A ‘Hot Diggety Dog’ Hodgepodge

As I write this, I’m sitting here on a very hot and humid Georgia afternoon, very thankful for this distraction and for air conditioning!  I’m grateful to our hostess, Joyce, for hosting “The Hodgepodge” and I’m grateful to her for telling me how to revert back to the old blogging format!  Life is good, once again…

1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Dog Day this year (August 26th). Do you own a dog? Did you have a dog when you were growing up, or maybe some other kind of pet? Would you say you’re more of a dog person or a cat person? Neither is okay too : )

I don’t own any dogs anymore, but we had more than our fair share of dogs, during and after my stint of volunteering at our local animal shelter, back in 2004-2005.

 This was “Ethan” the first shelter puppy I adopted.  He survived parvo and led a long, happy life.

There were so many homeless animals, it was overwhelming to me!  I worked, tirelessly, for two years to find homes for as many dogs and cats as possible, including adopting five dogs and twenty-two cats of my own!  Needless to say, our pet food bill was quite large for a few years!  All of our dogs have since passed away (some were old dogs when we adopted them), as well as most of the cats.  However, we still have two of my original “shelter kitties”, both are almost 17 years old. 

Pictured above is “Kyle”, the oldest of our “shelter cats”  (photographed while sitting in a nest).

“Fat Susan” (photographed while waiting for her next meal at The Cat Cafe’). 

The above pictures were taken about 5 years ago.  These days, “Fat Susan” isn’t so fat anymore, although her appetite is still good.  “Kyle” now spends most days just sleeping on the porch swing.  I guess I don’t have to tell you that I’m more of a cat person than a dog person, do I?

2. Last time you felt ‘dog tired’?

Ed and I both had appointments with our dermatologist last Friday morning.  It takes almost three hours to drive there and back.  We also ate lunch, did some grocery shopping, and stopped by to visit friends for a while.  I was “dog tired” when we got home late last Friday afternoon!

3. It’s said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. When did you last prove this idiom true or prove it wrong?

I’m in the process of learning to use my new Moo Soo battery-powered stick vacuum, that I absolutely love!  It’s small and light, there’s no cord, and has only a tiny dirt cup/filter to deal with.

4. A favorite book, television show, or movie featuring a dog. Why did you love it?

The first book/movie that comes to mind is “Marley and Me”.  Both were funny and, of course, a little sad.  I loved how they covered Marley’s life, with her family, from beginning to end.  Our family’s version of “Marley” was a wild and crazy dalmation named “Lively Loveable Spotazz” who lived to be ten.  “Tazz”, as we called him, really lived up to his name!

Lively Lovable Spotazz in his later years

5. Last time you had reason to (literally or figuratively) exclaim ‘hot diggity dog’?

Last night, when we finally finished a 300 piece puzzle we’d been working on for over a week!  Oh, and did I mention there was missing piece?

6. Random: (long but worth the read)

The Story of “Flutterbee”

As I mentioned last week, we’ve had a flurry of bird activity in our yard, this year.  We’ve had a record number of cardinals, with many  trying to perfect the art of flying back in early June.  As a result, we had no less than three cardinals fly into the large “picture window” over my kitchen counter.  The second of these casualties flew into the window one night while we were eating supper.  Ed got up, went outside, and discovered a young female cardinal had knocked herself ‘out cold’ and was on the ground underneath our kitchen window.   

The bird remained unconscious for about 90 minutes.  Once the bird woke up, it became clear she was hurt badly.  Her wing and leg, on one side, were clearly broken.  We decided to place the bird inside of an old dog crate, and wrapped around the bottom of it in plastic mesh, so the bird couldn’t escape through the bars. I placed some food on the bottom of the crate, along with some water in a small jar lid.  We then placed the crate and bird in a closed section of our chicken coop, so it would be safe from our cats.  

For two days things looked grim.  The bird flapped and flopped wildly every time we came near her, but couldn’t do anything except scoot on her good side. She wasn’t able to sit up, so I doubted she was able to eat or drink.  Her feathers stayed wet from scooting through her drinking water, while going back and forth across the crate.  At one point, I told Ed he would be doing the bird a favor if he ended her misery.  Thankfully, he didn’t listen.

About this time, we decided to place a small, motion activated camera near the bird in the crate, in order to observe the bird from inside our house.  What we saw happen, next, was nothing short of a miracle.

