Hodgepodging Across the USA

Sweet little Lucy, learning a game from Grandpa
She can't quite get the hang of how to hold her hands. :-)





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1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why?
(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)

If anyone from Wisconsin ever rates summer an 'eh,' they need to be ashamed of themselves. Our summers are so short compared to our beastly long and cold winters, that I couldn't rate the worst of one anything lower than a 3. So, I'd say this summer has been somewhere between a 6 and 7. I've been out and about exactly twice, but have enjoyed our porch, the screened room, the wonderful views and glorious breezes. Okay, let's make that a 7. I'm hoping for a great August, September, and October, and most likely they will be rated a 10+.  Stay tuned for an update on that.

 Cute daughter and cute son-in-law

I put this on Instagram with the caption, 

'Green Acres is the place for me...'

In reality, they both love living in the city.

Driving our old Ford while here on the Fourth.

2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who call you Aunt (or Uncle).

I have lots of fun memories of my aunts and uncles. My dad was one of eight children and my mom was one of five. My dad's siblings all had a fine-tuned sense of humor and I loved being around them. There was one exception, and that was when, at my high school graduation party, I opened a lovely box to find a pair of panties with the name Orlando Cepeda written on them (you'd have to be old and have been a baseball fan to remember him).. I never forgave Aunt Elaine for that. ;-) Actually, I loved all those aunts and uncles. They loved silly jokes, puns, saw the funny side of life, and laughed easily.

3. What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate? What's your favorite food dipped in cheese?

For chocolate, I'd say first of all that it *must* be dark chocolate, the darker the better, and dipped in almonds or Brazil nuts is quite wonderful. PLEASE do not get any cheese soft enough to dip anything in. That is a horrid thought. I like hard cheese, please. If I'm going to harden my arteries, I want to get it done fast!  I'll admit that when I was a kid, I did like Velveeta on rye with sliced green olives on top. Now I'll just take the olives (green, black, or kalamata) and a slice of Dubliner or Stilton.

My favorite sandwich when I was a kid.

Better when accompanied by a cherry phosphate.

Kinda nauseating, isn't it.

4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.

I am astonished at how fast the body heals, when given half a chance. What a wonderful Creator, who thought up all the systems in our bodies and then how to make all those systems do what they do in order to cause healing. Just think of the last time you had even a paper cut. It hurt like crazy. And yet a couple days later, it had all but disappeared. All healed. Praise God! I mean, REALLY!

 Jazzie on the front porch

5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered?

None of the above. But maybe Jazzie looks 'bored' in the photo above. Really, she was enjoying being outdoors and observing her domain. I took this photo late afternoon on Monday, when that golden light was coming into the screened-in area of the porch. (The porch is L shaped.) I love that time of afternoon/evening. 

Speaking of bored, that's what comes to mind when watching the political conventions. It's the same old same old. I told a friend that I was writing in his name for President. I'm sure he thought I was kidding.

Cheery daisy

6. What's your favorite story from scripture? Why that story?

Hmmm. Well, when I was much younger, I think my favorite was the account of Jael and Sisera, where she drove a stake through his head while he was sleeping, pinning him to the ground (like never to awaken again). But that might have been when I was mad at Mr. C. about something.

Maybe the account I like best is of Rahab the harlot. Why? Because it shows that God is not playing favorites, but has his arms open to all who will put their trust in him, regardless of what they've done or not done in their past. And because 'he knows our frame, that we are but dust,' it's not like he's counting on us being shining examples of virtue even when we do choose to follow him. But what he does do is put his Spirit in us, that will cause us to recognize God in his grace and mercy and want to respond to him in praise, out of gratitude. And over time, miraculously, we want more to love people and less to drive stakes through their head(s). God is in the business of forgiveness, restoration, reconciliation, and making us more like his Son.

7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?

Boston, MA; Beaver Falls, PA; Great Falls, MT; Flagstaff, AZ; San Francisco, CA.

The Mighty Mississippi River on a gray day in June

8. Insert your own random thought here.

 Jazzie is back for a visit while her family is on vacation.

