Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce !

1.   When did you last have cancelled plans? Were you happy about that or disappointed? Of all the times I must share when I was 17. It was to be a trip to celebrate my graduation. Our dream trip originated with my dear mother.  Her dream was to see Niagara Falls then to go on north to Prince Edward Island. I was so ecstatic… new wardrobes were purchased and and all plans laid. Then mom came down with her back. I do not remember an accident or anything, her back just went out that summer and she was bedfast. We were all devastated! 

The only thing that would have surpassed that was this spring. Actually last week. Lynn and I  planned to vacation only if our daughter and grands could fly down from New England  to  meet us in a fabulous condo we had already rented complete with three bedrooms and plans all made, but we actually had no idea if they could meet us there until 2 days before we were set to drive on down having already paid for the lodging. Praise the Lord we were not disappointment but truly if they couldn’t have come I would have been just as disappointed as my graduation fiasco

2. On a scale of 1-10 how much of a planner are you? I am a huge planner. For me planning is half the fun.  I have notebooks fun of plans for the various trips we have taken over our 52 years of marriage!

3. Do you have a menu plan for the week? If so tell us one or two things that are on it. If not, what's your plan for not having a plan lol? I used to plan grand meals,  but all it did was put much weight on me.  So being on WW now, I plan what I can eat and spend little time of extras for dear hubby.  He is happy enough to see me lose weight and so make up the difference if what I ve planned  doesn’t suit him.  

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Bucket List Day. Do you have a bucket list? Is it written down or just in your head? What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don't have a list, what is one thing you'd add to a list if you did? Yes I'm going to make you think about it. After I retired 22 years ago, I retired at age 53 from teaching, I developed a bucket list in my head…partly places to go and partly things to accomplish around the house.  My bucket list was mainly to tour Ireland and Scotland and we finally finished that part by touring Scotland in 2022. Now in my heart of hearts  I think about those parts of England that keep drawing me .. I would love to tour the Yorkshire Dales and the Cotswold region.  No desire whatever to see London or any other city.  Just the glorious countryside of England. Btw, we finally did get the parts needed done about our home.  I am very content with it now.  And actually with all things considered .  I am a very fortunate person truth be told

5. Rain buckets, a drop in the bucket, couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, sweat buckets, cry buckets...which 'bucket' idiom applies to your life in some way currently? I would say rain buckets.. not particularly at this moment, but very definitely in the forecast. Hubby has been a busy bee working on the lawn and gardens before the deluge hits.  

6. Insert your own random thought .  I worked about the house today putting Easter away and sprucing up for a  spring to early summer look. This took my mind to the front porch and after watching a couple of spring time sprucing of the porch  videos, I am antsy to get started on a porch project. I saw some new porch decor items on a spring Walmart video so hope to stop in there this week!

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce !

1. April 13th is National Scrabble Day...are you a fan?   I love Scrabble!Do you enjoy word games in general?  I enjoy word games.. I play  the Wordle, Quordle, Octordle, etc  games online every day! What's an eight letter word that tells us something about your life currently?Beachbum...  We just  returned ftom  a lovely beach trip.  and not that I  laid out in the sun for  7 days,  but I loved sitting on our deck painting the  surrounds, reading and just  enjoying the things I love with no interruptions!   The sounds , also,  were so  magical! 

2.  Do you have a junk drawer?  Actually, no.;  I  got rid of it and vowed to never  get one again! Is it full? Do you know what's in it? What's in it? 

3. When does time pass quickly for you?  When I am having fun When does it pass slowly?  Never,  it always seems to be flying by actually!! 

4. These eight vegetables are in season during spring-asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, garlic, herbs. What's your favorite?   All of them are on my favorite list!!!!Any on the list you refuse to eat? Last one on the list you ate?   I suppose it would be  garlic and herbs,  I made a wonderful   stir fry chicken dish last night  but  I have had the other    in some form this week!!!

5. What's the oldest thing you own? Tell us about it.

The first thing I thought of was  the  walnut gate leg drop leaf  dining  table my grandfather made back in the 1920's.   

6. Insert your own random thought here. I am counting the days until we    meet up with our  children and  grands  in Lancaster, Pa  to see  the Sight and Sound production, Moses.  I  am so anxious for the girls to get to see it! And    the area  will be be so much fun to  explore!!If you haven't  been there for a play. ...  it is a must see!!!!!

