A Mother's Day Hodgepodge

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge in the new 5-question format this week. I like it. 

1. Share a favorite memory of your mother or share a favorite something from your own life as a mother.

The joy my mother found in "just living" even after being diagnosed with leukemia. No matter the pain, she didn't give up, but rather reveled in the things she could do, enjoying her grandchildren for the brief time she had, and the little trips we took her and Daddy on. We took them camping for their first time and it poured rained, but I remember Mama standing outside under the tent canopy and saying she didn't care, she would have a great time no matter what! And mind you we were tent camping. 

Bear Lake in Colorado

With her first grandchild, Robyn

If you're a mother (or stepmom) tell us how your experience as a mom differs from your own mother's experience.

I never had the joy of being a parent. But I clearly remember how excited I was upon meeting my DH's two young children, to get to be part of their lives. My mom asked me if I was sure about taking on the commitment of someone else's children and I remember telling her, they are the icing on the cake! So, there lies the major difference in my experience and my mom's. She was privileged to have three children of her own and I was blessed to be a step parent/grandparent and see these bonus kids grow into responsible, loving parents who have shared their children with me. Being a step-parent had challenges that my mother never had to face, but she had the challenges of full responsibility of all three of us kids that I never had as a step-parent.

2. In May we celebrate teachers (May 9) and nurses (May 6) both. Most every family has at least one in their midst, so tell us something (or a few things) you appreciate about the teacher or nurse on your family tree.

My niece is a registered nurse, our daughter-in-law is a teacher, and my nephew's wife is also a teacher. Our son teaches at two of the community colleges. I appreciate their dedication to their professions as each one has unique qualifications and qualities.

3. Chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad...which would you go for if all three were on the menu?

Chicken salad.
On bread or a bed of lettuce? Bread
If you answered bread, what kind of bread would make it the perfect sandwich?
A Paradise Bakery chicken walnut salad with mayo, lettuce and tomato on their Paradise molasses bread.

4. Do you have a desk? Yes.
Is it organized? Fairly.
If so, share your secret to keeping it that way. File on a regular basis. Clean up the stack of papers.
If you don't have a desk, where in your home do you take care of family paperwork and business?
We have an office downstairs.
Where do you normally sit to blog?

In my comfortable chair upstairs typing on iPad, then I go downstairs to complete it by adding photos since I'm unable to load pics from my iPad. (I don't understand why either!)

5. When I was nine years old....

I was in the fourth grade and we lived in a little house out by the airport. I loved my teacher at school, had a sister and a baby brother. My sister and I had great fun with the neighborhood kids, and I got my first pair of eyeglasses that year. I loved to read and, in the summertime, would make weekly trips to the bookmobile to get a stack of books to read and then return the next week for another stack. We played softball and Boxcar Children outside and many other games. We played with hula hoops and jacks and loved to jump rope. We played outside with the hose showering each other and maybe once a week Mama took us to the public swimming pool. We had the best time splashing around while our dear mother sat on the bleachers watching us. Bless her dear, sweet heart. We waited for the ice cream man every day ... sometimes we had a nickel for ice cream. On the days we didn't, we always asked for free samples. We had a peach tree in our yard and Mom made peach cobbler. We also picked dewberries in a nearby field and she made cobbler with that, too. We had no air conditioner, but rather, a big fan in the window called a swamp cooler. We had one car which my Dad used to go to work. Each night he came home from work, cleaned up, and we all sat down to supper together. Every. Single. Night. I shared a room with my sister and every night we had to bathe or simply wash our feet and say our prayers with Mama before bedtime.

I was actually 9 in this picture. It is a favorite because we are at my Granny's house and all pooped out just after our little vacation in Branson, Missouri.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Being 9 years old was fun. And I love and appreciate that my Mom was so good to us. She cooked and cleaned and loved us and made life sweeter doing things that I have never had to do, all the while without complaining.

Selfish kids we are when we are young.
I remember at the end of the day,
all Mama asked from us was for someone to rub her feet.
(Wah, we didn't always "feel" like doing that.)

She passed away 30 years ago after one of the most courageous fights
against cancer I ever witnessed.
How I miss her. It would be a privilege to be able to rub her feet again.

The joy of her life in her last years was her grandchildren.
It was a disappointment to us that she did not get to see them grow up.

She would be so very proud!

How I love you, Mom.
I look forward to seeing your smiling face again one day

and hearing your wonderful laugh.

Hidden with Christ

In memorizing this verse about being hidden with Christ in God, I am reminded of an illustration my boss told called The Envelopes. I found a link that explains this better than I can and it is as follows:

"It starts with an envelope that represents you. On the outside of the envelope is written the word "You." (Maybe it would be better to put our own name on the envelope.) Before you asked Christ into your life you were in bondage to sin. You had no defense before God but yourself.

