Excited About The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you, because comments make the blog world go round.  Here we go...

1. What's worth standing in line for? 

Boarding an airplane for a trip somewhere fabulous, security for a college football game or live concert event, the restroom when you're in a public place. 

2. Tell us about a favorite food related memory. 

I have so many I don't even know where to begin. An anniversary dinner at Cliveden House? Our long leisurely lunch made by an adorable Italian chef overlooking Lago Maggiore? My 50th birthday dinner at Asiate high above Columbus Circle in NY City's Mandarin Hotel?  

Those are all favorites for sure, but something about this question made me think of childhood, and one of my favorite food memories from childhood would be Thanksgiving dinner. 

My mother would spend the whole day (or two) cooking and we kids would help. My little sister and I were usually in charge of setting the table and pitting the grapes for our traditional dessert fruit salad. There was pie too, but to this day we all make fruit salad with fresh whipped cream as another option. Purple grapes, chopped apples, sliced oranges, and a can of crushed pineapple stirred over all. 

My mother has an artist's eye and she made holidays and special dinners look and taste so lovely. She set a fancy table in the dining room with the good china, and we always had an appetizer of shrimp cocktail in crystal glasses which was such a treat. 

Sometimes another family would join us and we always got dressed for dinner. No jeans, no loungewear, no excuses for not being at the table on time. Our best manners, cloth napkins, family chatter. 

That's me front left, and my little sister looking like an absolute angel on the right. Those dresses! I wish I still had them and could pass them on to my granddaughters. My teenage sibs are standing in back, and my dad must have taken the picture. That perfectly roasted turkey is just waiting for his expertise with the carving knife, and there's the shrimp cocktail on my momma's plate. 

Sometimes someone will pose the question, 'if you could go back to just one day in your childhood which one would you choose?' I might pick this one. 

3. What are some things you find particularly peaceful or calming? 

The lake off season, reading on the porch, a walk in the woods, the sound of a waterfall, waves lapping the shore, and snow falling at dusk. 

4. Is there something you do now that gets you just as excited as it did when you were a child? 

A few things come to mind, but I'm going to say my birthday. Nobody's surprised are they? It's no secret I love my birthday and it's almost here. I mean it will be here in a month, but close enough. I love thinking about the year that's ending and the one I'm running in to. I love hearing from family and friends, love a card in the mailbox, love a new beginning and...

I love my super delicious chocolate cake with the raspberry filling and chocolate ganache overall that hubs gets me every single year. 

5. To what degree are you in touch with friends from grade school? high school? college if you attended college? 

I'm in touch with all of the above to some degree or other. I'm mostly in touch with grade school and high school friends through the miracle of the Internet, but there are some I see in person still from time to time. 

I'm in regular contact 'in real life' with a number of my college friends. We had college friends here last weekend and have more college friends coming to the lake this weekend. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Got a question for you...do you allow anonymous commenters on your blog? What about a commenter with a name and a profile and even a picture, but that's it. They've opted not to share their profile? What about a commenter with nothing more than a name in their profile? 

I've had a couple of these lately and I don't know if they're real bloggers who choose not to share their profile, if they're some sort of scammer, or if they're AI? I don't allow anonymous comments on my blog, but I'm also hesitant to post comments from people who technically have a profile, but I have no clue if they're genuine or it's something sketchy. Your thoughts? 

Five On Friday

Friday is upon us and with it another letter in the A-Z... 

P is for Patience 

'the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, 

or suffering without getting angry or upset'

Since it's Friday and it's been a busy week and we're all running on fumes in the April A-Z Blog challenge I'm keeping it simple. Five things I've learned relating to my word of the day....

1. Patience is a quality I admire and appreciate in others, and one I want displayed in my own life too. I have always been a very patient person. The world is so noisy and demanding and impatient, and I aim to be counter cultural in this regard. 

2. That being said, I'm surprised to find I have less patience for a lot of things in this season. I thought the reverse would be true. Discovering my fuse has shortened some is disheartening. Maybe it's got less to do with aging and more to do with the cranky state of the world that has strained my patience? I'm hoping that's true.

3. I want the people I love to have patience with me too. Cultivating patience helps us avoid impulsive actions and also impulsive words. When I'm patient I'm not giving control over to a person or situation that's causing stress and as a result I have the energy and clarity of mind to deal with whatever needs to be dealt with. 

4. That's the goal of course, but like most things in life it takes practice. We all get plenty of it.  

5. Most importantly patience leads to another p word-peace. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit....a deliberate choice to trust God's timing and leave room for Him to work. Slow to anger the way God is with me. 

May you feel the peace only He can bring on this good Good Friday friends.

'Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time 

we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.' Galatians 6:9

J is for Jumble

 Moving right along into Day 10 in the A-Z Blog Challenge...