Wednesday Hodge Podge

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Hosted by Joyce!   Welcome back, Joyce!!! Click the icon to  return to Joyce's page!

1. Did you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in some way?  Not really,  I have been more focused on Spring and Easter!  If so tell us how. Are you a fan of corned beef? Cabbage?   Not too much!  I love my cabbage separate in  soups and  slaw!The color green?  I Love the color green.   It isn't really my color  in fashion,  but for  housekeeping I  wish I had more green!

I should love to paint my cabinets this shade of green, but we recently painted them a lovely color that we both like, but this color resides in my heart!

2. March 22nd is National Goof Off Day...will you celebrate?   I wish I could, but I am hosting a tea party later in the week.   I have a ton to do to get ready  because I  actually have been goofing off a lot   already this week... we have had a houseful of men installing  our new  a/c  system.  So Hubs and I jsut stayed out of the way! Your favorite way to goof off?   Watch  too much tv or  videos  or  mess around on line... I love  genealogy!   Last time you had a whole day to spend 'goofing off'?  I can goof off all day  rather regularly  depending on what you call goofing off. IF I am in my sketching mood or birdwatching  and recording mood,  Hubs calls that goofing of all day!

3. Something on your to-do list that has been there more than a month? Cleaning off the bed in the guest room where I keep all my clothing.   Lynn has to do the laundry and it keeps getting  piled up . I'll put things away and try to  get a head of it, then it piles up again. I can't complain,  but the guest room hasn't looked good all this year! Will this be the month you finally cross it off?   Based on what I jsut said,.  I doubt it/,  but  the kids come in June so  it has to get done  sooner rather than later!!!!!

4. In your opinion, what emotion is the most beneficial?  For me it is anger..  When hubs makes me really angry,.  I  use up all that adrenaline to  really clean up  something like  rearrange  a closet,  etc!!! 

Which one is the least useful?Those mully grubs  can  crash in on me, and I'm not worth killin' for  a day or two!. What was your favorite thing to do as a kid? Elaborate. I was a latch key kid.  My mom worked  outside of the home.. and when I was  about 11, I stopped staying with neighbors across the street. and just tended myself til dad got home.  He  would work flexible hours. As an only child, I would read or  do a lot of day dreaming. In the hot summer  with a/c,  I spent a lot of time out on the large porch, swinging on the glider,  or lying on it reading my Trixie Belden/ Nancy Drew books.  Sometime Id  just day dream about  what I wanted out of life... most of time knowing  those dreams  were pipe dreams, because I was  very shy and introverted. It wasn't until  I was in senior high that I finally  found  myself .,  my personality, and  I actually  could make friends my own age.  I mean as a child and pre-

teen  I played with the little girl across the street who was 6 years younger than myself .  She was my "lil Sister"  and we  entertained each other I guess you'd  say, playing board games  etc.  I taught her how to play make believe  like  playing school,  office, and detective  as we spied around on the neighborhood!  Hahaha!

6. Insert your own random thought here.  Our church has  a  thing called 6 Sisters were  for each  of 6 months of the year  you were assigned 5 ladies who were your sisters and  each one of us took a month to plan an event  to get together.  I picked   March because of Spring and decided to do a spring teal  I have  gotten all the accoutrements out and  sort of staged them on the table.     Here  some photos..  my new Spring tree  decor, and  the table  set up    but everything has to be washed and 

made ready   for  tea day...  below you see   the  dishes for the place

setting  and the centerpiece..   So   all of this needs to  be attended to.

But, first,  the living room will need to be  set aright!  

My menu is planned  and  it is  rather   industrious.

Homemade Blueberry Lemon  scones

Clotted Cream

Tea Cakes 

Meringues 

Mini cheesecakes

   spring time fruit salad

Chicken salad sandwiches on croissants  

English Breakfast tea I purchased in Scotland

  anyway, happy Springtime!!

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce .

1. What do you find is the most boring part of your life at the moment?  It has been the horrible arthritic/ bursitis of my hips, but yesterday I got shots in my hips and I am feeling free!

2. February 22nd is George Washington's birthday. You'll find his face on the US $1 bill. What's the last thing you bought for roughly $1.00? (.94 €/ .83 £)

A Hershey  Chocolate Bar.

