved.

And I will be showing that visa to someone somewhere.

A Presidential Wednesday Hodgepodge-Vol 66

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Add your link at the end of my post and then go see what the neighbors are saying. Here are my answers to this week's questions-

1. George Washington-Abraham Lincoln-Thomas Jefferson...who would you most like to meet and why?

I think any of the three would be fascinating but I'm going with Jefferson. He authored our Declaration of Independence and I'd love to hear what he has to say about America in the 21st century.

2. What's your favorite chain restaurant?

In general we prefer to eat somewhere besides the chain restaurants. We only have a couple in our town anyway-Burger King and Paneras. I don't do Burger King but I do like Paneras. I guess if I have to pick a chain I'd say Chilis. I wish we had one of those here.

3. I spied this question on the Bears at Home last week and she gave me permission to steal borrow it.

When you look back on your life do you imagine you'll think about the goals you failed to meet with regret? Or will you look at what you accomplished and say it was good?

I don't have a lot of regrets. I think there is always more to do but when I look at what I consider my most important job-raising children-I will say it was good.

4. Grapefruit-take 'em or leave 'em? Given the choice between an orange and a grapefruit which would you choose? Would you prefer it served as is or squeezed into juice?

I love grapefruit. I also love oranges. Isn't this my usual response to any question involving food? I prefer the actual fruit as opposed to the juice but I like that too so either way is good.

5. When was the last time you cleaned out a closet? Is there a closet in your home that currently needs cleaning? What are you waiting for?

I cleaned out my bedroom closet sometime after Christmas so that's quite recent. My closets are in pretty good shape but let's not talk about the boxes in the basement, k?

6. You get to have lunch with three famous people...who would you like to see round your table?

This one's hard because I feel like the three would need to mesh in some way...Nigella Lawson, Princess Kate, Bono.

7. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your ability to parallel park?

I lived in England.

I give myself a 10.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm using the random space today to post my picture for Day 15 of the February Photo Challenge. The prompt today is -'phone'.

Huh?

I just could not get my head round this one so I went with an older favorite photo....

My girls, then ages 13 and 15 and my precious niece at the age of 9 in the requisite picture of a London phone booth.

2003.

Feels like a lifetime ago.

Feels like yesterday.

I haven't mentioned my niece in recent posts but I know many of you have been keeping her in your prayers as she battles leukemia. She continues to need your prayers and please know they are very much appreciated.

I heart the Hodgepodge Questions-Vol 66

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope your day is filled with love and chocolate. Before I post this week's Hodgepodge questions I'm going to subject you to my picture for the February Photo Challenge. Today's prompt is-'heart'.

This has been on my kitchen island for the past two weeks-

Honestly, it's a good thing Valentine's Day isn't at the end of the month. The fact that there is a candle plunked down in the center of these conversation hearts does not deter me in the least. Perhaps I should keep it lit?

Now on to something else I love...the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer the questions on your own blog and then hop back over here tomorrow to share your answers.

1. George Washington-Abraham Lincoln-Thomas Jefferson...who would you most like to meet and why?

2. What's your favorite chain restaurant?

3. I spied this question on the Bears at Home blog last week and she gave me permission to steal borrow it-

When you look back on your life, do you imagine you'll think about the goals you failed to meet with regret? Or will you look at what you accomplished and say: it was good?

4. Grapefruit-take 'em or leave 'em? Given the choice between an orange and a grapefruit which would you choose? Would you prefer it served as is or squeezed into juice?

5. When was the last time you cleaned out a closet? Is there a closet in your home that currently needs cleaning? What are you waiting for?

6. You get to have lunch with three famous people...who would you like to see round your table?

7. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your ability to parallel park?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This, That, and the Other

I have lots of little bits and pieces to share today and since I know you're waiting with bated breath I'll dive right in.

I had my first lesson with a local photographer on Friday afternoon. We're starting at the very beginning since that's a very good place to start. Did you know there was math in photography? Nobody told me there'd be math. I really enjoyed the lesson and felt like my brain hit the engage button....it's been on idle for a while now. He left me with a couple of pages of notes which is a good thing because even though my brain engaged it still feels a little bit rusty. He also left me a small assignment to complete before my next lesson which I'll probably try to incorporate into the February photo challenge.

