Marching In To Monday

Good morning friends. What a weekend it has been and I pray for our nation and the world. I pray especially for our troops, for their families, and for God's perfect peace to be over all. Psalm 46:1 tells us 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.' May we turn to Him now. 

Awkward segue here into the ordinary comings and goings of our weekend, but it's a topsy turvy world we're living in, and my blog will be a little topsy turvy too. 

Linking as usual this Monday morning with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books). 

I took very few pics this weekend but it was a busy one nonetheless. Friday morning I worked on the tax organizer and there isn't anyone who would find a picture of that very interesting, is there? I certainly don't. Completing this organizer every year is one of my least favorite tasks. 

I played Mah Jong Friday afternoon and then hubs and I went to a local spot about 5 to check on a reservation we have there next weekend. We wanted to see the space as there will be fourteen of us and we wanted to make sure it was going to work, which it will. We ended up having dinner at the bar and neighbors came in and ended up seated next to us. Small town livin' y'all. 

Saturday morning I was up in the early morning hours to make the two+ hour drive to Atlanta for a baby shower. The shower was at 11:30, but I left extra extra early in order to meet a friend for coffee beforehand. It was wonderful to catch up in person. 

The shower was lovely and who doesn't love celebrating a momma-to-be. The festivities wrapped up around 1:30 and I was back on the road headed home. 

Atlanta traffic, no matter the day or time, is the worst. Carry on. 

I got home about 4:30 and hubs made me a cup of tea while we chatted, then we were back in the car to meet up with friends who are renovating their house. They wanted us to see what all they're doing, and it kind of makes me want to build a house. I mean. not really, but a little bit yes. We got Mexican food afterwards and it was a nice relaxed evening. 

Sunday was a beautiful day. We went to church, then had brunch out afterwards, then made a stop at the grocery to get our pork butts for the coming weekend's BBQ. We'll have hubs mom here to celebrate a big birthday with her great-grandchildren and we'll be doing BBQ for Friday night's dinner. 

The weather was spectacular, sunny with temps in the upper 70's, so I took my book and sat beside the waterfall and read for two hours. 

As an aside, hubs has kept these plants in full bloom in our lower level garage all winter with just a grow light and he pulled them outside today. 

So glad one of us has a green thumb! 

Looks like we'll  have another bumper lemon crop this year. 

As I was closing the book on the very last page friends pulled up to our dock and asked if we wanted to go for a boat ride. 

Yes please. 

They had their two dogs with them and they were dying to get off the boat and into the water. 

We did pull up to a beach at one point and let them run and they were so happy. 

Me too. Sunshine is good for the soul. 

I made a salad for dinner and hubs ate some of the leftover pasta from my Friday night meal, so an easy peasy end to the weekend. 

 As we roll into this next new week may your faith be bigger than your fear.

Boot Scootin' Boot-y and the 4th of July

Good morning friends. Before diving in to the holiday recap here, it feels wrong not to mention the devastation and heartbreak that hit Texas over the weekend. I grew up going to a Christian camp on Maryland's eastern shore every summer, and I worked at the camp as a college student. The experiences I had there as both a camper and counselor helped shape me in to the person I am today, and it holds a very special and tender place in my heart. 

The pictures out of the Guadalupe flood and the young campers especially, are hard to see...the stories so very hard to hear. I pray the God who knows our every ache brings peace and comfort to the many families struggling to cope with the weight of their grief and loss.  

We celebrated America's birthday this weekend, and it was the absolute nicest 4th I can remember in terms of weather. 

Let's recap...

Daughter2 and her littles were here all last week and the cousins had so much fun hanging out together, both in the lake and in the neighborhood pool. 

My daughter has this darling outdoor mud kitchen which Sweet Baby J could not wait to play in. 

She had us all come for dinner Wednesday night and made a scrumptious dessert with the blueberries we'd picked the week before. I'll definitely be making this myself all summer long. 

Nana and Pawpaw are tired. Carry on. 

Daughter2 and her crew left around lunchtime Thursday to get back to their own home, and to her hubs who'd been traveling for work all week. Hubs and I got busy putting away some of the kid stuff-high chair, portable crib, toy box, etc, and then he ran the vacuum and I cleaned bathrooms. 

About four hours after they pulled out of the driveway hubs brother and sister-in-law rolled in from Tennessee. They brought fabulous steaks for us to grill that evening and I made baked potatoes and a Caprese salad to go with. 

After dinner we sat on the upstairs deck and caught up. I'm in a boot which is super annoying and I try hard not to go up and down the stairs unless it's absolutely necessary. I knew on Friday there would be more up and down than would be good for me so I tried to balance that with no up and down on Thursday. 

Friday was America's birthday and she dawned bright and beautiful. I'd made a quiche to have for breakfast and hubs grilled the rest of the Benton's bacon my sister-in-law had brought to have as a bloody mary garnish. Hubs is the master when it comes to handcrafting a bloody mary. 

