Hodgepodge Wednesday

1. Would you rather be seen as a person who did their duty or forged their own path? Well, I think there is likely a place for both, but I suppose a person who has forged their own path has a certain admiration over one that has just done their duty.  I can't see that I've forged my own path, but I definitely do my duty and want to do it well and have always tried to do so.  So, whether I want to be seen that way or not, that's just the way it is and it's perfectly fine with me. ~smile~

2. This week's Wednesday Hodgepodge happens to fall on Groundhog's Day. In keeping with that theme, if you could have a do-over of any one day out of the last seven, which day would it be and why. If you haven't seen the movie Groundhog Day this question will make absolutely no sense but that's okay....you can answer anyway. I would love to have a "do over" of last Saturday. It was the most gorgeous day, sunshiny and 76 degrees. Hubby and I were outside most of the day working on projects and it renewed our spirits. The pansies were even happy! ~smile~

3. Hot cocoa...yay or nay on the marshmallows? It would be a nay for me, marshmallows make the cocoa too sweet for me.  But, hey, a cup of cocoa will likely be in order for this cold day we're having, with or without marshmallows.

4. Do you wear makeup every day? What are the top two must haves in your daily makeup routine? Oh, my goodness, YES!! Putting on makeup is just like getting dressed as far as I'm concerned.  I even got up my courage a few years ago and had permanent lipstick, lip liner, eyeliner (top and bottom) and eye brows done.  Just ask me how painful the permanent lipstick and lip liner was and I'll tell you that it was the most painful thing I've ever endured and I will not ever have it done again. The eyeliner and eye brows I have done twice and will likely do it several more times. It's not painless, but I can endure it. ~big smile~ They call it permanent, but it isn't.  It fades and if you want it to look natural, then you have to redo it about every 2-3 years. 


My two "must haves" are lipstick and blush. These two items 

are what put the color on one's face and bring it ALIVE!!! And, I've given my family strict instructions that they had better have both on my face when they bury me. ~big chuckle~ In the midst of their grief they'd better not forget. ~giggle~Oh, not so I can look alive (:o)) but gotta go out with color on my face. I know, how silly!

5. Is it more important to you in a relationship to be loved or understood? Oh, sorry but I have to be loved and understood.  Is that asking too much??? ~smile~

6. Parsley sage rosemary or thyme... your favorite?

 I do not use any of them very often, but certainly use parsley more than any, so guess it would have to be my favorite. I love it's bright green color!

7. What do you do when you feel angry? It is a rarity for me to be angry but if I am I always try to remember "whose I am" and how He would react if He were me.  It really helps. I get aggravated a whole lot more than I get angry.

8. Insert your own random thought here. It was 28 months ago today that I became a CiCi and I will never forget  the moment I first laid my eyes on our little Clancy..........the nurse that was standing nearby when this  picture was taken, said, "a Grandmother has just been born." Aweeeeeeeee!

I'm linking up with Joyce today for Hodgepodge Wednesday. Click on the button above and enjoy yourself!

Miscellany Monday

{1} Oh, my goodness, we had the most gorgeous Saturday here in N.E. Louisiana. It was in the mid 70's and gave us such a "tease" of Spring that I could hardly stand it. Hubby and I worked on an outside project and so enjoyed ourselves.  THEN, the rains moved back in yesterday. Ugh!! It is dreary, rainy, muggy and very foggy this morning, and cold weather will move in tomorrow.   Now, I'm praying the Groundhog will NOT see his shadow on Wednesday. ~smile~

{2}Okay, if you young Moms do not know about this neat little item, you need to know.  As I've mentioned in a couple of other entries, our 27 month old Grandson is in the midst of Potty Training. Did you know that they make a Potty Training Watch?  

Yes, my dears, it is the cutest thing you have ever seen and you can set it for 30, 60 or 90 minutes and at the set time it plays a cute little song and the child knows that means it's "potty time."  It comes in both blue and pink and it can be found at One Step Ahead
for $10.95.  What will they think of next????? 


