A Guilt Free Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Don't be lazy now. 

Here we go...

1. "Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." Sam Keen

Do you feel less guilty relaxing in July than you do in January? Elaborate. 

Why does rest make us feel guilty? In this season of life I'm taking time to relax guilt free. We're not lazy people and while work is important rest is also essential. I enjoy having things on my calendar, both fun and commitment related, but I also love seeing some blank space to do nothing in particular. 

2. What's a telltale sign you're upset? 

I'm not someone who hides their emotions very well.  I cry easily and if I'm upset while talking I might cry. I try hard not to, but...

At other times I might go quiet, and since I tend to talk a lot going quiet is noticeable. 

3. July 16th is National AI Day. What are your general thoughts and/or experiences with AI? Have you purposely used it? Does it excite you, scare you, or worry you? What do you see as a benefit? How about something relating to AI you see as a negative? 

Well it's here to stay so I want to think about it at least a little bit. It's already tucked in to so many things we use every day so there's no avoiding it.  I listened to an interesting podcast recently on the topic and have linked it here (What Every Christian Should Know About Artificial Intelligence). 

A lot of people ask if I use AI to come up with questions every week. So far no, except in all likelihood something has slipped through the cracks. We just don't know (or always think about) all the spaces AI now inhabits. I come up with most questions off the top of my head. But I also have a book of questions Marilyn gave me, there are websites with questions, and I google topical issues to inspire questions, so it's a mix. 

I'd say AI is both exciting and worrisome. Like all technology there is the potential for misuse and actual evil and I'm sure we'll see that with AI too. Also I want to think and I guess the biggest negative I see is the temptation to become lazy in that department. I am rebelling against it as much as I can. 

Positives? I think if a summary is needed for something AI can be helpful and a real time saver. While it doesn't actually think it does consolidate a lot of information in a short amount of time and that's useful in a lot of instances. 

We want to take a trip out west and I was struggling with how to combine a couple of destinations without excessively long drive days so I popped my locations into AI and he/she/it? came up with a plan.  Since I'm not familiar with the geography in this particular part of the country I needed help and AI gave me a place to start.  

4. You're invited to a summer pot luck and are asked to bring an appetizer, salad/side, or dessert. Which category do you go for and what are you bringing? 

Depends on my mood, and possibly who else I know will be there. I would likely go for dessert because I like to bake and desserts hold up well in transport. 

5. It wouldn't be summer without___________________. 

A tomato sandwich, made with homegrown tomatoes right off the vine, slathered in Duke's Mayo. Yum! Haven't had one yet this summer, but it will happen soon. I need my daughter to share some of her larger tomatoes with me as we only grew cherries. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

So one of our state's senators passed away suddenly this week, and people are just vile. Sadly this is no longer surprising. 

I don't know how we've gotten to the point of celebrating the death of another human being in our country, but here we are. Lindsay Graham was from our local area and hubs and I met him in person once. He was really funny. Did we agree with everything he said and did? No. But he served our country in the USAF and raised his sister upon the death of their parents when she was just 13, and both of these things I do admire. 

I read a quote by Matthew Hennessey with the Wall Street Journal who said, "The best thing you can do when someone dies is say a prayer. If that isn't your thing, find something nice to say. If neither of those options works for you, there's a third option: Shut up." 

You don't have to agree with someone's politics to be decent in death. We need to do better. 

A Weekend Recap From The Porch

The weekends go by fast, don't they? We like to say every day is the weekend in retirement, but lately not so much. Hubs and I declared Saturday a no-hurry have fun day and although I had to remind him of the no-hurry bit a couple of times, he eventually relaxed and we had a really nice day. A day date if you will. 

Remember when I was counting those here? I'm still counting, just not posting all of them on the blog. 

Backing up to Friday...

Hubs of course had a dozen projects going so he spent most of the day power washing the dock and bridge. We've hired the staining out this year because that is a back breaking job and some years we pay to have it done. They're supposed to be coming on Monday so he wanted it squeaky clean first. 

Power washing the dock is also back breaking so he earned the rest. 

I took care of some paperwork and cleaned bathrooms, then went to play Mah Jong. Not back breaking, but it can sometimes strain the brain. 

