Hodgepodging Power Ballads and Dental Cleanings

Freeze-dried nightie? Yikes!

It was about -10F that morning

Our Amish neighbor's house

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1. When's the last time you had a heart to heart talk with someone? A change of heart? Experienced figurative 'heart failure?'

Well, the heart-to-heart talk would have been with Mr. C. about the important things in life, to which he usually responds by smiling, slowly shaking his head, and muttering, 'You're going to drive yourself crazy.' There are times he seems to be channeling Andy of Mayberry. Can't you just picture that!

A change of heart? Over the past decade, I'd say they're too numerous to mention.

Heart failure: When I was carrying laundry downstairs the other morning and Tommy went zipping past me, nearly causing me to lose my footing. Thank you, Lord, for rescuing me...yet again.

2. Champagne, chocolates, flowers...what's your Valentine pleasure? Any special plans for the day?

My St. Cuthbert's Cross trumps any flowers, candy, or champagne. See last Friday's post. And yes, we have plans to visit Madison, WI

Someone gave me this in...2008 but I've never been able to throw it away because it's got so many charming full-page pictures!

And no, I've still not cleaned out the house, but I've been reading lots of tips on how to declutter. That should help, right?

I wonder what it means that I stop to take a photo when I just happen to notice the sunlight shining on the wood floor and like the way the magazines and books just happen to be lying in the basket on the coffee table. Oh well.

3. Are you a hopeless romantic or do you fall more in the category of practical and pragmatic? What's a gesture you find romantic?

I'm definitely not a hopeless romantic, (am I???) and think that I'm more practical and pragmatic - in most areas. A romantic gesture? A long walk in the woods, a view from a green hill, a view high above a river, etc. Spending the evening beside a beautiful fire might be among those romantic gestures, except that it's been a nightly occurrence for the past three months and has just about lost its charm. I'm ready to move on to spring. So ready to move on!

At last, a space to nap without Tommy

4. Do you ask a lot of questions in life or are you pretty content with what you already know?

Do I ask a lot of questions in life? You should ask Mr. C. about that. I ask a lot of questions and always have. Not having questions is incomprehensible to me. Fortunately, I grew up with a dad who would answer my questions honestly, rather than brushing me off or giving me spiritual platitudes. But Dad's gone. Now I read books.

Is anyone content with what they already know??

A gift from our loving and awesome Creator

when coming home from a dental cleaning yesterday

American Eagle

Which reminds me: The new dental hygienist who cleaned my teeth yesterday was an absolute angel. She was kind, funny, gentle, understanding, and not at all like the dental hygienist I deliberately avoided - who I swear could have worked for Dr. Mengele. My teeth cringe at the thought of her getting near them again. My next cleaning is scheduled for August. The angel hygienist even suggested scheduling it on Tuesday so I could go to Casa Mexicana first for Taco Tuesday (which Mr. C. and I had done today). Believe me, I will phone ahead to make sure that Angel hygienist, rather than SS hygienist, is working that day.

5. Your favorite power ballad?

I actually had to Google this term, then I looked up a list of power ballads. The only one on the list of about 20 that I even recognized was House of the Rising Sun by The Animals (which I loved back in the day!) So Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is just a ballad rather than a power ballad? I don't get it. Anyway, I guess power ballads just aren't my kind of music. Does John Rutter have an album of power ballads?

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Things I'll be pondering this first evening of Lent.

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My True Love at Hodgepodge Corner

Along with the wood dust (from our stove), 

the bagpipe chanter (still in the good-intentions stage), 

the rosette iron, the antique phone,

and the antique accordion,

the top of this bookshelf holds a treat which

my true love 

brought home one day - 

a Sulfuric Acid bottle.

Fortunately, it was empty.

Yes, I'd rather have that than a dozen roses.

But now that I HAVE that,

I wouldn't mind a bouquet of

zinnias.

***

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1. Have you ever written a love letter? Have you written one recently? Had one written to you? Did you keep it?

 (the Grandma/Grandpa part of this photo is from an old Mary Engelbreit calendar.

The letter is from a group of letters that Mr. C. found on a demo site. See what I mean?)

No, I haven't yet read them.

It seems like such an invasion of their privacy,

even the privacy of people who are now long gone.

*Since I wrote that, I did read the letter above because Mr. C. pointed out to me
that I had had no such feelings of hesitancy about reading
General James Longstreet's family letters in the archives
in Gainesville, Georgia. I guess that's true.
But, having read this letter,  I'll have to say that 
General Longstreet's family letters were lots more interesting.

(Just look at that.

A hundred years ago, it cost 2cents to mail a letter.)

