Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. How often do you check the weather? How do you check the weather?

Lawdy! Lawdy! I generally only check the weather if my plans are contingent upon it.  Hubby checks it enough for both of us so he usually keeps me posted whether I care or not. ~smile~

2. Since this is volume 84 of the Wednesday Hodgepodge, and since I got married in 1984, and since I'm attending a wedding this weekend it only seems right to post something related here.

"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life."

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Agree or Disagree. Why?

Well, Joyce, not sure I understand all of that. A bit much for this simple mind of mine, but............ I am not sure you ever know anyone well until you share your life together day in and day out through marriage and even then, surprise actions and habits often show up years later.  That is why, in my estimation, if a marriage is not based on the foundation of God, it is likely not to survive. There are no perfect mates and marriage takes a whole lotta work.  Those that think otherwise, well, they are being fooled for sure.  I think I know of which I speak since Hubby and I are now working on year #42 of marriage.

3. Do you like to dance? Have you ever taken dance lessons?

Well, back in the day, Baptist minister daughter's didn't dance, so I did not grow up dancing.  I have danced and I have enjoyed the occasions that I have, but I am not often presented with opportunities for dancing.  And, YES, Hubby and I have taken dance lessons with a group of our friends.  It was so much fun and we spent most of our time laughing instead of dancing.  It was a 6 week class and I thinking we probably needed a 6 month class. We're definitely no Fred and Ginger! ~smile~

4. Fresh from the oven peach pie or home made peach ice cream? Pick one.

Well, I am not a fan of peaches but if I had to have one or the other, it would definitely be pie.  I'm a vanilla girl when it comes to ice cream.  I know........boring!

5. Should people accept unfairness and learn to make the best of it?

Most definitely!!  If they do not, they will likely lead a miserable life.  And, I think as parents that we should teach our children that life can often be unfair but we still "go forth."  Life is unfair, and life is tough, but thank the Lord we serve a God that is fair and tougher! 

6. The top five all time summer movie blockbusters (released between May and August and grossing at least 100 million dollars) are-Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars (the original), Ghostbusters, and ET. Which one's your favorite? 

Oh, my goodness, our family LOVED ET.  But, we also enjoyed Ghostbusters and Jaws too.  I did not get "into" Star Wars but our son certainly did and had all the Star Wars paraphernalia.  Seems to me there were more family friendly movies 25 years ago. 

7. If given the chance, would you like to visit the moon?

You know, I have no desire to visit the moon.  I'll leave to the more adventuresome folks!

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

We went to a lake Sunday afternoon with our son, DIL, her family and our Princess.  Can I just tell you that our Princess would rather play in the sand than eat when she is hungry.  She was one solid mass of sand by the time we left.  She also enjoy tubing with her Daddy and cousin.  It was a fun way to spend a HOT Sunday afternoon.  

Miscellany Monday

It's Monday again and our Carissa is off in California, but thank goodness for the internet and the magical way it works, she can still host our random thoughts this Monday.  

A beautiful site..........

I could not resist sharing this with you.  I'm pretty sure that our church probably has some of the most gorgeous floral arrangements of any church.  These arrangements (there is a pair, one on each side of the podium) are the summer arrangements for our sanctuary. They definitely "make a statement."  I marvel at folks that have this ability and can come up with the idea.  A perfect summer arrangement!


Then and now........

  When we were in route to Dodge City a couple of weeks ago we saw this statue outside a bank in Woodward, Oklahoma.  It was such an impressive site and as we read the words, "Binding Contract" Hubby and I talked about that.  We both remember the days that a handshake was a binding contract but those are few and far between today.  What a shame, but nonetheless the truth. We should all be "men of our word" with a firm handshake to "seal the deal" but,  I don't know of any financial institute or human being that will accept a handshake as confirmation these days. Guess that's just another sign of the times we live in.


A lovely surprise..........

I was busy working in my home office Saturday afternoon when I saw two cars drive into our driveway.  I did not recognize either car and could not imagine who it was but just waited for whoever it was to come to the door.  In a couple of minutes I heard the doorbell and got up to go to the door.  I opened the door and had the SURPRISE of my life.  It was a family that was our dear, dear friends for many years and was also our backdoor neighbors.  We raised our children together, attended church together,  ate together, and spent our weekends together.  Could I just say "we were tight!"  About 23 years ago they moved to Arkansas and  our lives have not been as closely connected.  We have seen each other at weddings and funerals but haven't really had a good visit in way too long.  The two young men in the picture above are their sons and they are two of the finest. They are both in the Airforce and the one on the left is stationed between California and overseas (shares time between the two places) and flies U2 Spy Planes. Yep! a rather high stress job!  The other brother has just been assigned Pentagon duty and he flies the B2 Stealth. Yes, they are some of America's finest!  They were only able to stay a few minutes, so we didn't even get to scratch the surface.  But we did get to exchange a hug, snap a few photos and made a promise to get together soon.  

The Celtic Woman........

