Hodgepodge for Fall

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Because the autumnal equinox caught me completely off guard, I was looking for something to help the ol' brain make the paradigm shift.  And it so happened that this week's Hodgepodge questions are about...fall. 

Clicking the picture link will take you to home base, where all the Fall posts will be linked up...

1. Fall officially rolls into the Northern Hemisphere on Monday (9/22)...what's your favorite thing about fall?

Probably when we can turn off the AC and open the windows for a bit.  It won't be long before we have to turn on the heat but it is lovely while it lasts.

2. What's one thing on your real or proverbial autumn bucket list? 

Hm...fall bucket list...maybe doing a week long stay cation to do some serious pre-holiday housecleaning?  Real or proverbial?   Um, probably proverbial...life is busy... 

3. Apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cranberries are some of the top fall foods. Which one is your favorite and how do you like it prepared? Any on the list you don't eat? Which one have you had most recently? 

Probably my FAVORITE is apples.  Especially in the fall.  Apple cider, apple pie, stewed apples...and just enjoyed as they come, sweet and crisp.  I am not a huge fan of cooked squash...pumpkin pie being an exception.  Not part of the question...but I am over Pumpkin Spice Everything, lol.  And I'm sure I have eaten something apple the most recently of all the things on that list.

4. 'Fall is proof that change is beautiful' is a popular sentiment. Would you agree or no? Elaborate.

The flaming color before winter drab is one of my favorite seasons. It is edged out slightly by spring, to be sure, but a lovely fall day with time to enjoy the color is high up on the 'it don't get better than this' list.   The last couple of years have not been full out color due to weather conditions in these parts; hope springs eternal that this fall will show out. And, you know, God could have just had the leaves fall off the trees, but he designed it so that they change to vibrant colors first.  Amazing. 

  5. Is there a spot near you where people go to see the leaves change color? Will you try to leaf peep somewhere this fall? Lonely Planet lists the following ten places as the best for leaf peeping...of those listed which would you most like to visit? 

Stowe, Vermont~Shenandoah National Park, Virginia~Columbia River Gorge, Oregon~Zion National Park, Utah~Tennessee/North Carolina border~West Virgina~Northwestern Wyoming~Wisconsin Northwoods~Northern Nevada~Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway, Arkansas

We actually live at the base of what passes for a mountain in these parts; in the right conditions, it is breathtaking, so I don't have to travel far, although a lot of folks do head up into the Smoky Mountains for leaf peeping.  Last year, though, I actually happened to be travelling through Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina at the end of October and I can tell you that the 80 miles of Virginia I traveled were absolutely SPECTACULAR.  Much better than our local area that time.  It was a real treat...and it pained me that I was driving alone and had no one to share it with.  Couldn't even take a photo because...driving...   

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Has the Invasion of the Giant Skeletons hit as hard elsewhere as it has hit in the Rocket City? Two houses on my street have already got a 12-foot skeleton with a couple of 5-foot buddies hanging out in their front yards.  It was a novelty a couple of years ago but now...well, someone's making a bunch of money off of those things...

Hodgepodge for an approaching (maybe?) snowstorm...

 posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

It's 10:30 PM on Hodgepodge Wednesday and I got a sudden urge to write; just needed someone to ask me to write something...the Weekly Hodgepodge will do!

Click the link to find everyone else's thoughts!

This week's questions (and my answers, lol):

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), sorry not sorry,  skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period.  Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

Oy.  I probably use all the words EXCEPT  the slang use of era and dropped (not even sure what the slang application of those might be) and skibidi (which I had to look up and, frankly, would never use it).  But in terms of what words would I like to see dropped...'unpack'  was the first thing that popped into mind.  I thought it was a clever use when I first heard it...oh, around 2012...but it's been WAY overused.  Find another word, folks.

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

January is Soup Month around here.  My best home made soups...vegetable beef (which we always eat on New Year's Day, due to the cabbage content), something we call Mexican chicken soup, broccoli cheese soup,  a sausage/spinach/ noodle soup, mushroom chowder, Hurst's bean soup (with ham), and, of course, chili.  We do have canned soup from time to time; cream of chicken and mushroom (made with milk and topped with a bit of parmesan cheese),  homestyle chicken and noodle, good ol' tomato, and split pea with bacon that I puree with the submersible blender, adding a good couple of grinds of black pepper and topping with sour cream.  THAT tastes just like the potage St. Germain soup we used to get at The Magic Pan at Glendale shopping center in Indianapolis when I was a teen on a girl's day out.  Ah, those were the days...

3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

Growing up in Indiana in the late 70's...I knew winter as a brutal beast with moments of sparkling fun.  Got married and moved to Alabama, where we have winter...sometimes.  And nobody knows what to do with it when it comes.  The first time it snowed (the second winter after we moved down), I ran over to the local Winn-Dixie to grab a carton of sour cream to make meatballs to celebrate the snow.  I bopped back to the dairy section, got my little carton, and headed to the cash register to pay.  And was shocked to see all the registers were six deep.  I thought it was triple coupon day and I didn't know!  Took me 30 minutes to check out. In that 30 minutes we had accumulated about a half inch of snow; it took me 45 minutes to get back to the apartment...something that normally took just a fuzz over 5 because I had to make two left turns.  Couldn't turn left at all due to traffic; had to make a circle to get home and discovered that no one in the area had a clue about driving on snow.  It was crazy.  Now, when it snows...I stay home.  I don't need nothin' that bad, lol.  But...back to the question...I LIKE staying home.  I am so spoiled now, if I moved back north and actually had to drive in the snow again I'd be a bundle of nerves.  It's a good time to read a book...take a walk and take pictures, 'cause it's likely gonna be another 3 - 5 years before it happens again.  Our last real snow...on this side of town, anyway...was three years ago.  But it came on Jan 2 and the Christmas lights were still up.  Pretty!!

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'.  Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

Brown is not one of my better colors, although I can wear a rich chocolate brown.  That's close.  I just have a beef against the whole idea of corporate somebody telling us what our New Best Color will be.  I know what works for me, lol.    I won't make a point to purchase something in Mocha Mousse.  But if you were to offer me a cup of mousse I'd gladly eat it slowly and enjoy every bit.

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

Oh, definitely snowed under.  Well, maybe almost.  I have more to do than I have do in me, I think, lol.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We have a rare snow event forecast...but even as the weather pages are waving maps showing us with significant snowfall, a few forecasters are talking about a 'warm nose' that might turn it all to rain.  We had a 'warm nose'  two years ago that turned everything south of a very discernable line across the county to rain, while the northern side got very pretty snow.  I have a dread that we'll see that repeat and despite all the hype with this storm...we either won't get any, or we'll get a bit that the rain will dissolve and turn to ice.  Crossing my fingers that line stays south of us, but it's going to be close.

