The Wednesday Hodgepodge

 
 It's Wednesday and time for Joyce's thought provoking questions......
NOTE:  I have no idea why Blogger will not allow me to increase the size of my font in the first 6 questions.  So, so aggravating but I guess it has a mind of it's own this morning.  I'm so sorry as I know it is almost unreadable! Ugh!

1. Give us three rhyming words that say something about your Thanksgiving holiday (or your most recent holiday gathering if you didn't celebrate Thanksgiving).
I'm not a poet and I know it! 😏  But, 3 "unrhyming" words would be: fun, memories and lots of noise!
 
2. When did you last say, 'the more the merrier'? Did you mean it?
I'm sure I have said it, but I have no idea when the last time was that I said it.  And, I'm not sure that "the more the merrier" is always true.  Sometimes "less is better."😄
 
3. What's one piece of advice you'd give someone who is your same age?
Just one piece?  I have lots but one piece would be to enjoy each day because we're not getting any younger.
 
4. You're ordering a veggie plate, what four veggies are on it?
Oh, I could live on veggies. My four would be: corn, okra, cabbage and broccoli.
 
5. Shop til you drop! Did you? Have you ever? Will you between now and Christmas?
No, I did not!  I don't think I've ever shopped in actual stores on black Friday and likely never will.  I did get a couple of items off the internet on Black Friday but that's it.  I have definitely "shopped till I dropped" but will not be doing that between now and Christmas.  90% of my shopping is done.  I just need to get it wrapped.
 
6. What's your favorite chair in your house, and why is it a favorite?
Oh, my recliner!!!  It's where I land after dinner each evening that we are at home.  Hubby has his and I have mine and we share a table that is between them. ~isn't that sweet~
 
7. Share an early memory of faith, religion, or spirituality.
When I was about 8 years old I wanted a Chatty Cathy doll for Christmas.  Funds were very, very limited at that time and I remember my Daddy telling my brother and me that we would get very little that year for Christmas.  We had some precious neighbors that did not have children and loved us dearly.  They asked my parents what they could get us for Christmas and they ended up getting us the 2-3 items that my brother and I really wanted.  Afterwards my Dad explained to us how the Lord used our neighbors to provide us what he and Momma could not afford for us that Christmas.  And, he further explained how the Lord always provides our needs and often provides over and beyond our needs.  My childhood was filled with many examples of HIS faithfulness through some tough financial times.  But, those times provided me with some precious memories  and gave me a firm foundation of God's faithfulness.
 
8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am always singing the praises of Amazon and that's especially true this time of year.  It has to be the easiest shopping there is.  My daughter and DIL make wish lists in Amazon for the Grans and I merely go over and check the items I want and "wa-la" it's done.  It's scary, it's so easy and if you are a Prime Member, the shipping is super fast.  I mean, why would anyone want to do any other kind of shopping.  I know some folks just have to see, touch and feel, but I don't.  And, should you need to return something, Amazon has made that a painless procedure as well.  I think Amazon should hire me to be their "poster girl."  😀
Added note: Don't forget Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love is on tonight.  I can't wait!

Monday's Musings

Okay, now where did I leave off?  It's hard to believe that one week ago our daughter and our 2 grandsons were here and we were preparing for Thanksgiving.  Now, a week later, and Christmas is staring us in the face.  I so wish that there was a longer time between the two very special holidays.  But, it's always been that way and I'm pretty sure it will continue to be that way. ~ho-hum~

Meanwhile, we had a good time with family this past week.  Bridget and boys arrived and then Tommy's sister and her husband arrived a couple of days later.

Andi Kate was just beside herself over seeing Coleman and couldn't love on him enough.  They are 6 months apart but she's already got this whole "mothering" thing figured out.  They were too cute!

Coleman is one busy little boy.  We never knew where we might find him if he got out of our sight.  And, looks as though he's going to be a climber. ~fun-fun~

Clancy could hardly wait to go hunting and it was a most successful hunt.  Poppa took him 2 mornings and Clancy killed a doe one morning and a buck the next morning.  I'm not sure who was the most excited, he or Poppa.  Tommy started hunting when he was Clancy's age and has been enjoying it ever since.  He definitely doesn't hunt like he once did, but he still enjoys it once in a while and especially when he gets to take Clancy and teach him the ropes of hunting.  They will have a freezer full for sure!  And, in case you are wondering, Clancy did kill both deer by himself.  He held his own gun and pulled the trigger.  He already has a very good eye.