She's enjoying being here, I think.

Note Mr. C's fashionable neon yellow construction shirt.

***

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TIME for the Hodgepodge

Join Joyce and the Gang

for

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we write the answers.
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1. Pokemon Go...your thoughts? Are you playing? Do you even know what it is?

Pokemon Go Find a Job.  Really, the more I hear about this, the more I wonder why people don't have anything else to do. There are people actually crashing cars into trees because they're busy playing this game? Kinda like texting and driving. Anyway, no, you'll not find me playing.

2. What was something you collected as a child? Do you still have that collection? If you're a parent what's something your own children collected? Have you ever camped out, stood in a crazy long queue, or paid a ridiculous sum for a 'collectible'?

I collected baseball cards. Lots of them. The ones my mom pitched when I left for Bolivia. But really, it doesn't matter. Besides, who even knows who these guys are anyway: Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Stan Musial, Bobby Richardson, Hank Aaron, Sandy Colfax...

(PS It's okay, Mom. I really don't care. None of them ever saved *my* picture anyway.) 

3. "Collect moments, not things"...tell us about a moment you've added to your collection this summer.

My favorite moments have been with the kids  here for July Fourth weekend. But I've lots of other great moments too, when people have stopped by for a visit, when I've had breakfast with Mr. C. out on the porch, when I realized two days ago that I'm already in Week Seven of my Eight Week Exile.

4.  What's something collecting dust in your home right now? Any plans to do something about it?

Are you kidding? Absolutely everything is collecting dust. When the granddaughters were here over the Fourth, I enlisted them to dust the furniture, since it hadn't been dusted for a month at that point. Bless their hearts, they did a fine job. Unfortunately, they went home. But without the dog here, we at least don't have dog hair piling up on the rugs.(That is soon to come to an end, for sweet Jazzie is coming to stay with us on Saturday!)

5. A favorite song relating to time?

It's Howdy Doody Time!  Okay, not really. Probably Time in a Bottle, but I mostly like the sound of it.

Eric's lanai

We miss you, Eric

6. What's been your most frightening or your most interesting encounter with wildlife?

My most frightening, horrifying encounter with wildlife was when a mouse crawled up inside my pant leg. I am not kidding. It is a wonder I lived through that experience. And I'm not kidding about that either. In fact, it was the topic of one of my very first blog posts.

 Mickey Mouse

This was not the one who climbed up my pant leg.

7.  On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong set his foot down on the moon. If you could travel to the moon would you go? Why or why not?

I have no idea why anyone would want to go to the moon. From what I've seen of the scenery there, I'll be happy to stick with Wisconsin's woodlands, rivers, lakes, and green, rolling hills. Besides, where would I get dark chocolate? And coffee? I'll stay right here, thanks.

 Moon landscape

Landscape I see from my porch

(October)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Is anyone else watching the Republican National Convention? Last night the PBS/NPR hosts couldn't keep quiet long enough for us to hear the speakers. The camera was mostly on the panel and they were constantly talking over the speakers. At least tonight (Tuesday, as I write this) we actually heard Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Chris Christie, Donald Trump Jr., Ben Carson, etc. We must not have been the only ones who complained to PBS. 

And yes, we'll be watching the Democratic National Convention too and be expecting PBS/NPR to let us hear the speeches there too. As ridiculous as both campaigns have been this time, we really can't afford to turn a blind eye and wish it would go away. After all, politics does matter. It affects us all.

UPDATE:

We received a response to our complaint to PBS.  Read and remember that it takes us speaking up:


Thank you for contacting NPR.

We appreciate the opportunity to hear your feedback about NPR’s coverage of the 2016 election. We’re grateful for your input, and your thoughts have been shared with NPR’s newsroom.

We’ve heard from a number of listeners, like you, who were disappointed with the amount of commentary included during live speeches. We agree that the format was not ideal. NPR’s newsroom has been made aware of listeners’ concerns and is working on improvements for future coverage.

***

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Summertime, and the Hodgepodge is Easy

 Remembering a distant July, when I was taking a load to GoodWill.
Meanie Mr. C. stood the teddy bears in the back of the truck just to make me feel guilty about giving them away.


