Good Morning Hodge Podgers! Thanks to our hostess Joyce for gathering us together and giving us questions to talk about!

1. Let’s compare this May to last May. What’s changed? What remains very much the same?

Honey has been having some health challenges for the last couple of years and when I looked back at the May calendar from last year it brought back memories of unexpected words like MRI and biopsy. Thankfully, their suspicions were wrong, and there was much thanking the LORD!!!

Last May also marked one year of our son and his family moving to Denmark, so unfortunately, this May remains very much the same. We miss our two oldest grandchildren immensely.

One happy thing that has remained the same has been my participation in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). This week completes my 25th year! Our study of Revelation has been challenging, a little scary, but ultimately Good News for those who put their faith in the finished work of Christ. It also, in my opinion, has one of the best inches in the Bible ❤

Revelation 21:4

⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’^[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

2. What’s something you may do this month? 

We may finish our back patio with railings on our upper porch. We may finally buy that new dining table for out there. We may begin the process of making our closet fit for habitation, but we have a trip coming up and it’s looking like that may become a June project. Time FLIES!

3. Mother’s Day is approaching (in the US of A)…in what way(s) are you like your mother? 

In what ways am I like her? I also love to spend time with my grown children, including them in our life, and being included in theirs. My brother and I both have a way of interacting with people, and I’m sure we learned it from her. We can both talk to almost anyone and it’s usually pleasant. I think I have her smile, and that makes me happy, she had a great smile. Lately when I get out of a chair, and I feel like I am having a wee bit of trouble standing up straight, I have a flashback of her getting off the couch!!! Matching backaches!! I miss my Mom.

4. Did you have a favorite book as a child? What was it and why was it a favorite. 

I had many favorite books as a child! I did not have a lot, and one day I wrote my name in almost every single one of them with my purple magic marker! I think my first grade teacher, Mrs Horton, let us use markers as a special treat, so I am quite certain I decided to use a special marker to claim my books! 🙂

I still have a lot of those books, and some are very loved, our Grands called them Grammy’s Special Books and loved to look them over and have them read. I think the illustrations were different back then, I can remember the pictures so clearly and had my favorites.

I especially loved the Somebody Hides book because in every picture the girl’s yellow sweater was fuzzy!

We have had our 2 1/2 year old Granddaughter Pinky overnight quite a bit lately and she is a reader. I was just telling her that A Fish Out Of Water was one of my favorites when I was a little girl! But if I am honest, Little House In The Big Woods was my favorite. I couldn’t get enough of reading about The Ingalls family.

5. Are you more of a tortoise or a hare? Explain. 

Honey would say that when we walk I am a hare! I guess I tend more to the hare side, I’m not that pokey. When it comes to making a decorating decision, that’s when my tortoise shows up!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I think this is a picture from Christmas 1996, I love it because for some reason I don’t have many of me with all of our children. Why is that??

Happy Mothers Day to me ❤

Happy Mother’s Day!

Hello All! Thought I would link up with Joyce this week for the Wednesday Hodge Podge, thanks for having us Old Blogging Friend!

1. My very first edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge was published on November 10, 2010 (linked here if you’re curious). Tell us something about your life from that era.

I was blogging more regularly then so it was easy for me to head on over and read a little bit about our doings in November of 2010. This was the actual post from the day if you care to look. It was a delightful trip down memory lane. Our children were teenagers then, so life was very different from our retired life now. It was also the year we lost my Mother, so there were some posts that pulled at my heart strings. I was 47 years old, much busier than I am now, and fully immersed in parenting young adults.

2. What’s a song you love that relates to time in some way?

Back in Time by Huey Lewis came to mind because I have always been a fan of The News. It’s appropriate as well, when I was reading old blog posts for the previous question it made me miss that time in our lives 🙂

3. May is nearly upon us. When did you last need to yell ‘MAY DAY-MAY DAY!!’? 

Well, if I would have had the time, I would have yelled it!! Our daughter had an unexpected home birth on April 13th and it was 4 minutes from the time I hopped out of the truck until I “caught” the baby in the living room!! But that is a story for another post! It was a wild night!!

