The Carousel of Time

It's a birthday palooza round here in September, and tomorrow is my Daughter2's special day. Years ago she told me reading my blog on her birthday was one of her favorite parts of the day, so I keep on keeping on. 

Because I host the Hodgepodge on Wednesdays I'm posting a day early this year.  I feel all the feels this whole week anyway, so the day before is definitely allowed. 

Sixteen years of blogging for her birthday means one has to get a little bit creative, so here we go. 

Hey moms still in the trenches...

I want you to know that one of the quiet joys of later life is discovering the unexpected gifts grown daughters bring. These once-tiny beauties who held my hand have become women of real wisdom.

Like so much in parenting, the shift happens gradually—so naturally you don’t notice it, until one day you do. The ones you once nurtured, taught and guided begin offering guidance in return. They grow into thoughtful companions, and surprise you with insights that catch you off guard. Suddenly, you're seeking their opinion.

They see the world through a different lens—not just because they're of another generation, but also because they've built a perspective in life that's all their own. It's remarkable how much of yourself you recognize in them still… and even more remarkable how far beyond you they've grown. Still their mother’s daughter, yet wholly their own. 

There's a quote I read (author unknown) that says this-

'Raising them was the work of my heart...knowing them now is the reward.' 

Happy birthday Daughter2! One day I hope you read these words as you write your own birthday message to your now tiny beauty who will have grown into a woman you adore and learn from too.

I love my front row seat to the extraordinary woman you've become, and pray you're blessed beyond measure in the year ahead, and all the ones after too. 

xoxo Momma 

Linking today with Joanne and her Talking About It Tuesday blog hop. 

Monday Morning Musings

Hi Friends. I'm jumping right into the Hello Monday link party this morning, hosted by Holly and Sarah. This is where we chat about our weekends, and here's how ours looked. 

Fun. Fun is how it looked. 

Once upon a time I went to college and was part of a sorority and this weekend ten of those girls came to the lake for a reunion. 

We've gotten together at various times over the years, but were definitely overdue for another in person gathering. Four of us live within an hour of one another, and one of the girls has a house on the same lake as me, so we decided to invite everyone here. 

Three of us organized the food and we had half the group sleep at my house and half at the second lake house. Two of the girls flew in from a bit further away and arrived Thursday night. One  was a bridesmaid in my wedding and she's been to the lake before, and the other I hadn't seen in 40 years. 

We just picked right up like we'd all been together yesterday instead of yesteryear. 

Everyone convened at my house for breakfast Friday morning and the rest of the group rolled in throughout the day so the whole gang was together by late afternoon. 

The weather. Eh. Not the best, but then not the worst either. We didn't see the sun but it didn't rain us out either. We spent the entire day Friday sitting on my patio talking and catching up. Actually the clouds made it really pleasant for patio sitting and it was a super relaxed day. 

Hubs was a rock star all weekend long. He has also known these girls four decades, and enjoyed seeing us all together. He waited on us hand and foot, and cooked the most delicious pork BBQ for our Friday night dinner. We had pasta salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, and cole slaw too, and one of the girls aka another one of my bridesmaids, brought a scrumptious strawberry pound cake from a Tennessee bakery for dessert. 

We stayed up late and talked about all manner of things including old memories and our young(er) selves, new challenges, long ago mischief making, life in the third act, family, food, travels, work and not working, grandchildren, and in some cases what in the world we've been doing for the past forty years. There's nothing like a solid 48 hours spent with friends who knew you when you barely knew yourself. 

Saturday morning breakfast happened in whatever house you slept in, then my house loaded up on the boat and hubs motored us over to the other house. The weather wasn't ideal, but you can't come to the lake and not get out for a boat ride, can you? 

We spent the whole day Saturday at the other lake house. Some of us floated, some tried the paddle board, and some relaxed on the dock. There were lots of little conversations happening as everyone caught up with everyone. It was just a really lovely, special day. 

We all went back to my house for dinner. I'd made baked ziti earlier in the week and froze it before baking, so easy peasy and also super delicious. Another girl made a yummy salad and garlic bread and we sat outside under the twinkle lights and laughed ourselves silly. 

It was another late night, and then before you knew it the sun was up and it was time to say goodbye.

The last car load pulled away around 1 o'clock and I started some laundry, opened the weekend mail, we listened to our Bible recap, and hubs had a nap. He earned it after acting as the cabana boy-grillmaster-bartender-D.J., and chief 'could you bring us _______' guy all weekend long. 

