Tag Archives: Wednesday Hodgepodge

A Foray into the Hodgepodge

We have daffodils in two different areas in our yard. These burst open later than the ones I showed before. It’s always a surprise and joy to see them pop up and open their heads without any effort on my part.

Thank you to Joyce for coming up with the Wednesday Hodgepodge questions each week!

1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Picnic Day…will you celebrate? Do you enjoy picnics? Dining out of doors picnic or otherwise? What are three or four things I’d find in your picnic basket?

Typically, I am not a fan of picnics or dining outside. The temp and bug situation has to be just right for outside eating. I do like to picnic inside. Avocado, salami, baguette, pickled vegetables would be in my picnic basket.

2.  A time recently where you felt ‘antsy’?

Sometimes when I wake in the night and can’t get back to sleep I can get antsy.

3. As the saying goes…’when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’  Do you like lemonade?

I do enjoy lemonade.

When did you recently need to make lemonade out of lemons, figuratively speaking?

My meal planning and execution can fall into this saying. Making a meal out of limited supplies because I didn’t plan ahead.

4. Recently five ‘celebrities’ made a brief (ll minute) foray into space aboard Jeff Bezos Blue Origin rocket. Did you hear about this? Your thoughts? If money were no object is this something you’d like to do someday?
We know someone who works for this company. I should have asked him what he thought of this foray. I did hear about it. I would never want to do it. Their little foray was dabbling, more of a stunt.
5. Favorite thing about the ‘space’ you’re sitting in right now? 
I’m sitting in my morning space. The space I have my coffee and start the day with my Bible reading and devotional reading. My notebook is open and ready for any thing I feel like documenting. Then I transition into reading emails and blogs. I love the space because I can see part of our yard and the mountains in the distance and our books are all around me. The other thing that is close by are the recent artwork our Grands have created and photos of loved ones as prayer prompts.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

For April I’m challenging myself to an A-Z photo a day excluding Sundays and in addition to any regular posts that come to be.

Today is Wednesday April 23rd and we are on the letter T.

T is for Tea as in going out to a tearoom or friend’s home to enjoy tea or having high tea in the United Kingdom.

I have been fortunate to be able to enjoy some very nice ‘high teas’ and ‘tea times’. I’m going to have to do a separate post for my tea focus besides this shout out to the challenge here.

The lovely tea above was at the home of Lovella with most of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook several years ago.

Hodgepodge and N is for…

This is the latest puzzle I completed just in time for Easter week. It was a gift from Josh and Laura.

Another Wednesday Hodgepodge in the middle of this very special week.

1. Do you complete your own taxes?

No we let someone else complete the forms and shuffle through the details.

Besides actual taxes, what’s something you’ve found taxing lately?

Taxes don’t tax us at this time of life. Something that has been taxing me is my Plantar Fasciitis. It makes walking and standing a pain.

2.  What are three values you treasure most in a friendship? 

The kind of love that bears up with the good and bad, forgives and stays connected.

Love~Forgiveness~Loyalty

3. Do you meal plan or do you mostly wing it?

These days if there is any planning it happens the morning of and winging it is a fair description. There is planning if we are having company.

Share your dinner menus for this week. 

We just had a big family weekend celebrating JJ’s 6th birthday and Andrew’s 36th birthday. We had Greg’s famous Tomato Rice Soup with Fresh Bread for a meal on Thursday evening which turned into lunch the next day. Swedish pancakes for breakfast on Friday morning. Hamburgers on Friday evening. Egg Scramble Saturday morning. Pizza fresh vegetables and fruit for JJ’s birthday party. Steak and Roasted Veggies plus salad for Andrew’s birthday dinner. Birthday Cake at JJ’s party. Birthday Pecan Pie for Andrew. Butterscotch Peanut butter Rice Krispy bars for snacks. Oatmeal Sunday morning before church.

After all of that this last weekend, there is nothing specific planned for this week.

