A Sweetheart Of A Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge and another letter in the April A-Z Blog Challenge. You'll find my entry for letter S in today's random thought-question #6. 

If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Comments make planet earth feel a whole lot friendlier. 

1. April 22nd is Earth Day...what's the most 'out of this world' place on earth you've ever visited? Tell us something about it. 

I could take this in a couple of directions, but the first place that popped into my head was Dartmoor. 

It felt like we were the only people on earth. 

This was our holiday rental, and when we were given driving directions they were very light on specifics. We were concerned we might not find it- 

Not to worry...we found it ha!

2. A favorite quote, verse, or song lyric with the word earth in it? 

One of my favorite verses-

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains-

 where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the LORD, 

the Maker of heaven and earth." 

Psalm 121:1-2 

I love the older King and Country song that references this Psalm too-

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3. What's the most trivial thing about which you have a strong opinion? 

This is hard because it seems there are many inconsequential things about which I hold strong opinions. My list would include how the dishwasher is loaded, half-and-half in my coffee, people poking along in the passing lane, and of course grammar, or rather it's improper use. 

Is a strong opinion about something trivial the same thing as a pet peeve? It feels like it. 

Is grammar trivial? I vote no. 

4. What's your most commonly used kitchen utensil or tool? What's the last thing you made using that tool? 

The most common would probably be a spatula which I use pretty much every day. I use my garlic press a lot, most recently for a marinade I made yesterday. 

5. Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me a great book of 3000 questions, and I'm going to try to use one in our Hodgepodge every week. Here is today's - What is your greatest extravagance? 

We added a waterfall to our backyard and that still feels somewhat extravagant. I'm having my hair done on Hodgepodge Day and while I consider it a necessity the cost makes it feel a lot like an extravagance. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm using the random space for today's entry in the April A-Z Challenge. My theme this year is The Things We Keep: An A-Z of Ordinary Objects. 

Day 19-S is for Sweetheart 

While my hubs is far from ordinary, and also not an object, he is the object of my affection so how's that for clever? 

I was actually annoyed with him when I wrote these answers on Tuesday, but I got over it because that's what you do when you're married. You squabble sometimes. You might also sulk (briefly) or seek a little space, but at some point you soften your heart and sort it out. 

You embrace the new mercies we are given every single morning.

I know not every story unfolds the same way, but in our case we’ve continued to choose each other for more than  40 years. Through storms and smooth sailing, in sickness and in strength, in sweetness and strain, we're in it together. Side by side. Steady in all the ways that matter. 

My sweetheart and me.

Festive Friday Favorites

I've been a Monday-Wednesday blogger all year lately, but thought today I'd join in the Friday Favorites link up (hosted by Erika and Andrea) with a few bits of holiday miscellany. 

1. I spent all day yesterday baking. It was such a joy to be at home, no where to go, nothing to do but spend the whole day in my kitchen. I know that doesn't appeal to everyone, but it's definitely my jam. I also did five loads of laundry,  and sorted out some Christmas gifts and decor that needed sorting. I made two kinds of cookies, two loaves of cranberry bread, and a chicken pot pie for our dinner. 

2. My daughter called on her way home from school pick up and asked if we were around and if so they'd drop by and say hi. It's one of the happiest parts of life right now y'all. A daughter living close enough to drop by. 

Also, I played at least 47 games of tic-tac-toe upon their arrival. My sister-in-law sent this fun set at Thanksgiving and the boys love it. So fun! 

3. I bought two of these little spoon rests at Hobby Lobby back in November and it's a sweet addition to my coffee set up. The other is by my stove. 

I bought these mugs the year hubs and I got married and while there are so many super cute Christmas mugs out there, these remain a sentimental favorite. There are four in the set illustrating the twelve days of Christmas. 

4. I like to leave a box on my front porch for my friends aka the Amazon-UPS-Fed Ex drivers. 

They're here often this time of year, and I know the days are long. I put bottled water and some snacks inside-chips, bars, clementines...that sort of thing. It gets taken so I think it's appreciated. 