He washed dishes, refilled glasses, ran up and down the stairs for whatever we left up or down the stairs, chauffeured us by boat, all without a single complaint, irritated tone of voice, or roll of the eye. He wanted the weekend to be fun for me and it absolutely was. 

He's a keeper. 

The last semi-large reunion we had was also lakeside. It was 2018 and we got up extra early that Saturday morning to watch Prince Harry marry Meghan Markle. Time flies, doesn't it? 

The world has changed a lot in four decades. When I was an 18-year old freshman phones were on the wall, we wrote checks when we needed money,  and computers were the size of a whole entire room that I had no need to enter since my major was not business. 

Our school was in a small town without a lot going on, but we made our own fun. We didn't take a lot of pictures so the memories live mostly in our heads. 

Today the students there have phones in their pockets, Apple Pay at their fingertips, and laptops with streaming services for their favorite shows they can watch any time of the day or night while typing a paper they'll email not print. The town has grown, the campus has grown...

...but we're still here making our own fun.

So what did you get up to this weekend? 

2,922 Days

I like to write letters to my grandchildren on their birthdays and today is one of those days. No they don't read my blog, but I keep these letters for them to have when they're older and need reminding of how very much they are loved. 

Dear Mancub, 

2,922 Days. That's how long I've known you. And while that sounds like a long time it feels like just  yesterday I walked into your home on the other side of the country and met you face to face.

You had a full head of very dark hair, the most perfect little face, and a sweetness about you that remains there still today. 

And now you're eight. 

You're kind and tender hearted, and you're funny too. You're such a good big brother to your baby sister, and also to your little brother who loves and admires you whole heartedly. Like your momma, you are so very intuitive about people and their feelings, a truly wonderful quality to possess. 

The change from little boy to 'just a boy' happens seemingly overnight, but you're there now. No longer little, but also not too big to hug your Nana. 

fyi-you are never too big to hug your Nana. 

You love the great outdoors and since moving to our neck of the woods have spent a lot of time literally in the woods. You love climbing trees and wading in creeks and fishing with Daddy and brother, and hikes to the many nearby waterfalls. Exploring the woods and wide open spaces the way all boys should. 

You're a lego wizard and still love building all sorts of things. Currently you're a big fan of Star Wars and are busy collecting the lego sets that go along with that. You are rarely without a book in your hand and love to talk about what you're reading too. 

You loved playing baseball this year and grew so much in terms of skill and grit. You had a lot of fun cheering on the local college team too. 

You still eat and sleep like a teenager and the water is where you want to be. 

After five moves in seven years you're happy to say this is where I live. Happy for friends you won't have to move away from in a year's time. Happy to let your roots sink down deep into the red clay soil of South Carolina.  

We're happy too. 

Happy to be near enough to say come swim. To sit beside you in church on Sunday mornings. To watch you play baseball, rock the paddle board, and celebrate birthdays and the ordinary days in between without a plane ride, a passport, or a Facetime screen. 

Happy birthday to the one who gave me my favorite name. I'm grateful to have a front row seat to watch all the ways God is working out His perfect and unique plan for your life. I pray your love for Him grows more with every candle added to the cake, and that you seek Him daily in all things. 

Know for always your Nana loves you deep and wide xo 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6

Hodgepodging Like An Adult

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. What's an adult problem nobody prepared you for?

I think adulting is somewhat of a learn as you go proposition. My parents prepared me in many of the ways that count-work hard, don't spend more than you earn, prioritize the eternal, and so on, but so many things we learn by doing. Or sometimes by not doing and suffering the consequences. 

The amount of 'administrative' tasks you have to do-schedule-be on top of-plan for, etc is something I still don't feel prepared for. I mean we're retired and we're empty nesters...why is there still so much paperwork??? Yes, much of it is digital now, but it still requires attention. There are taxes, insurance, medical 'stuff', home repairs and maintenance, automobiles, etc. Pretty sure I imagined at some point some of these things would somehow go away or take care of themselves lol. 

2. How tuned in are you to all the recent food related health news? Have you gotten rid of your scratched cookware? Did you pay attention to food additives before they made the news? What's one healthy eating/cooking/food shopping habit you need to adopt? 

I'm tuned in. Have I made any big changes? Not really, but I will be getting rid of any scratched pots and pans I still have. I grew up in a home where my mother cooked every night. From scratch. We had a salad with every dinner, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and we drank milk, not soda. I also cook from scratch so we've never eaten a lot of processed foods. 