Speaking of the February photo challenge...was there a prompt yesterday? Yes, yes there was. I know I said I like to follow the rules but I took a pass on Sunday's word-'inside my closet'. I recently cleaned and reorganized my closet so it's actually quite tidy at the moment. You'll have to take my word for it though, because that felt just a little too personal to put out there.

Even for me.

ahem.

Back to the weekend...hubs was in Turkey on business last week and returned home Friday evening. We may have opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate the fact that he has no work travel scheduled for the next month. Whoohoo!

'They' said we'd have some snow Friday night into Saturday but we awoke to what was really just a dusting. It spit a little off and on all day but nothing accumulated. The temps however, plummeted over the weekend. I guess February felt the need to remind us we shouldn't get too comfy with the milder weather we've had so far this winter.

We carried on with our Saturday plans which included driving closer to the city to attend a big dog show. We've got the fe-vah. Puppy fever to be more precise and its sweeping thru our house. Hubs especially has been stricken, but it's contagious you know. We have a Gordon Setter who is the sweetest thing on four legs and we're in love with the breed.

Look at that face. Setters in general have lovable personalities and that's my #1 criteria in a dog. We knew there'd be a lot of Setters at this particular show and we hoped to talk to a breeder or two.

You don't see a lot of Gordons around and it was so much fun to see a whole gaggle of them. I know a bunch of dogs are not called a gaggle but there are so many long legs in this bunch the word seemed to fit.

We're pretty set on another Gordon but we've also toyed with the idea of an English Setter. Hubs says he'd like one of each-an English, an Irish, and a Gordon. Uh, I might be crazy but I'm not that crazy!

The Gordons are black with tan markings but the English have varying coats. This guy is black and white which in dog speak is known as blue belton. Gorgeous. And guess what today's photo prompt is-'blue'. There ya go.

Anyway, we did meet some breeders and we'll likely put our name in for a puppy to arrive late summer. Gives me time to get my head around it.

We had our 'Valentine dinner' on Saturday evening. Actually we eat out most every weekend but we designated this one as our Valentine dinner because Tuesday doesn't sound as romantic as Saturday. We had a long lovely meal and talked our way thru five courses while the wind whipped outside and snowflakes danced in the moonlight.

Yesterday afternoon we went to see a movie-Safe House. Holy moly it's intense. And there is mucho violence. Can I ask here why parents feel the need to bring their ten or twelve year old child to a movie that has been rated R because it is inappropriate for a ten or twelve year old? Why?? I had a knot in my stomach watching this one and I wondered if they did too. Or if they didn't? Either way it's a problem.

Today I'm heading to the doc's office for some 'jabs'. In England they use the word 'jab' when they're prepping you for an immunization. fyi-if you tell a child they're going to have an immunization they might not catch on right away but if you say jab they pretty much catch on immediately. Anyway, a while back I mentioned some fun plans we have in the works for later this spring and I need the 'jabs' in order to carry on with the fun. Three jabs in one visit. Happy Monday!

Sunshine on My Shoulders

Y'all know I don't blog on the weekends, but I also like to follow the rules. I'm posting a picture for Day 11 of the February photo challenge, just like the rules say.

Are there rules?

In my mind there are rules.

I didn't take this photo today but I did take it recently so I think that counts. Today's prompt-'makes you happy'. As soon as I saw that one I knew I would post a picture of my favorite thing-sunlight on water.

From the smallest puddle to the widest sea, the twinkle of sunlight on the water speaks right into my soul.

All About Self

Continuing with the February Photo Challenge-today's prompt is 'self-portrait'.

Does anyone over the age of 25 really enjoy taking self portraits? First of all, it requires a coordination I'm not sure I possess. Secondly, they're usually super close up. No thank you.When I'm in a photograph I like to adjust 'things'...the angles, my chin, my hair...that's hard to do when you're taking a picture of yourself. Hubs took a picture of me in Central Park that was a close up of my face. Goodness, are those lines around my eyes always there?

I'm no quitter though, and I'm determined to see this challenge through to the last day of the month. Enjoy your weekend everyone...

