Springing Beauties, photo taken yesterday on our walk.
The ditches along Fifth Avenue are loaded with them.
' But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.'
Matthew 6:30-33
' But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.'
Matthew 6:30-33
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1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Has your April been filled with showers? Do you carry an umbrella, wear a slicker, or make a run for it? Besides rain, what else has filled your April?
We've had many cloudy/rainy days in April so far, so I always at least carry my bucket (pronounced 'bouquet' of course) hat with me, just in case. I have unruly naturally curly hair which is a pain, especially when damp, so I never just 'make a run for it.' I either wear my rain jacket with a hood or wear my bucket hat.
2. What's something you could you give a 30-minute presentation on at a moment's notice and with zero preparation?
Unfortunately, several grandkids are missing from that photo.
I could probably give a 30-minute presentation on cute grandkids or the life of General James Longstreet or training a puppy or what staple items to keep in the kitchen to always have a nutritious meal close at hand or homeschooling or theology or making bread or soapmaking, but I can promise you that no one will want to listen.
3. Share with us a favorite food memory from childhood.
3. Share with us a favorite food memory from childhood.
I have no idea where this photo is from
But this is a typical favorite childhood meal
(minus the cornbread muffin)
A typical dinner today.
(I should qualify that: when I'm making dinner)
Balsamic Beef
(I should qualify that: when I'm making dinner)
Balsamic Beef
Oven-roasted veggies
Green salad
(It never looked like this when I was a kid)
and I know that it's overcooked, but Mr. C.
has a thing about beef.
'I don't want it to moo when I cut into it!'
'I don't want it to moo when I cut into it!'
When I was a kid, my favorite was roast beef, mashed potatoes, and corn, all piled together on my plate with gravy over the whole thing. My mother hated that because it wasn't polite to put my food together and stir it up, then eat it like lumpy Malt-O-Meal. But it sure was good. And it explains my chubby fifth grade photo. And sixth grade. And seventh gr......
4. What's a song you thought you knew the lyrics to, but later discovered you were wrong?
'Love Potion No. 9' I love singing that song with my daughter, but I think I had several parts wrong before looking it up. Sure is fun to sing.
I think this is the most recent photo of my daughters and me
(and Lucy)
(and Lucy)
November of 2015
The 'Love Potion No. 9' daughter is on the left.
5. According to one travel website, the most overrated tourist attractions in America are-
Niagara Falls (NY), Hollywood Walk of Fame (California), Times Square (NYC), Epcot (FL), Seattle Space Needle (WA), and Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (Boston). How many of these have you seen in person? Did you feel like a tourist? Did you care? Tell us about a place (not on the list) you've visited that might be considered a tourist trap, but you love it anyway.
Marriott Longwharf, Boston
No idea where the photo is from
It's the best hotel we've ever stayed in
and in a marvelous location,
just across the street from the New England Aquarium
I've been to Niagara Falls, Epcot, Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. I especially loved Boston and would like to go again sometime. I don't think I necessarily feel like a tourist, although I guess I am, but feel more like someone who's interested. And no, I don't care if anyone thinks I'm a tourist. But I don't want to be an annoying tourist. I think that Gettysburg National Military Park has become more of a tourist trap than when we were there last, but I will always love it.
6. Your signature clothing item?
7. What's an experience you've had you think everyone should experience at least once? Why?
St. Paul's Cathedral
from Millennium Bridge
(yes, I've posted this before)
There is nothing like the First Sunday of Advent at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. I try not to overuse the word 'awesome,' but the First Sunday of Advent service at St. Paul's definitely falls into that category.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
I'm wondering if anyone else loves to hang sheets on the line to dry. It's one of the best things about springtime. I posted a short video on Instagram yesterday of the wind whipping the sheets, but I can't get it to translate to my blog. Anyway, I love the fragrance of country-fresh line-dried sheets. Nothing like it. Of course it does mean that you can't do it when the farmers have been spreading manure on the fields or when a dead deer has ripened in the ditch near your farm and the eagles and hawks can't keep up with the roadkill. Those are the days you dry sheets in the dryer.
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I would have no trouble digging into your current dinner! Not that I'd turn my nose up at your childhood dinner, but roasted veggies certainly beat canned corn any day of the week.
