Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 304

Hello Hodgepodgers! I have lots of catching up to do after a week away, but in the meantime here are this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge questions. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. Tell us about a time you felt like you were 'flying by the seat of your pants'.

2.  When or where would you most like to be 'a fly on the wall'?

3. 'Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.'-Henry David Thoreau 

Would you agree? Why or why not?

4. Share a favorite movie, book, or song with flying in it's title, lyrics, or theme somewhere.

5. What is one task or chore you tend to do 'on the fly'? Is this something that really needs to be done another way?

6. What was happening the last time you thought to yourself or said aloud, 'Wow, time flies when you're having fun', and you meant it.

7. This Thursday is National Garlic Day. Will you add garlic to your menu on Thursday? Do you like garlic? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

5 Minutes of Enough

Joining with the Five Minute Friday crew today, where there's always room for one more. The rules are simple-write for five minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. Link back to Five Minute Friday at Kate Motaung's blog, and leave an encouraging comment for the person who linked before you. Here we go-

Today's prompt-enough

I've had a trip planned for a while now that I'm overly excited about. I know I'm overly excited and I also know I'm putting way too much expectation on the whole thing, but that's how we moms with grown up children living miles away roll. We soar high, dip low, then strap in and do it all over again.

My younger daughter (that's her on the left) is a teacher and on spring break next week. My older daughter (that's her on the right) is six months pregnant and living on the other side of the country, soooo...hubs said go and we're going. He'll stay here and mind the store so to speak, and that's just one more thing about this next week to feel grateful for. My daughter's husband will be away working so it will be just us girls for one whole entire complete week, which is a rare and precious gift.

And most days I see it that way.

Then there are the other days. The days I can already feel myself thinking it won't be enough, because it's never enough. A friend of mine told me she almost dreads going to visit her daughter because she looks so forward to it for so long beforehand, and then it's over in a flash, and I could feel the longing and the heartache in her words right down to my marrow.

Parenting is something I believe God uses to sanctify us. He has used every season of growing up girls to refine me and change me into who He wants me to be, including this current season where my girls are fully grown. Why did I ever imagine there would be some stopping point to the seasons of parenting?

I've lived away from my own parents pretty much all my adult life. I grew up in a happy home, and had a wonderful childhood. I loved my parents very much, but I've also loved the road I've walked as an adult.  I remind myself of that a lot these days as my daughters navigate the paths God sets before them.

I hold tightly to the truth that He is enough.
For them and for me.

A Garden Full Of Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge! As I mentioned yesterday, I'm traveling next week so no Hodgepodge on April 12th. The Hodgepodge will return the following week, April 19th. Thanks for understanding!

1. April is Lawn and Garden Month. On a scale of 1-10 what's the current state of your lawn and/or garden. (10=a showpiece, 1=send in the professionals). Tell us about any lawn or garden plans you have for this month.

That depends on who you ask around here. Hubs wants the whole grand plan completed pronto, with every pine needle in it's proper place, and until that happens he will not rate us a 10. I am comfortable with landscaping as a work in progress, because we intend to stay put for a while and I like to live in a place before I go all in with plantings. I'll give us a 6. We still need color, more flowering shrubs, some trees near the property line where our neighbor will build and probably more pine straw. Definitely more pine straw. Always more pine straw. 

My plan is to get started on the patio pots after Easter. Hubs will be minding the home fires while I'm away so it's also possible I'll come home to a freshly mulched back yard-ha! 

2. "Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there."~Thomas Fuller  What does this quote mean to you?

Someone shared this quote with me when I lived in England, and it's one of my favorites. We had an amazing garden in our UK house, thanks to the owner and his very green thumb. 

We spent a lot of time in that garden as a family, and I spent a lot of time out there on my own too. 

Do you know the old hymn called In the Garden? Well this was mine. 

I dreamed a lot of dreams here, set goals here, made plans, prayed, evaluated decisions made and opportunities that came our way here, and in the process I learned so much about myself and about God's plan for my life. 

Yes the flowers grew...fish and trees and teenage girls too. 

But most of all, I grew. 

And I think that's the meaning at the heart of this quote, and why I love it so. 

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God?

Oh how He loves you and me. 

Holy. 
Everlasting. 
My Rock, my Redeemer, my Refuge.

4. If we were chatting in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

I would very likely talk incessantly. 

5. Do you like the color yellow? Would I find any in your home or wardrobe? Daffodils, tulips, roses, sunflowers, day lily, black eyed susan...which yellow bloom on this list is your favorite?

I love the color yellow, but more in nature than in my house. I don't have any big swaths of yellow in my home, and I dont' think I wear a whole lot of yellow either. But give me sunshine in a bright blue cloudless sky, a field of daffodils, a bouquet of yellow roses, a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade, and I'm a happy camper. 

