Meme

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Dog Days of Summer Hodgepodge

1. Do your actions match your words? Elaborate.

“They are both approaching the same level of confusion” says Dear. We’re having some issues with the word match in this sentence. My actions are in harmony or in agreement maybe not so much matching. Seriously though, I do think I speak and act consistently.

2. Sick as a dog, go to the dogs, dog days of summer, dog tired, it’s a dog’s life, every dog has it’s day, can’t teach an old dog new tricks…now doggone it which saying could most recently be applied to your life?

Probably the Dog Days of Summer. Summer makes me lethargic. Truth be told…it’s not my favorite season.

On the whole subject of dogs we have never had a pet dog in Dear and my house. Our son Dan now has a dog he inherited when he married Jamie. Rayna is the golden in the photo above the photos in the collage are of the dogs coming to our self-catering cottage in the Cotswolds when the sausages we were cooking reached their noses.

3. Your favorite book featuring a dog in the storyline? What makes it a favorite?

I’m going with Spot in the Dick and Jane series. I can still remember how excited I was to learn to read and I just couldn’t get enough of reading in my elementary years. Spot was the first dog in the first books I read and now I just found out in the original books that Spot was a cat! I cherished my time in the bookmobile when it came to school. The only books we had in our house growing up were the Encyclopedia Britannica and a Bible…written in Russian. We eventually got Bibles in English, too. My older siblings and I would walk a couple miles to the library every month to return and check out new books. We would always check out as many as we could carry home. The above photo are of the original 4 of us who walked to the library together before my mom and pop had 4 more to make our sibling count eight!

4. What’s something you hope to one day have the confidence to do?

Make bread. Yes, I’m part of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook but I don’t make bread and I’d like to change that. I have mastered the roulette above that was a favorite that my mom made growing up and I’m pleased about that.

5. August 16th is National Tell a Joke Day. So tell us a joke.

Just changed my name on Facebook to “No One” so when I see stupid posts I can click on it and it will say ‘No One Likes This’.

Hope you are laughing…

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Here’s something I really like, love and can’t get enough of, Addy May!

Love the eyebrows on this little one and all the expressions she makes. Counting down the days when I can kiss those cheeks…

I’ll be linking up with Jo From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge. She comes up with the questions and we come up with the answers.

Dear and I had a great road trip on Tuesday to Mount Baker Scenic Highway. We enjoyed beautiful vistas and a lake and waterfall. I’ll post about it soon.

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Light My Way Hodgepodge

1. Do you try to set rules for yourself about how you use your time? Explain.

Sometimes. Right now Dear and I have set rules on our eating and drinking habits. The rule is not to eat after five and not to drink after six. This works well when we don’t have overnight guests.

When I’m in a slump I like to use the fifteen minute timer rule. Set the timer and get busy for 15 minutes. It’s amazing what you can get done in fifteen minutes and sometimes this is just the kick start I need to get going and finish a project.

2. Monday was National Lighthouse Day. Have you ever visited a lighthouse? If not, do you have any desire to see one up close? Of the 10 Most Beautiful that made this list which would you most like to see in person-

We have visited a few lighthouses in Washington State, see collage above. These are from the far southwest edge of Washington, the Northeast edge of Washington and the Puget sound area of Seattle.

Lindau Lighthouse (Germany), Fanad Lighthouse (Ireland), Portland Head Light (Maine), Yaquina Bay Light (Oregon) The St. Augustine Light (Florida), Peggys Point Lighthouse (Canada), Start Point Lighthouse (England), Tower of Hercules (Spain), Bass Harbor Head Station (Maine), and White Shoal Light (Michigan)

I’d like to visit Portland Head Light in Maine and Fanad Lighthouse in Ireland.

When you’ve been away, what’s your ‘lighthouse’ telling you you’re on the right road home?

When we are on the road on a longer than usual trip the “lighthouse” for me is turning on Simonds Road and heading up the hill to our street and finally our driveway.

My spiritual lighthouse leading me to my ultimate home is Jesus.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

3. What have you unintentionally stopped doing? Is this something you need to pick back up and begin again, or is it something you need to let go of for now (or even permanently)?