4. How do you feel about food trucks? Is this a dining experience you enjoy?  Do you have a favorite What’s something you’ve ordered from a food truck? 

I cannot recall ever ordering from a food truck. I am not opposed, just have never done it.

5. We’re bidding farewell to April…what are three adjectives you might use to describe the month you’re leaving behind. 

Unexpected, Intense and Wonderful. I did not have catching our grandson on my April Bingo card!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Here is the little guy who was in SUCH a HURRY, his blog name is Butch, which was what we called him before he made his entrance. We are in love ❤

Thanks for stopping by!

We always like to find new things to consume, whether with our mouths, our eyes, or our minds. Thought I would pass along some findings in hopes you might like them as well.

These two things have been very helpful to me in my wannabe low carb diet, and I love them so! Both can be found at Costco.

I can’t say Honey is much of a fan, but we who have long ago realized that lowering our carb intake requires food that might be different, but not bad. I actually like both and it was not a hard switch. The peanut butter cups I find yummy (Honey prefers the real thing) but they cannot be enjoyed by me beyond early afternoon. You know, caffeine and age and all that.

I think the chips are also a great alternative. What I love about them is not so much a carb thing, but that they are made with avocado oil instead of seed oils. Which are apparently awful for us and have managed to work their way into practically EVERYTHING we eat.

We have long ago switched out the seed oils for olive oil, coconut oil and butter in cooking, but much harder to do when buying premade food or eating out. We’re trying!

We are always sad when we finish watching a series on Netflix or Prime, because then we have to commit to the arduous process of finding something new to watch. Which we despise. SO.MANY.DUDS.

Back in the summer we decided to look into Frasier. I had seen some when it was on network television back in the 90s, and had a generally favorable opinion, but I think I wasn’t committing to much tv when it was originally on because our kids were younger and I seemed to get a second wind after they went to bed. I got a lot done after 8!

I have to say, this show was funny! We laughed out loud a LOT, which does not happen all that much anymore. I also think it’s funny that people who watched the series the first time around all have a favorite episode 🙂 There is some inappropriate stuff, but the funniest things were the interactions of the cast and their coming together as a family after living separate lives for many years. We have also started watching the reboot on Paramount. It is not nearly as funny, but sometimes oddly touching as they reflect on the original series.

I have been rereading a series of books that I first read some 30 years ago. We were going on vacation and Mousey was just a baby, so I knew I would be in the hotel room while she napped. I asked a friend from church if she had read any good books lately and she recommended these. They were the first Christian books I had ever read and I loved them! I have loaned them to many people over the years and Ab-Cat asked to borrow them this summer. She just returned the final book in the series last night when she came for family dinner. I decided to reread them, mainly so we could talk about them and I figured I had forgotten a lot ( I had!) but also because I did not have a library book on my nightstand.

I learned a lot about this time in history, starting in 70 AD and the fall of Jerusalem, and what life was like in Rome at that time. Love of decadence, self, hedonism, you could see their society rotting from the inside out. There were a lot of similarities to our world now unfortunately. But then there was Hadassah, a secret Jewish Christian, who took her job as a slave seriously, serving with love and devotion. She was in constant prayer for those she served that they would come to know the One True God. I want to be like Hadassah. ❤

A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers.

Hello again, glad I can pop over and visit with Joyce and friends, thank you for having me!

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

  Three Dog Night. Totally and completely under rated AND under appreciated. Their music was part of the soundtrack of my childhood. SO MANY hits; Old Fashioned Love Song, Black and White, Celebrate, Never Been To Spain, Eli’s Coming, Joy To The World, Liar, Mama Told Me Not To Come, One, Shambala. Thirteen songs in a row reach the Top 10. And no one ever mentions them.

