Tag Archives: Wednesday Hodgepodge

Hometown Love Hodgepodge

 

After today, there are only 5 more Wednesdays in 2024 and the last Wednesday of the year is Christmas! Thank you, Joyce, for the Hodgepodge Questions again this week!

1. What was your favorite part about growing up in your hometown? 

My hometown was a melting pot of people from many cultures that opened up my eyes to the world. Besides friendships with other Russian-Americans like myself, there were many Mexican, Jewish, Japanese, and Armenian Americans in my friendship circles. The photos are from a mini-reunion with some high school friends.

2. Do you prefer ‘material’ gifts or ‘experience’ gifts? If you answered experience, tell us about one you’ve received and truly enjoyed. 

At this stage of life I’ll say the experience gifts are the best! The gift of our whole family being together is always so so good. Our 50th Anniversary weekend in Walla Walla with all our kids and grands and our Scotland trip with our oldest and our dear DIL were priceless!

3. Is brown a color featured prominently in your home decor? Your wardrobe? What’s a favorite brown thing you own? Of the brown foods listed here which one is your favorite and/or most often consumed… brown sugar, brown rice, pretzels, coffee, dates, cloves, German chocolate cake, whole wheat bread?

Shades of brown do play a dominant roll in our home especially since all of our wood furniture and chairs and sofas are brown. Our walls are Khaki Shadow. As far as foods go, it’s coffee for me.

4. Which ‘Charlie Brown’ character do you relate to most? If you’re not sure, you can take a fun quick quiz by clicking here-Which Charlie Brown Character Are You?  or the one found here-Charlie Brown Quiz. I got the same answer on both. 

I got Linus and Marcie and I’m really not an introvert. I don’t need a security blanket, either. 🙂

5. What’s a favorite item you’ve purchased this year? 

This ‘Coo’ print we picked up at Hobby Lobby to remind us of our Scotland travels is a favorite. This Highland Coo puts a smile on my face each morning as I walk from our bedroom to our living area for my cuppa black (dark brown) coffee!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Here’s a real Highland Coo…

This one is a baby.

Thank you to all who visit here and double thanks for leaving a comment.

Artful Hodgepodge

History and art is something I enjoy together. I took this photo at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.  spring of 2011. George Washington in our National cathedral with the stained glass window and sunlight adding some highlights!

If it’s Wednesday it must be Hodgepodge. Thank you, Jo!

1. What’s something you think is under appreciated. Explain.  

The work that policemen have to do dealing with people who are mentally ill, drug addicts, and other people who have no respect for their authority is under appreciated. Policemen are important in restraining evil, for the health of our country and the safety of our citizens. I appreciate our Border Patrol Agents in the same way.

2. As winter approaches how do you stay productive?

It helps me to stay on top of things if I have company coming. Winter does make things harder when the snow and ice appear. Keeping my lists and ticking off the items is a good motivation for me.

3. What’s a popular food you don’t like? 

Sushi

4. What do you think is more interesting-art or history? Elaborate. 

Seeing works of art in an amazing historical cathedral is very satisfying to all my senses.

I find history in art very interesting.  It’s enjoyable to connect some historical facts to the places we travel to. Art is more interesting when I know something about the artist. Modern art has no appeal to me.

Children’s story illustrations/artwork are a favorite of mine, too.

5. What advice would you give to someone half your age? 

Don’t put off traveling. Plan the trip and go!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of being productive in the winter, this two have a way of getting me moving…

We had our first sign of some snow in these parts. Addy also lost another tooth!

Thanks for popping by and leaving a comment. You are appreciated!

A Bold Hodgepodge

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It is time again for Wednesday Hodgepodge. A good distraction this week! Thank you, Jo.

1. What is one good thing you often take for granted? 

There are so many good things I take for granted. Electricity is something that comes to mind especially this time of year. At our country bungalow, electricity is the power source for everything including the pump on the well. If it goes out, besides lights and heat and hot water, we don’t have water any running water.

2. What’s the boldest piece of clothing in your wardrobe? 

My bold days are long behind me. I had to go look and see what I’d consider the boldest. I’ve got nothing for you unless black is bold!

3. Do you think common interests or common values are the key to people getting along? Elaborate. 

Even with common interests or common values people will clash. Those aren’t the key to getting along. Pride and selfishness are strong in our post Adam world. This verse is one that can help me if…I stop and consider it.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

That doesn’t mean I’ll condone values that go against the clear teachings of the Bible just for the sake of getting along.