{3}Hubby and I were eating dinner the other night while watching the national news on TV. It was so distressing seeing all the unrest in Egypt and pretty much the entire world.  Hubby said, "you know, if folks would just simply abide by these three things,

1-Love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul.

2-Love they neighbor as thyself.

3-Do unto others as you have others do unto you.

the world would be free of all this turmoil and we could all live in harmony."  I sat there thinking about what he said, and it sounded so simple, until I was reminded that so many have no idea that these scriptural truths even exist.  It is such a sad state of affairs and the task for God's children grows greater with every passing day.

{4} I will be facilitating the One In A Million Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer in a couple of weeks.  I am really looking forward to this study and I seem to always get  more out of a study when I am the facilitator. Priscilla is such an awesome woman of God and this will be my first one of her studies.

Many thanks to Carissa for this fun Monday meme. If you want to read more randomness, click the button above and enjoy the read.

Each day is an entirely new creation,

Enjoy it!

A Son and A Daughter

Good Morning Company Girls!  I'm "pleased as a peach" to report that the sun is shining brightly this morning.  Now, it's not as warm as I would like for it to be, but as long as the sun is shining, I can handle it. ~smile~  And, how can I really complain since we have certainly not had the heavy snows that so many of you have experienced this year. 


My week took an unexpected turn Wednesday and I have had my running shoes on.  The son of the lady that keeps our two Grans came down with the flu on Tuesday.  Being the very cautious person that she is, she called and talked to the girls about the situation and they came to the conclusion that our babies (or family) did not need to risk being exposed to it, so the backup was called in.  Of course, the backup is me. ~chuckle~ We're are so blessed that they are the happiest babies and really very easy.  But, they are one year old and two years old and that spells "busy."  And, of course, the two year old is a boy and the one year old is a girl.  Hubby has been a great help and I'm grateful that he can be available if I need him.  Add to the mix that our Grandson is in the midst of potty training and you can see that it has been non-stop filled days.  But, what precious memories we have made and I am so glad that I can step up for the girls during times like these.


I was watching the Grans play this week and noticing the differences in the two of them and it brought back a lot of memories of our son and daughter.  


When I got pregnant with our first child, I secretly wanted a little boy so badly.  I was the first born in my family and had two younger brothers.  It seemed all my girl friends had older brothers and they always seemed to have such fun with them. I longed for an older brother so I really wanted to have a boy first, and of course, I wanted a girl second. ~chuckle~  Back 34 years ago there was no sure way to predict the sex of a baby. Doctors would often make predictions according to the heart rate and my Doctor told me that he felt like I was having a boy the first time.  And, he was right.  Second time around he predicted a girl and he was right again.  But, I never made any nursery plans based on his predictions.  I just had a very generic nursery in yellow and greens and it served it's purpose very well.  


Since Hubby and I  had one of each sex in two tries, we decided that was "good."  I mean, we had a boy, a girl, a cat and a dog. How much better can it get? ~chuckle~

Son and daughter a few months ago

 Having a son and a daughter has been so much fun. There's nothing like a daughter and there's nothing like a son. I have felt so blessed to be a Mother to both and now I'm getting to enjoy being a Grandmother to both.


Over the years my eye has caught several collectibles that have reminded me of having a son and a daughter and I thought you Company Girls might enjoy seeing them.~wink~

I found these cute little clowns in Las Vegas several years ago.  I took one look at them and I had to have them.

 I found these at a place locally and got them for 75% off. They are some "famous" pottery type figurines and something about them lured me and reminded me of my boy and girl.

 I cannot for the life of me remember where these came from or when I got them. They've been with me for many years and again, I love the fact that they are a little boy and a little girl.

Yes, having a son and daughter has brought so much joy, lots of fun and a a boat load of memories.  And, it's just too much fun having the privilege of being Grandmother to their son and daughter.  