5. I took the dog out this morning and was greeted with this-

Let heaven and nature sing!

Just Beachy

We have a beach trip coming up later this summer, plus the Hodgepodge questions this week have a beach theme, plus this month's Share Our Lives link up (which I missed) had everyone sharing their favorite vacation memories, and all this to say (finally!) I've been thinking beach-y thoughts. 

We live on a lake now which is beautiful, crystal clear, unsalted, and shark free. We don't do a lot of summer beach trips anymore because it takes a lot to peel us away from our happy place in peak season. 

Lake life is chill and there's no sand to sweep out of every nook and cranny at the end of the day. Our lake is big and there are quite a few islands scattered throughout that have small beaches which we occasionally pull our boat up to, and then haul chairs and snacks and sand toys over to spend a few hours beachin' it. 

Mostly though we swim off our dock, we jump off the back of the boat when we're out in the wide open water, and we motor over to friends docks for float parties and relaxation. 

Still I periodically need to see the ocean. 

I need to remember I'm small and the Creator of the universe knows precisely how many grains of sand lie beneath my feet. I need to feel the remnants of saltwater on my skin as I watch the sun sink into the water at the end of a glorious day. 

I've been to a lot of beaches on American soil and elsewhere but when someone says favorite I always return in my head to one place- Marco Island. 

When we started going to Marco, only people who lived in Florida seemed to know about it.  Marco was a sleepy town without much going on, and while it's not a crazy tourist trap today, it's not unknown either. 

The first year we went to Marco daughter2 was still sleeping in a crib so we're talking many many many moons ago. Hubs helped organize a meeting there and got to know the hotel manager, so when he brought us back later that summer the manager upgraded our room to one with a walk out which was perfect. We'd spend the morning at the beach then the girls would nap and we'd open the french doors and park ourselves in lounge chairs on our porch. It was perfect. 

This trip made it our place and we went back often as the years rolled by. 

Marco is covered in seashells and sorting through them to find ones that were special and unbroken was always a favorite activity. 

We spent our days sitting on the beach, reading books, talking, thinking, making plans, walking, exploring, eating at our favorite places and just soaking up all the family time our hearts could hold. 

I've read that while children may not remember every detail of a family vacation they do remember the overall sense of family closeness that develops when you travel together. Sounds and smells and tastes later in life can trigger memories from trips taken when they were young, and these trips become part of your family lore. 

It's been a number of years since we've been back to Marco. Life and all that jazz. But in my mind Marco Island will always be 'our place'. 

One that holds precious memories from the days when we were a family of four...

 When little girls waved goodnight to the sun as it sank into the sea...

of laughter shared...

and problems solved...

...a beautiful peaceful place where plans for the future that is now were born. 

This post is linked with Talking About It Tuesdays hosted by Joanne at Slices of Life

Life Lessons From the Window Seat

S is for Seven. After today that's how many letters remain in the April A-Z Blog Challenge. It's been fun and it's been a challenge. Blogging with a houseful of people requires a bit of finagling. Onward...

S is for Sunrise 

'the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon; 

also: the accompanying atmospheric effects'

If you've been reading here for a while then you know I have a small obsession with the sunrise. We have prime viewing out of any window on the backside of our house, but my favorite place to watch it happen is from the upper deck. 

And I like to snap a photo while I'm there. 

Or ten photos. 

Or possibly 365. 

Hubs teases and asks me why I take the same picture every morning but I assure him I do not. One sunrise is not like any other and my pictures are the proof. 

Recently Joanne (Slices of Life) shared some of her favorite sunrises and sunsets and it got me thinking about why it is I'm so drawn to the early morning skies. Why all the sunrises? And why now? 

One of the reasons I'm more tuned in to the sunrise in this house is because it's hard to miss. I step quietly out of my bedroom in the early hours of the morning and there it is. Sometimes soft and dreamy brushstrokes in a pastel painted sky...

