A Beautifully Random Hodgepodge

Well, here we are on the last Wednesday of March.

I'm happy to report that spring is finally becoming obvious after those frigid temps of a week ago...

...and after the 80+ degree record breaking February that gave us quite a tease.

The past couple of days we have had showers and everything is turning green...yippee!

It's also time to hop across the pond for the last Hodgepodge of March...

...where Joyce asks the tough questions and after racking our brains, we answers them on ours.

Come on over and see what everyone is sharing......here we go.

1. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'  What's something you've seen recently that you thought

was beautiful?

 

These lovelies.

 

I actually look forward to them every year...they are an edible weed that grows profusely around here in the early spring called Purple Deadnettle. Some of you already know that weeds are some of my favorite flowers—in fact, my very first blog post ever was titled Beautiful Weeds.

Just this past Saturday you could have found me taking these belly shots. A weed you say?

They look like flowers to me!

Or what about this?

I see so much beauty in this gnarly, twisted up old tree. These are two examples on opposite ends of the 'beautiful' spectrum. I guess it's all how you look at them.

2. Our culture and beauty...your thoughts?

Before I answered this question, I typed the word "beauty" into Google Images just for fun. The screen was bombarded with images of women—very Kardashianesque—wearing tons of makeup and wearing very little clothing. This must be beauty by the world's standards, unfortunately. Of course, we all love beauty in many forms and I don't know many women who don't want to look as beautiful as they can. The very old adage "beauty is only skin deep" couldn't be more true. Here is my take on what true beauty is and how we attain it:

Or how about...
 

3. Age before beauty, beauty queen, beauty mark, beauty sleep...which beauty-ful phrase resonates with you today? Why?

 

I am not quite ready to use the phrase "age before beauty" (referring to me as being the 'aged one') just yet...I am still in denial :) So I will say that beauty sleep would be my answer. I don't get enough of it according to all of the information out there. It's not a choice for me... I have a hard time sleeping past 5:00 on any given day of the week... even after going to bed at my regular time of 11:00. Maybe if I could figure out how to get more sleep, I would finally be that ravishing beauty that I always wanted to be. :D 

4. I read here a list of the top ten beasts animals that scare us the most-
alligators, coyotes, black bears, birds (but pigeons in particular), sharks, bats, bed bugs, rats, rattlesnakes, and the black widow spider. 
Which 'beast' on the list scares you the most? What is the likelihood of you having an actual encounter with that particular beast? Did a movie contribute to your fear of this creature? Have you ever had a real life encounter with any of the animals listed?

I really don't scare easily but would have to say that just the thought of being infested with bed bugs really creeps me out...and I am not fond of spiders AT ALL, black widow or not. I would like to think that the likelihood of getting bed bugs is 0% chance...unless I wind up in a seedy hotel for some odd reason. I live in a wooded area though and the chances of encountering a black widow spider increase dramatically. (:O) At the moment, I can't think of anything from a movie that has affected me...BUT I do have a close encounter of the "kinda creepy, kinda cool" kind to share.

 

This little guy/gal decided to take a lengthy nap on the side of the house the summer before last. Like I said, kinda creepy but kinda cool.

5. Where were you when you last heard a bell ring? Was it alarming or musical?

 

I was at work...yesterday. I rang the bell and then I took this photo especially for the hodgepodge...

and it was neither alarming nor was it musical. :D

6. What's your favorite carb? How's that for random?

A warm, squishy, sticky, gooey, cinnamony (and kinda greasy) apple fritter. This is not a treat that I indulge in often....only when patients bring us sweet treats in the morning. I have no trouble passing up your regular run-of-the-mill donuts but if the box contains one of these puppies...OOOWEEEE... temptation just gets the best of me! Thank goodness this doesn't happen every day...or every week!

7. Let's wrap up another month of Hodgepodging and life with an acrostic. Recap your month using the word MARCH.

Many things to do!

Arranging and rearranging...

Rarely getting it all accomplished.

Closets are all good though!

Home...sweet home. ♥

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Oscar had his 8th birthday on Sunday. He's getting to be an old man!

See you next month if not before!

 

If you can't paint it, wallpaper it!

This was my mother-in-law's hutch.

I searched high and low to find a photo of it and wouldn't you know that the one I found 

had a bunch of extra crap stuff on it that shouldn't be there...oh well.

This was my mother-in-law's corner cabinet that matches said hutch.