Counting calories and cutting down on what I’m eating has stopped because of our summer company. We’ve had three different groups of loved ones come from far away to enjoy time at this old house and what the Seattle area has to offer. I intend on picking it up again tomorrow since we have no more company coming, that we know of.

4. We’ve had a full week of August. Share a GRAND moment from your month so far.

We had a grand time on Lake Union yesterday late afternoon into the evening on an electric boat. I will share a full post about it soon.

5. Tell us one song you love with the word ‘baby’ in the title.

Baby, Baby by Amy Grant

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

I’m late to the Hodgepodge party as I’ve been busy with our latest company.

We won’t be seeing our eastern girls and our eastern son till September…boohoo. So thankful for text messages with photos attached!

See what others are posting for Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. I’m sure you’ll get to see Jo’s new little grandson who has freshly arrived this August!

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Dredging up the Past…

What’s In A Name? ~ Meme

A name game to lighten up and cool off the summer heat and humidity:

I’m re-posting this from August of 2007 because I’ve got nothing else right now and I’m still going back and cleaning up all my posts from the photobucket assault on my blog photos.

 WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.

Back in 2007 Lana tagged me after she used my middle name. Well it’s hers too because in our Russian culture girls and boys get their father’s name as their middle name. So Lana and I do not have a middle name on our birth certificate but when we are introduced to anyone in our Russian community we are called for example Ellen, “Moisi’s daughter”, Bagdanov. So everyone knows then that I’m a Bagdanov but I’m further identified as belonging to Moisi Bagdanov, not John Bagdanov. Thank God from whom all blessings flow. (oops did I just say that?) So now I have to make up a middle name to use for this meme. I’m not going to stray too far. I’ll use Moses which is pretty much Moisi anyway. So here we go. This is a picture of Moses (Moisi) with me and my younger brother Tim in the very late 50’s.

M ~ Married ~ I’m married to a non-Russian. I was the fourth one of my siblings to be married and I was the first one in my family to marry out! I’m so glad I did.

O ~ Observant ~ I see things I wish I wouldn’t see sometimes. I can see danger on the street or on a playground. I’m very visual. When I had my house cleaning business some of my clients would call me to ask if I’d seen this or that. I could usually tell them exactly where the thing was.

S ~ Shopper~ I love to shop for a bargain. I think I could have made shopping a profession. Shopping for other people is what I enjoy the most. I have to admit though, since I started blogging I haven’t been shopping as much.

E ~ Extravagant ~ I love to be extravagant. I love to treat people. I love to buy gifts for people.  I enjoy going over-the-top.

S ~ Sister ~ I’m a sister 7 times over. I have 4 brothers and 3 sisters. I’m also a sister-in-law to several. I take my title seriously. I love being a loyal sister/sister-in-law  and I’d fight to the death for any of my siblings, just ask my brother Steve…

This was a fun exercise.  If you play along let me know.

Back to 2017…This morning I drove to the airport and picked up my niece and her hubby who are spending a couple nights with us before they head north to Vancouver, B.C. to visit with friends. We met the rest of the family that could for a Sushi lunch. Early this morning I put a Pork Butt in the slow cooker for a Carnitas Taco dinner.

I’m happy to report that the leak we had in our water pipe on our side of the meter has been repaired with the help of a dear friend this past Saturday, woohoo. Thank you Jamie D. and thank you Beth for encouraging him to call us. It’s amazing how great it was to have running water again after the water was shut off for several hours. We’re still praying that the B.C. Fires and the Washington State Fires will be extinguished soon and no new fires will start. Hope all is starting off well for you this week.

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A Strong Hodgepodge

1. We’ve reached edition number 315 here in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. So tell us, what were you doing at 3:15 yesterday? Is that typical? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being low and 10 being high) what’s your energy level usually like at 3:15 PM?

Most Tuesdays at or close to 3:15 you’ll find us enjoying Tequila Tuesday at our local Mexican Restaurant. We’ve been enjoying this tradition for a few years now. When our favorite waitress, Liliana, sees us drive up she heads to the bar to make us a Cadillac Margarita (no salt). Yesterday was no exception and we enjoyed our early dinner/late lunch close to 3:15ish. Things are usually slow at the restaurant so it gives Dear and me a nice stretch of time to talk and get caught up.