Traffic on the lake is higher than normal on the 4th, so we took a morning cruise to get out before the rush. We came home and floated and then I made a charcuterie for us to snack on between breakfast and dinner. It's no simple thing to get me to the dock. I wear the boot down the walkway, take the boot off just before the dock, hubs helps me down the dock steps into the water, and then I just hang on the float, suspended, without moving my feet. 

Then someone helps me out, I dry off, reboot and hubs helps me walk back up to the house on the cart path. 

I'm a lot right now and I know it. 

Daughter1, her hubs, and their three littles arrived mid-afternoon and spent a few hours in the water having a grand time. We have a big lily pad they like to jump off of, and hubs and his brother and sister-in-law make it shake (we call it an earthquake) and they fall and laugh and love it.  I watched because I want to get out of this boot sooner rather than later. 

Hubs grilled wings and brats for our July 4th feast. 

I made baked beans and cole slaw, and daughter1 brought a pasta salad and dessert, this patriotic and delicious trifle-

We ate outside and then pulled out the corn hole and relaxed on the patio for a while. Daughter1's in-law's popped by to say hello, then we were joined by friends who also had their grandkids visiting. We're the primo spot for viewing the fireworks, and another friend brought a boatload of his family over to tie up to our dock and watch too. 

The grands had some pre-game fun with sparklers we'd purchased before we all settled in to watch the absolutely fantastic show my neighbor puts on every year. 

It's a solid thirty minutes of fireworks and just when you think it's over a few more go off. I think this was the best we've seen in the eight summers we've been here. 

Little Miss slept through the entire show on her momma's lap lol. 

I didn't go all the way to the dock to watch because of my ankle, but instead planted myself in a chair at the fire pit  and the view was top notch there too. 

Saturday morning was super relaxed with coffee sipped leisurely on the deck. We had a light breakfast then took the boat out to see what we could see. We came home and floated before showering and making our way to daughter1's house for a tour. This was her aunt and uncle's first time seeing the new house, plus they brought gifts for the kiddos which were thoroughly enjoyed. Little Miss may have worn her tiara to church Sunday morning. 

Saturday evening hubs and his brother grilled the most delicious pork chops ever. They'd purchased them in Tennessee from a place called Simpson's Meats, bone-in and about 2 1/2  inches thick. So so good. I made a big salad and that was plenty. 

After dinner we went out for a sunset cruise. It was a beautiful evening and I love a sunset cruise. 

Where I go the boot goes. 

Sunday morning we all went to church together. So special having an entire pew full of family. We went to our usual and favorite breakfast spot right after, and then my brother-in-law and sister-in-law got on the road home. I planted myself and my bum ankle on the couch to watch movies with the hubs. 

And that's the weekend that was. Happy birthday America and have a great week everyone. 

Linking with Holly and Sarah today for their every Monday morning weekend recap blog hop. Come on over!

Puzzling Over The 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 before you. Here we go-

1. January 29th is National Puzzle Day. Do you enjoy puzzles? What kind (crossword, jigsaw, sudoku, etc)?  How often do you work a puzzle? 

I love puzzles, word puzzles more than jigsaw but I like those too. I work a puzzle of some sort every day. My favorites are crosswords and logic puzzles. 

2. Something you currently find puzzling? 

Honestly I look around and the list is long. Just one thing? 

How in our country today the desire for a secure border somehow means you lack compassion.  

3. What's your go-to dish to take to someone who needs a meal (new baby, bereavement, etc)? 

It kind of depends on the occasion and the family size. I made four meals for my daughter's freezer so she'll have something easy when the baby arrives. I made chicken and rice soup, beef stew, baked ziti, and chicken spaghetti. Chicken spaghetti is one of my go to meals for someone in need. 

4. Do you watch any HGTV and/or The Food Network? If so, what's your favorite program there? 

I watch now and then. I enjoy watching people cook, but I don't watch any of the Junior versions of cooking programs (featuring kids). My favorite 'food' show is The Great British Baking Show which is on Netflix. I love Home Town on HGTV mostly because I admire their mission and think Ben and Erin are super adorable. 

5.  Wrap up your January in five words, with a five word phrase, or with a five word sentence. 

Wait, what? It's over? Whoa!  

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Not a lot of random to share today. Or maybe too much? Happy Wednesday everyone! 

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You Say Potato, I Say 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 before you. Here we go-

1. Are you too hard on yourself or not hard enough? Elaborate. 

Both, depending on what area of my life we're talking about. 

2. What's the role of gratitude in your life? 

It's really important. I'm definitely a glass half full kind of thinker. If I'm around negative people/talk I'm the one pointing out the bright side. Sometimes we have to work to cultivate a feeling of gratitude, but it's a good habit to adopt. Gratitude is what keeps me optimistic in a world that feels anything but, and honestly there is always something to be grateful for. 