For more Company Girl Coffee, click on the button above and read more great entries. Rachel Anne is our gracious hostess each week and we love our Rachel.

Children are a reward of life.......  An old Proverb

Hodgepodge Wednesday

1. Will you watch the Super Bowl? If so who will you root for? If you are outside the USA what is the 'big deal sporting event' in your own country?  Sometimes we gather with friends and some watch the Super Bowl and some of "us" just enjoy the fun and fellowship. I'm NOT into football at all and barely even know who is playing and I certainly don't care who wins,but guess I'll pull for whoever my Hubby is pulling for.  However, he's not all that excited about this year's Super Bowl.  Now, last year, when our Saints were in it, even I managed to get pretty excited about that.  We have no plans at this time, so it may just be the two of us, chillin' in our recliners and Hubby keeping me current on the score.

2. Is ignorance bliss?  On a whole lot of issues it is and saves a whole lot of worry and concern.  In other issues, not so much.  So, guess it depends on what we're ignorant of at the time. 

3. Which of the seven dwarfs are you? (and just in case your Disney is a little bit rusty, here they are-Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy)

 I would have to say HAPPY.  Now, not that I am like some super happy person all the time, but it is my general nature to be happy.  I smile a lot and I love, love to laugh and might I add, I have a very loud laugh. ~chuckle~  I just feel better all over when I'm happy.

4. When you are riding in the car with another couple how do you organize the seating? (Men up front? Women up front? Couples sit together?)  Yes, men in front, women in back and when we have more than 2 couples, we have the "women's table and the men's table" at the restaurant. Does that say something about our age?  I'm not sure, but it just makes for better conversation as far as we're concerned.  I mean, let's face it, men and women do enjoy talking about totally different subjects. 

5. What is beauty? One of the many definitions I found on the internet stated: Beauty is that which is attractive, pleasing, fine or good looking.  And, as we all know, beauty is definitely in the "eye of the beholder." This is a "loaded" question for sure! ~smile~I'll leave it at that.

6. If someone asks you to bring an appetizer or a dessert to a party in their home, which would you choose?Hands down, a dessert!  I'm a lot more confident in my dessert making ability than my appetizer making ability.

7. What is your crowd pleasing go-to appetizer?If  you are talking about one that I make, I guess it would be "Cocktail Weiners."  You can't really mess them up and folks around here love them. Just put a jar of apple jelly, a small jar of mustard and a couple of packages of Little Smokies in a crock pot and  a couple of hours later, they're ready to enjoy.

8. Insert your own random thought here.This is my 207th blog entry.  I started my blog on March 21, 2009 and never did I realize the enjoyment that it would bring to me. I had heard the word "blog" for several years before I ever became a blogger, but I really didn't have an understanding of what a blog was until about a year before I started my own.  It's so interesting the different formats folks take with their blogs. I sometimes feel so intimidated with the depth and wisdom of some folks entries but depth and wisdom is really not words one would use to describe mine for sure.~smile~  But, that's okay , think mine would be described as merely heartfelt, warm and friendly.(now, understand, I do not mean to insinuate that blogs that are full of wisdom and depth are not heartfelt, warm and friendly, they certainly are)  I've been blessed by so many of the blogs I follow and look forward to the times I sit down to read them.  I often have to remind myself that the world will really not come to an end if I miss reading some entries a few times. ~smile~ Thanks to all of you who have become a follower and encourager of mine. You bring a smile to my heart and face.  "Blogging Buddies" are just the BEST! (hey, that would make a cute bumper sticker, except that my Hubby doesn't allow bumper stickers on our vehicles.) Shucks!

A big thank you to Joyce for coming up with our questions each Wed.  It's just another great way to get to know the folks in Blogsphere!  For more enjoyable Hodgepodge reading, just click the link above.

