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”.

A Mother’s Day Hodgepodge…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ed and I are in the process of getting ready to go on a quick trip to Florida, but I hated not to participate in the Hodgepodge, today, so here I am!  I figure if Joyce can host it, with her house filled with company, I can answer five questions!

As always, thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce.  I really appreciate everything you do, Joyce.  And to all of the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

1. What are your ingredients for a perfect Saturday?

Now that Ed and I are retired, Saturday is the same as any other day. Therefore, as long as Ed is beside me,  any Saturday is pretty much perfect.

2. What skill do you wish more people took the time to learn?

I wish [some] people would take the time to learn how to be courteous and respectful.  There are also a few folks on the road who could use a little more driver’s education, if you know what I mean.

3. What’s something you ate as a child you can’t stand now as an adult?

Fried fish with the bones still in it.

4. Something parenting has taught you? If you’re not a parent tell us one important lesson you learned from your own parents.

Parenting taught me lots of things–like patience, perseverance, and to expect the unexpected!

5. Share a favorite quote or saying about mothers or motherhood.

 Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.

Unknown

Random:

“Trouble” the cat (from my “Man With the Can” stories) is missing!  She disappeared eight days ago, when our son had someone to pressure wash his house.  Apparently, “Trouble” became frightened, and left home.  Ed has searched for her, but had no luck finding her.  “Trouble’s” never stayed gone this long before, so we’re thinking ‘the worst’ may have happened to her.

‘May’ I Present The Wednesday Hodgepodge?

We’re kicking off the month of May by experiencing cool nights and hot days.  It’s also dry, dry, dry!  As I mentioned, last week, all of these things make growing a garden quite a challenge, but we’re hanging in there.

While we’re ‘hanging’, how about we participate in another Wednesday Hodgepodge?  As always, thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce, for keeping The Wednesday Hodgepodge up and running!

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Is there a flower you associate with a particular memory? Explain.

I always associate “azaleas” with “Easter Sunday” because about 80% of the family Easter pictures we have [in our collection] were taken beside some kind of azalea bush.  For the other 20% of our Easter pictures it either rained on Easter, or Easter fell too late for the azaleas to still be blooming.

Whenever possible, before our annual egg hunt, we always take a “family Easter photo” with everybody standing in front of a backdrop of our very old, very large azalea bushes.  We’ve done this for several years.

Easter 2015 (a few azaleas)

Easter 2017 (no azaleas)

April 1987…a family of five (beside those same azaleas)

Oh, my goodness!  Where does time go?  The ‘young’ couple in the photo, above, is now the ‘old’ couple in the two photos preceding it,  and those three children are now the middle aged adults we used to be.

2. Last time you helped someone? Tell us how.

A few days ago, Ed and I kept our two oldest grandsons while their mama went to a doctor’s appointment.  And, last week, I prompted Ed to build those same grandsons a fence for their blackberry bushes to run on.

3. It’s National Salsa Month (the food, not the dance) so tell us, do you like salsa?  I’ll eat salsa, but I can live without it.

Hot, medium, or mild? Mild or medium, not hot!

Homemade, store-bought, or from your favorite restaurant only?  I only eat salsa at Mexican restaurants, and that’s not very often.

4. When I was twelve years old… I was in the seventh grade, and had a crush on the person who would later end up becoming my husband!  That’s right, when I was twelve (and in 7th grade), and Ed was seventeen (and in 12th grade), I had a crush on him.  He didn’t even know I existed, back then, but I knew who he was!

5. It’s the first of May so let’s run with it-first things first, don’t know the first thing about it, first dibs on something, first impression, first-rate, first cousin, first string, first come first served, at first light-which phrase can best be applied to something in your life currently or even recently?

Ed and I always begin our days by doing some Bible reading, then feeding our animals, then we eat breakfast ourselves. First things first!

Random:  “Perils of Farm Living”

Ed and I live in the country, and have always gotten our water from a shallow well, located in the corner of our yard.  One evening, many years ago, while brushing his teeth, Ed remarked to me that the water coming out of our faucet smelled bad.  I told him I really hadn’t noticed, and thought it was okay.  Thankfully, he didn’t listen, but went out to investigate the well.