3. Where do you get your news these days? How much attention are you giving it currently? 

Ugh. Is it just me or does hearing the word 'news' make your stomach churn too? I want to know what's going on in the world, I just don't want everyone's opinion about it shouted from the rooftops lol. We rarely sit down and watch the news from start to finish (does it ever end in the era of 24/7 programming???), but we will watch in bits and pieces. If something big is happening in the world we watch a little more. I read news online too, but again in small doses. If we don't listen to any news how do we know what and how to pray? 

Currently I'm paying attention to the conflict in Israel and Gaza, to the almost unbelievable anti-semitic rhetoric being spewed from college campuses around the country, to the unadulterated evil on display...it would be easy to look away and bury our heads in the sand, but I don't think we can or should  look away. 

I pray every day for the children and babies especially, ripped from their homes and their families. It's a very strange world we're living in where the calls for 'cease fire' are louder than those calling 'release the hostages'.

4. Do you like potatoes? Last time you prepared potatoes in some way? Which of the following is your favorite...baked potato, mashed potato, french fried potato, sweet potato, hash brown potatoes, roasted potatoes, or potato salad? 

I like potatoes, all of the above really, but I try not to eat them often. My favorite is a baked potato with just butter and salt and we do have those when we grill steaks. 

5. Are you a veteran? Are there any veterans in your family? Will you do anything special to honor them on Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day this year? 

I'm not a veteran, but do have veterans in my family. My dad was a career Marine and my son-in-law just wrapped up his Army commitment in June. I have great affection and respect for our military service members, and also for their families who sacrifice much in their own way. 

Our neighborhood is having a small Veteran's Day event this weekend, and we plan to attend. We went last year and it was really lovely. A bonus was discovering many of my neighbors have served their country. 

I am praying for the safety of all our soldiers in harms way. We absolutely take their service for granted, and their families contributions too. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I wrote a post way back in 2012 about my dad, the Marine. I'm linking it again here if you're interested-

Portrait Of A Marine

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 526

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to join the party. See you there! 

1. Are you too hard on yourself or not hard enough? Elaborate. 

2. What's the role of gratitude in your life? 

3. Where do you get your news these days? How much attention are you giving it currently? 

4. Do you like potatoes? Last time you prepared potatoes in some way? Which of the following is your favorite...baked potato, mashed potato, french fried potato, sweet potato, hash brown potatoes, roasted potatoes, or potato salad? 

5. Are you a veteran? Are there any veterans in your family? Will you do anything special to honor them on Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day this year? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The No Hodgepodge Hodgepodge

Hi friends. Apologies for the late notice, but I just cannot manage a Hodgepodge this week. The Hodgepodge will return next Wednesday (October 17). 

I had company all weekend and then my mom is here with me all week. Plus the world has gone absolutely mad and I just need some space from the noise of the internet right now. I am praying for the nation of Israel, for an end to the horrors we are seeing from afar, for peace and healing for the very many who are hurt and grieving. 

I hope each one of you reading here knows the peace only God can give. We can turn to Him when this world spins out of control and we can trust Him in the midst of so much chaos and sadness. The One who set the stars in the sky knows your name and He cares for you. 

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day" Psalm 46:1-5

What I Want In A World Gone Mad

Friday afternoon. A good time to blog because nobody reads on Friday afternoons, right? Lately it feels like nobody reading might not be a bad thing. And everyone can relax because I'm not going to weigh in on the refugee argument here. Not precisely anyway but make no mistake, it is an argument.

Everything is an argument, and that's what I really want to weigh in on.

Raise your hand if you've changed your mind on a particular issue because somebody posted a snarky comment on Facebook insinuating or outright saying you're an idiot? Yeah.

So can't we just stop? Why can't we stop? Why is there this insatiable need to prove you're right and I'm wrong. You're smart and I'm not. You love the poor and I don't. You're a Christian and I'm not and by golly I'm going to convict you of your transgressions in a public forum, and I'm going to do it in a way that doesn't just quietly offer you another point of view. I'm going to eviscerate you, judge the state of your heart and life because you asked a legitimate question and I'm a Bible expert.

Except very few people posting and commenting are actual experts. They're just average citizens with a Facebook page or Twitter account, a lot of opinions and most importantly, absolute certainty in their rightness.

I think we can all agree the refugee crisis is serious and complicated. Like almost every other issue that's divided our country in the past few years, this isn't an all or nothing deal, so why can't I have more than five minutes to make up my mind about what I want to see happen?

I'm not alone in feeling the need to step back and look at all the pieces of the puzzle. So many people feel conflicted about the right way forward, but woe to you who don't have an instant opinion.We're not allowed to feel conflicted about anything anymore. An issue arises and in a matter of seconds everyone and their brother is posting in ALL CAPS!!! where they stand, which is their perogative, but please don't tell me where I stand when I haven't been able to articulate it myself.

With almost everything that's occurred in our nation and around the world recently we've rushed to judgement. We're sheep, and nowhere is this more evident than in the online community. People follow speakers, high profile Christian authors and commentators, celebrities, political figures, people they admire for one reason or another and when that high profile person spits out their position, we're literally like sheep. We jump on the bandwagon without hesitation and heartily echo yes me too, without taking the time to figure out if what that person has espoused is true and accurately reflects how we feel or if we just lack the energy to swim upstream.