4. Thomas Sowell is credited as saying, ‘‘There are no solutions, only trade-offs.’ Agree or disagree? Discuss.

Since this is the middle of Easter Week, I choose to respond to this question with this prayer from The Valley of Vision showing the amazing transfer (trade-offs) from God to me…

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy, cast off that I might be brought in, trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend, surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best, stripped that I might be clothed, wounded that I might be healed, athirst that I might drink, tormented that I might be comforted, made a shame that I might inherit glory, entered darkness that I might have eternal life.

My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes, groaned that I might have endless song, endured all pain that I might have unfading health, bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem, bowed his head that I might uplift min, experienced reproach that I might receive welcome, closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness, expired that I might for ever live.

O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mightest spare me, All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished; Help me to adore thee by lips and life.

5. What’s the best perk you’ve enjoyed at a job?

The jobs I had over the years never really had built in perks. I liked the fact that I had summers off and Easter and Christmas breaks when I was a teacher. I suppose you could count that as being a perk.

When it comes to Greg’s jobs, I enjoyed traveling with him on his conference trips to enjoy a free hotel room. Of course we had to pay for my flights and all the other expenses but a free room motivated me to travel with him on some great trips to Chicago, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., San Diego, and Milan, Italy.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

For April I’m challenging myself to an A-Z photo a day excluding Sundays and in addition to any regular posts that come to be.

Today we are on the letter N and since JJ’s birthday is today and I’ve published his Birthday post besides this hodgepodge post,  I’ll just add the letter N photo for my random thought here.

N is for Nature, specifically nature right here in my neighborhood in the here and now and very near.

The daffodils right now and…

…this neighborhood visitor craning it’s neck and then hopping up on the deck to nose around.

Happy Easter to all my Hodgepodge friends!

Purple Bliss Hodgepodge

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge and Jo has the questions for us to consider.

1. What’s a lesson you’ve learned from a mistake?  

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I’ve made this mistake more than once. I hope I’m learning more and more to get to know a person before I give them a wrong label in my head. Talking to and getting to know someone is a better approach.

2. Do you salt food while you’re cooking or let diners add their own?  What’s a food you think must be salted? Do you like pepper? 

I do season food as I’m cooking. Avocado tastes best to me salted. Yes, I do like pepper, too.

3. What was the last gathering you attended and what did you do there? 

I’m answering these questions on Sunday. We attended church this morning. On this particular Sunday Greg and I were serving by greeting all those who came through the door for the early service. We have other ‘greeter’ responsibilities during the service. Before Sunday School we switch off with the second service greeters and we are free to attend the adult fellowship hour. During the fellowship hour we learned and discussed one of the attributes of God, Everlasting.

4. Your favorite shade of purple?

I enjoy every shade of purple and every purple flower.

What’s your favorite purple flower? 

 

One of my favorites is purple wisteria. The photos above were taken at the Japanese Gardens in Seattle.  Other favorites are lilac, clematis and hydrangeas and of course lavender.

5. Share a favorite spring travel memory. 

In April of 2004 we took our daughter on a trip to England and Scotland for her graduation gift. It was a wonderful trip and a favorite to remember. We traveled to sites with history of her literary favorites like Tolkien, Lewis, Austen, Rowling, and we threw in a little Monty Python, too. We stayed in Cheltenham, Sheffield, York, Edinburgh and London venturing out to take in nearby cities and sites.

A field of daffodils on the grounds of Chatsworth House ( Pride and Prejudice Pemberley)

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Clip clopping with coconuts at Castle Doune with Monty Python.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of purple, we have 3 graduates in our family from the University of Washington, Greg, Katie and Andrew. Primary Purple and gold are the school colors. Little did Katie know in this photo that she’d graduate from the same University as her father and then her husband, too.

Who’s Fool Are You?

We were at Trader Joe’s in Spokane on Sunday and they had 20 stem bunches of daffodils on sale for just $2.99. We bought 2 bunches! They are such a happy Spring flower. The trumpets announcing that Easter is coming.

Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for our Hodgepodge questions this week.