I do eye the ingredients if I'm buying something boxed, bottled, or canned (like cereal, cooking oils, etc) and while I know it's a big shift for some of these companies I'm glad to see unnecessary additives removed from our food. I'm somewhat amazed at how quickly major companies have gotten on board, once we started really talking about it. 

One healthy habit I need to adopt? Less sugar. 

3. What's getting worse and worse as you get older? How about better and better? 

Worse and worse...my eyesight. I miss my 20/20 vision and my un-spectacled face. 

Better and better...I know what's important and can keep my eyes on that. 

4. Are you more of an indoor person or an outdoor person? Elaborate. 

I'm a bit of both. I love the outdoors, love being out in nature, but if being an outdoor person implies adventure then it's less true. I'm not mountain biking, skiing, that sort of thing.

I like to hike and camp and swim in the lake and read on the porch and I feel nearer to God when I'm out in creation than almost anywhere else. 

5. If you had an expert personal assistant today, what would you have them do? 

Strip all the beds, wash the bedding, and then remake the beds. I've had a houseful for over a week and all the guest beds now need changing. All the guest beds are downstairs and my laundry is upstairs so there's no way I can knock that out in a boot. I'm trying really hard not to go up and down the stairs so hubs will be my personal assistant this week in terms of laundry. 

Also, the next several weeks. 

Also driving, putting things on high shelves, getting things from the lower level garage frig, vacuuming and more. Hi hubs! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Who went shopping on Amazon Prime Day? What did you buy that I need to know about? 

Montly Musings-June

It's too hot to think deep thoughts. Plus today's my volunteer day followed by a trip to see the orthopedist,  so keeping it simple. I'm linking with the Monthly Musings girls, Holly (Pink Lady) and Patty (Good Better Best), who offer ten topical questions to answer on the last Thursday of every month. This month we're talking Summer Vacation Guide, and everyone is welcome to jump in...here we go- 

1. Share your summer trips for 2025. 

Our backyard is a summer destination so we try not to do a lot of traveling this time of year. 

We love company in the summer months and typically have a lot of it. We prefer to do our own traveling in other seasons. 

That being said, this year we've booked a house in Hilton Head for a family beach vacation late summer, and I'm looking forward to that. All the grands will be there, along with their parents and I'm sure it will be crazy fun. Have you ever been to Hilton Head? 

Fun fact...this is me on the beach at Hilton Head, aged 3. 

We lived in the nearby area that year. I've been several times as an adult and the island has a relaxed, family friendly vibe, great restaurants, fresh seafood, and plenty of sun, sand, and water for everyone to enjoy.

2. How do you manage the post vacation laundry? 

Pretty much the same way I manage laundry year round. Just get it done. If we're in a rental with a washer and dryer I'll do laundry before we head home, even though that goes against my personal motto NOT to do laundry while on vacation. 

Also I feel like hubs and I have a lot of laundry for two people. Not the point of this question, but true nonetheless. 

3. Most memorable summer vacation? 

Ooh, this is a toughie. From my childhood or my grown up life? How about one of each? 

We didn't take a lot of summer vacations when I was growing up. We belonged to the local swim club and spent our days there, lived an hour from the 'Jersey shore' so always had a couple of day trips there, and went to sleep away camp for a week which we loved. 

But! My grandparents all lived out west and every so often my parents would buy six plane tickets and take their whole crew to Colorado and then New Mexico. 

We absolutely loved these trips. My dad grew up on a farm outside of Denver and my mom grew up in Albuquerque so the landscape, the food, everything was big and exciting and so different than our East Coast life. 

We loved seeing some of our cousins on these trips too. Everyone was spread out far and wide and people didn't travel the way they do now so it was all very special. 

Now as an adult I've had some pretty fabulous trips so picking just one favorite is nearly impossible. Our family trip to Lago Maggiore definitely makes the top five. 

We spent the mornings taking the wooden boat taxis out to various islands in the lake, exploring and lunching and shopping. The afternoons were spent at the pool reading stacks of books. The food was fabulous and we ate our weight in gelato. 

It was 2007 and my oldest had just finished her first year of uni, my youngest was getting ready for her senior year of high school. 

Time moves fast in those young adult years and I'm so glad we hit pause and just enjoyed being together in a beautiful place. A core memory for all of us. 

4. Do you cook or eat out on vacation? 

Depends on what sort of vacation we're having. If we're in a rental house at the beach with five littles ages 8 and under, then we'll definitely be preparing many meals at home. Our plan for the summer beach trip this year is for each couple to plan one dinner, eat one dinner out with the whole group, pizza on the beach one night, and take out seafood at some point. We'll mostly do breakfast and lunch at home too. It's just easier and more enjoyable in this stage of parenting/grandparenting. 