...sometimes awash with all the colors of the rainbow. 

It can, quite literally, take my breath away. There are things about the sunrise that speak to me in this season that feel almost sacred. 

The sunrise tells me it's a new day, with no mistakes in it yet. A fresh start. Blank slate. No regrets. 

The sunrise fills me with hope. Anything is possible at the start of a brand new day. 

The sunrise says slow down. Breathe. Be present. 

It also tells me time moves fast. If you're not paying attention you'll miss it. Life is like that too. 

The sun rising fills me with awe for the One who made it, for the staggering beauty of this world, and the power so evident in nature.

 

The sunrise reminds me of the value of stillness and quiet, things I'm always looking for in this too noisy world.

The sunrise reminds me of the faithfulness of God. Every single day the sun rises. He never fails. 

My favorite verse, which is in my blog header but worth posting twice...

'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning." Lamentations 3:22-23

The Heavens Declare

The sun rose with quietness and great beauty on this springtime Monday morning-

Later the skies did their thing. We were not in the path of totality for this particular eclipse like we were back in 2017, but we still popped outside and wore our special glasses to take a look. The sky grew darker than normal, but not complete darkness like we experienced seven years ago. 

Seven years ago. 

Is it just me or has our nation gone crazier? Nuttier? Meaner and less harmonious than ever before in a quick seven years? I mean I imagine 1775 was rough, but there was no social media, no internet in fact, so news traveled slower and civility amongst strangers was a thing, even though there was a literal war going on.  

I remember in 2017 how excited we all felt for the big event. There was a real buzz in the air, parties were organized, the media was it's usual over-the-top self, but in an upbeat sort of way. This time around there's been a lot of doom and gloom in the reporting. A bit of fear mongering about what this particular eclipse might mean. 

2024 America is exhausting. 

While our country may not be in a literal civil war it certainly feels like we're in the middle of something more than a quarrel. When I sit down to blog I find myself thinking about what areas of our lives remain untouched by anger and friction, and I'm hard pressed to come up with a single one. This weighs heavy on the minds of almost everyone I talk to. Most of us are longing for less conflict while struggling to see how we as a nation get there. 

Then today happens. The intricacy and design of the heavens remain mysterious and unfathomable. 

As the moon passes into the path of the sun I'm reminded once again that God is on His throne. Still master of the universe He created and set in motion. Still working out His plan for this tired troubled earth and the people He loves.

Which is all of us. 

Keep looking up.  

A Post For The New Year

Hello 2021. We're all so glad to see you. We think? 

Do you make resolutions? Set goals? Create a list of things to do in the year that lies ahead? Does that exercise feel a little riskier than in year's past? We all want to peek around the corner, but we want someone else to go first and tell us it's going to be okay. 

Alrighty then. 

Me first.

It's going to be okay.

While this past year has felt different, harder, and more exhausting than most, the truth is we've never known what a brand new year would bring. We've never been able to see what's lurking beyond the bend or on the other side of a calendar page.

We make assumptions that the good in any particular year will far outweigh the bad and that sure, problems will arise but we know how to solve problems. No need to think too long or too hard about things we can't control because we can control things, right? 

Except last year. Whew. She was something, wasn't she? 

The hits just kept coming and the word 2020 became a synonym for anything awful, unexpected, or just plain ridiculous that occurred. And collectively I think we were a little bit shocked to discover we don't have a better handle on all the things. That we humans really don't know what might happen next, and it's possible for something to come out of left field and leave us reeling. 

Is the takeaway from 2020 that nothing can be known for sure? Counted on full stop? Be absolutely true?  

I'm going to say no. 
Let's not make that our takeaway. 

While the world, and our country in particular, continues to be in turmoil, while the virus continues to rage,  and while so much of what we've always counted on still feels just a little out of reach, this much I know is true-

God is still on His throne. 

There is never a day He is not in charge of the world He created. 

He has not changed or moved or lost His extraordinary interest in our lives, our heartaches, our disappointments, and our grief. 

