Around We Go Hodgepodge

It’s time to go around again with Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you Jo From This Side of the Pond! 

1. July 25th is National Merry-Go-Round Day. Do you call it a merry-go-round or a carousel?

I’ve called them both. The collage above was from a family trip to Arizona a couple years back.

When was the last time you rode one? Did you enjoy that?

We enjoyed riding on one with the Grands at Disneyland back in January of this year.

Metaphorically speaking, what’s something in your life right now that feels like a merry go round? 

Ugh, hate to even bring it up but the whole losing pounds and then gaining them back.

2. What word do you have a hard time pronouncing?

Fentanyl. It’s not fentanol it is fentanil. Dear is a retired pharmacist and he always corrects news people, etc., when they pronounce a drug wrong. Not only is it hard to pronounce correctly it is causing so many deaths and problems in our nation.

What word do you have a hard time spelling?

I used to have a problem spelling conscience but then I started pronouncing it con-science and it solved my problem with spelling. 🙂 License is another one that I have to always think about when writing it out.

What’s your favorite word in another language? 

Right now I’m practicing saying, Sláinte. Sláinte means “health” in both Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

I’m looking forward to using that word in September.

3. What’s a phrase or cliche you use pretty often and find to be true?

Lord willing is one that is always true. I know our plans are always subject to change because of what God wills in our lives.

4. When it comes to grocery shopping what is your most dreaded chore-menu planning, the actual shopping and paying, or the unloading/putting away?

These days it is the actual menu planning that hasn’t come easily. When the meal is planned and agreed upon the rest of the tasks are pretty seamless. Might sound weird but sometimes an inspiration for a meal will pop into my head while I’m in the store and I find that fun to gather the ingredients and go for it.

How often do you shop? Do you use any of the pick up and/or delivery services?

Whenever I’m in town for other reasons I pop into the stores and do some shopping. I do not have a set day or times in the week to shop. I do not use pick up or delivery services.

5. Something you need or want to do before July comes to a close? 

Pack for our trip to Dallas. We will be celebrating our youngest siblings turning 60!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

These two were a wonderful caboose to our family. We are looking forward to celebrating them as they turn 60. I was 12 when they were born and what a surprise they were to our whole family including our Pop because our Mom did not tell him or the rest of us that she was having twins.

Walks North and South

Sunday the 16th of July we headed out our door and walked north on our road until we reached this private drive that leads to many houses (see the mailboxes) and walked down across the stream and back to the main road again. On Sundays our road has a lot less traffic and very few if any log trucks or large chip trucks.

 

A week later on a Saturday we decided to try walking south out our door and onto a less traveled street for our walk. We’ll be doing this walk on the weekends from now on since the traffic is very quiet there on the weekends.

We try to get out the door at 5:30am and that insures even less traffic. Things start picking up at 6:30am.

Caravan Guests

Thursday last, one of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook and her hubby arrived for an overnight stay on our property. Judy and her hubby were at the beginning of a road trip from B.C. to Manitoba via a highway in the U.S.A. We had dinner together and enjoyed dessert, too.

Blintzes with huckleberries ( a new taste treat for Judy and Elmer) and strawberries and raspberry syrup.

After dinner we braved the heat and mosquitoes for some conversation on the deck.

Friday morning we had some coffee together before it was time for them to hit the road to their next overnight destination in Idaho.

Till next time happy trails!

During this same time our kids were all together on the other side of the mountains enjoying some special time with each other.

Summer at it’s best.

 

When This Passing World is Done ~ Hymn

 

When This Passing World is Done

When this passing world is done,
When has sunk yon glaring sun,
When we stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o’er life’s finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.

When I hear the wicked call,
On the rocks and hills to fall,
When I see them start and shrink
On the fiery deluge brink,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne,
Dressed in beauty not my own,
When I see Thee as Thou art,
Love Thee with unsinning heart,
Then Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.

When the praise of Heav’n I hear,
Loud as thunders to the ear,
Loud as many waters’ noise,
Sweet as harp’s melodious voice,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.

