Goodbye February, Hello Hodgepodge…

 

It’s time to say goodbye to another month, and there’s no better way to say goodbye than with a Wednesday Hodgepodge!  As always, thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce, for her fun questions and dedication.

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Are you currently operating at 100% capacity? If not, what % are you? What’s keeping you there?

No. I’m currently operating at 60%-70% capacity.  As for what’s keeping me there–it’s dealing with chronic illness and getting old.  It now takes me twice as long to do half as much!

2. Have you done your taxes?  They’re currently being prepared at the accountant’s office.

Planned/booked a summer holiday? We haven’t planned a summer holiday, but we’re taking a spring trip, in April.

Thought about or started your ‘spring cleaning’?  Yes, I’m slowly working on it.

Besides what’s listed here, tell us one task that needs doing before spring rolls around.

We need to get some potatoes planted, in the garden, next week.  They’re an early crop.

3. What’s a favorite food from your part of the country?

Southern fried chicken, but shhh don’t tell “the girls” (my hens) that I said that!

4. This isn’t a leap year, but let’s run with it anyway…look before you leap, a leap of faith, grow by leaps and bounds, leap to conclusions, leap at the opportunity…which phrase might best be applied to your life currently (or recently)? Explain.

I’ll say “a leap of faith”  since we recently joined a new church.

5. As the month draws to a close list five fun and/or fabulous things (large or small) you noticed or experienced in February.

(1) Unusually warm, sunny days, (2) the return of the robins and blue birds, (3)  blossoms on our fruit trees, (4) early morning walks with my hubby, (5) watching our newly planted seeds sprouting in cups.

Random:

I never cease to be amazed by my sweet husband.  Last February, at my request, Ed transplanted some daffodil bulbs from his parents’ vacant ‘home place’ to our yard.  Ed’s mama loved her yellow daffodils, and I wanted some of them to remember her by.  I’m happy to report the transplanted daffodils are healthy and doing great, but not yet blooming.  This brings me to the next part of my story…

Baby, hiding among the daffodils…

Many years ago, while I was still in high school, I once worked with a lady named “Miss Edith”.  “Miss Edith” and her husband died a long, long time ago, but, recently, their old home was removed from the spot where it sat for as long as I can remember.  It made me a bit sad to see the empty lot where their house had once stood. Then I looked and saw some clusters of white daffodils still blooming in the yard.

I mentioned to Ed how I’d love to have a few of “Miss Edith’s” daffodils to remember her by, then promptly forgot all about it.  Ed, however, did not!

Ed asked around, and found out who owns the property, now.  Then he called and asked “Miss Edith’s” son if he’d mind sharing a few of the daffodils! Last week, Ed drove over to the property, brought home some of “Miss Edith’s” daffodils, then planted them for me.  Thanks to my loving and thoughtful husband, now I have some little reminders of “Miss Edith” growing in our yard.  Thank you, Lord, for Your many blessings, like pretty daffodils growing in the yard, and the thoughtful, loving man who planted them there for me.

 

An ‘Inspiring’ Wednesday Hodgepodge…

I didn’t make it to last week’s Hodgepodge.  Lately, life just keeps getting in the way, with Valentine’s Day and all, but I’m joining today!  As always, many thanks to our great hostess, Joyce, for keeping things going.

Here are this week’s questions:

1. Where do you go when you need some inspiration?

Hmm… that would depend on the kind of inspiration I’m looking for.  If I’m looking spiritual inspiration, I’ll go to the Lord through prayer or bible reading.  If I’m looking for creative inspiration I’ll probably go to a book, magazine, or Google.  For most other kinds of inspiration, I prefer sitting and thinking [in my lawn chair] under the oak trees of St. Simon’s Island!

2. What’s under your bed?

Trust me, you really don’t want to know!  You might find everything from my mother’s antique mirror to plastic container filled with [Chatty Cathy] doll clothes.  You will even find a Pyrex dish & carrier still in its original box, because I don’t have any place else to store the thing.

3. Thursday, February 22nd is National Chili Day, National Margarita Day, and National Cook a Sweet Potato Day. Of the three which would you most like to celebrate? Is that likely?

I’d be most likely to celebrate National Chili Day, but I probably won’t because it’s 80 degrees here and it’s simply too hot to cook or eat chili!

4. What are you ‘snowed under’ with right now?

I’m not really ‘snowed under’ with much of anything, but Ed’s been ‘snowed under’ with lots of outside chores.  He’s been as busy as a bee– planting bulbs, cleaning up the yard, mowing grass, and getting our garden ready for planting.

