A Cute Little Hodgepodge

Oh boy, I'm late to the party again today. Sorry guys. It just seems like I never get a chance to post until later and then it's late in the evening before I have time to visit anyone's blogs. I feel like I'm semi-missing in action these days, but it's all good. Work stuff, grandkid stuff, and life stuff are just keeping me busy. I wouldn't change it if I could!

Joining in with Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond for my first Wednesday Hodgepodge in quite a while.

1. Something you've seen recently that's 'cuter than a June bug'? Well, that has to be these two. Not that I'm a little biased or anything.

2. Tell us something about where you were and what you were doing in June of 1988? If you weren't born yet, June of 1998. Or if that doesn't work, June of 2008.  June of 1988...moving from the northern part of the state back to our hometown, where we still live. Different house, but same town.

3. A place in your home or outdoor space where you feel 'snug as a bug in a rug'?  Right here at my desk where I do all my "stuff." Bible studies, computer time, crafts, writing, work, etc. It is MY space.

4. June is National Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Month. Do you normally get your 4-5 servings each day? Hahahahaha! That would be a no. I do 16-hour fasting and sometimes I only eat one meal a day so it's rare that I get that many servings of anything. What's a favorite summer dish you make/serve/like to be served-ha! made with one of your favorite summer fruits? Strawberry Jell-O pretzel salad. Yum! A favorite summer dish made with a favorite summer veg? I love zucchini and used to eat it fried all summer long, but then I discovered "crack zucchini." It's slices of zucchini topped with shredded cheddar, a sprinkle of Panko crumbs, a sprinkle of bacon bits, and a pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper. It's broiled for a few minutes until nice and browned on the top. Sooooo good and minus all the oil of fried. How do you feel about cooking in the summer months? I mostly like to have cold meals or things I can do on the grill or in the microwave. We don't get as hot as some places, but we always have lots of humidity. Using the oven is just too miserable most of the time.

5. Do you have a summer reading list? No. I don't actually ever have a reading list. I am too fickle for that. I like to choose books in the moment and read what I'm in the mood for. If so share a title or two we can add to our own. Moot point.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  Always leave 'em laughing.

A New Year Hodgepodge

I'm really late getting around to the Wednesday Hodgepodge today. I hope I haven't missed all the fun!

1. What advice would you give yourself as we begin this new year?  Don't concentrate on the storm. Keep your eye on the One who controls the storms. In other words, remember that no matter what is happening in Washington, D.C. God is in control and He is still on His throne. If He is allowing the things that are taking place in our government, He has a reason. Personally, I believe He is angry with the U.S. We have taken Him out of everything, we murder our babies, we legalize that which the Bible calls abominations...read 2 Timothy 3. Everything that is good is called bad and that which is bad is called good. We are moving toward the return of Jesus! Hang on to that!

2. If you could throw a themed party for yourself what would the theme be?  Books! What else?

3. Tell us where you were and something about what life was like when you were 20- 21.  I got married just after I turned 20 and a month after that we moved from Pennsylvania to Florida. As a clueless kid (in retrospect I was) I was trying to figure out being an adult and having the time of my life.

4. What's on the menu at your house this week?  I made ranch seasoned chicken tenders and mashed potatoes on Monday...and I broke a tooth. Last night I wasn't home. Tonight we are having tomato soup and grilled cheese. After that I have no idea yet.

5. What should you do more of this year? Focus on the Lord. Less of? Worrying about what the idiots in Washington are doing.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I saw the dentist about my broken tooth today. I expected to get a root canal. It turned out I had one done on that tooth 5 years ago! I don't remember that at all. So, he just smoothed it a bit today and slapped a temporary filling on it. I go back in 2 weeks for a cleaning and exam and to discuss work to be done. It's going to take 3 trips to fix this tooth. At least today and the one in 2 weeks don't cost me anything. Now I'm watching the mess at the Capitol. Funny how the riots this summer were fine and nobody stopped them. Plus, I'm not seeing any violence other than one broken window that they keep showing over and over. The media is again pushing the fear and hate. It's a sad, sad day.

