Wednesday Hodgepodge

I'm on a roll, two straight weeks participating in the Hodgepodge.  Yea! Me! Joyce provides the questions and we provide our answers.

1.What was the best (or one of the best) summers of your life? Tell us why. 

Well, this really is a tough one as I have the fondest of memories of soooo many summers.  But, when I was 10 years old, our family scraped and saved to take a trip to Washington DC in 1962.  My precious Momma was a very talented seamstress and made all 4 of us 2 sets of matching shirts.  I so wish I had a picture of us.  We looked so cute and I just remember what a fun, fun trip it was.  And, it was done on a shoestring for sure. A sweet, sweet memory.

2. When you have a trip coming up do you make a list and check it twice to ensure you don't forget anything? I don't know that I have ever made a list but I do start packing early and throwing things in and I don't think I've ever forgotten anything.  

 Or are you a 'throw whatever you can think of into the suitcase at the last minute' kind of packer? Oh, heaven's NO, I'm not a "last minute" kind of gal in any regard. ~chuckle~

 When returning from a trip do you unpack immediately or leave the suitcase right where it lands? Indeed, immediately or as soon after immediately as possible.

3. What's your favorite food or beverage made with lemons? Is that a flavor you enjoy? 

I enjoy Lemon Icebox Pie, it's not at the top of my list but it's definitely something I enjoy.

4. When was the last time you had to make lemonade out of lemons, figuratively speaking I mean? 

I'm pretty sure I've had to do this on more than one occasion recently, but, I cannot remember.  So, forgive me.  I'm sure when I read everyone else's answers that I will think of several.

5. Did you like school growing up? Why or why not? 

My friends, was I not the cutest little first grader with my Shirley Temple curls? Yes, I loved school and thankfully I adapted to change easily.  I say that because I attended 7 different schools in my 12 years of school.  We even moved the second semester of my Junior year and I adjusted just fine, jumped in and made new friends easily.  I was and always have been a very social person and, I must admit, I saw school as more of a social affair  than  an educational affair. ~grin~

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This past Saturday morning I was measuring out all the ingredients to make Banana Nut Bread when my phone rang.  I saw that it was Dad's facility, and that always gives me cause for concern.  He had taken a pretty bad fall and he was in a lot of pain with his shoulder.  I dropped everything and took off (I'm about 8 minutes away) and knew, after seeing him, that he had to be taken to the ER.  I felt like he had probably broken his shoulder.  Thankfully the ER was not busy and we got him right in. And after both x-rays and CAT scan it revealed he had fractured his scapula (shoulder blade) and 3 ribs on his right side.  Bless his precious heart, just not what he needed at almost 95 years of age.  It was obvious that I was going to have to line up sitters for his waking hours of the day.  He is pretty much helpless and needs assistance with everything.  He is quite uncomfortable and is taking some mild meds for pain and they seem to take the edge off.  I was able to secure 5 sitters to work various schedules to cover 7:00AM - 8:00PM daily for now. They are working to keep him moving to prevent him from getting peumonia and to keep him mobile.  Home Health will start tomorrow and physical therapy should begin soon. It grieves my heart to see him like this but I know the Lord is with Him and holding him extra tight during this time and He is supplying me with the extra strength that I need.  Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.  

A very comforting scripture...............

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Well, look at me, I'm participating in the Hodgepodge two weeks in a row. Joyce does such a good job week in and week out with the questions and it's always fun to answer them and then read everyone's answers.

1. What's a task you do on a regular (or semi-regular basis) that feels like it should be an Olympic event? 

We have a lovely fountain in the side of our front yard.  We had our landscaper build a specific spot for the fountain and it is indeed lovely.  BUT, guess what? That fountain requires regular cleaning and filling.  I think we thought if we kept the fountain chemicals in it that they would take care of the cleaning.  Not so. About every month it needs to be completely emptied and scrubbed and refilled.  That is generally my job and while I love the results, I dislike the process.  I'm not sure I should compare it to an Olympic event but, in the heat of summer, it is not for the faint of heart.

2. What's in the trunk of your car right now? 

I drive an SUV, so I have cargo space rather than a trunk.  I LOVE my cargo space and it always has a small fold up rolling cart and not much of anything else stays in it all the time.  I use the cart to carry items to my Daddy because I generally have way more than I can carry in my arms.  