It’s a daily occurrence for assorted birds to fly in and out of our old chicken coop.  Many have learned how to slip through holes in the wire. They help themselves to left-over scratch feed, then fly back out the way they came in.  Several birds had been in and out of the coop while our injured bird fluttered and flopped, helplessly, but on this particular day, day #3,  we saw something different.  A pair of cardinals went into the chicken coop, slipped in between the bars of the top of the dog crate where the injured bird was, and actually proceeded to feed the injured bird! (her parents?)  We were shocked to say the least, and this incident proved to be the turning point for our injured guest!

After that day, the injured bird figured out how to eat the seed I provided in a lid.  She began to try to sit upright, although not on her feet.  Random birds continued to come and go in the chicken coop, but we never saw any birds attempt to feed her again.  As our bird guest slowly began to recover, I decided to give her a name.  Because of the way she flapped and fluttered about, I decided to name her “Flutterbee”.

About a week after “Flutterbee” flew into our kitchen window, a third cardinal hit the kitchen window with a sickening thud, during suppertime  Once again, Ed went out and found a bird knocked out cold!  This time Ed laid the bird on the bottom of “Flutterbee’s” crate/cage.  After a while, the bird woke up, and immediately figured out how to get out of the cage!  (Guess who was watching, and figured out how to escape the cage?)  We let the second  bird go free, but kept “Flutterbee” confined to the inside of the coop. This provided her with a large area to re-learn how to fly.

“Flutterbee” continued improving, daily.  I’d read that it takes a broken wing about 3 weeks to heal.  However, I’d also read that a broken bird’s leg takes much longer, and may never properly heal.  As we began to approach the 2 1/2 week mark, it became apparent that “Flutterbee’s” wing had healed because she was now flying back and forth across the coop, constantly.  We’d put perches in each of the four corners of the coop, and she became able to fly and land on a perch, at will.  She could sit on a perch [at night] to roost, too, even though still a bit wobbly. 

We knew the time was quickly approaching when we would need to let our “Flutterbee” go.  It took three attempts before we felt the timing was right to let our guest go back into the wild.  It took a bit of doing to get her out of the coop, but once she went, she flew across the yard, low, but without faltering.  She landed in a nearby bush.  I placed her little blue jar lid full of seeds under a nearby tree and watched.

For days, afterward, “Flutterbee” would come, every day, to eat seeds out of that little blue lid and drink water from the bowl beside it.  She was easy to spot, with her messed up tail and her sideways hop, both due to her recent injuries. Other birds soon grew wise, and took over “Flutterbee’s” feeding place.  I’d quickly make her another feeding place, and she’d always find it.  This went on for several weeks.  Ed and I were thrilled to be able to see our “Flutterbee” every day and watch her continued improvement. 

It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve seen “Flutterbee”. (A lot of our birds have moved on)  The last time we saw her, she was still hopping a bit sideways, but her balance seemed to be getting better.  Her tail looked less frazzled, and  she could fly with no problems at all.  Wherever “Flutterbee” is, I hope she knows what a blessing she’s been to us!  She’s one of God’s little miracles from this crazy summer of 2020, and we were able to witness it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

“High Five” To the Hodgepodge

Wow! Imagine my surprise when I came here to my blog to participate in the Wednesday Hodgepodge, and discovered everything has changed! The new blogging format is completely foreign to me! I’m too old and tired to learn a lot of new tricks, but I’ll give it a try…Thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for this fun distraction each week.

1. Five years ago this month hubs and I relocated from New Jersey to the Palmetto State. What were you doing five years ago this month?

At first, I had no idea what I was doing five years ago, and then the year 2015 hit me like a ton of bricks! 2015 was the year everything went wrong (or right, depending on how you look at it) for us.

In January Ed lost his job, in April we discovered termites and mold under our house, and my back “went out” for the first time! I had back surgery in September. We bought a new vehicle the first part of October, then Ed had a heart attack late in October. In November my daughter and I both discovered we had skin cancer on our faces, requiring Mohs surgery, followed by plastic surgery! It makes me stressed just thinking about 2015!

In answer to the question, five years ago, at this time, I was a very miserable person, anticipating my upcoming sixty-first birthday, and back surgery!

2. What was the last 9-5 job you worked? Tell us about it.

My last 9-5 job was being the care taker of five month old twin girls. The hours were 7:30 to 5:30. I retired, after two years, to spend more time with family. Those twin girls are now fifteen years old!

3. Plead the fifth, high five, take five, it’s five o’clock somewhere, or the big 5-0…which number five phrase relates to your life in some way currently? Tell us how.

“Take five” currently relates to my life because I often have to “take five” when scrolling through Facebook or watching the evening news. We are living in some trying times.

