Goodbye November, Hello Hodgepodge…

Goodbye November. I will miss you, but the weather doesn’t feel like November, it feels more like September, ’cause it’s hot!  There’s nothing quite like decorating a Christmas tree while sweating profusely!  All  of that being said, it’s time for The Wednesday Hodgepodge!  It’s time to take a break from my holiday decorating and have some fun.  As always, thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce, for keeping The Hodgepodge alive.

1. Give us three rhyming words that say something about your Thanksgiving holiday (or your most recent holiday gathering if you didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving).

Thrilled (as in I was thrilled to have all of our family around the dinner table, again.)

Filled (as in our stomachs were filled as we consumed the Thanksgiving Day feast.)

Chilled (as in the weather was so warm, so I had to turn the thermostat down to 72 to keep us cool.)

2. When did you last say, ‘the more the merrier’? Did you mean it?

I don’t remember the last time I said “the more the merrier”, but it was probably the last time we had unexpected company.   Ed’s parents said that phrase a lot.  It was quite common for them to have extra folks seated around their dinner table, at any given time, and Ed’s daddy was a genius when it came to stretching food!

3. What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who is your same age?

Cherish each day you’re given, and don’t take anything for granted.  If you have good health, praise the Lord for it, daily.

4. You’re ordering a veggie plate, what four veggies are on it?

Peas, green beans, corn, and sweet potatoes–preferably out of our garden.

5. Shop til you drop! Did you? Have you ever? Will you between now and Christmas?

I did not shop till I dropped over the Thanksgiving weekend.  In fact, I didn’t go shopping at all, except on-line!  However, in years gone by,  I have  shopped until I dropped, many times, with my late mother-in-law.  She was a champion shopper, back in her day!  I will do a little shopping between now and Christmas, but not much.  I hate the crowds.

6. What’s your favorite chair in your house, and why is it a favorite?

There are only two places in my house where I can sit, comfortably, due to back issues.  One is a small glider rocker, that sits great, but matches nothing in our house because it only came in one color.  The other is my ‘zero gravity’ lawn chair that I unfold at night, when I’m ready to watch television.  It’s all about comfort, ya’ know?

7. Share an early memory of faith, religion, or spirituality.

This memory isn’t necessarily from early in my life, since I was 29, but it’s a profound one.  Back in 1984, Ed and I  had the experience of helping organize a new church, from the ground up, when a guest pastor, who organized new churches as a ministry, visited the church we were members of.  I asked him, after the service, if he’d ever considered starting a ‘new work’ in our town.  He said, “No”, but later changed his mind, and contacted me.  I think there may have been about a dozen or so of us charter members.  We rented an old building, formerly a fast food restaurant, then spent many hours scrubbing all of the grease off the floor and walls.  Yuk!  Brother Gus was able to secure us an old piano, a few old church pews,  a podium, and some song books.  Before long, we were holding services at Trinity Baptist Church.  As fate would have it, after about a year and a half, I had a Divine revelation and realized I actually don’t believe the doctrine the church was teaching.  Having to tell Brother Gus we were leaving the church was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.  Trinity Church closed its doors a couple of years after we left. Ed and I ended up at the church of his childhood, and were re-baptized into the faith.  And now, some 29 years later, we’re searching for another new church home…

Random:

Oh, my goodness!  So far, decorating for Christmas has been challenging, this year.  We’ve been dealing with lights that won’t burn,  strong winds blowing outside decorations over, and a missing box of colored lights for the Christmas tree.  On Monday, I felt a bit over-whelmed and asked myself, “Where’s the joy in all of this?”  Thankfully, Ed is a patient and talented man, so he was able to fix most of our light issues.  He also was able to piece back together several broken outside decorations, and anchor them down.  Tuesday went a little smoother, and more progress was made.  Hopefully, by Friday, we’ll be packing away all of these boxes, and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Thankful For The Hodgepodge…

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Let me begin by wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!  I count my blog friends as special blessings, and treasure each and everyone of you.  I’m thankful for The Hodgepodge and all of the people I’ve ‘met’ through it.  I’m especially thankful for our hostess, Joyce, and the great job she does keeping The Hodgepodge up and running.  She is amazing.

All of that being said, here are this week’s questions:

1. What’s something you might say runs in your family?

I think I’ll say “a stubborn streak”.  Some of us are more stubborn than others, but we all have our moments, from time to time.