He has not been surprised by one single solitary thing that transpired in the year 2020, and 2021 will bring Him no surprises either. 

He makes a way where we cannot see a way. 

And brings beauty to every season of our lives.  

I think we've given 2020 too much credit. Let's accept the gift of a brand new year with eyes wide open and hope in our hearts. Let's keep looking for the good and learning from the hard because never is a year just one or the other...

...not even 2020. 

'Teach us to number our days so we may have a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

Feels Like Christmas

Some years our hearts are bursting with Christmas spirit and some years it all feels a bit more elusive. I've been on the hunt for mine this season, which is partly how we ended up in a little town called Dahlonaga.

I read Southern Living Magazine and for several years now around Christmas time they've mentioned this small Georgia town, telling readers they should see it if they get the chance.

We got the chance.

While making plans a couple of weekends ago to see friends near Atlanta, I googled Dahlonaga and discovered it was less than an hour from our weekend destination. Hubs and I decided to go a day early and spend the night before moving on to our friends house Friday afternoon.

The charming little town of Dahlonaga sits in the mountains of northwest Georgia.  The area has loads of wineries, some of which are quite good, and the little town of Dahlonaga is built around a village square.

Let's just say they know how to do Christmas lights here.

We stayed in a small hotel just off the square which made it all easy peasy. We parked, checked in to our room, then spent some time walking around the square, browsing the shops, and dodging raindrops. The weather wasn't stellar, but Christmas lights made it all easier to bear.

Also key lime truffles from this candy shop.

We thought about a horse drawn carriage ride, but the queue was long and we didn't think we'd get to the front before our dinner reservation. We ate in a little Irish pub that had good reviews online, but I thought was just okay.

Actually the food was good, but initially they seated us at a table with a heater beating down on top of our heads so we asked to be moved. Of course it was crowded so they moved us to an awkward table in the bar with low stools for seating which are not my favorite.

The bar is covered in bills people have tacked up, mostly ones but a few larger and a few foreign, and that was fun to see. If the weather were nice and I could eat outside, maybe I'd give it one more try.

Except really I think one night in town was just enough. I'm happy we made the stop, but don't feel the need to go back. An overnight visit was just the right dose of Christmas magic.

Friday morning we had breakfast at 'a little dive bar in Dahlonaga'. If you don't know country music you won't get the reference, but the live music venue made more famous by the song, also serves food. The story behind the song is a good one which is something I like about country music.

After breakfast we stopped to see the gold museum, and while I expected 'cheesy' it was actually pretty interesting.

The museum is housed in a beautiful old building, one of the oldest standing courthouse buildings in the state, and I love old buildings. I don't remember hearing about the GA gold rush in my NJ elementary school, but it happened twenty years prior to the more famous California rush, so technically first in the U.S.

It was a cold cloudy day and it occurred to me I was missing the pretty pre-Christmas snows we had in N.J. Yeah, yeah, I know they're a pain in the neck on so many levels, but there is something about the quiet stillness that comes along with softly falling snow that helps a person hit pause.

Doesn't everybody need to hit pause this time of year?

Since the rain had tapered off we decided to take a peek at some nearby waterfalls we'd read were spectacular-

They were-

Just gorgeous! This is Amicalola Falls, the highest falls in the state of Georgia.

You can hike in, but we weren't prepared for that so we drove up and parked in a lot that sits about midpoint of the falling water.

A bridge spans the rushing water and you can walk out on it for a better look.
It's high. Just sayin'.

And there are steps up and steps down but we just hung out here in the middle until we were ready to move on. We drove further up the mountain because we'd heard the view there was also incredible- 

It was.

My heart grew three sizes on the patio that day.

Because more than the hustle and bustle of a town dressed in twinkle lights what I long for this time of year is the quiet beauty of creation. Let me stand on a mountaintop and be amazed. Let me remember the miracle of Christmas and let that miracle fill me with awe and wonder.

'And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father,  full of grace and truth.' John 1:14