J is for Jumble

'an untidy collection or pile of things; 

mix up or confused in an untidy way' 

I'm pretty sure I imagined when I reached the age I am now there would be more blank space everywhere. In my home, on my calendar, and most especially in my head. 

But guess what? There's not. 

I remember being a young mom and having just an endless jumble of thoughts running through my head nearly all the time. Most of those thoughts revolved around raising children, because mothers are the keeper of everything and it all just pings around your brain pretty much on a loop. 

We're just us now, so what sort of jumbled thoughts can possibly need untangling in this season of life? Here's a peek...

Why does my back hurt?

Is 7:30 too early to put on my pajamas?  

Call my mother. 

Call hubs mother.

Where did I put that card I bought? 

Did I sleep funny? 

Is that why my back hurts? 

Are we free the third Tuesday of next month?

Did he feed the dog? 

Was I supposed to feed the dog? 

Let's go somewhere. 

Let's stay home. 

Did I take my vitamins today? 

I've done something to my back. 

What was the name of that book I wanted to read? 

Show I wanted to watch? 

Movie I wanted to see? 

Where did I leave my keys? 

Are my roots showing? 

The grandchildren 💕

Why does my neck look like that? 

Does it always look like that? 

Does this dress make me look old? 

Is this dress too young for me? 

Why is it so hot in here? 

Didn't the guy say I need new tires? 

Are my girls getting enough sleep? 

My girls 💕

What in the world did I do to my back? 

We need to paint the house. 

Buy a car. 

We need to stop spending. 

Let's go to the islands. 

Is that spot on my face something to worry about? 

I don't like driving at night. 
I need new glasses. 

What am I wearing to that wedding next month? 

We'll need a leaf in the table for Easter dinner.

and...and...and...

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Isaiah 26:3

The Heavens Declare

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

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

Seven years ago. 

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

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

2024 America is exhausting. 

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

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

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

Which is all of us. 

Keep looking up.  

December. But First Thanksgiving.

Just doing my usual post Thanksgiving post. In December because that's how I roll. 

First things first...the little brown dog is doing very well. He celebrated Thanksgiving in the Animal Hospital following his belly surgery and is happy to finally be home with his person. 

fyi-his person is the hubs. Daughter1 is his second favorite, followed closely behind by my sister-in-law. I think I'm number 4 lol. 

This is his second time around with belly surgery, and hopefully his last!. This one has gone much more smoothly than the procedure two years ago, he's healing well, and the only real challenge is keeping him 'low-key' for a while. 

Because the pup had to stay in hospital for a few days we were able to travel to daughter1's more or less as planned. We left Tuesday morning and what should have been a seven hour drive max, ended up taking ten. It was raining which didn't help, and the traffic was insane. There's a part of the highway near Asheville that hubs and I swear has been under construction since my oldest started uni in 2006. True story. 

We finally arrived safe and sound sometime after dinner, but before the boys went to bed so there were hugs and squeals and whew, so glad to be here. We didn't see Little Miss until Wednesday morning as she'd already gone to sleep. 

Yes. I'm going to give an absurd level of detail because details help make the memory. 

Wednesday my son-in-law had to work, but the rest of us piled into the car around noon to grab lunch out. Let it be noted for the record that I climbed in and out of the third seat of a minivan at least eleventy million times during our visit, which is no small thing. Grandparenting is not for sissies. 

We went to lunch in a cute little place not far from their home, then ventured into the city to see the model train exhibit at Union Terminal. 

Later the Mancub and I kicked off a five day UNO tournament (the mancub came out on top), then daughter1 and I started prepping food for Thursday's feast. 

One of the things I most look forward to and enjoy about any holiday is spending time with my girls in the kitchen. We all like to cook and bake and it's always a sweet time of chatting and just being together. 

Thursday the men kept the littles entertained while we cooked and then we cooked some more and then there was more cooking. That's Thanksgiving, right? My daughter invited another couple and their children to join us for dinner and they arrived around 3 PM with the most delicious baked brie appetizer and a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. 

The entire meal was wonderful, and we had so much fun that at the end of the night my daughter said, 'Mom! We didn't take a picture of us in the kitchen!' Or at the table either for that matter, so we grabbed the phone and recreated our pretty mimosas to snap one for the books.  

These were yummy-pomegranate juice with a small piece of orange, some cranberries and just a smidge of rosemary, frozen together in an ice cube tray, then topped with champagne when ready to serve. 

Friday we stayed close to home until my son-in-law got home from work. Then we bundled up and went to the Cincinatti Zoo to see Zoo Lights.

It was cold but lots of fun. We got there before dark so were able to see some of the animals, and enjoy the lights too. 

Little Miss just goes with the flow and is pure sugar. She has grown so much since last we saw her, and it was especially fun to have lots of time to get to know her better. 

