Wednesday Hodgepodge

Time to link up with this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge! And I can even have the button on this post that you can click on to get to Joyce's blog to join in and read others answers to these questions. Why is it a unique thing that I have the button? I have finally gotten a new laptop. My old one pooped out four months ago. Here's to  blog posts with embedded links and have formatting and pictures and everything! Woohoo!

 

1. This is the last Hodgepodge in April. Share something you learned this month. 

I am learning how to use this new laptop and a new camera. I tend to go slow on those types of things because too much technology in this brain does not work.

2.  It's National Poetry Month, and we all know you can't escape an April Hodgepodge without a little poetry. Keeping the first line as is, change the rest of the wording in this familiar rhyme to make it your own - 'Hickory Dickory Dock...

Hickory Dickory Dock
My poor little brain is locked
I can not think
To write a poem
My brain does not work that way 

(Oh gosh that is soooo sad.)

3. What were one or two rules in the home you grew up in? Growing up, did you feel your parents were strict? Looking back do you still see it that way? 

We couldn't play the piano when someone was watching TV. We were supposed to turn off the lights in our rooms and comb our hair before we came to the dinner table. Napkins went on our laps and we always used a spoon in a bowl. Those are all pretty minor rules, but are what popped to mind when I read the question.
I would say my parents were strict, but I don't think it was oppressive. They were parents who were parents. Parents who loved us and taught us how to respect authority.  

4. Tell us about a kitchen or cooking disaster or mishap you've experienced. Do you have many from which to choose? 

A couple of weeks ago we had some really good friends from college days visit. I decided to make some hot fudge to go over our ice cream and brownies and in my true fashion I didn't follow the recipe exactly and it turned out in a globby (as in one giant glob) chocolate mass. It tasted just fine, but then I left the hot fudge in the pan on the stove-top and did not turn off the burner. An hour or so later Hubby realized he could smell burning chocolate. Sigh. It only took a day and a half of soaking and scraping and soaking and scraping and soaking and scraping to get the pan clean. 

And, yes, after almost 32 years of marriage I have my fair share of kitchen disasters to choose from.

5. Plant a kiss, plant doubt, plant a tree, plant yourself somewhere...which on the list have you most recently planted? 
Absolutely I've planted a kiss most recently. Just one benefit of being married. Grin.

 

6. What's your most worn item of clothing this time of year? Are you tired of it? 

I can't think of a particular piece of clothing I wear a lot except whatever pair of jeans are feeling the most comfortable that week.
At each change of season, I seem to all of a sudden decide that either I hate all my clothes or I don't have any to choose from (which really isn't true). And then I go shopping and realize that I don't like many of the clothes our there. I really need clothing designers to stop making the neckline so low and to use such thin fabrics that you can't see all the details that are supposed to be hidden under the clothing,

7. I'm wrapping up the A-Z Blog Challenge this month and our Hodgepodge lands on letter W. What's one word beginning with W that describes you in some way? How about a word to describe your home, also beginning with W?
 Me: Witty. I love humor and I love sarcasm. (Hopefully not mean sarcasm.) I have noticed myself being (what I consider) more witty lately and that makes me happy. That means I am feeling a lot more comfortable with the people we hang around with.
Our Home: Warm and Welcoming. At least that is what we are striving for. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

My son and daughter-in-law came for a five day visit a couple of weeks ago. It was their first time to South Carolina and we had a blast showing them our favorite places. We went to Charleston for a couple of days to see the ocean and experience some southern history.

Here's the two of them taking a Charleston Harbor selfie. (Can you see her tiny baby-bump?)  The dude to the right is my hubby.

God's Plan All Along

Last Friday was my wonderful husband's birthday. While every year I am so thankful to celebrate his birthday with him, this year I learned something that shocked me and at the same time made me all the more thankful.

When I visited my parents shortly before Christmas, my dad gave me a box that was filled with my childhood mementos that my mom had saved. It had my baby book, (with not a whole lot in it which comes from being the fourth baby in six and a half years), old photographs, concert programs, the newspaper clipping with my photo from when I was four years old, to copies of my family's Christmas letters. As part of my birthday present (which is about two weeks after Christmas) I asked for Hubby's time to go through the box with me. One night I started to read several of the Christmas letters starting with the one from the year I was born. That year my parents had taken some time away alone without all four of us kids.  They picked me up before they gathered my three older siblings. I was in a basket on the front seat of the car between my parents (no car seats) and my dad tried to pass someone on the two-lane highway. There was a slight rise in the road and he didn't see the oncoming car. There was a head-on collision. Dad broke an arm, Mom shattered a knee cap, broke an arm and cut her head and spent three months in the hospital. I rolled on the floor and wasn't hurt at all. I was three months old.