Now, if it's just me and the hubs then I'm all about eating every meal out. 

5. Are you an overpacker, underpacker, or a just right packer? 

If we're traveling by car there's no such thing as overpacking lol. I'm a just right packer when it comes to air travel. 

6. Beach, lake, or mountains? 

Yes please. 

7. Road trip or fly? 

I prefer a road trip, but sometimes flying is necessary so I deal. 

8. Favorite vacation activities? 

A book and a beverage and a beach chair. 

Walking on the beach. 

Walking the countryside.

Exploring foreign cities. 

Going where the locals go. 

Eating where the locals eat. 

museums and history 

Coffee or wine sipped in a European city square.

9. Best packing tips? 

I'm a fan of packing cubes and use those when I'm trying to save space. For road trips I like to pack in tote bags, which hubs is not super keen on, but I feel more organized this way. 

10. Favorite road trip songs? 

I like a mix of 70's (best music ever), country, upbeat, and laid back. It might depend where we're going too. For a beach trip there will be lots of beach music which is one of our favorite genres anyway. On car trips we usually listen to Sirrus radio and switch between the 70's, 80's, The Bridge, and Y2country stations. 

Also, we listen to books on Audible when we have long car trips, and break it up with music. 

Enjoy your summer travels everyone, wherever you may roam.

Adventuring Through The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the weekly 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. What does adventure mean to you? 

This word is used a lot today, so I looked up the definition because I was curious. Here's what I read-' an unusual, exciting, and possibly dangerous activity, such as a trip or experience, or the excitement produced by such an activity'

I'm not what you'd call an adventurous person, yet I've lived a somewhat adventurous life. I'm a mostly cautious person married to an adventurer, and as a result I'm often out of my comfort zone. Once I'm back on level ground, so to speak, I'm almost always thankful for the adventure, or at least for what I've learned from the experience. 

For me personally adventure has helped grow my confidence, it's shown me I have hidden strengths, and it's definitely given me a greater appreciation for the wider world and all it's possibilities. 

I think adventure looks a little different in the various seasons of our lives, but even in this 'third act' it's still exploring new places, trying activities new to me, and learning new skills. 

2.  What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

I'm not opposed to tipping and try to be extravagant when the occasion and service calls for it. I love to leave a 100% tip now and then, especially if the server is having a bad day, but is doing their best anyway. 

I always tip my hairdresser because I know I take up a lot of her time when I come in for an appointment. The nail technician always gets a tip. If our yard guy goes above and beyond and does something extra for us I'll add a tip. And I always tip in a sit-down restaurant. 

After that it gets murky...I don't feel like I need to tip when I'm ordering at a counter and carrying my own food to a table. I dislike the cashier watching me opt for no tip though so sometimes I'm guilted into it. I don't really mind suggested amounts because math. But! I don't think the suggested amount should start at 25%.  I realize prices have risen, but 20% of the bill is still 20% of the bill, right? 

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream...do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What's your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream...what's your pleasure? 

Ice cream is hubs favorite after dinner treat so I try to always have some in the freezer. I very very rarely have ice cream at home, but I do enjoy going out for it now and then. I love home made ice cream so if that's on tap I'm in. 

My favorite ice cream flavors are rocky road, strawberry, coconut, and peppermint. If we're talking gelato I'd definitely opt for stracciatella and that's my answer for the last part of this question. That's my number one. 

4. What's your 'back in my day, we____________________ ' story or saying? 

Well there's a thousand things I could say here, but lately I'm wondering why we get heat warnings for 90 degree weather? When did this start? 

Back in my day summer meant it would be hot. Really hot. It was summer and it was supposed to be hot. We didn't have ac in our house until I was in the third grade. School was never cancelled for heat. 

I understand there are people who work out of doors, but in general they understand what they need to do to manage the heat. People need to bring their pets inside when it's super hot, but the ones who don't likely won't just because a weather person tells them they should. 

This is super trivial I know. 

Also...because this blog is nothing if not educational... heat warnings and advisories started in 1979, which in my mind feels like just a few years ago, but in reality was almost half a century. Specific heat-health warnings started in the 1990s. 

Also...back in my day only old people said back in my day. 

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

celebratory~family filled~chock a block 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Hello summer...

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 608

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (June 25th) to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What does adventure mean to you? 

2.  What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream...do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What's your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream...what's your pleasure? 