Wednesday Hodgepodge: A Little Holiday Spirit

1. What do you think it means to have the holiday spirit?  Hmm...cue the Jeopardy theme song while I think, will you? I think, as the Grinch finally concluded, that it isn't about presents or decorations or a big meal with all the special extras. It isn't about big, splashy productions, plays, or movies...no matter how magical they seem. It isn't about light displays that are visible from the space station. It's the love and goodwill that takes over at this time of the year and it's all because of one little baby boy, born in a manger, but celebrated by the angels in heaven and kings here on earth. It's because of one little baby who took his first breath...and nothing was ever the same again. 

2. What's one thing you've baked this month? Have you eaten the finished product? How much baking do you do around the holidays? What baked sweet something does your family insist is on the menu during this season of the year? I haven't baked a thing. Yet. That is on the list of things that must begin soon and yes, I will sample the goods. I do like, however, that I've found that when I do the baking it curbs my appetite for the sweets. I don't know why, but it's always been that way. We (my mom and I) usually do a lot of baking, but I don't know just how much will be done this year. One, Mom and I will not be baking together because she and my stepdad are keeping to themselves again since Covid is raging here in in PA. I also don't know how much I will ultimately decide to bake because we are expecting more mandates to come down from the governor today. I am sort of expecting that by the time Christmas gets here we won't be allowed to gather. The one thing the whole family insists on? The little bite sized nut, poppy seed, and apricot rolls Mom and I make. They may be disappointed this year. I've never tackled them on my own. 

3. Your most recent 'half-baked' idea?   Putting up the outside lights. They have been nothing but trouble this year and not all of them are lit up yet. At the rate we are going, Christmas will be here by the time they are all working. It's feeling a bit like Clark Griswold and the lights in Christmas Vacation.

4. Where were you the last time you 'baked' in the sun? The top ten sunniest destinations in the world (most sun from January-December according to this site) are Dubai, Bali Indonesia, Los Angeles CA, Miami FL, Barbados, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Mauritius, Antiqua, and the Canary Islands Spain. Have you been to any of the cities listed? Which one on the list appeals to you the most? If the world were not upside down crazy and you could lie on a beach anywhere right now where would you go?   I don't know if it qualifies as actually "baking" but it was in our own backyard. I managed to squeak in a couple of days in the pool this summer (after it was finally installed in August) before the weather turned cool and ended it. Of the places on the list, I'm thinking Spain. I find myself intrigued by it these days.

5. Today I wish I had more _____________________.  Energy. Two and a half weeks until Christmas. There's a lot to do!

6. Insert your own random thought here. Have you ever heard of laminin? It's a structural protein in the human body. It does lots of things, but one of the biggies is that it binds with other molecules. Basically, it's glue. It holds things together. It looks like this:

It's diagramed like this:

It looks like a cross and it's the cellular glue that holds us together. Why is that significant? Because Colossians 1:15-17 says:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Christ created all things. He is what holds all of creation together. Coincidence that the glue that holds our cells together looks like a cross? I don't think so. Our God reveals himself in all of creation. 

Falling Into the Hodgepodge

This beautiful fall day finds me linking up with Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond for the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. It's fall y'all. What's something you love about this season and also something you don't?  Hmm...fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it, even the shorter days as I like the cozy evenings inside with heartier meals, candlelight, fires on the hearth, and snuggly blankets. I'd guess the only thing I don't like about it is that it isn't longer.

2. When you think of the colors of fall, which one is your favorite? Is there somewhere you could easily day trip to see the leaves in all their glory? Will you?  The whole rainbow of fall colors are my favorite. My house is done in shades of brown, pumpkin spice, sage, red, and gold. I guess if I have to choose just one it would be orange. Yes, I can easily enjoy the leaves in all their glory. I live on the edge of Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands...nature is everywhere! I will also be traveling to visit my father in the northern part of the state next month and it should be peak fall foliage time.

