A Hodgepodge For The Ages

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, our last one in July. 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. Here we go...

1. On July 29th 1957 The Tonite Show premiered with Jack Parr as it's host. This marked the beginning of the modern day talk show. Do you watch any daytime or late night talk shows today? Do you have any thoughts on the hubbub surrounding the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, or are you more in the camp of 'who is Stephen Colbert? 

I don't watch any talk shows these days. Mostly because I find celebrity culture exhausting and not all that interesting. In my opinion the night time shows have become less entertainment, more political commentary and who wants that when they're trying to quiet their mind for sleeping???

Eons ago we would fall asleep to Johnny Carson or David Letterman, but this new crop is too full of their own self-importance for me to enjoy. Sure there are some funny bits now and then, but the overall content is very one-sided. Not everyone shares my opinion and that's fine, but I'm not tuning in and apparently I'm not the only one. 

I paid very little attention to the outrage over the cancellation of Colbert's show. It wasn't making the network money, and there's a merger happening, and entertainment is business so it's gone. Pretty sure it's not the end of democracy as some folks want us to believe.  

2. What's the best part of your day? 

"The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup"....raise your hand if you remember the jingle? I checked to see when that ad first ran and it was 1984. The year I got married. 

I don't drink Folgers but that first cup of coffee in the early morning hours is definitely one of the best parts of the day. Early morning in general is the best part of my day. I like the quiet, the sunrise, and easing in to the day with my coffee and what feels like endless possibilities. 

3. What's something your generation does that you actually dislike? 

I can't think of anything I truly dislike. I will say I think it's normal as we age to become more resistant to change...our routines, technology, the way the way the world works...we want those things to stay as we've always known them to be. 

We're all a product of the times in which we're raised, but...the world does change and we have to cultivate some flexibility if we're going to age gracefully. I get it. Sometimes you just don't want to learn how to do something a new way. 

Time marches on with our without us, and we can't always be looking blissfully at what was and criticizing what is. I want to keep learning and growing and that means accepting that the world in 2025 looks a lot different than it did when I was 'young' (er). Some things are better, some are worse. I'm sure my parents felt the same. 

4. When you cook do you clean as you go, or clean it all up once you're finished cooking? What's the last thing you cooked/baked in your own kitchen? 

I don't exactly clean as I go, but I don't save it all til the end either. Hubs is 100% clean as you go. He's been known to wash a pan I'm planning to use again.  If he enters the kitchen while I'm baking it can make him twitch a little. 

I would say I clean as I need to, but save most of it for the end because I like to focus more on the actual measuring-sifting-mixing. If my hubs were answering he'd say I definitely lean more towards the clean it all up at the end side of things. Hi hubs! 

The last thing I cooked in my kitchen was a pesto pasta dish I made for dinner Monday night. I answer the questions Monday or Tuesday usually.

5. Sum up your July in ten words or less. 

An ankle fracture. That's it. That's July. 

I mean there were lots of lovely bright spots too, but if I'm summing it up that's the highlight. Or lowlight depending on your point of view. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

When we added the waterfall to our backyard we asked the guys doing the work to add a few plants around it...

That's it. That was the level of instruction we gave them regarding landscaping which, if you know us, you know this is not us lol. 

Mostly we didn't get specific because we didn't realize at the time how large the finished space would be. 

But no matter because they made it so pretty. There's actually a fair amount of planting all around and we love it. These verbena have been blooming since May and show no signs of slowing down. 

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

Hail to the Hodgepodge

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (January 22) to share answers with the rest of the world wide webbers. See you there! 

1. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)? 

One of my favorites would for sure be the winter of 2005 when we took a family trip to Seefeld Austria. It was one of those trips where everything felt nearly perfect, from the location, the weather, the activity level, the accommodations, and the food. I wrote a little bit about it in this post-Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Ski Jumpers

Speaking of babies...look at these two teenagers from way back when...

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

Hmmm...just got my tax organizer and anything tax related feels like red tape to me. I breeze through parts of it but there are a few questions that always send my frustration level soaring. I expect it which is why I haven't tackled it yet. 

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favorite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing? 

I love fish, all kinds and fixed many different ways. I don't know if I have a favorite but if sea bass  is on the menu I will likely order that. If we're including shellfish in this category then the answer is easy-Maryland blue crabs picked and eaten on a picnic table beside the water. 

Hubs doesn't like the smell of fish cooking in the house, but we do seafood on the grill fairly often, particularly salmon, shrimp, and scallops. I have never been ice fishing. 

4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics? 

I did watch a lot of the coverage. History being made in real time. I'm interested in politics but they also make my stomach churn so I have to limit my consumption. I will say I'm an 8. 

I keep up with local politics and while I'm not involved in them I do vote in every election, no matter how small. 

5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so? 