1. No foolin’! April is here. What’s one fun thing on your April calendar? 

Our grandson’s birthday is in April and we will enjoy his Batman party with family. JJ’s  party is scheduled on our Son-in-law’s birthday so we will have another double party weekend soon.

2. It’s often said, ‘A fool and his money are soon parted’…what’s the last thing you wasted money on? 

Sometimes my impulses get the best of me. I buy before I totally investigate. A dish rack is going into the garage sale pile. Instead of having a tilt and easy flow of water into the sink, it pools the water in the pan under the rack.

3.  April 2nd is National DIY day. Are you a do-it yourself kind of person or maybe you’re married to one?

I am married to a DIY master. When it comes to major projects, I like to leave and come home when they are all done.

We have a fun mini DIY project happening this week. Our old bird bath bit the dust and we found this lovely solid one on Sunday from a store called ‘At Home’. We are choosing the right spot for it and will set it into place soon.

If so, what’s the last thing you DIY-ed. (I’m going with the ‘Royal We’)

Replacing our water heater was probably the last DIY job around here.

If you’re not a DIY-er what’s the most recent job you had to hire someone to complete? 

I hire out the window washing of our home. They come and complete that job in about an hour!

This year we will probably have our Septic serviced…which is a major job. Definitely a hiring out job with a company that have all the necessary equipment.

Our water hydrants both need replacing and that will be a labor intensive job. Digging is the intensive part. This job will be done by Greg and our son.

4. Do you eat lamb? If so do you have a favorite dish that calls for lamb? 

Yes! I was raised eating lamb and Greg enjoys lamb. Greg did not eat lamb growing up but when we married he was introduced to lamb and is happy to eat it. Lamb was the main course for my family’s Easter meal growing up.

Shashlik is a favorite. You can see what that is by clicking here.

Lambsickles (Rack of Lamb) is another favorite and I enjoyed these recently in Dallas.

Butterflied Leg of Lamb is another way we serve lamb on Easter and other occasions.

A properly cooked lamb shank is very good. I ordered this lamb shank at a Mexican restaurant.

5. Do you fit a stereotype in some way? Explain. 

I used to be a stereotypical soccer mom but now I’m more of the benevolent grandmother. This Baba loves her grandchildren and will do all she can for them.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Here is a sampling of Bible verses about the fool and the foolish and the wise.

Psalm 14:1 ~ The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

Proverbs: 10:1 ~ A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Proverbs 12:15-16 ~ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.

Ephesians 5:15-17 ~ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Titus 3:3 ~ For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others, and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Moving Into Spring Hodgepodge

Joyce is rolling out some fresh Hodgepodge Questions for us. 

1. Spring has officially sprung (in the northern hemisphere anyway)…did she roll in more like a lion or more like a lamb in your neck of the woods? What needs more of your attention in terms of a good spring clean this year-your house or your garden/yard? 

It rolled in more like a lamb.

I’m going with garden/yard. There will be a scheduling of window washing inside and out, soon.

The great thing about Spring is the fact that both Addy and JJ were born in Spring and we get to have family celebrations for them and then the ultimate celebration in Spring is Easter when we celebrate the new life available to us because of what Jesus accomplished on the Cross and his Resurrection.

2. What’s put a spring in your step lately? 

Family love always puts a spring in my step. Along with that, Spring blooms lighten my heart.

3. When you were a kid, what was the best snack to find in your lunchbox? If you didn’t do the lunchbox thing, tell us what was your favorite after school snack. 

We took sack lunches to school growing up. I’m trying to remember if there was ever an added snack and I don’t think so. I think milk was provided by the school for a small amount of money.

4. In what area of your life are you planting seeds ? 

In my Spiritual life through God’s Truth, the Bible, and hopefully the fruit it produces in my life is evident to everyone in my life, especially my grandkids!

Hosea 10:12 ~ Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

Galatians 6:8 ~ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

5. Why do you live where you do? Would you consider living somewhere else? Why or why not? 

We were on the verge of Greg’s retirement and our first grandchild was born so it was a no brainer to move to a more affordable area of our state within a few miles from where our grandchildren would grow up. At this stage moving again is not on our radar.