2. I read here a list of ten things you should do before 2017 arrives (in less than six weeks!)…which tasks on the list might you do? What would you add to your own ‘before the year ends’ list?

visit your Dr. or dentist, deep clean your home, donate unwanted items to charity, look someone in the eye and tell them you love them, write an honest letter to yourself, clean up your inbox-desktop-photos, travel to a place you haven’t been, compliment a stranger, watch the sunrise, think ahead to your goals/plans for the new year

I’ve already been to the doctor, donated some unwanted items to charity, complimented a stranger, and looked loved ones in the eye and told them I love them.  However, I really need to clean up my inbox (there are almost 5000 emails in there), and do more deep cleaning in my home!  I can’t think of anything I’d like to add to the list.

3. What’s something other generations (not your own) misunderstand about your generation?

Since our parents grew up and lived through the ‘depression era’, and us ‘baby boomers’ grew up and lived during times of plenty, I don’t think they ever quite understood our “lack of thriftiness”.  Sometimes, I find myself thinking the same thing about this current generation.

4. Sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread dressing-which would you miss the most if it weren’t on the holiday dinner menu?

Cornbread dressing.  A turkey dinner wouldn’t seem right turkey without cornbread dressing!

5. What are you overthinking right now?

I’m overthinking the Thanksgiving Day menu, and how I’m going to get everything ready.  I’ve been preparing, off and on, for about five days.  It’s not that I’m cooking that much food, it’s that I’m moving slower, these days.

6. Your favorite slang word lately?

I don’t use any of the recent terms I found on the internet, so I’ll just go with LOL.

7. Write an acrostic for the word grateful.

Grateful to God, from whom all blessings flow

Really should do more to show Him my appreciation

Always seem to receive more than what’s given

Trying to do better, but I can’t out give God

Every day I will go to Him in prayer

Forever in His debt for all He’s done for me

Ultimate sacrifice was made so my sins could be forgiven

Living my life in a closer walk with Him

Random:

For two and one half years, our oldest son has been going to a local assisted living home, every Sunday afternoon, to preach to the residents who live there. All of the residents living in this particular home are suffering with varying stages of Alzheimer’s.

A while back, Ed and I began to join our son for these services. Sometimes, Ed makes an attempt to play the piano, but the three of us always make an attempt to sing a couple of hymns before the message, with or without music.  We usually average about six (not counting the three of us) in attendance.

Even though all residents are afflicted with this terrible disease, they are some of the sweetest folks I know.  Some can still carry on conversations, but others cannot.  Some wander around aimlessly, as if looking for something.  The thing about Alzheimer’s is you never know how it’s going to affect a person from day to day.  There are good days, there are bad days, and there are interesting days.  Last Sunday turned out to be one of those interesting days.

During the middle of the sermon, one of the male residents, whom I’ll call Mr. B, was restless and began wandering around the room during the message. (Mr. B happens to be someone we’ve known most of our lives)  In the middle of the sermon, Mr. B wandered over to where I was sitting in a chair, with my legs crossed. Suddenly, he bent over in front of me, and began trying to untie my shoe!  He tried so hard to get my shoe off, meanwhile our son never missed a beat of his message!  After Mr. B failed to get my shoe off, he became interested in my knee hose.  I sat there, with great interest, as Mr. Billy rubbed the hose, covering my lower leg. using both of his hands.  He must have really liked the texture of my hose!  Meanwhile, our son just kept on preaching.  Afterward, I laughed and told our son this was the first time I’d ever had someone try to steal my shoe or rub my leg during a sermon–all done with the sweet innocence of a curious child…

 

Happy Happy Hodgepodge…

I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I’m tickled pink to have The Wednesday Hodgepodge back on-line!  Happy, happy, happy ! Our gracious hostess, Joyce, has been busy moving into her new house, but is taking a break to host The Hodgepodge, again.  Thanks, Joyce!

Here are the questions for this week:

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

My happy thoughts always center around family.  One of my favorite happy memories [this time of the year] is all of us sitting around the Thanksgiving Day table,  listening to each other share what we are most thankful for.  This is a fairly new tradition for us, and it’s a good one.

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… go to St. Simon’s Island! (It always works for me.)

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

Sometimes I’ll just go to my bedroom for a while, but if I get the chance, I’ll head for St. Simon’s Island.

4. What song never fails to make you happy?

There are too many to count, but this is one of the many:

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?

The last ‘fast food’ I consumed was a Whopper, fries, and a coke from Burger King.  We rarely eat there, so I thoroughly enjoy it whenever we do.  My version of a ‘happy meal’ would probably be some Kentucky Fried Chicken, with mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and a biscuit.  I love it, but, again, we don’t eat it very often anymore.