3. Is it ever okay to tell a 'little white lie'? Explain. Well, I have told them, but the word tells not to.

4. What's the last thing you 'chopped'? Cherry pie, chocolate covered cherries, a bowl of cherries, cherry vanilla ice cream, maraschino cherries, a cherry lifesaver...your favorite cherry flavored something? 

For my Valentine tea I purchased a cherry All Fruit Jam  as a confident for my scones. It was delicious. Cherry anything is my husband’s favorite.

5. Describe yourself with three words using your first, middle, and last initials. 

Creative- jovial- chubby

6. Insert your own random thought  here.

I am  so delighted to be invited to a lovely young lady’s sweet sixteen party from our church. Sara is a gifted pianist, and an aspiring world traveler of Peruvian descent. And she and I hit it off from the start. Her dad is one of our pastors and her mother is a great friend. The only other sweet sixteen party I ever attended was my own and my daughter’s.  

Wednesday Hodge Podge

 

Hosted by Joyce!

1. Tell us anything you want about your January. 

I do not feel like I have had a January. It has been too warm and too many germs.  Not my favorite January, for sure.

2. Lake Superior State University posts a list each year of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. The 2023 list includes GOAT, inflection point, quiet quitting, gaslighting, moving forward, amazing, Does that make sense?, irregardless, absolutely, and it is what it is.

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly? 

I am amazed that amazing is on the list! I mean, really? That is truly amazing!

Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? I don’t use the other words , so I have little against them, except, the idea of gaslighting is horrible to me, so like, Joyce, I       would like it removed.

 Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? I think it would be curmudgeon, mainly because I am nearing the age that I might be called one!

.  

3. February 2nd is Groundhog Day. What's something that feels repeated in your life right now? Well, it is something I initiated and I love.  I am hosting a Valentine Tea for some of my favorite friends next week.  Then when it was my turn to plan a social to invite my 6 Sisters to, now I am planning  Spring Tea in March! But I love it!

4. What's a food you love that's named after a place?

Boston Crème Pie came to mind.

5. What's the best season of the year to visit your part of the country? Tell us why. Oh, our dear city wears spring so graciously and gloriously.  The dogwoods, azaleas and spring flowers grow abundantly here. The weather is very cooperative and the surrounding mountains are so beautiful in their springtime colors! 

6.  Tell something random. Hubby has been so wonderful.  I have struggled as I’ve gotten older and pretty arthritic in my back and hips to negotiate our stairs easily. One reason is the bannister only goes half way up .  After I run out of bannister, I have to grab hold of the spindles that surround the stair case upstairs along the hallway. Today Lynn and a friend finished installing a new bannister on the opposite side of the wall. I am so very excited to know now I do not dread every time I climb the stairs.

Wednesday Hodge Podge

 

Hosted by Joyce.

1. Have you ever been on a cruise? If so where did you go and how did you like it? If not, do you have any desire to take a cruise someday? 

We are not cruise people.  We, actually are not interested in  the Caribbean and such.  But we would be very interested in an Alaskan cruise or a Cruise on the Rhine!

 2. Tell us about your Thanksgiving plans...are you hosting?We have been invited over to friends from our church which  will be so very nice, even though we don’t know them very well. But I would say our fruendship was budding.  It makes me feel younger in my heart to be building new friendships  over their dinner table.  It has been quite a while for us, as most of our friends are much long lived. Pretty exciting! cooking?  I offered to bring something, but all the regular food was already planned so I offered a Mac and cheese casserole since there will be teenagers! eating out? Well, as I said, at a friends…. turkey or some other main? There will be turkey with dressing..  homemade cranberries or cranberries in a can? are pies on the dessert menu? what kind? what are your 'must have' sides? I am not sure about those last details.Tell us one thing you're especially grateful for this year. Well, I am grateful  to be finding wonderful friendship in our new church., especially at our age.  I mean even in our early 70’s we try to be open and out going and young spirited.  I am so delighted and grateful for the Lord leading us to this church.  We didn’t have any idea where we would go  and even though it isn’t very close to home it popped up quickly and it felt just right  from our first visit.   I think that was a God thing!