ReplyDeleteI am having fun picturing you and your daughter sing "Love Potion Number 9S"! Good times!
By the way . . . a belated happy birthday to Mr. Cranberry who now has his own Instagram. :)
I spent the first 35 years of my life hanging sheets and towels and diapers out on the lines, and have no fond memory at all. as a child my job was to hang them, take them down and sprinkle them, iron all the things that were flat. I bought my first dryer and never looked back. things do smell better and feel better hanging on the line. and they also look beautiful in the wind.. if you upload your video to youtube, then you can put it on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI know the lyrics to nothing except the really old hymns from my youth.. our april has no showers, in fact we have no showers in 6 months and are in desperate drought here. we often had your favorite meal in the past but the gravy was only on the taters..
I, on the other hand, didn't like my food to touch as a child. I would keep a path between each item. I miss hanging out clothes, but it's too damp here with too many trees and birds to drop on things on the clothes, or pollen floating around. If I had a wide open space, yes! The fresh air smell to sheets is wonderful when you go to sleep. When we lived in Africa I'd get all the diapers hung on the line and then a rain shower would come up quickly out of nowhere (no weather predictions there). Sometimes the laundry would get three rinsings before it actually dried. Happy Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteHello, your dinners sure does look delicious. My outfits would match yours too, jeans and t-shirt. We do not have a clothes line here, and only use the dryer. We are having April showers, they are needed too after a dry winter. My hubby is one to make up words when singing a song. Have a happy day!
ReplyDeleteLove the picture of you and your beautiful girls Judy!! They get their good looks from Mama. And sheets on the line are just Heaven...they smell so good and fell so crisp. We cannot do that here in our town home community but as a child, we always hung our sheets out even after we got a dryer.
ReplyDeleteMy mother always hung her clothes outside! While she could. The flowers in your opening photo is just a masterpiece of beauty. Always a delight to stop in and say hello!
ReplyDeleteMy mom hung her clothes outside and I love the smell of sheets that have dried on a clothes line. Your photos are as always, amazing. Your girls are gorgeous! Have a great rest of the week.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, my mom hung the sheets on a clothesline all the time. I loved how they felt so crisp and smelled so fresh. Love the photo of you and your family, Judy...you've been richly blessed.
ReplyDeleteHi Judy,
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I love hanging sheets out on the line. I love the smell of fresh clean sheets when I jump into bed.
I love the photo of you and the girls.
I did not know you had naturally curly hair, me too. Yep, I agree, rainy days are no fun. "Hat Day" I call them.
Carla
Always like hanging sheets and other laundry on the line. I need to wait, though, until after we are done using the wood furnace for the spring/summer, otherwise all the laundry will be scented with woodsmoke!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos -- how do you get your hair to stay straight-looking if it's naturally curly? Inquiring minds (and curls) need to know!
Those roadside flowers at the beginning ... absolutely gorgeous. Imagine, such beauty in a roadside ditch. God's artistry is everywhere, even in the most unlikely places!
I haven't seen sheets hanging on the line for years - a few places that we've lived recently actually have a clause in the community handbook that prohibits outdoor clotheslines. So sad.
ReplyDeleteOh I could have dug right into your childhood dinner in the exact same way...soo good, lol. And your today dinner looks wonderful too. Believe it or not I just recently began roasting alot of our veggie's in the oven. Soo good that way. When we were first married there was an old clothes line out back and I did hang our sheets on the line occasionally. There is just nothing like that smell.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I'm hungry! I enjoyed your hodgepodge, Judy. Now that you mention Love Potion #9 I'm pretty sure that's a song I could get the lyrics wrong on. Lovely photos. I have not hung clothes on a line outside for a very long time. Now, if I had a line outside I might be tempted. That service at St. Paul's sounds divine. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteSheets on the line blowing on the breeze takes me back to childhood. There is far too much pollen in the air here right now to even consider it, but I loved it as a child.
ReplyDeleteOh Judy, what stunning flowers! They took my breath away.
ReplyDeleteYour post was a joy to read and yes, sheets hanging on the line is truly one of the best tings :)
Happy hugs to you!