 Now, I am not sure why this group is called "The Celtic Woman" instead of "The Celtic Women."  But, nonetheless, these women are phenomenal!   I just recently found out about them and would absolutely love to see and hear them in concert.  If you would like to hear them you can click here to hear them sing Amazing Grace. I promise it will raise the hair on the back of your neck.

Happy week my friends!
 

Friday Favorites

I'm linking up with sweet Rachel today for Friday Favorites. This past week brought several favorites my way.

My baby brother came in last weekend for a visit.  He had not been here in about 4 months and Daddy's progress in that time has been tremendous.  He was so pleased when he  saw Daddy and his visit was a real boost. 

I'm so thankful that throughout Daddy's illness Joel has made it a priority to be here as needed.  I could have never made it without him this past year.  I'm so glad that my parents decided that they wanted another child when I was 13 years old. ~smile~


Hubby and I took Joel to dinner at one of our favorite places while he was here.  We had a delicious meal and then we decided that we would "share" a dessert of bread pudding.

Oh, my goodness, do you see that ooey, gooey, sauce that it is laying in?  Let me tell you, it was to.die.for!!!!  But, 1/3 of it was a big plenty for each of us.  Yep, a favorite thing for sure!


Our 4th was filled with fun and friends.  I suggested we all go to a local establishment for their buffet that would be filled with 
"4th of July fare." 

 And, the best part, none of us would have to do a thing but "show up."  All agreed it was a great idea, I mean, really, our Momma's didn't raise dummies!  We know a good deal!

We divided up on the drive, women in one vehicle and men in the other and then ate at separate tables.  It made for some great conversation and we ended up sitting around the table almost 3 hours. ~wow~ Good food,and great fellowship with dear friends. It made for a happy 4th!

If you have been reading my blog for very long, you know that I  enjoy decorating my front door and porch for the various seasons of the year.

I always want the entrance to our house to have a warm and welcoming look.   There is no particular holiday in the near future so when I took down the patriotic decor yesterday, I put up this summery look that will carry me through until fall. ~hurry, hurry~

My Daybook

 Today I'm focusing on the simple things, the beauty of everyday life....

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...the sun is shining brightly and it is a gorgeous day. The temps are cooler right now, but it is promising to be in the high 90's a bit later. Of course, there's always humidity. Ugh!  We're in desperate need of rain.

I am thinking...of the folks in Colorado whose homes were destroyed by the wildfires and the folks in the pathway of the recent storms and it's devastation.

I am thankful...that I live in the "land of the free and the home of the brave."

In the kitchen...well, the kitchen will be closed today.  We will go with several friends to a 4th of July gathering and there will be food abundant there. Good food, good fellowship, it makes for a good time.

I am wearing...a patriotic white shirt with some bling on it with red capris 

I am wondering...how the Presidential election is going to turn out, it truly should be a concern for all of us

I am reading...You Were Made for More by Jim Cymbala ~great book~

I am looking forward to...a "mystery trip" at the end of the month to celebrate my BIG birthday.  Hubby put it on the calendar several weeks ago and I have no idea where we are headed.

I am learning....that some folks never feel the need/conviction to say,
"I'm sorry."
And, regardless, we must forgive in order to move on.

Around the house...it's fairly quiet and usually is unless one of the Grans is here or we have company.  Hubby and I are not very "noisey" folks. ~grin~

I am pondering...the things that I need/want to do differently for the rest of my life.  Easy to say, more difficult to do.

A favorite quote for today..."that which does not kill us, makes us stronger"  Nietzsche

One of my favorite things...is my first cup of morning coffee straight out of my Keurig 
~oh, so good~

A few plans for the rest of the week: tomorrow brings a luncheon meeting and a visit to the Peridontist to see how my implant procedure is healing. Friday and Saturday are open right now but I'm sure will fill up between now and then.

A peek into my day...
doing some household chores this morning and then joining friends for a fun time celebrating the 4th.

From our house to yours, Happy 4th of July!

Miscellany Monday

It's so good to be back!  I was on the road last Monday headed towards home and I missed MM and nothing about my week went right because of that. ~just a joke~  But, I am excited about joining up with lovely Carrisa today.

Pucker up........

Clancy has loved lemons since he was a baby.  I don't get it but he will sit and eat them down to the rind and never flinch.  I love the taste of lemon but the thought of eating one makes me shiver.


Beautiful handwork....

There is an old railroad depot in Dodge City that has been refurbished and is used for various events.  They were having a quilt show while we were there and I was so impressed with the workmanship of these gorgeous coverings. My favorite was the one of the jars.  I've always said I would love to learn to quilt, guess I'd better hurry up if I'm going to. ~grin~  


A night at the Gaylord Texan.....

On our way to Dodge City we spent the night at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas.  And, we all know that everything is "bigger and better" in Texas. ~smile~  Well, this is certainly true about the Gaylord.  My goodness, it is built around a gorgeous atrium and you truly have no idea that you are not outside.  It is beautiful resort and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing getaway.