Even on earth, as through a glass
Darkly, let Thy glory pass,
Make forgiveness feel so sweet,
Make Thy Spirit’s help so meet,
Even on earth, Lord, make me know
Something of how much I owe.

Chosen not for good in me,
Wakened up from wrath to flee,
Hidden in the Savior’s side,
By the Spirit sanctified,
Teach me, Lord, on earth to show,
By my love, how much I owe.

Oft I walk beneath the cloud,
Dark, as midnight’s gloomy shroud;
But, when fear is at the height,
Jesus comes, and all is light;
Blessed Jesus! bid me show
Doubting saints how much I owe.

When in flowery paths I tread,
Oft by sin I’m captive led;
Oft I fall—but still arise—
The Spirit comes—the tempter flies;
Blessed Spirit! bid me show
Weary sinners all I owe.

Oft the nights of sorrow reign—
Weeping, sickness, sighing, pain;
But a night Thine anger burns—
Morning comes and joy returns;
God of comforts! bid me show
To Thy poor, how much I owe.

Words: Robert M. McCheyne, 1837, “I am A Debtor”

One Skillet Chicken, Rice and Veggie Meal

This one skillet complete meal is a great choice for using up leftover chicken or turkey. It would also be an easy meal to prepare and deliver to a shut-in. If taking this meal to someone who needs a helping hand you might want to include some fresh fruit and cookies to enhance the meal for them.

One Skillet Chicken, Vegetables and Rice
Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or 2 cups of leftover cooked chicken or turkey
  • 3 cups fresh vegetables of your choice chopped or sliced, I used mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, and broccoli.
  • 1 can chicken broth or 1-3/4 cups home made broth
  • 2 cups instant rice (white or brown)
  • 1/4 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Heat oil in large skillet.
  2. Add onion and cook till tender.
  3. If you are using raw chicken add it now seasoning it with salt and pepper, cook until lightly browned.
  4. Add 3 cups or more of chopped vegetables and cook until slightly tender, 3-5 minutes.
  5. If you are using pre-cooked chicken or turkey add it here after the vegetables are slightly tender.
  6. Stir in 1 can of chicken broth or 1-3/4 cups of homemade broth.
  7. Bring to a boil.
  8. Add 2 cups instant rice and 1/4 cup of Italian salad dressing and incorporate well.
  9. Bring to a boil.
  10. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed and chicken is cooked thoroughly (if using raw chicken to begin with). Brown rice will take longer than white.

Serves 6 or more.

My tip for you on the subject of taking meals to shut ins or a family who needs a helping hand due to surgery or the birth of a baby is to take the meal in disposable containers that do not have to be returned. Make it as easy as you can on the people you are serving.

I See You!

Hope y’all are doing okay with the heatwave hitting just about everybody. We are so thankful for our air conditioned bungalow. We had guests arrive yesterday in their little RV for an overnight before they head further East. I’m typing this before they get here and I hope we have the clarity of mind to get a photo.

Happy Friday to you all…

Truth for Today #64

Thursday July 20th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year! 

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

From Sheila:

John 15 v 5

Jesus said … Apart from me you can do nothing

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

From Vera:

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭23‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.”

From Cathy:

Psalm 119:36-37 NLT

“Give me an eagerness for your laws
rather than a love for money!
Turn my eyes from worthless things,
and give me life through your word.”

From Maristella:

Psalm 34:17-18

When the righteous cry for help, The Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Guard Your Mind Hodgepodge

If it’s Wednesday it’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thanks to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for the questions.

1. What’s something bizarre you’ve seen or heard recently? 

Oh boy! I’m going to hubby for this question. He says, “that people can convince themselves to believe what is not true, and claim it and argue it and become immovable when confronted with the actual truth.”

My thoughts and a Bible verse;

Satan is the father of lies and is an influencer in our world.