Bridget left on Wednesday morning headed home to Oklahoma and it was extremely quiet around here.  But, if things work out, the whole family will come back for Christmas.  It's was a special family time and the kids really enjoyed being together. Susan and Steve left Friday morning and I spent the rest of the day catching up and getting ready to start some Christmas decorating.  As I said, I so wish there was more time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This is random, but wanted you to see our handrails at the front steps.  It took a while to get these once we ordered them but they were worth the wait.  We are so pleased and think they add a very nice touch to the front of the house.  And, they will serve as an aid  to anyone who may need some assistance coming up the steps.  

Wishing you a great week as we enter the Christmas season.  Try not to get your "tinsel in a tangle."

A Bit of This and That

Last weekend Hubby and I enjoyed some time in Dallas with friends.  

Our first stop was the Dallas Arboretum.  It was just beautiful with all the fall plants and pumpkins were in abundance.  The weather was perfect for a leisurely stroll through the gardens.  We stayed at the Westin Galleria and it doesn't get much better than your hotel being attached to a mall.  Gerri and I enjoyed some "power shopping" on Saturday.

 On Saturday evening we drove over to McKinney to enjoy a delightful meal with great entertainment.  A long time friend of ours, who happens to have an awesome voice, entertains at a restaurant there on the 2nd Saturday of each month.  It's an old warehouse turned restaurant, a most casual atmosphere where we kicked back and so enjoyed listening to tunes by Frank Sinatra, George Strait, and Michael Buble, to name a few.  It was definitely "the pause that refreshes."

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While we were browsing through some of the shops I saw this sign and chuckled out loud as I read it.  Don't we all know some folks that this fits?  

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It's the Friday before Thanksgiving and it's all hands on deck here at our house.  Well, guess I should say, it's my hands that are on deck!  Things will be all abuzz around here beginning tomorrow afternoon.  Our daughter and our Grandsons will arrive to spend a few days and then on Monday we'll have more family arriving.

I've been busy trying to get some food prepared ahead of time as it seems that meals roll around way too often.  This is  egg casseroles and I made some Pumpkin Bread that I thought would go well with the casserole for a good breakfast.  I'll bake my usual pound cake in the morning and I'll go later this afternoon to get the rest of the groceries I need for the other meals.  AND, I must confess, I will not be cooking for our Thanksgiving meal.  AND, I also must confess, I do not feel one bit guilty. ~grin~ We will go to our lovely country club and enjoy their splendid buffet and I'll leave the cooking and clean up behind.  I figure after all the other cooking I'll be doing that by Thanksgiving Day I may be plum "tuckered out" in the cooking department.  

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 In my last post I referred to having my blogs printed in book form at the end of every year.  I had 2-3 fellow bloggers ask me to give more details about that, so here it is.  There may be other websites that do this but I have always used Blog 2 Print and am most pleased with them.  You have a wide choice of covers, a choice of soft back or hardback and I have always done hardback.  You can omit using any pictures to save space but I think the pictures add to the interest of the book.  Mine are about 300 pages and have cost me around $150 each.  If you omit the pictures you can really cut down on the pages and that will cut down the cost considerably.  So, hope this helps you other blogging buddies in deciding if you would like to bind your blogs into book form.  

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May you be especially blessed as we celebrate Thanksgiving.  Wishing you all a great time of making memories with family and friends. 

NOTE: This will be my last post until after Thanksgiving. ~just so you know~😊

The Happy Hodgepodge

I can't believe that Joyce is actually doing a HP today as she's barely in her new home and I'm betting is still unpacking boxes.  But, she's a trooper and we do all appreciate her devotion to our Wednesday gathering.

1. Let's all think happy thoughts...share one of yours here. 
America is on the path to being great again!

2. There's a Chinese proverb that says, "If you want happiness for an hour take a nap, if you want happiness for a day-go fishing...." What say you? If you want happiness for a day _____________.

let it go

3. Where do you go to decompress from the world around you? 
Crawl in my recliner that looks out into our back with the pretty landscape and pond while all is quiet on the inside of the house.  I love a quiet house. 

4. What song never fails to make you happy? 

Great is Thy Faithfulness and when it is sung by Jordan Smith (The Voice winner last year) it makes me doubly happy.  Just awesome!!!!  Added note: I don't think the talent on The Voice this season can even compare to the talent of last years. ~that's just my opinion~

5. Wednesday is National Fast Food Day. Should that be a thing? Apparently it is, so tell us what's the last 'fast food' you consumed? If you were putting together your own version of a 'happy meal' what would you include? 
On our trip to Dallas this past weekend we ran through McD's and I got a Bacon,Egg and Cheese Biscuit with a cup of coffee.  Breakfast is my favorite meal so my version of a happy meal would be: scrambled cheese eggs, crispy fried bacon, a fluffy biscuit with grape jelly and grits with butter and sugar. I rarely have such and that's likely a very good thing. ~smile~

6. In a few sentences tell us why you blog. 
I was going to start journaling when our first grandchild was born, 8 years ago.  I was telling my daughter of my plans and she suggested that I blog instead and it would still serve the same purpose.  So, even though I really had no idea what a blog was, I began what has become a most enjoyable past time.  I have my blogs printed into a book form at the end of each year and I hope that when I'm gone from this earth that they will be something my children and Grans will enjoy browsing through.