It turned out we had a dead snake floating in our well!!!  Needless to say, our entire family turned a bit ‘green’ at the thought of the water we’d been drinking!  Ed rigged up a contraption with a stick and some string, and had a grand old time trying to lasso that dead snake out of 23 feet of water!  Finally, he succeeded in removing the snake from our well.

We sanitized our well, with chlorine, but continued using bottled water for cooking/drinking, for quite sometime.  (I won’t even elaborate about what heavily chlorinated well water does to your dark laundry!)  Last, but not least, Ed made sure any openings in the top of the well were sealed and secure.

Flash forward about twenty years.  This time it was me who noticed the foul smell of the water!  It was after 10 p.m., on Sunday night, but when I said something, Ed immediately grabbed his flashlight and headed to the well!  This time he discovered a dead rat floating in our well!  Once again, we felt our stomachs growing queasy, and once again, Ed rigged up another contraption and went ‘fishing’ in our well–at 11 o’clock that night!

Ed accomplished the mission of removing the intruder, and we’re about to begin the process of sanitizing the well, today. (Trying to get all of our laundry washed up first)  Needless to say, we’re using bottled water for cooking and drinking purposes! Now, what were the chances of this happening to us twice in our lifetime, but we weren’t alone in our misery, this time?!

Our daughter and her family, who now live in that house next door, also get their water from this same well.  They’ve been dealing with some queasy feelings, as well, and are also using bottled water for cooking/drinking.  I guess Ed and I won’t be the only ones wearing faded clothes, either.

You know what they say, misery loves company!

 

Goodbye April, Hello Hodgepodge…

Can you believe this is already the last Hodgepodge of April?  It’s crazy how quickly time is flying by!  I don’t believe time passed this quickly when I was younger.  I KNOW it didn’t pass this quickly when Ed was serving his overseas tour of duty, back in the early 70’s, but that was then, and this is now…

How about we get on with The Wednesday Hodgepodge, before any more time slips away?  As always, thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for the fantastic questions she provides!

1. They say you learn something new every day. What did you learn yesterday?
I learned that being cooped, up in the house, with Ed, while trying to change out the seasonal decor is stressful for both of us!  Ed usually ‘flies the coop’ when I drag out those plastic storage boxes, but he was trapped inside, yesterday, because of rain.
2. Have you ever had a now or never moment? Elaborate.

I’m going to say it was when Ed and I finally decided to start our family.  We’d been married for almost six years, when we began trying, and people had already stopped asking us when we were going to have a baby.  Boy were some folks surprised when we ended up having three babies within the next seven and a half years!

3.  April 25th is National Telephone Day. Do you still have a land line or have you gone mobile only?

We actually still have our land line.  Ed and I both have cell phones, but rarely turn them on when we’re at home.  I use my cell to make any long distance calls, since I’ve dropped that service from our land line, but that’s about the only time I use my cell phone, unless I call Ed in Wal-mart to find out where [in the store] he is!

When you receive a text message do you respond immediately?

I don’t text at all, and Ed texts only on rare occasions.

Last time you turned your phone off?

My phone stays turned off most of the time.  I refuse to be “tied” to a telephone. (see memory below)

 In two or three sentences share with us a story/memory/incident from your childhood (or something current if that’s too hard) where the telephone is featured.

My phone memories are not from my childhood, but from my days of being married and raising a family.  For many years, my husband, Ed, worked as a radiology technician for a very small, rural hospital, which meant he had to be “on call” every 3rd night and every 3rd weekend.  On those days (and nights), our lives revolved around the telephone.  In the early years, Ed didn’t  have a beeper, so we had to literally stay beside the telephone!  At one point, we even had a bell installed on the outside of our house, so Ed could go outside and still be able hear the phone. (this was before the days of cordless phones)  This was also before the era of “call waiting”, so we had to keep the phone line free in case the hospital tried to call Ed.  Try explaining this to teens!  On more than one occasion, our family had their phone conversations rudely interrupted by the operator!  We laugh about these memories (sometimes).  I can’t begin to tell you how many hot meals Ed had to get up and leave or how many nights of sleep he had interrupted (often more than once) because of the telephone.  Ed was “on call” for twenty years of our marriage!

4. Close call, at someone’s beck and call, call the shots, call a meeting, call it quits, call in sick, call on the carpet, wake up call…which call have you ‘heard’ recently? Explain.