There are big problems in the world. Huge. Ginormous. Too big to tackle on our own. We need conversation. We need ideas to be floated out there, lots of ideas. We need to be able to have reasonable discussions about the important issues facing our communities and our world, and it seems we've lost the ability to do that. Calling someone names isn't going to get us anywhere, except further and further across a divide I fear we're in danger of never mending.

The judgements hurled at people who disagree with some particular point of view have made me feel a little bit sick to my stomach this week. I want to curl up and hide away from the nastiness, to not speak, voice an opinion, or ask an honest question, but here I am blogging. Because I want things for this tired troubled place we temporarily call home.

I want us to think for ourselves. I want us to listen. I want us when things go pear shaped to wait a second for the dust to settle and facts to emerge before hitting someone over the head with an opinion. I want us to quit judging the quality of a person's heart on the basis of a status update. I want people who hold positions of influence to be gentle in their responses to those who are trying to understand a world gone mad.

Do I think this post is going to change anyone's mind or behavior? Probably not, but that's not why I write. My blog is a journal, not a point of persuasion. I don't have a big following, but some important people really do read my blog. My daughters. And I want them to know their mother believes no matter how ugly the world becomes, they can still choose to be beautifully kind.

There is much written online I suspect is later viewed with regret, but dear daughters you will never be sorry you were kind. The world is harsh. Choose kindness.

Your Regularly Scheduled Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. So glad you're here! If you've answered the questions, add your link at the end of my blog and tell the world what you know. Be sure you say hi to the blogger who linked before you too, because there's no love like comment love. 

Here we go-

1. What have you 'fallen for' recently?

HGTV. I'd like Joanna Gaines to come decorate my house and then take me shopping for her wardrobe. I love her style! 

2. What's something you're 'squirreling away' for later?

I've got a few fun little things squirreled away for the lake house. I cannot wait to un-squirrel them. 

3. How do you like your apples? Sweet? Tart? Crisp? Cooked? Apples are one of the superfoods for fall...how often do you eat an apple either plain or as part of a favorite recipe? What's your favorite variety?

I love apples, this time of year especially, and have them in some form or another several times a week.  I'm fine with eating them in their natural state, but also love them in pies, sauce, or baked  alongside a pork roast or chop. My favorite is a crisp (must be crisp!) tart variety like a Mac, but I'll eat any kind of apple. 

4. According to Fodor's the ten best fall foliage trips in the US of A are-Aspen Colorado, The Catskills New York, The Berkshires Massachusetts, Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Green Mountain Byway Vermont, Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway New Mexico, Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, Upper Peninsula Michigan, Lake of the Ozarks Missouri, and Glacier National Park Montana. Which would you most like to visit this fall and why?

Glacier National Park is on my list of must-see places so I'm going with that. 

5. The topic of legalizing marijuana was raised in the most recent televised political debate so let's wade in too. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Four states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Your thoughts?

I thought far too much time was wasted on this particular topic in the debates. I know that's not the question here, but I wish we'd spent as much time hearing the candidates views on ISIS, immigration, and free speech as we heard on this topic. 

I'm not in favor of legalizing marijuana, but not opposed to it in the treatment of disease. A couple of years ago I heard a speaker talk about the 'new marijuana', and she made it clear today's drug is quite different than it was a decade ago, much more potent and not always 'clean'. 

We've tightened up the drinking laws, and practically outlawed cigarettes, but we're going to legalize pot? Seems a little crazy to me. 

6. Are you okay to watch a movie already in progress, or to jump into the middle of a TV series, or must you see it from the beginning?

I'm okay to watch a movie already in progress, so long as you don't mind me bugging the daylights out of you with my ten trillion questions about what's happening. Since nobody wants that my real answer is no. I need to see a movie from the beginning, unless of course I've already seen it and this is a repeat viewing. 

We don't watch a lot of series TV, too stressful to keep up with or to quit after just one hour. It seems like programming today needs to be viewed start to finish, either by purchasing whole seasons in a boxed set or settling in for a weekend of Netflix binging. 

Remember when we waited a whole entire week for a new episode? 

7. Thursday (September 24) is National Punctuation Day. What rule of punctuation trips you up most often? What rule of punctuation, when broken by someone else, bugs you the most?

What rule trips me up the most? 
I love the ellipsis and overuse it to the nth degree. I'm working on it, but....

What annoys me most?
Apostrophes run amok. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Who has a Mac (the computer, not the fruit)? How do you feel about the new-ish photo format? I think it rolled out a few months ago, and loathe is not too strong a word for how I feel about the way photos are imported from my camera and stored on my computer.  

When I open the new Photos app my pictures take forever and a day to load, and once they're all loaded I can't find anything. They went all wonky in the switch. Pictures I had in albums are not in the new album format because some of my albums were apparently labeled events in iPhoto, only they're not in events now either.  