3. If someone approaches you and asks for money do you give it to them? We generally do not give money to someone on the street.. I suppose we believe the adage it would be used for alcohol.  Do you drop money 'in a tin cup' We do  drop money in a container for an entertainer, pianist, violinist, guitarist etc that we  see out and about. Or at a piano restaurant… Do you have a specific charity you support during the holiday season and/or year round?We give to Samaritans Purse, 

Our local  homeless shelters and such like the  Salvation Army,. Lynn sends money each month to various veteran and military organizations, and to Alliance Defending Freedom and a couple of other like organizations. We also give to Operation Smile and  sometimes to an Indian school out west.  

4. Have you started decorating for Christmas? Yes. Is your tree up?I have two trees up. They are both rather small, but I doubt we put up the big tree.  Shopping done? Mostly, Wrapped

No, not yet.

5. Create your own acrostic using the word THANKS

Turkey on an oval platter-

Hearty veggies piled high in bowls 

Aromatic pies all sweet and spicy

Nicely arranged on an attractive table

Keeps our hearts  full of precious memories,

Season by season and all through the year!

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

After over 60 years of strong family memories of thanksgivings with our children and my parents then  suddenly life changes and you are sharing your children with other families and your own parents have passed ..it can sometimes create a vacuum that can seem a step too far, but the God  steps in and you receive a sweet invitation to share one of the most beloved days of the year with another family.  That is heaven sent love  from above that no one can question. God’s love endures forever! 

Wednesday Hodge Podge

 

 Hosted byJoyce!

1. Last time you were 'dressed to the nines'? 

I am not really a dressed to the nines kind of gal.  I’m more maybe dressed to the 4’s..  and that would be the day Amanda, the girls and I went to tea at Glamis Castle.

2. Something recently that had you on 'cloud nine'? So the last time I was extremely happy was the day about 3 weeks ago we purchased the sofa bed that will transform the girls bedroom into my she shed (room) .  It is supposed to be delivered in about another week!

 3. Tell us about a time, circumstance, experience, or decision you made where the saying 'a stitch in time saves nine' proved true. I am a very intuitive person.  I get a very strong feeling like a premonition when something bad may happen.  Lynn has learned to act on my intuition, which has saved us money in the markets, or even when we should buy certain goods for the pantry even. 

  4. A recipe you make that calls for exactly nine ingredients? Actually, my Christmas quiche calls for 9 ingredients;  sausage, onions, red peppers, eggs, Swiss cheese, half and half, salt pepper, nutmeg.

5. This coming Friday is Veterans Day in the US of A. Will you mark the day in some way? Are you a veteran? If you live outside the US does your country have a day dedicated to celebrating veterans? My husband is a veteran which means we get to dine out at Mission bbq. He always gets a free meal, so we only pay for mine!

6. Insert your own random thought here. Our beautiful and oldest granddaughter turned 9 this year.

 

 

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce.

1. What's something you wish you'd figured out sooner?  I wish I had figured out the road to peace and satisfaction  sooner.  I  spent an awful lot of time in my life worrying about stuff   that  really was out of my control   Now I know to give it all to God and  things will work out because of His love and mercy!

2. Something from childhood you still enjoy today?   I always loved an open fire pit.   We used to enjoy lying on blankets around a summer  fire pit  while the adults talked, we kids  played or just spent our time  watching the fire,    studying  it! .. its warmth and artfulness. I even remember one time   as I lay before the fire I would stare into it and as the embers and  burned out  logs  and twigs  crumbled and revealed new areas  back into the embers,  it almost looked like  a underworld mansion with rooms that kept  opening up to other rooms.    That was my  crazy  8 year kid mind anyway,  but that has stuck with me and even now when we  light our fire pit, I  think of that and  wonder where are the rooms   that  will eventually  appear!    I, also, thought,  the those little  imps seen on cartoons back in our day  Silly Symphonies or  something, must live in those rooms! 

3. Are you a fidgeter? What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word fidget?   No, not really.  To fidget means to bite your fingernails down to the quick  or  make  noises  without realizing you're doing it!

4.   Your favorite fall vegetable? How do you like it prepared?

It is a toss up between sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  I love both related the same was.. roasted ,actually, together with some quarter red onion,  a bit of garlic,  a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper!

5. What's something you find mildly annoying, but not annoying enough to actually do anything about? Might you now?  I  cannot stand  it when it is all quiet in the bedroom  Im probably reading and someone starts to pick their toenails ...  click click click  . My roommate in college did it....  our daughter did  .. and some  times Hubs does.  I guess I'm just doomed to be   annoyed by clicking  toenails.