Hubs knows what I'm going to say and he's probably laughing, but also it is not his favorite thing in my wardrobe. 

My bathrobe. So so cozy. I put it on and instantly feel better. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Daughter2 arrived with her two littles today (Tuesday) joining her sister who's been here since last Thursday with her three littles, and it's not crazy at all...

Nobody in this crowd has a small personality, including the mommas lol. So much fun! 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 576

Somehow it's November. And it's a big day in the US of A. I will spend some time today praying for peace in our cities and in our hearts on this election day, and in the days ahead too. 

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

1. What is one good thing you often take for granted? 

2. What's the boldest piece of clothing in your wardrobe? 

3. Do you think common interests or common values are the key to people getting along? Elaborate. 

4. November 6 is National Nacho Day...do you like nachos? How do you like yours? Do you make them at home or only order out? 

5. Have you spent any time in Washington D.C.?  If so what did you think? If not, is that a place you'd like to visit? What do you think about politics as a career choice? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Hello Monday Tuesday

If you're looking for this week's Hodgepodge questions you'll find them in the post before this one. 

Good morning friends. Linking up with Holly and Sarah for their weekly Hello Monday party, happening this week on a Tuesday due to the holiday. Am I the only one who will be a day off all week because of the extra weekend-ing? 

Even though in retirement every day is technically the weekend?

It's officially September and September means a month of birthdays in our house, starting with hubs. Daughter2 has a birthday next week, then mine rolls around the following week. I'm all about making a birthday celebration last more than a day, and will no doubt mention mine more than once before it actually arrives. If you've read here for any length of time you already know this. 

Our backyard construction project is moving right along, but it's all a lot. Hubs likes to stand on the upstairs deck and survey the work from above. He goes in and out at least a hundred times a day, he paces and frets about that one rock he thinks is leaning in a downward direction more than it should, and all that to say it was time for a break. 

He reluctantly agreed, so on Friday we went to the late afternoon showing of Reagan. Fantastic! I'd seen a preview and wasn't sure how I'd like Dennis Quaid in this role (even though I love Dennis Quaid in pretty much everything), but he did a great job in his portrayal of 'Dutch'. Penelope Ann Miller plays Nancy and she was wonderful too. 

I won't say too much about it, except this...I miss having an articulate leader who inspires with wisdom and wit and common sense, one who is unafraid to say the hard things, and who lives out the courage of his convictions no matter which way the wind blows. I miss when nearly the whole of America loved America. 

At the end of the movie everybody clapped. 

Saturday I made my second trip to the supermarket to get some last minute things for hubs birthday dinner happening the next day. I got home in time to watch our favorite college football team (the Tennessee Vols) crush their opponent and also watch our second favorite college football team (the Clemson Tigers) get crushed by their opponent. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon cooking and baking. I made a key lime pie which is what hubs wanted for his 'birthday cake', and I also slow roasted tomatoes for one of our favorite appetizers, Pomodori al Forno, all for Sunday. 

When you spend hours cooking it feels like you shouldn't also need to make dinner, but meals just keep on coming. About a week ago Amy (Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa) shared a recipe for an egg roll bowl and we tried that on Saturday night. It was good. I added slaw to my bowl like she suggested, and Siracha too because we like Siracha. 

On Sunday hubs officially turned a whole year older. I offered to make him a blueberry waffle which is one of his favorite things, but we had a big dinner on tap so he declined. Do you have Publix where you live? Have you tried their bakery cinnamon bread? I'd picked some up the day before and it's super delish, so that was his birthday breakfast. 

We spent the day getting the house in order. The dust y'all. It's everywhere. Everywhere! I don't think there's a surface inside or out that isn't wearing some dust. It's impossible to get on top of just now, but we tried. Plus I had to make yet another trip to the store for three things I'd forgotten. Bother. 

Friends came Sunday evening to celebrate and hubs grilled steaks because that's what he wants on his birthday. I'd made twice baked potatoes (forgot how labor intensive they are), a salad, and fresh green beans. 

One of our guests is a wine aficionado and he brought a fabulous highly rated bottle to share. It's a Vineyard 36 cabernet called Five Bands. The bottle has five silver bands across the front, with the design intentionally made to resemble the Stanley Cup. Vineyard 36 was started by two former NHL players, along with a vintner named Jason Earnest. This one is hard to get so it was really fun to have a taste, and it made dinner feel like an occasion. 

Which it was. Happy birthday hubs! We'll see both girls this month which is the best present of all. 

Monday morning was beautiful, and while we wanted to lounge we thought exercise would be the better option. 

We got the kayaks out and had a nice long paddle around the neighborhood. The weather was perfect, warm and sunny with a gentle breeze. 

We got back to the dock and swam for a bit, then went in for lunch and a nap. Actually hubs napped and I worked on my blog. Neighbors who live here part time were in town and invited us over for happy hour so we walked to their house about 4:30 and enjoyed catching up with them. 