4. During this season of spending so much time at home, what distractions get in the way of being your most productive? Or have you been extra productive since this whole thing started?

Health issues tend to be my biggest road block to being productive, but it’s also very easy to get distracted by social media–or that 300 piece puzzle sitting beside my chair! (my latest hobby)

5. Give us a list here of your top five anything.

Five of my favorite gospel songs: (in no special order, and it was hard to stop at just five!)

1. Precious Memories- Alan Jackson
2. What a Beautiful Day (for the Lord to Come Again)- Brian Free
3. 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)- Matt Redman
4. Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)-Chris Tomlin
5. Turn Your Back- Gold City

Random:

I’ve used a ton of bird seed this spring and summer! We have five different bird feeders, and Ed and I’ve been doing some serious bird watching, while being stuck at home. We have cardinals, blue jays, mocking birds, brown thrashers, and two different kinds of dove that regularly visit our bird feeders. We’ve even had some woodpeckers visit our feeders! We didn’t know woodpeckers ate bird seed!

It’s been rewarding to watch the adults raise their babies in nests and bird houses, located around our yard, then watch the babies growing up into adults as they come to feed daily.

I have a once-in-a-lifetime tale of the rescue and survival of one of these babies… but I think I’ll save the story of “Flutterbee” for another day!

R

In the Middle of Another Hodgepodge…

Boy, does it ever feel like the middle of summer here in our neck of the woods!  It’s in the 90’s, too hot to do much, so I’m cooling off with another Hodgepodge.  Thanks for the welcomed distraction, Joyce. 

Let me begin by making an update to last week’s post: Our area schools were supposed to open this week, but our officials got “cold feet” and decided to postpone opening until September 8.  That was probably a wise decision.

1. August 12th is National Middle Child Day…are you a middle child? If not, where in your family do you fall in terms of birth order? Do you hold true to the typical characteristics of oldest-middle-youngest-only child? (a quick list can be found here) Elaborate.

I’m the youngest of two, born almost nine years apart.  I don’t think I really hold true to the typical characteristics of the youngest child, with the exception of being a little self-centered.  Perhaps it’s because my brother and I only lived in the house together for a little over eight years, I don’t know.

2. Tell us about a time you felt like (or you actually were) in the middle of nowhere.

It was probably the last time my husband, Ed, tried to take a “short cut”.  He’s famous for taking unknown roads in an effort to find a shorter route.  Sometimes it doesn’t work out, and we have to turn around and back track.

3. What’s something you’re smack in the middle of currently?

I’m smack in the middle of reading the book, Splintered, which was written by a former co-worker of mine, who recently died from covid 19. (see random)

4. What’s a food you love to eat that has something delicious in the middle?

I love to eat “tarts”.  Apple or pear are my favorites, and I like eating them while they’re hot.  Just thinking about them is making me hungry!  I need to make some–or maybe not!

5. Share a memory from your middle school days, or junior high if that’s what your school dubbed kids somewhere between grades 6-8.

Back in my day, we graduated from elementary school after completing sixth grade, which meant we attended the high school in the seventh grade.   I don’t remember it being called “junior high”.  I do remember how different and overwhelming it felt, however.  I definitely felt like a small fish in a very big pond!  It wasn’t long before I began to discover [and admire] the older boys on campus–including the one who would later end up being my future husband!  That’s right, I had a seventh grade crush on Ed while he was a senior in high school!

Random:

Covid 19 has really been making the rounds in our little rural area, as well as all of the counties surrounding us.  Every week, new names are being added to our prayer list, and the numbers of cases continue to rise.  Most suffer through the illness at home, but some need to go to the hospital.

Small, rural hospitals have become over-whelmed, struggling to find bigger hospitals to take their sickest covid patients.  Recently, our local hospital called thirty-three different hospitals before finding one willing and able to take a very sick covid patient!  I know of at least one patient that had to wait too long.

The reality of this pandemic [and all of its problems] really hit close to home, last Tuesday, when a former co-worker succumbed to covid 19, while in the process of being transferred.  David, a retired school teacher was just sixty-two years old. He leaves behind a loving wife (who contracted the virus, as well), two grown children and their spouses (one of which also contracted the virus), and three precious grandchildren.  His daughter and her family are members of our church.  David was a very active member of another area church. Our community is sure going to miss him!

 

A “Hello August” Hodgepodge…

 

Finally, I was able to get my act together and participate in today’s Hodgepodge!  Thank you, Joyce, for this brief distraction from all of the craziness that’s going on in our country, today!