6. Insert your own random thought here.   I really   cannot stand  Halloween anymore.  Ever since the adults got into it ...   I don't know  maybe back in the 80's  when you'd see bank tellers all dressed up.  etc..  it seems like the  devil has  taken notice and really ramped up the evil  into the holiday.  It was so much  different  when we were kids.  The only thing bad about it was  your yard might get rolled or   your  windows soaped.   Not me, of course, .  but I did hear about it.  But   now  witchcraft  is active...  I mean real people who practice witchcraft have taken halloween over and I  wouldn't even feel safe walking down my street after dark on halloween.   Well though, I live more like on a boulevard where people from all over town drive by  all hours of the day and night.   I mean I didn't really like it when  our  teen age Amanda  took a run around the neighborhood for exercise in the 2000's  …  she was in high school, and a very attractive young lady.  I would give her  an exact time to be back home and    actually sat outside  until she came home.  We do not promote halloween  here anymore  and actually we never have kids anyway..    our neighborhood is not   like a subdivision at all…  houses  are  dark,    lots of shrubbery and wide  side yards..  so   in that regard  I am happy  because   I am sorry for the kids  of today who   have such a wicked  holiday.  I think  it has been besmirched by parents who have taken  it too far. .. too grisly  and   evil and it actually opens a portal   to the underworld. 

Wednesday Hodge Podge

 

Hosted by Joyce.

1. Tell us a little bit about the best birthday you've ever had. It would have to be this past one in July. It was during our Scotland trip and we made a very special day of it. We got tickets on the Scotrail from Fort William to Mallaig, a seacoast town in the north of Scotland very near the Isle of Skye. 

Our main purpose for this trip was to ride over and see the Glenfinnin  Viaduct! 

 It was the most scenic train ride one could ever imagine!

In Mallaig we had a fabulous tradition dinner!

It was a fabulous day which ended with us driving from Fort William to Skye where our lodging at the castle was situated nearby, on the way we passed my favorite Scottish icon! 

Eilean Donen

Duncraig Castle

2.  In what way(s) have you changed in the last five years? 

I think I have mellowed out a bit. Those thirty years of teaching school were special, but after retirement I realized just how much they had changed me. I was uptight and it had actually affected my nerves.  But in these last five years I have become much more calm and trusting the Lord in all things.  Oh, there has been spiritual testing , especially in my health, but in every circumstance He has proven to me to be my faithful strong tower , seeing me through each struggle and bringing me through each one. Those tests have proven me to be so trusting of God and His love  for me that now I can face victoriously any  thing the world throws at me! 

3. What's your favorite thing about the street on which you live? I was thinking just the other day that in some ways I wish we were a close neighborhood where we knew our neighbors well , but at the same time I love the privacy we enjoy. I can name our side neighbors, the ones directly behind us, but generally, this isn’t a friendly neighborhood.  One neighbor is sweet and between us we send Christmas baked goodies back and forth. We have seen the neighborhood go from  lots of kids, to teenagers to a bunch of oldies but goodies in our nigh unto 40  years here! It is now showing more and more school kids walking to the school right across the road from our home. I am glad we live well back from the street with many oak trees that give us ample privacy from all sides. 

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Beer Day...are you a beer drinker? What's a recipe you make that lists beer as one of the ingredients? If not beer, how about yeast?I suppose it is confession time. There is beer , and there is beer. I hate American beer. But when we lived in Germany, to drink the water brought on terrible sickness, so everyone drank beer, it was a much milder beer and we just got used to drinking it. We felt it was better than sugary drinks.  When we were in Ireland I drank a Guinness and thought it was most enjoyable. But not generally!

5. As I grow older I would like to be a woman (or man, if there are any men in the HP today) who __lives a life that demonstrates the love of Christ and others need for Christ in  their life. Truly, I do not understand how anyone without Christ can live with any peace of mind  or spirit  in the wicked world in which we live.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. One never knows what on earth they will find when they rip out some section of their home to redo and make it better. Our window seat was built over the radiator which never put out enough heat in this room to really be comfortable in the dead of winter. Besides the two double hung windows seemed to make the room ever cooler. So after nigh unto 40 years of putting up with it we finally had the impetus to do something about it. So Lynn ripped out the wooden seat which covered the whole radiator. That radiator was hideous, so grimy and it actually reminded me if a swamp creature of the black lagoon!