7. List seven things you're feeling especially grateful for today.
1. The assurance I have of knowing this world is NOT my home.
2. Sharing life with a husband that has loved and respected me for 45 years.
3.  A son and daughter that make me proud.
4. 4 precious Grans that melt my heart.
5. My Dad who is still so wise and often imparts that wisdom to me.
6. An awesome extended family.
7. Wonderful friends that divide my grief and double my joy.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I don't know about you, but I got a bit addicted to Fox News the weeks prior to the election.  I would turn it on at various times throughout the day to check in and then watch it every evening.  I have never gotten into an election before and it just about wore me  out.  But, it sure did make for a fun time  very early last Wed. morning.~a victory celebration~  But, I'm weaning myself off the news now.  Enough is enough!  I think I'd be a lot better off using the time I was watching/listening to the news in prayer for our new President elect.  He has such a task ahead of him and the media will be coming at him from all directions. ~heaven help him~

A Mid-week Check-in

Oh, my goodness! Will we ever learn to not listen to the pundits and the polls??? I have an idea yesterday's election proved that anything is possible!  Now, I pray that President Elect Trump can bring a very divided country together in the coming months.  We, as Christians, need to be lifting him in prayer each and every day.  He has his work cut out for him but I truly believe that he will "make America great again!"

Meanwhile...................

Today is my Dad's 87th birthday.  I had a celebration dinner for him last night with some of his dearest of friends.  I made sure to not allow the election results to interfere but we did have a muted TV on in the background. ~grin~ We are most blessed to still have this wise man in our midst.  He walked right up to death about 5 1/2 years ago and it's still hard to believe that he survived and is really doing very well.  

Hanna Beth had to do a poster of the First Thanksgiving last week.  I was pretty impressed with her work and I especially like her cotton ball clouds.  How cleaver!!  I didn't know such projects started in 1st grade, but then, what do I know. I do know that some of my most dreaded days, when raising our two children, was when they walked through the door announcing they had a project assignment.  ~I do NOT miss those days~

I put a few Thanksgiving touches around the inside of the house last week.  I love Thanksgiving and feel that it often gets short changed.  It seems that everyone starts thinking of nothing but Christmas once Halloween is over.  I sort of wish that there was a longer span of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  But, it's always been this way and always will be. ~don't you agree~ I just think the season of thankfulness deserves to be justly honored.  Of course, we should live in a season of thankfulness if the truth be known.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I can't believe it's just 2 weeks away.  Our daughter and two grandsons will be coming in for a part of the holiday and a couple more family members.  So, I will be busy trying to do some "advance preparation."  I like to have a handle on the meals ahead of time, it makes things go smoother. It will be a busy, memory making few days around here.  

In the meantime, we're going to take a quick weekend trip out to Dallas for a little fun and I should have some fun blog fodder to share next week.  Catch up with you then.................

Lea's Favorites

And, here it is the first Friday of November, geez, 2016 will be over before we know it. In the meantime, let me share some of my favorites with you and who knows, they may become a favorite of yours as well.

If you are an Essential Oil user then you need to know about this diffuser.  It is waterless and wireless.  Yep, it's the "bee's knee" of diffusers as far as I'm concerned.  I had never heard of them and someone mentioned to me that there were waterless diffusers, so I began researching to find out about them.  This one had rave reviews and of course, I ordered it off of Amazon.  It holds a single charge about 30-36 hours and it comes with a 5ml bottle to hold the oil.  And, it is so small but works amazingly and allows for the purest form of oil diffusing.  I think it is worth every penny of it's $63.99 cost.

Yes, this is a dust mop, one sort of like my Mom used when I was growing up. ~a long time ago~  After we moved in our new house I was looking for something to help with keeping our Acacia wood floors dust free.  I found this dust mop on Amazon ~of course~ and I love it.  It is wool and they recommended you use the Fuller Duster Spray with it.  So, I ordered the two and have been most pleased.  I especially like the mop for getting in the crevices, below cabinets, behind furniture, under furniture and a quick run across the floor.  I find it to be much better than a swiffer.  Some things just cannot be improved upon. NOTE: when I spray my mop with the Duster spray I then rub it in to the mop fibers so it is more evenly distributed. 

