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.