Miscellany Monday

I always look forward to our random musings on Monday. I don't know how long Carissa has been hosting this wonderful meme but I know I've been participating for about 9-10 months and I sure hope she will always have time to continue being our hostess. She's the bomb!!!

{one}

I was so excited when the mail arrived this past Tuesday! In it was my Blog2Print book. It has all of my last years blog entries and is so professionally done and I am sure hoping that my children will think it is a real treasure after I've gone to my eternal home. Now, I'm hoping that the pages will be dried out and yellowed before that happens. ~chuckle~  

{two}

Our daughter decided last week that the time had come for our little Grandson to be potty trained.  He is 2 years and 4 months old and will come and tell you that he has either wet his diaper or poo pooed his diaper. Daughter said that from all she had read that was sure indication that he was "ready."  So, "potty training boot camp" began yesterday.  To make

it more fun she bought him Micky Mouse underwear and made a huge deal out of him wearing "big boy" underwear.  At last check in with her, things were going pretty well, but only time will tell.  When she asked me how I did it, I could not even remember.  It was only 29 years ago that I had that privilege. I do remember that it was a very easy process with both her and her brother. I'm hoping it will be an easy process for little Clancy.  

{three}

If you have been reading my blog very long, you know that I have an adopted Vietnamese family.~smile~ It is the couple that owns the nail salon that I go to. They are so dear to me and Saturday they were blessed with a new baby boy. They have a 14 year old daughter and an 11 year old son and now this precious little fella. He weighed in at 7 lb.8oz.

  Isn't he just adorable!

Being held by his big sister

And, let me tell you that his Mom barely made it to the hospital before he was born. She worked at the salon Saturday and at 2:30 PM she said she knew that she was in labor.  She told her husband that she was going home and get her things ready and for him to come on to the house and pick her up.  He got there about 3:00, picked her up and they headed off to the hospital (about 25 miles away). She told me that they barely got her in the bed and wheeled into delivery before he was born. He arrived at 4:45 PM and just 2 hours and 15 minutes earlier she was sitting at the salon doing some lady's nails.  Good grief, that just doesn't sound right, but both she and the baby are doing great.  And, I might add, she only weighed about 90 pounds before she got pregnant with this little guy. 

It sure seems that I should have more random thoughts this morning, but I seem to be "fresh out" for now.  May you each be blessed with a wonderful week and always remember to share a smile with those you pass. 

Sunshine and Happy Hearts

Good morning Company Girls!  The forecast is calling for a mostly sunny day today and I'm just hoping that the forecast is correct. At this moment, it is 24 degrees and there's not a glimmer of sunshine. Oh, me!  The forecast is also calling for mostly sunny days for about the next week except for Monday and they are saying we may have a wintry mix."Well, I'm hoping the wintry mix will head another direction and that the sun will fill the sky for the next few weeks.  I'm completely depleted of sunshine and it will take at least a couple of weeks for me to get enough to get me going again.  I have checked into the Sun Boxes on the internet and am thinking that I may have to order one if something doesn't give soon. ~smile~ 

I am pleased to report that I am pretty much over my bout with pneumonia except for a lingering cough.  I haven't been out and about as I normally would this past week due to the wet and cold.  Just didn't think it wise and my Dr. encouraged me to take care of myself and I've tried to do just that.  I've missed my morning walks on my treadmill too and will be back with that come Monday morning.  I can't say that walking on the treadmill is all that much fun but when I'm not able to do it, I find that I really miss it.  And, I always listen to some great sermon or Bible Study on my Ipod while I walk and I've sure missed  that daily inspiration.

Once Christmas is over my thoughts immediately turn to Valentines. I have always loved Valentine's Day and do just a little bit of Valentine decorating on our kitchen island and the dining room table.

I always enjoy using my Mark Roberts fairies to decorate and then I found this pretty dried heart wreath at Williams Sonoma . 