Join Joyce and the Gang
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1. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or is it more the other way around? 

I would hope that I'm influencing my world, rather than the other way around, but lately my world seems very, very small, like from edge to edge of a single bed and my only influencee being Tuppence, who's snuggled beside me. 

Tuppence, looking rather possessive, don't you think?

2. July 14th is National Tape Measure Day...the device was patented on this date in 1868. When did you last use a tape measure? Do you always know where to find one in your house? Tell us one way in which you feel blessed 'beyond measure'.

I use a tape measure often. The blaze orange one marked 'MOM' in bold Sharpie, that's supposed to be in the drawer next to the stove, is the one I use most often (if it's there).  What I measured most recently was probably a piece of furniture to prove that it could, indeed, fit through that doorway. I'm a pretty good judge of distance if it's inches or feet up to about 20 10 feet. Beyond that, I'm lost. Mr. C. thinks in yards, as in the mailbox being so many yards from the house, it's so many yards down to the creek, the garden is so many yards long. I suffer from a football-viewing deficit in my childhood, so I never got that idea of yards fixed in my head. 

 July of 2015
our favorite migrant workers

I feel blessed beyond measure that my hip revision (that means done twice now), was done in early June, although I was feeling pretty sad last fall that my surgeon was booked so far out. Now I see how blessed I am, that I can have the door OPEN between the library (which I'm currently using as a bedroom) and the porch, to feel the warm summer breeze, to go out onto the porch and view all God's gorgeous creation (even those perennials that persist in giving me beauty though I've not pulled a single weed since last year and not many last year), to look out at beauty instead of immense snowbanks, etc. etc.to know that the Creator of the universe loves me and cares about the details in my life. I am definitely feeling blessed beyond measure. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that bad things never happen or that God is somehow my fairy godmother, granting my every wish. If that were true, I wouldn't be in this seemingly interminable no-weight-bearing season of my life. But I see God's gracious hand in my life daily, and I'm so grateful.

3.The Plaza Hotel (Eloise), The Land of Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh), Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), or Never Never Land (Peter Pan)...which storybook land (on this list!) would you most like to visit and why? 

Narnia. After the thaw. When all life is joyously restored and horses and dogs talk once again. 

 Narnia, before the thaw (see that bright speck of hope?)

Narnia, after the thaw

4. Where and when do you get your best ideas? 

Either in the middle of the night or very early morning. After 4 PM, it's downhill. BUT, I do awaken very early, usually by 5:30 AM, although I don't actually get up at that time. I'll read my Kindle, pray, read, listen to Morning Edition on Minnesota Public Radio, listen to David Suchet reading Isaiah, on my phone, no less. (If I ever complain about technology, remind me of this.) 

5.  So what have you been watching on TV this summer? Anything good? 

Jericho just became available on Acorn, so Mr. C. and I started watching it last night. We got about 15 minutes into it and nearly fell asleep switched to watch a repeat of Vera. Although Jericho is set  in the most gorgeous Yorkshire, a good mystery keeps my attention much better. And Vera is exceptional. I'm going to try Jericho again at some point just because I want to see more of the Ribblehead Viaduct. George Gently (sigh) comes back to Wisconsin Public Television next Friday. We've probably already seen all of the episodes, but we love them and will watch them over again.  And of course we watched the season finale of Endeavour. Why are those seasons so short?? They better hurry up and make more, although that is one for which I have to turn on Closed Caption. Endeavour mumbles so fast! :-)) 

6. 'Don't swim for an hour after you eat', 'Dog days of summer', 'Knee high by the Fourth of July'...choose a summer saying from the list or share one of your own, then tell us what image or memory comes to mind when you hear it spoken.

We always had to wait an hour to swim after we'd stuffed ourselves with a picnic lunch at Silver Lake. It was just common medical science that we would get cramps and drown if we went into the water at 59.9 minutes after eating. 