Next, the You envelope is placed inside an envelope marked "Jesus." When you responded to Jesus, you received His forgiveness and your identity rested in Him. In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”

Lastly, the envelope marked Jesus is slipped into an envelope marked "God." Your identity is now rooted in God through Christ. You are hidden in Christ. We read in Galatians 2:20, “It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me.” Ephesians 2:5-6 tells us, “ … by grace you have been saved … and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Trust God with your new identity. As you trust God with your identity you need to remember that it’s not what you feel that shapes your identity – it’s what God says about you. Satan loves to come and attack your sense of identity. But think about the envelope illustration: If Satan wants to get to you or me he has to go through God and then Christ. Doesn’t that make you feel secure? Trust God with your identity. No matter what you’ve done and no matter how you feel, trust God with your identity.

When you and I responded to Jesus in faith, we received our new identity. Our identity is now rooted in Him and all He has done. Our identity is no longer defined by what we’ve done and how we feel. We have received His forgiveness. We have received His righteousness. Our identity is now rested in Him. We are adopted into His family. Galatians 3:26 says, “For in Christ you are all sons of God.” We are now His children. We are able to call God “Abba Father” (Romans 8:15).

Trust God with your identity!"

Birthday Wish

Yesterday I celebrated 68 years! I remember a line from a song that says, "All the pages of my life testify to the goodness of God." Every. Single. One. That thought triggered my mind to wonder how many pages there have been so far in my life.

At the end of this day, 24,839 days of my life will have passed! Many of those days were wasted in some way, but I pray there might be some good in each one. We can know the number of our days past, but the sum total of them is only known by our Father. Since I wonder sometimes how I reached this ripe old age of 68 without maturing as much as I should have, I pray that the Lord will add a little rapid rise yeast so that my end days will be greater than the former! How is that for a birthday wish?

After Jack's baseball game, we had a mid-afternoon lunch yesterday with Amy, Kate and Jack.

Running from third to Home plate!

Jack gave me an ultimate spinner, which he bought himself, and Kate gave me a dollar of her own money.

Kate demonstrates the Spinner which spins around very fast!

Kids love it!

Amy was an "Indian giver" (I apologize to PC police) and gave back to me the Kindle Paperwhite I had given her for her birthday a while back since she doesn't use hers as much as I use mine.

When I returned home last night from church, these were waiting for me from my precious sister. Thank you, Roberta. So thoughtful!

It was a perfect day in every way and I am thankful for the gift of life, beautiful sunshine and perfect temps, nice breeze, the love I enjoy with people in my life, birthday cards, phone calls, a gift card for a day at the spa, and everything about the day was enjoyed! Topped it off with chocolate chip ice cream at the end of the day. 

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." Psalm 92:12-15

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. Psalm 90:12, 14-15

It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. Psalm 119:71

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. Proverbs 3:13-18 (NIV)

Happy Birthday to Me!

So very thankful and blessed that God chose to give me life through the love of these two! Both my parents passed way too young, in my opinion. However, that is not the perspective God has and I will thank Him for the many years I had them in my life.

Last night we went to dinner with friends and afterwards to the Gaither Homecoming Concert. It was fantastic and we didn't get home until midnight! Late night for us and I even slept until 7 this morning! That happens maybe once a year.

Anyway, funny, funny weird thing. Last Fall, I attended an event in the same arena as last night. During the break at the Conference last Fall, I was standing in line for the ladies' room and lo and behold, there was a former co-worker just in front of me! We enjoyed our little reunion, hugged, talked, etc., etc. Well, last night during the intermission, I was standing in line at the ladies' room and someone from behind tapped me on the shoulder!! I turned around to see that very same person!!! We both burst out in laughter and shared hugs, caught up and so forth! Is that not an unbelievable coincidence to see someone in the exact same spot all those months apart? We caught up with each other again for one of those "we've got to stop meeting like this!" So funny!

A selfie editing me out!!

Love, love, love everybody at a Gaither Concert!

Friday Foto Friends

Unbelievable that another week is almost done and even more difficult to believe that another BSF term has ended. It seems that only yesterday it was September and we were anticipating wonderful things from the Gospel of John. And it was wonderful! We had our last fellowship this past Wednesday and so I'm saving a few pics of the sweet time of fellowship.

Decorations throughout were of Jesus our Good Shepherd

and we, His sheep. Sweet!

Donna is a most dedicated BSF student.

Donna is a flight attendant who flies to and from Hong Kong three times a month. When she is in Hong Kong, she travels by train for TWO hours to attend a BSF meeting there! Incredible thinking that all around the world men and women are studying the same lessons and great fellowship!

Our faithful leader, Anne, on the left.

Our hostess, Barbara, on the right. This southern lady

definitely has the gift of hospitality and knows her way around a kitchen.

Someone took a pic of me!!

And, sweet fellowship with our Monday night friends must also not go unnoticed. What a fantastic time we have each Monday!

Linking up today with Deb at Breathing in Grace for Friday Foto Friends. My birthday is tomorrow and today I begin the lunch celebrations with different friends. The next two weeks will be busy, busy!