Daughter1's hubs was attending an out of town medical thing last week so she and the kids came over Friday evening for a slumber party. The puppy too, because where they go the puppy goes. He desperately wants to play with the Little Brown Dog, but the LBD is not having any part of it. He lets him know too, but they'll get used to each other. 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous all weekend long, so we sat outside and played and talked, and hubs grilled burgers for dinner. Little Miss went to bed on the early side and the rest of us snuggled on the couch and watched Hook. Nana might have missed the entire middle of the film due to an unplanned nap, but I'd seen it before so no biggie. That's life in the third act. You fall asleep before the six year olds. 

Actually that has always been me, never a night owl. Does staying awake past 8:30 qualify one as a night owl? 

After some early Saturday morning fishing for the Mancub and Pawpaw, the party goers had breakfast then went on their way. Hubs and I jumped in the car for a drive one state over. We had a lunch destination in mind, then planned to piddle around in some of the shops nearby. 

At our wine dinner this month one of the couples we sat with told us they'd been to a great BBQ place in the little town of Dillard Georgia. I live in the Palmetto State, but the GA border is right down the road. 

We don't often go out for BBQ because hubs makes a mean pulled pork here at home, but the pitmaster at the Blue Hound in Dillard won Season 6 (July 2025) of the Bobby Flay BBQ Brawl and we thought we should taste it for ourselves. 

The drive over was just under an hour, and it's my favorite kind of BBQ place. A small building that sits on the literal side of the road beside a gas station, smoke billowing out of the smokehouse, and already a long line at 11:15 AM. 

I got the brisket sandwich with a brocoli salad instead of chips and hubs had the brisket plate with collards and slaw. He meant to order banana pudding, but forgot. We did get two jars of their rubs to try at home. 

We sat at a picnic table outside and enjoyed every bite. Afterwards we browsed a couple of shops just a few hundred yards away, then headed towards Clayton, which is a cute little mountain town we love. 

We passed this shop on the way to the restaurant and the name forced us to make a stop there on the way out-

They actually had some nice pieces of furniture and then the usual assortment of 'stuff', but we just looked before heading on to Clayton. Which was hopping on a sunny Saturday! Once we got parked we walked to a little shop called White Birch Provisions for a coffee. I think I might like to stay in the White Birch Inn sometime as it looks cute. We browsed the shops on the main drag, but didn't buy anything.  

On the way out of Clayton we popped in to the local distillery there so hubs could get a bottle of their bourbon. I hadn't been in the place in a couple of years and they've expanded quite a bit which was nice to see.

We made the hour-ish drive home and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the lower level porch. I had a small nap (my sleep tank has been fumes the past month) and we listened to music, read, and chatted. Neither of us were very hungry so hubs ate the leftover burger and sides from Friday's dinner and I had a fried egg sandwich.  Sometimes that is exactly what I'm craving. 

Sunday morning kitchen sink view. 

We went to church, then made an exceedingly and unnecessarily long stop at Tractor Supply for a piece of rope for the outdoor shower mirror (the one we had finally broke) and then had lunch on the porch. After lunch hubs trimmed tree branches or some such nonsense and guess where I was? 

If you said the porch you wouldn't be wrong. It's great to be back in almost summer mode. 

Linking today with Holly and Sarah for their regular Monday morning weekend recap party. 

Y The Hodgepodge?

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge and (yahoo!) the second to last letter in the April A-Z blog challenge. Not that I'm counting. I've included letter Y in my random thought today (question #6 for anyone new). 

If you've answered today's Hodgepodge questions add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Y not?  

1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why. 

Can rest be an option here because that's what I'd like right about now? If not then full steam ahead it is. 

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate.  

Impossible question. I like them all and while each would be considered art, they're not at all the same kind of art. My answer is all of the above. Each one appeals to me on some level. I suppose if you forced me to choose I'd say literature, but I love museums, beautiful architecture, live music, and live theatre too. 

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers? 

Dinner time varies here. In the summer it's generally sometime between 7 and 8. In the winter months we dine earlier, usually between 6 and 6:30.  My hubs would love for us to eat late year round and I'd love to eat at 5 so we're most often somewhere in the middle. 