I've known about the car accident my whole life, so what about that shocked me so much? The date of the accident was April 7th. The day before my husband was born! I fully believe that God spared my life that day to be that man's wife 23 years later.

Talk about God having a plan! Pretty cool, huh?

Me (the baby) and my family. My first Christmas. Notice my mom's left leg? Ever since the car accident she has only been able to bend that leg to a right angle. 

My sweet hubby as a baby and his mom. 

Weekend Recap

I'm feeling like I really need to step up this whole blogging thing, so let's do a little weekend recap. Bullet format.

●Friday I started feeling like I was getting a cold. Noteworthy? To me, yes. I feel like I have been sick or recovering from sickness or surgery or something since Thanksgiving. So done with that.

●Friday night we watched some college basketball only to see our Alma Mater lose a Sweet 16 game.

● I fully expected my cold to be worse Saturday morning, thankfully it wasn't, so we were up and headed off to North Carolina to see my parents and siblings.

● It was good to sit and talk with my dad for a while when we first got there.

●My siblings decided that it would be "easier" to go to Easter church service Saturday night.  Honestly? I didn't feel anything like Easter to me. While I have never been to a Sunrise Easter Service, I still feel like there is something to celebrating Easter on Sunday morning.

●The church we went to is one of those huge churches that has multiple (8?) campuses. Hubby and I agree that we just don't get the appeal. There just doesn't seem to be a way to know people or see people you may know. I guess you can be involved in a small group, but even then what are the odds of seeing the people you do know on a Sunday morning?

●I was NOT impressed by the joke the pastor gave right at the beginning of the sermon about two drunk guys in a bar. So inappropriate for any church service ever. Why do some pastors feel the need to entertain rather than just flat out preach God's word?

●My brother-in-law is learning to be a master of the smoker that came with their new house. We had some fantastic prime rib, pork and lamb chops.

●Sunday morning I woke up feeling terrible and could barely talk. Ugh.

●We got to watch my niece's and nephew's girls hunt for Easter eggs. Here's a picture of the girls (and my dad) waiting for the go ahead

●We ended up leaving earlier than we planned because I felt so terrible and kept wanting to fall asleep.

●The four hour drive home was stressful due to the heavy rain the whole way. Hubby is a champ for doing all the driving!

●The trip home was made a little better with a stop at IKEA. We were worried we wouldn't make it before it closed because of traffic delays, but we had a whole 22 minutes before it closed. I just wanted a couple of things, but came out with five things. I love IKEA.

●We both like to unpack everything as soon as we get home from a trip. Do you do that or do you do it the next day or over the next week? Or maybe you just shove the suitcase in the corner to wait until your next trip?

●I had a hard time getting to sleep last night due to the coughing, but feel a little better today.

●I'm baking a little today to have some bars to bring to our Bible study social tonight.

Wednesday Hodgepodging

Hey! I'm joining up with Joyce and her Wednesday Hodgepodge today. Click on over to here,  http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/,  to read her answers to these questions and as a bonus you can read lots of other bloggers' answers!  (I cannot figure out for the life of me how to copy the logo for this. Stupid tablet.)

1. February ended with an extra 24 hours in 2016. What did you do with your bonus day?

Monday was a busy day for me. I don't have a lot of busy days and I kind of enjoyed it.
First, I made a visit to a quilt shop to get a few fabrics to finish off the latest quilt I'm working on. I'm so thankful there's a good, but small, quilt shop 10 minutes from my house.
Next stop was the grocery store. It had been a few weeks since I had bought groceries and it was time.
After I put the groceries away, I was able to sit down at home for about a half an hour before I was off to meet my husband at the cardiologist's office. Because of the Supraventricular Tachycardia episode I had in December, I am having a procedure done on March 17th to fix the cells in my heart that are causing the problem. We were meeting with the doctor to finalize that.
After supper at home, Hubby and I went to our weekly Community Bible Study meeting. This week's lesson was in Matthew 22. We really enjoy the people in our group.

2. What's something in your life that's grown by leaps and bounds in recent days, weeks, months, or years? I'm giving you lots of room to come up with an answer here, so no fair passing on this one.

This is a no-brainer for me. I've watched this Lydia sweetie grow so much this year. I am always fascinated how MUCH a baby learns in one year!

3. Do you read reviews about a film before deciding if you'll see it? Did you watch The Oscars this year, and if so your thoughts on the program? How many of the Best Picture nominees had you seen prior to the broadcast? (Spotlight, The Martian, The Big Short, The Revenant, Mad Max: Fury Road, Room, and Brooklyn) If you watched The Oscars who gets your award for 'best dressed'?