On Saturday hubs, daughter1, Little Miss, and I left the boys home with Daddy so we could meet up with some friends from 'the Maryland years' who live in Cincy now. 

We had the best time catching up in person and again, Little Miss was good as gold. 

Sunday we went to church followed by brunch right after. Then it was home to decorate the Christmas tree, open new pj's and ornaments from Nana and Pawpaw, and start amping up all the excitement little ones bring to the month of December. 

After 34 hands of UNO it was time to go. We were up early Monday to make the trek home with just one quick pit stop at the Animal Hospital to collect the little brown dog. The drive home was thankfully a breeze and while it's always hard to leave it's nice to come home too. 

And now here we are. Advent. The season where we prepare our hearts for Christmas. Honestly the other day I had a moment of anxiety about all there is to do then caught myself when I realized it was still November. Everything starts so early and is so full on and so buy this!-don't miss that!-do all the everythings!-that it's easy to lose sight of what it is we're actually preparing for.

I saw a quote recently that said, 'Let's approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush'. Not an easy thing in the times in which we live, but I know I want to try. 

Wishing all the weary souls in this world peace in this season of hope and Advent.

A Bookish 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. It's National Read A Book Day...whatcha' reading? What's a book you want to read? 

I just started The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry, which is our book club selection for next month. I've always got more than one book going though, so I'm also reading The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell and Where Do We Go From Here by David Jeremiah. Hubs and I are listening to Follow Me To Hell: McNally's Texas Rangers whenever we're in the car, and I'm also listening to You Are Not Your Own by Alan Noble.  

What's a book I want to read? Obviously too many to name, but you can look for me on Goodreads if you want to see my list. 

2. Which is better...having high expectations or low expectations? Explain why. 

Hmmm...is this a trick question? It feels like a trick question. If you keep your expectations low you're probably not going to be disappointed. You're also going to miss out on the excitement and satisfaction that comes when your high expectations are set and met. As a parent and a teacher I set high expectations and found in general children/people rise to the level you set. Sure they disappoint you sometimes, but more often than not they meet or exceed my expectations and there is a great deal of joy to be found there. 

3. Serenity is________________________. 

A sense of calm, the ability to breathe-sleep-move through the day with a sense of untroubled purpose. 

4. What's  the most interesting thing in your purse or pocket right now? 

I found a duplo block in my bathrobe pocket this morning. Is that interesting?  

5. What helps you calm down? 

A nap, a pretty view, prayer, turning off the news/social media, walking away, and a cup of tea to name just a few. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Guess who's getting a baby SISTER!?

Grandbaby number 5 is joining the party in the first part of 2024. We've known for a while now, but daughter2 has only recently shared with folks outside her own family. We're all so excited!! 

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Writing It To Remember It

How do you describe a conversation with your 4 1/2 year old grandson? 

I don't know. 

I only know I want to remember it. I want to remember that when my daughter called the old fashioned way, the mancub, who was sitting beside her said, 'I want to Facetime', so we did. 

I want to remember the way the screen came to life and there he was, with his bright eyes and his sweet sweet smile, happily pounding out play dough on the kitchen table while baby brother slept and sunshine flooded the kitchen.

I want to remember how his momma and I chit chatted and he chimed in from time to time. How he heard our every word, thought about their meaning, and asked his own questions as they came to mind. The way he still does not settle for a simple answer, but needs all the information please. 

What's a braid? Well it's a hairstyle' What's a hairstyle? Insert demo by momma as she explains a braid is something girls like to do to their hair. But what's a braid? Well it's three strands of something criss crossed over one another. And so on and so forth and so on and so forth. 

My daughter calls fairly often but boys are boys, and they're toddlers, and they're brothers, and most times when we're on the phone they have places to go and people to see. The under 5 set generally needs less talk, more action and we're okay with that. 

They pop on and off the screen and tell us they love us and they miss us and hey Nana look what I made! watch me! where's Hunley Bunley? show us Hunley Bunley! They ask at least a dozen questions and tell us lots of things all while turning somersaults, constructing block houses, and wrestling each other to the ground in a fit of giggles. 

They blow kisses and there is almost always a 'debate' over which one gets to disconnect the call when it's time to disconnect. It's fun and loud and busy and we don't always have their undivided attention when we're on the phone. Which is more than fine because we so enjoy watching them play and do and be all the things little boys love to play and do and be. 

But Monday. 

Monday we had the most precious little grown up chat with our mancub about all manner of everything including the rolling pin he'd taken to school for show and tell that morning, the letter r, what's a braid, why was Uncle A and Auntie M's flight cancelled, what's cancelled, but why, what's a crew, was the plane broken, if it isn't broken why can't it fly, does Uncle A fix bones too, why not, what does Uncle A do, and fa la la la la the entire hour was sheer delight. 

It was the kind of call that leaves you feeling better about life, people, the world, pretty much everything. 