Has anybody watched Grantchester? It's a British drama series set in the village of that same name. Hubs and I watched the first several seasons a while back and enjoyed it, and then last week my daughter told me they went to Grantchester for the day, and she found it so charming. We decided to pick up the series again this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing the village up close and in person when we visit the UK in a few weeks. 

The list of people and places we need and want to see while we're there is a long one. I'm trying to manage my expectations, but haven't been too successful so far. I'll keep you posted. 

Hey, did I mention I have a birthday this month? 

Happy Monday Tuesday everyone! 

Hodgepodge Flashback

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. A couple of weeks ago Lea at Cici's Corner prompted me to look back at my first Hodgepodge post. Turns out it was November 10, 2010 which seems ridiculous and also impossible, but 'tis true. 

To mark that event we're turning back the clock here today and repeating a few of those very first questions. In the early days there were eight questions every week, but I downsized a few years in to keep my sanity. 

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. While blogging has changed and of course social media too, the connections made here have been so sweet. Thank you for sticking with it, re-joining, or landing here for the first time ever. 

Here we go-

1. How did you name your blog and do you now wish you had thought about it maybe another five minutes before hitting publish? Would you change your blog title if it were not a huge pain in the derriere? 

I'm definitely looking back at my original answers so there might be a little cut and paste here today. How did I name my blog? 

"I was living in the UK when I started blogging. I had absolutely no idea what I was signing on for or that anyone would ever actually read what I wrote. I wanted to call my blog 'the other side of the pond' but that name was taken. I fiddled with the phrase a bit and came up with my current title which actually suits me better since we moved back to the states less than a year after my first post.' 

As titles go, it's kind of long but I wouldn't change it even if I could figure out how. 

2. What bill do you least like to pay? 

Some things never change. Taxes. 

3. What is your favorite word? Okay okay, calm down. How about one of your favorite words? 

My original answer was hodgepodge of course, and I still love that word. It's been used a whole lot here in the last ten years-ha. 

And my love for words spoken across the pond has not dimmed one iota either...gobsmacked, knackered, cheeky...

4. Is the glass half full or half empty? Elaborate. 

Always half full but in 2021 I have to work hard to keep it that way. People want to steal your joy...don't let them. 

5. Were you here for that very first Hodgepodge post? If so, were your answers then similar to what they are today? Tell us what was happening in your life in November of 2010? 

Obviously I was here for the first post and yes, my answers are very similar to what they were then. You can read the whole wordy thing in the link- Wednesday Hodgepodge-The Initiation. 

This is one of the things I love about having a blog. The walk down memory lane, the easy link to what we were doing when, how life was and is and how I felt and feel about it all. In November of 2010...

I had a college student and a recent grad. 

Be still my heart. 

We attended a wedding and that bride and groom have four kids now. Hubs celebrated 25 years with the same company and was traveling the globe for work. He was in Mexico in November of 2010 and I was at home in the frosty northeast. I had just gotten my Invisilgn and can say today it was worth it. 

I was struggling with technology and depending on my girls to 'fix' it. Like I said some things never change. 

We had a small Thanksgiving and I was trying to find my Christmas spirit. 

Politics were a bit of a mess, although not nearly the mess they are ten years on, but I shared this quote back then and it still feels apropos-

"Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature...If the next centennial does not find us a great nation...it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces." President James Garfield, 1877

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Somehow 45 bloggers found their way to that very first Hodgepodge and it was a lot of fun. These days we average 15-20 and that's still fun. This has always been a friendly mid-week meet up that feels more like coffee with friends in my living room than strangers on the other side of a screen. 

While people don't blog like they did 'back in the day' I'm still happy with mine. It's a wonderful record of an ordinary life lived and of God's faithfulness throughout. 

I'm grateful for my little corner of the Internet. Grateful too for the people who read here, for those who comment, and for those who just quietly nod their head and say to themselves 'me too' when something I write strikes a chord. 

Keep calm and Hodgepodge on xo 

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Quietly Living In A Noisy World

I was going to post a Thursday Thirteen yesterday, which is something bloggers used to do every Thursday, but when I typed the number it felt all wrong so I'm just going to wing it with some Friday random instead. 

Hubs and I went out for dinner Wednesday night to celebrate his birthday, a lovely local spot we enjoy. When we walked in we saw this-

At first I thought it odd they had a table reserved for someone right in the entryway because who would want to sit there, but then I registered the sign and the beer and my heart felt heavy with sadness. I'm glad the restaurant set the table, in their own way acknowledging the sacrifices made and the pain still so raw. While I know we want to put our heads down and pretend this didn't happen the way it happened, I for one hope we don't forget. 