The only reason I’d want to move elsewhere is the crazy legislation our state is trying to pass to tax us more and more and make life harder for the common person.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We had so much fun celebrating Addy this past weekend. She requested a Hardy Boys Mystery Theme for her party and it was a hoot! My full birthday post is here.

Keep as much spring as possible in your steps dear people!

Green Without Envy Hodgepodge

It’s time once again for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

Many shades of green were enjoyed by our family on St. Patrick’s Day. Greg and I enjoyed a St. Patrick’s day lunch in Rathdrum, Idaho on our way to Coeur d’Alene. We ate at the Westwood Brewery on Main Street. Friendly staff and good food. My Mocktail was on their March specials. More about our getaway coming soon. Addy’s Irish Dance Group performed again at one of the elementary schools in town.

Thank you Joyce From This Side of the Pond for our Wednesday Hodgepodge Questions! 

1. I write the Hodgepodge questions so they’ll post on Sunday, which sometimes throws me off in terms of what day it is. St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated on Monday, March 17th. Did you mark the day in some way? Wear green? Make a special meal? Watch or participate in a parade? 

On Monday, St. Patrick’s Day, we had an overnight getaway to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for my birthday. We stayed at an old converted School house B&B for the night. Last Thursday we enjoyed Corn Beef and Cabbage at the Senior Hub in Colville with entertainment from Addy’s Irish Dance Group.

2. Do you think luck plays a part in your life? Explain. 

No I do not. My life lies in the hands of a Sovereign God and His Providence. Piper defines this Providence as “Purposeful Sovereignty”. God accomplishes His will on our behalf.

3. Of the 15 green foods listed, which one is your favorite and how do you like it prepared?

Avocado is a favorite in any form; fresh out of the skin, on toast, chopped in salads, or fresh guacamole. Cucumbers are also a favorite.

Any on the list that are a hard no for you?

Nope

In general do you like fruits and veggies?

Yes

As a kid did you eat them willingly or did you hide peas in your napkin hoping your momma wouldn’t see? 

Many of these green items didn’t make it into my mom’s cooking when we were young. Cucumber and celery and pistachios and spinach were some common items in my mom’s cooking or snack foods. I didn’t meet the other green items until my college years and beyond!

Asparagus, avocado, broccoli, celery, cucumber, grape, green bean, kale, kiwi, lettuce, lime, 
pear, peas, pistachios, spinach

4. What’s something that makes you ‘turn green’? (with envy or with illness… whichever way you want to run with it)

It’s a mild green but I can be envious of those of you who have so many choices for good eateries in your own backyard. We joke around here in Colville about our slim pickins.

5. Did you spend a lot of time outdoors as a child? Doing what? Do you spend a lot of time outdoors now? Doing what? 

I did spend a lot of time outdoors as a child playing neighborhood games, jacks, going to the park, hide and seek, jump rope, tether ball. Nowadays winter finds us more housebound here. Later in Spring and Summer we start our yard work and we walk more.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This is the historical establishment we stayed at in Coeur d’Alene. More about our stay in a later post.

 

March is speeding along. Tomorrow is our granddaughter’s 8th birthday and we’ll be celebrating her with all our family this coming weekend. Tomorrow is also the first day of Spring!

Happy Spring, Hodgepodgers and all who find themselves here.

Birthday Week Hodgepodge

Put another candle on my birthday cake, I’m another year old today Friday. It looks like there are 7 candles on my birthday cake above so I’m going to say this was my 7th birthday.

Beware of the Ides of March but not Joyce’s questions for the Hodgepodge this week.

1. March 15th is known as The Ides of March, the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C….have you ever been to Rome? If so what did you love most about the city? If not, is this a place you’d like to visit? 

I have never been to Rome. Rome is not on my bucket list even though it has fascinating history associated with it. Coincidentally as I type this my youngest niece is in Rome on a school trip. Sheesh, the only school trips we had living in Southern California was a trip to Disneyland!