And, lastly, I attended the National Day of Prayer Event yesterday at The Hope Center. Praying with thousands of others yesterday for our nation, our leaders, families, schools, the media, military and businesses.

A Celebracion Hodgepodge

We have a Mexican theme going here for this week's Hodgepodge. Grab a sombrero and dance your way over to visit Joyce!

1. Can you tell I'm embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Si!
Do you like Mexican food? Si, si, si!

What's your favorite dish?

It depends on where we are eating. I love to share fajitas with DH and cover my tortilla with guacamole, refried beans, grilled veggies, sour cream, and if there is room left for the chicken, that's good, too. Spinach enchiladas, vaquero tacos, oh yummy to most all of Mexican food. 

How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, rice? 

Si, frijoles, por favor. I like all of the beans and would add borracho beans to the list. Rice is okay when mixed with the beans. I prefer grilled veggies over rice.

What about heat-mild, medium, hot? Medium to hot!

Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo?

Maybe for lunch. We are having Italian on Friday night before going to a Gaither concert. We eat Mexican food on a regular basis.

2. Ever been to Mexico? Yes. Puerto Vallarta and Cozumel. 

For work or holiday? Holiday 

Love it or no? It was fun. I'm good with what I've experienced and don't need to go back. 

If you haven't been is this a place you'd like to visit? 

Do you speak Spanish? No habla espanol, with the exception of very basic stuff.

3. What's one thing you may accomplish this month? 

I plan to plant flowers before the month of May is over. Other things keep taking precedence. 

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what's one thing you'd like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished?

 I would like  to see more parks and also a nicer "city area", such as a square with shops. 

Is serving in public office something you've ever seriously considered? No.

5. What's something that may be popular, but that you just don't get?

Tattoos. I won't criticize or judge those who do, I just don't understand it. My dear friend, Liz, has a tattoo around her wrist which speaks for her. Hers is the only one I understand. She has been confined to a motorized chair since a stroke 11 years ago and speaking is a great strain for her. The tattoo is a testimony which she loves to share.

6. Can't let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in 'May the 4th be with you' ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being 'I've seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year', and 1 being, 'what's a Vader?' -where do you land?

I've seen the first Star Wars and I think the most recent one. I couldn't tell you a thing about them. Not a fan, so I land at 1. 
7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post.

My fourth blog post was very brief and theme was my DH and laughter. Does it still ring true today? Yes, it does. Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time? Yes, because it is about my DH. 

My fourth blog post:

"The Bible says laughter does good, like a medicine! I know I love to laugh and we love laughing together. It is really fun when we get tickled and can't stop!!!

Actually, my translation says "a merry heart does good like a medicine." So, it's what is in the heart and laughter is the by-product. I think my guy has a merry heart and I sure do love him."

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Looking back at the fourth blog post is a picture of my fun DH who has drastically changed over these past six years as a result of health issues and memory loss. Although I could never express how thankful I am that he is still here, (thanks be to God), I miss that guy who was so full of life, with the big smile, and the twinkle in his eyes, always in a hurry, having a project or some kind of creative things whirring about in his mind or just being silly.  I miss that adventuresome guy. But I will take the peaceful one, who is simply content to be at home, enjoying his birds' eye view out the window, and the time we spend together, with family and friends and who tells me every day how much he loves me and how thankful he is for all I do. And we do still laugh. It is truly the best medicine. 

Weekend Fun

The forecast for this past Saturday was very grim calling for severe thunderstorms. I was kind of regretting that we had said we would go over to watch Jack play baseball and then bring him home with us, but decided to just trust the Lord would get us over there and back safely. It stayed cloudy, but no rain happened and the clouds turned out to be a blessing since Jack's game was delayed for over an hour and it was HOT along with very strong winds that would not stop. As it turned out a little later, I should have brought sunscreen instead of an umbrella because the sun did come out and we were able to see Jack's team play a full game. It sprinkled on us coming home just a little and we made it through the day with no rain.

Jack had a single and then made it all the way home. 

We came home and had a little time to go to the park before it was time to get ready for church.

Did I say it was very hot outside? Yes, it was and so we dressed accordingly for church. DH and I were greeters and to our surprise, by the time we were standing ready at the front door to greet, the weather had drastically changed and now, it was a blast of cold every time we opened the door! We survived and thank goodness, I was able to get the loan of a shawl to stay warm.

A little iPad before bedtime.

And a little more iPad while I cook breakfast.

Finally, a look at that sweet face!

Jack wanted another Rubik's cube, so on Sunday morning we went shopping. The morning was gorgeous, but geez, it was 48 degrees and the wind was still so strong, it felt even colder.

The storms east of us were tragic and the flooding everywhere and the loss of lives  was disheartening. We can never know when such things will strike and I'm sure the people who were affected never dreamed how their day would end up when they awoke that morning.

photo credit