Energy level at 3:15 is probably about a 6.

2. A frisbee, a tantrum, a towel, a party, a punch, or a curveball…which have you most recently thrown or had thrown at/for you? Elaborate.

Most recently a party since we had guests for 6 days and we had as many meals and outings as we could fit in over those days. My dishwasher was in constant motion. Thankfully one of the full party days was at our oldest son’s and dil’s so my dishwasher had a day of rest.

3. What are three things that would help you right now. Tell us how or why.

  1. Healing of my carpal tunnel syndrome in my left wrist. It is slowing me down in the scrubbing and weeding departments. BUT just today I was reminding myself that my dear little babushka lived most of her life with just one hand and she accomplished incredible things like raising kids, cooking, cleaning, embroidering, etc. etc.
  2. A contractor or plumber. We have a leak in our water pipes somewhere between the house and the meter and having someone come in to do the repairs would be great. But, Dear will have to be in charge of that since he’s unemployed right now and the extra expense of hiring someone is not in the budget.
  3. A walking partner. Someone who is motivated and won’t let me off the hook. I need to burn more calories than I put in my body.

4. Do you think you’re strong? Why or why not? What makes you strong?

Strong enough physically, except for my carpal tunnel issues right now. I’m strong in my beliefs and this protects me from straying from the Truth. I react strongly to trends that are a load of lies, spiritually. My Dear is a wise man spiritually with good discernment and he helps me stay on tract, too. Staying connected to God and His Holy Spirit makes me strong.

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

5. Do you enjoy reading historical fiction? What’s your favorite book set sometime in the past?

One of my favorites is Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Time is flying with our little Addy May. She’s four months already. Babies change so quickly during their first year of life. We need to plan our next trip across the mountains to see her soon.

3 days,  1 week, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months and 4 months.

Linking up to Wednesday Hodgepodge, where Jo asks the questions and we come up with the answers.

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There She Goes Hodgepodge

1. Growing up, were you close to your grandparents? My maternal grandfather died in Persia before my babushka immigrated to the U.S.A. I was closer to my little maternal babushka. We visited my paternal grandparents regularly and honored them but never were as close to them as to my little babushka.

Tell us one or two specific things you remember about them.

Me and my little babushka on my wedding day. She was a believer and prayed for me all her days and tried to teach me to embroider. She embroidered with one hand because she lost one hand up to her elbow when she was young.

My paternal grandparents loved us as they could. We enjoyed a Russian Banya (Steam bath/sauna) at their home regularly growing up.

2. What’s an item you were attached to as a child? What happened to it?

I have not one item from my childhood that I’m attached to, in fact I have not one item from my childhood.

3. When you look out your window, do you see the forest or the trees (literally and figuratively)? Explain.

Out my current windows I see trees but no forest. I see houses no big views.

4. Do you like sour candies?
I enjoy Mike and Ikes.
Which of the ‘sour’ foods listed below would you say is your favorite?
grapefruit, Greek yogurt, tart cherries, lemons, limes, sauerkraut, buttermilk, or kumquats
limes
Have you ever eaten a kumquat?
Yes, I have. Growing up in Southern California our relatives had kumquat trees and we’d enjoy them fresh off the tree. It’s fun getting past the sour skin to the inner sweetness.

What’s your favorite dish containing one of the sour foods on the list?
I like the effect and taste that limes add to pica de gallo and I enjoy lime in my gin and tonics.

5. July 1st marked the mid point of 2017. In fifteen words or less, tell us how it’s going so far.

Becoming grandparents and watching our granddaughter grow makes 2017 a stand out year.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Summer is great but it’s not my favorite season.

Linking up to Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce asks the questions and we answer them.