They seem to be wherever they landed when the migration happened, and I've resorted to watching online tutoring for help. I need to dedicate a day to sorting it all out, but ugh! Why did they need to 'improve' their photo process when iphoto was a breeze? Does anyone love it? Can you tell me why? 

Stray Thoughts and Minor Obsessions

That title makes this post sound more interesting than it will be, so fair warning. I've been keeping a list on my phone of what I suppose you'd call stray thoughts, and this seems like a good place to put them. Some of those stray thoughts might be considered borderline obsessions of mine at the moment, and oftentimes my blog is where I go to figure that out.

In no particular order...

Iced coffee. Definitely an obsession. I refrigerate whatever is left in the morning pot and drink it over ice later in the day. Like right now. I'm having an iced coffee. When you spend the summer moving it's the little things that keep you sane.

The Royals. Almost an obsession. As in I adore them and read the websites and look at all the pretty pictures every time one's posted. Kate's hair, Kate's clothes, George's soft blue cardi and mischievous grin, baby Charlotte and her fabulous pram, the English countryside...they're all happy distractions from so much turmoil going on in the world.

Earthquakes. Trying not to make it an obsession. Mostly succeeding although hubs and I may have ordered an earthquake kit for our daughter and son in law yesterday. We're not crazy or paranoid but we do have a little too much time on our hands right now, and this is where your thought train travels while in limbo.

Who read the super scary article in The New Yorker called The Really Big One? The tag line under the title is 'An earthquake will destroy a sizable portion of the coastal Northwest. The question is when.' Huh? Why is this the first I'm hearing about plates colliding somewhere besides California? The article goes into great detail about the likelihood of a major earthquake striking the Pacific Northwest.

The same Pacific Northwest where my daughter1 and son in law live.

When my daughter first told me she and her now hubs would be moving to Washington after they married I was sad about the distance, but a little bit happy she was leaving D.C. In D.C. she rode the metro every day and worked a block from the White House, and I remember thinking how much safer she'd be under the soaring evergreens of Washington State than in our nation's capital.

Safety is an illusion. I suppose deep down we know this, but some weeks it's made more real to us than others, and this has been one of those weeks. I've heard so many sad things in the past few days, and that combined with everything splashed across our headlines and TV screens can make me want to hide away somewhere with all my people.

Which brings me to another obsession. This song by King and Country. Oh my word I am obsessed. I play it loud and sing along only slightly off key. I let the lyrics and the melody wash over me as I remember I'm not carrying the weight of the world on my own two shoulders.

None of us are. So many people I talk to feel a general sense of uneasiness these days. The world is shifting in ways that are sometimes confusing and hard to understand. Despair feels close enough to touch.

But then so is hope.

We don't have to carry the burdens of this world alone.  We can set them on the shoulders of the One who knows our every need and weakness. He set the world in motion and nothing is too big or too hard or too heavy for Him. Sometimes it's good to write that down and say it out loud.

Sometimes it's good to sing it at the top of your lungs and a little off key.

Summertime and the Hodgepodgin' is Easy

Welcome to another edition of the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then add your link IF you've played along. The first three questions are a tad heavy for early July, but sometimes that's how we roll. In my defense, they didn't feel heavy when I wrote them, and if it's all too much just know there's chocolate in question #4.

Okay here we go-

1. When did you last 'swim against the tide'?

It's hard to swim against the tide. Exhausting in fact, kind of like I imagine swimming against a literal tide would be. It does not come naturally to me, but there are times when circumstances force us to say/do the hard and unpopular thing. I suppose I swim against the tide in terms of prevailing political opinion on a whole host of issues. 

In my experience it's much easier to swim against the tide if you're part of a 'school of fish'. Much harder to be the lone fish. While it's not often I'm the lone fish,  a particular conversation does come to mind and what I remember most is that it absolutely wore me out. At the end of the day my integrity was still intact, which I think is important when you're swimming upstream.  

2. What's the last self-help or self-improvement book you read?

I'm currently reading Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. It's so good I had to grab a highlighter. I try to read my Bible every day which, if you're looking for self-help or self-improvement, is the very best book out there. 

3. "Tolerance is a tremendous virtue, but the immediate neighbors of tolerance are apathy and weakness." (Sir James Goldsmith)

Agree or disagree? Discuss. With civility please, because i think we have a good thing going in our very diverse (in geography, age, religion, political persuasion, ethnicity, marital status, upbringing, and cooking abilities) neighborhood here on This Side of the Pond.

I've really grown to hate the word. No offense anyone-ha! It's just that the word has become all jumbled up with judgement and name calling and the basest of the base. Ick. Tolerance is a virtue, but only to a degree. 

Tolerance is not demanding everyone be tolerant, bragging about how tolerant you are, and then when a viewpoint contrary to your own is expressed, calling that person a racist-bigot-ignoramus. Welcome to America in the year 2015.