1. What’s happening where you live in terms of schools opening? How do you feel about it?

Our teachers have already gone back to work.  Our schools will officially open on Monday, August 10.  There is a choice of attending “in person” or  attending “virtually”.

I feel apprehensive for both teachers and students. Covid 19 is still spreading all over Georgia.  I’m thankful I no longer work in education and I’m thankful all four of our grandchildren are home-schooled.  If I had a school aged child, I don’t think I would send them back to school “in person” at this particular time.

2. What’s something you still do ‘old school’?

Math.  I prefer to use pencil and paper, instead of using a calculator. I also like to figure sale prices in my head.

3. August 4th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Will you/did you celebrate by baking a batch? Eating a batch? Nuts or no nuts? Homemade or store bought? Soft and chewy or do you prefer your cookie to snap when you bite into it?

No, I didn’t celebrate National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day at all.  However, I do enjoy baking and eating cookies whenever possible!  I don’t usually put nuts in my chocolate chip cookies, but I don’t mind if somebody else does!  Of course, I prefer for my chocolate chip cookies to be homemade, soft and chewy.  However, since there are just two of us, I’ll often buy the “break and bake” kind of cookies instead of baking a huge batch of homemade ones.

4. What are you starved for?

I was starved for my daughter’s homemade spaghetti and her Coca Cola cake, but she cooked both on Monday night and invited us over for supper.  Both were delicious, and I went home stuffed!  (Thanks, Brandy!)

5. Anything new and interesting on your August calendar? What is one thing you’re looking forward to this month?

New and interesting:  For the first time in two months, Ed and I were able to “physically” attend church last Sunday.  Our church has been having services since the end of May, but they choose not to wear masks or practice much social distancing (which we don’t understand).  As a result, Ed and I chose not to attend the services (along with a few others).  We’ve been watching services via Facebook for a total of five months.  Finally, the church decided to add an extra [early] service, on Sunday morning, where masks are required and social distancing is enforced.

Looking forward to:  Our oldest son, Brett’s, ordination service on August 7th. Brett’s been serving a very small church for the past seven months, and on this Friday, he is officially being ordained.  It’s been a long time coming… (see below)

Random: 

When our oldest son, Brett, was about two and a half years old, he used to sit in the shopping cart and sing “Amazing Grace” while I did my shopping!  As you might imagine, he garnered a lot of attention.  Brett loved wearing his little suit and tie to church on Sundays, and used to tell me, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a preacher!”  I filed away his words in the back of my mind, and surely didn’t think much about them when we were living through Brett’s very rebellious teenage years!

In looking back over our son’s life, now, I can easily see God’s protection and gentle guidance, through those turbulent teen years and beyond, but it was difficult to see back then!  Brett used to be very a self-centered young man, hell bent on doing whatever made him happy, no matter what the cost to himself or others. He’ll tell you that himself, today.

However, God had another plan for our son, and He made things happen.  Of course, we couldn’t see it at the time, but in hindsight, we can easily see God’s hand on Brett’s life.  Slowly maturing him…protecting him from harm…sending the right people into his life, at the right times…changing his heart and his mind…and eventually, molding him into the man God always intended him to be–a preacher.    Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sweet Kind of Hodgepodge…

 

Y’all, it feels like 110 degrees, outside, ( it’s actually only 96) so I’m relaxing with the Wednesday Hodgepodge, inside, with the air conditioning on the low 70’s!  As they sometimes say here in the south, “My mama didn’t raise a fool!”

With all that being said, in the absence of a pool, I’m going to dive right into today’s Hodgepodge!  Today’s meme is based on the theme of “sweet”.

If you’d like to join in the fun, simply click Joyce’s button at the top of this post!

1. The sweetness of summer…where have you found it recently? If you’re in the Southern hemisphere, feel free to tell us about the sweetness you’re finding in winter.

For the past two Saturdays I’ve found sweetness in spending time with the entire family and getting to see some place different!  Both weekends, our son, Brad, and his wife, Jennifer, graciously offered to host everyone at their home in the country. (It was the first time any of us had been there since they moved in.) 

The first weekend we celebrated the Fourth of July, and the second weekend we celebrated Brad’s thirty-fifth birthday.  Of course, in these days of covid 19, we celebrated outside, socially distanced, with many fans blowing on us, but it was very sweet, none-the-less.  The grand kids all had a great idea, and celebrated with a water sprinkler underneath Evan’s trampoline!  I can’t believe how big they’ve all gotten!

2. Take your sweet time, sweet tooth, home sweet home, short but sweet, the sweet smell of success, sweet talk…choose a sweet idiom and tell us how it fits your life currently?