4. What's your 'back in my day, we____________________ ' story or saying? 

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Sum-Sum-Summertime Hodgepodge

Welcome to the mid-week random known as 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. Summer officially begins this week (in the northern hemisphere)...what was your favorite thing to do in the summer when you were a kid? What do you like most about summer now? 

My favorite thing? Oh my...lots of things....spending all afternoon at the neighborhood pool, going barefoot, a week at camp, big games of kick the can with dozens of kids from two and three streets over, sitting on the ice cream freezer to keep it from moving while my brother turned the crank...

...the freedom to be a kid and believe anything is possible. 

What do I love about summer now? 

dining al fresco, daylight that lasts until 9 PM,  fresh fruit, swimming, and sitting outside beneath a starry night sky

2.  Something you'll celebrate this summer? 

June is a big month for us and we've already marked a nephew's birthday, a nephew's high school graduation, a daughter's birthday, a grandson's birthday, our 41st anniversary, and Father's Day. Whew! Lots of fun family events and milestones.  

My oldest grandson has a birthday in July, as does my momma who will turn 95 years old. And we love celebrating our nation's birthday on the 4th, one of my favorite days of the year. 

3. Summer tastes like? Smells like? Sounds like? 

Tastes like...red, ripe, watermelon, ice cold sweet tea, hamburgers on the grill, peach cobbler

Smells like...charcoal burning, coconut oil, freshly mown grass, and chlorine

Sounds like...crickets chirping, kids laughing, water splashing, childhood 

4. June 18th is National Splurge Day...what's the last thing you splurged on? What might you splurge on today? 

I splurged (only a little) on some jewelry to wear to a wedding we're attending. In my defense, I had purchased several dresses and narrowed it down to just two. One was pretty pricey but I preferred the slightly less expensive one, so adding the jewelry made it all come out even. Something like that. I might have even saved money-ha! Hi hubs! 

I don't think I'll be splurging on anything today, but never say never. 

5. Share a favorite summer quote, saying, song lyric, or meme. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

In these very troubling times I remind myself every day He's got the whole world in His hands. 

'You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.' Isaiah 26:3 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 604

Here are the questions to this week's midweek Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (May 28) to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. What's your favorite room in your house and why? 

2. What's something that will instantly annoy you? 

3. May 28th is National Hamburger Day...will you celebrate? How do you like yours? If you're not cooking at home is there a favorite place you like to go for a burger? Did you ever work in a fast food  restaurant? 

4. What are three scents you like? 

5. What do you miss most about being a kid? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The Hodgepodge Buzz

Welcome to the weekly Q and A, also known as 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. May 20th is World Bee Day...what's something that's kept you 'busy as a bee' lately? 

When haven't we been busy? Life and our people keep us busy these days, but I'm not complaining. It's a fun kind of busy. 

2. Do you like honey? What's something you make or enjoy that calls for honey? 

I do like honey. I prefer a splash of milk in my hot tea, but if I'm not feeling well I'll go the honey and lemon route. I have plain Greek yogurt with granola and honey drizzled over the top for breakfast pretty often. I really like hot honey and add that to my baked Boursin appetizer. Also really good on pizza. 

3. "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." Proverbs 16:24

What's a proverb you love, or one that speaks to you or has helped you in some way? 

The Bible is full of Proverbs, a whole book in fact, if that helps with your answer. The word proverb is defined as 'a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice'. 

One of my favorites is Proverbs 10:19-

"Where words are many transgression is not lacking. But he who restrains his lips is prudent." It reminds me to think before I speak. I have this one memorized. 

4. Tell us about a 'sweet' moment in your life recently that filled you with joy, gratitude, or peace. 

Sunday night hubs and I hung out with the grands at their house because their momma wanted to go to something at their church and her hubs was on-call, aka working. My granddaughter loves her little purse (it's a shoulder bag lol) and she put it on and then grabbed my hand and told me to get my purse, and then we walked around the yard like that, holding hands with our purses on our shoulders. 

The sweetness of a granddaughter who is her mother's mini in so many ways cannot be overstated. 

5. When you were a child, what did you want to 'be' when you grew up? How close did you come to that?

A nurse, a teacher, a mom. 

Pretty close...I switched my major from nursing to speech pathology my sophomore year of uni and never looked back. 

I enjoyed working, but being a stay at home mom was the real desire of my heart. So thankful this was something I was able to do. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The band is back together...

See question #1. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 603

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here on Wednesday (of course), May 21st to share your answers. 

