Wednesday Hodge Podge

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1. What's something blogging has taught you about yourself?

As a teacher  I was  known as the story teller...  I loved to teach history through storytelling   to make the events come alive to my students..  After retirement I  needed an outlet for   the many stories that  swirl about in my  mind and soul,  so  I find that  many posts  are  spun by my story telling heart....

2. Leftovers...are you in the 'reheat and eat' camp or the 'put them in the fridge until they spoil and then toss them' camp? What's your favorite thing to have leftover? What can you not abide as a leftover?

I am somewhere in the middle  of  the  left-over  heat/eat or  store/throw  away   camp... We    enjoyed finishing up  the turkey and  especially the cranberry sauce I made...yum!  But since I didn't have  typical gravy  this year,, we just used the  cherry sauce  from the  turkey cutlets,  the left-over dressing went begging.. It truly is only  good leftover  with yummy  gravy!

I always purposely make  extra mashed potatoes because we love  to make  potato cakes  following!!! 

3. 'Me time'...your thoughts?

As  an only child, I  learned to really enjoy my own company.  All through my life  I have needed to have my own separate space.  This was  pretty difficult  in my middle years,  as  a teacher, wife and mother,  but  I still tried to carve out some me time when I could.  I retired at age 53 after 30 years of  teaching  and had  10 years  of me time,  as well as the empty nest,  so  I really got into   recreating myself.  I took up oil painting and I really grew in my spiritual life and development.  Then Hubs retired  and  a new phase  of  togetherness    was a bit  of a struggle  for me.  Now I only ever  want to spend my days with Hubs and  we do everything together...  me time has lost its appeal!

4. When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with?

I have mentored younger women who are dealing with the transition of being  the child to being the care giver to their failing parents..  My situation  was  very difficult for me being an only child.. my mother  was not  easy... love her sweet heart, but as she aged her  temperamental side  became a ruling factor.. In my situation Mom was in such a horrible state with her crippling arthritis  that when she broke her back  we had to seek a nursing facility... Finances were such that we had to  have mom and dad in separate facilities.. Dad  was  very happy to be on his own at the  veterans center,  while mother    never understood why  we made her leave her home. There was just no way I could have  taken care of her needs  in her  pain ridden and  incapacitated state. Her  total time  in  outside care was  4 arduous years for everyone.  Because of the  strong  pain meds she required, she refused to eat, nothing I could bring her satisfied her... I spent most of every day  visiting  them both  in  facilities across town from  the other..Those 4 years were  probably the biggest trial of my life.

Years ago  we were   sought for help in  going through foreign adoptions.. We loved to share our story and  loved to see friends make the decision to adopt...

 Now  I love to share my faith and witness with  others..  I lead small groups  of Bible study  and I have been asked on occasion for  help in understanding  and applying various  texts. 

5. If your childhood had a smell what would it be? Tell us why.We had our windows open in fair weather all the time.. so there was a fresh scent of  piney  fragrance.. we had  several  pine trees in our yard. In autumn and following  there was a hint of  wood smoke hanging in the air,  first from the  burning leaves of October and November then and  crackling fires in our fireplace...  Dad kept the fires burning.  The years of my  childhood  mom did not work outside the home, so  there was always something wonderful  simmering on the

stove... or in the evenings mom would bake up a treat for those long cold nights like Orange Glazed Chelsea Buns.. In the summer  I  loved the  scent of fresh rain.. I can still remember  the feeling it evoked in me...  I'd lie on my bed and watch it rain ...I was really attuned to  the  natural  world's impact on my life...

I loved the  magnificent view we  enjoyed  as the sun set over the Allegheny Mountains!!  That fiery, rosy glow  the  sun cast  upon the walls of  our porch, the golden moment when everything had a magical glimmer of  glory!    I know there was no  smell  but  the senses   were on overload    for just a few moments!!  I loved those  sensations and alas I have never lived anywhere since where  I have experienced such grandeur!!!  Here  we cannot even see the sunset or the mountains..!😢

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Love his heart...  Hubs  is at this moment  rustling us up a lovely breakfast ..The bacon is sizzling and he is attempting to  fry me an over easy egg...  I will now pause to say a wee prayer!!!