A Thanksgiving Hodgepodge....

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite family holiday; so, yeah, I'll do this week's hodgepodge. Click the link to find the party!

1. Talking turkey...are you cooking the turkey this year? Does ham belong on a Thanksgiving day menu? When it comes to gravy do you pour it over your whole plate, skip it altogether, or land somewhere in between? Cranberries-homemade or jelled right out of the can? Do you look forward more to the main course, the savory sides, or the desserts? 

We have a set menu that changes not from year to year, lol. My grandmother's method for slow-roasting a turkey (done the day before), also her (yankee style...no cornbread) dressing; mashed potatoes and gravy,  my mother's candied sweet potatoes, my mother-in-law's green bean casserole, corn I brought back from the August trip to Indiana and put in the freezer, my Aunt Judy's apple salad, plus a cheese tray, a relish tray, yeast rolls (my other grandma's recipe if I'm ambitious, Sister Shubert's if I'm not), and...don't judge me...Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce.  Sometime after dinner has digested enough, we'll cut the pies...pumpkin (The Princess is doing that this year) and my aunt Ruth's pecan pie.  And I have to say...the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.  It's a package deal and I look forward to the full plate.

2.Holiday movies...tell us your favorite and what it is about the film that makes you love it. Is it the film itself or a memory it stirs? 

We always watch 'Miracle on 34th Street'...the original black and white version...while we eat our pie; it's a great transition since it starts with (an actual...they really filmed a parade!) Macy's parade.  The whole family rattles off the dialogue and it gets quoted year 'round.  But my FAVORITE Christmas movie, hands down, is 'A Muppet Christmas Carol'. I love the Christmas Carol story...have since I was a kid...but the Muppets just add a whole 'nuther level.  And, except for the fact that Scrooge goes to Bob Cratchet's on Christmas day in the finale, it is one of the most faithful-to-the-text renditions.  And, y'all might not notice, but the costuming is superb. (If you are curious, Abby Cox has a whole video pointing out the details in a true fangirl style).  Another movie that we all recite the dialog in real time and quote throughout the year. So. Much. Fun.  The holiday isn't complete until we eat pizza and watch  it.

3. A favorite way to give back and help others?

Church theater. Sounds kinda 'not helping' ...but it is my favorite ministry area.  We have a couple of showings of our Christmas production this year that are purely outreaches...tickets reserved for a particular group...and we will have food and fun along with the performance.  (We also do a number of other outreaches...this is just the one that I am the most involved in).  Dorothy Sayers, via her character Lord Peter Wimsey, points out that when people come to be entertained, the guard is lowered, and truth that would be rejected if it were just spoken can be slipped in via entertainment.

4. Name a place or setting you encountered this month that made you feel grateful. 

We had an AWESOME church service Sunday, and I was very thankful to have been there.

5. Knowing what you know today, if you could redo yesterday what would you do differently? 

Literally yesterday?  Or...something in the past?  I think if I had known more about...life...I would have had much less angst as a teenager.   If I had known that I would have nasty leg cramps Monday, I'd've made sure to drink more liquids the day before, lol.

6. Spill your own random thought here. 

The color has been late and sporadic this year.  Too little rain, too warm, lots of wind...trees lost their leaves before all of them changed...but we finally have a bit of color on the hill up the street.  Not as amazing as it has been in other years, but still pretty enough to know it's fall.  The heavy rain that had been predicted for Thursday is not in the forecast anymore, so mayhap this will stay around for the holiday.

Taking advantage of the hodgepodge...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Just for grins...because I feel like using a writing prompt today, lol.  You can click the picture to see other folks' answers...

 1. What are your current priorities in this season of life? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

Wow, that can have a LOT of applications.  And I've always had problems establishing priorities.  Some don't change...commitment to faith, to family, to work...but I have had a challenge this last weekend to be more intentional, more disciplined about writing.  And that is going to carry over into the rest of my life.

2. What's one thing you wish you had more of? 

T.I.M.E.

3. Do you celebrate Halloween? If so, what are your Halloween traditions? Any special plans for Halloween this year? 

Halloween has never been a high priority holiday, really.  We did the Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom back in September, because we were there, and we watched Great Pumpkin last week after my hubby's birthday dinner, which is rather a tradition now.  We'll probably hang out with our local kids and roast some hot dogs...assuming the rain holds off.  For many years we did a fall festival type thing at the small church we were in at the time; I ran a candy walk game in my Sunday School classroom...someone gets a piece of candy when the music stops.  I listened to the cast recording of Godspell on repeat every year for that, and now that is a necessity on Oct. 31st.  I will probably play it on repeat on Spotify at work tomorrow, lol.  Not typical Halloween music, but it tells my brain where we are on the calendar.

4. Last thing you ate that contained chocolate? Last thing you made that called for chocolate? 

Just ate a couple of fun-sized chocolate bars from the above mentioned Magic Kingdom party, lol.  I still have a wee bit left.  I made a chocolate milkshake last week, does that count? LOL

5. Do you prefer laid back weekends or do you like to have a lot of plans? Thinking back to this past weekend... which was it? 

I really like an unstructured weekend; it feels like a break.  A busy weekend doesn't give me breathing time before diving back into the workweek.  But I drove close to 1,000 round trip last weekend to attend a writer's retreat in the mountains of North Carolina (had to go around the 'Essential Travel Only' zones...)  That was definitely planned out!  I took a day off of work when I got back to catch that breath.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

How 'bout a picture from the afternoon walk I took up the hill where we were meeting for the writer's retreat?  Isn't that a view???

Hodge Podge Recuperation

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Welp, I caught this week's Hodge Podge questions in a timely fashion and thought, hey, I'm kicking back a bit this week so why not share a bit?

You can click the image below to see the other answers to Joyce's questions and enjoy the camradarie....

1. It's National Splurge Day...what's something you might splurge on today? What have you splurged on recently? 

LOL.  My splurge was yesterday.  I'd been debating trying linen sheets, and one of the online vendors I use from time to time had a sale...so...real linen sheets are on order.  We'll see if they live up to the hype....

2. Do you have a beach bag? What's in it? Is a trip to the beach on your summer bucket list? Do you have a summer bucket list? 

Ah, the beach.  It's been a hot minute since we went to the beach, not counting a quick trip to the shores of Lake Michigan last year.  With our families of origin in the land locked state of Indiana, and half of our kids living in central Florida, it's hard to find vacation time to spend on a trip to the beach.  Or the mountains, either.  Somehow we end up at theme parks...

Anyway, this summer is dedicated to recovery from hip replacement two weeks ago.  So no beachy travel ...or much else, lol...for the next month or two.

3. What's a song that makes you think of a summer past? What comes to mind when you hear it? What memories does it stir up for you? 