I have really enjoyed seeing your sheets on the line. It is iconic country living and springtime is perfect. Nothing has a finer scent that line-dried clothing, except maybe newborn babies.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of both plates of food. I'll take one of each. 😏
Here also rainy days. I love your line with white sheets (also the video on Insta). O and your flowers are so lovely. Have a nice day.
ReplyDeleteOkay I knew it would be soap and food - and another thing you could explain is photograph. Your first photo - and the bible verse - I just know in my heart that God gave us these gorgeous flowers to love and enjoy and see his goodness. Love, sandie
ReplyDeleteGreat post and I enjoyed your witty answers Judy. It's raining a pour here today. I hope you have sunshine.
ReplyDeleteI don't want my beef mooing either. If it does, I'm not eating it. That's just gross. You had me laughing about the school pictures. Crazy lady. :) I would love to sit and listen to you talk on any of those subjects. As long as you cook for me. LOL
ReplyDeleteSheets on the line, flapping in the sweet breeze...good memories from childhood. I also remember the mad dash to bring in the laundry when it started to rain!! LOL I enjoyed your Hodgepodge!!
ReplyDeleteA woman after my own heart...a sheet hanger. I can't wait until Spring comes when I can hang my sheets on the line. I like the way they dry 'stiff' and I fold them right on the line and they fold up into perfect rectangles. lol When the weather is too cold to put them on the line I often dry them in the dryer and then throw them in a basket and stick them out on the porch for a while so they get that "dried outside" smell. I did read ALL your answers but this one resonated with me the most. lol xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your answers, Judy. Your daughter that likes to mix her food sounds very much like my Aaron. I always say he makes anything into a casserole on his plate...lol! I don't hang the sheets out but grew up doing that. There is nothing like that wonderful freshness! I will have to go back on my Instagram and look for that video you posted...I miss so much on Instagram it seems but always try to catch up! Have a good night :)
ReplyDeleteA lady after my own heart....I love to sing and always have...and I like to make sure I know the lyrics to my favorites.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Mama Bear
St. Paul's Cathedral would be an awe inspiring place to visit any time of the year, Judy! I agree with Mr. C--no mooing allowed on my plate. I so adore hanging sheets on the line as well---nothing sweeter! ♥
ReplyDeleteas I am just about to go to Amsterdam with my art group, the last 2 days I had washing on the line adn it was so windy, they dried in no time at all. No drrier in this house ecen when I did bed and breakfast! Lovely portrait shot of you with your family.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy reading your Hodge Podge posts . . .
ReplyDelete(I do have a problem remembering the questions and answers though)
It would be fun you hear you singing with your daughters . . .
I tend to stay away from touristy places . . . never once kissed the Blarney Stone.
A fleece jacket or a vest, t-neck, yoga pants . . . my usual daily, at home attire . . .
Sheets on the line around here, almost 100% . . .
I have retractable lines on our very large screened porch . . .
Wind whips through the screening and we have fresh air fragrant sheets.
I hang them all winter . . . Bring those frosty sheets indoors, draped here and there to warm up
and the entire house has fresh air fragrance.
Arlington Cemetery would be my most treasured visit . . . twice.
Where I have felt . . . Reference Freedom, Regard, Thankful, Respect . . . and profound sorrow.
Judy, great answers. So many things I could comment on, but I'll limit myself to #3. I can identify because my mother was never crazy about it when I piled mashed potatoes, creamed corn and applesauce together.
ReplyDeleteSheets on the line are definitely a springtime favorite. I can't do it very often anymore, too many pollen allergies. It is not fun waking up with puffed up eyes.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of flowers are those that grow along 5th Ave? They are lovely!
Hi Judy :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom hated it when I mixed applesauce and cottage cheese together. It made her gag lol
Love laundry on the line :)
rue
Guess what I just took out of the oven? Thanks again for the recipe. BTW, we have had the most rainfall ever here, since 1895 even!
ReplyDeleteWhat pretty flowers at the start of your post. - All that food looked so yummy. Seeing the laundry on the line reminded me of when my mom would dry our sheets outside, they always smelt so fresh and I loved the crispness they had when you got into bed after they were taken off the line.
ReplyDelete