Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Hodgepodging Motherhood

 If it's Wednesday, it must be Hodgepodge!

I hope your week is going well.
The beautiful weather continues but we need some rain to wash away the yellow dust.
I did hear that 90s are predicted for this weekend...am not ready for that
but unfortunately, spring is pretty short-lived here in the south.

So as the spring quickly is turning into summer,
we are in the midst of setting up some travel plans starting in June.
It's a trip that has been our bucket list for over 25 years.
It's not the Grand Canyon (although I'd love to go there), it's not Hawaii (especially not now!),
and it's not anywhere in Europe (although Ireland is on my bucket list).
Give up?
It's the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia!

Image result for photos of cass scenic railroad
source
We heard about this place years and years ago when we lived in KY and always wanted to go.
Through the years we've talked about it a lot but just never made it there.

The trains are original Shay steam locomotives from back in the logging days of the 1920s.
The railroad, along with the logging town of Cass itself, which is where you board the train,
was acquired by the parks system after all logging operations were shut down in 1960.

Here's a short video of the view from the top of Bald Knob, the final destination,
and the third highest point in West Virginia and the Allegany Mountains.


It takes about 4.5 hours for the round trip to go up 11 miles to the top and back down.
That is one slow train, y'all!
All the better to take in and capture some breathtaking scenery from the open-air cars.
It may not be a tropical paradise but it doesn't take much to thrill us simple folk!

We have a couple of other trips in the planning stages for later on this summer.
But now it's time for the Hodgepodge...

...where Joyce asks the questions and we answer them on our blogs.

1. What are your ingredients for a perfect Saturday?

My ingredient list would be different depending where I am, but for a perfect Saturday at home it would look something like this...
~housework caught up
~blue skies with big puffy clouds
~temps in the mid 70s
~lots of yard sales (with great finds)
~a nap on the porch
~grilled something-or-other with corn on the cob...followed by strawberry shortcake

2. What skill do you wish more people took the time to learn?

Kindness. Plain and simple.

3. What's something you ate as a child you can't stand now as an adult?

I can't think of anything that I liked as a kid that I don't like now but surely, there must be something. For me, it's more about what I couldn't stand as a child that I love eating now, like vegetables for instance. We always had a big garden every summer just loaded with all kinds of wonderful produce. I wanted no part of those veggies...MAN, what was I thinking? Now that I have gotten smarter, I crave them!

4. Something parenting has taught you? If you're not a parent tell us one important lesson you learned from your own parents.

Wow, this is hard to actually put into words. Becoming a parent is such a life-changing experience and as a parent I feel I am always learning...still today. When I became a parent, life was just not about ME anymore. The days of making it all about me...my wants and desires...were replaced by the knowledge that I was actually responsible for sustaining the life of that little one that I had been given. Even though the fathers are involved (hopefully) as they should be, the mother's role is unique and none can take her place.


Forty years ago I never dreamed being a parent would be so challenging. My firstborn will be thirty-nine this month and goodness, what a ride it's been! Never have I feared more, never have loved more...and God has always been right there, making me stronger with each new trial and ever so grateful for each new triumph.

5. Share a favorite quote or saying about mothers or motherhood.

I couldn't just pick one...
They will always be our babies.


Lord knows I have failed in many ways over the years but thank goodness He was always there to show me a better way...many times even learning lessons from my boys, themselves.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 



I'd give just about anything to see her again.



32 comments:

  1. Happy Mother's Day Debby! I know what you mean about your Mom. I miss mine every day.

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  2. I love Linda Wooten's quote. Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!!

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  3. Happy Mother's Day to you too! The train ride looks fantastic and scary. Hope you have a beautiful day, Debby!

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  4. Love steam trains, will be looking forward to your pictures.

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  5. Oh I know you are excited my friend about your upcoming trip. It looks like it will be so much fun and I am sure you will snap lots of beautiful pictures to share with us. Yes, it doesn't take much to make us simple folk happy does it? I told a friend recently, "Just give me a ham sandwich and a diet coke and call me happy". Well lets see what I might can answer today.
    1. What are your ingredients for a perfect Saturday?
    Awe, that's easy. Sleep in late...which I don't sleep but sure just like laying there. Staying in my pj's with coffee in hand til late morning. Piddling outside with my herbs, or working on a painting project. Maybe catch a few local yard sales. Evening would be to grill something or fry some good ole deer meat. Sitting out by the fishing pond and talking about life. My kind of day.

    2. What skill do you wish more people took the time to learn?

    OOH! YES I a love your answer and so very true! But one thing has come to mind lately! MANNERS! Some of these kids I run into these days has NOT been taught manners and if you really want to get my goat....then that would be Manners!

    3. What's something you ate as a child you can't stand now as an adult?
    I wish there was something I couldn't stand! LOL! I am like you. Disliked a lot growing up but love it all now. EXCEPT for Bananas. Didn't eat them as a child and don't eat them now. I can smell them a mile away. BUT I will make my grandson his favorite dessert which is banana pudding! LOL!

    4. Something parenting has taught you? If you're not a parent tell us one important lesson you learned from your own parents.
    Oh my! Parenting has taught me so much. Still is at times even with three grown daughters. But once thing it has taught me was how to be a prayer warrior. If we are not praying for our children then who is? As my man says, "Once a parent, always a parent". I found out quick that just cause they get grown doesn't mean we get to quit being parents. LOL! Parenting taught me to love hard, care deeply and pray like I have never prayed before. Being raised in somewhat a dysfunctional family I knew what I DID NOT want parenting to be. With God as my guide I done the best I could. And my oldest daughter just turned 39 on May 3!