Let's see...I am really having trouble associating a particular song with a particular summer.  Maybe listening to Kansas  on the radio while sitting on the hood of my white mustang at a fireworks show at Lafayette Square Mall in Indianapolis in 1979?  Life was so much simpler back then...

4. Sushi-yay or nay? Have you actually tried it? If you love it what's your go-to order? 

Um, no.  Just no.  Although I am told it actually ISN'T always raw fish...don't have the nerve to find out.  There's plenty of other good eats in this world, lol.

5. I own a ridiculous amount of _____Sewing and craft supplies______. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Thinking of summers made me think of lightning bugs.  I love watching them; it's so calming. We have a few on our lot in town but my memory is watching them just covering the soybean fields back home.  Sitting on the porch watching the lighting bugs come out at this point in life is just about as stress-reducing as it gets.

Hodge Podge for Valentine's Day

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi.

It happens, from time to time, when I read the questions for the weekly Hodge-podge meme...one jumps out and grabs me and insists on being answered.

Can you guess which one it was this week? LOL

Click the box to find all the folks participating in this week's exploration of Love...we're all answering the same questions...

1. What does love mean to you? 

Love is one of those weird ambiguous words.  The Greeks have at least four different words for love...eros, phileo, storge, agape...  each one with a different nuanced meaning.  But English has one word - love - for the whole spectrum.  We English speaking Americans love pizza, love chocolate, love our sports team, love our college, love the beach, love our cat (or dog), love our spouse, love our kids, love our parents, love our friends...the list goes on and on.  But, since we're talking about the day honoring St. Valentine...who, according to one tradition, was put to death for breaking the law and performing marriage ceremonies in defiance of the ban intended to keep young men eligible for military service...I believe love is the binding that keeps people connected and working towards one another's good.  It's not a feeling...it's an emotion beyond feeling that borders on compulsion.  One must care for the beloved or break something in one's heart.

2. Is love blind?  

No.  Infatuation is blind.  Obsession is blind.  Love sees all the flaws...and commits the heart anyway.  Love recognizes the differences and finds ways to work with and around them. 

3. How do you remember Valentine's Day as a kid? Do you have any special plans for the day this year? 

I wrote a blog post years ago about my experiences with Valentine's day as a kid...but Valentine's day falls on a Wednesday this year, and Wednesdays are Very Busy Days.  Maybe a card and a bit of chocolate?  Maybe? LOL

4 Are you a fan of the movie genre known as 'rom-com'? What's your favorite (or one of your favorites)?

Generally speaking, I love a movie that makes me laugh.  Some Rom Coms do...and some just seem kinda dumb.  But you can't go wrong with a classic like What's Up, Doc?   I think that counts as a Rom-Com, lol, although I've seen it referred to as  a 'Screwball Comedy'...

5. What's something you recently put your heart into? 

The 30- Day Shred.  Which isn't what you think it is, lol. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

In general, I think Valentine's Day is WAYYYY over hyped. As a day to remind your beloved just how important s/he is to you...great.  As a day to spend $$$$ on big-ticket gifts (a car?  A big screen TV?  Seriously???)...or as a rationalization for extorting diamonds or pearls or whatever from your sweetie...good grief no....

Falling into the Hodgepodge...just for fun

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I haven't done the Hodgepodge in a hot minute...but now that the Weddings are both in the rear view mirror, and Fall is officially...well, at least sort of...here, I thought I'd just jump in and have some fun.  So here are my thoughts for this week's edition...

1. It's officially fall y'all. In the northern hemisphere anyway. Any signs of it where you are? What's your favorite thing about this time of year? 

Well, in these parts we really don't see what I'd call Fall until around the first weekend of November...peak fall color can be as late as Thanksgiving. We're still in mid-to-upper 80's for the 10 day forecast, so I'm not hurrying to pull out the sweaters and the boots.  But it is nice that it's not absolutely ROASTING outside.  My favorite thing about fall is probably the cozy settling in...the fire in the fire place, s'mores, and knowing that the holidays are coming and we'll see everyone before too long.

2. Have you visited any 'falls' in person? Tell us about one of your favorites? Of the following top ten famous falls (according to this site ) which would you most like to see in person-

Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe/Zambia), Igazu Falls (Argentina/Brazil), Niagara Falls (US/Canada), Angel Falls (Venezuela), Yosemite Falls (California), Dettifoss (Iceland) Kaieteur Falls (Guyana), Plitvice Waterfalls (Croatia), Gullfoss-Golden Falls (Iceland), or Sutherland Falls (New Zealand)

I've been to Niagara and Yosemite, although the trip to Yosemite was in August and there was barely a trickle over the falls.  Niagara was amazing; there's a spot on the Canadian side where the walkway railing is just a few feet from the edge; you can see through the water as it goes over and really, it's not that deep.  But it's moving fast.  I kind of subconsciously felt like it should be turned off at night, which I know is completely absurd.  I think my puny little brain just couldn't fathom that much water pouring down without stopping.

3. What's something you'll miss about summer? 

Daylight.  We're on the eastern edge of the time zone, so by the winter solstice the sun sets at like, 4:30 in the afternoon.  Depressing.

4. A favorite fall recipe?

Russian Tea!

2 cups Tang

1 cup instant tea (no sugar, no lemon)

2 packages unsweetened lemon Kool-aid

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves.

Put all in a tupperware container, seal it up and shake it really well.  2 teaspoons of mix in a cup of hot water...sweeten with sugar or honey to taste.

Beats Pumpkin Spice Anything hands down....

5. Something you enjoy but lately have allowed it to 'fall by the wayside'? 

Oy.  I have been hankering to pull out my clarinet and play a bit, but I've lost my binder of music.  I put it in a new one a couple of years back because the old black one was falling apart and...now I can't find it.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I have much Fall Cleaning to do.  Much too much.  But I have managed...so far...to keep my Commitment Level for Things in the Fall down considerably from the past few years, so maybe I can actually get that Round Tuit thing...

The Hodgepodge is Going to the Birds...

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I haven't done a Hodgepodge post in quite a while; life has been busy.  But, being as how I've felt a bit birdbrained lately, when I saw the topic of this week's randomness I decided to play along.

You can click through on the button and see everyone else's responses to the prompts, but here's mine...

1.  April 26th is National Audubon Day, honoring John James Audubon, the French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter known for his detailed study and illustration of birds in their natural habitats. Do you have a bird feeder? Any birds in your home decor? Have you ever owned a pet bird? What's your favorite bird?   

I don't have a bird feeder...currently.  Plans, yes, but it hasn't happened yet.   I'd like a hummingbird feeder and a regular bird feeder...actually, THIS ONE has caught my eye from social media ads.  It's a bit (*koff koff*) pricey, but  what a cool idea!

