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.  

A Summer Solstice Hodgepodge

Welcome to summer and this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered the questions, add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. Hello Summer! In the northern hemisphere anyway. What's something on your summer bucket list? Do you have an actual summer bucket list? If not, use your hypothetical list.

It's currently raining cats and dogs here and we are so ready for summer to get with the program weather wise. On my (hypothetical) bucket list...cowabunga off the dock with my grandsons, make home made ice cream, snap one photo of the whole entire crew together, hike to a waterfall, and host an outdoor dinner party. 

Hmmm...maybe I'll make an actual list. 

2. What for you is the defining scent of summer?

A lit charcoal grill and freshly mown grass. 

3. What's a (music, food, wine, or flower) festival happening in your part of the country that you would like to attend if tickets/travel/timing was no object? 

There's a nearby foodie fest called Euphoria held in mid-September every year and I'd like to get tickets for the Michelin starred dinner. The festival also features winemaker dinners, tastings, cooking demos, and singer-songwriter events, but I'm sure the Michelin dinner would be over the top. 

4. Apparently a military whistle blower claims the US has a UFO retrieval program. What say you? Do you believe aliens are out there?

This is honestly not something I've thought too much about. Not something I'm all that interested in. My initial thought is not likely, but I wouldn't say it's outside the realm of possibility. 

5. Besides your wedding day and the birthdays of any children you may have, what are three of your top experiences in life? 

This is tough. Do I go with three big events or three small moments that I treasure? A bit of both...

• Lunch in the House of Lords as a guest of David Cameron
• Standing beneath a California Redwood
• an 8-day hike on the AT when I was fifteen years old

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Inspired by the Hodgepodge last week I did make a strawberry shortcake on National Strawberry Shortcake Day (June 14th). I tried a new recipe and it was delish. The cake was made in a cast iron skillet and you put cut strawberries on top before baking.

I sliced mine and layered with more strawberries, then topped with whipped cream before serving. 

Yum! The recipe is linked here-Skillet Strawberry Shortcake

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Fly Me To The Moon (Post #6)

It was raining hard when we arrived late afternoon at our hotel in Newport Oregon. We stayed at the Hallmark Resort there and I loved the property. Our room overlooked the beach and even though it was raining we could enjoy the view thanks to the comfy chairs placed in front of our sliders.

There's a nice restaurant called Georgies Beachside Grill right next door and that's where we had dinner. Call ahead is suggested and while it was crowded we didn't have to wait long. Also, order the seafood saute-yum!

We were seated in a booth and shortly after we sat down two couples were seated in the booth opposite ours, an older gentleman and his wife and a younger gentleman and his wife. We noticed the younger man was wearing an obviously well-loved flight jacket covered in patches and we wondered about his story. We weren't eavesdropping (not exactly anyway), but the booths were close together so we couldn't help but overhear snippets of their conversation. We heard NASA mentioned several times and also the words Mercury 7, Gemini,  Mars and a few other space related terms which peaked our interest. We convinced ourselves the older gentleman had been an astronaut and were determined to figure out who he was.

So we did what everyone does in 2017 and started googling images of astronauts from the 1960's. I discovered pretty quickly the original Mercury 7 are all deceased and he didn't appear to be one of the Gemini crew either. We were stumped.

At this point I might have carried on wondering and might have left never knowing, but Hubs LOVES all things space related so was not going to let it go.

As we were eating and googling they handed something small to our waitress and we heard them say it had been to the moon. English was not our servers first language and it seemed she didn't really understand what was happening but we did. Ha! When she came over we asked her if she knew the customer's name and she didn't but she did very helpfully walk back to their table and say 'Those people want to meet you.'

So we got up and introductions were made and we shook hands and y'all it just turned into the most fun thing. Hubs point blank asked the older gentleman whose name turned out to be Norman Chaffee (no relation to Roger Chaffee) if he was an astronaut and he said no, but that he did work in the space program. If you read his online bio you'll know that's a bit of an understatement. He was a very important part of the space program and was the engineer who designed the thrusters on Apollo 11. He worked on additional missions to both the moon and Mars and what he had shown the waitress was a piece of the heat shield that, as he put it, was 'just behind Neil Armstrong's backside' protecting him as he rocketed to the moon.

Really what happened was, we made introductions and someone mentioned the space station and hubs whipped out his phone and showed them the app he follows that tells you when the space station is passing over your head, and that's when they said, 'Ah, you're a science geek...pull up some chairs and join us.'

So we did because, of course.