I would really like to paint said hutch and corner cabinet...BUT...

Jim would never have it.

Why is it that most men do not like painted furniture?

Now even though I am a pretty independent kinda girl,

I will not go against hubby's wishes..................most of the time.

Just kidding. Never.

So after emptying both of them when we got our new flooring a few weeks ago,

I was faced with putting it all back but it needed to be changed up some how.

I perused Pinterest for a couple of days to to find some ideas...

I was thinking wallpaper for the inside.

Oh, there were TONS of painted hutches with wallpaper inside but not many un-painted ones.

I needed something light in color and a pattern that wasn't bold or busy.

Then a light bulb went off.

I had a couple of partial rolls left over from another project.

Now y'all probably remember that I do like my wallpaper regardless what "they" say...

...my house, my choice, right?

I recently saw that it's on it's way back in...oh goody!

You would think that wallpapering such a small area would be quick and simple.

Well, it turned out to be a little bit challenging.

Sometimes working in small spaces can be difficult but it wasn't too bad.

It took most of an afternoon after thinking it might take an hour...well, not quite.

But, hey...what do you think??

I am very pleased and think it made my dishes and glassware POP!

I didn't paper the base, just the back and sides,

   

It was almost like having two new pieces of furniture...I said almost.

Many of my teacups and dishes also came from my MIL. 

Jim got me the Crown Ruby Band set for my birthday last year.

I love this tea set...and now you can actually see it!

So...the thought of painting these cabinets quickly faded after adding the wallpaper.
Jim was happy with the look too.
But since he liked this so well, I wonder if he'll change his mind about the paint?

I'd say it's highly unlikely :)
Enjoy your week!

I'm sharing this with Maggie over at
Mosaic Monday

A Meeting at the Moose Cafe

We meet the nicest people through our blogs, don't we?

When I started blogging back in June of 2013, 

it didn't even occur to me that I would gain so many wonderful friends.

You couldn't have convinced me that it would even be possible to meet one (or more) in real life.

Well, I have learned something over the past few years.

When we are like-minded and share our hearts with others and they do the same,

relationships are formed...regardless of geographical location.

Oh...there are so many of you out there in Blogland that I would love to meet!

And there is one very special lady in particular that I was almost able to meet a while back.

Unfortunately due to sickness and other circumstances we had to cancel...twice even!

If she is reading this right now, she knows who she is :)

Don't worry B------, this will happen...and SOON!

~

So a couple of weeks ago I got an email from Deborah from The Beautiful Matters

and she told me she was going to be in NC visiting with her son and DIL's in Winston-Salem.

I didn't even realize she had family there...I see I need to pay better attention. :)

Winston-Salem is only about a 45 minute drive so I was thrilled that she was so close!

Now just so you know, although I live fairly close to the big city,

I am definitely not a city dweller nor am I comfortable driving around in unfamiliar places...

so I set up a meeting spot about half-way for both of us,

a place right off the highway where Jim and I have eaten several times.

The Moose Cafe is a home cookin' restaurant located at the local Farmer's Market in Greenboro.

Little did I know at the time, Deborah had wanted to try some southern cuisine!

(You probably already read what she ate on her post.)

The timing was perfect too...as I pulled into the parking lot, I called her to let her know I was there

and she had just gotten off the highway and was just minutes behind me!

Since it was my first time meeting a blogging buddy,

 I have to admit I was just a tad nervous (not really sure why) which quickly changed to excitement.

The moment she pulled up and when I saw her face-to-face as we met at her car,

it was like we were old familiar friends!

How does that happen?

Our waitress kindly took our photo together since I forgot my selfie-stick :)

She really is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside...

and it seemed like we had known each other for years.

I know everyone says that but in a sense, we really have...

at least for as long as we have been reading each others' blogs.

~

She gifted me with an adorable and HUGE "Queen Bee" teacup and yummy honey spoons.

Isn't it just darling?! 

I would be inclined to say that I may need two tea bags for this cup!

Ms. Queen Bee (moi) can get her whole fist in there!

She informed me that our name tells us that we are likened to a bee...

and any of you other Deborahs who didn't know this can click here and find out why.

My husband has been right all along since he jokingly tells everyone that I am the boss...lol!

Thanks for that interesting info, Deborah...I'll be sure to put it good use. :) 

~

When you visit the Moose Cafe, this is what you get as soon as you are seated.

They are also as big as your fist and are accompanied by their own famous apple butter.