1. May 20th is World Bee Day...what's something that's kept you 'busy as a bee' lately? 

2. Do you like honey? What's something you make or enjoy that calls for honey? 

3. "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." Proverbs 16:24

What's a proverb you love, or one that speaks to you or has helped you in some way? 

The Bible is full of Proverbs, a whole book in fact, if that helps with your answer. The word proverb is defined as 'a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice'. 

4. Tell us about a 'sweet' moment in your life recently that filled you with joy, gratitude, or peace. 

5. When you were a child, what did you want to 'be' when you grew up? How close did you come to that? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It May Be The Hodgepodge

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

1. Let's compare this May to last May. What's changed? What remains very much the same? 

I looked back over my blog from last May and it seems life is not all that different than it was one year ago in terms of the month itself. As far as what has changed in the last year, the biggest would be my oldest daughter's geography. 

She and her hubs and kids were living in Cincy last May, moved to the UK for six months, and are now living literally right down the road from us in SC so that's one big change. 

The grands are all a year older and so are we. 

2. What's something you may do this month? 

I may visit a farmer's market. They're opening up in our area now and that's something I like to do this time of year especially. We have a few weekend happenings on the calendar already, but hoping I can make it to the market some Saturday. 

Our town has a Thursday night music thing, where they close the main road and there's a band and food trucks, and it's just a fun night out. It runs April-October, but we haven't made it to one yet. Hoping to get there in May. 

3. Mother's Day is approaching (in the US of A)...in what way(s) are you like your mother? 

I've always been a lot like my mom. For starters we're both stubborn-ha! I'm gonna own it because it's true. We both love Jesus, books, shoes, beautiful gardens, and time in the kitchen. We see motherhood as a calling, we're independent, and we love our people and also our space. 

My mom will turn 95 on her birthday this year, so not all of these are part of her life now, but they're definitely what I associate with her and how I picture her in my head. 

4. Did you have a favorite book as a child? What was it and why was it a favorite. 

I had several favorites...Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne,  and Crow Boy by Taro Yashima are definitely at the top of my list. My mom read aloud to my younger sister and I all throughout our childhood, well past the point we could have read those same books ourselves. 

Growing up we had a formal living room and a den in our house, and we never played in the living room. That space was for grown up gatherings and holidays, but my mom would read to us there which made the time feel extra special. 

My sister and I would sit on either side of her on the couch and through those books we developed a real and lasting love of reading, as well as a shared language and a closeness with our mom that carries weight. There are several expressions from the books I mentioned that we still use today. They gave us lots of 'scope for the imagination', and if you don't know that expression then you've never met Anne. With an e. 

If you've never read Crow Boy by Taro Yashima, check it out. 

5. Are you more of a tortoise or a hare? Explain. 

I have always been a hare, but these days I'd say I'm 'a little more tortoise. I'm savoring slower mornings and a slower pace in general. Pretty sure people might still say hubs and I are a couple of hares though. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

In honor of Mother's Day I'm linking to a post I wrote back in 2012, a sort of ode to motherhood. You'll find it linked here -K is for The Keepers.  

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas reading here today...

...most especially to my own sweet girls who are now mothers themselves, and who continue to teach me so much about so many things.

"For all the things my hands have held, the best by far is you."-Author unknown

E is for Experience

Here we are at the end of week one in the A-Z Blog Challenge. Emphasis on the word challenge. I've had a lot going on this week besides what I've written here so patting myself on the back for staying the course. I'm hopeful next week will be more manageable time wise, but we'll see. 

Day 5-E is for Experience

"something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through; 

the conscious events that make up an individual life

"Experience is the teacher of all things." 

Julius Caesar

It's been said that so much of who we are is where we've been and I tend to agree with that sentiment. I'm into my 'third act' (trying not to overuse the phrase but I gotta call it something), so I have plenty of life experiences to mull over. Since my blog is often the place where I 'mull' I'm going to write about a handful of those experiences here this month. 

Let's start at the beginning shall we? My family. The one I grew up in. 

This of course covers a myriad of experiences and I know I'm lucky in that department. I had a happy childhood. I grew up with two sisters and a brother, parents who were married, who worked hard to provide for our every need, and who gave us a sense of security and stability not all children are fortunate to know. 

They made their faith in Jesus a priority in their lives and in our home. We weren't spoiled with material things, but we had all that we needed and most of what we wanted. And we had each other. 

We still do. 

Playmates, confidants, sparring partners, back seat riders, secret sharers, story keepers, truth tellers, teammates. 