2. As winter approaches how do you stay productive? 

Our winters have changed since we leave The Mitten after Christmas to head down to Florida for a few months. We are outside considerably more, and we LOVE that! Honey jokingly says that since retirement his goal is to complete at least one thing a day! And he usually tells me what it will be and when he has completed it! Sometimes it is a worthy task, but other times it is humorous. As in “I wound the Grandfather clock, I guess that’s my one thing” 🙂

Our community also has a great fitness center, and we made good use of it the last time we were down. It was a good thing too, because we came home that spring and moved to our new home and I seriously don’t think we would have had the strength or stamina if we had not been toiling all winter long!

We typically have quite a bit of company during the winter months, and that requires a good amount of productivity. Preparing for company, hosting company, and then setting the house back in order after company. It’s a wonderful thing to enjoy family and people from different walks of your life.

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

This is going to be unpopular, as folks seriously L.O.V.E. it.

I don’t like salmon. I know, I know, it is so beloved. I don’t like the taste, the texture, the smell. If it makes anyone feel better, I am not a fan of most things that come from the sea. Shrimp, lobster, crab, octopus, clams, any kind of fishy fish.

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

This is an easy one, history. It is impossible to run out of things to learn. I’m no expert in any category, but it is disconcerting that so many Americans don’t seem to have any curiosity about things that have happened outside their own little worlds.

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

The same advice I would give to anyone. Life never goes exactly as planned. Even though things may not have turned out the way you expected, you are still making memories. Live the life you have well.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Pinky coloring her pumpkin with her best Friend, Papa. The tongue of concentration, it gets me every time ❤

Well, that week certainly got away from me! It was kind of busy, and then the election coverage consumed more time than expected. All in all, it was a very good week for us!

Tuesday was especially good! Honey had an appointment at the University of Michigan for an ongoing medical concern and had a really good report, his first in a year and a half! We are praising the Lord!

And then our Dear Friends The Hostlers welcomed a new grandgirl at 12:07a.m. Wednesday morning! Ra-Babe was keeping me and our girls updated all throughout Election evening with a Messinger thread called Newbee Chat 🙂 We are rejoicing with their family for this precious new baby girl to love!

Honey and I have been discussing how the Lord has really been blessing us lately. Seriously, blessing upon blessing, and we are very aware that His heavenly fingerprints are all over the details. He has intervened in a situation for a loved one that we were very uncomfortable about, in a way that we would not have thought possible. A new doctor in a different field for Honey, who told us more about his condition in ONE visit than his previous doctor told us in years! And it was some positive news too! The Lord has worked out some details over at The Ab-Cat’s new home, and I haven’t even mentioned that she has a new home!

See? Blessing upon blessing. Thank you Lord for your provision and grace. ❤

Our beautiful fall is over here in The Mitten. It was glorious! This picture was from a couple weeks ago, when Keelyody and I walked yesterday in the drizzle, those leaves were long gone.

We travelled to Virginia to visit our good friends The Schmenkman’s at the end of September. I just looked at my phone to see if I had a single picture of our trip and I did not! How can that be?? I did take a picture of our scrumtrulescent burgers and fries so I could send it to our Girls. They seemed sufficiently impressed.

I always do a good bit of shopping down there, and I went armed with a list of things our family could use and had some pretty decent luck. I was hoping to find some cute fall and Christmas pillows to add a little festivity to our front porch. Still have not gotten around to purchasing some pretty chairs for out there, but this will have to do for now, I brought the twig pitcher and spray of autumnal (that’s a good word 🙂 ) flowers home with me when we cleared out my folks home before selling after she passed away, about 14 years ago now. I still need to spray the pillows with some waterproof spray so they will last a little longer.

Honey and I voted early this year. I have to say that there was a bigger crowd there than I have seen in a long time. The mood was quiet, but good. This election feels important, but ultimately the Lord is in control of all things. This was from our BSF lesson this week. Timely, as God always is.