4. November 6 is National Nacho Day…do you like nachos? How do you like yours? Do you make them at home or only order out? 

Nachos are not generally on my radar. We never order them at a restaurant. Once in a great while when a snack is on his mind and there is nothing else, Greg will make a quick small plate of them in the microwave.

5. Have you spent any time in Washington D.C.?  If so what did you think? If not, is that a place you’d like to visit? What do you think about politics as a career choice? 

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I have been to Washington D.C. twice in my life, once when I was in college and then in May of 2011. In the 70’s the average citizen could be trusted to get closer to the building. My best friend, Heidi, and me in the summer of 1971 in the photo above.

This Ecuadorian mother insisted on being in the picture with me far from the Whitehouse in 2011. Her son finally persuaded her to step away so he could snap a solo photo of me, too.

I really enjoyed my visit to D.C. in 2011. There is so much to see and do. The monuments, the museums, the National Cathedral, Arlington National Cemetery. It is rich with history and worthy of a good visit.

Politics as a career choice has made a lot of people rich and unpopular. We still need good people as leaders and I hope we have a pendulum swing from the status quo.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The Korean War Memorial was one of the most stirring for me. He’s looking right at me…

In this Temple

As in the hearts of the people

For Whom he saved the union

The Memory of Abraham Lincoln

Is Enshrined Forever

On the left is a tucked away staircase in the crypt of the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. On the right is a painting we own that was painted by a friend of ours. We knew she was inspired by this scene and when we visited the cathedral we were on a quest to find it. It was a joy to see the original. It makes us enjoy our painting even more.

Thank you to everyone who visits today.

Fall Stages Hodgepodge

This photo is from the last event that we wore costumes to and it is from this season of life.

Jo From This Side of the Pond has challenged our memories once again for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What are your current priorities in this season of life? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

At my stage of life I’m one fall away from a nursing home. My priority is to end life well. I want to keep cooperating with the Holy Spirit in conforming my life to be more like Christ. I want to love Jesus more because my life and my future are all tied up in what He did for me on the Cross. For that I am so grateful. Thankful that I am not spiritually dead anymore because I’ve been born again. I thank God the Father, who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered (rescued) me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12-14

2. What’s one thing you wish you had more of? 

Retention. Being able to keep what I’ve read and or heard or studied in my memory bank.

3. Do you celebrate Halloween? If so, what are your Halloween traditions? Any special plans for Halloween this year? 

Some of our family in their costumes.

The only Halloween tradition that we have kept in the past was handing out candy to trick or treaters. I say in the past because here in our country setting we do not get any random trick or treaters. We do enjoy our grands being  driven over to show us their costumes and us treating them. That is the only plan this year, to have a treat ready for our Grands when they drop by.

4. Last thing you ate that contained chocolate? Last thing you made that called for chocolate? 

How is this for a complete Chocolate experience. On our Scotland trip we stopped at Highland Chocolatier and enjoyed some amazing world famous chocolate. I wrote about the experience here.

I haven’t made anything lately that has called for chocolate.

5. Do you prefer laid back weekends or do you like to have a lot of plans? Thinking back to this past weekend… which was it? 

I prefer laid back weekends with a touch of accomplishment. I don’t like to get to Monday morning wondering why I didn’t accomplish anything. Rest is important but laziness is not necessarily rest. This last weekend we attended our granddaughter’s basketball game in town on Saturday and then we had lunch out. Sunday, as usual, we attended our services at church and in the afternoon we had our ‘connection group’ and then had a quiet evening. That was the ideal amount of activity for me.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We are enjoying Fall and enjoying getting photos of our Grands enjoying Fall to the fullest!

And this is one of my favorite Fall photos of their Father’s property before he had any inkling he’d have a beautiful wife and two children of his own.

VW’s and Smiles Hodgepodge

Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for our fresh Wednesday Hodgepodge questions!

1. Monday was National Apple Day…did you eat an apple or enjoy something made with apples on Monday? Do you like apples? Do you prefer your apples raw, baked, or in cider? Do you have a favorite variety of apple? 

I did not eat anything apple on Monday. I do like apples but don’t have them often. I enjoy them raw, baked or in cider. I like the tart apples.

2. Do you think there’s any truth to the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Of the following healthy habits which do you find easiest to incorporate into your life and which is the most difficult for you to adopt-

adequate sleep, a balanced diet, plenty of water, eat breakfast, don’t smoke, exercise, limit alcohol,  include fruits and vegetables in your diet, manage stress, limit screen time

There might be some truth to that saying as far as it being a part of more healthy choices.

