Our son, Josh, golfing at St. Michaels golf club in Scotland before we visited St. Andrews. Our dear DIL, Laura is the photographer.
Since Joyce informed us that August is National Golf month, I’m adding some photos of some favorite golf shots involving our family.
It is Wednesday and time to post answers to Joyce’s weekly Hodgepodge questions.
1. August is National Golf month…do you play? Do you enjoy following golf? Have you ever been to a professional tournament?
When our kids were in high school and I was part of the PTA, we raised money by serving at snack bars for a professional tournament in our town at the Inglewood Golf Club.
In 2024 while travelling in Scotland with Josh and Laura we toured one of the most famous Golf courses in the world, St. Andrews.
I don’t follow golf except for enjoying photos of our sons or nephew from the golf courses they enjoy a round of golf at. Just this past week our son, Josh, enjoyed a course in Otsego, New York. Josh and Laura traveled for a Baseball tournament that Laura’s brother and nephew were participants in at Cooperstown Dream Park.
Otsego Golf Club was established in 1894 and is one of America’s oldest courses. it is located on the shores of Otsego Lake and just nine miles from Cooperstown, NY.
In 1904 the club was taken over by Arthur Ryerson who as history tells traveled to St. Andrews golf course in his lifetime. Ryerson, traveling back from Great Britain, died heroically in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
2. Astronaut Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame passed away this past Thursday. Are you interested in outer space and what’s happening today in terms of space exploration? If space travel became common in your lifetime would you go? How do you personally relate to the idea of exploring something vast and mysterious…does the idea excite you, intimidate you, or something else?
I’m not leaving the earth until the Rapture occurs or until God calls me home. I do admire space travelers. I’ll stick to exploring less vast and mysterious places like abbeys and cathedrals and ancient towns.
3. Describe your communication style in three words.
I might need 4 words. Better written than spoken.
My spoken words can get jumbled and aren’t as clear to my intentions as my written words can be. I’m not a great verbal communicator.
Our present culture is so divided that I’m passive in my communication amongst those with certain ‘strong feelings’ about things that do not pertain to eternity. I’m amending what I said before here with the fact that although it is not politics that set the standard for salvation, there are moral issues in policies and laws that go against the Bible and will be a hindrance to peace with God. I do speak up about these issues that do matter and applaud others with a strong voice. It does matter who you are spiritually.
I’ll still be bold in communicating things that matter eternally regardless of ‘feelings’. Every person in the human race has only two destinations eternally. The Bible is clear about these two destinations, heaven and hell.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
Jesus Christ will return to this world in judgement. The only way to be saved from the eternal consequences of your sin is to enter through the narrow gate, repenting (turning from your sin) and calling on the Son of God who gave his life for you, taking the penalty for our sins.
There was one door into the ark that saved Noah and his family from the flood. Similarly, there is only one door that can save us from eternal judgement. Jesus Christ is that door. The Bible states that now is the day of salvation. If you have not already done so, will you turn from your sins and call on the risen Lord Jesus to save you?
By faith, enter the only door that leads to eternal life today. Here’s a link that gives life saving information.
4. Do you have a favorite cookbook?
I’ll have to toot my own horn and say that the cookbooks that I’m part of with the Mennonite girls are my favorites, Mennonite Girls Can Cook, Celebrations by Mennonite Girls Can Cook and Bread for the Journey.
A favorite celebrity chef?
Jamie Oliver and Ina Garten are two celebrity favorites and I’m happy to say I’ve met both of them in person. We met Jamie Oliver at one of his restaurants in London and I met Ina Garten at a book signing in Kirkland, Washington at Sur La Table.
Do you watch any cooking shows on TV?
I do enjoy the Great British Baking Show but we do not have Netflix so I haven’t been able to watch it recently.
5. As a child did you have any back to school traditions? If so, did you carry on those same traditions with your own children? Do you have any back to school traditions you’ve started on your own?
Growing up our back to school traditions involved new outfits and a new pair of shoes to wear for school. Our children were given the option to wear something new for back to school.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
More golfing favorites.
Our son, Dan, golfing with our dear friend, David Dickinson (1950-2016), who shared his love of golf with his sons and our sons. This was the day before Dan and Jamie’s wedding, June of 2015. Dave died a year later.
Our boys golfing with Jamie Dickinson, Dave’s youngest son and a best friend to our boys. This was just a couple weeks ago.