He was so cheerful, so gentle, so in tune with our whole conversation, so utterly precious that when we hung up hubs and I looked at one another and said that was just what we needed to wash away the heaviness of this world. 

Of which there is much, but today I want to think about this. I want to remember this. 

The innocence of a grandchild and the way the wheels turn in his head as he observes the world around him and understands it a little bit better every minute of every day. 

How life lately feels overly full of people who thrive on conflict and complaining, whose negativity stirs everyone up but ultimately brings everyone down, and how I want less of that in my life and more of this. 

More sweetness. More tenderness. More sunshine and smiles and definitely more seeking and finding joy in the tiniest little wonders of the world because they are there for us to unearth and savor. 

I want more family. More love. More seeing the world through the eyes of a child and feeling hopeful and heart-full because this world is not what the loudest voices say it is. 

It's a grandson saying Nana let's not hang up. Not yet. 

Quiet Spaces and Everyday Graces

This blog has felt a bit quiet in terms of content lately, which is why I signed up for the five-day #hopewriterlife challenge. Ironically, the first word prompt is 'quiet'. 

Hmmm. 

It's never really quiet here. Our calendars are full and usually our guest rooms too, so I'm always looking for blank space somewhere. After a whirlwind August, a whirlwind summer actually, we were forced into a period of rest and stillness by hubs aching back and our dog's emergency belly surgery. 

I don't believe God sent hubs back out of whack or caused the dog to eat that mysterious bit of foam he attempted unsuccessfully to digest, but I do think He uses these types of things to slow us down, to remind us rest is good for the body and soul, and that we need times of quiet to process all the noise of this world. 

Sometimes it feels like there's no escaping the noise, but there's certainly no escaping it when you never remove yourself from it. I have a lot of thoughts, hubs might say too many-ha! and writing has always been a way for me to focus all those thoughts into something that makes sense. 

There are days where not a lot happens here. Most days I'd venture to say, and I imagine most of you would say the same. Life is much more a series of small moments rather than big events, less earth shattering happenings, more laundry and to-do lists. While writing about the everyday ordinary may seem frivolous given the times in which we live, ordinary is nearly always where I land. 

When I write I like to imagine my grandchildren reading my words decades down the road. What do I want them to know about me? What do my words say about the person their grandmother was in the middle of an all CAPS-exclamation point world?

I want them to know my hand was always reaching for the volume, turning it down as I floated into the bright blue beauty of a September day. That I saw mountains meeting clouds and felt small as I remembered where my help comes from. 

That I never stopped looking for quiet spaces in a too noisy world. That contentment lives there, in the most ordinary of days.   

Peace And Quiet In The Hodgepodge

Happy Wednesday everyone! So glad you stopped by for a little mid-week break and to share your answers to this week's random. 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. Kindness always counts and the world needs more of it. Here we go- 

1. How do you define peace? 

Not to be cliche, but if the shoe fits...No Jesus, no peace-know Jesus, know peace. That pretty much sums it up for me. 

2. November 3rd is Election Day in the US of A, but did you know it's also National Sandwich Day? Let's vote, shall we? egg salad or tuna salad? chicken salad or grilled chicken on a bun? peanut butter and jelly or a bagel with cream cheese? turkey and swiss or ham and cheddar? grilled cheese or pimento cheese? roast beef-corned beef-or make mine veggie? 

Hardest question of the day. Egg salad, chicken salad, a 'real' bagel please (it's the Jersey girl in me), ham and cheese, grilled cheese on a winter's day and pimento all the rest, roast beef if it's in the form of a French Dip, otherwise corned beef.

Giving myself a high five for not overthinking this one. 

3. When did you last say (or feel) 'no rest for the weary'? 

I think I feel this most evenings as I wrap up things like putting away the last of the dishes, folding anything left in the dryer, prepping the coffee for the morning...there is always one more thing isn't there? 

4. This time last year, where were you? 

South Korea. To be more precise I was enjoying a beautiful blue sky day in a gorgeous park beside the water with hubs, my daughter, son-in-law, the mancub, and the newest member of our family just six days old. 

It feels like a million years ago. Hmmm...I think this will be it's own blog post, so stay tuned. 

5. Share a favorite song, verse, or quote featuring the word 'peace'. 

Sometimes the songs from my childhood are so comforting. In this season of exhausting conflict and turmoil every which way you turn, I go back to one of my old camp favorites...'I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river in my soul..."

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I write my answers to the Hodgepodge on Tuesdays so I can get the link up early every Wednesday. I don't know how this election day will go but no matter the results I will wake up Wednesday and be grateful for the gift of another day. I will go about the ordinary business of living because my hope for this nation and for my own future and that of my children and grandchildren is not found in any presidential candidate, political pundit, or online pontificator. 

One of my favorite hymns-

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 393

It's time to ask the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge questions. Come on in...it's a friendly space. Answer the questions on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party.  See you there!