Call me old fashioned, but I still believe there are some absolute truths in this world. Yes there are areas where we can agree to disagree, but there are also areas where we can't. And that's where I think the word tolerance gets lost. 

4. What is one of your most vivid memories of the kitchen from your childhood?

I have so many clear memories of the kitchen from my childhood home it's hard to choose just one. My mom still lives in that same house and the kitchen is the heart of it all. 

Christmas baking looms large in my mind (naturally!) and I remember standing on a chair beside the stove to help in the painstaking process of dipping freshly rolled buttercreams into silky melted chocolate. My mom's would be perfect, but I was impatient and mine often had a little swirl in the chocolate where I tried to remove it too quickly from the toothpick. 

I've carried on this tradition with my own girls, and I'm still sometimes impatient while daughter2 carefully waits out the minutes so hers are just right. Carousel of time people. 

5. How did/do your own children's summers compare with your summers as a child? If you're not a parent, answer as it relates to what you've observed about the current generation of children vs. your own childhood.

Very similar I think, mostly in the way childhood summers felt. Mine were a delicious concoction of carefree, outdoorsy, sunshiny, hours with plenty of time for day dreams. As a child I spent a lot of time outdoors, playing made up games with my sister and friends, swimming, and riding bikes. We read a lot of books, colored endless pictures, spent a week at camp and a week in Vacation Bible School, and some years made a trip out west to visit our grandparents, although not every year. 

I think my girls would describe their summer experiences in much the same way. They might add something about our awesome beach vacations too. We didn't take beach vacations when I was a kid. My parents did take us to the shore for the day, but only now and then which felt like a huge treat.  Because it was. 

6. Tell us what body of water you would most like to be on or near today, and why?

I'd love to be on 'our' lake. Technically it's not ours, but a small piece of the shoreline is. I'm more than ready to be sipping morning coffee on the dock. 

The dock which is not in place yet, but is under construction. Which is more than I can say for the house, still in the design-review-paperwork stage.  

If I can't be on our lake then I'd settle for my favorite Italian lake-Maggiore, or even a boat ride down the Thames. I'm not picky. 

7. Share a favorite song about water, or a favorite song with the word water in it's title, or a favorite song to listen to as you sit beside the water.

A favorite song about the water? Sailing by Christopher Cross. 

A favorite song with water in the title? An old camp favorite-Come to the Water. 

Song to listen to as I sit beside the water? Beach music please...anything by the Embers, the Catalinas, the Drifters. Throw some Kenny Chesney into the mix and I'm good. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today is my beautiful mother's birthday. Here she is at my daughter1's wedding-

Happy birthday mama! Thanks for loving me and Jesus and books and home, and for sharing those loves with me. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 227

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then drop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there! 

1. When did you last 'swim against the tide'? Explain.

2. What's the last self-help or self-improvement book you read?

3. "Tolerance is a tremendous virtue, but the immediate neighbors of tolerance are apathy and weakness." (Sir James Goldsmith) 

Agree or disagree? Discuss. With civility please, because I think we have a good thing going in our very diverse (in geography, age, religion, political persuasion, ethnicity, marital status, upbringing, and cooking abilities) neighborhood here on This Side of the Pond.

4. What is one of your most vivid memories of the kitchen from your childhood?

5. How did/do your own children's summers compare with your summers as a child? If you're not a parent, answer as it relates to what you've observed about the current generation of children vs. your own childhood.

6. Tell us what body of water you would most like to be on or near today, and why?

7.  Share a favorite song about water, or a favorite song with the word water in it's title, or a favorite song to listen to as you sit beside the water.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Hodgepodge in the USA

Welcome to the Hodgepodge on this first day of July. Are you in summer mode yet, or like me still trying to figure out how it got to be July? You know the drill here-answer the questions on your own blog, then jump back over to add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to at least say hi to the blogger who linked before you, because that's the neighborly thing to do. Here we go-

1. On Saturday July 4th America celebrates her Independence (If you're not American,  feel free to answer in terms of a national holiday in your own country) What is your favorite thing about the day? Your favorite food on the 4th? Do you fly a flag at your house? Fireworks-yay or nay? Any special plans this year?

I love the 4th, and probably my favorite thing about the day is the patriotic pride on display in the form of flags flying, tiny town parades, and children and adults alike dressed in red, white and blue. We definitely fly the flag at our house, and my favorite food on the 4th would be red ripe watermelon. Fireworks are a must. We don't have firm plans this year, but whatever we do we'll end the day watching fireworks from the deck in my brother's back yard...prime viewing for their small town's spectacle.

2. What's something  you recently got for free?

Besides advice? I guess it would be the scoop of frozen yogurt my pup was treated to when hubs, my mom, and I went for ice cream last week.

3. The Statue of Liberty, The Liberty Bell, The Washington Monument, or Mount Rushmore...how many on the list have you seen? What is your favorite historical American monument, and why?