I can take great joy in vicariously enjoying golf through our loved ones experiences.
“Hit em long and straight, boys!”
I went to play golf and tried to shoot my age, but I shot my weight instead. – Bob Hope
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Well this was fun to read and see all of your neat golf pictures! I am the same way with you regarding communication- I think my written skills are better than my spoken ones… I love how you answered the rest of question three. You are so correct in everything you said! I will add that politics do matter quite a bit because who is in charge and the policies enacted potentially impact the ability to spread the Word and bring others to Christ. You are quite right, though, that what ultimately matters is where we’re heading for eternity. I am in awe that you’re a cookbook author!! So impressed. I want to get one of your cookbooks just to say that I “know” one of the authors, lol!!
I tried to amend my sentence on politics. You are right in saying how politics impact us. It reminds me of times historically, even at the beginning of the age of the church how the church was persecuted and times of the reformation and other periods. Even with the opposition the church grew and the Gospel went out boldly. Thank you for your insightful and kind comment.
What a delightful post, Ellen. I enjoyed learning about the different golf courses. I appreciated greatly your answers to #2,3. I also do a better job of communicating with the written word.
…Otsego Lake is a beautiful destination.
I used to say politics didn’t matter, and I do think they mattered far less when our nation shared a mostly similar moral code. I think because the people in charge make policy and law, they can impact our ability to share our faith. What’s happening in Great Britain in terms of free speech is so sad. I think as I get older the urgency to share my faith, particularly with people close to me who I know aren’t believers is much greater than when I was young and felt like there was all the time in the world. I wish I’d been bolder in my younger years. I loved that tidbit about the Titanic. I kind of wish I golfed because the beauty of the courses is very appealing to me. Hope you have a great day!
After reading your comment and Maria’s , I amended my statement a bit. Politics and policies and laws were God given to protect a society and we’ve seen how policies and laws have gone against the Word of God and moral standards. It grieves me to hear and see what is going on in Great Britain. I do hope they have a pendulum swing away from the craziness. Thank you for your thoughtful comment and for hosting.
You weren’t wrong : ) Politics has become all consuming and it’s good to keep our eyes on what really matters.
Great photos of your family and you and the Mennonite girl friends.
Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.
I enjoyed all the golf photos. My husband works for Smithco, they design turf equipment. This week they are having all the sales people at the factory. 🙂 They have a sales person from Scotland.
xx oo
Carla
Yes, to making memories on the links of Scotland!
I like what you said, “Better written than spoken.” Like you, I prefer to choose my words carefully (and all the more so as I age).
Love your display of the Mennonite cookbooks on the plate rack! How clever!
We played once in a while when we lived in Scotland. (You had to right) 🙂 We were not good at it!!! Decided it wasn’t for us.
YAY for getting to Cooperstown/Otsego!! That’s about a 1.5 hour drive south-west from me, but I grew up in central NYS in Herkimer which isn’t all that far from cooperstown. We’ve done the baseball museum ad nauseum. hahah
Our niece lives and works in Edinburgh. She went to college at St Andrews.
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE your answer to #3. AMEN!!
A fun post to be sure! I enjoyed all the photos too. Thanks Ellen and have a great day!
I think it is so cool that you are a published cook book author!! I enjoyed all of the photos. I don’t play but I always think golf courses are beautiful!
You had me at #4!! You didn’t toot loud enough Ellen. What fantastic books – absolutely my favourites. I feel so blessed to have met most of the famous authors and especially you!
I loved how you answered about communication. The most important thing we can communicate to others is how to know Jesus and eternal life.
I have the Mennonite Treasury cookbook and am very attached to it, and I used to go the Mennonite Girls Can Cook website a lot too. Thank you for reminding me that I don’t have my own copy of Mennonite Girls Can Cook and I really think I should own it. Especially since I “know” one of the authors!
Hope you’re having a great week!
Enjoyed reading your answers as always and loved seeing the pictures of your family and friends. It was a fun post.
I really enjoyed your answer for #1 and the photos too, along with the photos in your random thought. Great answer on not doing any space travel. Your written words have always impressed me. Love the photo of the Mennonite girls. I think most of us got a new outfit and shoes for the beginning of school. I do like your random with the photos. So sorry about David’s passing. Love the quote from Bob Hope.