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Not So Trifle Hodgepodge

1. When was the last time you chatted with a neighbor? About what? (sharing that last bit is optional)

This past week one of my neighbors rang the doorbell and asked if I would be willing to be used for a practice safety lesson for her autistic son. Her older son had a choking incident and she had to use the Heimlich maneuver on him and she wanted the younger autistic son to learn how to run and get help if she or anyone in the family needed help. I said of course and a while later the young neighbor rang my doorbell. He stood there when I opened the door, not looking me in the eye, with a shy sideways glance but said “my brother needs help”. I told him, “yes, I’d be happy to help and thank you for coming over and ringing my doorbell”.  He was happy to walk away, mission accomplished.

2. River, lake, ocean, or waterfall…which one are you most like and why?

My activity is like an ocean, it comes in waves.

My loyalty is like a river, it runs constantly.

3. July 13 is National Delaware Day. Ever been to Delaware? Delaware is called ‘the first state’ because it was the first to declare independence from the British. What’s your state’s nickname and does that moniker make sense to you? If you were in charge, what nickname would you give your home state?

I don’t think I’ve ever been to Delaware. There’s a possibility I was a passenger in a Volkswagon that drove through Delaware to get to Washington D.C. but since I wasn’t driving at the time I don’t recall the route taken.

My home state is Washington. Washington State’s nickname is The Evergreen State~ I don’t need to change it.

Washington is the second most populous state on the West Coast and in the Western United States, after California. … Washington is a leading lumber producer. Its rugged surface is rich in stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, ponderosa pine, white pine, spruce, larch, and cedar.

4. What dish did you contribute to the last pot luck meal you attended? Do you have a go-to recipe for pot luck suppers?

Trifle was my last contribution to a potluck meal. It was at a belated Father’s Day get together at our son’s home in Eastern Washington. I don’t have a go-to.

5. What is your number one tip for a brand new parent?

This, too, shall pass. Or a great Russian saying that gets a little lost in translation is “By the time they get married they will have forgotten this happened, or this will heal by the time they get married.”

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This week’s favorite expression from Addy May…

She’s a bit concerned that Baba is way across the mountains from her. Thankfully she’s going to brave a road trip and come visit us this coming weekend so she can meet a great auntie and cousins and the an uncle she has not met yet!

Thank you Jo for coming up with the questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Click over to join in the fun.

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Free to be Me Hodgepodge

1. When and where were the best fireworks you’ve ever seen? Speaking of fireworks…do you know your hot buttons? The things people can say and/do to set you off? When was the last time someone pushed one of your hot buttons?

The collage above is taken at Disneyland with Josh and Dan in the early 80’s before Katie was born.

Disneyland puts on a great fireworks show every night.

My hot buttons are pushed when someone who is outspoken speaks out including me in their opinion and then because it’s so against my principles I have to speak out. Those kinds of scenarios make me sweat uncomfortably. I could keep quiet generally and not make a scene but I can’t stay silent when someone includes me in their convictions that are totally against my own.

2. Have you hosted any outdoor summer parties this year? Attended any? What makes for a great outdoor party?

Just hosted our first summer party on the 4th of July with 14 people we love. Some family and some dear friends. The weather was right and the food was satisfying. For me an outdoor party is perfect when the weather, food and people align well. I like an outdoor party with a close home base where the food can be set out inside and people can gather outside with access to the food and facilities close by. Another key to a great party is when everyone who comes contributes to the food table.

3. What does freedom mean to you?

I am so grateful to have been raised in the Home of the brave and land of the free. I love the U.S.A. I am even more grateful for the freedom that I have in Christ.

Galatians 5:1  “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Galatians 2:4 “…our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus…”

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

4. July is National Cell Phone Courtesy month…what annoys you most about people’s cell phone habits?

I don’t appreciate how loud people are when talking on the phone in public places. The worst thing is looking in your rear view mirror riding down the freeway at very high speeds and realizing the person behind you is texting! Yikes, if the traffic stops will they notice in time before crashing into me? I have changed lanes to get away from these scenarios.

5. What’s your current summer anthem?

God Bless America

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Can’t get enough of this little smiley face! She has rolled over from her tummy to her back and now she just rolled over from her back to her tummy! She will be 4 months on July 20th!

Thank you Jo From This Side of the Pond for coming up with the questions and prompts for us to react to on Hodgepodge Wednesday. Click over to read more responses.