Tough call on which yellow bloom is my favorite, but of the flowers listed I'm going with the daffodil. Nothing says spring like a field full of daffs! 

6. Flip flops or bare feet?

I love bare feet, but try to make myself wear flip flops in the yard. Copperheads and all that jazz...

7. Tell us about any Easter plans, celebrations, or traditions you'll carry out this month.

I'm taking a fun little spring break trip next week with my teacher daughter2 and we don't get back to South Carolina until late Saturday night. I still give my girls (and son-in-law) baskets, but right now I'm struggling with how jet lag will impact my need to have that traditional Easter meal at home? Still working on a plan, and hubs says lets have dinner out, but I'm not ready to say yes just yet. If I can swing it, I'd prefer to eat here. 

Regardless, we'll attend church, sing all my favorite songs declaring He's Alive! and will feel grateful for the gift of the cross. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I absolutely love this song by Natalie Grant, perfect to share here as we head into Easter week...

"Look what mercy's overcome, death has lost and love has won..."

Happy Easter! 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 303

Hi Hodgepodgers! I've got a fun little spring break trip planned with my teacher Daughter2 next week, so no Hodgepodge on April 12th. We're here this week of course, and then will be back the week after Easter, April 19th. Thanks for understanding!

Here goes today...answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow (Wednesday) to share answers with the whole wide world. See you there!

1. April is Lawn and Garden Month. On a scale of 1-10 what's the current state of your lawn and/or garden. (10=a showpiece, 1=send in the professionals). Tell us about any lawn or garden plans you have for this month.

2. "Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there."~Thomas Fuller  What does this quote mean to you?

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God?

4. If we were chatting in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

5. Do you like the color yellow? Would I find any in your home or wardrobe? Daffodils, tulips, roses, sunflowers, day lily, black eyed susan...which yellow bloom on this list is your favorite?

6. Flip flops or bare feet?

7. Tell us about any Easter plans, celebrations, or traditions you'll carry out this month.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Rainy Days and Mondays

We're in for some bad weather today if the forecasters know what they're talking about. FYI-forecasters don't always know what they're talking about, but in case this is one of those times they're correct we've secured deck furniture and moved potential flying objects from in front of the glass doors.

Now the weekend was a different story. We had absolutely gorgeous weather and spent a lot of time out of doors. Our boat is back in the water as of last Tuesday, and we're so excited to be out on the open seas once more.

Technically it's a lake, but still...we're pretty happy. 

On Saturday hubs and I drove over the mountain and across the state line to a charming little town called Cashiers. We had to stop along the way and take in the spectacular view because it's the law. 

That's Lake Jocassee which is not our lake, but is our 'next door neighbor'. 

Cashiers is a sweet little mountain town filled with boutiques, antiques, and restaurant-iques. The season doesn't officially begin here until May 1 at which time it will fill with tourists. Still there were already quite a few shops open so plenty of places to browse and buy. The locals all recommended we have lunch at Cornucopia and the food was yummy. Slow as Christmas, but delicious. They've just re-opened and maybe don't have their kitchen timing fine tuned just yet. ahem. 

I had my nose pressed against the glass at one of the antique shops in town, and the owner said even though they weren't open we could come in. So many lovely things! Hubs and I will definitely be going back there! We've been looking for Adirondack chairs to put around our fire pit, and we chatted with a gentleman in another shop who makes them to order. He said he'd deliver to the lake so we chose our color and will have them fireside in a couple of weeks. 

Hubs and I came home and watched basketball, and I say it every year...March Madness is some of the most exciting sporting competition out there. The games are so close and it's really fun to watch, even if your team doesn't win. I mean that would be more fun, but still these games are nail biters! 

Sunday was another gorgeous day, and after church some friends dropped by on their way back home to Atlanta after a weekend wedding in NC. It was perfect deck sitting temperatures and after they left hubs and I took the boat for a spin. 

Speaking of Atlanta-ugh. Daughter2 and I booked our flights out of there for next week because it was going to be easy and less expensive than connecting from here, except now it's not going to be quite so easy. In case you missed it a massive fire broke out under an overpass on the Interstate collapsing the overpass and destroying the highway going north and south. As if Atlanta traffic wasn't bad enough! 

So that's about it on this rainy Monday morning. A good day to blog, pay bills, and stick close to home. How was your weekend! 

Beauty and the Hodgepodge Beast

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge, the last one in the month of March if you can believe that! Thanks for playing along today...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. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'  What's something you've seen recently that you thought was beautiful?

The view here never gets old. Monday evening hubs and I sat on the dock after dinner and it was so quiet and still. The lake was like glass and I thought the cloud reflection was really beautiful. I'm obsessed with a pretty sky. 

2. Our culture and beauty...your thoughts?

I think our culture has a distorted view of what real beauty is. Think about when you feel most beautiful. Do you have to be completely put together or can you feel beautiful hiking in a ball cap? 