I have been to Italy, to Milan, and that was an Italian enough experience for me to savor.

2. ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ What project/activity/improvement (of any kind) do you have going on right now to which this saying might be applied? 

Physically…

Well here we are again trying to get a lot of extra pounds off. Time will tell if this new long term effort pays off.

Spiritually…

I’ll be in the Sanctification process (becoming more like Jesus) all my days on this earth. God is faithful in this process even when I am not.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ~Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

3. Let’s do a little this or that with some Italian foods…

  • Caprese salad or Prosciutto with melon? 
  • Bruschetta or Antipasto? 
  • lasagne or ravioli?
  • bolognese or Carbonara?
  • Risotto or gnocchi? 
  • tiramisu~gelato~cannoli? 

Prosciutto with melon, bruschetta, ravioli, carbonara, gnocchi and tiramisu, thank you.

4. Of the colors red, white, and green which would I find most prevalent in your home?

I have a lot of red highlights in my kitchen.

Which one do you think is most flattering to you in terms of your wardrobe?

Red and green and white are colors suited to me as per my color chart.

Have you ever had your colors done?

Yes, many years ago and I still have my color chart. Recently I stumbled across that chart and showed it to my ‘daughters’. The fold up chart is pictured above with my colors rated from 2 – 4+. Four plus are my strongest colors with colors that are just a 2 being my weakest colors.

Is that something you’d be interested in doing? 

It was a fun experience.

5. Life would be boring without____________________?

Life would be boring without all that God has done in my life because of Jesus. All the good things in my life have come from Him. Some of those good things were hard and painful. Many were the most worthwhile experiences in my life.

James 1:16-18

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My birthday is Friday March 14th and my license is expiring this year so I got to go to the DMV on Monday. All their systems were down when I got there. I bummed around Wal-Mart for a while and decided to go back after an hour to see if they were online again. Hooray, they were. I just walked in and in less than 5 minutes had my license renewed for another 8 years. In two weeks I’ll see how awful my photo is this time around!

Another birthday photo from years ago.

Once Upon a Hodgepodge

Speaking of Fairy Tales, I’m sharing some of my Russian Fairy Tale lacquer boxes above and below.

Winding down February with Jo’s Wednesday Hodgepodge questions.

1. February 26th is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day…have you read a fairy tale lately?

No, I have not read a fairy tale lately.

What’s your favorite fairy tale?

I’ll go with Cinderella.

Do you believe in ‘happily ever after’? 

It definitely is not a given. Life gives us more than happy. It gives us grief and suffering, too. I think a better ending line would be ‘joyfully ever after with contentment and peace through it all’.  Reminds me of that great song by Andrae Crouch, “Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. I’ve learned to depend upon His Word”

2. Complete one of the following sentences with a thought relating to your life currently-

  • Once upon a time___________
  • A long time ago________________
  • In a place far far away__________

I’m getting ready to travel and be In a place far far away for a few days. Hopefully I’ll have lots to share when I get back, Lord willing.

3. Which of the following ‘fairy tale foods’ is your favorite?

Which have you made/eaten most recently? 

porridge/oatmeal (Goldilocks and The Three Bears), an apple (Snow White), a gingerbread cookie (The Gingerbread Man), pumpkin soup/pie/bread (Cinderella), peas (The Princess and the Pea), beans (Jack and The Beanstalk) or a cup of tea (Alice in Wonderland) 

I have not had any of these fairy tale foods recently except for a cup of tea. I do enjoy a bowl of Oatmeal with cream, walnuts, brown sugar and raisins.

4. What’s your idea of fun? 

Seeing my Grands interact with their aunts and uncles is a lot of fun. Listening to their descriptions of experiences is fun, too. I think it’s fun to plan a trip and then to take that trip.

5. Next week’s Hodgepodge lands in March. Is that right? I guess so.  Give us one noun, one verb, and one adjective that tell us something about your February. To make you think a little harder, you cannot use the words cold or snowy. 