Since we recently went on a four-day/three-night bus tour, I’m going to say “wake up call”.  Ed and I had to set our alarm clock every night, so we’d be ready to board the bus bright and early the next morning!

5. What subject do you wish you’d paid more attention to in school?

I don’t know… perhaps history.  I never liked history, and had a hard time paying attention in that class.  It didn’t help that the teacher was boring, either!

Random: 

Gardening season 2018 has proven to be a bit of a challenge for us, so far.  Lack of rainfall, in addition to unseasonably cold temperatures sure is keeping us on our toes!  For the first time, we’re having to replant a few things.  Here’s what we have growing, so far:

left to right: tomatoes, several rows of beans, (a black cat!), lettuce/cabbage, potatoes, garden peas, onions, radishes, and carrots

Also, I’m slowly writing a series about our recent trip to Kentucky.  If anyone’s interested in what I’ve shared on my blog, so far, you can find it HERE and HERE.

A ‘Restful’ Kind Of Hodgepodge…

I’ve entitled today’s post “A Restful Kind of Hodgepodge” because rest is what I need most, right now!  Ed and I have just completed two very busy weeks, and this blogger is worn out– but in a good sort of way.  As I write this,  I’ve just returned from a six hour ordeal of having my yearly exam at the gynecologist’s office (3 hours of travel, 3 hours of wait time), but, for now, I’ll press on a while longer, with today’s Hodgepodge.  I’ve missed the last two weeks, and hate to let another week pass.  As always, thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce, for everything that she does!

Here are today’s questions:

1. Three things on your spring bucket list? If you don’t have an actual list that’s fine, pretend you do.

#1-Plant another garden (done), #2- go on a bus tour to Kentucky (done), #3- have yearly exam done at gynecologist (done)

2. Where do you find rest?  Are you speaking literally? If so, then  in my bed, at night, or stretched out on the couch, during the day.

What restores your soul? Reading my Bible, meeting with like-minded believers, singing hymns, listening to a good preacher, and, sometimes, just sitting under those oak trees on St. Simon’s Island!

When was the last time you did whatever it was you answered here?    Last week, our church had revival, on Wednesday through Sunday, so I did lots of everything listed above, with the exception of visiting St. Simon’s Island.  It was a great week, and I’m feeling revived and restored!

3. April is National Celery Month. Who knew?  Not me!

Do you like celery?  Not very much.

What’s your favorite dish made with celery? Cornbread stuffing, or what we folks in “Gooseneck” like to call “dressing”.

On a veggie and dip platter which would you reach for first-carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumbers or cherry tomatoes? 

I’d probably go for the carrot sticks first, especially if there’s dip.

4. I read here eight things to do before 8 am to make your day less hectic-Start one load of laundry, drink water, empty the dishwasher, read your Bible, know what you’re having for dinner, get dressed, brain dump (two lists-one what you’re thankful for and one what’s weighing on your mind), and after the brain dump make your to-list for the day

How many of these are you currently doing?  Usually, the only thing on the list that I do before 8 a.m. is drink a glass of water (while taking my morning medication).  I do my “chicken chores” and take a walk from 7:30 until 8.  Afterward,  I read my Bible,  then read/write in my prayer journal,  eat breakfast, get dressed, then start a load of laundry–usually in that order. (And for those who may be wondering– we live in the country, so I often do my chores and take a walk wearing my pajamas and a coat.)

Which one do you think would help the most if you added it to your early morning routine?  I’d probably look a little better if I got dressed first!

5. Describe the view from your window.

From my chair, I can see Ed’s little red tractor (parked under the little shelter he built).  Next to that, I see the large Sycamore tree that Ed planted for me, years ago, (against his wishes), and the little Mimosa tree he dug up from some nearby woods, and planted for me on our last (45th) anniversary (also against his wishes).  Both trees are thriving.  I’m thinking my Ed is a mighty good man!

Random:

The day after Easter, Ed and I left on our four-day trip to Kentucky to visit The Ark Encounter and The Creation Museum.  We had a wonderful time, and saw many interesting places!