I’ll have to say “home sweet home” since that’s where we’ve been for the majority of the past four and one-half months!  I can count, on one hand, the number of “outings” we’ve had!

3. Sweet as honey, sweet as sugar, or sweet as pie, which phrase do you use when a sweet phrase is called for? What’s the last sweet treat you indulged in?

I don’t think I really use any of these phrases, but I’ll choose “sweet as sugar”.

The last sweet treat I indulged in [yesterday] was strawberry shortcake.  I made one, and it was delicious!

4. First thing that comes to mind when you hear the word fidget?

I think of those silly little “fidget spinners” that were all the rage a few years back.  I have a red one that lights up, somewhere…

None of my children were fidgety, but Brad was what I always called “a diddler”.  He was always touching things.  Now Brad has a little “diddler” of his own, now.  Isn’t Evan cute with his two front teeth missing?

(photo borrowed from Jennifer’s FB page)

5. Share with us one of your favorite childhood travel memories.

Sometimes, during the summer, my parents would let me go to Jacksonville, Florida to spend a week with my brother and his wife, who were nine years older than me.  I think I may have been about ten or eleven when this summer tradition began.  I loved the feeling of “independence” and always enjoyed the activities that my sister-in-law planned for me. (It might have been a trip to the beach, shopping, or something as simple as playing a board game.)  I haven’t thought about those trips in a long time, but I have fond memories of those days!

Random:

As of this week, our vegetable canning season has ended. I can’t tell you how happy I am about that!  I also can’t tell you how horrified we were when one of our freezers broke in the middle of canning season!  Do you realize there are NO new freezers to buy, at this time?  (There are no swimming pools either, but I don’t want one of those anyway.)

Fortunately, we’d kept a very old freezer that had belonged to Ed’s parents.  We plugged it up and it still worked.  A major crisis was averted, at least for now.

In the meantime, we called a repairman to see if our 46 year-old, broken freezer could be repaired since there are no new freezers to buy, at this time.  It turned out to be a simple fix, but not really a cheap one. ($147)  So far, so good, the freezer’s doing its job. Would you believe we’ve been through FOUR new freezers during the life cycle of this little 46 year-old freezer.  Crazy, is it not?  They don’t make stuff like they used to!

 

 

The “It’s All About Forty” Hodgepodge…

Today’s Hodgepodge is about all things forty!  If you’d like to join in the “forty fun” click on Joyce’s button at the top of this post and jump right in…

1. In a single sentence tell us something about your 40’s. If you haven’t reached that milestone yet tell us (in a single sentence) something about whatever decade you’re in now.

Life, as I’d previously known it, changed forever, when rheumatoid arthritis began attacking my body.

2. Life begins at forty. Agree or disagree? Tell us why. And if not at forty, when?

I disagree! (see my answer to #1)  My forties were filled with working a full-time job, raising three children through their middle school/high school years, all while dealing with a multitude of health issues.  Give me the twenties or thirties any day!

3. Share a favorite book, song, or quote with a number featured in it somewhere.

How about the oldie, but goodie, One (is the Loneliest Number)?  It kind of sums of the season of “social distancing” don’t you think?

4. A picture’s worth a thousand words, a stitch in time saves nine, back to square one, catch-22, on cloud nine, my two cents…pick a number phrase and tell us how it applies to your life currently.

“A picture’s worth a thousand words.”  I’ve seen so many crazy things on television during this season of quarantine.  For instance, the picture of those large white circles painted on the grass of a NY park, last weekend, will be forever etched in my brain…  The circles were for sitting in–to remind people to keep distance between them while relaxing in the park…  Really?

5. Last time you drove more than 40 miles from home?  It’s been quite some time since I “drove” more than 40 miles. (I rarely drive since Ed retired.)  However, Ed and I went to the dermatologist’s office together in February.

More than 400 miles from home?  At the end of February.

Where were you going? Ed and I went to Florida to visit family.

Was it before or after this current season of social distancing? It was just before covid 19 burst onto the scene with a vengeance.

6. It’s harvest time here in our neck of the woods!  If you look closely at the picture, you will see us picking our green beans.  (Our daughter snapped the picture without our knowledge)  We’ve canned 35 quarts of green beans in two days and we are tired!  It’s raining today, so we’re resting.

A Cinco de Mayo Kind of Hodgepodge…

 

I wasn’t feeling well, so I missed last week’s Hodgepodge.  Fortunately, I’m feeling better and am able to participate in the fun today!  If you need a fun little distraction from the gloom and doom of the news, feel free to click Joyce’s button at the top of this post, and jump right in!