I have a ceramic owl...circa 1977...hanging in my living room.  I got it one of the summers I worked at the local walk-up ice cream stand; someone in the community made them and sold them in the shop; I think it was $10.  I loved one of the color combos and got it to hang in my dorm room at college.  It really doesn't go with the decor but it's sentimental now, lol.  Doesn't it just SCREAM 'Seventies!'  Owls were the thing then...

I have never had a pet bird...being a cat person, I wouldn't want to subject a bird to the trauma of living in the same house with a cat.  I know some folks pull it off, but I just think that would be an awful thing to do to a bird, lol.  My grandmother had parakeets from time to time...my memory of them was that every one of them somehow managed to escape the house and fly off.  Who knows what happened to them after that.

Favorite bird is a hard one, because there are so many that I love.  Cardinals in the winter, robins in the spring, the occasional eastern blue bird...and hummingbirds, of course!  I will say that when we visit Dollywood I would rather go look at the eagles than ride most of the rides...and the Birds of Prey show that they do there is really cool.

2. What's something you took to 'like a duck to water'? 

Oh, that's a toughie.  I don't really feel like I'm a 'natural' at anything.  Even the sewing was something I had to work at over time.  

Oh!  Wait! (The revelation hits) Reading, lol.   Once I learned how...I was off...

3. Empty nest, nest egg, proud as a peacock, free as a bird, birds of a feather flock together, or the early bird catches the worm...choose one and tell us how it currently applies to your life. 

I suppose...empty nest.  The youngest was married and moved out in June of 2021, and my facebook feed has just reminded us that it was one year ago this past weekend that we moved her and her hubby to a new job down in Florida.  The two middle ones, who had moved out well before that point, are both getting married this year.  Oldest is married with two kids...but only lives two miles away.  But 'empty' hardly applies to the house...which still contains a goodly amount of their stuff...

4. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds...your favorite seed and a favorite food or dish made with that seed or topped with that seed? Have you tried all the seeds on the list? Any you don't care for?  

I've eaten all of those but chia seeds...I think.  Can't remember having them.  My grandmother grew sunflowers and I well remember the sore thumb from splitting the shells open!  I have a broccoli-bacon-cauliflower salad w/red onions and sunflower seeds that I really, really like and don't make nearly enough, lol.

5. Something in the past week that made you 'happy as a lark'? 

A new book to read!  I picked up Barbara Emodi's first foray into fiction writing...I've read her sewing blog/books/magazine articles for years, so it's kinda cool to see her branch out into something different.  A murder mystery no less.  I have't had a LOT of time so I'm only on about chapter 4 but it's been good so far.   Two weeks ago I read the Wingfeather saga in a marathon whilst my hubby was on a camping trip.  Darn near pulled an all-nighter but finished it in three days.  The end of the fourth book had me almost to the ugly cry.  Wasn't expecting that in a kid's story.

6. Insert your own random thought here.   

I am feeling the cold current of swift flowing time more this year than I think I have before.  It is just unbelievable to me how fast things are moving.  I don't feel like I'm keeping up...which is kinda scary, to be honest.  

Spending three days reading books and doing little else probably doesn't help, lol.

Hodge-Podging....a Trip Down Memory Lane

Posted to Beer Lahai Roi by Lisa Laree

So many moments of reminiscing in the last few weeks; oddball moments have brought up unexpected flashbacks...

For an example, yesterday I opened up a box and found patterns and spread sheets from church sewing projects going all the way back to 2003.

 Then, this week,  Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond takes us back to 2010 and the very first Hodgepodge.

Since I found myself in a rather reminiscent  frame of mind...I thought I'd just flashback along with everyone this week....

1. How did you name your blog and do you now wish you had thought about it maybe another five minutes before hitting publish? Would you change your blog title if it were not a huge pain in the derriere? 

I have two blogs...they were in my heart for a while before I actually started posting.  Because I was waiting for The Perfect Name, lol.   I actually wrote a blog post about it...but, suffice it to say I'm happy with the names for both of them. They fit.

2. What bill do you least like to pay? 

Um, is there ANYone who won't answer 'All of them'? LOL

3. What is your favorite word? Okay okay, calm down. How about one of your favorite words? 

Forgiven.

4. Is the glass half full or half empty? Elaborate. 

Oh, half full.  As in, 'Dang it!  I can't believe I left that half full glass of milk on the counter!'

5. Were you here for that very first Hodgepodge post? If so, were your answers then similar to what they are today? Tell us what was happening in your life in November of 2010? 

I'm pretty sure I read the first one...or at least some of the first ones.  I only manage to play along once in a while. In November 2010  I was heading up the church photo directory project...the one that inspired me to develop the little mantra 'Thank you, Jesus, for this opportunity to crucify my flesh, grow in you, and develop the fruit of the Spirit in my life.' Eventually I learned to mean it when I said it...

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It's good to look back now and then, eh?

 

Hodge Podging again...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

This may be a regular Wednesday thing...so long as I have time.  The  next round of Rock College classes kick into online streaming next week, so we'll see how the free time goes.  But, meantime, here's Episode 2 of the current Hodgepodge season.  Click the image below to travel to 'From this side of the pond' to see all the responses....

1. Has spring sprung in your part of the world? How can you tell? Did March come in like a lion where you live? Going out like a lamb or something more ferocious?
Spring usually arrives mid-March in North Alabama, and this year is no different.   Hoping for no serious cold snaps now to damage the  blossoms...or this year's peach crop.  Love me some fresh peaches...  We've had a bit of rough weather around here but it dodged our house; so it hasn't been a terribly lion-ish exit.  At least, not meteorologically...

2. The last thing that caused you to spring to your feet?
I honestly can't think of something that made me jump up and run.  Probably it was the teakettle whistling that made me hasten to pour it over the teabag and quiet the screech; there are folks in the household who just don't tolerate that noise very well.

3. Do you have a spring clean to-do list? What's one chore on the list you've already managed to accomplish? What spring clean chore do you most dread?
*Hangs head*  Ok. Full transparency.  I am a terrible housekeeper.  I'm still working on the spring cleaning from 2010.  I will get caught up...some day...

4. Tell us something you've learned about yourself or the wider world as a result of social distancing/the virus crisis.
In 2011, we had terrible tornadoes that destroyed hundreds of homes in our area.  About 30 people in our county died; I think it was over 200 in the state.  But all I had out of it was a week off of work, with no electricity, so working was not even a possibility.  My kids piled in a car and drove to visit their out of state grandparents. My Sweet Babboo and I had the whole week to ourselves; the car with gas in it was stuck inside the garage; the one we could drive had very little gas and, as there was no power, there was none to be had.  So we really couldn't even join the cleanup efforts.  I was on the tail end of a bout of mononucleosis, and the rest I had that week was enough to finally kick it to the curb; I felt normal again when life got back to normal.  And I felt...guilty.  Kind of ashamed, actually, that we had such a nice break while everyone else worked so hard to clean up, and so many lost family members.  I almost have the same sensation now.  My hubby and I have jobs that let us work from home without loss of income;  I am not looking for things to do (the spring cleaning that I thought I could catch up on isn't happening...yet...).  We don't have to go out often.  But so many are working so hard, and going through such extreme measures to try and be safe and keep their families safe.  I don't feel like I'm doing my part.  But,  my hubby does have a compromised immune system so ...I have to stay home.  And I have to learn to be ok with that.  I can sew some masks...so, yeah, that's what I'm doing, here and there.  Sewing masks.  It's not much of a help, but it's...something.