Daniel 2:21

He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

2 Kings 21:13

 I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

That is exactly what happened to Judah and Israel, and could certainly happen to the United States of America. Please God, be merciful to us, sinners all. Luke 18:13

Happy day after Halloween, it’s now full steam ahead to Christmas! We Facetimed with Mousey, and she sent us sweet pictures of Little Pinky in her finery ❤

When asked who she was she answered “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!” or “Cinderella”, depending on her mood I guess.

Aunt Abby gave her the outfit for her birthday, and it’s not the first time she has worn it. Our Baby Mouse loves all things girly and pink and fancy! She often has TWO tiaras on. With sunglasses! Clearly, more is more!

But here she is last night ❤

She has no idea how fortunate she is to be able to wear her pretty costume without her winter coat over it! Such is life in The Mitten!

These are from a few years ago, but I ❤ them so! MoonPie and Little Dipper, with makeup by their Mama 🙂 Our favorite lion and deer ❤ ❤

Hello Friends, who might still be around! I have been thinking about blogging, which seems to be my thing at this time of year. There is much to say, but for today let’s join up with Joyce and her readers for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, always a favorite ❤ And a big thank you to our hostess for giving us questions to talk about.

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

Priorities seems like an important word. I looked up the definition and it said established by order of importance. So yes, significant. When I think of importance, it feels like the Lord should be involved. That brings to mind things like caring for those He has given us, making sure that I am continuing to read His Word so I can know how to live in this increasingly upside down world, and finishing strong in what He has called me to do. Oh yes, and taking care of our health and bodies. Since we are a… certain age, we need to do some things to maintain our health. Doctor appointments, wise decisions about what we do or don’t put into our mouths, and moving more than we may be inclined to. It’s all temple maintenance from here on out!

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

To be honest, I wish I had more blog posts from the last few years 😦 I have mentioned before that the blog has been like a diary of our life, and there will now always be chunks missing.

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

Not really. We have pumpkins for the first time in a couple of years, and I have a little fall decorating on the front porch, but nothing Halloween-ish. When our kids were young they loved to dress up and go Trick or Treating and we always made pumpkin cutout cookies to eat throughout the week. That’s about it I guess. When we moved into our new house last year we asked some neighbors how many children came by for candy, they said NONE! And they were right! We don’t have any plans, but might go to see our youngest Granddaughter in her princess dress 🙂

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

I made some yummy, once a year, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins last week, and I sure enjoyed the chocolate in those!

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? 

Laid back would be our preference, and that is usually the case. Last weekend we had family dinner with our girls, son-in-law, granddaughter and my Dad and Sunday we met our Dear Friends The Hostler’s at a local restaurant, which is always a fun time of catching up!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our youngest daughter and her husband have news! BB number 2 is being knit together as I type ❤ Little Pinky will have a little sibling to love this spring. We can’t wait to meet this precious new life!

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Fall Y’all!

We had a quiet, small holiday. Honey had a hankering for lasagna and that’s what we had. Just the Girls and The Usher and Pinky in attendance. Papa kept busy showing his little gal her favorite video of Old McDonald. If there is too much Ei, Ei, OOOOO, we have not discovered it yet. She will bring him his phone and glasses, back up into his lap saying Ei, Ei, Oooo.

Also many books read, because Pinky is a reader! She was unfortunately coming down with something and had spent quite a bit of time coughing and having her nose wiped, and those are unpopular activities.

Our Dear Friends The Hostler’s came over for dessert, and their daughter Nurse Lauren was in town with her family! Their precious little granddaughter, Ju-Beanie, was absolutely vibrating with excitement when she saw our KITTIES!! I think she and Pinky would have liked to interact, but by this time Pinky had a fever and we thought it best to keep them apart 😦

Mousey and Usher had already taken her home by the time we had our annual photo shoot.

Here’s one from this past summer when they were in, minus Miss Baby, who had already gone to bed!

Thankful for holidays and long time family friends to share them with! ❤