So, if I have ever considered writing a love letter, I most likely would have talked myself out of leaving a paper trail that my great grandchildren could someday find and giggle over how precious and quaint their dear old great grandma and great grandpa were.Shudder.

2. What's a movie that ends in a way you especially love?

I rarely (like almost never) watch romantic comedies, but I love the way 'You've Got Mail' ends, with Meg Ryan, standing in the park and looking completely flummoxed when she sees Tom Hanks approaching. But the very best part is when Brinkley, his Golden Retriever, runs up for a group hug. Doesn't that dog scene just get to ya?!

The dog part is at 2:20. :-)

3. Something that makes your heart sing? And for those of you who are parents, I mean something besides your children that makes your heart sing?

Sunrise, January 30, 2015

Yes, and our Christmas tree is still up and lit up on the front porch.

Let the neighbors talk. It's so nice to come home at night and see that cheery sight.

I might keep it up until the snow is gone.

My children phoning or texting me makes my heart sing. Hearing my grandchildren or getting photos of them makes my heart sing, as does seeing Mr. C. pull up the driveway at the end of a busy day at work. Besides that, a gorgeous sunrise, standing on our hilltop in the green alfalfa field in late May, seeing an eagle in the top of our pine tree, looking at a pretty herd of cows resting in the shade of a tree, seeing my sweet kitty all curled up at the foot of our bed, knowing that the dogs will be glad to see me when I come downstairs each morning, feeling the crisp leaves under my feet in the fall, listening to the honking of migrating Canada geese, standing on our front porch and hearing a pounding rain and thunder and my deep-toned wind chimes all at once, hearing soul-feeding choral music from Trinity College or John Rutter, looking at the beautiful rolling hills of NW Wisconsin in our own neighborhood, spending an afternoon with my Bible study friends, and most of all, knowing that there is Someone to thank for all of these amazing gifts. Pondering God's grace and mercy, and His awesome creative power and love. It's kinda scary awesome. Those are just a few of the things that make my heart sing. There are many, many more.

 4. What's the last event you had to attend, phone call you had to make, routine task you needed to complete, or meal you had to prepare, that you did do, but only half-heartedly?

The most recent event that I approached half-heartedly was a women's meeting at our church. I tend to shy away from women's meetings (my Thursday Bible study, which I love, is a whole different animal), but I was more than a little surprised at how much I enjoyed the fun and interesting day spent at a 'Heart of Love' brunch/meeting. Just the title would normally put me off, not that there's anything wrong with love, of course, but love is defined in various ways by various people. Sometimes it's inadvertently defined as 'sappy, gooey love,' which I find annoying, although it does occasionally find its way into Downton Abbey. But usually not, thanks to Cousin Violet. Sorry, I digress. The meeting was more about the women in the church actually getting to know one another better. We are a small church, but spread apart geographically with a radius of about 75 miles, so we seldom see one another except at church. Yet we all have the same goal of reaching into our culture with the life-changing message that Jesus is Lord, so it obviously will help if we get to know one another better. At least that was my take on it. I do tend to be preoccupied with whatever I'm reading at the moment, so I'm not making any guarantees. Anyway, it was a great meeting and I'm glad I went.

Sunrise photo,

from the front porch, same day

5. Tuna fish salad-yay or blech? If you said yay, how do you like your tuna salad prepared? Hey, this is the Hodgepodge, right?

It does occasionally occur to me that I should probably make an effort to suppress my opinions, for I risk losing every follower this blog has ever had, but to answer the question, I like tuna salad IF I'm the one making it. I like white albacore, a little mayo so that it's not sloppy, diced onion and diced sweet red pepper, maybe a little lemon juice and a little cayenne. NO EGGS. I haven't made it for a long time because I haven't found a salad dressing that tastes like Miracle Whip but doesn't have MSG, dairy, or soy in it. I did actually make my own from a recipe I found online about three months ago, then, as I was just about to eat it, I chickened out and threw it away.

Yesterday's 'bouquet of roses' brought to me by

my true love

(He does occasionally bring flowers too, just for the record)

These were found on a demo job, collected in the ductwork, where some little

person, presumably, had entertained him/herself by dropping cars into the floor register.

Now they're all scrubbed and ready for our grandkids to play with.

6. What's something you 'know by heart'?

I know the books of the Bible by heart, several Scripture verses, the 'be' verbs, almost every cartoon theme song from the late 1950s, and how to find my way home from town. 

via cartoonscrapbook.com

Yogi Bear,  Quick Draw McGraw, Huckleberry Hound

Yes, I can sing them all. I wish my brain could store

useful information that easily.

7. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, what two or three word phrase would you write on a conversation heart for someone you love? That someone could be a spouse, child, parent, cousin, bestie...anyone at all whom you love.

I would love to have the conversation hearts include these two words, 'German Shepherd' or 'Puppy Love,' because I would buy a bunch of them and make sure that Mr. C. found them everywhere!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I have run out of random thoughts today. All of the above felt random enough.

Thank you Joyce, once again, for the Hodgepodge!

***

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Happy Valentine's Day!

These were gifts. Think they know me?? :-)

Have a happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

May you have warm weather, sunshine, and a little dark chocolate in your life today.

 One of my favorite little boys,
making Valentines.

***

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Salisbury Cathedral, England - Anglophile Friday

 Salisbury Cathedral Quire

by Thomas Gast, Trekearth.com

Where is Salisbury Cathedral?

Salisbury is about 1 1/2 hours southwest of London's Waterloo Station by train. I checked on prices, and if two people were traveling any off-peak times, the price for both would be £86.60 (round trip), which is approximatley $140 at the current exchange rate ($1.62 to £1). That's not in our favor, of course, but it's been a lot worse.

A couple sites for train travel from London to Salisbury are www.Britrail.com and www.thetrainline.com. Train times can be revised until about 12 weeks before travel, so it's a good idea to check close to travel time in case they make any surprises. Just in case you're planning a trip to Salisbury.

Salisbury Cathedral

wikipedia.com

(Maybe it's my astigmatism, but

I really want to rotate that photo just a bit to the right)

From Salisburycathedral.org.uk

'Salisbury is unique amongst medieval English cathedrals having been built in just 38 years (1220 - 1258) in a single architectural style, early English Gothic. The tower and spire (Britain’s tallest) were added about 50 years later. The building itself is remarkable, a testimony to the faith and practical skills of those who erected it.

'But it is much more than a historical monument. It is a living church and a place of prayer. As the Cathedral Church of the Salisbury diocese it is Mother Church of several hundred parishes in Wiltshire and Dorset. It is also a centre of pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

'Salisbury Cathedral’s copy (in the Chapter House)of Magna Carta is the best preserved of the four remaining original exemplars. It is held in the Chapter House and can be seen during normal visitor opening hours. The remaining Magna Carta 1215 are held at The British Library and Lincoln Castle.'

 World's oldest working clock? (AD1386)

salisburycathedral.org.uk

Also from their website:

 'What is special about Salisbury Cathedral?

• Britain's finest 13th century Cathedral
• An important heritage attraction and a beautiful and historic building
• An iconic building recognised by Britain's tallest spire (123m/404ft)
• Britain's largest secular Cathedral Cloisters with newly landscaped garden
• Stunning setting in the largest and perhaps most lovely Cathedral Close in Britain (80 acres)
• The best preserved of only four surviving original Magna Carta (AD1215), listed on the UNESCO ‘Memory of the World’ with huge worldwide recognition
• Spectacular flowing ‘living water’ font by William Pye (2008)
• A unique 13th century stone frieze of bible stories in the Chapter House
• World's oldest working clock (AD1386)
• The largest and earliest set of Quire stalls in Britain
• Regular major art exhibitions/installations
• A choir which continues a tradition of daily sung worship that goes back hundreds of years
• Participates in Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service'

***

Don't miss Choral Evensong, most days at 17:30 (5:30 PM)

***

View from Cathedral Tower

panoramio.com

More from SalisburyCathedral.org.uk

'Tower Tours: (£10 per adult)(every day April through September)

'Enjoy spectacular views as you explore the roof spaces and tower, climbing 332 steps in easy stages by narrow winding spiral staircases to reach the foot of the spire 225 feet above ground level. From here you can see up into the spire through the medieval scaffold, and from the outside you can look over the city and surrounding countryside.'

***

And when you're feeling a bit peckish...

'The Refectory Restaurant:
The Cathedral's Refectory Restaurant is open Monday to Saturdays from 9.30am to 5.30pm and Sundays from 10.00am to 5.00pm (except Christmas Day). This unique glass-roofed area provides a wonderful space in which to relax, meet up with friends and enjoy food and drink, with views of the spire soaring 123m (404 ft) above you.

'It offers a self-service buffet selection of homemade cakes and pastries throughout the day, Fair-trade coffee, fresh leaf tea, a selection of sandwiches, rolls and panini, afternoon tea - and plenty more besides. Freshly prepared hot lunches and homemade soup are served from midday through until 2.00pm. ‘Early bird’ and ‘cream tea specials’ are available.'

***

And all the above is only the cathedral. There's so much more in the area, but we'll save that for another time.

Everyone ready to go to Salisbury?

***

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Have a great weekend, everyone!