1. How do you define peace? 

2. November 3rd is Election Day in the US of A, but did you know it's also National Sandwich Day? Let's vote, shall we? egg salad or tuna salad? chicken salad or grilled chicken on a bun? peanut butter and jelly or a bagel with cream cheese? turkey and swiss or ham and cheddar? grilled cheese or pimento cheese? roast beef-corned beef-or make mine veggie? 

3. When did you last say (or feel) 'no rest for the weary'? 

4. This time last year, where were you? 

5. Share a favorite song, verse, or quote featuring the word 'peace'. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Schooled in 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 go leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. There's the bell....

1.  What's happening where you live in terms of schools opening? How do you feel about it?

Currently schools here are set to reopen in about three weeks with both in-person and virtual options. Families have to commit to one or the other for at least a semester.  God bless the teachers navigating all the unknowns, fearful parents, angry parents, normal first day of school jitters, and so much ??? 

How do I feel about it? Well I don't have children in school so in theory the plan shouldn't affect me at all. However this goes down though, I think we all will eventually feel the ripples, perhaps even a few big waves. Teachers, parents, kids of all ages, and the people in charge are in my prayers right now. 

2. What's something you still do 'old school'?

Use a paper calendar, send real greeting cards, bake from scratch...lots of things. 

3. August 4th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Will you/did you celebrate by baking a batch? Eating a batch? Nuts or no nuts? Homemade or store bought? Soft and chewy or do you prefer your cookie to snap when you bite into it?

First things first, homemade all the way! Soft and chewy and skip the nuts. Course if you've already added nuts I won't say no. Actually oatmeal chocolate chip are my favorite. 

While I like the idea of baking a batch, I definitely wouldn't eat a batch. I'd eat just one. Or two. Maybe three. 

4. What are you starved for?

Peace in our cities. 

5. Anything new and interesting on your August calendar? What is one thing you're looking forward to this month?

Honestly no, but that's okay. It's summer and we're enjoying the lake,  a lot of porch sitting, dinners from the grill, moonlight, casual weirdly spaced get togethers with one or two friends and neighbors at a time, all outdoors where everyone brings their own everything to keep it cootie-friee. Perhaps one day we'll look back and say, 'well that was interesting'. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Has anyone read American Dirt? What did you think? 

Hodgepodge Happiness

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, a tiny corner of happy in the midst of a noisy world. Grab your cuppa and stay a while. If you've answered this week's questions, add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Kind comments make the blog world go round.

1. What's something you could do today to feel more peaceful?

Stay off social media. 

I could elaborate but then people would weigh in and there would be disagreement and opinions spewed and conflict of one sort or another, basically the polar opposite of peace, so just going to keep calm and carry on. 

2. June 2nd is National Rotisserie Chicken day. Who knew? Are you a fan of rotisserie chicken? You've purchased one at your local market for tonite's dinner. Will you serve as is or make something else using the chicken?

I've been asking these questions for years now, and am not surprised that everything under the sun and then some has a 'national day' to celebrate its existence. I do like rotisserie chicken but rarely serve as is. I buy it most often when I want to make chicken salad or chicken pot pie. 

3. I read a list recently (go here to read more) of 20 of the most beautiful places in America. How many of these have you seen up close and in person?

Antelope Canyon Arizona, Kenai Fjords Alaska, White Mountains New Hampshire, Crater Lake Oregon, The Palouse Washington and Idaho, Grand Prismatic Spring Wyoming, Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Horsehoe Bend Arizona, Na Pali Coast Kauai Hawaii, Antelope Valley California, Lake Tahoe California, The Berkshires Massachussets, Maroon Bells Colorado, Angel Oak South Carolina, Acadia National Park Maine, Grand Teton National Park Wyoming, Turnip Rock Michigan, Central Park New York City, Niagara Falls New York, and Skagit Valley Tulip Fields Washington

Of the sites on this list that you haven't seen, which would you most like to see?

Wow I need to get busy. There are quite a few on this list I haven't seen or even heard of, case in point-what's a Palouse? I googled it and you should too, because it's really pretty. I've only seen 5 of the 20 sites listed so lots to choose from. The Grand Tetons have been near the top of my 'must see' list for a long long time, so I'm going with that as my number one. 

4. What's one pretty spot you'd add to the list in question #3? Are there travel plans of any kind on your calendar right now? Does that make you happy, anxious, excited, sad, or relieved?

Redwood National Park along the Northern California coast ranks pretty high on my list of most beautiful places in America. Pictures do not do this place justice. (I wrote about our visit there in two posts linked here and here) 

There are currently no travel plans on my calendar and I feel a mixture of sadness and relief.  I'm hoping to be able to visit my mom in July, but that is a big giant question mark right now. I don't necessarily feel the need to go anywhere, but would love for travelers to feel like they can safely move around because I need to see my grandbabies and the only way that can happen is via air travel. Their plans all along were not to come until sometime this fall but again, it's another giant question mark right now. 