'In every corner of our life, to lose oneself is to be the gainer; to forget oneself is to be happy. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

A Door By Any Other Name Is Still A Door

Today's prompt for the February photo challenge is -'front door'. I need to tell you we've had more than a few. I know a lot of people who've lived in the same house all their married lives but we are not those people. We've opened many doors to many houses we learned to call home. A door is just a door. It's what's behind the door that's home.

Door Number 1...this door opened to newly wedded married life.

Our first together home.

Just us.

An ugly couch and a TV sitting on a wooden crate. Behind this door we learned to manage our money, our time, and our expectations. We learned to make plans.

Opportunity knocked on this door and led us to Door Number 2. A rented townhouse while we figured out which end was up in a brand new city.

We did.

Door Number 3...our first 'house'.

Kids signing papers for what felt like gobs of money. A messy back garden transformed into a small slice of paradise. Fun neighbors. Time for some grown up furniture.

A baby on the way meant a whole new kind of bliss.

We learned to make room for more love.

We carried that with us to Door Number 4...another house.

Far from our roots. A door behind which just-us became just-us-three. Better than bliss. It was here we learned how to love in 3-D.

We struggled to find Door Number 5.

Insane real estate markets in Northern NJ. Always. Especially in the late 1980s. Interest rates above 10%. Add to that a crazy commute.

Then. A ray of sunshine.

Just-us-three became a family of four. Complete behind this door. We learned the well of love never runs dry.

We welcomed a move.

Door Number 6...breezes off the Bay. Crab feasts and water skis. Ballet and music. Kids on the backyard swing. Home. Let's never leave. This is bliss.

Behind this door we learned about growing pains and bedtime prayers. How to pick a crab and ride a bike. How to grow up girls.

Behind this door we discovered the current of life can flow suddenly fast round an unexpected bend. We learned its best to grab an inner tube and hang on for the ride. We learned to never say never.

Which brings me to Door Number 7...the one where adventure called our name.

We walked thru this door and never looked back. It was the door that led us inside to a whole new outside. The door to a world of people and places and opportunity we had never considered. It was behind this door a family grew rock solid together in the game of life. Cemented. We learned to stamp all that is behind this door onto our hearts.

We left door Number 7 open just a crack.

We like to look behind it now and again.

But we walked on through Door Number 8.

Behind this door is an empty nest. Just us. Still learning. Like a long time ago only different. Behind this door are full hearts. And our tapestry of door upon door.

Love is in the Hodgpodge-Volume 65

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! I'm so glad you're playing along today. Don't forget to add your link to the bottom of my post so friends can come a-callin'. Here are my answers-

1. What is something you are loving right now?

Conversation hearts.

Just keepin' it real people.

2. Paris, Venice, New York and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Of the four, which one would you most like to visit?

Well now. This one is tres difficile. Or molto difficile depending on which city I choose. It won't be New York because as much as I love NYC when it comes to romance France and Italy rule.

I am in love with Paris. I'd like an apartment on the Champs Elysees with those wonderfully tall windows where I could throw open the shutters and let the magnificent light in. Paris is all about the light. It's a city made for strolling and sipping champagne. Plus everyone is speaking French which, let's face it, makes even a grilled cheese sandwich sound like something more than a grilled cheese sandwich.

But Rome. Roma. Italy.

I've said it a time or ten here that Italy is my happy place. Paris may be about the light but Italy is all about the air. The air is intoxicating. Dreamy. Romantic.

And then there is the water. Venice. Spend a few hours in Venice and you understand why people fall in love there. Or remember why they fell in love way back when they were just a couple of crazy college kids.

The thing is, I've been to all of these cities and my memories of times spent there are muddy-ing up the waters and make choosing just one impossible. I seriously don't care. You could put me on a plane, not tell me which of the three we were headed to, and I'd be happy no matter where we landed.

3. Are you a romantic?

Yes. Hopeless. I walk thru life wearing rose colored glasses most of the time.

I still believe in fairy tales.

Hubs has to add a gentle dose of reality to my dreams now and then which I can appreciate. I also appreciate that he can be counted on to make a romantic gesture when one is called for...he's got a bit of the romantic in him too.