John 8:44  “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

2. July 18th is National Sour Candy Day. Who knew? Do you like sour candies or other foods with ‘sour’ flavors?

I can enjoy some of these sour treats occasionally.

Kimchi, rhubarb, gooseberries, tamarind, dill pickles, sour cherries, sauerkraut, cranberries, and  grapefruit…of the sour foods listed which is your favorite? 

Kosher dill pickles!

3. Share a favorite memory of an aunt or uncle. 

This is a tough one for me. I really didn’t have endearing relationships with any of my aunts or uncles on either side of the family growing up. I never had a meaningful conversation with any of my aunts and uncles. There was a language barrier that didn’t help the situation. One nice memory I have is of my Uncle Alex making pancakes when I stayed overnight with my cousins and I enjoyed them. I grew up in a culture and generation where we were ‘seen and not heard’. The kids (cousins) played outside while the adults had conversation inside.

4. How would you describe your ability to manage stress? 

I don’t have the ability on my own to manage stress. I have to go to the Bible and remember that Almighty God is in control and I can trust Him with my life and the lives of my loved ones. Prayer, music, and encouraging conversation and remembering the promises of God help me. Not listening to a lot of news helps, too.

Things in this world are stressful. Studying the Truth is a lifeline for me.

I’m studying Ephesians, a book of the Bible during the summer months. One of the resources I’m using is a commentary of Ephesians by John MacArthur. This is a quote from the commentary I made note of;

“Macbeth pessimistically declared that history is “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” (Shakespeare, Macbeth, 3.3.19)

“Apart from the wisdom and insight God provides His children, such a hopeless conclusion is inescapable. But history belongs to God, not to the puny plans of man or the perverse power of Satan. History is written and directed by the Creator, who will see it through to the fulfillment of His own ultimate purpose—the summing up of all things in Christ. He designed His great plan in the ages past; He now sovereignly works it out according to His divine will; and in the fulness of the times He will complete and perfect it in His Son, in whom it will forever operate in righteous harmony and glorious newness along with all things in the heavens and things upon the earth.”

5. What do you think about when you let your mind wander? 

Usually my mind goes to the next thing coming up because I spend so much time in planning that when my mind wanders it goes over some of the things and tweaks some of those plans…weird. If I have my good music and hymns on during the day in the background while I’m doing other things, my mind will wander to some of the great lyrics I’ve heard.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

We are continuing to walk a few days of the week and on Sunday we finally tried walking out from our own front door down the road and back again. We generally avoid walking on our road because it is a very busy road with several large trucks hauling logs, etc., most days. On Sundays the larger trucks aren’t on the road so we felt safe enough to try it. We made it safely thirty minutes out and thirty minutes back very early in the morning before we got ready for our church services.

Cupping and Clapping…

…the unique movement of a butterfly.

 

 

 

This Tiger Swallowtail entertained me with movements around the garden.

We had a business meeting right after church on Sunday July 16th for our membership to vote on whether to call the Pastor Candidate who we were introduced to a few weeks ago. Our church constitution calls for a vote of the membership to determine to proceed in this step. The vote was counted and we overwhelmingly voted yes to proceed with the call. It was a relief to us that the vote went this way. Finding a new Pastor/Shepherd can take months or over a year. To find a candidate so quickly was a gift from God and we thank God for His care for us in this way.

Pastor Kraig between his son and daughter on the right and his wife on the left between two sons. Their adult children will not be re-locating with them as they all are busy with careers, schooling and service in other parts of the country.

We’ll be welcoming Pastor and Laura at the end of the Summer months.

The Fawn

Gimpy mama and the fawn appeared a couple weeks ago and since then they both have spent time in our back acres. The doe has a broken leg and limps so she gets more grace from us on what we let her nibble on our property. We put water out on these hot days.  Healthier deer get run off when they come after our flowers.

Fawns are so much fun to watch when they are on the go.

Our quail population has increased with baby quail looking like teenagers and a whole new batch of baby quail, too.

We are looking forward to the week ahead. What is new in your neck of the woods?