I always read a summary of the movies. I used to read reviews more consistently when I my kids were still home. I sometimes regret not reading reviews when the movie was a dud.
I only watched bits and pieces of the Oscars. It didn't hold my attention. The  only movie I have see from that list is "Brooklyn" and I really liked it.

4. When did you last have overnight house guests? Give us your top three tips on being a good house guest.

The last overnight guests we had were my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter last August. And they will be our next overnight guests in three weeks!
When Hubby and I stay at someone elses house we try to clearly communicate when we will arrive and how long we will be staying. We also try to keep our stuff contained. At the end of the day,  we take our stuff back to our bedroom with us.
I guess that's only two tips.

5. March 2nd is Peanut Butter Lover's Day. Will you be celebrating? If so, would you prefer a home made peanut butter cookie, a Reese's peanut butter cup, an old fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or shall I just hand you a jar and a tablespoon?

I am pretty picky about my peanut butter. Since I got a food processor a few years ago I have been making my own. It's very simple and I like that I can control the saltiness and I do not add sugar. I don't like sweet peanut butter. Having said that, I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. But then again, sometimes there's nothing like a PB&J sandwich or a peanut butter cookie!

6. Why is failure important? Or isn't it?

It is important because it keeps you humble and makes you realize how dependent you need to be on God. I heard a song yesterday that's new to me by MercyMe called "Wishful Thinking" and this line really stuck with me:

                                "Cuz without suffering grace is hard to see"

Think on that for a while.

7. Share with us one fun thing on your March calendar.

My Granddaughter is turning ONE! I'm excited to be able to celebrate with her!


8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I am recovering well from my thyroid surgery. The pathology report showed that the large nodule was totally benign (!!!!) and that there was a very small nodule that I don't think the doctor knew was there and that had a very small microscopic bit of cancer in that. If I wouldn't have had the racing heart episode in December that I went to the ER for, I would have never had a CT scan that showed something on my thyroid and that microscopic bit of cancer would have grown and grown before I knew anything about it. I wholeheartedly believe that God performed a miracle in that situation! I bawled for an hour when I heard the news. God cares about me and thinks about me and loves me far more than I give Him credit for! I have a scar on my neck front and center from the thyroid surgery and I truthfully don't care how invisible it is in the long run. I want to see it and be reminded of what God did for me.

I Am Weak

2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest in me.

I came across this verse a couple of weeks ago and it has been rolling around in my head ever since. I have never felt like a person that would be labeled as "strong". I cry easily, I struggle with self-worth, the older I get the more introverted I feel, I struggle with doubt.  Nothing about that makes me feel very strong. When I read that verse from 2 Corinthians 12, I felt so encouraged. It says that I don't have to be strong that my weakness is there so Christ's power can be evident in me. How cool is that?

Last Wednesday afternoon I went through something that was very hard for me. I had surgery to remove half of my thyroid due to a nodule that was discovered. I'm told the surgery went well. I woke up in recovery crying (told you I cry easily). I asked for my husband so many times, the nurse went to find him. Having him stand next to me feeding me ice chips made me feel a little more calm. When the surgeon stopped to talk to me he asked me why I was crying and I remember saying I was crying because I was scared. He told me it was over and I didn't need to be scared. I guess I felt like the hard part is in front of me...the pain and the healing from the surgery.

As far as I can tell, recovery has been okay. I have taken a long nap every day. My neck feels sore and stiff especially when I look up or down. (Thankfully Hubby isn't a whole lot taller than me and I don't have too far to look up at him.) I have a bandage/tape thing over the site of the incision. That is bugging me and makes me feel like I am wearing a turtleneck, which I despise. I feel like I got punched in the neck. My neck is bruised. My throat is sore from the breathing tube that was stuck down there during surgery.

Some women from the Community Bible Study group we are involved in brought us supper Friday afternoon. We were so tickled with their thoughtfulness and with their visit. My daughter sweetly sent me videos of my 11 month old granddaughter for several days in a row to make me smile. My son has texted  and called to check up on me. My sisters-in-law have mailed me cards. Countless people have said they are praying for me. (I wish my mom was able to call me because I just know she would if she could. Stupid stroke.)

The biopsy done before the surgery came back benign. (!!!) I'm still waiting to hear about the pathology report from the surgery. I will admit to feeling a little anxious about that, but trust God.

In two weeks I have an appointment with my cardiologist to see what he wants to do about my heart regrading the Supra Ventricular Tachycardia episode I had in December. So I'm not done with this health stuff yet.

All of that makes me feel weak.

But what has God promised me?

...but He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough - always available - regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness." Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.
~Amplified Version~

So I guess feeling weak isn't a bad thing from God's viewpoint.

The Doxology, My Story

I grew up in churches that regularly sang The Doxology during the worship service. 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.


It is a simple song, with powerful words of praise that God deserves.