Children learn by watching, by imitating what they see. I'm grateful to have had a good example to follow, which in turn impacted the way I've interacted with my own family (the one I birthed) as well as other people I've encountered along life's way.  

Studies have shown that children who grow up in a stable home have a higher degree of success, feel less anxiety, and also less stress. I can still so clearly picture my mother sitting on the side of my bed, telling me to tell her my troubles and she'd listen and help if help is what was needed. My world view, my self-esteem and my sense of belonging are all things that were home grown.  

To be a child who knows they are loved is such a gift. It frees you to be authentically you. 

Hodgepodge Favorites

Welcome to another week in 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. What was your favorite part about growing up in your hometown? 

Without a doubt it would be the neighborhood. We walked to school, rode our bikes with abandon, chased fireflies and played big games of tag and kick the can with all ages teaming up together. We knew our neighbors and there was a strong sense of community. Family. Friends. Fun. And the freedom to figure out life and our place in it.

As I was answering this question I remembered writing a post in my early days of blogging on this very topic. You'll find it here-My Very Own Wonder Years. 

"There was a time when the world was enormous...Spanning the vast, almost infinite boundaries of your neighborhood. The place where you grew up. Where you didn't think twice about playing on someone else's lawn. And the street was your territory that occasionally got invaded by a passing car. It was where you didn't get called home until after it was dark. And all the people, and all the houses that surrounded you were as familiar as the things in your own room. And you knew they would never change."

Kevin Arnold, The Wonder Years

2. Do you prefer 'material' gifts or 'experience' gifts? If you answered experience, tell us about one you've received and enjoyed. 

Here's how I feel about gifts...when I receive a gift I want it to say 'I thought of you'. Or 'I remember once you said you loved x and I saw x so I got it for you'. 

Some of my favorite material gifts are small inexpensive things that in some way suggest the giver has taken the time to really think about me before they just go out and buy something for the sake of buying something. It could be a hedgehog apron or a weekend in NYC. They're of equal value in my mind because they show intent and thought and planning...my favorite kinds of gifts. 

My hubs has planned two birthday getaways with an element of surprise and both showed a lot of forethought and planning. To me that was the best part of the whole thing. 

3. Is brown a color featured prominently in your home decor? Your wardrobe? What's one brown thing you own and love? Of the brown foods listed here which one is your favorite and/or most often consumed.. brown sugar, brown rice, pretzels, coffee, dates, cloves, German chocolate cake, whole wheat bread?

Is it featured prominently in my home? I guess you could say that. I like real wood and we have a lot of it in the form of beams, furniture, and wainscoting. Our wood leans toward the darker hues, which to me make a house feel warm and cozy.  The dark tones need to be balanced with light coming in somewhere, but for the most part I love the dark woods. 

Off the top of my head I don't think I have a lot of brown in my wardrobe. I do have a pair of heels I love and some brown boots, but in terms of tops, dresses etc no brown. 

I like all the foods listed, but if I have to pick a favorite I'm going to say pretzels. I always have pretzels in the house. 

My favorite brown thing I own and love? 

The little brown dog of course. 

Always livin' large. Remember his money shot-

Except there was no money lol. He did get his ten minutes of fame and was a happy distraction for over 91,000 voters during that very strange season we dubbed 'the pandemic'.  

4. Which 'Charlie Brown' character do you relate to most? If you're not sure, you can take a fun quick quiz by clicking here-Which Charlie Brown Character Are You?  or another one here-Charlie Brown Quiz. I got the same answer on both. 

I could have answered this without the quiz-Charlie Brown. 

Chuck is an ambivert and so am I. As the quiz describes...both introverted and extroverted depending on your mood or the situation (true). You're gentle and lovable (I hope so), determined (some might say stubborn) and hopeful (an eternal optimist). You mean well and care deeply about your friends (yes). When it comes to failure, you stay optimistic (of course), press on, and cheer for your friends to keep on going (keep going friends!)

 5. Favorite item you've purchased this year? 

I feel like I've made a lot of purchases this year, both large and small. We recently bought a slew of new outdoor furniture, two outdoor rugs, and a couch for the lower level family room so declaring that my favorite. Technically it's not going to be delivered until sometime in the new year, but since the deposit hit the credit card in this calendar year it counts. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

How about some random cuteness? Time is a-flyin' and I never posted any pics from our quick 24-hour visit with the Tennessee grands, which happened a whole week and three days ago. I meant to, but somehow I seem to always be a few steps behind here.