I've seen three of the four listed, never been to Mount Rushmore although I'd like to someday. Of the four my favorite is probably The Liberty Bell. I love the history associated with the city of Philadelphia and the story of our nation's early days.  

4. When it comes to the news are you more ostrich (stick my head in the sand) or hog (they have room to take a whole lot in)? How much attention have you given the recent news reports regarding ISIS and the acts of terror they've perpetrated against those who do not share their beliefs or support their cause.

I'm probably somewhere in between, but I've certainly been paying attention to the stories mentioned. I think Americans are so easily distracted by things that don't matter in the long run. I wish we could focus more on the atrocities being perpetrated against Christians, and a little less on Bruce Caitlyn Jenner et. al. I'm not in the mood to rant today so I'll leave it at that.

5. We're talking plain ice cream...vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry? Choose one.

It really depends on my mood and whether or not the ice cream is homemade. If it's homemade then give me good old plain vanilla. 

6. Share a song you love containing the word 'stars' in the lyrics or title.

He's Everything to Me 

Some of the best lyrics ever written. 'In the stars His handiwork I see, On the wind He speaks with majesty, Tho he ruleth over land and sea, what is that to me? Till by faith I met Him face to face...and I felt the wonder of His grace...then I knew that He was more than just a God who didn't care, who lived a way out there and...' 

7. Describe and/or say goodbye to June with an acrostic.

Just a whole lot of rigmarole

Unloading boxes, cars, houses, suitcases

New location and never ending paperwork

Eager to get started on the next phase of our home build. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Sunday hubs and I met my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew at the Tall Ships Festival on the Camden waterfront. There were ships on both sides of the river, but we parked on the NJ side since that seemed simplest.

One word- crow.ded. The festival was essentially rained out on Saturday, so the whole world decided to turn up Sunday. 

We spent a big chunk of the day standing in line, but the weather was delightful and it was fun hanging out beside the water. Also, stepping below deck on one of the Tall Ships confirmed for me the fact that I was not born for a life spent at sea. 

Monday was a picture perfect day, so my brother and sister-in-law invited us over for a swim and BBQ. We had more paperwork to tend to in the morning, but the rest of the day was spent relaxing beside the pool and sitting in the cool breeze on their back deck while the moon showed off. We decided Monday's weather was going to be included in the top ten days of summer. 

Not a bad way to wrap up a crazy-busy June. 

Days of Auld Lang Hodgepodge

Welcome to the last HP in 2014, but no worries...there will be plenty more random fun in the new year. 

Just not next week. 

Next week I will be in full on post wedding mode, so no Hodgepodge January6/7. The HP will be back to it's regular posting schedule the following week-January 13/14. Thanks for understanding y'all, and I promise I'm almost done talking about the wedding. 

The planning anyway. I haven't even gotten started talking about the actual day, but I figure I've got all of 2015 to do that. Now for this week's questions...Happy New Year everyone!

1. Share a favorite moment from your Christmas holiday celebration.

Tiptoeing upstairs Christmas morning and passing Daughter1's bedroom. Seeing the bed made and thinking 'wow- she's up early', only to discover she and her sister had both slept in Daughter2's bedroom on Christmas Eve.

 Just like they have every single Christmas since 1991. 

2. What would you say has been the biggest news event during your life so far?

My first thought was of course 9/11,  because it's still so fresh in our hearts and minds. But man walking on the moon, the end of the Vietnam War, and the fall of the Berlin Wall were also big important newsworthy events that have occured in my lifetime.  

I think I'll still say 9/11 because it feels like there was a real shift in America and the world as a result. 

3. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala. What say you-like or no like? Would I find this color anywhere in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade to either?

I love the color. I think it's a nice warm tone and I have something close to this on my kitchen walls now.  It blends well with greens, golds, and taupes which you'll also find in my home. 

4. Would you rather meet your ancestors or your great grandchildren? Explain why.

My great grandchildren. My babies babies babies. I know it would be fascinating to meet my ancestors too, but the idea of my babies babies babies makes my heart happy. 

5. Share one life lesson learned in 2014?

There are many things in this world worth getting worked up over, and also many that are not. It's good to recognize the difference. It's okay to step away from the latter. 

6. What was your best or favorite purchase made in 2014?

Finally, something easy! A wedding dress for my daughter the bride.  

7. What is one thing you're looking forward to in the new year?

My very first visit to the Pacific Northwest. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

There's no better way to begin a new year than with a wedding. So excited to celebrate with family who have loved the bride and groom all their lives. Grateful there isnt a blizzard in the forecast. Thankful for friends from literally all the many places we've set down roots, who are traveling to be with us on the big day. Can't wait to ring in a brand new year.

Happy 2015 to you all!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 203

Happy New Year Hodgepodgers! Welcome to the final edition of 2014. Next time we do this a new year will have rolled around, and speaking of...there will not be any Hodgepodge next week (Jan 6/7) because I will be in full on wedding mode.  The Hodgepodge will be back to it's regular weekly posting the week after-on January 13/14.  