3. What's one thing you've let 'fall' by the wayside during this season of staying home and staying away?  Getting enough exercise. I have become such a couch potato.

4. If you're wearing a sweater is it most likely a cardigan, crew neck, v-neck, or zip up hoodie?  If it's an actual sweater, it's most likely a cardigan these days. When I was younger and thinner I lived in pullover crew neck sweaters and turtle necks. Actually, these days I'm more likely to be wearing fleece.

5. What's your secret to dealing with change?  No secret. Prayer works wonders.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  The beginning words of 2 Timothy 4:5 are speaking to me lately as the world seems to be coming apart at the seams. Paul admonishes, 

But you, keep your head in all situations.

No matter what is swirling around us, if we keep our eyes on the Lord and ground our hearts and minds in His Word we won't be shaken. We can rest assured that God is in control.

A Ripe Old Hodgepodge

Linking up with Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond for the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What's one thing you learned at the ripe old age of whatever age you are now?  Well, I just learned the other day that you can ask your Amazon Alexa to fart and she will name a type of fart and do it...then tell you to ask her to make some other type of fart or say "random." 

2. I read here a list of foods that can help you look younger-

extra virgin olive oil, green tea, fatty fish, dark chocolate, vegetables, flaxseeds, pomegranates, avocados, tomatoes, spices, bone broth

How many of the foods listed have you tried? How many do you eat regularly? Your favorite from the list?  I've tried everything but flaxseeds. I eat/use extra virgin olive oil, green tea, fatty fish, vegetables, tomatoes and spices regularly. My favorite is vegetables or tomatoes.

3. Something you miss from the 'good old days'? When were the good old days anyway?  I miss when the whole family...aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents...got together on a regular basis. I guess that makes the good old days the 60's through the 80's for me. The 90's seem to be when the family got spread out and we stopped getting together on any kind of regular basis.

4. What are two or three of the most rewarding things to be found in growing older?  Grandchildren, contentment, and being comfortable in your own skin.

5. What's your favorite part of your life right now?  My relationship with the Lord and my grandchildren.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

On Second Thought

It's a gray, rainy Wednesday morning here in southwestern PA so what better to brighten the day than joining in with Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond for the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. The Hodgepodge lands on the second day of a brand new month. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in September.  Wow. This really took a lot of pondering. This crazy year doesn't show any signs of returning to normal any time soon and all the normal fall things have been shelved. We don't have any family celebrations this month. All I can come up with is that a favorite author has a new book coming out later this month.

2. Do you enjoy browsing second-hand shops? Last thing you bought or 'inherited' second hand?  I do! It's one of my favorite things to do. So much in my house is inherited from family or second hand. I love old things. The last thing I bought at a thrift shop was this picture, purchased for $5.

3. Something you had second thoughts about after committing to, purchasing, or posting/commenting online?  I have to admit I've had second thoughts about leaving my job at the nursing home. It had become completely miserable there, but had I known how all this Covid-19 stuff would play out and that 5 months later the economy would still be shut down and finding a job would be like finding a hen's teeth...I might have hitched up my bloomers, gritted my teeth and hung in there.

4. What's a product or service you use that you'd rate as second to none?  Magnilife Pain Relieving Foot Cream. It's sort of expensive (over $38 on Walmart's website) but it WORKS! Nothing else I've ever tried comes close.

5. Something you do so often or that comes so naturally to you it's second nature?  Keeping the peace/avoiding conflict.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  I thought I was going to be going to hear President Trump speak tomorrow evening at our local airport, but I've found out that having tickets doesn't mean anything. They will give out as many tickets as people call and ask for then it is first come, first served to get in...and at virutally all events like this not everyone will get in. So, to guarantee getting in people start lining up hours before hand. My mom and stepdad and our daughter and son-in-law were going to go, too, but now none of us are going. The time commitment isn't possible for our daughter and Mom and John are older and can't be expected to stand in line that long. I'm not going alone...or standing there all day to maybe not get in. I questioned why they even bother with tickets, but then it dawned on me that you have to give your mailing address, email, and cell phone number to sign up. They have three ways to bombard you with campaign stuff now. 