5. Something you love that's the color pink?
Strawberry ice cream!

6. Insert your own random thought here.
Easter is in 11 days.  Hard to believe; the year is so odd.  But what a good thing to celebrate in the midst of the crisis...hope and resurrection.

Look! Hodgepodge is back...for a season...

Posted to Beer Lahai Roi by Lisa Laree

So, Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond reached back and pulled out the discussion meme that ran for something like 4 years...maybe...back in the day before it was retired.  But, you know, discussions like this help build community and connection...which is a really good thing right now.

So, here's how it works:  She poses some questions on Tuesday, bloggers write posts to  answer them, then link those posts, via the linky gizmo,  to her Wednesday post, which has her answers,  and go read each other's answers  and, hopefully, comment on at least a few.  If you have a blog or you want to see the other answers, click the image above to join the discussion!

But in any case...here are my answers...

1. Howdy Hodgepodgers. It's kind of fun to be back, isn't it?  Last time we met was September, 2018. Tell me something big-important-happy-or sad that's happened in your life since that date. Just one thing. We don't know how long this current isolation situation is going to last and we might need to dole out our news bit by bit.

Let's see...what has been Big News since Sept. 2018... Well, I went to Israel last May.  That was a pretty big deal.

2. Might as well get this out of the way early on...COVID-19. On a scale of 1-5 how serious are you about keeping your distance? Explain. fyi-I didn't create the scale but have seen it several places online. Also fyi-we won't only have virus related questions each week, but for this first one it feels right.

1-Not at all, living normally

2-Cautious but still going out

3-Going out as needed, mostly home or working from home, still seeing friends/family

4-Extremely limited, only going out when unavoidable, minimal contact with people

5-Full lockdown, no one in or out

Probably about a 3.5.  Trying not to go out any more than is necessary, but we might could tighten down the definition of 'necessary' somewhat.  My Sweet Babboo is 100% working from home; I'm still venturing into the office a bit.  Let's face it...I can focus on work better at work.  Too much other stuff needs doing at home.  And we have a big building with our people spread way out.  So it's not too big of a risk.  It's the errand running on the way home that may be the problem.

3. Raise your hand if you think you might run out of steam in the cooking department before it's all said and done? What's something delicious you've cooked or eaten in your own kitchen in the past week?

Lawd have mercy!  To think I did this cooking thing ALL THE TIME back in the day!  We normally are only home a couple of nights a week on average, so cooking is not a big deal,  and carryout is easy, but now it seems like all I'm getting done is putting in my time via the internet at work and cooking stuff.  But yesterday's bean soup (since I WAS able to get beans!), just made according to the instructions on the bag, with a chunk of ham thrown in, sure tasted good.  And I have plenty for the next few days.

4. What's a television show or movie you've seen recently (it could be an oldie) that you really liked?

Son Number One, AKA The Artist around here, has been by a few times...before the quarantine to begin with, but he did drop in for supper on Saturday...and he has a Netflix subscription.  So he's been casting the Dark Crystal series for us to enjoy together when here.  We're halfway through it and, while parts are really gross and gruesome, it's so well done (puppets!  Those characters are all PUPPETS!!!) that we have really enjoyed it.  Looking forward to the rest of the series...whenever we can get to it...

5. Share something funny you've seen or heard this week.

My dad posted this to my Facebook page yesterday.  If I tried that with my kitty...well, let's just say I'd probably go through a box of band-aids really fast.

6. Insert your own random thought here
We have had it very easy since the end of WW2.  Our Grandparents and Great-Grandparents lived through difficult times...war, epidemics, economic depression, drought...  Time to learn from them.
 

Find the Happy Hodgepodge

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
I've got some deep thoughts moving around...I'm not sure they're ever going to make it to the blog; I just don't know that I could articulate it well enough.. In the meantime, this week's Hodgepodge meme is looking for happy, and I think it would be a good thing to share some.

Click the button to see what the others have to say...

1. Let's all think happy thoughts...share one of yours here.

Thanksgiving is next week.  NEXT WEEK.  Aside from the panic of 'not ready!!! not ready!!' I'm actually happy about it.  It's my favorite holiday, even though it's a lot of work.  We have much to be thankful for...however you slice it.

2. There's a Chinese proverb that says, "If you want happiness for an hour take a nap, if you want happiness for a day-go fishing...." What say you? If you want happiness for a day _____________.

Sew something! :-)  

3. Where do you go to decompress from the world around you? 

My favorite refuge is a quiet spot...and I'm not particular where, just so it's quiet...with my Bible, my journal and a good pen.  Some reading/listening/journaling never fails to change my perspective. 

4. What song never fails to make you happy? 

An obscure worship song by Morning Star... 'Fly Me Like the Wind' ...on a live recording from a conference about, oh, 18 - 20 years ago?  It's one of my walking songs...

Come Let's Go Up To The Mountain/Fly Me Like The Wind - Morningstar from Stephen Bezdicek on Vimeo.

I wanna worship You like the Levites in the temple,

I wanna worship You like David in the field,

But sometimes, Lord, you know I get so temperamental,

I need You to lift me up and fly me like the wind... 

5. Wednesday is National Fast Food Day. Should that be a thing? Apparently it is, so tell us what's the last 'fast food' you consumed? If you were putting together your own version of a 'happy meal' what would you include? 

Honestly, National Fast Food Day should be the day before Thanksgiving.  A national day of fasting would certainly make us better appreciate the feast.

Oh, wait, that's not you meant, was it? 

Last 'Fast Food' was probably a turkey gyro from Arby's.  Those are actually pretty good.

A 'Happy Meal' for me....hm....I'm gonna say a cheeseburger, because those are pretty much off my diet now for several reasons...but I love me a cheeseburger.  Also a small salad...and, believe it or not, my internal medicine doctor tells me salads are very bad for the gastritis that I have and I should never eat them.  And of course I love a good fresh salad.  Chocolate Milk and a cookie.  Oatmeal raisin would be lovely.  If I could have that, hold the guilt, it would be a happy meal.