The easiest for me is; don’t smoke, since I’ve never smoked. Unfortunately I did inhale a lot of second hand smoke in the 60’s and 70’s working in offices where smoking was still okay. The most difficult to adopt is a balanced diet.

3. Who taught you how to drive? Do you enjoy driving? Would you rather be the driver or the passenger?  Do you have a favorite scenic drive near you? 

My brother, Fred, taught me to drive a stick shift. He even let me learn in his VW Bug. I think I taught myself to drive an automatic. While I’m typing the answers here on Tuesday the 22nd, it happens to be Fred’s 75th birthday.

This photo of my siblings and me from 2009 is the most current photo I have of our brother Fred. Left to right; Kathy, Vera, Fred, me, Lana and Steve. My brothers Tim and Leonard are missing from this photo.

The first car I purchased with a car loan and the first car I owned that I actually liked was this VW Bug.

I do enjoy driving if it’s not snowing or raining hard. On a scenic drive, I prefer to be a passenger so I can take photos. On a shopping trip that involves navigating parking lots and getting to several different store destinations, I prefer driving. We are blessed with many scenic drives in our neck of the woods. Driving to Wal-Mart is scenic. Driving along the Columbia River is a favorite!

4. What small habit has had a big impact on your life? 

Smiling. Since early years I have found it easy to smile, especially to smile at people. Smiling has opened up some interesting opportunities and conversations.

5. Tell us about something nice that happened to you recently.

It is so nice living close enough to our grands that we can see them and get that ‘hello’ hug and that ‘goodbye’ hug and any snuggles in between.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We have been enjoying some beautiful fall colors on all our drives here in Colville.

The golden larches are my favorite!

I’ve figured out my photo issues and I hope my photo platform is slow in making any new changes for me to figure out!!

This is a quote I copied from an article I read this week.

“Discontent makes a wasteland of the greenest garden—-even Eden. But contentment bears fruit in any circumstance.” Andrea Hoglund

Happy Wednesday, Hodgepodgers, Faithful Bloggers, and readers. I’m thankful for you all.

A Significant Hodgepodge

If it’s Wednesday it must be time for the Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce for the questions!

1. How did you meet your significant other? If you don’t have a significant other, tell us how you met your best friend. 

We met at a church where this Christian singing group was performing. Greg was in the group and my best friend became a part of the group. I went with my friend to her first performance with the group and met Greg there. Later when they needed to replace an alto in the group, I auditioned and became part of the group. We are on the far right in both of these photos while on tour in England. The sign that got chopped off in the photo above says Jesus is Alive Today. In England we sang in schools during their religious education classes. In the evening we would sing in a church or community center. Our relationship blossomed during our 70’s Christian Rock band tours of England.

Here I am being mobbed for my autograph by young girls at one of the schools we performed at.

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During our tours in England we’d have a holiday week after 3 weeks of singing at least 3 times a day across parts of England. This photo of Greg is from when we were on holiday at the end of our concert series.

2. It’s Department Store Day (October 16)…do you still shop in department stores? If not do you miss that kind of shopping experience? Do you have a favorite department store? Any fun memories of department store shopping when you were a child? 

Living in the country my department store experience is limited to Wal-Mart. I don’t have childhood memories in a department store. When we lived on the other side of the Cascade Mountain Range my favorite department store was Fred Meyer. I suppose Costco is a type of department store or at least it fits the definition. That is a store we always stop at when we travel south to Spokane.

3. Something you’re currently nuts about? 

I love Autumn/Fall. I’m enjoying the change in weather and all the fall color that is showing. I love soup weather.

4. What’s your favorite nut and is there a favorite recipe where this nut is used? 

I enjoy nuts and my favorite nut in recipes is the walnut. Our mom’s Russian Nut Roll (Roolyet) is my favorite.

Our Mom’s Roolyet (Russian Nut Roll)

 

5. On Wednesday we officially reach the ’70 days until Christmas’ mark. Have you purchased any gifts? If you don’t celebrate Christmas then how about Hanukkah presents? 

I have purchased a few things. While in Scotland, I bought a couple of new ornaments for the tree, too.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Me and my guy waiting for our charter flight to England in 1973.

My photo sharing site is giving me grief again so it might be a while before I can post more from our travels in Scotland. These kinds of problems are never easy for me to solve. OYE!

Walk Boldly Hodgepodge

Jo has a new set of questions for us to park on and answer for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you, Jo!