We're such a fickle people, so easily distracted. I know it seems we wake up every day to some new awfulness we need to wrap our brains around, but I pray we don't forget these soldiers. So young and by all accounts proud to serve their country, proud to be helping people fleeing a country overrun by terror. Let's not forget. 

We've pretty much been at home this week keeping a watchful eye on our pup. He had a follow up visit with the vet yesterday who said things are looking much better than they were a few days ago, but we still have a ways to go in terms of healing. He has been mostly cooperative and for that we are grateful. 

It is so nice living in almost the same time zone as my daughter1. She has been facetime-ing us late morning and nobody is just waking up or just going to bed. So much easier for everyone than the crazy am/pm differences we've had these past two years, and it's especially fun to think I'll see them in person before the month is out. 

It's tea time. All summer I drink a late afternoon iced coffee until suddenly I don't want iced coffee, I want hot tea. It's still hot and humid here, maybe more so than it's been this entire summer, but there's something about the way the light changes in September, children returning to school, knowing fall is almost upon us even if the thermometer says otherwise, that says it's time for tea. 

This is interesting, right? 

Who else feels like they've watched every movie new, old, and older on Prime and Netflix during Covid? We do a lot of scrolling these days but nothing jumps out at us. We've started a couple of series recently but our interest wanes and we set it aside thinking maybe we'll come back later and finish but then we don't. If you are watching something great let me know. 

Speaking of Covid, how's everyone coping? What a mess. Honestly everything under the sun feels a bit of a mess right now, and we're bombarded with seemingly endless noise every which way we turn. I've been thinking about how to live quietly, and of course social media leaps to mind. 

I remember when I first joined Instagram, all the beauty there. It was almost entirely photographs, lovely images of faraway places, meals lovingly prepared, cozy home spaces that inspired, and that appealed to me. Like most things on the Internet it's become harsher and louder and as a result, less beautiful. 

There's a time for every season, and maybe that includes social media too. 

My daughter and I were talking recently about all the things in the world that threaten to overwhelm us, and how most of those things are completely outside of our ability to change or control. She told me in these troubled times she is taking this verse to heart-

"And aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands as we have instructed you." 1 Thessalonians 4:11 

A gentle reminder not to complicate things, but to care for and tend to the people and the work right in front of us. This we can do...

And it is beautiful. 

About Last Week And Also Today

What a sad day. My heart breaks for the many families getting that horrible phone call, and also for our nation, which seems to spin a little more out of control every day. In this season of turmoil I want to keep my eyes on the God of the universe. He is good and He is sovereign, even when our TV screens tell us to believe otherwise. 

Blogging feels out of place on a day like today, but that is the thing about life. It's beautiful and terrible all at the same time and I write to remember both. 

A little over a week ago we made the trek with Daughter1 and her boys to Tennessee, stopping for two nights with hubs brother and sister-in-law so they could meet 'Max' and catch up with the mancub. My mother-in-law also lives in that same town so she was able to have time with her great grandsons too.  

The sun shone and these little men slept in yet another new place (their 8th since May!) without batting an eye and we had a wonderful time together. 

My son-in-law had gone on to the new house in another part of the state so he could get the keys to the house they rented sight unseen, meet the utility guys for water and electric connections, and tell the movers bringing their air shipment and their storage unit where things should go. Their household goods arriving by sea were to be delivered today, and the in-laws made the trip over yesterday to help with that. 

Moving is never a simple thing, particularly when you've been living abroad and the air conditioner goes out the second day you're there and the house is basically the temperature of the sun until it's repaired. We survived though, and I would say we even thrived in this lovely new space with a ginormous play room and an honest to goodness back yard. 

Hubs made one thousand trips to Lowes and unpacked their garage while they went to buy a car to park there. We ate ice cream with sprinkles...

And squeezed in a walk at a nearby park with its cool dark cave and a pond filled with turtles and blooming things. 

The mancub started preschool because resilience is his middle name...

We read a million books and laughed a lot because these little boys are the absolute best, most entertaining people we know. We went to bed ridiculously early every single night because we were all completely worn out by sunset. 

I have been thinking a lot today about this big little town where they will live these next two years. A 'military town' where everywhere you look you see the US flag flying and guys in baseball caps that read US Army. Lots of tattooed arms and crew cuts. Friendly people who knock on your new front door and say welcome to the neighborhood with a box of donuts because they've been where you've been and they get it. 

A town where most everyone has some sort of tie to one branch of service or another, and my heart aches for them today. So many armchair pundits and even many of our politicians have no clue what day to day life is like for active duty military families, which makes days like today extra hard and frustrating. 

Those who live it though? They understand and support one another in ways that truly matter. They will feel today right down to their marrow and will resolve to keep being brave and proud and true. 

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."  John 16:33 

Let's Talk

About what I don't know because it's that time of year where people are cranky and blog content is a bit thin, still I'm going to ramble on anyway. 