6. In a few sentences tell us why you blog. 

Oy. The sewing blog...because I like sharing the creative side with like minded folks. And it's been an amazing record of life.  Something like 200 folks follow that blog...which is pretty small potatoes in the blogging world, but it's is being read.  This blog...has about a dozen followers, maybe, and I blog here because I like recording life for myself to read down the road, if nothing else.  I like the discipline....even though I'm not very disciplined. And it does give me some structure for Bible study from time to time.  Mostly, I love the fact that blogging in general has connected me to folks I would never, ever had gotten to meet otherwise.   

7. List seven things you're feeling especially grateful for today.

 -- 1) I'm grateful for all the men and women who stand guard in our military, police forces, firefighters, first responders...all the folks who risk themselves to keep the rest of us safe.

 --2) I'm grateful to still have my parents and my inlaws to call, visit, share with....and that they are cool and interesting people.  They range in age from 77 to 91, and they are a blessing.

 -- 3) I'm grateful for four kids who are certainly not perfect but who are fun people to know and hang out with.  And 

 -- 4) I'm grateful that the kids come 'round and hang out with us from time to time

 -- 5) I'm grateful for my hubby and the 36+ years that we've had together.  Not perfect, but comfortable and good.  Very good.

 -- 6) I'm grateful for everyone who actually took the time to visit the blog and read this far.  You're the folks who keep me from talking solely to myself! :-)

-- 7) I'm grateful for red shoes.  Sometimes it's fun to wear something a little quirky.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My BFF from high school will be celebrating her dad's 90th birthday this weekend.  We were invited, but it's 450 miles away and it just wasn't going to work.  She suggested sending a card with a joke.  So I dug up a terrible joke...and I will share it with you.

Guy goes to his doctor.  'Doc, I'm having some really weird things happening.  I wake up in the morning and call my wife 'Minnie'.  I eat breakfast and sing, 'Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go' as I drive through rush hour.  Then when I get to work, for some reason I keep calling all my co-workers 'Doc', 'Dopey', 'Sleepy', 'Bashful'  and so on.  I can't seem to help it.  What's wrong with me?'

'Oh, that's an easy diagnosis,' the doctor replied.  'You're just having a few Disney spells.'

Ba-DUM-dum...

Time for a little randomness...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

No blogging time means that sometimes, an instant post...just add answers...is the best I can manage.

But click the link to see what other moving thoughts are floating around today!

 

1. What would you say is the best and worst thing about moving house?
The best?  A new house!  New neighborhood!  Fresh start!  Dejunking!  The worst? EVERYTHING ELSE.

2. What's moved you recently?
The needs of others...from friends with ailing babies to folks I don't know who have been flooded out.

3. Do you feel your life is moving forward, backward, or is on hold? How so?
Honestly?  'On Hold'...in so many ways.  All doors seem to be closed at the moment. So...just keeping on doing what I know to do...

4. On the move, move mountains, get a move on, it's your move, or bust a move...which phrase best applies to some aspect of your life right now? Explain.
'Get a move on'...my free time is shrinking and I need to do some serious re-prioritizing...

5. What song makes you want to get up and move?
 Lots, actually, but the one that most folks will recognize is 'Good Vibrations' by the Beach Boys..lol

6. Your favorite snack to grab when you're 'on the move'?
The poor man's energy bar...a Snickers...

7. What one accessory makes your house feel like home?
I am a total decorating klutz.  The best I could come up with is a tablecloth on the table, even if it's just flannel-backed vinyl.  There was usually a tablecloth on the table when I was growing up and it does make me feel kinda homey.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
One of the things I'm missing most about the shrinking free time is...I don't have much blogging time.  I think of wonderful things to post, but by the time I actually get a minute to sit down and post something...the inspiration has disappeared.

A little Hodge Podge Collecting....

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Haven't done a  Hodgepodge in a while...and I'm feeling the need to break up the stream of heavy posts.  So, here's this week's random questions from Joyce at This Side of the Pond...



1. Pokemon Go...your thoughts? Are you playing? Do you even know what it is?
Well, as a proud user of a flip phone, I don't even have to decide whether I want to play or not, although at least one of my kids may have gone on extended bike rides in search of the little digital creepies.  My thoughts...well, I was so taken by the phenomenon that I made a meme and posted it to Facebook:

 

It's really is not about the seeming political statement but about our incredible ability to be distracted...

2. What was something you collected as a child? Do you still have that collection? If you're a parent what's something your own children collected? Have you ever camped out, stood in a crazy long queue, or paid a ridiculous sum for a 'collectible'?

 I had a shoe box in which I kept some interesting rocks that I picked up from the driveway for a while. It certainly was not a collection by any stretch.  I do still have some books that I got as a kid; that's probably the closest thing to a collection that I have, unless you want to count the  fabric and pattern stashes. My kids have some video games, which may count as collectables in the not-to-distant future.

3. "Collect moments, not things"...tell us about a moment you've added to your collection this summer.
Co-writing a song with a friend before she moved across the country, having breakfast with a friend I hadn't seen in two years, watching the strawberry moon come up over what passes for a mountain in my neck of the woods,  sitting in the front porch swing, listening to the birds singing in the evening...how can I pick one?
 

4.  What's something collecting dust in your home right now? Any plans to do something about it?

Um, can I plead the 5th on this one?

5. A favorite song relating to time?  

Suddenly, 'Time is tickin' away, tick tick tickin' away' has lodged in my brain to the exclusion of all else.  My favorite?  I don't know...but it certainly feels appropriate.
ETA later in the day...I finally had a minute to look it up on Youtube...

 

6. What's been your most frightening or your most interesting encounter with wildlife?

Um...there's a story about a snake, with pictures, that I thought I posted to one of the blogs but I can't find it.    Just let me say that I'm really glad the snake was apparently just chillin' that day....

7.  On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong set his foot down on the moon. If you could travel to the moon would you go? Why or why not?

I remember watching those first steps on TV.  I was ten; it was a hot day in central Indiana, and we rarely watched TV in the daytime, but farm life stopped while we all watched.  Years later, I heard folks talking about staying up all night to watch them and I was really confused, because I knew we'd watched in the afternoon.   I finally decided that what we had watched was a replay and all my life I was mistaken when I thought we saw it live.  That's right up there with finding out there was no Santa Claus.

But, given my inclinations to motion sickness and claustrophobia, I don't think I'd make a good astronaut.  Despite my love of all things science fiction...I'd never make a Starfleet recruit....  

I'll just have to enjoy watching the full moon slide up past the mountain.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

School starts a week from Monday in these parts.  Even though I don't have any kids in school anymore,  it just feels like we've bob-tailed summer.  Not done, nope, just not done.

Time is tickin' away, tick tick tickin' away...  

...A Time to Breathe...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I thought I'd push hard and get the next installation in the Ps 119 tour put together bit by bit this week, because I'm not going to be able to do it on Friday.  Alas, there's just too much else on my plate...I'm coming down to the wire on the prayer ministry classes I'm taking.  I still have to finish reading the required book, I've got four more lessons to work through...and the last class is a week from Saturday.