And, while we're talking about cleaning, let me tell you about these amazing cloths.   They are great for window cleaning, leaving them clean, sparkly and no streaks.  I used them on mine in recent days and was just amazed.  It's so much easier than spraying a window cleaner and then wiping it off with a paper towel or cloth.  This is much shorter work for sure.  I used it for mirrors as well.  And, just as you guessed it, they can be bought on Amazon.  They are washable but you can't dry them and then you can reuse them again. I wonder who in the world comes up with items such as this? Someone with a lot of time on their hands and a brilliant mind no doubt.

Okay, have you ever heard of Skinny Syrup? It's sugar free and was like finding a pot of gold for me.  I LOVE flavored coffee but I don't want the calories of the flavored creamers. ~about 60 calories per tablespoon~   And, I don't want to always have to buy the flavored coffee pods. So, Skinny Syrup is my answer.  I found these at Tuesday Morning this week for $3.99 a bottle and grabbed them and have not been disappointed.  These will feed my craving for flavored coffee whenever the urge hits me.  And, I haven't checked, but I'm betting Amazon has these too.

I love all the quotes and sayings you can find today.  The one above caught my eye immediately as I so agree with what it says. I'm not a "dilly dallier" in any sense of the word. ~chuckle~   I left without it in my possession and have regretted that.  I think I've found a spot in an out of the way place to hang a few of these but I had not thought of that when I saw this one. ~shucks~  

I leave you with this..........

52 Lists - Favorites and Preferences

I'm joining up with Beauty full Slow today for her weekly 52 lists meme. If you have never visited this blog, I urge you to stop by.

Favorites

• Favorite Color - hummm......if you saw inside my closet you would likely think black and white and that's correct for clothes.  Otherwise, I think I would have to say a goldish color.  We have about 3 shades of gold interior paint in our house and I LOVE it.  So neutral, so soothing and so easy to decorate around.  Okay, I got a little wordy with that answer.  Sorry!
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• Favorite Season - I love Spring and am always more than ready for it to arrive after the often gloomy and chilly days of winter.
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• Favorite Holiday - It is Easter and part of that reason is that Spring has usually arrived by that time.  I imagine most would say Christmas and there was probably a time that I would have.  But, Christmas has changed so much with the loss of 3 of our 4 parents and for me it has a certain sadness about it.  I so enjoy the Grans at this point and they certainly do add an element of enthusiasm that lifts the spirits!
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• Favorite Bible verse - oh, my goodness, I have so many but the 1st one to come to my mind was Phillipines 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me.
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• Favorite Flower - I love pansies, they are so vibrant in color and have such a long life of blooming.  No, they aren't flowers that can be used in arrangements but they are still my favorite flowers. Hubby and I have already planted some and I am so enjoying them.

Either / Or -  (Share your preference)

• Bath or Shower - a shower for sure, love the invigorating feel of a very warm shower of a morning.  A bath is nice on occasion but it's rare for me to take one.
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• Coffee, Tea or Cocoa - just give me coffee and I'm a happy gal, especially that first cup of the morning.  I've been drinking the half and half brew for several years now and it delights me just as much as the fully caffeinated.  Fully caffeinated coffee and my bladder quit being friends some time ago.  So..............
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• Mountains or Beach - it would be the mountains.  I lived near the Blueridge Mountains in Virginia for some time and that pretty much spoiled me with the beauty of the mountains.  And, there's something peaceful and serene as well.  But, I'm betting a whole host of folks feel that exact same way about the beach. ~depends on your preference~
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• Vintage or Modern - well, it would be neither but rather traditional.  I've been traditional in most areas of my life for so long that it would pretty much impossible for me to change at this point.  
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• Movie or Book - we so rarely go to the movies so I have to say book.  I listen almost daily to books via Audible.  ~love it~
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• Store Bought or Handmade - there's something very special about handmade for sure but if you get something from me it will definitely be store bought.  And, I really have no preference.
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• Meats or Veggies or both - I could live the rest of my life without meat but I love all kinds of veggies.  I recently had some roasted brussel sprouts that were delicious!
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• Homebody or Social Butterfly - I'm some of both.  I so enjoy being at home and the peace and quiet but I love being with people and social events too.  A healthy balance of both is what I prefer.
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• Creature of Habit or Spur of the Moment - oh, hands down, a creature of habit!
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• Picnic or Restaurant - going to a restaurant is just so easy, requires no preparation, so I'm going with that.  But, growing up I certainly have memories of some great family picnics.

This was a fun list for sure!  Wishing you a happy mid-week!