Actually , Lynn vacuumed  and scrubbed it clean so it is ready to be painted now , and even though we had originally thought we would finish the job by recreating a bench topper that has  a lift hinge built in so it could be lifted in winter, but now we are planning to go ahead and paint the radiator teal and then finish off the inside ends of the book cases and call it a day. The plantation shutter folks will be here early next week, and by waiting for a spell on the seat, we can better come up with a structural plan.  I think Lynn hopes I’ll love  it more without a seat! Uh, don’t count on it!

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce!

1. Something you learned from your father? My father was a gentle man..  He was quiet and  soft spoken,  and  got along with  everyone.. He was a peacemaker. My mom was  bit more brash and loud. I  take a lot  after her,  but I  remember how much  I appreciated my dad,   and I  try to soften my demeanor   to be more like him!

2. Do you like onions? Raw or cooked? How about onion rings? What's something you love to eat that calls for onions?   I love raw vidalias onion and will eat one  like an apple with  pintos and cornbread.  Not so with  any other onion! I love onions cooked. .. onions rings are one of my favorite food!  Yum!  I love onion  pie, I made that for my dad and husband..  they both love onions!  The pie has  lots of  Swiss and  spices and cream in which makes it pretty rich and yummy  for a special meal  with  a special beef or steak dish!

3. It's officially summer (in the Northern hemisphere)...your favorite and least favorite things about the season?   Favorite  isn't so important these days  but it used to mean, when I taught school "yayaya!!  schools out! "Since retirement  I sort of dread summer because of the heat and humidity here in the mid Atlantic.

4. When you think about the summers of your childhood what are two or three things that come to mind?  I loved the jingle of the ice cream truck  that came around once a week.   That was always a huge delight to us on the block! Freedom to roam the neighborhood and play from morning to dusk.  The farm fresh foods  mom would cook in summer. Being a farm girl and a great  country cook..  summer food was  the BEST!!

5.  A hot mess, the heat of the moment, beat the heat, if you can't stand the heat, catch heat, in a dead heat...choose a 'hot 'phrase and tell us how it applies to your life right now.  Today and all week we are trying to beat the heat. I really need to be walking  and exercising outside,  but the heat is too unbearable.  So  here I sit in air conditioning!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Tomorrow I will   go to the hospital at 5:30 am for  my doctor's first procedure of the day. I am having my 5th ERCP  since November... a lengthy endoscopy to check out how my gall bladder is doing.,  remove a stent and hopefully not  insert another one! Hopefully,  it will be the last. 

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce!

1. It's National Wine Day (May 25)...do you like wine?  I do  enjoy a glass of wine  every now and then.Red or white? Dry or sweet?   I   prefer a soft white wine,, not too sweet, but not dry.Do you have a favorite?   I am a fairly simple  wine drinker.  I like  Lake  County soft white wine by Taylor! Have you ever been to California wine country?NO Or any other wine region?   We lived right in the middle of great  Reisling German wine country and did enjoy sampling the  local wine there when we went for  drives around the region! What's a dish you make that calls for wine?   I like to add a red wine to my beef  stews  if  I happen to have some. I will add white wine to  chicken dishes and fruit  dishes  on occasion.  I do not  follow  an actual recipe on that.

2 . What's something you've whined about lately?   Well, like our hostess  I  have  had  horrid allergies this season.  At first my eyes  were  terribly affected.  They  ran all the time like I was crying.,    Thankfully that has stopped  after  several weeks,  but now   my upper sinuses are  affected and I have a  dull headache most of the time.  Allergy shots and  pills  do not seem to help very much!

 3. Last time you were 'wined and dined'? Tell us about it. It would have been our 50ith wedding anniversary.  Unlike so many   we did not have a  party. It was just the two of us,  and Lynn took us to a lovely  restaurant we dont usually go to , and  had a delectable dinner.  Unfortunately, he won't drink  when there is no  other designated driver, but I enjoyed  a glass  before dinner!  Btw,  our trip to Scotland is  partly  our anniversary  celebration  by our daughter and son in law!

4. Three cheers for__our  wonderful grand daughters.  Our youngest is  in kindergarten  and  her sister is in second grade. They attend  a school in Massachusetts that is French Immersion.  The teacher only speaks French all day long.    Another  teacher does  come in for math and science.  Birdie even looks French!

