Wednesday Hodgepodge has rolled around again, thank you, Joyce!
1. ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’ How does this saying ring true in your own family, either the one you grew up in or the one you made?
In the family I grew up in, singing was something my parents enjoyed and that has been passed down to me and most of my siblings. Singing at church and singing when we had company over was a regular thing. Singing in choirs, singing in quartets, trios, duets, singing in Russian and in English, singing for recordings, and for me, singing in a Christian ‘rock’ band. Greg and I met because of that group.
The Russian Sacred Singers of Los Angeles are a group of California young people of Russian background. They sing in English and Russian under the inspiring leadership of director Leonard Wozniuk. The unique bi-lingual choir responded to our challenge to record their selections for radio use. Today, their joyful singing is heard world-wide over several short-wave radio stations and over local broadcasts in North and South America.
I’m on the bottom right, my sister, my cousins, and best friend complete the row. Second row on the left are two more cousins. The director is my brother-in-law. The Russian Choir and the Rock band were active in the 70’s!
Greg and I are on the right end of this photo. The photo was from somewhere in England, possibly Liverpool.
2. Something you’re nuts about these days?
Time spent with family.
How about something that’s driving you nuts?
Stink bugs are in abundance this year! This is a male stink bug. The females are rounder in the body.
Stink bugs, especially brown marmorated stink bugs or BMSB, are notorious for invading homes when the weather starts to cool. And while they aren’t interested in stealing your food or sucking your blood, their offensive odor is just as annoying to homeowners.
3. What does abundance mean to you?
These words from Jesus from the Amplified Bible:
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
Jesus is my abundance and I thank God for his plan of salvation through Jesus and for the Holy Spirit who helps me have faith and belief in the triune God.
4. Caramel apple-caramel cake-caramel corn-caramel sundae-caramel macchiatto…what’s your caramel treat of choice?
5. What’s a childhood memory that always comes to mind as the leaves start to fall?
Growing up in southern California did not afford me many memories of fall, at all. We moved to Washington state in 1988 and that is when I became more familiar with fall color and having to rake leaves! Our children were young enough that they are now the ones with childhood memories of leaves!
6. Insert. your own random thought here.
Our Grands are growing up with four seasons and lots of leaves! These photos were from a few years back while helping their Granny blow the leaves into a pile for the city to pick up.
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I’ll (leaf) leave you here. 🙂
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Great pictures of your grandkids! I forgot about your singing days- that choral group is so cool- singing in English and in Russian. You guys look so groovy and how neat that God orchestrated for you to meet your husband there! It is wild to me to realize that in parts of the country, people don´t experience all four seasons. I have experienced four seasons every year of my life by dint of where I´ve lived. Have a great day!
Cute photos of the kiddies, they are having fun playing in the leaves.
We are invaded with stink bugs too, they are awful.
Take care, have a great day!
So far I haven’t had stink bugs in the house. There is a cricket living in our garage– I heard him (her?) this morning when I opened the door from the house.
Autumn leaves are the best! Love the photos of the grands!
We’ve had female stink bugs clinging to our dining room window screens for the past month. I keep flicking them off. Thankfully none are in the house. Can’t stand them! we do have a cricket in our basement. i am ok with crickets. hahah
I love all of your grandchildren photos! They’re adorable!!
I used to love caramel apples when I was a little girl…now? nope.
I love autumn here in NYS!!
…leaves are fun when you are young and not so much as you age!
The city used to pick up the leaves in our town too. You raked them to the curb and they came by and gobbled them up with a machine. I love four seasons and tell my hubs it’s why I don’t want to live in Florida. I love the changes that come with each new season. We have a lot of pines here so pick up mostly pine cones as opposed to leaves. The mountains are close though and we love to go up there to see more color.
I sure enjoyed your photos of playing in the leaves…this is what Fall is all about. I’m with you ….I love a good ol’ Caramel Apple. I don’t even want the extra that so many people put on the caramel like M&M’s or cookies and such…just a plain ol’ caramel apple. Happy Hodgepodge day…
Music/singing is a great “apple” to carry through the generations! Love the photos and love that you and Greg met in your singing group! Ugh to the stink bugs. They are annoying. I think Bekah would trade our camel crickets in for your stink bugs though! Precious pics of your younger grands enjoying the leaves! I am happy to live in a place with seasons. Your caramel apple is making my mouth water and now I “need” to have one! 🙂
I loved all the photos and memories about leaves. 🙂
I love the seasons, we had our first frost this morning, it is 28 degrees.
All of the singing sounds wonderful especially the rock band.
Yuck to the stink bugs!
Fab photos! I love the one’s of the kids playing in the leaves.
I’ve been following your blog for years, so when you posted these pictures of your younger days in the singing groups, I found you right away. You have a wonderful history with your Christ-honoring family. I enjoy reading about that.
I love having my four seasons. Each season brings something new. Growing up, I didn’t have the pleasure in jumping in the leaves but my grandsons now do!!
Those stink bugs!!! How to do they ever get in the house!
Such fun photos of your grandchildren in the leaves. I think I would struggle if I didn’t have four seasons. B x
I always enjoyed raking up the leaves and then jumping in them. 🙂
Now I like walking in them.
Always enjoy your photos.
I read that some of the big bread companies are grinding up stinkbugs and adding them to bread dough to extend it and marketing under “protein bread”
I didn’t even think about music as an example of the apples not falling far from the tree, but a love of music is something that’s been passed down from my parents and grandparents, and that I’ve passed down to my kids too. Love those joyful photos of playing in the leaves! Great memories being made in those moments!
Absolutely adorable post! Blessings.
Always enjoyed, thank you Ellen. Your grands are my biggest smile bringers.
Happiness are the memories created in these photographs!
Sweet photo at the top. Love it! That is interesting about the singing. So you know Russian. Yes, it’s awesome being with family. I’m not familiar with stink bugs. I love the Jesus is your abundance. I agree with the caramel apple. I have memories with the Fall leaves growing up in Chicago but my kids don’t have any being in California. Such cute pictures of the Grands.