    5. Share a favorite quote or saying about mothers or motherhood.
    The only time that we as humans can assist God with a miracle is giving birth to our babies. Only He can perform that miracle but allows us to be a part of it. WOW!
    6: Today, I think I might just have a BBQ sandwich. Got a hankering for one!

    Hugs and blessings dear friend.
    Cindy



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  6. We love trains and especially through the mountains. I am going to check it out. Your answers are all so good and I like what you have learned about being a parent. Won't it be nice one day to see our mothers again? What a blessing to have wonderful parents. So many children miss out on that.

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  7. Nice to visit you today on the Hodgepodge. Your trip sounds fabulous. I've never heard of that but it is something we would enjoy (someday!). Great "mothers" quotes!

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  8. I think it's a little bit surprising how easy it was for it not to be about me. That train trip looks like fun! I really want to do a train trip out west, either the Banff train or the Canadian Rockies. Happy Mother's Day!

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  9. Awe, we picked the same quote. I agree with your answer to parenting. It is such a big part of your life and hard to put into words. Everyone is answering something different, yet they ALL are so spot on. Parenting it just too complex to put into one answer.

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  10. The Cass Scenic Railroad sounds interesting, Debby. The area is lovely surrounding the tracks. I have a special place in my heart for the train, as my grandfather worked for the railroad. Your answer to number two is special.....kindness. This is a treasured picture of you and your mom. It sounds like you were close to her. Happy Mother's Day, Debby! Have a beautiful day.

    ~Sheri

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  11. Precious pic of you and your Mom. Your train trip sounds like a lot of fun and I know you'll have the chance to take lots of beautiful pics. I wish you a very nice Mother's Day.

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  12. What a sweet photo of your mama and you. Your thoughts on motherhood are precious and wise. It is so true that mothers learn a great deal from their children. I sure did.

    Now that steam train ride sounds delightful to me! Very pretty scenery.

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  13. I've been on that train ride. The seniors from our church went and we all had a great time. It's a little less that
    3 hours from where we live.

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  14. Ive not heard about this train trip,...it does sound like fun but maybe a bit too long for me. I miss my mom too, and this will be the first Mother's Day without her.

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  15. That train ride should be so enjoyable.The scenery looks amazing.Have a Happy Mother's Day.

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  16. hello Debby! I enjoyed your post and your hodgepodge answers. I would have answered #3 the same way as you did. Enjoyed your thoughts and quotes. Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

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  17. Wouldn't it be wonderful to sit in the company of our mums again and chat for a while. I love that quote of Jill Churchill's. The train sounds fabulous. Nothing better than travelling on a steam train through beautiful countryside. Just imagine the gorgeous photos you will capture. Have a most beautiful Mother's Day, lovely Debby.

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  18. The train trip looks amazing, hope you have a wonderful time and it is everything you wanted and more.

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  19. We have done the Cass Railroad trip. So worth it! Hope you have a fun time and I look forward to reading about it here.

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  20. Well, that sounds like a fascinating trip. Have fun! We want to go back to Grand Canyon. At this old age, I'd love to be able to hike down the canyon. Don't know if this body can handle it though. I'd also love to do the rapids at the bottom of the canyon. What a thrill!

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  21. The Cass Scenic Railroad sounds like a wonderful trip, Debby! It doesn't take much for me either, as I'm pretty simple, too. Your perfect day sounds, well, PERFECT! I also loved your quotes that you shared and the photo at the end. Happy Mother's Day blessings to you! xx

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  22. Beautiful post! I hope you have a good time on your railroad get away. Beautiful scenery. I think kids make us humble too!

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  23. Well, when I first read your description of the train, I read it as "45 hours" for that 11 miles!! Now that is a slow train. Whew. (That little decimal point is important!) But it does look like a gorgeous, scenic ride. Hope you'll tell us all about it afterward!

    I loved hearing your thoughts on motherhood . . . and seeing the photo of you with your mother. Precious!

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  24. Lovely post and super train ride ...You had a fabulous trip... The quotes and photo were PLUS ...Thanks for sharing the gorgeous countryside....Hugs

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  25. Oh, that train ride looks like such fun with such beauty. And, like you, I can't think of a food that I liked as a child and do not like now but quite the opposite. Have a great M D weekend!!!

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  26. This is such a lovely post, Debby; filled with many sentimental thoughts that stir many of us, I am sure. We will certainly be expecting lots of your beautiful photography of your railroad trip!

    Happy Mother's Day to you, my friend!
    Carol

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  27. Your trip sounds wonderful! I've never heard of that (I know, I probably live under a rock) but I'm definitely going to check it out. I used to love Hamburger Helper as a kid -- yuck! LOL - it was 'all the rage' when I was growing up haha!

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  28. Oh, how wonderful, sweet friend! That railroad is not too, too far from where my husband grew up in WV, but do you know that with all the trips we have made there over the years, we have never gone up there! We really should do it sometime, but it just always seems that so much else is going on. :) I am so happy you are going to get to go and hope you enjoy it to the full! I love the picture of you and your sweet Mom. It made me cry. We just didn't realize, back in those days when they held us in their arms, how very blessed and safe and comforted we were, did we? Happy Mothers Day to you...I know you are one of the best Moms ever! Sending love and hugs to you today. :)

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  29. Debby, I always enjoy reading your Hodge podge...I sure agree with your #1

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  30. Love your Hodge Podge and hearing about your lovely memories! How absolutely wonderful to know you can ride that train! That would be a dream! Enjoy all the warmth you have and the lovely change of seasons.

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  31. Let me know when you come to Cass...it's less than an hour from our house! Maybe you can even book our Guest house for your visit. Would love to meet you in person!

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Thank you for stopping by today! Your sweet comments are such an encouragement to me.

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