So I just decided I'm not pushing myself on the blog post...there's no deadline for finishing that study anyway, and I may have an odd week here or there where I can't get the study put together.  There's no reason to  make it a burden.

But I didn't want the folks who actually come looking for the post on Friday to wonder where it was, so ...just wanted to let you all know I'm good, the study will progress but I'm taking a weekend off.


But, that's a cheap post.  So, since it's Wednesday,  I'm going to take a few and play along with  The Hodgepodge again...because, you know, I ought to post at least once a week.

Thanks to Joyce for some April Fun....

1. What are two or three expectations you have of yourself?
 At the very least, I expect that I should never, ever let someone down or be a disappointment.  I expect that I should pull my own weight in any situation.

I suspect that's  too much to expect.

2. In what way does your outdoor space need sprucing up this spring?
HAHAHA!  It would be easier to answer what way it doesn't.  We've focused on the actual house, and the yard/garden areas have kinda just gone natural.  It doesn't help that there never was a good 'outdoor' space here to begin with.  And I'm such a brown thumb; I've no idea what to do to make it look inviting.  Maybe when we get the work done on the house we can spruce up the outdoors.


3. According to this site (Roadtrippers), six of North America's most wondrous waterfalls are-Webster's Falls in Ontario, Upper Whitewater Falls in North Carolina, Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, Multnomah Falls in Oregon, The Lower Yellowstone Falls, and Niagara. Have you seen any on the list? Which one on the list would you most like to visit? Prettiest waterfall not on the list that you've seen in person?
I've actually been to Niagara.  Which was absolutely breath-taking, even in its touristy setting.    I've seen Bridalveil Falls  in Yosemite, but it was dry season and it was not as spectacular as it would've been at another time.  But it's worth seeing those falls because that means seeing Yosemite...
 
4. Looking back, what's something you wish you'd done as a teenager?
I wish I'd taken those tests seriously...the PSAT and the SAT.  I really had no concept of what was riding on those scores and I'm certain I could have done better if I had actually prepared for them.

5. Ham...yes please or no thank you? If you said yes please which of the following do you like best-baked ham with all the trimmings, a ham and cheese sandwich, prosciutto with melon, a ham biscuit, a bowl of split pea and ham soup, or a slice of pizza topped with ham and pineapple?
Being the daughter of a hog farmer, I love me some ham.  Baked with trimmings, hot ham and cheese,  ham in any bean soup,  and my favorite pizza is ham, mushrooms and onions...hold the pineapple.  It's all good...
 
6. Are you typical of your generation? How so?
I am certainly not typical of my generation.  I have been out of step since I was born, I think.  It caused me problems in school...I just never fit in.  Some painful memories there.  But, it's funny, it just doesn't seem to matter anymore.  Which, I suppose, is good.  

7. April rolls in at the end of the week, and in keeping with that theme...'act the fool', 'nobody's fool', 'a fool's errand', 'could have fooled me'...which foolish idiom most recently applies to you? Explain.
Hm.  Maybe 'nobody's fool'...we're car shopping, and I'm determined to be practical. No matter how much I'd like to drive a Mustang again...we're looking at crossovers.  Because I want to be able to see over shrubs at corners.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
The mountains are calling and I must go...see you on the flip side...

Hodge Podging 3/16/16

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

It's been a while since I squeezed in time for a Hodgepodge post.  After noticing that it really has been pretty heavy around here lately, I decided to lighten things up a little and play along today...on St. Patrick's Eve...

If you'd like to click through and see what others have thought...click the above button !  As always, thanks to Joyce for the weekly prompting!


1. What do you think about luck?
Overall, I really don't think luck is an actual thing.  If I believe God directs my steps, then I have to believe that, so long as I'm pursuing Him, everything that comes my way comes for a reason and/or a purpose...which may be completely beyond my understanding.  

But there are a few instances where I might call myself lucky.  If I were to randomly draw 7 letters that work to make a word in Scrabble, it really would be  just a favorable outcome of a random event.  So I'd say I was lucky, not because I thought there was any beneficial force at work, but specifically because there's no such force and I couldn't have manipulated it one way or another.  Having a large vocabulary just makes that favorable outcome slightly more likely.

In other words, 'lucky' is a description, not an attribution.


 2. Not counting your own backyard, what's a favorite green space in your town, city, or state? 

That would probably be our favorite get-away place, Gorham's Bluff.  It's just a little over an hour away;  and such a lovely spot to just breathe.

3. How do you make your life more complex than it needs to be?
I don't seem to have the ability to make a plan and stick to it... I get distrac...(oh! look at the time!  Must eat breakfast!)(returns MUCH later...)

4. I read here the three places you should visit with friends. They are-New York City, Hawaii, and Amsterdam (rent a bike, walk along the canal, visit one of their world class museums). I felt the need to expound on that one. Moving on...Of the three places listed which would you most like to visit with friends? What's one place not on the list you think should be visited with friends?

 Oy.  I really don't have much desire to visit any of those three places.  I'm not into big cities, the thought of being on an island way out over the ocean almost makes me claustrophobic and...Amsterdam?  Really?  Not London or Paris or Rome or Athens?  But...taking the question to mean 'which place would you like to visit with friends, as opposed to visiting alone, if you had to visit it?'  -- I suppose I would pick New York, and I'd go with sewing buddies so we could hit the garment district and we could enjoy the goodies.  Somewhere to recommend you visit with friends?  Hm...not being the world traveler with vasts amount of experience, I would say...Disneyland.  I've only been once, and really don't have a burning desire to go back, but sharing the experience with friends would certainly make it more magical.

5. What's the last live performance you saw? On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being best) how would you rate it?
I really had to think about that one.  I finally decided the last live performance was a pre-competition presentation at a local high school.  I'd say...8.  The kids did well, but I have seen 10's and it just wasn't quite there.

6. March 14th is National Potato Chip Day. Are you a fan? Your favorite flavor? Besides potato, what's your favorite chip type of snack?
 I'm not a big potato chip fan.  Ruffles with french onion dip...now that I can chow down on (I have actually had, and now cannot find,  french onion dip made from greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  Almost guilt-free ...).  My favorite chips, believe it or not, are blue corn tortilla chips.  I don't know what about the 'blue' makes them better, but I really like 'em...

7.What rule is most important in your home?
 We don't have a lot of rules...expectations, yes, but not rules per se.  However, I AM trying to get one rule to be a part of our family life: Do Not Park the Car in the Drive with Less Than 1/4 Tank of Gasoline! 

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

And I thought 3/14 was Pi Day!  I so meant to make a pie...and I so didn't get it done...

4-15-15 Hodgepodge and SSMT verse 8

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi 

Things have been pretty serious around here of late; time for a little hodgepodge fun.