4. What's your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?

An Affair to Remember, Love Actually, Sweet Home Alabama...those are three of my favorites. You can't expect me to answer with only one when I've just told you I'm a romantic, can you?

5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends....which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question.

According to the quiz I'm Kanga-'You are warm and loving and great with children. People know not to misbehave around you or they'll end up in time out.'

It was sounding good until that last bit-ha!

6. What's the best chocolate something you've ever eaten?

When we lived in Maryland hubs used to get me a decadent, sinfully rich, chocolate cake for my birthday every year. He had a baker make the cake especially for me (see question #3) with a delicate raspberry filling. It was iced with the most scrumptious chocolate ganache I've ever tasted. He has tried his best to get bakeries everywhere we've lived since to recreate the concoction, and while they're all delicious its not quite the same.

I will say that the bakery here in our little town does come awfully close.

7. Share a favorite quote about love.

"There is no remedy for love but to love more."

Henry David Thoreau

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm using my random thought today to post my February photo challenge picture. Today's prompt is 'sun'. I took this picture during our Sunday afternoon hike-

We've been to Highpoint many times, but on Sunday we hiked a different trail and stumbled across this observation deck built into the woods. I know I shouldn't take a picture looking in to the sun but there was no way around it in this instance and I kind of like how it turned out. Here's what you see from the deck-

In my mind, sunshine was one of God's very best ideas.

A Hodgepodge of Pictures and Words

Before I post the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge I'm going to sneak in my February photo challenge picture of the day. Picture of yesterday actually, and the prompt was 'dinner'. Hubs was not home for dinner on Monday evening so I made myself a salad. Do you really want to see what I ate for dinner? Regardless of your answer, here it is-

Tuesday's prompt is 'button'.

I gotta tell ya, some of these prompts are straining my creativity but I refuse to quit. I contemplated taking a picture of my navel (you get it, right?) but thought that might be too much after the salad photo so I went with this one-

I took this picture on Sunday afternoon after a long uphill hike. I know there are shadows and the light is all wrong but my pup was worn out and needed to rest in the shade. She is cute as a 'button' though, don't you think?

And now, what you're really here to see....the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer the questions on your own blog and then hop back over here tomorrow to share answers with the rest of the internets.

1. What is something you are loving right now?

2. Paris, Venice, New York, and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Which one would you most like to visit?

3. Are you a romantic?

4. What's your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?

5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends...which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question.

6. What's the best chocolate something you've ever eaten?

7. Share a favorite quote about love.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's not stalking when it's for a photo challenge

I normally don't blog on the weekends but I'm participating in a photo challenge this month so thought I'd hop on and add a picture. Today's prompt is 'stranger'. At first I thought that might be a little creepy, taking pictures of random strangers, but since I spent the day in Central Park I have more than a few from which to choose. I'm going with this one-

A mime.

Stranger or strange, er.

Either way it works for me.

The hands of time

"Nae man can tether tide or time."

Robert Burns

I wonder if my favorite Scottish poet was channeling his inner middle aged mom with an empty nest when he wrote those wonderful words?

Today's photo prompt-'hands'

Would you like a bag for that?

I've been thinking about this whole photo prompt thing and to be honest I don't think I'm going to be very good at it. Not that I can't manage to get a picture taken, it's more like I can't manage to get a picture taken without talking about it. So, I'm going to play along with the challenge and post a picture but more often than not I'm also going to talk about the picture. It's who I am.

Today's prompt is 'words'.

Oh dear.

Take a picture of words but then don't use words? You can see why I'm struggling can't you?

I had a fun morning with my women's club. The program was all about heart health and the speaker was excellent. So excellent in fact that I hit the gym before going home. No time like the present, right?

I stopped at the supermarket afterwards to pick up a few things, and so far this is riveting I know, but stayed tuned because I'd like your opinion about something. I take my own bags when I grocery shop, something I became accustomed to doing while living overseas. In fact, I still carry some of those same tote bags which just so happen to have words on them-

The black bag has the M & S logo on it and if you ever get to the UK definitely pop into your local Marks and Spencer. You'll thank me later. The tan bag we bought in the gift shop at Dover Castle one icy cold December day. Is it silly that shopping bags are able to send a memory washing over me in a way that makes me wanna cry? No? Good. Because they do.