5. Tell us one un-COVID related thing you're looking forward to in the month of June.

Hubs and I celebrate our wedding anniversary in June, and while this year it might be a champagne toast on the back porch, we will for sure say cheers to another year of life together. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This cutie potootie is a whole entire seven months old. He is a happy chillaxed little fella who grins big now when he sees 'the man and lady in the phone'. Somehow he knows we love him in a way only your grandparents can. 

We haven't seen him in person in 196 days, not that I'm counting, but if I were it would add up to 196 days. We do what we must, and are grateful every day for his wonderful parents, his darling big brother, their good health, and the miracle of video calls.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 371

Whew. It has been an exhausting-hard-sad week here in the land I love so going to try to keep this week's questions on the lighter side. Answer on your own blog then pop back here tomorrow to share answers with the world wide webbers. See you there!

1. What's something you could do today to feel more peaceful?

2. June 2nd is National Rotisserie Chicken day. Who knew? Are you a fan of rotisserie chicken? You've purchased one at your local market for tonite's dinner. Will you serve as is or make something else using the chicken?

3. I read a list recently (go here to read more) of 20 of the most beautiful places in America. How many of these have you seen up close and in person? Of the sites on this list that you haven't seen, which would you most like to see?

Antelope Canyon Arizona, Kenai Fjords Alaska, White Mountains New Hampshire, Crater Lake Oregon, The Palouse Washington and Idaho, Grand Prismatic Spring Wyoming, Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Horsehoe Bend Arizona, Na Pali Coast Kauai Hawaii, Antelope Valley California, Lake Tahoe California, The Berkshires Massachussets, Maroon Bells Colorado, Angel Oak South Carolina, Acadia National Park Maine, Grand Teton National Park Wyoming, Turnip Rock Michigan, Central Park New York City, Niagara Falls New York, and Skagit Valley Tulip Fields Washington

4. What's one pretty spot you'd add to the list in question #3? Are there travel plans of any kind on your calendar right now? Does that make you happy, anxious, excited, sad, or relieved?

5. Tell us one un-COVID related thing you're looking forward to in the month of June.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Serenity Now

Shhh...

Today's word comes from my sister-in-law (yes, another one), and it's interesting to me how so many of the words I've been given say something about the giver.

Day 17-Q is for Quietude

Maybe not a word I use often, but certainly one I seek. 

To escape the noise in this world and the noise in my head. 

A quiet state. 

                  

Inhale. Exhale. 

                 

Stillness...tranquility...repose. 

We make room in our lives for what matters.

Wishing you moments of quietude in the week ahead.

Be An En-, Not A Dis-

Entering Week 2 in the April A to Z Blog Challenge and we're moving right along. 100 meaningless bonus points to anyone who gets this title. Perhaps if you read on...

I'm trying not to make every post in this thirty day challenge relate back to the virus, but a fair chunk of the words I was given do send my brain in that direction. For now, our everyday life is impacted by restrictions to our actions and our interactions, which makes it hard to avoid referencing every once in a a while.

These are strange times and my blog is a journal of sorts, so while I'm not intentionally dedicating these challenge posts to the current public health crisis, it will very likely get more than a mention now and then.

Day 5-E is for Encourage

Okay, on with the show. Today's word is brought to you courtesy of my mother-in-law, encourager extraordinaire. Everybody needs one in their life and she has the gift of encourgement. She is always telling you you're appreciated...loved...better than you think you are, and for that I'm grateful.

I'm realizing that while I didn't start out with the idea of giving a shout out to the person in my life who provided the day's word, it is turning out that way. As I write each post I think of the sender and our shared history with so much affection. An unexpected happy little bonus to my theme this year.

Before I start one of these alphabet posts I always like to look up the definition of the word, along with any synonyms or antonyms. Synonyms for this one include hearten, cheer, uplift, inspire, motivate. In this present age of social distancing where do you find encouragement?

When I stop and think about it I realize I'm finding encouragement in all the places I normally find it-

From family who call-text-zoom to say I love you and you matter to me.
They bring joy to my heart.

From the kindness of strangers on display all around the globe.
Inspiring me to be kind too.

From people in all sorts of professions figuring out new and creative ways of moving forward.
Motivating me to be flexible and to keep trying new things.

From friends who make me laugh when we hang out 'together' albeit online.
Bringing cheer and lifting my spirits.

From people who show restraint and resist complaining when yes, there is plenty to complain about. Who look for the good and find it, and then tell us about that.  
Encouraging me to remain optimistic.

From the quiet stillness of the early morning hours.
My heart remembers peace is possible.

From the beauty of the sunrise.
New mercies are mine for the taking, come rain or shine or Coronavirus.