1. Question day this week lands on Cinco de Mayo. Are/were tacos on your Tuesday night menu? Hard shell, soft shell or just gimme all the tacos? Are you even a fan of Mexican food? Do you like your salsa mild, spicy, or somewhere in between? Margaritas-Frozen, on the rocks, or no thank you? Have you ever been to Mexico?

Tacos were not on my menu, last night, but left-over bar-b-que was.  We’ve learned to embrace left-overs in this house, and it’s a good thing with things headed in the direction they’re going.  A dollar won’t buy much food, these days, but $1.67 will buy a gallon of gas!

Whenever I do eat tacos, I prefer a hard shell, and I like my salsa on the mild side.  I’m not really a fan of Mexican food, but occasionally I’ll make tacos for something different.

You know, I’ve actually never tried a Margarita, or been to Mexico, and I don’t have any plans to do either.

2. What’s something you may do this month?

I “may” cook lunch for my family on Mother’s Day.  We’ve been “social distancing” for well over nine weeks, and only visiting with family while sitting outside spaced  several feet apart.  The last time our family shared a meal together was the first weekend of March.  So, if the weather permits, we’ll be eating a home-cooked meal [outside] on Sunday. (still trying to social distance, but to a lesser degree)  Sunday is also our oldest son’s 38th birthday. (He was my “Mother’s Day baby)

3. Tell us what’s happening in your state or town as far as restaurants/salons/parks/beaches/businesses opening up. How do you feel about it? Are you out and about or hunkered down? Do you wear a mask?

As most of you know, the state of Georgia led the way in opening back up.  Restaurants, salons, gyms, tattoo parlors, etc. have been open for over a week–with many restrictions.  Many restaurants and other businesses are open [with restrictions] as well.  Personally, I think our state opened too early, but only time will tell.  Our local number of cases haven’t changed, yet.  Our county stands at nine.

I’m still hunkered down! I’ve only been out three times, in over nine weeks, and two of those was for “Walmart Pickup”.  I broke the ‘hunkered down’ tradition for the third time, and went to get my hair cut, yesterday!  My stylist wore a mask, and so did I.  I had my temperature taken upon entering the door, answered a questionnaire, she sanitized before I was allowed to enter…  If I happen to catch the corona virus after all of that, I’ll look better and die a happy woman with a new hair cut!

4. Mother nature, everybody and their mother, mom jeans, like mother like daughter, soccer mom, mother hen, mother lode, necessity is the mother of invention, stay-at-home mom…pick one and tell us how it fits into your life right now.

“Like mother, like daughter” fits my life quite well, and has for a long time.  My daughter and I look alike, think alike, and often act alike.  We both have autoimmune diseases and are frequently suffer with the same symptoms, but usually at different times, thank goodness.  We jokingly say when one of us is “up” the other is often “down”.  Because we share the same kinds of symptoms, we understand just how crappy autoimmune disease can make you feel, and we try to help each other out when we can.

5. April showers bring May flowers…what’s blooming in your yard or garden today?

In the yard – the gardenia bush is blooming in all its glory, as well as our huge magnolia tree.  Such sweet smells! Then we have a few hibiscus bushes beginning to bloom (the yellow is my favorite), as well as some assorted pots and hanging baskets filled with petunias, gerbera daisies, lantana, begonias, geraniums  and impatience.

2020 garden (after ten inches of rain within a week)

In the garden – our squash bushes are blooming, as well as our garden peas and green beans.  So far, it’s been a tough gardening year, between the cooler than normal nights and the over-abundance of rain, but I think it’ll be okay.  If all goes well, we should be eating fresh squash in just a few more days!

Random:  Today is our oldest son’s wedding anniversary.

(picture taken at our neighbor’s strawberry farm)

He and his wife have been married for fourteen years, and have two boys, ages eleven and eight.  Happy anniversary you two.  May you have many more happy anniversaries!

 

Sheltering In Place With A Hodgepodge…

 

After well over a month of hearing about covid-19 on the news, and three weeks of sheltering in place, I’m ready for a little distraction known as “The Wednesday Hodgepodge”.  If you’d like to join in the fun,  just click the button at the top of this post, which will take you to our hostess, Joyce’s blog!