1. Thursday is National Walk To A Park Day. I know these celebratory days are mostly made up, but some are fun to think about. Do you live close enough to a park to walk to one on Thursday? Will you? The most famous park in the world is Central Park located in NYC. Have you ever been to Central Park? What did you think? If you haven’t been is this a place you’d like to see? 

The closest park to us is Douglas Falls Park and it is 3.3 miles away so it would take over an hour to walk to on roads that frankly aren’t safe to walk on. We will not walk to this park. We’ve been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art which sits on the edges of Central Park but I do not remember walking in the park. I’m not interested in traveling to New York at this stage of my life.

2. Something you’ve done recently that turned out to be a ‘walk in the park’? 

We were able to walk in parks recently while in Scotland and the ‘walk in the park’ part is that because Greg and I pushed ourselves to condition our bodies for stairs by climbing the stairs at the high school football stadium every day for a few weeks before we flew to Scotland we were able to walk and climb easier than normal for us. The photo at the top of this post is from one of the Castle parks we walked in and this was our bonus sighting… below!

A baby Coo!

3. Can you parallel park? Do you have to do this often where you live? 

I can parallel park but I do not have to where we live and even though I can, I avoid it.

4. The colors of fall…red, brown, russet, golden bronze, golden yellow, purplish red, light tan, crimson, orange red, and scarlet. Are these colors you like to wear? Is this your season in terms of color? What about your home? Would we see these tones in your home decorating? 

I do put out fall decor in all these colors for a few months in fall and wear some of those colors but they are not my go to colors.

5. What part of history do you find most interesting? Elaborate. 

Because of our recent trip to Scotland I found the history of the Scottish Reformation most interesting. It made our whole trip so much more meaningful to watch for and follow in the steps of the Reformers and Covenantors like Knox, Wishart, the two Margarets and Jenny Geddes and others.  To hear of their interactions with Kings and Queens in history and how they boldly stood up for Christ was inspiring. We saw evidences of their remarkable legacy in Museums, Libraries, Graveyards, Cathedrals, castles, and on the streets.

Knox: “As touching nature I am a worm on this earth, and yet a subject of this commonwealth; but as touching the office wherein it has pleased God to place me, I am a watchman…For that reason I am bound in conscience to blow the trumpet publicly.”

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We had a great show again of the Northern lights on Monday night here in Colville. Here is one of many shots I took.

 

In Their Steps Hodgepodge

The new questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge are coming from  Jo From This Side of the Pond while she is across the Pond!
Thanks Jo and I hope your jet lag will be mild!
~
1. Hey, it’s October…what’s one fun thing on your October calendar? 
This Saturday is the Marcus Ciderfest and we’ll enjoy some time there buying some freshly squeezed apple cider from local apples.
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I’m also following along on an October 31 day journey with the Heroes of the Reformation called Here We Stand. I get an email each day with the history of one of the heroes.
If you want to follow along you can sign up here.

2. Thursday is National Poetry Day (first Thursday in October)…do you like to read poetry? If so, what’s a favorite poem, or whose poetry do you especially enjoy? 

My favorites are songs and hymns and spiritual songs. That kind of poetry I can understand. I also enjoy children’s rhymes.

So many favorites in the Psalms;

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

3. Tell us about something you’ve seen recently that could be described as ‘poetry in motion’. 

Other than watching Eagles and Hawks in the sky I would hearken back to the Olympics and watching the diving and other pool events including synchronized swimming that they now call artistic swimming.

4. What’s one song on your autumn playlist? Do you have an autumn playlist? If not, pretend you do. If yes, then feel free to share more than one. 

This is a song that has been playing on the cd in my car that gets me every time.

And this one that I was listening to yesterday…

5. Share a quote that inspires you this time of year especially. 

I’m inspired by our very recent trip to Scotland and specifically walking along the steps of John Knox and his influence on Scotland and the Scottish Reformation. Not him alone but many other Covenantors who lost their lives for the Gospel and the Kingship of Christ and the Church. So at this time of year I’m inspired by Knox and other Martyrs. John Knox preached across Scotland and in England and Europe. George Wishart was burned at the stake in front of St. Andrews Castle another location where John Knox spent time. We visited St. Andrews and the ruins of the castle. St. Andrews is filled with history and not just golf. 🙂

“Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”
― John Knox

“The man who stands with God is always in the majority.”
― John Knox

And from George Wishart a friend of Knox and Scottish Martyr–

When he came to the place of his death he knelt and prayed to Christ, then he addressed the watching crowd: ‘If I had taught men’s doctrine, I had gotten greater thanks by men. But for the true Evangel [gospel], which was given to me by the Grace of God, I suffer this day by men, not sorrowfully, but with a glad heart and mind… This grim fire I fear not: and so I pray you to do, if any persecution come unto you for the Word’s sake; and not to fear them that slay the body, and afterwards have no power to slay the soul… I know surely that my soul shall sup with my Saviour this night, ere it be six hours, for whom I suffer this.’ Next he prayed for those who had viciously persecuted and slandered him, saying, ‘I forgive them with all my heart.’