As far as leftovers my feelings are mixed. I am good with things like pasta or pizza leftovers, but I'm funny about meat. I don't usually care for leftover meat warmed up, unless it's in a casserole. A leftover piece of chicken warmed up? No thanks. Chicken pot pie left over? Sure. 

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating? 

My husband shared something he was reading about AI doing an analysis on the Shroud of Turin and I then went down the rabbit hole myself reading about it. Don't ask me to explain it though. 

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...

At what are you 'self-taught?' 

I'm going with all things computer related. I'm the only one in my family with no formal computer classes or training. I've muddled through and learned by doing. I'm a work in progress here still. Obviously. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We're nearing the end of the A-Z blog challenge and I'm using this space for today's letter. I didn't think too hard on this one, but instead ran through a mental list of things that start with Y and picked one I could work with. 

Day 24-Y is for Yardstick 

Do you own a yardstick? Do you know where it is? I own one and bonus, I know where it is. I feel like a yardstick is one of those things you need very rarely, but when you need it you need it. 

Mine lives tucked into a corner of my pantry and it has a felt sleeve to fancy it up.  This yardstick was part of an end of year gift from a kindergarten student I taught in the year 1999. 

His mama made the sleeve and I've kept it all these years. fyi-it does have my full name down the front but I try not to put my full name here on the blog. Anyway, I've used this yardstick from time to time, and when I do I think of that super sweet kindergarten class, the wonderful parents who made that year an absolute joy, and the little boy (Brent-yes I remember his name) who would be 33 years old today. 

That's the kind of math that makes me feel another Y word-not young. 

Happy New You!

That's how we say it in our house. Happy new YOU! When our oldest grandson was two years old this was how he greeted the new year, and we still love it. 

So will it be a new me, or the same old me in 2026? I'm hoping for a slightly improved version, but I suppose I'm the one who will need to make that happen, so the answer is still up in the air. 

We put a boatload of expectation on the turning of a calendar page, don't we? 

Before we move forward let's look back at the week that was. Monday around 5 hubs had a thought about whether or not his passport was expiring this year or next so he went to check. He returned shortly and asked, 'Where's my passport?' 

I don't know. I mean we keep them locked up always in the same place, but when he went to check it wasn't there. So we backtracked in our thinking trying to remember when the last time was that he flew, until I remembered we had taken the passports (and every single identifying piece of information we own including our birth certificates and our marriage license) to the DMV in August when we went for our Real ID. 

Hmmm...so what did I do with them? I mean we both knew I'd been the one carrying the bag and hubs kept his cool but y'all it was a problem. A PROBLEM!! 

We knew they'd been in a tote bag and we spent the next couple of hours turning our house upside down looking for that bag in obvious and ridiculous places both, because at this point I figured I must have put it somewhere that made no sense. 

We had gone to breakfast after the DMV and even though it was all the way back in August I still phoned the restaurant and the sweet hostess went and looked in their office and under the counter and anywhere she could think of which I appreciated. I knew I hadn't left it there because I'm kind of paranoid about this sort of thing, although apparently not paranoid enough to put it all back in the spot we have for important documents. 

At some point I got on the computer and asked what to do and the internet very helpfully laid it out for me.  I went ahead and ordered a copy of my birth certificate and our marriage license because those things were easy. Hubs birth certificate would be another story, because he was born outside the US in a military hospital that no longer exists. Whoo boy. 

We finally went to bed. Hubs said we'd figure it out and let's just go to bed and see it with fresh eyes in the morning. Neither of us slept much, and when I got up he was already on the phone trying to sort out his paperwork dilemma. We both were sure the bag was somewhere in the house as opposed to truly lost or stolen, but we couldn't think of any other place to look. I decided to go look once more in one of the places I'd already looked three or four times, but this time I methodically took each thing out of the space, and hallelujah! there it was.  

Honestly I felt like I had a little PTSD from the whole experience. I know this experience falls under the heading of first world problems, but it was a problem nonetheless.

Tuesday was nice. I piddled around the house, made a big pot of lemon chicken orzo soup, caught up on blogs, and played Mah Jong with some neighbors. 