1. Has spring sprung in your part of the world?   

Yes, spring has definitely sprung here in Georgia!  How can you tell?  Our temperatures have been in the high 80’s for a while. (However, we’re experiencing a brief cold snap, today, with a low of 49 this morning)  For the first time I can remember, our azaleas actually bloomed in January!  Our winter was unusually mild.  Did March come in like a lion where you live?  Yes, it did!  At times, the wind has been almost unbearable for the entire month. Going out like a lamb or something more ferocious?  Not much relief in sight, yet.  The wind blew fiercely during the night, and we were under a tornado watch yesterday .

2. The last thing that caused you to spring to your feet?

The last significant thing that made me spring to my feet was our daughter running over to our house yelling “Call 911, your shed’s on fire!” It was lunchtime and Ed and I were sitting at our kitchen table, about to have lunch.  I’ll never forget that day!

3. Do you have a spring clean to-do list?  Yes, well sort of.  Actually, my list is a “to do” for Ed, who usually washes or paints our porches, cleans the outdoor fountains, weeds the flowerbeds, and takes the plants out of the greenhouse.  I usually supervise because my back won’t allow me to do much else. (Yes, I’m having back issues again.) What’s one chore on the list you’ve already managed to accomplish?  Ed’s finished everything on his list except cleaning the porches.  We don’t call him “Fast Eddie” for nothing. What spring clean chore do you most dread? Painting.  Ed feels the same way.

4. Tell us something you’ve learned about yourself or the wider world as a result of social distancing/the virus crisis.  I’ve learned that I am a rule follower, but, apparently many people are not!  I am appalled by the amount of people who are stubbornly refusing to stay home or social distance!  I’ve never seen such blatant disregard for authority or for other people’s health as I have during this virus crisis!  Stay at home people!

5. Something you love that’s the color pink?  I love the pink azaleas growing in front of our house. Sadly, they’ve already shed their blooms for this year.

6. Random:  Ed and I are adjusting to our “new normal” since this virus crisis began. Our days haven’t really changed all that much since we’re both retired.  However, we’ve recently learned how to use Walmart’s grocery pickup service instead of doing our own shopping.  We’re now enjoying weekly church services via Facebook instead of in person, too.  All four of our grandchildren are home-schooled, so closing the schools hasn’t affected them, which makes us happy.  The weather here has been wonderful, so, lately, we’ve been spending lots of time outside visiting with family, a few at a time.  Social distancing, while sitting outside in lawn chairs, isn’t so bad!

However, on the flip side, I’m shocked as I watch the numbers of sick and dead continuing to skyrocket, daily!  I tear up as I listen to the pleas of overwhelmed healthcare workers.  I’m horrified when I see people lying on hospital floors and bodies being loaded into eighteen wheelers parked behind hospitals!  It’s all surreal to me.

My prayers are for the sick, the families of the sick, and those who have lost or will lose loved ones.  My prayers are for all healthcare workers, working on the front lines, battling this contagious virus that we know so little about!  My prayers are for those who are suddenly out of work, as well as those who continue to work, but have to put themselves in harms way to do so.  My prayers are for the elderly who are “sitting ducks” of this virus, but can’t physically visit with their family anymore…and for those who have to die alone.  And last, but certainly not least, my prayers are for our men of God, who spend their days comforting and shepherding their flocks during these perilous times. May God be with them as they continue to preach the Word through any means they can, and comfort us, guide us, and remind us Who is in control when the world seems to be falling apart all around us.  Amen!

Remember Me, Wednesday Hodgepodge?

I’m back!  It’s been a while, and I’ve missed being here.  I’m so thankful to our hostess, Joyce, for keeping The Hodgepodge going, and I’m thankful for the friends I’ve made here.  I’m also looking forward to visiting everyone today!

1. I feel most energized when I …have a restful night’s sleep, which doesn’t happen often.

2. Where were you ten years ago?

Ten years ago, I was living in this same house, but had only been living here about 8 months.  Back then, things were still relatively new and uncluttered.  These days, not so much.

3. July 17th is World Emoji Day. Do you use emojis? Which one’s your favorite? Your most used?

Yes, I use emojis occasionally.  The plain ole’ smiley face is my favorite, and it’s also my most used.

4. What song would you put on a wedding DO NOT PLAY list?

At first I had no idea of what to answer, then I ‘googled’ this question and had a good laugh at some of the titles.  I chose this one, for obvious reasons:

Some of my other favorites were “All My Exes Live in Texas, Suspicious Minds, Lyin’ Eyes,  and D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

5. What deserves less of your attention? More of your attention?

Although I only watch about two hours of television per day, it’s really a useless activity when I think about it, so I’ll say television deserves less of my attention.  As for what deserves more of my attention?  That would be my family.