A more detailed look at the wreath

I recently saw some Mercury Glass pieces in one of the many catalogs I get and immediately thought  how nice some pieces would look on my mirrored runner on our dining table.  I am pleased and it looks even better when the candles are lite.

I remember Mercury Glass from when I was a child and I cannot believe the big "  comeback"   that it is making today.  I'm sure some of you young gals had never even heard of Mercury Glass before it's popularity in the past year or two.  How funny!  

Speaking of when I was a child..............one of my most fond memories of Valentine's Day was making my box for our exchange of Valentine cards at school.  I never won the award for the prettiest box, but I had more fun creating it and getting my Valentine's all signed and ready to exchange.  I don't  know if school age kids even do such things today, but I hope they do.  I want my Grans to have the experience one day.

This reminds me very much of what my boxes looked like

It's always such fun to link up with the Company Girls on Friday. Rachel is such a faithful hostess and we so appreciate her and her inspiration in our lives.  Click on the button above to enjoy more  Company Girl Coffee.

We are all born with the need to be loved and never outgrow it.

  

Hodgepodge Wednesday

1. Do you like your name? Were you named after someone? If you have children how did you settle on their names? Yes, I like my name very much, but I do wish that my parents had put an H on the end of it.  I am named after Leah in the Bible, so it was my parents intention that my name be spelled with an H.  They said they got so excited when I was born that they plum forgot about the H. ~smile~ As a result, I have often been called Lee.


Well, I wanted our children to have " cute"   names, not something weird that they would grow up disliking. ~smile~  And, Hubby and I wanted them to have a family name too.  So, it seemed that Brandon was a suitable fit with Thomas (Hubby's middle name), so the name Brandon Thomas was decided upon for our son.  When our daughter was born my Hubby really wanted her to have some part of my name as a part of her name.  We had decided on Bridget for the "  cute"  part and my maiden name, Duncan, seemed to fit nicely with it, so we named her Bridget Duncan.  I was most happy because they both had cute family names and they both started with B's.(I know, just so silly)  And, I might add, we added to the family a dog named Bengal and a cat named Baxter.  We were B'd out for sure, but it all sure did sound cute. ~big laugh~

2. How do you define success? Being happy with who you are and what you are doing (no matter how unimportant it may seem to someone else.)

3. Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy? Wheel of Fortune, it doesn't tax my brain nearly as much as Jeopardy. ~grin~

4. If you could own any single object that you don't have now, what would that object be?  Well, I almost hate to say this, but I really would like to have an IPad. Not that I need another technical gadget, but..........................

5. What is something that inspires you? Oh, lot of things inspire me, but someone who has overcome past baggage or physical disabilities is probably tops.  One example would be the story of Michael Oher as told in the movie Blindside.


And,most importantly,  I am inspired everyday of my life by a God that loves me unconditionally and never gives up on me.

6. Meatloaf-yea or nay? If its a yay how do you make yours? You know, there are few food items that I just simply DO NOT like but meatloaf happens to be one of them. I can't help it, I just don't!

7. Which is more admirable-the ability to organize and be methodical or the ability to adapt and make do? Well, I am the 
"  queen of organizing and scheduling"   and I definitely feel it has served me well in my life, but I do think that there is a "  happy medium"   in all things. As I've gotten older (and wiser) I have learned to adapt somewhat and to make do, probably not nearly as much as some folks nor nearly as much as I need to, but likely all I'm going to. ~giggle~

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

 I am a "  Sunshine Gal"  and I am in very deep need of some of that yellow stuff right now.  We have been having dreary, gray, cloudy days for about 10 days now and it's wearing on me.  So, if you have some extra where you are, would you please, please send it my way.  I will be most grateful and so will those around me.


Thanks Joyce for another week of great questions. It's such a great way to get to know each other a little better.  If you want more good Hodgepodge reading, click on the button above and enjoy yourself.


Remember........we must be the change we want to see.