It's cold here in the Palmetto State, BUT! not as cold as the state we previously called home. I heard our little NJ town was mentioned on Good Morning America because they got a whopping 32 inches of snow yesterday. That is a lot of snow people. 

This picture popped up on my Facebook memories today, a photo snapped from my front porch six years ago. I guess piles of snow and groundhogs go together, and we had a lot of both in NJ. 

Hubs is so happy he's not dealing with it right now, but shhh...don't tell him...I kind of miss seeing the beauty of a great big snowfall. Just one though. We're not accustomed to those temps anymore so it's best enjoyed from a distance. I'm here shivering in 45 degree weather counting the days until we're back living life outdoors and on the water, hopefully soon. 

Did I mention here the bride and groom live in the snowy northeast? 

photo credit: the bride

Well they do. Many states away from the warm(ish) sunny southland and their people. Still America so there's that, but a ten hour car ride so not geographically close. I remind myself almost daily that it's good for newlyweds to establish themselves as a family unit separate and apart from their family of birth. And they're happy y'all. So so happy. 

My son-in-law's job means this is where they live right now, and so many things have fallen into place for this precious couple that you can't help but see God's hand in it all. The bride even landed an in person teaching job which she enjoys as much as one can in these weird times, but still...can't one of my girls live nearby? 

Maybe someday. 

This is why I declare technology my best friend. 

Wait, no it's not. I just remembered the cable company was in our house half a day yesterday to switch us over to the high speed internet now available in our community. Which is great except now none of the TVs are working right and I loathe having to deal with this sort of thing. Sorry for the run on sentence but ugh...

Also, hubs would say technically he is the one dealing with it, but ugh... 

In other less than pleasant news, our tax organizer appeared in my inbox today. 

Hello February. You're lucky you come with chocolate. 

And beauty. Because y'all there is beauty if you look for it even in the middle of a winter that feels grouchier than most. So let's throw some beauty into the mix.

You thought I was going to post a wedding picture didn't you?  

I would, but we're still waiting on our photographs. This one a guest snapped of the bride dancing with the groom's granddad is awfully sweet. 

And don't you worry...when we get the pictures back you'll know. Ha! 

When daughter2 started teaching from home back in March of 2020, she brought a half-dead plant to the house with her. A student had given her a 'bulb' which hadn't grown into much of anything save one lonely green stalk. Sadly the pot tipped over in her car enroute to our house and that lone green stalk ripped in half. 

She was going to chuck the whole thing but hubs intervened. He loves to shower half-dead plants with TLC and I want you to know he brought this plant back to life. I kept saying it looked like an amaryllis, and while it grew taller and taller every day for a year, it never sprouted any sort of bud or bloom. Hubs though, did not give up and this week-

Yes he attached a grow light to a pool cue. I told you hubs is serious about bringing life to sad situations. 

The world is kind of sad right now, isn't it? Yet here we are with two buds ready to pop, and another  following close behind smack dab in the middle of a cold gray winter. 

A gentle reminder that a little patience and some tender loving care can make all sorts of thing grow. 

The Good Samaritan

Our Sunday School class has been studying the parables of Jesus and today we discussed the well known tale of The Good Samaritan. I think even most non-church goers are at least a little bit familiar with this one as it has been absorbed into our culture and our vocabulary. Love your neighbor. Put words into action. Do good without judgement or expectation of reward.

There has been a lot of talk of unity in recent days, or perhaps the lack thereof would be a more accurate statement, and I was thinking about that word as we talked this morning about loving our neighbor and what that means. Caring for the poor, feeding the hungry, practically helping those in need seems far easier right now than getting along with someone from an opposing political party who shouts, judges, and lectures you via their social media feed, doesn't it? 

In the same way we can't make someone volunteer in a food bank, donate to charity, or build houses for the homeless, we cannot demand unity simply by declaring that it must be. Unity cannot be dictated, and it's not something that magically happens because of a shift in political power.  

Unity is an action word. It requires intent. It means listening to people who say you're wrong and they're right and why can't you just see that you're wrong??? and that is hard. So hard. 

Of course we want to respond when we feel verbally attacked or belittled. We feel an almost primal urge to counter their words with words of our own. Tell them why they're wrong and we're right and we can prove it this very second with an article, meme or post of our own. 

In 2021 we seem unable to not engage. 

We can't put the genie back in the bottle so how do we get there? How do we cross the seemingly uncrossable chasm that's ruptured life in America? 

Maybe we can brainstorm here because I feel certain the answer doesn't lie with a committee, a body of elected officials, or the President of the United States. I think it's going to come from ordinary citizens who don't compromise their faith or their strongly held beliefs but who don't argue them to death either. 

It might even look like having coffee with a neighbor, from six feet away if you must, but still you have that coffee. 