Another Wisconsin lake

7. In a single sentence, sum up one life lesson you've learned.

If fear of people keep us from doing the things we'd like to do because we're worried about what others will think, the reality of it is that those 'others' are usually far too self-absorbed to be thinking about anyone other than themselves. It's pointless worrying about what others think.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

"Doubt is not at odds with faith; irony or cruelty does not cancel out beauty or truth. God knows all of me, including the darkest parts. Sometimes I can even see heaven easier for the clouds than for the perfect blue. And He loves me still?"  - From Surprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber

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Red, White, and Grilled Cheese Hodgepodge

 Dallas Pond and Bridge
July 4

Join Joyce and the Gang
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She writes the questions;

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Thanks, Joyce!

1. How did you welcome the month of July, and tell us one fun thing you did to celebrate the 4th. (or the weekend for any non-USA residents playing along today)

The best thing about July so far is that it was ushered in with family coming to spend the weekend with us. It was so much fun to watch the little ones having a great time together.

 Cousin smiles on the window seat

2. Right now..what's your favorite red thing? white thing? blue thing? 

My favorite red thing is the red satin sheet that helps me slide into bed. It's amazing how difficult it can be just to get into bed after you've had a hip replacement, but wearing slippery athletic shorts and using sating sheets makes it SO much easier. I wouldn't be telling you this, but just in case a hip replacement is ever in your future, tuck this brilliant bit of info into the back of your brain. You'll be glad you did.

My favorite white thing is my cat, Tuppence.

Right. She's not all white, but it's either that or my pillow.
White is not a favorite. There's too much of it from November through March.

My favorite blue thing is the brilliant blue sky of July here in Northwest Wisconsin. It's gorgeous!

Looking SE from the house

3. Wave the white flag, raise a red flag, fly your freak flag...which 'flag' have you flown most recently? Explain. 

I refuse to raise a white flag, I have no idea what a freak flag is, so I'll say 'raise a red flag.' Our current Presidential candidates getting away with murder should raise many red flags.

4. According to Cond Nast Traveler these are the seven best places to visit in July-

a boat safari in Botswanna's Okavango Delta, Riviera Maya Mexico (it's whale shark season and apparently you can swim with them), Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, Pamploma Spain, St. Petersburg Russia, the Fuji Rock Festival at Mount Naeba Japan, the Salzburg Festival in Salzburg Austria

If time and money weren't factors would you want to see any/all of these? Which would you most like to see and why? 

Someone wants to swim with sharks??? Not me. I have no desire to return to Mexico. Long story, 26 hours in the office of the Federales, not on my bucket list to repeat that nightmare. I'd love to go to Spain and see the running of the bulls; love to go to St. Petersburg Russia!, love to go to the Salzburg Festival in Austria (because our daughter was there and said it was fantastic). I think she might accompany me. Those are the ones I'm most interested in. 

5. Grilled cheese, pimento cheese, or mac and cheese...your favorite from the cheesy treats listed? 

Grilled cheese. In fact, I'm including THIS LINK to my two favorite grilled cheese sandwiches. They're unbelievable. My recipes, made on homemade white bread. You'll love them.

6. What makes you sweat? 

Figuratively, I take it. Because literally, I'm definitely not working hard enough to break a sweat. And figuratively, I can't think of anything at the moment. I know that's pretty boring. I'll update if I come up with anything.

7. Your favorite movie with a 'patriotic' theme of some sort?

One of my all-time favorites is 'Enemy of the State' with Gene Hackman and Will Smith. I think I'll watch it again this week.  And then there's 'Frequency' with Jim Caveziel (sp?) which is kinda patriotic, maybe.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

We're waiting for storms here tonight. We've had beautiful weather for days on end, so I'm not complaining, and besides, the garden needs watering.

I'm including a photo I put on Instagram yesterday:  Mr. C. helped me get into the car and go to our local village so I could get a pic of the pond on July 4 (opening photo). Dallas is a pretty little spot in the road. Coming out of town, I took this pic of the Dallas Feed Mill. When it's open, it's not unusual to see an Amish buggy waiting out front.

Dallas Feed Mill and Store

 ***

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