Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 311

It's that time again. Here are the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. The first day of summer rolls in later this week. What are ten things you'd put on your list of  quintessential summer activities? Will you try to manage all ten this summer?

2. Do you collect seashells when you're at the beach? What do you do with them once you get them home? What's your favorite place to comb for seashells? How many of these 'best beaches for hunting seashells' have you visited? Which one would you most like to visit?

Calvert Cliffs State Park (Maryland), Jeffrey's Bay (South Africa), Sanibel Island (Florida), Shipwreck Beach (Lanai Hawaii), Ocracoke Island (North Carolina), Galveston Island (Texas) and The Bahamas

3. At a snail's pace, shell out money, come out of your shell, go back into your shell, drop a bombshell, happy as a clam, clam up...which 'shell' phrase could most recently be applied to some event or circumstance in your life? Explain.

4. What summer activity do you dislike? Why?

5. What's something you see as quickly becoming obsolete? Does that bother you?

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Ode To An Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Hubs! 33 years ago you started your wedding day drive to the church with your shoes on top of the car, and waited forever and a minute at the altar while I forgot what I was supposed to do with that unity candle. And then a whole lot of life was lived and now BAM! here we are still sometimes forgetting things only not because we're nervous, but more because we're not the fresh-faced, clear-headed kids we were back then.

Except we kind of are.

Somehow I imagined this season of married life would be quiet, filled with lots of naps and wondering what in the world we should do today?? Seems I was mistaken, although not about the naps (thank heaven!). Is there ever a day we scratch our heads and wonder how in the world we'll fill the time?

This past year was filled to overflowing with love and construction, frustration and red dirt, impatience and gratitude, laughter and lake water. With happy surprises and the everyday ordinary. With family and friends, crazy travel, and just enough lazy porch sitting.

And like all the years that came before, this one too has been filled with the goodness of God and the amazing grace He continues to pour out on the story of us.

The empty nest is a contradiction of sorts. We imagine life shrinking as we age, but in reality it expands. The heart cracks open a little wider with every passing year, making room for things to grow... new babies, new memories, and old love whose roots sink ever deeper.

While we try to wrap our heads around becoming grandparents in just a few short weeks, I do know our hearts are not prepared for the tidal wave of emotion coming our way. There's nobody I'd rather be a ridiculous, overly excited, blubbering mess with than you. You know that's totally going to be us, right?

Cheers to the next 33! May they be as full of unexpected wonder and joy as the first 33.

This slideshow design made with Smilebox

It's A Grand Old Hodgepodge

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

1. The Hodgepodge lands on June 14th this week, Flag Day in the US of A. Do you fly your country's flag at home? Sometimes, often, or every single day? Have you ever visited the city of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia)? Did you make a point of seeing The Betsy Ross House? Have you ever made a trip to Baltimore? If so, was Fort McHenry on your itinerary? (where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write The Star Spangled Banner)

Normally we do fly a flag, but we haven't put a pole or any other sort of holder out in the new house yet. On our to-do list. 

Along with 101 other things. 

As far as those two cities go, I've lived near both a fair chunk of my life. I've been to the Betsy Ross House on more than one occasion, but in all the years we lived near Baltimore I never visited Ft. McHenry. The Betsy Ross House is pretty touristy, and I think most historians question the validity of Miss Ross actually stitching up the flag right there. Still, Philly is full of wonderful history and a great place to visit. 

2. Red flag or white flag? Which have you encountered most recently? Explain.

Probably a white flag. We've had a lot going on here of late, and I've had to adjust my expectations in terms of how this summer might look. I wrote about it here, if you are curious. 

3. Are you a stay in the car listen to the end of a song kind of person? What kind of person is that?

Absolutely. Hubs and I both are. We've been known to pull into our garage and sit there through more than one or four songs if they keep playing ones we love. 

What kind of person is that? I think a sentimental person, a person for whom music and memory are linked in a way that's hard to define. In the words of Eric Church...'funny how a melody, sounds like a memory...' In fact let's just go ahead and play the whole thing, because he's captured it-



If you don't get what this song has to do with this question, then you're probably not someone who sits in the car and listens to the end of a song. 

4. What are some of the traits or qualities you think a good dad possesses? In other words, what makes a good dad? What's an expression you associate with your father?

I don't think there's any such thing as a perfect dad, and I also think love covers a multitude of imperfections when it comes to parenting. I felt like that needed saying before I answered the question. 

I think a good dad is a man of integrity, a man who sets a good example for his family in all areas of life (no pressure-ha!), he provides for the physical needs of his children and loves sacrificially. He's available to his children, makes them a priority, and encourages them in their giftings and endeavours. He extends grace and mercy in abundance, and treats his children's mother with the utmost kindness and respect always. 

A good dad recognizes he has been given an awesome responsibility and asks God regularly for wisdom and guidance. He teaches his children to do the same. 

As far as expressions go there are several. There was something my dad used to yell when it was time to come to the table, and I think it was in Japanese. I tried to find the phrase by searching phonetically but no luck. We thought it was hilarious. 