Sugar with her double ear infection and sweet baby J wanting to bust loose, but we powered through and snapped a photo. They're the sweetest-

Happy Wednesday Hodgepodgers! 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 578

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

1. What was your favorite part about growing up in your hometown? 

2. Do you prefer 'material' gifts or 'experience' gifts? If you answered experience, tell us about one you've received and truly enjoyed. 

3. Is brown a color featured prominently in your home decor? Your wardrobe? What's a favorite brown thing you own? Of the brown foods listed here which one is your favorite and/or most often consumed... brown sugar, brown rice, pretzels, coffee, dates, cloves, German chocolate cake, whole wheat bread?

4. Which 'Charlie Brown' character do you relate to most? If you're not sure, you can take a fun quick quiz by clicking here-Which Charlie Brown Character Are You?  or the one found here-Charlie Brown Quiz. I got the same answer on both. 

5. What's a favorite item you've purchased this year? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A Nutty Hodgepodge

Welcome to another 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. How did you meet your significant other? If you don't have a significant other, tell us how you met your best friend. 

I was looking back through some old blog posts recently, and came across one I'd written telling the story of how we'd met, which is what inspired this question today. The post is linked here-When Harry Met Sally . The short version is we met at university. We went to a medium sized school and that meant you knew a lot of people. He was in a fraternity and I was in a sorority so we attended a lot of the same events and had a lot of mutual friends. Mutual friends brought us together and together we've remained some 40+ years later. 

2. It's Department Store Day (October 16)...do you still shop in department stores? If not do you miss that kind of shopping experience? Do you have a favorite department store? Any fun memories of department store shopping when you were a child? 

I used to really enjoy shopping in the big department stores. Strawbridge and Clothier was a favorite when I was growing up. Most of the bigger department stores had restaurants on their upper levels, and it was fun to go to the mall with my mom and shop, then have lunch afterwards in the store's restaurant. I grew up mostly in the NJ suburbs of Philadelphia and at Christmastime we'd always go in to the city to see the light show at Wanamakers Department Store. Such a treat! 

I enjoyed the British department stores when we lived there-Harrods and Liberty especially, but also the smaller chain called Debenhams where you could easily find things you needed for home and wardrobe. 

I do still love Nordstroms, but we don't have one nearby. Most department stores are attached to malls and I rarely set foot in a mall these days. It's easier to shop online or in the outdoor shopping centers where some of my favorite stores are all in a row and you can park right out front. 

3. Something you're currently nuts about? 

Fall temperatures. I'm always ready for summer to take a breather. 

4. What's your favorite nut and is there a favorite recipe where this nut is used? 

I like all nuts. Cashews are a favorite for snacking, along with pistachios. I cook mostly with almonds, walnuts, and pecans and have a lot of favorite recipes that call for nuts. 

As the holidays approach I think of shortbread made with almonds, cranberry bread made with walnuts, and so many delectable Christmas cookies that call for chopped pecans. 

5. On Wednesday we officially reach the '70 days until Christmas' mark. Have you purchased any gifts? If you don't celebrate Christmas then how about Hanukkah presents? 

Nothing big, but I have purchased several smaller stocking stuffers for various family members. I also bought both girls, both sons-in-law, and all five grandchildren matching Christmas pjs. Best of all the pjs have all been wrapped and delivered, ready for opening once December rolls in. I like to give the pjs early so they can wear them in the weeks leading up to Christmas. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

I thought I'd try to dig out a picture of the hubs and I when we were in college but there aren't a lot. College students didn't take gobs of pictures 'back in the day' like they do now. It wasn't a priority, plus we had to use actual cameras and not very good ones at that. We didn't have phones with built in cameras, in fact we didn't have phones except the ones attached to the wall, so unless you lugged your camera to a party or event you didn't have pictures. Most Greek events had a paid photographer present so there are pics from a lot of those type things. 

A lot of our pictures have red-eye because you wouldn't know that until after they came back from the developer. This particular picture is in fact a Polaroid. I cropped it but there's no mistaking a Polaroid.  They had a white border all the way around and you could write on the bottom portion of the frame. This one has Spring Formal 1981 helpfully scrolled across the bottom, but I'm not sure if it was his formal or mine?

Regardless, I had a lot of hair that for certain had seen some hot rollers earlier in the day, and hubs was still sporting a mustache with not a single follicle of gray. 

I can very clearly remember the outfit. It was a silky jumpsuit with spaghetti straps and the bottom portion was all black, only the top half was patterned. It had a longish kimono style jacket? wrap? you wore over it and I loved it. 

Young love is so sweet. 

Old love is pretty sweet too. 

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