(Sorry for the blurry photo...I pulled this from their website.)

Oh my, are they good...blurry or not!

~

The service was a little slow but our little waitress was very sweet and apologetic.

Deborah and I talked and talked as we got to know each other better 

and I don't think either one of us really cared about the wait.

It was past closing time when we finally left and I'm thinking they were relieved to see us go!

Needless to say, we both had plenty of leftovers to take back with us.

I wish we had been able to spend more time together but oh, what a fun evening it was! 

~

 What a blessing it was to meet you, Deborah! 

Our meeting at the Moose Cafe was most definitely the highlight of my week.

We do hope to meet again sometime whenever she is in the area.

Thank you so much, Deborah, for thinking of me and suggesting we meet each other...

...I had a blast! ♥

I'm sharing with Maggie over at

Mosaic Monday

A Perfect Hodgepodge and New Photo Ops

Hello and happy HUMP-Day!

Not only is it Hump day, it's also time for Joyce's weekly Hodgepodge.

Have you all seen the new look of her blog?

I think it's really quite lovely and so is her new Hodgepodge button.

Pretty, huh?

Before we get into the questions, I'd like to share a new photo op that I have.

I know I don't need to tell you how much I love getting out in the country with my camera...

it really is a form of worship for me.

Problem is, the area around where I live is growing like crazy and little by little,

the country is getting harder and harder to find!

Do you remember my road less traveled? 

To understand what I mean, click on the link to see the way it used to look...before 'it' happened.

Well, here it is now...  

...and although it is not that widely traveled as of yet due to the newness,

it used to be lined with wildflowers and in the spring and summer a haven for birds and butterflies.

I will keep checking it to see if there are any leftovers when spring comes in earnest.

The road you see off to the right leads to the new Walmart distribution center (grumble),

which leads to another yet-to-be-developed industrial park (grumble, grumble).

At least the donkeys are still there at the end of the road.

~

Last week some of you may have heard Vee's rendition of "Where Have All the Bloggers Gone?"...

...well I have been singing my version, "Where Has All the Country Gone?", for years now.

And right now all you youngsters out there are saying,

"What song are they talking about, anyway?" :)

So I say all of that to say this......

There is an old house down the road from me that's been empty for as long as I can remember...

...I pass it numerous times during the week.

There are two ponds behind it and it's just a gorgeous setting.

For a long time I have been hoping to find someone there to ask permission to take photos.

A few months ago I Google mapped it and got the address and owners of the property,

got the phone number through voter registration (yes I did), called but could only leave a message.

Nothing.

Over the weekend I called again and this time my call was returned....YESSSS!!

Permission granted.....YESSSS and YESSSS!!

I'm looking forward to watching spring come to life as well as what the other seasons bring.

 

Although the property is on the corner of a very busy intersection,

once you get back behind the house, you're in a different world.

So consider this a warning...there will be tons many more pics to come!

~

So now...ON with the Hodgepodge...

1. What is one area of your life where you're a perfectionist? Is that a good thing?

I do not consider myself a perfectionist about many things at all. If there is a way to cut a corner here or there (in a good way, of course) I will find it. There is one area that I think I just might be...I wrote about this very thing on a blogger's comment just the other day. Years ago when I was an older teen and young adult, I drew portraits of some of my family and a friend here and there. It seems I was never really finished with one because every time I thought I was, I would make a slight change here or there because I felt something wasn't quite right. Of course that wasn't possible after I finally sprayed the fixative on it. Perfection or at least striving for it can be good thing if kept in perspective.

2. What's something you find perfectly ridiculous?

Where do I begin? The world is so full of ridiculousness today...upheaval of every kind, anger and strife every where you look. It seems many people are offended about something. You are not "with it" if you are not up in arms about something. I must not be "with it." And that's fine with me.

3. What's a skill you've developed by way of that old fashioned saying, 'practice makes perfect?

Like I said, I hesitate to use the word perfection in the same sentence with my name. But I do make a pretty good black raspberry pie. If you don't believe me, ask my hubby or son, Adam. This is a favorite dessert for them and they both get a pie for their birthdays instead of a cake. There is a running joke every time I make them one and because I am my own worst critic, they always say, "This is the BEST pie you've ever made!"... LOL.