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

I began my blog as a way to record some of the past stories of my life.  In the process I began  meeting many interesting bloggers through ‘blog hops’.  In fact, I met our hostess, Joyce, through a blog hop, about eight years ago.  I really enjoy the interaction with other bloggers, and  I’ve learned so much, and ‘met’ some very nice people through blogging. I’ll be celebrating my 9th ‘blogiversary’ in April.

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

(1) I’m grateful to be a Christian, and thankful my relationship with God is growing stronger. (2) I’m grateful God sent me a kind and loving husband, and has given us 44 happy years together.  (3) I’m grateful for three healthy children who’ve grown into productive adults that I’m very proud of.  (4) I’m grateful for four healthy, happy grandchildren, who have two loving parents in their homes. (6) I’m grateful for our home, that’s paid for. (7) I’m grateful for improved health, this year.  I’m currently off two [of four] prescription meds, and doing okay.

Random:

Below is a short video clip of Ed’s recent birthday celebration.  Three-year-old grandson, Evan, is leading the singing of “Happy Birthday”.  Notice how Evan tries to blow out the candles with his nose.  So funny!

Doing A Little Catching Up…

I feel like this blog is as dusty as some of the rooms of our house.  It’s been unattended for quite a while, and, for that, I feel guilty.  The fact is, I’ve been on the computer very little these past few weeks, for much of anything.

I’ve been experiencing a few issues with my eyesight.  A while back I got a sty on my left eye, and afterward, I noticed some blurring of my vision in that eye.  I kept waiting for my vision to clear, after the sty, but it hasn’t.  The computer makes my eyes tired, so I don’t spend as much time on it, these days.  I have an appointment for an eye exam next week, and, hopefully,  some new glasses will help my tired, blurry eyes.

Meanwhile, life keeps rolling along, here in our neck of the woods.  Halloween came and went, then the month of November showed up in its place.  Along with the month of November came the dreaded “time change” to which I’m still trying to adjust.  I’m tired!

cousins, on Halloween, after trick-or-treating was over

Our youngest grandson turned three on October 30, but didn’t have his birthday party until the first weekend of November.  His birthday party was held outside, and the weather couldn’t have been nicer for an outside party.  Evan and his guests had a great time playing on the super slide and bouncy house. The theme of Evan’s party was “Paw Patrol”, and he had a unique, three-tiered, three flavored birthday cake that was delicious.

Evan and his cake

November also means it’s birthday time for Ed, and he celebrated his 67th birthday, on Sunday. Family gathered to help him celebrate a little early, on Saturday night.  I’m so grateful he’s still here to celebrate another year of life!  Praise the Lord!  Ed and I spent the majority of his actual birthday in church, but I can’t think of a better place to celebrate life.

Evan, Ed, and Ed’s cake

Our daughter and family have moved back home, after being gone nearly three weeks.  You may recall their house flooded when their toilet ran over.  Everything is dried out, but, until now, they’ve been unable to find anyone to do the work of replacing the flooring or kitchen cabinets.  In the meantime, they’re “making do” with no kitchen sink and bare floors.  One day they’ll look back and laugh about all this, but I don’t think it’ll be anytime soon.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I’m trying to get prepared.  I’ve already purchased the turkey, and plan to make the stuffing ahead of time.  Our family actually discussed purchasing a Thanksgiving Day meal, already prepared, but I couldn’t quite give into that just yet.  I know the time is coming, but not this year.

The weather has cooled off, and we’ve been enjoying some nice fall weather, especially in the evenings.  Unfortunately, the cooler weather hasn’t gotten rid of the mosquito population, yet.  We may still be wearing insect repellent at Christmas!  Last night’s view of the Super Moon was awesome, in spite of the mosquitoes.

We haven’t had any rain since hurricane Matthew brought us seven or eight inches.  It’s getting pretty dry here, and I’m beginning to worry about wildfires.  There’s so much debris all around, from the downed trees, a fire would be disastrous.  I hope we get some rain soon.

I’ll be losing my Humana healthcare at the end of this year, so we’ve been trying to look for new healthcare coverage for me.  What a headache!  None of the plans offered (that I can afford) have all of my doctors on their provider list, nor do they cover all of my prescriptions.  It looks like 2017 may be a challenging year.

Ed and I went for our six month checkups, last week.  Ed’s cholesterol was up, so the doctor changed his medication.  My cholesterol is ‘borderline’, for which he prescribed “exercise and fiber”.  The dreaded word “colonoscopy” also came up in the conversation with me.  Oh, the joys of growing older!  And on that note, I think I’ll end this post 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Simple Woman’s Daybook Post…

For Today… November 1, 2016

I can’t believe it’s November already!!!  It seems like just yesterday was the first day of October. Only three more weeks until Thanksgiving, too.