Wind Mills...........

As we drove through Oklahoma and Kansas on our way to Dodge City we passed "oodles" of wind mill farms.  The construction of these farms is the lifeblood of a lot of towns right now.  I had no idea that one of these windmills can provide energy for up to 8000 homes.  I think we saw enough windmills to provide energy for thousands and thousands of homes.  Who would have ever thought????


Ipad = fun for Poppa and Clancy

When the wind was blowing too hard and we were needing to cool off, Poppa  and Clancy would find the IPad to be a fun way to pass the time.  Yea for Apple and the creation of such a neat gadget and yes, his Dad and Mom restrict the amount of time that he spends on the IPad in a days time. ~just in case you were wondering~ 

 The Best for Last........

 That's right, Bridget, our daughter will bless us with Grandchild #3 sometime around December 29th.  Everything has gone well thus far and we are hopeful that she will have no issues and give birth to a healthy baby.  She should (as long as the wee one cooperates) find out in about 3 more weeks if Clancy will have a little brother or sister.  Stay tuned.............

Have an awesome week!

Friday's Letters

It's Friday and time to write some letters.  The lovely Ashley is our host over at Adventures of Newlyweds. I have a few letters on my mind today...........

Dear Blogging Buddies  and Followers,  I have missed you so much this past week, but sometimes life just gets in the way of blogging and such has been the case.  We were gone for a week and it is sometimes difficult for me "blog on the road."  But, I'm back and I know you are so glad. ~smile~

Dear Louisiana weather, Do you not know how hot it is here?  It is just best to stay inside under the a/c. Running errands, getting in and out of the car, it makes me sweat and I CANNOT stand sweat.  If you can see fit to bring us an early fall, we'd be thrilled!

Dear Dell Computers, I need my new all in one computer NOW!  The storm from 2 weeks ago did irreversible damage to the desktop I had.  Thank goodness I had it attached to an external hard drive and I will be able to have all that info transferred over to the new computer.  I remember the last Dell computer I ordered about 6-8 years ago was here in about 3 days.  Guess I will just continue to wait patiently.  ~sigh~

Dear TJ Maxx, You were loaded to the gills yesterday and I had so much fun browsing around.  You had more handbags than I've seen in a while and I really wanted one of each. But, I resisted and didn't get one.  You had a lot of good looking home accessories too but, fact is, I need NO more home accessories.  But, I did enjoy looking at them.  I did pick up 3-4 Christmas presents and that made me very happy.  I love finding Christmas presents throughout the year and especially at very discounted prices. ~yipee~

Dear Upcoming Birthday,

I cannot believe that one month from today that I will be 60 years old!  Oh, my goodness, how did that happen???  I think the best thing for me to do is just CELEBRATE and thank the Lord for giving me life for these 60 years.  I refuse to think about this whole "aging process."  Maybe if I don't think about it, it just won't happen. ~big laugh~

HAPPY, HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

Show Us Your Life - HOME TOUR - Dining Room

I'm linking up with Kelly at Kelly's Korner again today for the Home Tour. Today Kelly is featuring dining rooms.  I think that many houses being built today do not have dining rooms.  Life is so much more casual for the younger generation and many just do not see the need for it.  And, hey, that's okay.  Whatever suits their "fancy." ~smile~

 

We have lived in our house 31 years this July and over the course of those years, this dining room has hosted more events than I can even remember.  The majority of them have been bridal affairs.  You know, as I've said many times before, here in the South we make an "event" out of any and everything we  can. Now, most of the use for this dining room  is family dinners and occasional entertaining of a few couples.  The days of "events" are rare.  But, I have fond, fond memories of the fun times that have been had in this dining room.

This antique table graces one of the corners of the room.  I found this at a shop a few years back and I just knew that I had the perfect spot for it and I did.  All of my furnishing in this room are either walnut or mahogany.

This sideboard sits on one wall and is just a beautiful piece of furniture.  Our dining furniture was the first furniture we bought when we moved in this house, so guess that means it is 31 years old. Yikes! but as you can see, it has been given a lot of TLC and still looks brand new.  This piece is great for storage as well.

 I decorate the table for the season.  For this summer I chose to use mirrors, mercury glass and clear containers with lemons and limes in them.   The decor on the sideboard pretty much stays the same year around (except at Christmas).

There is one problem with our dining room and that is it's size.  It is not nearly big enough and it needs to be open on two sides, but there is only one entrance.  That means there is only one exit.  Not good!  It's especially problematic when you have about 40 people trying to get in and out of the room to enjoy the delicious goodies that are on the table.  But, somehow it has worked, but be rest assured if I ever have another dining room, it will have a nice flow pattern for sure.  

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope you enjoyed your visit and I look forward to taking some tours of your dining rooms as well if time permits.   And, just in case you have forgotten...........I'm in Dodge City enjoying time with our daughter and her family. Happy weekend to you!