Random:

I am still alive and doing okay!  I apologize for my absence in The Hodgepodge, but it’s been a busy summer!  My time has been consumed by our garden, and traveling to and from [out-of-town] doctor’s appointments with our daughter.  Then our oldest son and his family decided to buy a new home.  There’s been a lot going on around here!

Believe it or not,  Ed and I haven’t even had a chance to visit St. Simon’s Island yet, but we did manage to celebrate 46 years of marriage on June 18th.  However, I wasn’t feeling well on our anniversary, so we postponed our yearly anniversary trip to KFC until the day after our anniversary.  Our daughter invited us over [next door] to her house for supper on our actual anniversary, and it was delicious.

Our garden is now history, and we’ve had another bountiful season!  All vegetables are now tucked away in the freezer or in jars.  Our daughter’s doctor’s appointments are now less frequent.  We are thankful that our daughter finally has a diagnosis, after several years of suffering, (psoriatic arthritis) plus a treatment (regular injections) that seems to be helping her.  Our son and his family are still in the process of getting moved into their new home, but the worst of that is over (for us, not for them).  Life is slowing down and all is well, once again.  I think I can hear St. Simon’s Island calling my name!

Wednesday Hodgepodge # 352…

 

Last week, this time, I was packing for a quick trip to Florida.  We had a great time visiting with my brother and sister-in-law, but, as usual, time passed quickly.

This week we’ve been picking and shelling garden peas, digging and eating “new potatoes” and pulling up sweet Vidalia onions!  What a difference a day (or seven) makes!  We’re finally getting some much-needed rain on our garden, and we are so thankful for it!!!  It’s been quite a challenge trying to keep a garden the size of ours watered.

With all that being said, now let’s get on with The Hodgepodge!  As always, thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce.

1. What would you say is your biggest day to day challenge?

These days, thanks to rheumatoid arthritis, my biggest day to day challenge is just getting out of bed and getting moving in the mornings.  Many days, the old joints are stiff, and don’t want to move.  Then there’s the fatigue that goes along with RA.  I’m always tired.

2. May 16th is National Biographers Day. What’s a biography you really enjoyed reading? Is this a genre you read regularly?  I’m not sure if autobiographies count, but  I thoroughly enjoyed reading both of [country singer] Loretta Lynn’s autobiographies.  The first is entitled, Coal Miner’s Daughter and the second is entitled Still Woman Enough.  Both were very good and quite entertaining.  I enjoy reading biographies/autobiographies, and read them fairly often.  Dolly Parton’s autobiography, My Life and Other Unfinished Business, was a good read, too.

3. How important is keeping a clean house? 

I enjoy having a clean house, but it doesn’t always happen.  If I feel well, I clean; if not, I don’t worry about it.  I’ve learned to clean the rough spots, and let the rest ride.  Yesterday I had a good day, so I tackled cleaning underneath my bed.  Whew!  What a job that turned out to be!

Do you need to de-clutter your life?  Yes, I do need to de-clutter.  I have accumulated too much stuff, but can’t seem to bring myself to part with much of it, yet.  So, I put everything back underneath my bed, yesterday, except for the dust!  I really must do better in the near future!

4. You’re the 8th dwarf. What’s your name?

Just call me “Nappy” because I look forward to my afternoon nap every day around 2 o’clock.

5. What’s surprised you the most about your life or life in general?

The thing that’s surprises me most about my life is how quickly it’s passing by, now that I’m retired.  I kid you not, time didn’t pass this quickly when I worked!  Several folks we know have passed away, lately, which has also been another reminder of how quickly life is passing.

Random:  The saga of “The Man With the Can” has ended…

Last week I mentioned that “Trouble”, the cat, had been missing for a few days.  Part of the mystery concerning her disappearance has been solved.  Last week, our son began noticing a foul odor, and discovered the decomposing body of “Trouble” underneath his home, on Thursday.  Upon investigating, further, our daughter-in-law discovered that the guy who pressure washed their home had heard the sounds of a cat meowing, loudly, on the day he was washing the house.  The sounds were coming from under the house, he said.  What we don’t know is why “Trouble” was meowing so loudly, or why she failed to come out from under the house.  We wonder if she was sick or injured, and how long it was before she died under there.  She’d been missing about 10 days when our son found her body.  On Saturday morning, “Trouble” was retrieved and buried in Ed’s parents’ yard.  It seemed only fitting that she was laid to rest in the place where her life began, over eighteen years ago.  This cat truly must have had nine lives, and she enjoyed every one of them.  RIP, “Trouble”.