A month where I needed my Brain to work calculations. (noun)

There was a lot of dusting in February. (verb)

The freezing temperatures increased my electric bill by 3x. (adjective)

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This little guy is moving along in Taekwondo.

We enjoyed a brief hello as we exchanged some Costco items in the church parking lot last week.

Speaking of fun, it is always a treat to bump into these two in parking lots, stores, church and to see them at our front door!

A Presidential Hodgepodge

Mount Rushmore September 2021

Joyce From This Side of the Pond has fresh questions for us to ponder for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. Many of our earliest presidents created words or expressions widely used today. Teddy Roosevelt is credited with mollycoddle, pack rat, frazzle, and loose cannon…which of those words/phrases currently relates to your life in some way? 

mollycoddle: to treat with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence and attention

I was going to say none of these relates to my life in some way but then mollycoddle was in a sentence in the book I am reading, The Vanishing Conscience, Drawing a Line in a No-Fault, Guilt-Free World by John MacArthur. It made me smile to see it right there in print. Here is the sentence I read and then the context of my reading.

We cannot mollycoddle our sin.

“Paul is not suggesting that anyone can obtain life or merit God’s favor by the process of mortification. He is saying it is characteristic of true believers that they put to death the deeds of the body (mortification). Nothing is more natural than for people “led by the Spirit of God” to mortify their sin. One of the proofs of our salvation is that we do this. It is expected of believers. It is the expression of the new nature. 

In other words, the true believer is not like Saul, who wanted to pamper and preserve Agag, but like Samuel who hacked him to pieces without mercy and without delay. Saul may have wanted to make a lap dog of Agag, but Samuel knew that was utterly impossible. Similarly, we will never tame the flesh. We cannot mollycoddle our sin. We must deal with it quickly and severely. “

So yes, I want to mortify my sin not mollycoddle it and make excuses for it. It can be done with the help of the Holy Spirit.

2. Have you visited many (or any) of the US Presidents homes, monuments, libraries or related sites? If so what’s been your favorite? Are there any you particularly want to see? Here’s a link to presidential sites listed by state which is kind of fun to read-Presidential Places by State. And since several bloggers who participate in the HP each week live outside the US, here’s a link to Presidential Places Outside the US. Have you seen any of those? 

The most concentrated presidential sites I’ve seen were in Washington D.C. in the Spring of 2011. At the National Portrait Gallery you can view paintings of all the U.S. Presidents. The Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington Monuments and statues of other presidents are prominent and scattered throughout the area. You could go on a presidential scavenger hunt.

Outside the Lincoln Memorial

At Arlington National Cemetery we were able to see the grave of John F. Kennedy. When we were in Dallas we went to the ‘Grassy Knoll’ to see where JFK was shot.

My parents lived in Yorba Linda for a few years where the Nixon Library is located. Whittier was part of our stompin grounds, too, growing up so we passed Whittier College many times. When Greg was working in Thousand Oaks California his company Christmas event was held at the Reagan Library and Museum and we enjoyed an evening there taking in history including Airforce One that we were able to walk through.

I have a photo somewhere of the George Washington statue at the University of Washington, Greg’s Alma Mater.

We’ve been to Mount Rushmore and to Rapid City, South Dakota. Rapid City has the coolest display of statues of all the presidents on several corners in town.

John Quincy Adams

Favorite? It is hard to choose a favorite. It’s a tossup between the Lincoln Memorial, Mount Rushmore and the Reagan Library and Museum.

3. February 20th is National Cherry Pie Day…will you celebrate? Given your choice of cherry pie, cherry cobbler, cheesecake with a cherry topping, or black forest cake which would you choose? 

Cheese cake with cherry topping would be my choice (and I might just scrape the cherry topping off). Greg enjoys cherry pie.

4. Last time you worked a puzzle of some kind? Something that had you puzzled recently? 

Finished this puzzle a week ago.