The second man at the table was Jim Loftus, son of the former Assistant Director of the Johnson Space Center. He runs a museum now near Salem Oregon and was accompanying Mr. Chaffee the next day to speak to high school students from around the state. Jim Loftus' dad was at one time Norman Chaffee's boss, and was instrumental in selecting the original Mercury 7 and also later program astronauts. When Mr. Loftus saw hubs had that app on his phone he said, 'Wait right here, I'll go get his baby'. I wasn't sure what he meant, but he was back in a flash carrying a rocket thruster. Absolutely made hubs day!

In a funny coincidence Mr. Chaffee (who lives in Texas) has a daughter living not far from us here in the Palmetto State. Hubs did what he always does and invited him to visit us at the lake next time he's in town. They've exchanged emails since and we certainly hope he takes us up on it.

As we were leaving Mr. Loftus said to my husband how impressed he was that we spoke up. That people miss out on so many wonderful things in life because they don't seize the day.

Hubs is a master at seizing the day.

Mooning Over The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge! If you've answered the questions add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and say hi to your neighbor on the list. Here we go-

1. Did you watch the solar eclipse? Your thoughts? Sun Chips, Moon Pies, Starburst candies, a Blue Moon beer, a Sunkist orange, or a Milky Way candy bar...what's your favorite eclipse related snack on this list?

First things first-the snack list Ha! Pass the Milky Way please. 

Absolutely we watched the eclipse. We live in the path of totality and skies here were clear. I thought it was completely amazing. Hubs and I went to a viewing party in a neighbor's backyard where we all wore our special glasses and collectively oohed and aahed as the moon showed off. A stunning display of God's handiwork. 

2. What are you 'over the moon' about these days? What's something you enjoy doing every 'once in a blue moon'?

Well the answer to that first one is easy-

photo courtesy of my daughter's mother in law

As far as something I enjoy doing every 'once in a blue moon' hmmm....how about drink a diet coke? Every once in a while I get a craving for a bubbly Diet Coke with lots of ice. Definitely not something I drink on a regular basis so I think the phrase fits. 

3. Tell us about something in the realm of science that interests you. How do you feed that interest?

Birds, specifically hummingbirds, bluebirds, and hawks. We put up a bluebird house and mom and dad moved in the very next day. Babies were born and have grown and now the whole family flits around the birdhouse when they hear my hubs whistle. They know he's bringing the chow. It's really fun to watch. 

We also have a couple of hummingbird feeders, one in my kitchen window so I can see them up close while I'm at my sink. They're just amazing little creatures.  We have two regular bird feeders too, and a couple of bird books, and the bird man at our nearby shop has been really helpful in educating us, particularly about how to attract the bluebirds.  

4. What are a few things you remember about going back to school as a child?

I remember new clothes for the first day, and always getting new shoes too. I remember in elementary school we used to have to bring in a cigar box for our pencils, etc. Cannot imagine asking parents in 2017 to send in a cigar box, but back in the 1960's everybody seemed to come up with one. I don't even know where we got ours but we always had one for that first day of school. 

I remember the night before jitters and the anxiety on that first day waiting with my friends to hear my name called and know who my teacher would be. I remember the feeling of a fresh start. I have always liked fresh starts. 

5. I've seen several versions of this around the net so let's make one of our own...share with us five words that touch your soul and briefly tell us why.

mother-everything about this word says comfort to me. 
It soothes my soul. 

dream-I've always had a big imagination, and I'm still a dreamer at heart. 
Dreams awaken my soul. 

water-being on, near, or in front of the sea (ocean, lake, a good spring rain) helps me refocus when life feels tilted sideways. Water refreshes my soul. 

rest-because life is quite often too full. Hitting the pause button helps me remember I'm more than my literal and figurative to-do list. Rest energizes my soul. 

hope -because I still like fresh starts. 
Hope restores my soul. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Hubs and I met Daughter2 for dinner last night. She's been back at work for a while now, but Tuesday was the official first day for students. This is her fifth year teaching, her second in kindergarten, and she still gets excited for that 'first day of school'. 

My daughter told us a neighbor couple brought over a quiche for her and her roommate in case they were 'too tired to cook this first week'. What a wonderful gesture that meant so much. This couple has grown children, which made it all the more special. May we all look for ways to bless the teachers who cross our paths this next school year. 




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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 318

So much to blog about, so many other things that need doing besides blogging. In the meantime... here are this week's questions for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Fly back here tomorrow and add your link to the party.

1. Did you watch the solar eclipse? Your thoughts? Sun Chips, Moon Pies, Starburst candies, a Blue Moon beer, a Sunkist orange, or a Milky Way candy bar...what's your favorite eclipse related snack on this list?

2. What are you 'over the moon' about these days? What's something you enjoy doing every 'once in a blue moon'?

3. Tell us about something in the realm of science that interests you. How do you feed that interest?

4. What are a few things you remember about going back to school as a child?

5. I've seen several versions of this around the net so let's make one of our own...share with us five words that touch your soul and briefly tell us why.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.