It's definitely less words, which may seem hypocritical coming from someone with a blog, but I'm referring to angry, self-righteous words spewed carelessly across Facebook pages and twitter rants or sadly in some cases around holiday dinner tables. 

I think it will involve quiet examination of our own souls (no need to announce it to the world) and a whole lot less public dissection of the souls of others. Everybody's got a log in their eye that needs removing so maybe we start with our own?

It could mean deleting apps from our phones and demonstrating good old-fashioned restraint, something that used to be common but has most definitely fallen by the wayside in the last decade or so. 

It probably means making the hard but conscious decision to keep some of our opinions to ourselves, and for the love of all things holy to quit sharing every but!, but! but!...we want to share. 

I think it means we talk about the weather. I'm serious. The weather is rarely confrontational and we could do with less confrontation right about now. 

It's grabbing some tennis shoes or hiking boots, a swim suit or a pair of skis, and getting outside. Removing ourselves from the noise and everything else that distracts from the beauty of this earth. It's choosing to see, experience, and share the good more than we share our opinions about the bad. Call that naive, call it wearing rose colored glasses if you want, but getting along is going to involve letting go of some things we've held in our tightly clenched fists for a long time now. 

I know for certain an essential part of the way forward is prayer. For the ones you love and the ones you 'hate'. Maybe you don't pray and perhaps that sounds trite or cliche to you, but prayer changes hearts and minds, our own most of all. 

How about we try being verbal good samaritans and let's see if we can make that go viral. 

Having One's Cake and Hodgepodge Too

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Grab your coffee and some cake to go with, because it is national dessert day and it's also 2020...aka the year in which cake for breakfast is a very good idea. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, and before you hurry off be sure to leave a comment for the blogger who linked before you. Here we go-

1. Let's start things off right...Wednesday is National Dessert Day. What are we having? How often do you make/serve dessert? Store bought or from scratch?

Finally a National Day I'm on board with! When dining out I almost always look at the dessert offerings first and plan my entree accordingly. What can I say? I'm a fan of dessert. Wait, I'm going to amend that to say I'm not a fan of just so-so desserts. I won't eat store bought cookies just to have something sweet at the end of a meal, but if you give me a truly delicious, perfectly concocoted, perfectly baked, perfectly set dessert I'm a happy camper. Also, make it pretty. Pretty is good. 

What are we having tonite? Nothing. I mean I'm not having dessert today because dessert is not an everyday thing here. Hubs will likely have a bowl of ice cream because that's his favorite, but I save my sugar consumption for occasions. Dining out definitely counts as an occasion. 

fyi-the month of September was chock a block full of special desserts which is why October needs to be dessert-lite. There's a dress I need to wear in the not too distant future and too much dessert might spoil that. And I am all about from scratch but if it's a really scrumptious store bought treat I won't say no. 

Apparently I could have written a blog post sharing my thoughts on dessert. I kinda did. 

2. Slow as molasses, icing on the cake, that's the way the cookie crumbles, have your cake and eat it too, half-baked idea, that takes the cake...which phrase might be applied to something in your life in recent days? Explain. 

We had a wonderful lunch with a spectacular view on a gorgeous blue sky day where the service was s-l-o-w as molasses. When anything in my world is not moving as fast as I think it should I feel like God is telling me to chill. So I do. Mostly. 

3. Something that's 'easy as pie' for you to do?

Answer the Hodgepodge of course. I mean I do write the questions-ha! 

4. Are you someone who likes to 'sugarcoat' news you think might not be well received, or are you more of a tell it like it is and let the chips fall where they may? Do you like to receive your news the same way you give it? 

Pour a little sugar on it please. Find some tiny sliver of good in whatever bad you need to tell me because I'm going to set my mind on that. I give and receive the same way. Blunt is not my love language. 

5. Something you did recently that made you feel like a 'smart cookie'? 

I've had to figure out a fair amount of technology lately and with a wonky computer to boot. Anytime I accomplish even the smallest of tasks I feel like someone should give me a high five. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Are you watching or listening to any of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings? I don't care which side of the political fence you land on (and please no need to tell me or explain why these hearings should or should not be happening) but Amy Coney Barrett is one smart cookie. She's enduring hours and days of questioning without a single book, note, or index card in front of her. It's both remarkable and impressive. 

I can't remember what was on the grocery list I wrote ten minutes prior to leaving the house. 

She clearly and articulately (and I might add with great patience and restraint) recalls details of a long list of court cases, written decisions and opinions, the precise wording of our constitution, and the rule of law like it ain't no thing. I so admire her intelligence, poise, and grace under pressure and I do hope students are watching.

Playing Nice In The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. Or all the bloggers linking here today.  Let's go-

1. What's one part of your everyday routine you'd be better off without? 

Facebook. It used to be a much looked forward to part of my everyday routine, but other than linking my blog and sending birthday greetings I am rarely there these days. I won't yammer on about why because surely everyone can agree it's not the congenial little corner of the Internet it once was. 