I had to puzzle over converting a recipe from serving 24 people to serving 400 people. Calculating the quantities of the ingredients was something I puzzled over and then I puzzled over how many veggies to buy for veggie trays.

5. Of the early blooming flowers (January-early March depending on your zone) which one’s your favorite? snowdrops, lenten roses, pansies, violets, snapdragons, reticulated iris, crocus, winter jasmine 

Do you have any of these in your own yard/garden? 

I don’t have any of these growing on our property here but when we lived in Kenmore we had a couple Lenten Roses. They are my favorite.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

George Washington Statue in the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and outside the Cathedral.

I’m posting my Hodgepodge early this week. See you all tomorrow when I’m recuperating from our big event on Tuesday. Maybe I’ll have the presence of mind to take some photos.

Spread the Love Hodgepodge

 

Joyce From This Side of the Pond is sharing the love with our new set of Wednesday Hodgepodge Questions.

1. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did your team win? What’s your favorite game day snack for  whatever sport is happening? 

We did watch the game and were so surprised at the blow-out. The Eagles played a great game. I’m glad the Chiefs finally got some good plays in. We really didn’t have a favorite team. For game day snacks I like Charcuterie with meats and cheeses and veggies with dips like artichoke and a baguette cut up in thin rounds and nuts and I could go on and on.

2. What’s your ‘superpower’? 

Detective work is one of my super powers and along with that comes spotting danger. Those powers made me a real good Playground teacher.

Another super power, because I love to do it, is planning a trip.

3. Will you do anything special on Valentine’s Day? If so do share. Any thoughts on/about this particular holiday?

I’m thinking I’d like to do a chocolate fondue again.

Chocolate Hazelnut Fondue
  • 1-1/2 cups half and half
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1-1/2 pounds bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (I used 2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips that I didn’t need to chop)
  • 1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur (If you do not want to use this you can substitute 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee)
  • 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (as always you can omit the nuts if you’d prefer)
Method:
  1. Place the half and half and heavy cream in a double boiler.
  2. Heat the creams until they bubble.
  3. Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the chocolate chips 1/2 cup at a time whisking while adding. When the chocolate is completely blended in, add the liqueur.
  4. Keep warm and sprinkle with hazelnuts just before serving.
  5. You can divide the chocolate into individual dipping bowls and serve with dipping fruit and other items or you can put the chocolate into a fondue pot at this time, too, to keep it warm.

Some dipping suggestions: cookies, biscotti, cubes of cake, dried apricots, pineapple, fresh berries, sliced pears, orange slices, and marshmallows.

This recipe easily served 8 people with leftovers. If you are serving a smaller group half the recipe.

I enjoy hosting a little Valentine dinner and decorating in pink, white and red for a change.

Share a favorite verse or quote relating to love. 

1 John 4:7-12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loves us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

4. Are you a fan of the rom-com genre? If so what’s one of your favorites?

Not a fan of this genre in movies or books. Give me a good murder mystery with a faithful loving relationship in the plot line and I’ll be happy.

If you’re not a movie go-er then what about a book you love that features a great love story?

Going back to murder mysteries the relationship between Gamache and Reine-Marie in the Inspector Gamache series of murder mysteries is a great love story. Their relationship is loving, faithful and an everyday kind of relationship, not far fetched but inspirational.

How about a favorite love song? 

This song about God’s love in sending Christ to save us is a current favorite.

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On a more earthly note, from my high school days, I’ll go with Cherish by the Association. There were so many popular love songs in the 60’s.

I love good music sung by talented singers. Even if they sing something that isn’t necessarily classified a ‘love song’, it brings out the love in me. Andrea Bocelli can be singing anything and it sets a amazing mood. Nat King Cole is another singer who’s voice is ‘music to my ears’. Music is very key in my personal history. God has used it in powerful ways in my life.

5. Let’s get creative…write an acrostic using the word L-O-V-E. 

Living in love

On the cusp of heaven

Visualizing with hope

Eternity

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My favorite Valentine’s! Photo from Valentine’s Day 2024.