Birdie on the right,  and Vi on the left.  Vi, in kindergarten, is determined to catch up and surpass her sister. She is  taller and  very mature for her age.  She  absorbs everything  that  her sister  says and does and so the teacher uses  Vi to  teach  the  others in her   class how to pronunciate  and  improve their  spoken   language.  I just am always amazed  at how they change from week to week!  

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce.

1. What's something that makes you feel stressed? How do you cope? 

Whenever I hear that a loved one has a serious health issue.. At first it can really throw me for a loop,  but  then  my  spirit settles down when I  remember  that I am a child of God. That  he is  full of mercy, compassion,  strength, and  love  for  me and mine. I give my  concern to Him and He carries it and me through  the circumstance! He is faithful and  never has let me down!

2. What's a food you eat that evokes a memory? Explain. 

Lately, the food that  seems to keep knocking on the door of my memory is  the delicious  green bean,  seasoned with country ham  and laden with new potatoes  that my  dear momma  used to make. Oh, I can smell it on the stove right now!! I remember that  contrary to ow hubs  like  is green beans, she would cook  those white half runners  for hours  with  those bits of  lean country ham   before adding the new potatoes. It was  such a special dish, and even more so now because that type of bean is  pretty rare around here lately!  

I do not use ham hocks,  but I do  purchase  sugar cured  ham and   cut up a slice to add to the pot for seasoning.

3. This week's Hodgepodge lands on National Visit Your Relatives Day. Will you celebrate by visiting a relative? If so is travel involved? Geographically, who is your nearest relative (not counting those living in your own house)?

I do have an aunt  who lives relatively nearby.  I shut spoke to her at length on the phone.  I cant do it today but I would love to  drop in on a dear cousin  about 2 hours drive away   in the countryside   from which our family hailed.  Maybe I can go  closer to  Memorial Day.

4. What's your most frequently used emoji?   Cannot copy it here for some reason!

Do you make more phone calls, send more emails, or mainly text to communicate with friends and family? I would say  texts, using Messenger  and sometimes text in FB.

5. Tell us the story behind a favorite piece of furniture. 

You  caught us right in the middle of  getting the den ready to pain.,  the drop cloth and a rubber ball I use for exercise is hiding in the photo!  HAHAHAA!

I adore this table. It has been in my life since I was born.. not at my house,  but at grandma's.Grandpa was a carpenter and he made much of the furniture they started housekeeping with. By the time  I as born this table had been painted and relegated to the farmhouse kitchen. Now this is a gate leg drop leaf table that when fully opened can sit 6 or even more .  And believe me it was well used  in that   dairy farm    home  kitchen by many grandchildren and  coffee klatches. When grandpa retired and  they had built a home over on the main road  this table was then regelated to the basement primarily  for the young's to sit at!  It was marked and  chipped and in pretty  horrible state!  MY mom was the  executor of the estate when  that  occurred and she  had 5 sisters  waiting to see  which of the handmade antiques they might  inherit. There was a gorgeous cherry desk,   an exquisitely adorned hall tree,   a beautiful library table,  a cherry droplet dining table, and a cherry  corner cupboard.and the oak table  down in the basement

  Mom put everything in equal piles and had  each sister  draw  for  their pile. Seemed the only fair way to go!  She  won the oak basement table and everyone else realized a heavy sigh that could be hard in the next county!

Mom immediately located a furniture finisher  in  the town that was home to 3 furniture factories,  and they came and picked it up the next week.  IN a month  dad went  to pick it up  following  the $300.00  refinish. The woodworker  pleaded with dad to sell it to him instead . He would give dad $2000.00  for it.  Dad stood firm saying this is going straight to our daughter's home!   That was 35 years ago. No doubt it is worth much ore now,  but the memories are worth so much more! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. Yesterday I walked up the street that runs right behind our home. It is a gradual incline with a severe  incline at the top. Now this was  the first time I have walked in the neighborhood in quite a ling time  long before even covid due to various  health issues and infirmities. I made it to the start of the steep incline and sudden  felt  rather   unsteady on my feet so I turned around and walked home but I am proud for that small start. I am determined to walk some everyday  for the next month and hopefully  get a better grip on my  mobility and ability to  make  my upcoming trip!  And I continue my physical therapy tomorrow!