2. October 5th is/was National Do Something Nice Day. So what did you/will you do? 

I baked peanut butter cookies. Does that count? Hubs would say yes. He brought his mom over from Tennessee yesterday (Monday) and what should have been a 3-hour drive took them five. Ugh! Peanut butter cookies fresh from the oven made his day. 

3. What question do you hate to answer? 

These days pretty much anything relating to politics. So much hate and judgement out there. 

4. Do we have control over technology or does it have control over us. In that same vein, have you watched The Social Dilemma (available on Netflix) and if so what did you think? 

Y'all.  If you have not watched this documentary you need to, particularly if you're a parent. Prior to watching it I might have answered this question differently, but since I have seen the program I'm going to say technology does control us, and it controls us in ways we might not have considered. Unless you're off the grid, but of course if you're here reading this blog I suspect you're not off the grid. teehee. 

5. What are three small things that make your day better? 

that first cup of steaming hot coffee, a cloudless blue sky, dinner plans

6. Insert your own random thought here.

As much as I hated to say farewell to my beautiful geraniums that bloomed all summer long, these huge mums were too pretty not to buy.

And if you give a porch a mum you need to add a pumpkin. And a pansy. And maybe a baby pumpkin and also a white pumpkin and then another mum in a different color. Did I tell you I love fall? 

Hodgepodge This Is The Wednesday

Hola amigos, and welcome  to the merry month of May and the Wednesday Hodgepodge! If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, and if you haven't answered, what are you waiting for? Also, be sure and say hello to your next door neighbor on the linky list before running off, because that's what good neighbors do.

1. Can you tell I'm embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Do you like Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, rice? What about heat-mild, medium, hot? Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo?

I love Mexican food, one of my favorites. Hubs loves it too, the hotter the better, so sure we'll probably celebrate with a Mexican dinner on Friday. In terms of heat, medium works for me, but more towards the hot side rather than the mild. 

I normally opt for enchiladas with either black or pinto beans on the side, but my absolute favorite Mexican dish is a healthy serving of chips and guacamole. Yum! 

2. Ever been to Mexico? For work or holiday? Love it or no? If you haven't been is this a place you'd like to visit? Can you speak Spanish?

I've been to Mexico a couple of times, both trips were to Cancun, but different resorts. My first visit was the tail end of what was a working trip for hubs. I met him in Mexico at the end of his meeting along with some other work folks who'd stayed over, and it was a lot of fun. The second trip was just a few years ago with a group of our college friends. We stayed in an all-inclusive and had a fabulous time. 

No I don't speak any Spanish. 

3. What's one thing you may accomplish this month?

I may get some pictures hung. 

Actually it's more of must than a may. I currently have seven pieces at the frame shop, so it's going to happen. 

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what's one thing you'd like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished? Is serving in public office something you've ever seriously considered?

No I've never considered running for public office. As far as our little town is concerned, I haven't lived here long enough to comment on changes that need to be made. It's small, quiet, and the lake takes center stage, so not a lot to complain about. 

5. What's something that may be popular, but that you just don't get?

Starbucks on a daily basis. Weekly basis. Really the whole Starbucks obsession.

6. Can't let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in 'May the 4th be with you' ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being 'I've seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year', and 1 being, 'what's a Vader?' -where do you land?

I loved the first three, which are really the middle three, which I believe is why they lost me. I don't love it enough to engage in all the before and after stories, but I did really enjoy those 'first' three films and I do know what 'a Vader' is.  I guess I'm about a 3. 

7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post. Does it still ring true today? Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time?

I know you'll find this shocking, but my fourth blog post was entitled 'Home is Where the Heart Is' and was all about answering the question- 'Where is home?' Next to the weather home is pretty much my go-to blog topic. 

Have I re-visited the subject on my blog? Ha! According to a word search on my blog, only about 600 times in some form or fashion. And yes, that fourth post still rings true today, some eight years later. 

Click here to read if you're so inclined. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I've been mulling over the Wednesday Hodgepodge because there have been a few weeks recently where getting the questions posted has stressed.me.out. 

I don't do stress, so a little fine tuning is now in order.  

I've been posting Hodgepodge questions here since November 8, 2010. That's a lotta brain cells y'all. I still very much enjoy answering the questions and interacting with everyone who participates here on Wednesday mornings, so I'm not quite ready to let it go entirely, but I am ready to make a couple of adjustments.  

Some weeks I have the questions set up days in advance. Other weeks I'm too busy to give it five minutes thought and end up scrambling to post the questions by 12:30 AM on a Tuesday. I'm typically not on my blog over the weekend, which means I have to write the questions on a Monday. 