A Doggone Good Hodgepodge

Thanks to Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond for the questions and for hosting us!

1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Dog Day this year (August 26th). Do you own a dog? Did you have a dog when you were growing up, or maybe some other kind of pet? Would you say you're more of a dog person or a cat person? Neither is okay too : )  I have ALWAYS had a dog. Currently I only have one, my little diva dog, Daisy. Daisy is a Toy Poodle. She's what they call party colored (a mix of colors) but she didn't quite make it to the party. She has a bit of white on the tip of her tail and when she is out in the sunlight you can tell that she is actually patches of black and dark gray. I bought her at a garage sale! While I am a dog person, I do like cats and have been thinking more and more that Daisy may be my last dog for the time being, that I will share life with a cat next. As for other pets, over the years I've had turtles, guinea pigs, hamsters, parakeets, rabbits, chickens, and a goat.

2. Last time you felt 'dog tired'?  Sunday. I wasn't feeling great due to the new diet. I did a lot of napping.

3. It's said you can't teach an old dog new tricks. When did you last prove this idiom true or prove it wrong?  I don't know about "tricks" but I hope that I am always learning something new as long as I'm alive and my mind is intact. To stop learning is to stagnate and that's when the mind grows dull.

4. A favorite book, television show, or movie featuring a dog. Why did you love it?  I loved the Beethoven movies as much as my kids did when they were growing up. As for why, just because he was cute and the movies were fun.

5. Last time you had reason to (literally or figuratively) exclaim 'hot diggity dog'?  I was watching Mickey's Clubhouse with my grandson and there is a song with those words in it that I sang along with.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  Gosh, it gets harder and harder to fill this space as life continues to be in some stage of lock down. I guess for today I will just say that I'm praying (and ask you to pray, too) for all those in the path of Hurricane Laura and for all the students and teachers struggling to find their way with the new way of doing school.

Five on the Hodgepodge

1. Five years ago this month hubs and I relocated from New Jersey to the Palmetto State. What were you doing five years ago this month?  I don't think there was anything major going on in our lives back then. I was still driving a school bus so I was probably starting to wrap my mind around going back to school after being off all summer.

2. What was the last 9-5 job you worked? Tell us about it.  It was the last job I had as an activities aide at a nursing home. I absolutely loved working with the residents and especially with those in the dementia unit. Doing things to make their days (and lives) better was the best! Unfortunately, it required working evenings, weekends, and holidays which my family HATED and I also had a horrible boss who made work miserable. I left in March, right before the state went into shutdown mode. I thought I'd be able to find a part-time job easily, but here I am 5 months later still at home.

3. Plead the fifth, high five, take five, it's five o'clock somewhere, or the big 5-0...which number five phrase relates to your life in some way currently? Tell us how.  I'm going to go with high five. I've started a low-carb diet combined with 16-hour fasting and meds to curb cravings. So I'm high fiving myself for taking action.

4. During this season of spending so much time at home, what distractions get in the way of being your most productive? Or have you been extra productive since this whole thing started?  I've gotten a few things done that I'd been meaning to do, but on the whole it's safe to say that all those years I spent saying "I'll do that when I have more time"...time was not the problem. Ha! What gets in the way? Social media, online games, reading, Netflix, Hulu, the grandkids, a bag of chips...

5. Give us a list here of your top five anything.  Places I want to visit: Greece, Italy, Australia, Hawaii, Plymouth/Salem.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  Tim got to sleep in today and just left a little bit ago. He had to be at his appointment for a CT-scan at 9:00. This is the one we've been waiting for. They're looking at his kidneys, bladder, and prostate. Other things have been on hold until we see what this shows. Tomorrow I'm having a final birthday hoorah. I'm spending the day shopping with friends and they are treating me to dinner at a favorite restaurant. That's all that's going on around here.