These images and placards were inside the visitors center for St. Andrews Castle Ruins.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

We are still recovering from our Jet Lag and thankfully each day gets better.

The devastation from Hurricane Helene has been on my mind and I pray that help will reach the stranded. Thankful for the groups like Samaritan’s Purse who respond quickly and compassionately to those in need. The family members we have living in North Carolina were spared and they are pitching in to help where they can.

Planning is Work Hodgepodge

Our daughter with her dad before we toured Edinburgh Castle in April of 2004.

Hello to our first September Wednesday Hodgepodge of 2024. Thank you, Joyce!

1. Something you’re working on currently? 

I am working on finalizing all the things for our trip to Scotland. Besides packing lists in my head and buying a few extras, I’m filling out 4×6 cards on the different locations we will be in with all the recommendations for sites and restaurants for that city or village. So much to see and do. We are taking this trip with our son Josh and his lovely bride, Laura.

We also are busy making some meals for my cousin’s family. Her husband is being released to Hospice care in their home today, Tuesday. She will be busy caring for him and the least we can do is to offer some meals for her and her sons so shopping for food and cooking won’t be a priority for her. Since we’ll be gone next week we wanted to do some extra meals to freeze, etc., for them to fall back on.

2. Tell us something about your first job?

My first ‘real’ job with an actual paycheck was in my senior year of high school. I was done with my required courses by noon and would get a ride from a fellow student who had a job at the same company, Link Belt. I worked in one of the offices with Dan in charge and Pat his assistant. I helped Pat with paperwork. Pat was a smoker. This was in 1967-68 so smoking was still allowed everywhere. I honestly can’t remember how I got home from this job. I probably got a ride with someone who lived close to me. I started this job to earn money for college. My first year of college was at the University of Redlands, about 60 miles from my home.

My second real job in my Cal-State LA college years was at Montgomery Ward Service Center. I worked in the Parts Department.

Was it a positive or negative experience for you?

The job at Link-Belt was a positive experience for me. Neither Pat or Dan had children and they both were so kind to me and treated me like a daughter. They took me out to lunch on my last day of working before college and they also bought me a gift. Lunch was at a nice restaurant and I remember ordering a steak sandwich.

My job at Montgomery Ward was not as positive but it was something I needed to do. I commuted back and forth to  college and to my job. I worked at least 20 hours a week and sometimes 24. My sister Vera worked there, too. Vera and I were successful in our work and had a good work ethic. One day the two of us were called into the head manager’s office and told we were being watched because we were Russian and we might be Communist infiltrators. True story!! They feared Young Communists were moving up in companies with clandestine motives. We were flabbergasted and in disbelief that we could be accused of this. We told him our parents put their lives at risk to escape Communism and flee Russia and we all were Americans who loved the U.S.A. Thinking back, it is comical to us that he or anyone felt Montgomery Ward was a worthwhile target!

Did your parents insist you work while in school (either high school or college) or did you work because you wanted to? 

My parents never insisted that me or my siblings needed to work. We worked to put ourselves through college and for extra spending money or to buy a car. Our Russian culture did not expect children to leave home until they got married. I lived at home until I got married in 1974. I never paid rent to my folks.

3. Have you ever had a job that required overnight travel? How did you feel about that?

I never had a job that required any sort of travel. The jobs that Greg had did include travel to meetings and conferences around the U.S.A. and some international travel, too. Whenever I could I’d tag along for the free hotel room and go out and about on my own while he was stuck in a booth giving information to other professionals about the Oncology services/medications his company provided. I traveled with him to Chicago, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Milan Italy. Besides these cities, he traveled to New Orleans, Denver, Vienna and Marseilles.

Have you ever had a job that required you to wear a uniform?

If you count working hard at being a song leader in high school. A Cheer leading uniform was the only one I had to wear. I never wore a uniform for a paying job.

Do you work better in the morning or at night? 

I will go with morning. I have the most energy in the morning. I never had a night job. Greg has had the night shift in a hospital and that did not bode well with his system and having to try to sleep during the day.