Joyce at From this Side of the Pond has come up with more fun questions for tax day...

Click here to see the linky fun:



1. Speaking of April 15th...what's the most 'taxing' thing you've done recently?

The past weekend's drive to Indiana for my father-in-law's birthday celebration.  My Sweet Babboo had some work to do on his laptop, so I drove all day Thursday, a couple of hours on Friday and all day Sunday.  He was working, the kids in the back were on headphones...it was a really quiet trip.  As I like some conversation when I'm driving, it was kinda grueling to just...drive....  But he got his work done and I managed not to doze off so it's all good.

2. When did you last take a taxi somewhere and where was that somewhere?

I've never been inside an actual taxi; I think the closest thing was the hotel shuttle to the DFW airport the morning after the DIVE CREATIVE school wrapped up last October.

3. What's something you can do today that you couldn't do a year ago?


Spend Wednesday nights at home if I want.  This time last year the girls' classes that I taught were still running; they were discontinued in August and, in some ways, I'm still having a hard time with it (just bein' honest).  I know something new is coming but I haven't a clue what yet.  But, you know, God is good, and I don't think it was coincidental that I read this on Beth Moore's blog on Monday:


'God will not leave us comfortless. He will not leave us alone. He will not leave us fruitless. He will either resurrect the dead or grow something brand new....Water it with your tears if you must but release your fears that nothing but nothingness is ahead for you. Is God your God? As sure as He is, new life is coming.'


That hit me right where I needed it.

4. How often is chicken (in some form or fashion) on your menu at home? Which of the following would you most like to see on your table tonight...a chicken salad sandwich, your mom's fried chicken, a Chick-fil-A meal, Cracker Barrel's chicken n' dumplings, a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings, or 'hold the chicken, I'm a vegetarian'...?


I probably serve chicken in some form about half the time I actually cook a meal.  Trying to be health conscious and all that...besides, the price of beef is just about out of reach.  I'd really enjoy sitting down to a plate of my mom's fried chicken! With mashed potatoes and milk gravy and home canned green beans.... That would be a real treat!

5. What was your favorite television program when you were a kid? What characters do you remember the most?

I am not really sure what my favorite program was... I loved The Wonderful World of Disney on Sundays, Looney Tunes on Saturday mornings (Pussyfoot the black kitten was probably my favorite character; the Singing Frog was probably second...),  I actually had a crush on Johnny Quest when I was about 6.  And I'm old enough to remember reruns of The Mickey Mouse club...and Captain Kangaroo...

6. What was the last piece of 'art' you made?


Oy.  I am so not an artist.  But I made myself a pretty artistic omelet last week. :-)

 7. What frustrates you most about the Internet?


Can't-live-without-it-but-it-has-consumed-life.  The connection is wonderful.  The connection is oppressive.  Must find time to check (email, facebook, blog comments, etc etc etc).  So cool to share with so many.    So little time left for folks in real life.  Love it...hate it...frustrating...


8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Today is the due date for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Verse #8...My pastor quoted a verse recently that I thought I should like to look up.  So, today I chased it down, with the thought that it might make a good SSMT verse.  When I read it with the verse following...well, it's another confirmation to me.

Ps. 92:13-14, NIV 84:

Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green

Hodgepodge of hope and tradition, with a smattering of candy...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

It's been awhile since I did the Hodgepodge...click the button to see all the linky fun!






1. This coming weekend is Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. Do you celebrate Easter in your home? What was your favorite Easter tradition as a child?


We do celebrate Easter...although I prefer to call it 'Resurrection Sunday'...but our celebration centers around worship.  We'll do 5 church services in the choir...but, as I'm on the church staff, I'll be working hard to make sure the proper follow up happens, doing data entry during 4 of the 5 services, as soon as I'm done singing.  We'll get some goodies for the kids; they'll all be at the house in the evening, where we'll have banana splits and watch 'Rise of the Guardians', if we follow the same pattern as the last two years.  That's a cute movie, btw, with a really good  message:  the Enemy's only weapon is fear.  But I have to choke a bit when Easter is considered as not happening just because the bunny didn't deliver the eggs.  The Grinch's looting of Christmas didn't stop it from happening, and an attack on Easter Eggs wouldn't stop a celebration of the Resurrection either. 


I kinda have to shake my head over 'Favorite Easter Tradition as a child'.  We were not a tradition-keeping family.  The only thing that was definite from one year to the next was 1) we would go to church and 2) There would be Easter baskets with candy.  Usually there were new clothes, but more because we needed them for spring anyway.  Everything else changed from one year to the next.

2. George Weinberg is quoted as saying, 'Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.' Agree or disagree? Share your own thoughts on the word hope.

Agree.    Not MY thoughts, exactly, but the first thing that came to mind for thoughts on hope:

 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  (Romans 5:3 - 5, NASB)

3. Weigh in with a yay or nay on the traditional Easter candies. A solid milk chocolate bunny? Cadbury Creme Eggs? Peeps? Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs? Jellybeans? Coconut Cream Eggs? Of the candies listed, which one would you most like to find in your Easter basket?

Love Cadbury eggs.  With cold milk.  But I'm good with any of the above.  You could also include Robin's Egg giant malted milk balls with the marbly candy coating, chocolate mini eggs, candy-coated creme eggs...chocolate covered marshmallow bunnies...


But the candy I would most like to see is a fruit and nut egg...the kind that used to be available about 40 - 45 years ago...vanilla nougat, sometimes with coconut, with candied fruit and nuts shaped into an egg and coated w/dark chocolate. With a sugar flower on the top.  Eaten by the slice.  Whatever happened to those?

4. When did you last feel 'like a kid in a candy store'? 


Probably last time I went to the Sewing Expo.  So much fabric...patterns...inspiration...

5. What's something you know you do differently than most people? Does that bother you? Does it bother other people?


We do Christmas different than most people; I've blogged about it once or twice before.  Christmas gift-giving at our house frequently happens on January 1, owing to travel, and, looking forward,  probably working around grown kids' need to be with inlaws.  We also didn't do Santa Claus, at least, we didn't tell our kids Santa brought the gifts.  I kinda like spreading the holiday out a bit; it is a little awkward when we're still playing Christmas music and the stores are suddenly all about the Superbowl, but we can deal with that.  Our treatment of Santa, however,  really irritated some folks...

6. Palm Springs CA, Palm Beach FL, or the PALMetto State...of the three mentioned, which sunny spot would you most like to visit right now? Which have you visited at one time or another?


Since it's been YEARS since I've been to the beach, I'll pick Palm Beach.  But I've never been to any 'Palm' places...yet.,..

7. If you could change the length of a day would you lengthen it or shorten it? Tell us why.


LOL!  It says right there in my bio blurb that I want 8 more hours in a day...just too much stuff to do!!!

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Tonight's sunset...so pretty!!!