Thanks to Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond for the questions and for hosting us each week!

In the Middle of the Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge again so I'm linking up with Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond.

1. August 12th is National Middle Child Day...are you a middle child? If not, where in your family do you fall in terms of birth order? Do you hold true to the typical characteristics of oldest-middle-youngest-only child? (a quick list can be found here) Elaborate.  No, I am an only child and I sort of resemble their description. I am still more comfortable with older adults than people my own age...though that's getting to be less and less the older I get. My husband on the other hand is the exact middle child of 7 and he is the classic forgotten kid and sadly it isn't all his perception of things.

2. Tell us about a time you felt like (or you actually were) in the middle of nowhere.  I would probably have to say that was the first time I went on a mission trip to the Navajo reservation. We went to a camp that was so far out in the mountains that the people who took us there weren't even sure if we were in New Mexico or Arizona. There was NOTHING out there but us.

3. What's something you're smack in the middle of currently?  Well, I'm not quite smack in the middle, but I'm in it. I'm getting very serious about losing weight. I'm seeing a doctor specially trained in weight loss matters, trying to learn and follow a basically Keto diet, combine that with 16-hour fasting and exercise, and easing my way into a drug therapy that is supposed to help. Monday I felt like I was on top of the world. Yesterday I didn't feel so good. Today remains to be seen. I've been told Keto can make some people feel sick until their bodies hit ketosis. Maybe that's me?

4. What's a food you love to eat that has something delicious in the middle?  Custard filled donuts.

5. Share a memory from your middle school days, or junior high if that's what your school dubbed kids somewhere between grades 6-8.  The sharpest memory from that time is also the saddest. On Labor Day weekend 1978 a local church was celebrating its annual festival. Excitement and attendance was running high because for something special a helicopter was going to drop numbered ping pong balls into the crowd. The numbers corresponded with prizes. At the appointed time the crowd gathered, packing in tightly. The helicopter came into sight and began to fly over the crowd. Suddenly it was caught in an updraft and plunged into the crowd. Eight people died and 18 or more were injured. One of the dead was a teacher at the jr. high. Two were classmates and good friends of mine. In fact, they'd asked me to go with them, but it was one town over and my parents said no to taking me. It changed the town and all of us kids.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  There isn't much going on this week, but Saturday is my mom's and my birthday. I am hoping the weather cooperates so Tim and I can cross the border into Ohio to go to the Shaker Woods craft festival.

Getting Schooled by the Hodgepodge

Sorry I'm a bit late getting around to the Hodgepodge this week. I've got all kinds of excuses...

1. The temperature has cooled off a good bit and it was so cool and lovely for sleeping last night that I actually slept like a log and did not want to get up this morning.
2. When I did get up I had to go get blood work done. I'm meeting with the weight loss doctor tomorrow and I had completely forgotten to get it done.
3. Next I had to go to an electrical supply company to get the right plug for the pool pump. They gave us the wrong one with our package. Big surprise.
4. Then I no sooner got home and our daughter called and asked if she could bring the dog over for a trial run (we're keeping her this weekend while they go to the beach) with my Poodle. It went...okay, at best.
5. Finally, when our daughter came to get the dog she brought the kids and left them here so she could take a nap. I might still have them except the little one was stinking us out of the house and there were no wipes in the diaper bag.

Anyway, I'm late, but I'm linking up with Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond for the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1.  What's happening where you live in terms of schools opening? How do you feel about it?  Oh gosh, I think they are all over the board with what they are going to do. Some are going to stay completely online. Some are opening with social distancing in place. Others, including the district we live in, are opening with a combination of the two. All of them are basically telling parents "if you don't like it, you can home-school." The state athletic organization said fall sports can take place, just no spectators. The regional organization said no fall sports. I don't know how that will play out in the end. Since we don't have kids in school, basically all it's meant to us is that our taxes went up again.