Okay, here we go-

1. Share a favorite moment from your Christmas holiday celebration.

2. What would you say has been the biggest news event during your life so far?

3. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala. What say you-like or no like? Would I find this color anywhere in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade to either?

4. Would you rather meet your ancestors or your great grandchildren? Explain why.

5. Share one life lesson learned in 2014?

6. What was your best or favorite purchase made in 2014?

7. What is one thing you're looking forward to in the new year?

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Prioritizing the Hodgepodge

Welcome to the last Hodgepodge in the merry month of May. Answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post. I understand how tempting it is to add links here for other wonderful things you've written, but please link only if you're joining the Hodgepodge. Thank you! And be sure to leave a comment for your neighbor, because that's how we roll round here.

1. What news story are you following right now?

Several, but particularly the story of the kidnapped Nigerian school girls, and also the story of the  Sudanese doctor (married to an American citizen) imprisoned and sentenced to death, charged with apostasy. She gave birth this week and has her newborn and her 20 month old son with her in prison. We Americans are pretty casual about our many liberties. These stories have faces and names and remind me that not everyone in this world lives with the same sense of freedom we enjoy in our country. 

2. What's the last thing you wanted but didn't get?

Well for about five minutes last fall we thought we might be moving. It didn't happen so here we are. We've had a few 'near misses' when it comes to relocation in the course of our married life, and I know God always has us right where He wants us to be. 

3. May 28th is National Hamburger Day...when did you last have a hamburger? Other than your own kitchen or BBQ grill, where is your favorite place to go for a hamburger? And for all you non-meat eaters out there...when you're invited to a cookout what is one side dish you hope is on the menu?

We had hamburgers Monday evening, hot off the backyard grill which is pretty much the only way I eat a burger. I like mine with lettuce and tomato, no cheese. I'm not particular when it comes to sides, but if it's a backyard BBQ I'd be hoping for some baked beans. If I were ordering a burger out somewhere I guess I'd choose Red Robin. I like theirs, but a hamburger isn't what I normally order when dining out.

4. How have your priorities changed over time?

I don't really think my priorities have changed a whole lot over time. They've pretty much always been faith and family, and that remains true today. The way those things play out in my daily life however, does look different. My children have grown up, and I've also matured and learned things about myself that cause me to interact with the world differently. Still faith and family take the top two spots on my list of what I prioritize, and I don't think that will ever change. 

5. What's a favorite memory with your grandparents?

I wrote about both sets of grandparents on my blog a while back (here and here), so I'm going to mention something I didn't mention there.  My maternal grandfather had a shop, and once when we were visiting he let us four kids ride over there in the back of his pick up truck. I know! Hey, it was 1969ish, and the laws of transportation safety were a lot looser back then. 

He drove slow as molasses, but we thought it was awesome. To top it off, once we got to the shop he got us each a Dr. Pepper in a glass bottle from the vending machine. Whoohoo! That was such a treat to my nine year old self.  

Do nine year olds still get excited about a Dr. Pepper from a vending machine? 
The times they are a changin'. Have changed. Sigh. 

6. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being fantastic!), how good are you at multitasking? Share an example.

I used to be, but I think this is one of those skills that gets rusty if it's not used a lot. When my girls were young I could multitask with the best of them. These days life no longer demands I do four things at once, so I don't. 

7. How would you summarize your highs and lows for the month of May?

May is always a bit of a mixed bag around here. Two years ago we lost our precious niece in the month of May, and when that date shows itself on the calendar we all feel so much. We do get to finally welcome springtime here in May, and that's a blessing. A visual reminder that God makes all things new.  

We celebrated much this month too, Mother's Day and a big graduation. Hubs and I thoroughly enjoyed spending a long weekend in beautiful Charleston. And I think my girls and I just might manage to squeeze in a day of wedding dress shopping before the calendar tumbles into June, so sending May out on a high note for sure!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Last spring a mama robin made her nest in the plum tree just outside my living room window. I watched and waited and fretted right along with her, anxious to see her baby birds. Upon returning home from a weekend away, I found a broken blue egg on the driveway, and knew those babies were lost. So sad.   

Like most mothers I know mama robin is nothing if not persistent, and we were so happy to see her rebuild that nest in the very same spot this year. Guess what??? 

She's got babies! And they are too adorable for words.

It's super hard to get a photo, given the way the nest sits in relation to our vantage point inside. There's a pesky branch in front of the nest, and the camera wants to focus on that instead of their wide open mouths and fuzzy little heads. Hubs stood on a chair and tried to aim the camera in towards the nest as he awkwardly hung over the top half of the window sash, but still was only slightly successful. 

I snapped this one yesterday, and have been walking around the house ever since saying, "Out came a baby bird".  It must be said in the same sweet voice my own baby girl used when she was just a tiny tot. Daughter1 was obsessed with the P.D. Eastman book, Are You My Mother, and when she 'read' the story herself she emphasized every single syllable of that phrase. 

Also too adorable for words!