Hodgepodging a Birthday Thank You

From a 1912 Men's Suit Manufacturer's Catalog

One of Mr. C's many finds, discarded as trash.

He wasn't dumpster diving; this old catalog had been used as

insulation in the attic of an old house he was working in.

I've photographed all my favorite pages.

 It will be another month before we see these again.

Winter is very slow leaving Wisconsin.

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Thank you to Joyce!

1. What's something you resolved to do this year? Have you done it?

I guess I resolved to downsize. I know, you've heard this before - many times. But downsizing for us, who have lived in the same place for 33 years, is different than for someone who moves frequently. We have been downsizing at the same time as we've been creating an apartment in the Wausau house and doing renovations to the Dallas farmhouse. As Mr. C. says when I get discouraged and want to escape to someplace beautiful in the English countryside, 'We're getting there.'  Sometimes I just look at him like, 'yeah right,' but I do love the fact that he is steady and solid and always willing to keep going until it's done. God gave me that man for a reason. And I'm so grateful!

He makes a good grandpa too.

2. Where do you go to find quietude?

There is plenty of quietude at the farm. And social distancing is not even an issue out there, because we have no near neighbors. I've been living that way for a very long time, so when the social distancing thing is lifted in Wisconsin, it will be a new thing for me to have neighbors on either side. And quietude in Wausau is achieved simply by being home. It is a quiet neighborhood. To be really alone, however, to pray, for example, I go to the bedroom.

 Sorry if you've seen these before

3. A friend asked this question on her Facebook page and said I could borrow it for the Hodgepodge...you're only allowed to buy 5 things at the grocery store, and all must start with the first letter of your first name. Whatcha' buying?

Oh boy.  There's hardly a thing in my refrigerator or cupboards that begins with J.

Juice

Jicama

Jcelery

Jonions

Jstaxpotatochips

 If I didn't make my own gluten-free pizza, I would definitely buy it.

But it doesn't begin with the letter J either.

With Kalamata olives and Feta and pepperjack cheese, I could eat this every single night of the week

(if Mr. C. didn't have an issue with that - or even if he did)

4. The television show Survivor, the Gloria Gaynor song 'I Will Survive', survival mode, survival of the fittest...pick one and discuss.

I guess my choice would be, 'I Will Survive,' because actually, almost everywhere you turn, there's talk of this Corona virus outbreak. I hope people will proceed cautiously in opening up businesses, however, and keep the social distancing and masks in place until we've got it figured out. To open the bars and restaurants at this point seems foolish to me. I did listen to a very thought-provoking discussion this morning with a Dr.Reed Wilson, a cardiologist from LA. He is one of the few voices I've heard lately that seemed reasonable, non-political, non attacking, etc. So refreshing. Quiet, reasoned discussion. A rare thing these days.

5. Share a favorite quote or saying about strength.

I hope all of you are able to attend church services online. If not, here's a great resource for you: www.zionlutheranwausau.com.  Besides the Sunday morning worship, they also have morning and evening prayer every weekday and Bible studies Tuesday and Friday. What a blessing they have been to us! 

(photo from Sunday, actually)

I also have to share with you a really great article by Bishop Robert Barron from Word on Fire. It begins like this:

"Last week, Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, made a rather interesting theological observation. Commenting on the progress that his state has made in fighting the coronavirus, and praising the concrete efforts of medical personnel and ordinary citizens, he said, “The number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that. Faith did not do that.” I won’t waste a lot of time exploring the hubris of that remark, which should be obvious to anyone. I might recommend, out of pastoral concern, that the governor read the first part of Genesis chapter eleven."  Read the remainder of this excellent article HERE.

Sorry about all the stuff you're being bombarded with, but I didn't make it to the Hodgepodge last week...


6. Insert your own random thought here.

The best birthday gift thank you came in the form of a video from our grandson in Minnesota (whom we cannot see because of the safer-at-home order, wah wah wah.)  BUT, this was so fun to receive, especially because he has the greatest facial expressions when trying to convey his response to the birthday gifts I sent him. BTW, he shares a birthday with Her Majesty Queen Eliabeth II  - just in case you wanted to know.

Oops! Gotta go.
I'm getting a phone call.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone.

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