Years ago, when we lived in Southeast Asia, we took a family trip to Thailand.  We visited many tourist attractions including the Grand Palace in Bangkok.  It was the official residence of the kings starting in 1782. Currently it is used for royal ceremonies and state functions. And tourism. We were on a guided tour of the palace (which included strict dress codes: arms covered, legs covered to below knee) when our tour guide directed us into a large room that was The Temple of the Emerald Buddha. We had read that we could not sit with our legs crossed or our feet out in front of us (because it's rude to point the bottoms of your feet at someone), so essentially we were to kneel in front of the Buddha statue. The four of us walked in there, saw people kneeling before the idol, looked at each other, shook our heads "no", and walked right back out. Our tour guide had the most puzzled look on her face. Shortly after that we were amongst a bunch of people who were walking around with incense and praying to Buddha, I started singing the Doxology to myself. I felt such an evil presence there. I think we all did because we all agreed that we didn't need to or want to visit any more Buddhist temples while we were in Thailand. 

Since that trip, I often think of that day when I have sung that song in church.

Now I have even more memories associated with that sweet little song.

Before every meal my dad sings that song and my mom hums along and sometimes mouths the words. It gets me every single time, because since September 6, 2013, my mom has not spoken. A stroke is a cruel thing. It takes away so much. But my mom HUMS the tune to that song. So awesome!

Hubby and I gave this print to my mom and dad for a Housewarming/Christmas gift. It hangs in their new kitchen. I just love it!

We have attended a church here that sings an interesting version of the Doxology at the end of every service. They call it The Gospel Doxology. Here are the words:

Your perfect law exposes me 

I feel my sin and desperate need 

My best good works are powerless 

To satisfy your righteousness 

But there is One who lived for me! 

His life, my only victory 

His death, forever sealed in time 

That I am His and He is mine! 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow 

Praise Him all creatures here below! 

Praise Him, above ye heavenly hosts 

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost Amen

I am often a puddle of tears when I sing this, in part because of the magnitude of the words and in part because I see and hear my mother humming along and mouthing the words.

The power of music amazes me.

A Few Thoughts on the House

This is the house that I moved into when I was eleven years old with my mom and dad and brother a one of my sisters. (The other sister had graduated from high school.) It was painted white, had black and white striped awnings over the windows and had a single car garage with a flat roof and a deck on the roof. The first night we were there in June of 1972, us kids slept in the dining room because it was the only other room in the house besides my mom and dad's that had a window air conditioner. 

This is the house where I grew up. This is the house where I celebrated around forty Christmases, probably ten birthdays, a high school graduation, a marriage (a dinner for out of town family and friends after the church reception) not to mention the celebrations of my other family members. Mom called it the party house. She hosted a LOT of parties there. This is where I learned how to be hospitable. My mom was very good at having friends over and throwing parties. 

This is the house where my son celebrated his second birthday where my daughter learned to use a fork and where she hid her peas in a glass of milk. This is the house where my nieces and nephews and my kids put on their epic Christmas play. (We still watch the video and laugh our heads off.)

In other words, this is the house where I have an abundance of memories. 

After almost 44 years, my parents have packed up the majority of their stuff and moved to North Carolina to live with my sister and brother-in-law. Huge move for them. Big good-bye for me. As the youngest of four, I lived in that house longer than any other of my siblings. 

This past New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Hubby and I spent several hours walking through the house and going through the things that my parents left behind. I even got my dad on Skype and walked through the house for an hour looking over the things that Dad wanted me to set aside for him. I found several things I wanted to take home. 

I also spent a lot of time just remembering.

In one room hung two pictures that my parents have had on their walls for longer than I've been alive. I wished I could have put them in my suitcase. I contemplated leaving them at my daughter's house to get at some later time. 

This is the Matterhorn in Switzerland.  Hubby and I traveled to Switzerland twenty years ago and this was on my list of places to see because I had seen this picture in my parents house for my whole life. 

This is my room. I had a trundle bed that sometimes got pulled out, but mostly the room was too small and after I got a desk in there there wasn't room for the trundle to be pulled out. I have sooo many memories in this room. So many talks with God, so many dreams, so many books read, so many letters written, so many tears cried. (I was/am a dramatic person and tears come easily to me.) As I stood in that room for the very last time I had a very vivid memory of my last night slept there as a single woman. One of my best girlfriends (Laura) from college slept on the floor and we talked late. I don't remember everything we talked about, I just remember the excitement and anticipation. It's a sweet memory to me.

Can you see the hooks hanging on the fireplace? These were up year-round. They held our Christmas stockings for forty-ish years. The stockings that increased in number from four to six and eventually to twenty-nine. (If I counted right.)


Good-bye number 2531. The memories will always be with me.