On the last day of the year (Wednesday) we went for a walk. It was cool but not windy and the sky was so blue. Some of us chased chipmunks...

we smiled at the cherry tree beginning to bloom-

...and we spent the afternoon watching football. I made a Mexican style spinach dip to take to the next door neighbors that evening. They invited us, along with another couple, to ring in the new year with dinner and cards.  

It was fun and we didn't have to drive anywhere which I consider a win on NY Eve. 

We haven't taken down a single decoration yet and I'm not mad about it. We're relaxing and enjoying sitting by the tree still, so probably won't worry about it until next week. 

On the first day of this brand new year we took another walk and watched a lot more football.  'Tis still the season. I blogged a little , and we made a semi-traditional meal for dinner. Hubs grilled pork chops and made black eyed peas and I made cornbread and cooked cabbage to go with. Technically you're supposed to eat greens and I often do spinach, but I had a head of cabbage in the frig I wanted to use so we made it work. 

If you don't know what I'm talking about you might not live in the south. 

I played around with a winter bucket list and also took a look back at fall to see how I did. Remember fall? I kept my want-to-do's back then pretty simple-

Not sure why I made a list of the odd 11, but of the 11 I checked off eight. I didn't get my photo book made, I didn't memorize three verses (although I did memorize one) and I didn't make soup in my pumpkin tureens. I will definitely get the book made this winter, there were too many other holiday related tasks to be done this fall for me to spend a lot of time making a book. I'm not fast. 

Hubs and I tackled the attic but there's still more to be done there and we'll continue working on that job this winter. Good times. 

Moving forward into the new year, new season with a new list which I'll post soon. It's a work in progress. Like me. I hope your new year is happy and bright. 

Merry 2026! 

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

Picking Up Where We Left Off

Sort of. 

When last we spoke on the blog it was the second day of a brand new year, and now here we are rolling in to February. I might need to jump in somewhere in the middle.  

I know many people dislike January, and there are all sorts of memes about how January is 85 days long, but around here we need a January. We need time to catch our breath, rest, walk, think, figure out our calendars, and come up with a plan to organize this new year. 

We have mostly succeeded. 

I mean we definitely rocked the resting part and honestly that was the main thing. 
We were tired. 

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."-Edith Sitwell

January here means reading books and watching HGTV curled up under a blanket. It's calling a friend I hadn't spoken to in a long while and taking care of a significant car repair. It's scheduling a couple of (hopefully) minor home repairs that need doing and it's dealing with the small mountain of paperwork that accumulated while we were holiday-ing and not January-ing.

It's spending a low key weekend out of town, saying cheers to a new year with old friends, and then everyone taking a mid-day siesta because they can. 

It's a walk in the woods on a crisp blue sky day and a swim in the lake right after...

That last bit is maybe not for everyone but some of us live for a swim in the lake. 

Mostly January says it's okay to be a little bit lazy after months of non-stop doing and I'm here to tell you it felt good. Better than good actually because we are not meant to go and do without adding a little slow and easy into the mix too. 

Last week hubs went with some buds on their annual duck hunt so daughter2 and her little guy drove over to spend the week with Nana. Her hubs was traveling for work so the timing was perfect and I absolutely loved having my girl in the house. We might have gone to bed at a ridiculously early hour every single night, but we still enjoyed chatting about all manner of things throughout the day, sipping tea by the fire, and playing cards. 

Speaking of perfect...

Be still my heart. 

This little man is just so precious. He literally lights up a room, a day, your whole entire life, with his bright blue eyes and his gentle disposition. Wednesday we drove over to my sister and brother-in-law's house because my sister is also over the moon for this little cutie and needed to see him. 

Who can blame her? 

I was reminded this week how long the days can feel when you are momma to tiny humans. Life revolves around their waking and sleeping and you learn to let go of your own agenda and needs in order to first meet theirs. 

What a special joy it is to watch my grown up girls be mommas to their littles. To realize we're not just mother and daughter any more...

...we're mother and mother too. 

Hoping your January brought peace and rest, order and energy, stillness and warmth, to the beginning of this brand new year. 

Boy Oh Joy

I've decided we have two speeds here. On and off. Go and Stop. Busy and Still. 90 mph and 15 mph and there is no in between. While there are days I feel a teensy bit guilty about a lazy nap on the porch or a Saturday binge watch on the telly I mostly don't. Those slow down days are rare and necessary and add balance to a life that is full full full. 