2. What's something you still do 'old school'?  I wear a watch (at least when I'm at work) and I rarely see anyone doing that these days. I'd rather call than text. I write letters. I send thank you notes. I actually return RSVP's. I show my elders respect whether they've "earned it" or not. I respect the President whether I agree with him or not. I still reach for the dictionary when I need to know how to spell something or what a word means. I read magazines. I think in general I am old school.

3. August 4th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Will you/did you celebrate by baking a batch? Eating a batch? Nuts or no nuts? Homemade or store bought? Soft and chewy or do you prefer your cookie to snap when you bite into it?  I had no idea so no chocolate chip cookies were enjoyed. I prefer mine homemade, soft, and with no nuts. Quite frankly, only the original recipe Nestle Toll House Cookies will do.

4. What are you starved for?  Somewhere to go other than the store.

5. Anything new and interesting on your August calendar? What is one thing you're looking forward to this month?  Can't think of anything much. The pool is finally up so we should get to swim in it tomorrow or the next day if it's warm enough. Oh, and my birthday is on the 15th.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  This shutdown of everything continues to be a worry. Our son-in-law spent last night at work standing by a machine that wasn't even working because there is no work coming in. He might be getting laid off again, which is a big worry with two little ones and a mortgage payment hanging over their heads. There really must be a way to safely restart the economy. Praying our elected representatives stop bickering and start finding solutions soon.

A Moving Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! I'm linking up today with Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond.

1. Last time you moved house?  We've lived right here for the last 26 years and I hope I never have to move again...unless someone comes in and does it for me. Something you've learned in moving house?  If you want to make sure something makes it to the new house, be the one to pack it and then be there to be sure it is loaded on the truck. A sad fact of moving is that things seem to disappear.

2. Move mountains, move along, make a wrong move, moved to tears, get a move on, move up, move over, move out of the way, move the deck chairs on the Titanic, move it!...pick one and tell us how it fits your recent circumstances.  I'll go with "move out of the way" because our grandson kept trying to run me over with his big Power Wheels pickup truck this evening. It's a good thing it doesn't go too fast and I've still got a little zip left in me!

3. What have you been doing to make yourself move (aka stay fit-active) during these strange times?  Not a lot, sadly. I did have to go to a couple weeks of physical therapy recently for a badly inflamed IT band so now I've got stretches and strengthening exercises to do every day.

4. This week's calendar includes celebrations for the following foods-

National Coffee Milkshake Day (Sunday), National Creme Brûlée Day (Monday), National Milk Chocolate Day (Tuesday), National Chicken Wing Day (Wednesday), National Lasagne Day (Wednesday), National Cheesecake Day (Thursday), and National Avocado Day (Friday)

Which one on the list would you be most inclined to celebrate? Which would you be most inclined to skip?  It might be a tie between celebrating milk chocolate and lasagne, unless....is there such a thing as chocolate lasagne? Least likely to celebrate? Coffee milkshakes. I don't do coffee.

5. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in August! I know!! Raise your hand if you feel like July flew by in the blink of an eye? Now bid farewell to your July acrostic style. If you don't know what that means click here.

J - Just
(another)
U - ugly
L - leg
(of the)
Y - year
(2020)

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  It's been a busier week than usual (at least since the pandemic started). Monday I went out to lunch with a friend and Tim had an appointment with the urologist. He's got to get some tests done, but he doesn't know what for. Sigh. I hate not being able to go with him. Tuesday I did a little shopping with our daughter and her kids and her husband came over and got us hooked up with our new wifi and Roku. Today I'm going with Mom to take some books to a library that's about an hour away. They're collecting for their used book sale which we'll go back for. Today is also our granddaughter's actual first birthday (her party was a week and a half ago). Friday I'm hoping we can finally take everyone out to dinner for all the birthdays and anniversaries we missed when everything was closed down. Saturday Tim, our daughter's husband, and whoever else Tim can round up to help are going to start putting up the pool.