Another expression would be, 'You look like a hoot owl in a bush.' If you came to breakfast with bed head you could expect to hear this one. I used to say it to my girls and somehow they morphed it into 'You look like a hootie in the woodie' so that's how we've always said it in our house. Still makes me think of my dad. 

5. What's one rule you always disagreed with while growing up? Is that rule somehow still part of your adult life? Is that a good or bad thing?

Eat all your vegetables? 

I love vegetables now, so nobody ever has to tell me to about vegetables or anything else , "...just eat two more bites, and then you can be done...'  

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Have you ever posted anything on Facebook Live? Are you on Instagram (I'm at Daleyshots) ? Do you use the Instagram story feature? Tell me one of your favorites to follow there.  

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 310

Here are the questions to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with all your friends and neighbors. See you there!

1. The Hodgepodge lands on June 14th this week, Flag Day in the US of A. Do you fly your country's flag at home? Sometimes, often, or every single day? Have you ever visited the city of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia)? Did you make a point of seeing The Betsy Ross House? Have you ever made a trip to Baltimore? If so, was Fort McHenry on your itinerary? (where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write The Star Spangled Banner)

2. Red flag or white flag? Which have you encountered most recently? Explain.

3. Are you a stay in the car listen to the end of a song kind of person? What kind of person is that?

4. What are some of the traits or qualities you think a good dad possesses? In other words, what makes a good dad? What's an expression you associate with your father?

5. What's one rule you always disagreed with while growing up? Is that rule somehow still part of your adult life? Is that a good or bad thing?

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Five Minutes of Expect

As per usual here of late I missed the boat on Five Minute Friday so am going with Five Minute Sunday instead. That's not really a thing, but I'm making it a thing. Go here to read what others had to say this week, and no it's definitely not too late to add an entry of your own. Here we go-

Today's prompt-expect

I like this word. I might just be the queen of expectation. I like a plan. I like to know what's on tap for today, next week, this summer, the retirement years-ha! As a mother and a teacher I was intentional in setting clear expectations for my daughters (and my students), because I think children typically do better if they know what's expected.

I guess I'm like a kid that way.

I like knowing what's next. I like making lists and checking them off. I can live quite comfortably with a full calendar and a busy schedule, with people coming and going and all sorts of travel and crazy, if I know to expect full-busy-and a-little-bit-crazy.

Recently we've had to make some significant changes to our summer calendar and plans due to unexpected family illness. We've preemptively canceled some of what we were expecting to happen in order to be present in what is actually happening. We need blank space in our lives right now that will allow us to come and go as needed, to rest and recharge, and to tend to whatever needs tending.

We're told to live one day at a time, but do we really do that? Don't we more often attempt to outrun unwanted change, avoid difficult circumstances, plan and plot so there are no interruptions or detours in the way we think life should go? How we expect it to go? Raising my hand here.

There's an old Yiddish proverb that says something like 'Man makes plans and God laughs', and while I don't think that's true, I do get the point. Perhaps a better way of saying it would be 'Man makes plans and God makes different and better plans because He knows us down to the very fiber of our being.' 

Our pastor in his message this morning (don't you love when that happens?!) reminded us that nothing is unexpected in God's eyes. Nothing surprises Him. He knows what was, and is, and is to come, and He is sovereign over every last bit of it.

I've set some new expectations for the next couple of weeks and they look something like this-

Trust Him. 
Take one day at a time.

I'm thinking it's a pretty good plan.

Birthday Wishes Really Do Come True

My first born baby girl.

She celebrates a birthday today.

In just a few short weeks my baby is having a baby of her own, so technically she's a grown up married lady.

Except your baby is always your baby, right?

She was absolutely the sweetest little thing with soft blonde curls and a gentle heart. She loved baby dolls and books...

...dress ups and playing house.

Very soon now she'll be momma to a baby boy.

And she is still the sweetest little thing.

She's funny and fearless and full of adventure, and she'll soon love dump trucks and Legos and throwing a ball in the back yard.

She will  always love books and there will always be a pile just waiting to be read.

When she was home for her shower in March we pulled out her baby book and read through the milestones and the memories from her first year of life. At the end of the book were two letters, both of them written on her first birthday, one by me and one by hubs.

In my letter written all the way back in 1980-something I penned these words..."I wish for you, my sweet little daughter, good health always, that you will grow to understand the values Daddy and I are trying to teach you, that you will come to trust Jesus in a personal way, and most of all, that you will always be as happy and content as you have been in this first year of your life...."

Those wishes were the prayers in a mother's heart as baby turned toddler turned teen turned momma-to-be.

 In 2017 I stand amazed at how those wishes came true.

Happy birthday Daughter1! Watching you grow is still my favorite thing.

Note to Hodgepodgers

Hi All! Just a note to say there will not be a Wednesday Hodgepodge this week (June 7th). Hubs and I had to make an unexpected out of town trip last week, and as a result I'm behind on the blog. I hope to catch up on life here soon, but watch for the next edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge June 14th. Thanks for understanding!