As much as I love dressing up and especially someone else fixing my hair! I think its also possible to feel beautiful while looking less than perfect. In my mind, beauty is more about how we feel on the inside than how we look on the outside, although that's not neccessarily what society tells us. We have to fight (mostly with ourselves) against the message promoted in advertising, television, Instagram!, etc. that only perfection=beauty. 

I will say it helps a lot to have a spouse who thinks you're beautiful, even when your hair won't cooperate or you're a blubbering mess over something ridiculous. 

3. Age before beauty, beauty queen, beauty mark, beauty sleep...which beauty-ful phrase resonates with you today? Why?

Remember being 20-something and having the ability to stay up all hours of the night and still look fresh as a daisy the next morning? Yeah. Your 50's not so much, which is why I'm going with beauty sleep. 

4. I read here a list of the top ten
beasts that scare us the most-

alligators, coyotes, black bears, birds (but pigeons in particular), sharks, bats, bed bugs, rats, rattlesnakes, and the black widow spider. 

Which 'beast' on the list scares you the most? What is the likelihood of you having an actual encounter with that particular beast? Did a movie contribute to your fear of this creature? Have you ever had a real life encounter with any of the animals listed?

I'm going to say bats. I know they eat mosquitos and for that I'm grateful, but I hate the erratic swooping and dipping thing they do. There's something about bats that gives me the heebie jeebies. 

We have bear and coyote here, but they keep their distance. Black bears are amazing creatures and I had one or three lumber through my NJ yard on a regular basis. We have copperheads here, and pretty sure it's smart to have a healthy fear of copperheads. I haven't seen one, but they're here. Hoping I never encounter one up close and personal! 

I do swim in the ocean when I'm vacationing beach side, so I suppose a shark encounter isn't out of the question, but it's also highly unlikely.  

5. Where were you when you last heard a bell ring? Was it alarming or musical?

We have a grandfather clock that chimes on the hour, and no it's not alarming. 

6. What's your favorite carb? How's that for random?

Popcorn! 

7. Let's wrap up another month of Hodgepodging and life with an acrostic. Recap your month using the word MARCH.

Making memories
And
Relishing time with grown
Children at
Home

8.  Insert  your own random thought here. 

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I was having two chairs reupholstered. They're back and I love the change! Here are some before and after shots for anyone who's interested in that sort of thing. 

Here's a before shot of my recliner.  The only photo I could find was covered in Christmas presents and a pile of throws, but I think you can see the plaid in shades of green, red, navy, and gold. The fabric wasn't awful, but the chair just never felt like it belonged until now. 

The guest room where the newly covered recliner now sits has navy bedding and a window treatment with some navy in the stripe. It looks like a brand new chair to me. 

The other chair we had recovered is what we lovingly refer to in our house as the dog's chair. Our pup claimed the most comfortable seat in the house from day one, and we gave up trying to coax her out of it. This chair was her happy place until the day we had to tell her goodbye. That's Daughter2's dog in a blanket on the rug, which is her happy place. 

I mentioned how the ottoman that went with this club chair disappeared during the move. It went on the truck in NJ but did not come off the truck in SC, and thankfully my upholstery guy here said he could make one. He did an excellent job and I absolutely LOVE this fabric, and the way the chair looks now. 

It's a slightly nubby fabric in a blue green shade called sea glass. There's a little bit of that same color in my rug and also in the window treatments in our master bedroom, although you can't tell from this photo.  It's nearly impossible to take a photo in this house that accurately portrays color, because of all the light and water and reflection, but still I try. 

Was reupholstering less expensive than buying new? Depends on many factors including your personal style (there are inexpensive chairs out there), and especially your fabric selection. This fabric was pricier than the navy, but it was so worth it. Even though you can't tell from my photo! 



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Wednesday Hodgepodge-Volume 302

The Wednesday Hodgepodge is rolling around again, and you'll find this week's questions below. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'  What's something you've seen recently that you thought was beautiful?

2. Our culture and beauty...your thoughts?

3. Age before beauty, beauty queen, beauty mark, beauty sleep...which beauty-ful phrase resonates with you today? Why?

4. I read here a list of the top ten beasts animals that scare us the most-

alligators, coyotes, black bears, birds (but pigeons in particular), sharks, bats, bed bugs, rats, rattlesnakes, and the black widow spider. 

Which 'beast' on the list scares you the most? What is the liklihood of you having an actual encounter with that particular beast? Did a movie contribute to your fear of this creature? Have you ever had a real life encounter with any of the animals listed?

5. Where were you when you last heard a bell ring? Was it alarming or musical?

6. What's your favorite carb? How's that for random?

7. Let's wrap up another month of Hodgepodging and life with an acrostic. Recap your month using the word MARCH.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.