4. What's your idea of a perfect breakfast?

Egg casserole of some sort, a blueberry muffin, fresh fruit and coffee... OR the blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon at Cracker Barrel...and coffee, of course :)

5. What's a trip, holiday, vacation, or day outing you've taken that you'd rate a perfect 10? Tell us why.

Give me a weekend (a week or a month or longer) at Adam's mountain paradise in the Tennessee countryside. That is why we plan to be retiring there in the not-so-distant future.

6. What quote or saying perfectly sums up your life right now? If you can't do perfect, how about one that comes close?

I'm not perfect, just forgiven...right now and always.

7. How would you spend $300 today?
At this very moment in time, I would give it to my church to help with it's current financial need.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
The forecast is calling for snow this Sunday. I mean...really??...come on now!

A slow moving Hodgepodge as time MARCHES on

Golly, has it already been a week?

They say time flies when you're having fun...so I must having fun because the time, it is a-flyin'.

The hodgepodge questions are about all things slow but before we get to them,

I'd like to share a few photos from my latest venture in the country last Friday.
 

I love it when fog and sun come together.

 

The simplest object becomes a thing of beauty.

 

These already magnificent animals become even more magnificent in the early morning mist.

 

 

This beauty must have thought I came bearing goodies.

 

I had none but she didn't seem to mind.

 

 

This guy didn't move a muscle as I snapped away, still not getting the best shot in the world.

I was beginning to think he was a decoy and I am still not totally convinced he wasn't.

So...okay let's do this.

Join me across the pond where Joyce asks the hard questions 

and we answer them on our blogs.

~

1. 'Slow and steady wins the race'...tell us about a time this was true in your own life. 

I don't recall a specific situation at the moment but I think the older I get, the more I am learning to live my life in general this way...most of the time anyway. Partly because the older I get, the slower I get! Not granny slow...and this is not meant to imply anything in particular...heck, I've been a granny since I was 45 years old! It also means that I am learning more and more to wait on the Lord instead of rushing ahead with my own agenda. Like I said, most of the time :)

2. 'As slow as molasses'...Do you like molasses? How about maple syrup? Caramel? Butterscotch? What's your favorite of the slow moving treats mentioned here, and what's your favorite food made with that sweet treat?

When I was a kid, my mom always had molasses in the pantry and I remember putting it on pancakes. She also made her own maple syrup at times and I remember it being very thin, unlike the molasses and although I liked the taste, I preferred the consistency of the molasses. Her homemade syrup soaked into the pancakes and disappeared! I do like caramel but you can keep the butterscotch. My fave is maple syrup and I always have some on my sausage and bacon.

3. Your favorite slow song?

I had to ponder this one a bit because many song I love are slow and worshipful. A particular one that comes to mind at the moment is "Good, Good, Father" by Chris Tomlin. It's been around a while now but just in case you've never heard it here it is.

 

4. Your favorite thing to make in a slow cooker or crock pot?

There are a couple. Roast beef with mushrooms, onions, potatoes and carrots and the other would be cabbage rolls.

 

5. 'You may delay, but time will not.' ~Benjamin Franklin Are you more a hurrier or a delayer when it comes to unpleasant tasks that need doing? What are you currently either delaying or hurrying to get through this week or month?

 

I think I may have addressed that issue on another blog (or my own) OR on another hodgepodge recently. I seem to work best under pressure. I am a delayer sometimes because I don't want to have to do it, whatever it is twice. My hubs is just the opposite and it drives me crazy. He wears himself out just thinking about it before he even gets started and then he gets all "huffy-puffy" (that's what our boys used to say and it stuck) until someone tells him to just go sit down before he has a heart attack!

 

6. Tell us three things you encounter regularly or even just occasionally that you find to be annoyingly slow.

 

1. Drivers in vehicles in front of me.

2. A computer that has issues.
3. My metabolism.

7. March is National Craft Month. Are you crafty? Tell us about something crafty you'll try in the next thirty one days. Or something crafty you'd like to try or wish you had the skill to make happen.

I guess I would consider myself pretty crafty...at least when I am in the mood. My current project is redoing my craft room...I kid you not! Well, it's not actually just a craft room. This room is also my office, sewing or anything-else-that-I might-be-doing room. You could call what I'm doing decorating but when you are painting things, sewing things like curtains and/or other similar actions, I call that crafting as well. There may even be a blog post if it turns out according to plan :)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Many things can slow us down but there is one thing for certain...time is MARCH-ing on...and quite quickly. It's time to rip another page off that calendar!

Happy March, y'all!