3. Summer foods vs. fall foods...which do you prefer? 

Hands down, fall foods.  When fall arrives, my cooking turns to soups, chili and gumbo. I'm not much of a summer time cook but when fall and winter arrive, I'm all in.  I guess I'm more of a one pot cook. ~smile~

Would you rather-watermelon or caramel apple? Well, I'm not really a fan of either but, if forced, I'll take a few bites of watermelon.

iced coffee or pumpkin spiced latte? I've just recently tried iced coffee and I am a fan, much to my surprise. I got the low calorie kind but it still had more calories than I want in a drink.

 potato salad or sweet potato casserole? Yummy to both of these, I really can't pick one over the other.

 barbecued ribs or roast turkey? Believe it or not, I've never eaten ribs (they are too messy) in my life so guess I'll have to go with roast turkey.

 ice cream sandwich or apple pie? I'm a huge fan of pie, so I'll go with apple pie for sure.

 corn on the cob or candy corn? Corn on the cob hands down!!! I do not even like thinking about candy corn, yuck!

4. August 7th is National Lighthouse Day. Have you visited any lighthouses? Do you have a favorite? Is a lighthouse something you seek out if you're visiting an area known for theirs? 

I "think" we may have seen a lighthouse when we visited the Charleston or Savannah area but I have never been attracted to lighthouses.  My parents always searched them out but I guess their interest never rubbed off on me. 

5. Light at the end of the tunnel, out like a light, give the green light, a lightbulb moment, in a new light, in the limelight...of the 'light' idioms listed which applies in some way to your life lately? Explain. 

Hummm.........I'm scratching my head over this one, so I'm going with "out like a light."  That would not just be lately but most every night.  When my head hits the pillow, I am out.  Sometimes I do wake up in the early morning hours and seem to struggle going back to sleep, but that's not often.  I have always been blessed with really good sleep.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This is Coleman's first year to be able to show sheep.  He was in his first show the last weekend of July and he won. Yea. Coleman!  Of course, he has been watching his older brother show for years and years and Clancy definitely was a great example for Coleman.  Now, Case can hardly wait until he's old enough but he's a few years away.  

Quick update on Daddy and his dentures...........Bless his sweet heart, adjusting to dentures is not going all that well for him.  He needs to use an adhesive to keep them from slipping and that is most difficult for him due to his very limited eyesight.  It's very frustrating for him to try and put the adhesive on, so he tries to not use it and it works fairly well until meal time.  The other issue is he simply forgets to put them in.  In the 4 months that he was without teeth and going through the process of getting dentures, he learned to eat fairly well without teeth.  I told him if he could see how handsome he looks in them (above picture) that would be a big motivation for him.  But, at 94, it's not looking like the dentures will be a part of his daily life. 

AND, I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.................

August Prime Purchases

AND, here we are in August, 2024!  And, here are my Prime Purchases for the month.

MASON  JAR  SALT  AND  PEPPER  SHAKERS

I love this type salt and pepper shakers for my stove and I love that they are in a holder even better.  The salt and pepper flow freely from these and that is what I want when  I am cooking. 

AMAZON

SELF  SEALING  COOKIE  BAGS

As you know, I love baking cookies and am always looking for neat and cute ways to package them.  I think these little bags will work great and will also keep them extra fresh.  Of course, I'll put a label on each bag identifying the cookie inside. Some cookies look a lot alike

AMAZON

BIRD  PLANTER

Folks, I love all things birds! These are the cutest little fellas and I'm going to enjoy using them from time to time. I ordered 3 of them and took them to my local floral designer and she did arrangements of greenery and berries in them and they are too cute and the perfect size. I can hardly wait to have an occasion to do a table scape with them. 

AMAZON

TABLE  RUNNER

And, more birds..........this is a short length table runner and only 13" wide.  I may use this when I use the bird arrangements I just mentioned above.  These are so affordable and look really nice and come in a few designs.

AMAZON

CANDLE CUPS AND CANDLE STICKS

AMAZON

AMAZON

These are the prettiest candle cups and a bit larger than most.  They are real pretty with a lighted votive inside.  And, they look real nice sitting on these candle holders.  

SLING  PUCK  TABLE  GAME

If you are looking for a fun game then order this.  I had never heard of it until a couple of weeks ago and we were at small group gathering where we played it.  Oh, my, it is a quick game for sure and only 2 can play at a time but lots of fun.  I'll have the gran girls this week and I can't wait to see what they think.

AMAZON

LIGHTWEIGHT  V-NECK  SWEATER

These are the nicest lightweight sweaters and I'm wearing mine right now in the heat of summer.  I am generally just in and out of air condition and not out in the heat for long periods of time.  So, it works out very well for me and they come in so many colors and I love that they are V-neck.  When the weather cools, I'll just throw on a jacket.

AMAZON

SILICONE  FRUIT  AND  VEGGIE  KEEPERS

These are so neat and will keep your left over tomatoes, onions, etc fresh until you need them again.  The silicone wraps tightly around the veggie or fruit as you snap the top and bottom together.  Keeps them from drying out.

AMAZON

And, there you have it for this month.