Hubs and I spent three and a half days with daughter2 and her little man last week, returning home Wednesday afternoon. I volunteer on Thursdays which meant Friday was for catching up on laundry and groceries and online cards with my mom. On Saturday we waved the white flag and hung out on the couch. 

Not the whole day of course, but man we were tired. 

Baby boy (who does not have a blog name yet) is as precious as precious can be. Babies change so much so fast, and we are grateful to finally have one close enough geographically to see somewhat regularly. He had been to church the day we arrived, wearing this outfit his Daddy had worn some 35 years prior. I love it! 

My son-in-law was traveling for work early in the week so it was a great time to visit and be those extra hands all new moms can use.  I had (still have him lol) a husband who traveled a lot for work and I can remember how long the days felt when it was just me and my baby and hours to fill. 

So nice for a new mom to be able to have a leisurely shower, wash and dry and straighten her hair, and get dressed uninterrupted. 

We had a really nice lunch out on Monday and little guy was a trooper (aka- slept through the whole thing). Winning! And then his Momma had a dental appointment Tuesday morning and hubs and I were able to stay with the baby while she took care of her teeth. 

I'm telling you, thirty+ years later that baby hip sway comes right back to you. 

We had plans to run out to a local shop we love on Tuesday afternoon so the baby was fed, we got the diaper bag loaded, the baby strapped into the car seat, the car seat snapped into the car, and lastly the stroller collapsed and into the trunk and whew! Off we went.  

Only about half a mile though, and then we pulled over because there was a noise that sounded suspiciously like a nail in the tire which was indeed a nail in the tire. Bother. Their neighborhood is new and there are several homes still under construction so I'm sure there's more where this came from. 

Back home we went to unload the stroller and the car seat and the baby from the car seat and then I followed hubs to the tire place because they said they'd work it in sometime in the next two hours and they did. They didn't charge a cent for the patch either so shoutout to businesses who do small kindnesses as part of their everyday operation. 

I was so glad we were there to help with all that because it would have been a lot to do with a one month old in tow. 

Even one who smiles like this and makes your heart melt and who grows sweeter by the day. 

Time Well Wasted

Still A to Z-ing... and for some reason I have three different sized fonts in this post that do not want to be made right. I'm going to live with it. 

Day 16-P is for Porch Sittin' 

Time spent on the porch is never wasted. Isn't that how the saying goes? Porch sitting is high on my list of favorite things and it never gets old. We have a covered deck, a screened in porch, and a lower level mostly covered patio and I love them all. These are the places and spaces I nap, pray, read, have heart to heart chats, watch college football, dine, stargaze, listen to music, and relax. 

You cannot be stressed out on a porch. It's the law. 

Also, hubs and I are not the only ones who love a little porch sittin'. 

I'd post some current pictures but all of our furniture is still under wraps due to another P word this part of the country is famous for-pollen. Pollen makes my list of least favorite things and in the Upstate 'tis a season all its own. 

To make post-pollen cleanup easier we bring cushions inside, roll up the outdoor rugs, and cover the furniture, typically end of March through mid-late April. Then hubs gets out there and scrubs the decking and washes the porch screens and we pull everything back out and enjoy. We're preparing to re-stage this weekend and we're both so ready. 

While I love all the porches here, the covered deck is my favorite 'room' in the whole house and where I spend the most time. We have a fire table on our covered deck and most mornings I take my coffee and sit out there. We spend most evenings out there too because it's peaceful. 

Hubs loves to hang out on the lower level patio since that's home to our Big Green Egg. The view from that particular vantage point is not too shabby either. 

We have a TV and a fireplace on our screened porch which is just off the kitchen. Come fall you'll find us there most weekends watching college football. We have a dining table on the screened porch too, and eat breakfast-lunch-dinner out there when the weather is nice.

If there's a crowd we move to the lower patio and the bigger table. 

We've got options and they're all good. When people ask for tips on building a lake house we always say pay as much attention to the outdoor spaces as you do the indoor. We pretty much live out of doors here. 

Except during pollen season. 

Which isn't all that long and also isn't snow.

Even this guy will tell you it doesn't matter which porch you choose-

There is no wrong answer.