From reading God's word and mediating on this holy season of extraordinary love and sacrifice.
I have hope. What's more heartening-cheering-motivating-inspiring-encouraging than that?

Let's all resolve in this upside down season of life to be encouragers, not discouragers.
We can do it, and I'm encouraging us to try.

Five Minutes of Mystery

I spent this morning clorox wiping every light switch, door handle, and drawer pull in my house, so I think I'm ready to write now. While everyone else has moved on with their blog lives I'm still plugging away at the ten day writing challenge.

Day 7 word prompt-mystery

We spent the weekend with our lake neighbors in sunny Florida. They read my blog and when she asked me what the next word was going to be in the challenge I said 'mystery'. We both kind of laughed and she said 'I guess you're going to write about the Coronavirus, right?'

I might mention it.
Are we allowed to talk about anything else right now?

Our friends bought a beautiful home overlooking the Intracoastal and we made plans a while back to spend a long weekend with them. Initially we were going to fly, but decided instead to drive and do our best to keep away from crowds.

Let me just tell you I don't think Floridians (or maybe it's all those snowbirds?) got that message about social distancing. There were throngs of people everywhere you looked, but thankfully the beach is big and the ocean wide. For the most part it felt like we were able to keep a healthy distance.

Hubs and I like a good road trip and we passed the hours and miles listening to an audio book we both really enjoyed-Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. Lots of names to keep straight so it was a good book to listen to as opposed to read.

We arrived to gorgeous weather and spent the weekend relaxing at the beach or out on the water. There was some fishing-

Boating-

Lots of hand washing and catching up on life.

We ate one lunch and two dinners in restaurants, but since our host loves to cook the rest of our meals were prepared at home. Nothing was closed and it was a little disconcerting to see how casual people were about mingling.

We steered clear of the crowds which is what hubs and I like to do anyway when we're at the beach, so it didn't feel that much different than other ocean holidays we've taken.

Except in my mind it was.

What are the stores like at home? Will the governor close schools and what will that look like for my teacher daughter? What in the world is going on with the financial markets and why are people stockpiling toilet paper?  

Did I have the Coronavirus in November when I had that weirdly worst cough I've ever had without all the flu symptoms? Covid-19 wasn't a thing in South Korea, or even China yet, but could it have been some form of the virus? 

Am I paranoid? 
Not paranoid enough?

Did I wash my hands after we left the restaurant? 

Should I call and cancel my hair appointment? 

When will things settle down? How long will we need to stick close to home? When will all this uncertainty about what's safe and unsafe end?

It's a mystery.

I know we're lucky. We're currently in good health. We have food in our frig and gas in our cars and people we love hunkering down with us. Not everyone can say the same.

I think about the lonely. Those already teetering on the edge of depression. Elderly people spending too much time alone in their homes.

The high school senior missing her prom, the championship game, a much anticipated class trip-play-concert. College students who won't get to walk the walk to Pomp and Circumstance.

Moms at home now responsible for filling their child's day with some semblance of normality in a completely abnormal situation, and parents who work and don't know what to do about kids at home needing instruction or at the very least supervision.

The sick and the fearful and people everywhere navigating so very many disappointments of every shape and size.

Unease oozes out of every news feed, television screen, and overheard conversation.
So much unknown.

And so much not.

Here's something that's not a mystery-

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

We are loved with an everlasting love. Every single one of us. God loves us and is for us. He has not promised we'll never suffer, never struggle, never feel confusion over our present circumstances, but He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.

In this age of information overload I go back to the truest words I know...

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust...' Psalm 91:1-2

Sunday Morning Sunshine

I'm three for three in the A to Z Challenge. Whoohoo! (Read letter A here and letter B here).

C is for Church

I know there are people reading here today who won't get this one, but I am that person who has always loved church. I was not the teenager who had to be dragged out of bed and forced to attend. As an adult I love it still.

I like the way sitting in church helps me quiet my mind, regain perspective, think about things outside myself. I like the sense of peace it brings. I like specifically setting aside time at the beginning of a new week to take note of what God has done and is doing. I believe God hears us when we pray. I love old hymn lyrics, new praise music, and singing along even though I can't sing.

Few things fill me with more delight than seeing my whole family sitting side by each down a pew row.

I know there are all kinds of problems with all kinds of churches, specifically the imperfect people in them because isn't a church without people just a building? I guess I don't really understand the logic when someone tells me they won't go to church because it's full of hypocrites, liars, and fakes. Isn't church where those people need to be? And by 'those people' I mean me because we all have our junk.

Going to church is less about who I'm sitting next to and more about God meeting me there. Reminding me in the words spoken and the songs sung and the prayers whispered that He's God and I'm not.

I read the results of a recent survey that showed people who attend church regularly are happier than people who don't. They're more likely to vote, are more engaged in their communities outside of the church, and will say they are just happier in general.