The replica of the ark is very large and very interesting.  I loved The Creation Museum, as well.  I highly recommend visiting both places, if you’re ever in Kentucky.  It will be even more fun if you’ll travel with a group of church folks on a tour bus, like we did!  Fun times!

in front of the replica of Noah’s Ark

in front of The Creation Museum

In case you can’t tell by the looks of my hair, it was windy in Kentucky!  It turned cold, overnight, and we even saw some snow flurries while at The Creation Museum!  This was quite a change from the 80 degree temperatures we left behind in Georgia!

I’m planning to blog more about our trip as soon as I rest up a bit more.  It’s been non-stop, here, since before Easter!  Calgon, take me away…

An “Egg-stra” Special Hodgepodge…

 

As usual, another week has flown by.  Can you believe it’s almost time to celebrate Easter?  Actually, we’ve already been doing some early celebrating, but I’m getting ahead of myself!

As always, thanks to Joyce, for another great Hodgepodge.  Here are this week’s questions:

1. What’s a word that describes your life?  In a nutshell, I’m retired!

A word you wish described your life?  Younger, but I guess you can’t be retired and young at the same time, or can you?

2. Back in my day we had a lot less, but we appreciated whatever we had a whole lot more!

3. When it comes to takeout are you more likely to opt for Italian, Mexican, or Chinese food?  I’ll say Italian because sometimes we order pizza.

Does a typical week at your house include takeout?  Sometimes, but not always.

4. Think about the people you most respect. What is it about them that earned your respect?  Their dependability.

5. What’s something your friends might see and say is ‘so you’?  That’s a tough one, but I’ll say “a black PT Cruiser” because I’ve had mine for seventeen years, and I still love it!  I think I’m the only one in town who [still] owns one.

Random:

Ed and I will be leaving on our trip [to visit the replica of Noah’s Ark] bright and early, the day after Easter.  Because of this, our family got together to do a little early celebrating, last weekend.  The weather was ‘picture perfect’ and we were able to spend the entire afternoon outside!  The grandchildren played, dyed eggs, then made an attempt to find 350 plastic eggs.  As usual, they didn’t find them all! (Would you believe, a few days ago, Ed just found an egg from last year?)

Ed and I followed Saturday’s festivities with two wonderful [Palm Sunday] services at church, on Sunday.  I almost feel like Easter is already over, but, thankfully, it’s not!  I’m looking forward to Sunday’s Easter services, followed by a fantastic meal at our oldest son’s house, followed by a four-day church trip!

Here are a few pictures from last Saturday:

 dying eggs 

hunting eggs

finding eggs

Easter 2018

From our family to yours: Have a happy and blessed Easter, everyone!

‘Springing’ Into Another Hodgepodge…

 

Welcome spring, and welcome Wednesday Hodgepodge!  I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday again, and I can’t believe it’s spring!  As always, thank you to our hostess, Joyce, for hosting this fun meme for us.  Here are today’s questions:

1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you’re looking forward to in this season of the year.

Spring is my favorite time of the year, so I’m looking forward to several things (besides the weather).  First of all, I’m looking forward to our annual egg coloring/egg hunting Saturday with our grandchildren.  Then, of course, there’s the Easter Sunday services followed by the delicious meal.  After Easter, I’m looking forward to hopping on a chartered bus and heading to Kentucky [along with Ed and many of our fellow church members] to see the replica of Noah’s Ark and the Creation Museum.  Last, but certainly least, I’m looking forward to spending some time under my favorite oak tree at St. Simon’s Island, again.

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards?  I’d rather wash baseboards.

Clean out closets or clean out the garage?  I’d rather clean out closets.

Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases?  I’d rather dust bookcases.

Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside?  Neither one, but if I have to choose one I’ll wipe down patio furniture.

Any of these tasks recently completed?  No, but I’m working on a couple of them.

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese?  Chocolate Delight

Sour cream?  Pound cake

Whipped cream?  Strawberry Pie

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation? I’ve been guilty of adding an extra “i” at the ending of mischievous.  However, my youngest son might tell you I misprounce the word “Pontiac”.

5. What’s a song you love with the word ‘rain’ in the title or lyrics?  I’m still partial to “Rainy Night in Georgia” by Brook Benton.  Hearing that song can take me right back to Ed’s days of army basic training, and the special times we spent together.  Ah, young love…

Random:

The sun was a little bright in this picture, but, as you can see, the azaleas are in full bloom!  Happy Spring!

Spring 2018

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.