5. Tell us three to five things that make you feel balanced?

Let’s see… (1) my relationship with the Lord, (2) my relationship with my husband, Ed, and (3) my relationship with our kids & their families make me feel balanced.  If any one of these things gets off track, I’m out of balance!  I could also add a good meal and a good night’s sleep to make me feel even more balanced!

Random:

Life goes on here in our neck of the woods…

Valentine’s Day came and went.  Ed and I celebrated by attending a couple’s “Date Night” at church.  It was fun, and Ed and I had the distinction of being married six years longer than any other couple there! (didn’t take a single picture)  We’ve gone from being one of the youngest couples of our former church to being one of the oldest couples of our new  church– and it truly is our church, because we officially joined just over a week ago!

Then we had a dual Valentine’s Day/birthday celebration, with family, two days after Valentine’s Day.  (It was our daughter-in-law’s birthday.) We ate lasagna, ice cream cake, and red velvet cupcakes!  Yum!  We also played a few Valentine’s Day themed games, which everyone seemed to enjoy.

the birthday girl and her family

You may recall our son-in-law was injured when his pants accidentally caught fire while helping Ed burn off a field.  It’s been 2 and 1/2 weeks since the accident, but he still has a lot of healing to do. Ed’s been helping him with his daily wound care.  So far, so good–no sign of infection.  Folks, it takes a long time to recover from a severe burn!  Our son may or may not have earned himself the nickname of “Smokey”.

In other news, Ed planted two rows of onions in our garden, last week.  The 80 degree days have been tough on them, but, hopefully, the onions will rally. (Onions prefer cold weather) We also planted about 100 seed cups, which have been busily sprouting.  80 degree weather makes seeds sprout quickly!  I moved two trays of the sprouts out to the greenhouse, today.  I’m dying to plant something else in the garden, but I know it’s still too early.  I’ll have to be patient.

A Six More Weeks of Winter Hodgepodge…

The groundhog saw his shadow, last week, but the past two days have been screaming “early spring” here.  I’m sure more winter is on the way, but those 70 degree, sunny days sure have been nice.  Do ya’ know something else that’s nice?  The Wednesday Hodgepodge!  As always, thank you very much to our gracious hostess, Joyce.

Here are this week’s questions along with my answers:

1. February can be a little bit tricky given the weather and the winter and the whatnot. I read a list (here) of things you can do to make your February brighter which included-start planning your next trip, take more baths, make your own chocolate covered strawberries, and exercise in preparation for swimsuit season. Anything on the list you might try?

I’m already in the process of planning for a trip we’re taking in April.  We’re going to visit the replica of Noah’s Ark and the Creation Museum, in Kentucky.

Which suggestion on the list appeals to you most?

I’m a huge fan of taking baths!

Tell us something not on the list that helps make your February brighter.

How about planting garden seeds in little paper cups, then watching them sprout and grow?  This always makes me happy.  The new growth reminds me that spring is just around the corner 🙂  By the way, I’ve already purchased some seeds for planting!

2. Tell us about something you’ve seen or done recently that you’d say was ‘super’?

I’m going with one of life’s recent simple pleasures–sitting outside, basking in 70 degree warmness, on a February day, with my hubby, Ed, by my side.  All the while, I was also rubbing a very soft and fluffy cat, named “Baby”.  Gotta’ love and appreciate those simple things–I know “Baby” sure did!

3. Best thing you ate in a ‘bowl’ last week?

The answer to this question would have to be “taco soup”.  I made some last Wednesday.

4. Something you’re ‘cheering’ for right now?

Our son-in-law’s leg to properly heal without any problems!  You see, he was helping Ed ‘burn off’ the field in front of our house, on Saturday, when the ‘unthinkable’ happened–a freak accident!  Our son-in-law’s pants leg caught on fire, without him realizing it, until his leg began to actually burn!  He reacted quickly and dropped to the ground, thank goodness.  However, he still has second degree burns on a large area of his left lower leg.  As you can imagine, this has been very painful for him, and we feel just terrible about it.  As I said, we’re cheering (and praying) for a speedy recovery.

5. The Winter Olympics begin Friday, February 9th in Pyeong Chang, South Korea. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being all in and 1 being no interest whatsoever) how interested are you in the games?

I’ll have to give myself a “1” for these games.  For some reason, I’m just not feeling it this year.

Which event do you most want to see (you’ll find a list here).

If I watch anything it will be figure skating.  Pairs figure skating has  been my favorite event since the Tai Babilonia/Randy Gardner days.

Random:

For the first time in many years, Ed and I didn’t watch the Superbowl on Sunday night.   We ‘turned off’ the NFL early in the season when some of its players chose to “take a knee” instead of standing for the national anthem.

Speaking of “take a knee”, has anyone else seen this video?  (one bad word, but a very good message)