4. What’s something you bake or cook that is labor intensive? Is it worth it? 

Many of our heritage recipes seem more labor intensive and they are worth it. This week my DIL and I will be making some piroshky.

Here are some photos of a Piroshky baking day we had in my kitchen in November of 2019.

Our cousin Cindy who is in the photo above on the right is the one whose husband is in Hospice at this time. For those of you who are Believers, prayers would be appreciated for her and her family.

5. One thing you’re looking forward to in the month of September? 

Our trip to Scotland! We will be in Glasgow, Stirling, Pitlochry, Stonehaven, St. Andrews and Edinburgh. Lord willing, we will visit castles, cathedrals, Highlands, Lowlands, Kenmore, the Old Course St. Andrews, universities, a soccer game, a chocolatier, pubs, good restaurants, lochs, view points, villages, monuments, and many cobbled lanes.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The last time we were in Scotland was in May of 2006. Here we are with our traveling friends in front of the Elephant House where J.K. Rowling spent time and had some of her inspiration for the Harry Potter series of books. (Greg is across the street taking the photo). The Elephant House is closed now and boarded up but people still visit the site and then go down to the Kirk where some of the names in her books can be found on the gravestones. In 2006 we and our friends had a meal in this restaurant.

I loaded another Hodgepodge with way more words than you might want to read. I’ll be late getting around to everyone because we left for Spokane early Wednesday morning for my annual eye exam. We’ll be getting home later than usual, too. See ya later!

A Hodgepodge Full of Cliches!

We made it to our little Country Fair Parade on Saturday morning. We were only sprinkled on and didn’t get wet…just sprinkled. ‘Every cloud has a silver lining.’ Our Grands were able to gather a bunch of candy as the different participants in the parade threw the treats to the sides of Main street. Our Fire department starts the parade off with their sirens and such and that is why Addy and JJ have their ear protection on! ‘Better Safe than Sorry’

Onward to our questions of the week…

Yikes! It’s the last Wednesday Hodgepodge for August! Thank you to Jo, From This Side of the Pond, for the questions that ‘give us a run for our money‘.

1. What is one cliche you think is nonsense?

‘Easy as pie’, for me, is nonsense. Getting the pie crust just right and making a great pie without a ‘soggy bottom’ is not easy for me. I wasn’t raised with a pie baking mom so making a pie has always been intimidating. That said, I do appreciate my pie making friends and their great pies with the crust being just right!

What’s one you think holds truth?  

‘Ugly as sin’ Sin is ugly and has caused all the trouble we’ve ever seen in our world or will ever see. So thankful that God made a way for us to be out from under it’s condemnation! That way came through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for our sin. Colossians 1:13-14: For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

2. What’s the last thing you broke and how did it happen? 

Recently, I knocked a stemless wine glass off my little side table and it shattered and traveled to many places unknown. The glass did not have wine in it, it was empty which was a good thing! It was a cheap variety of glass, too, not a Riedel, (if you know, you know). ‘Don’t cry over spilled milk’

3. Are you a fan of s’mores? Have you had a s’more this summer?

Not a fan and no I haven’t had a s’more this summer.

Last thing you ate that you wanted to ask for ‘s’more of’? 

A Scone with lemon curd. ‘One Man’s Meat is Another Man’s poison’

4. A mode of transportation you’ve never tried? Will you someday? 

I’ve never tried a Hover board and I will never try them. I’m at the ‘it’s too easy to break a hip’ stage of life! ‘Don’t Play With Fire’

5. Believe it or not, next week’s Hodgepodge lands in a brand new month. What’s your happiest memory from the month we’re bidding adieu? 

My favorite part of August was when Josh and Laura came for a 4 day visit in the middle of the month. All the gathering moments together were sweet and it’s always good to spend time together ‘face to face’.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of Josh and Laura, they celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary this past Sunday.

This is what I posted on Facebook about them…
Thanking God today for your twenty third wedding anniversary Josh and Laura!
We are so thankful to God for creating each of you and bringing you together, the very best of teams. Your generosity and caring hearts have helped so many. Your niece and nephews’ lives have been enriched with your love and care and generosity! May God continue to strengthen you in Him and with each other and in the ‘Body of Christ’! We love you, we love you, we love you!
Pops and I will take you out for dinner in Scotland to celebrate…soon!!
Happy Cliche Hodgepodge y’all. I hope to get around to most of you this week. Wow! Labor Day weekend is just ahead of us. Put on those white shoes and celebrate those remaining days of summer!