One of the Hodgepodge questions asked us if we’d been to a Disney Park. This photo is from the end of 1991 just before we attended the 1992 Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena on New Year’s Day 1992, University of Washington v. Michigan. Many college football fans represented their colors at Disneyland before and after the Rose Bowl game.
A fresh week of Wednesday Hodgepodge questions thanks to Joyce From This Side of the Pond.
1. What’s a characteristic you admire in others? Elaborate.
I really admire people who can engage others in conversation by asking good questions. I’d like to develop the art of asking good questions in order to get to know people better.
2. Do you have a favorite mug? Let’s see it. Why is this one your favorite?
The mug on the left is my favorite daily mug. It greets me in the morning with a good 16 ounces of coffee. I bought that mug in Windsor, England at a TKMaxx.
3. July 15th is/was National Give Something Away Day…will you (or did you, depending on what day you answer these questions) give something away? If so what? Do you regularly give away or do you tend to ‘accumulate’?
We will be donating even more stuff from our garage sale to ‘The Bridge’ here in Colville. The back of my vehicle is filled with stuff.
4. You’re planning a trip. Do you prefer exploring big cities or smaller, more off the grid towns? World Atlas lists these 12 ‘off the grid’ towns to see in 2025. How many on the list have you seen? Of those listed which one would you most like to visit? Tell us why?
Boothbay Harbor Maine, Middlebury Vermont, New Hope Pennsylvania, Rehoboth Beach Delaware, Brevard North Carolina, Saugatuck Michigan, Medora North Dakota, Ouray Colorado, Lamoille Nevada, Neah Bay Washington, Hood River Oregon, or Cambria California
We’ve only been to the West Coast areas listed in California, Oregon and Washington states.
We saw Neah Bay on our way to Cape Flattery in Washington State. It is part of the Makah Reservation.
We crossed the Hood River Bridge from Oregon to Washington State to go to Bonneville Hot Springs.
In September of 2009 we were in Cambria. It is a charming little seaside town on the California Coast.
*You can read more about each destination by clicking the link above.
5. Have you ever…ridden a motorcycle? Yes, in high school.
I had a ‘boyfriend’ that gave me a ride.
been to a Disney park? Yes
Collage above is with photos from 1986 and 1991.
Growing up in Southern California and living there until 1988 afforded us lots of trips to Disneyland over the years. Our 9th grade end of year party was at Disneyland. The last time I was there was a family trip to Disneyland in January of 2023.
met a celebrity? Yes, and I have a lot of shameless name dropping to add here. 🙂
In 2013 when Josh, Laura, Greg and I were in London we stopped in at one of Jamie Oliver’s Restaurants and he happened to walk in while we were there. He came to our table to say hi and we got a photo with him.
Greg and I also had the interesting experience of sitting in the VIP box for an Elton John concert at Dodger Stadium for his performance there in 1975. We didn’t meet Elton but we met his mother who was seated there, too. The office manager for Elton was a friend of ours and we were hosting John and Jan and their toddler at our apartment in Los Angeles. We drove John to the concert and he flashed his ID/VIP passes for parking and to get us seats.
In November of 1960 my older sisters and I walked the block and a half to Whittier Boulevard in Montebello to watch John F. Kennedy come by in a convertible and we were able to shake his hand. He was campaigning in the Los Angeles area.
Greg met Peter Falk (Columbo). Greg, his dad and brother painted Columbo’s house in Beverly Hills 1972ish.
One of our favorite famous people who never aspired to fame and who was a humble servant of God, died on Monday, John MacArthur, the pastor of Grace Community church for 56 years. He was our first pastor after we were married. His fame centers on his faith in Jesus Christ and faithful expository preaching of the Word of God. We spent a more intimate time with both him and his father Jack at a Christmas dinner party in the Hollywood Hills in the home of a famous Hollywood set designer, Bob Keene. Bob and Sharon invited us to the dinner while we were still living in Huntington Beach in the 1980’s. We met and became good friends with Bob Keene while singing in the Christian band that Bob’s brother was the leader of. Bob’s brother Tom, an arranger/ composer and musician was also famous in L.A. for his musical skills. Tom Keene has arranged and produced hundreds of albums and played for such artists as Ralph Carmichael, Bill Gaither and Andrae Crouch. But, back to Bob…
This tribute was written about Bob Keene after he died in 2003. His funeral service was held at Grace Community Church.
Bob Keene, one of the most prolific production designers in live television, died recently, according to the Grammy Awards website. He served as the production designer for Grammy telecasts dating back to the mid ’80s, as well as desiging the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. In addition, he worked on several Academy Awards shows, and was the production designer for Magic Johnson’s talk show The Magic Hour.
“To Bob Keene, all the world was not merely a stage but a blank canvas from which he created the figurative and literal backdrop of the Grammy Awards for nearly 20 years,” says Recording Academy president Neil Portnow. “Today, the curtains have closed, the stage is dark, and the theater is hushed, as the entertainment industry has lost a true visionary. We at the Recording Academy are deeply saddened by his loss, and our sympathies go out to his family, friends and all who knew him.”
Bob and Sharon Keene on Bob’s Emmy Award Set – 1997
Oh boy that was a lot of name dropping but you can blame Joyce for asking the question.
won a contest? Yes
The school district our kids were part of had a contest to name a new school. The new school was taking in students from Woodin Elementary and Moorlands Elementary so I came up with Woodmoor for the name of the new school and they chose it over all the other entries.
Woodmoor Elementary School ~ Home of the Dolphins
Tell us something about whatever you answered yes to on this list.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
A beloved pastor who finished his race and is with his Savior (1939-2025).
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 