Looking out my window… I can see some fog, and lots of damage to our lawn, caused by another infestation of moles AND an armadillo!  Our yard looks Ed’s been using the tiller in it!  We’ve tried everything to get rid of these critters, and nothing works (except killing them).

I am thinking… it’s kind of sad that our granddaughter is growing up.  Time slow down!  This Halloween, she chose to give out candy, instead of going trick-or-treating.  No more “tooth fairy”, “Santa”, or “Easter Bunny”  for her either.

I am thankful… that my health has been better, lately.  I’ve actually had enough energy to tackle a couple of home projects.  I spent one day working in my kitchen, and another in my bedroom.

One of my favorite things… has always been having our grandchildren stop by our house to go “trick-or-treating”.  I always look forward to seeing what kind of costumes they’ll be wearing.  We live in the country, so they are the only “trick-or-treaters” we get to see.

I am wearing… a pair of pajama pants, with ducks on them, and a yellow t-shirt.

I am going… to ‘early vote’, today.  We’re trying to avoid the long lines of election day!  We are also going to the doctor, on Wednesday, and we have an appointment to have our car serviced, later this week.  We’ll be doing a lot of “going”.

I am creating… nothing, yet, but I’m about to try my hand at crocheting a couple of Christmas throw pillow covers.  Wish me luck, because I haven’t crocheted in a very long time!!!

I am reading… a couple of devotional books that I recently purchased.  My favorite one is entitled Wisdom for Each Day  written by Billy Graham.

I am watching… the shows Designated Survivor, Bull, The Black List, and Survivor on television.

I am listening… to Bradley Walker’s new cd, Call Me Old Fashioned.  Bradley Walker is a budding country music artist, with a nice voice. Bradley also has muscular dystrophy, but he hasn’t let it hold him back. Bradley is friends with Rory Feek (formerly of the country duo, Joey & Rory) and was friends with Joey, as well.  After Joey passed away, earlier this year, Rory got busy producing this album for Bradley.  I like it!  Here’s the title cut from the cd:

I am hoping… these blasted mosquitoes will hurry up and die!  It’s 86 degrees, and we’re having to wear long sleeves and slacks, outside, to keep from being eaten alive.  The little ‘buggers’ just seem to scoff at our insect repellent.

I am learning… to trust and rely on God.  I’ve always been a born worrier, when things get a little crazy, but I’m trying to change my ways, and give it to God.

In my kitchen… I made a pot of homemade chili for supper, last night, even though it was 86 degrees outside!  October 31 just seemed like a good time for chili, so I turned on the second a/c unit and made some.  It was good.

In my garden… some carrots, radishes, cabbage, mustard greens, and turnip greens are growing.  So far, only the radishes are ready for consumption.  We ate a few in our grilled chicken salad, on Sunday.

Shared Quote:  Be the wind, O Lord, that blows away all troubles from my path, and clears the way for me as I walk.  Be the sun, O Lord, that warms me when life’s storms surround me.  Be the light, O Lord, that guides my way when all around me the fog of doubt hangs low and thick.  Be the stars, O Lord, that keep me looking upward in hope, joy, and expectation of a better tomorrow.  ( From the book entitled This Too Shall Pass. Author unknown)

A moment from my day:  

Last year’s trick-or-treaters:

This year’s trick-or-treaters:

The boys’ interests change from year to year. Last year they wanted to dress up like old wrestlers (Hulk Hogan & The Ultimate Warrior).  This year they wanted to be old NBA stars. (Larry Byrd & Michael Jordan)  Their mom always does a great job of making their costumes.  This year, we missed having Madison in our Halloween picture (she was giving out candy in town).

Closing Notes:

As you may know, our daughter’s house flooded, last Tuesday.  It’s all dried out, now, but the place is in shambles.  The kitchen cabinets have been removed, as well as the floor covering in the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and part of the bedroom.  They’re waiting on estimates and ‘red tape’ before they can proceed with putting their home back together again. They’ve been staying with our daughter’s in-laws.

I’m in the process of trying to sort out some issues concerning my health care insurance for 2017.  Unfortunately, my previous carrier, Humana, won’t be participating in the “Healthcare Marketplace”, next year.  Since Ed and I are on a fixed income, I have to rely on “The Marketplace” for affordable insurance.  Unfortunately, only Blue Cross/Blue Shield still remains in ‘The Marketplace’, and two of my [four] physicians are not providers in their network.  I’m not  sure my prescriptions will be covered, either.  It’s one of those problems I’m trying to give to God.

Many thanks to Peggy Hostetler for hosing The Simple Woman’s Daybook!