I like to write a regular old blog post on a Monday, so that's double the trouble and pretty sure that's what's making me twitch when I think Hodgepodge posting. For the sake of my sanity, here's how it will work going forward-

I will still post the questions on Tuesday.  Sometime. They may very well be up by 12:30 AM Tuesday morning, or they may not go up until 10 AM. I will do my very best to have them up before noon, how's that? 

The link will still go up sometime Wednesday morning, and I vary the timing on that so east coasters and west coasters have equal opportunity to be one of the first blog links posted. Hopefully everyone is visiting someone, so nobody should be without a comment regardless of where you fall on the list. 

Also, I'm going to cut my brain some slack. Beginning next week the Hodgepodge will contain six questions (as opposed to seven), plus that random thought of your own added at the end.  In the course of a year that's 52 less questions I have to come up with and I feel like six is still plenty to answer.  I will see how it goes, but I might even drop back to five. 

If anyone has a question they think would be fun for a Wednesday Hodgepodge send it my way. I will give you credit in the posting. I try not to repeat questions, and I try not to ask yes/no questions, but other than that I'm open to suggestion. 

Whew. I feel better already. Happy Wednesday all! 




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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 306

Hola! Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then scoot back here tomorrow to share answers with your amigos. Here we go-

1. Can you tell I'm embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Do you like Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, rice? What about heat-mild, medium, hot? Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo?

2. Ever been to Mexico? For work or holiday? Love it or no? If you haven't been is this a place you'd like to visit? Can you speak Spanish?

3. What's one thing you may accomplish this month?

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what's one thing you'd like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished? Is serving in public office something you've ever seriously considered?

5. What's something that may be popular, but that you just don't get?

6. Can't let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in 'May the 4th be with you' ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being 'I've seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year', and 1 being, 'what's a Vader?' -where do you land?

7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post. Does it still ring true today? Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Swimming Into The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. It's 10:12 PM and I'm just now sitting down to answer this week's questions. We shall see how it goes. If you've played along today be sure to add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. Everybody loves summertime visitors! 

1. It's officially summer (in the northern hemisphere anyway). Which summer month is best and why? 

Not what I would have said as a kid, but I'm going with September. I know summer wraps up before the end of the month, but still it's that last gasp of the season I think is especially sweet. I love the light in September, the weather is lovely, and it's a great month for a holiday as places are less crowded but the beaches are still warm. It's also my birthday month, and September always feels like the end of something, yet the start of something too. 

2. Can you swim? How did you learn? June 27th is National Sunglasses Day. How many pair do you own? 

Yes I can swim and I love it. I'm not sure precisely how I learned, but I know I took swimming lessons at our local pool as a young child. Later, I think it was the summer before middle school, a friend and I both wanted to learn to dive and we paid a lifeguard to teach us. I love the water and think everyone should know how to swim.  

Currently I own two pair of sunglasses. One pair is prescription and I wear them all the time. The other is backup in case I lose this pair. My track record for keeping up with sunglasses is not the best, but I've done much better with that since I had my prescription put into the lenses. 

3.What characteristic do you judge most harshly in yourself? How about in others? 

In myself? Impatience. In others? Self-centeredness. 

4. Robert Frost wrote the now well known poem entitled The Road Not Taken. What's a road (literal or figurative) you've always wanted to travel, and where do you hope it takes you? 

Well literally I'd like to see Alaska, Australia, and about a hundred tiny little towns dotted across Europe. Also, the pieces of America I haven't seen and probably an African safari and then some of South America too. It's a big planet. 

Figuratively, I'd like to put the stories in my head somewhere besides my blog and see where that path leads. 

5. Popsicles-yay or nay? If you answered yay, what's your favorite flavor? 

I used to love them, but I don't enjoy the super cold foods anymore. If I eat a water ice or popsicle I often get a headache. My favorite flavor is lime. 

6.Brexit-on a scale of 1-10 how knowledgeable are you on what's involved here? (1=very knowledgeable and 10=what's Brexit) Is this news you'll follow or is it something you think won't impact your life in any way shape or form? 

I'm going to say 2 because I think it's a bit complicated and I'm sure I don't understand it completely. It's news I'll follow because for one thing I think you know I have a soft spot in my heart for England, and also because we live in a world where the economy is global. What happens in one part of the world tends to affect us in other parts of the world in ways we can't necessarily foresee. 

7.Share a favorite song on your summer play list. 

Lots of songs, old and new but one I love currently is Think Of You by Chris Young and Cassadee Pope.  

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

When you're building a house it feels like every thing is a process and each process requires 1000 steps to completion. Our dock went in (mostly) way back in October, the lift was installed a few weeks ago, the boat purchased a month ago, and finally we've got the lift working and the boat on our lake. Whoohoo!

Picture perfect weather Tuesday evening for her maiden voyage!

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