Most of us are doing the best we can in a world gone mad, and I personally can't imagine navigating life on planet earth without my faith. It's a challenge in this season to be at church every week. I miss it when I'm not there, and find myself trying to fill in the gaps on my own, which just isn't the same.

I don't think you have to go to church to call yourself a person of faith, but life has a way of testing us on a pretty regular basis, and going to church helps me stay grounded.

Five Minutes of Accept

Joining with Five Minute Friday today. If you've got five minutes you can too-click here. 

Today's prompt-accept

When I was ten years old I stepped out of a church pew and made my way down the aisle. I accepted an invitation to make Jesus my Savior. I don't remember a bolt of lightning or drama of any sort really. Just me and my skinny legs walking forward to the pastor waiting up front.

I grew up going to church. Every single Sunday, and then some. My parents taught Sunday School classes of all ages and stages, worked in the nursery, carried covered dishes to many a pot luck supper, my mother started the church library, my dad was a deacon, and the list goes on. I loved that church and the people in it and the memories I have growing up there are so very tender still.

When I told the pastor I wanted to be baptized he gave me a little booklet to read that I've held on to-'What Saith The Scriptures?' No pictures, just words.

And Saith because it was 1970.

And then he drove to my house every Friday for a month and we sat in the fancy living room, the place reserved for special occasions, and my mama listened from the kitchen as we went through that booklet together, page by page.

Salvation
Repentance
Baptism
Communion

I think about that pastor from time to time. He and his family moved on from our church and I grew up and moved away too. I think about how my ten year old self had nothing to offer, yet he invested in me and made me feel important. Like this decision was no small thing and that while maybe there was no lightning bolt in 1970 there would be plenty as the years rolled by.

Roll by they have. In 2017 the world is in turmoil, and we feel powerless to fix it. Christianity has taken a beating in the media, rightfully so at times, but still I cringe a lot. I don't want to be lumped in with the loud mouths, the ranters and the haters, with a generalized point of view, or a particular political ideology lock, stock and barrel.

What I want is to know people. To hear your stories and invite you to accept an invitation from the One who tells the ocean where to stop. He extends to each one of us the very thing we seek-peace, purpose, hope. Nobody can reply for you, but think about it...how amazing is it that the creator of the world hung the stars in the heavens yet knows us by name, and invites us to know Him too? Not on social media. Not through blogs or podcasts or heated debate, but from the inside out.

In the quiet hidden places of our heart.

He invites
We accept
He meets us there

Five Minutes of More

It's Friday which means time to join others over at Kate Motaung's blog for the Five Minute Friday
link-up. This is where we write for five solid minutes on a one-word prompt, no editing, no over-thinking.  

Sounds simple, right? Why not give it a try?

Today's prompt-more

When my girls were young one of their favorite books to hear read aloud was one entitled More More More Said The Baby: Three love Stories by Vera Williams. It's sweet and simple and my girls and I can still recite it from memory. I gave the book to my niece when she was a tiny tot as a gift from her cousins, and I wrote a little message from my daughters inside the front cover. Her mama read it to her from time to time, snuggled up close as mamas and babies do when reading bedtime books and saying bedtime prayers.

At my daughter's baby shower last month my sister-in-law wrapped up that baby book More More More, and gave it back to my girl. A treasured keepsake to read to her new baby boy due this summer.  A happy event. Joyful. Too wonderful for words, yet tears ran down my daughter's cheek and a lump grew large in my throat.

In just over a week our family will mark the five year anniversary of my funny, beautiful, brave niece's death.

Writing that sentence feels cruel, like I've dropped something harsh and unexpected into what readers thought was going to be a gentle and precious memory shared. There is never any way to say it without saying it.

She was seventeen years old and we wanted more.

More days, more years, more life.

More Christmases in the mountains, more birthdays, more time.

What we got instead were more tears, more heartache, more pain than we ever thought possible.

When a child dies you're not the same. Our family is not the same. But God...

I think God in His infinite wisdom and mercy designed time as a healer of sorts, even when you wish it weren't so. It's through the passing of time He allows us to look back at our lives and see in hindsight what we couldn't know in the middle of a grief that raged.

To look at the rubble and find a diamond there.

Do we understand it? No. Not then, not now.
Can we rest in the knowledge that He holds the universe in His hand?

We can. We do. Through the unbearable ache of loss we see time in a new and different way.

Ever so slowly we've come to a place where there's joy again in our together times, where laughter bubbles to the surface unprompted, and where love of family wraps itself around you like a blanket set gently across your shoulders on a cool spring night.

Where the ache, still ever present, is not always quite so sharp and killing.

God gave us more.

More, more, more.

More strength, more faith, more peace.

More questions. More longing for heaven.

More of Himself in the dark dead of night and the bright light of day.