Anyhoo, this reminded me of something I wanted to ask my blog peeps. As you know I spent a week with my daughter1 in the DC area. She resides on the Maryland side of DC and we did a lot of shopping while I was in town. When I shop here in NJ I get credit for bringing my own bags to the supermarket-.05/bag. Not a lot but I actually prefer to use my own bags because they make lugging the groceries in to the house much more manageable.

When I shop for clothes though, the store provides a bag. This was not the case in the Maryland suburbs. We bought a pile of things at a lovely women's shop whose name I won't mention here but it doesn't matter because its apparently an across the board policy for this particular county, and the salesclerk asked me if I wanted a bag. Seriously? At first I thought she was joking because we had a lot of items. A lot. They were a work wear type of clothing too, and not inexpensive. We're not talking t-shirts from Old Navy, although I think I'd probably want a bag for those too. Most people don't want to carry their newly purchased clothing out of a store in their arms. It seemed absurd to me and the sales clerk appeared embarrassed to ask but she had no choice. She said she'd have to charge me for a bag. Granted the charge was .05/bag and I said charge away but I found it ridiculous.

I know that most of Europe has been on the reusable bag kick for groceries for many years now in an effort to reduce waste and I don't have a problem with that. In this particular US county the monies collected go towards some sort of water quality funding program but it just felt icky to me. I'm all about reusing and reducing when we're able but I also feel like I've just paid taxes on the clothing I bought and should get a bag to carry it home. What say you?

A picture is worth 1000 words but I still need words

Remember how I got a brand new camera for Christmas? I've used it a few times but I really need to play around with it on a more regular basis so I'm not so clumsy and one dimensional in my picture taking. The camera is bigger than the old toss-it-in-my-purse-and go camera I was using before so I have to think differently when it comes to taking pictures. I have a few very exciting 'things' coming up this spring that will provide excellent photo ops (oooh, mystery!) and I need to become more comfortable in using my camera before those 'things' get here. I like a little mystery on my blog...it's what keeps you reading, right?

Anyway, I've booked a lesson with a local camera guy. I told him I have a blog and enjoy using photos as a jumping off place for all my many words but that pictures are not currently the focal point. He says he can change that.

He can't.

I feel pretty confident in saying words will always be my thing. Pictures do however, help tell the story, and if I can take better pictures to go with the words then I'll be happy.

I noticed a link on Kathy's blog for a February photo challenge and thought I might give it a try. I'd love to do one of those year long picture a day challenges but I'm thinking a thirty day challenge might be the way to go for now. Actually its only 29 days since its February...I can do 29. Some days I may just pop the photo onto my blog and call it a day but I'm hoping there will also be days where a photo will lend itself to words. I think we can all agree I have a lot of those. This post kind of makes my point.

If you're interested in playing along you'll find the link with the photo prompts here. Today's prompt is 'your view today'. It only seems appropriate to post a photo of the view from my kitchen window. I probably take at least one picture a week of our back hillside as it is ever changing and full of life. Hubs and I have nicknamed it the DMZ because once you start looking its hard to peel your eyes away. The hill is steep and when we bought the house I wondered how I'd like that, but hubs and I agree it's our favorite thing about this place we call home.

The hillside changes with the seasons and we see the sky turn every shade of pink and orange when the sun rises over the mountain. There are birds of every size, shape, and variety from the most delicate of hummingbirds to the majestic hawk. My hawk as he is known here.

There are woodland creatures...rabbits and squirrels, chipmunks and groundhogs, even the dreaded possum. There are larger creatures too...a mama fox who makes her nest on the side hill and births a litter every spring. We love to watch the deer who regularly trek across the hill as they feast on the wild plants that grow there. And then of course we have the bear. There really is nothing quite like seeing a 4-500 pound bear stroll across your back yard. I haven't managed too many pictures since the sight of one tends to throw me into a tizzy but I'm determined to be calm, cool, and collected next time and get some better shots.

Okay, I said something about a picture. Here you go-my view on the first day of February which felt a little bit like the first day of April...

but still looked like February.

The End.

You're welcome.