A Hodgepodge without a theme...

...I guess that's why they call it a Hodgepodge, right? 😊
 Joyce, you pulled a fast one this week!



Anyway, let's get right to her questions and our answers....alrighty?

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Has your April been filled with showers? Do you carry an umbrella, wear a slicker, or make a run for it? Besides rain, what else has filled your April?

Funny you should ask. My April as a whole hasn't been filled with so many showers until just a few days ago. It started raining on Friday afternoon of last week and it's now Tuesday evening and finally beginning to slack off. I hear that tomorrow is going to be beautiful! I do carry my umbrella and only make a run for it if I have to when I have forgotten it. No rain slicker for me...it's all about the hair, you know. My poor short-legged wiener doggies have nearly refused to go out to do their "thing" the past few days...they may need a laxative when this is all over...haha! Getting the house back in order is still an ongoing project. The weekends preceding Easter, I completely redecorated our bedroom. It was the only room in the house that still had dark brown woodwork...and really ugly 20 year old wallpaper...

...and now afterwards...

...and if you look closely you will notice the new.......wallpaper....s-h-h-h-h-h, don't tell anyone!

You have to look closely to see it...the pattern is very soft and subtle. So that was my April.

2. What's something you could you give a 30-minute presentation on at a moment's notice and with zero preparation?

How to apply wallpaper.

3. Share with us a favorite food memory from childhood.

The discovery of Chef Boy-ar-dee Pizza Mix.

Our very first taste of pizza was the homemade kind...we had never seen such a thing until it came into the stores. We were crazy about it but my dad refused to try it and had to leave the room. He said it smelled like vomit...LOL!

4. What's a song you thought you knew the lyrics to, but later discovered you were wrong?

I'm sure there are a few out there but for the life of me I can't think of one at the moment. I will tell you though that once when I was singing the hymn "It is Well" at church as a solo I goofed up the words and realized it right away but just kept on singing like I thought they were correct. It went something like this..."When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea willows blow...WRONG... sea billows roll would be correct.

5. According to one travel website, the most overrated tourist attractions in America are-
Niagara Falls (NY), Hollywood Walk of Fame (California), Times Square (NYC), Epcot (FL), Seattle Space Needle (WA), and Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (Boston). How many of these have you seen in person? Did you feel like a tourist? Did you care? Tell us about a place (not on the list) you've visited that might be considered a tourist trap, but you love it anyway.

I haven't been to any of the places mentioned...I know, I must not get out much, right? I have been to Boston and it is possible that I may have stepped foot into Quincy Market...but I don't remember because it was so long ago...I guess I must not have felt like a tourist and I guess I didn't care either. I may have still been feeling the effects of the lobster pie I had the night before that made me sicker than a dog. Actually, I was pregnant and didn't know it yet and it's quite likely that all of the butter that lobster was swimming in (although it was terribly delicious) didn't set right on my pre-natal digestive system. Nashville would be my pick that's not on the list.

6. Your signature clothing item?

Black pants, be they long or cropped.

7. What's an experience you've had you think everyone should experience at least once? Why?

Probably 35 years ago or more when I was young and foolish, I flew in a glider...in fact, I actually flew the glider. I went up with the pilot and when we reached the proper altitude, he allowed me to flip the lever which disconnected us to the tow plane. It was about 20 minutes of feeling like a bird...no engine noise, only the sound of the wind that kept us going until we gradually descended back down to the landing strip, which I maneuvered as well. Why? Why not?!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It has finally stopped raining :)

Everything...Including the Kitchen Sink

We usually use the word 'but' when we are referring to the kitchen sink.

I can tell you that this idiom has rolled off my tongue many times over the years.

It is Sunday afternoon and I have just finished washing a few dirty dishes by hand.

It is a dreary, rainy day but even the view of the soggy backyard delighted me as I ponder about...

...the kitchen sink.

Does that ever happen to you?

Something sparks a memory or an idea and you know just have to go write it down or you'll forget.
As I filled the sink with the warm, soapy water and began washing the few dishes,
I realized for maybe the first time how enjoyable it actually was.

Am I losing my mind or what??

Oh no...don't even think about asking me to give up my dishwasher.
I waited almost half my life to be blessed with one and I'm not turning loose of it now!
Seriously, I can't even tell you why this feeling came over me all of a sudden.

Here of late, the window over the kitchen sink and the kitchen sink, itself, has been in my thoughts.
I am referring to this in general terms, not necessarily just about mine here at home.

It may have been triggered by this post by Roxy a couple of weeks ago.
She talked about washing dishes and how her kitchen sink and the window above
was her secret place where she prays, thinks and plans her day.
If you haven't read it or aren't familiar with Roxy, you may want to go read it.

Her post got me to reminiscing about when I was a little girl (and also as a big girl)...
and the feeling of comfort I would get when I'd see even the shape of Mom's head,
let alone her face, through the kitchen window as I'd be walking up the sidewalk
coming home from school every day.
There she'd be every afternoon, standing at the kitchen sink as she was preparing dinner.
(actually, it was called supper at my house)
I could count on it.
~
When I think of the kitchen sink, it represents so many things.
It was my first bathtub, even though I don't remember it...

...but pictures don't lie :)

 The kitchen sink would later become a place where three sisters (at times all five of us)
would stand and harmonize to "The Tennessee Waltz" or a favorite Lennon Sisters ballad...
while one washed, one dried and the other(s) put the dishes away.

It represents a broken ring finger where a couple of teenage girls got a little too rambunctious
as they were cleaning up after supper one summer evening.
Flinging one drop of water led to another and another, then to a half a glass...
...and the fight was on!
A trip to the emergency room and a few hours later, the verdict was in...broken.
Dear sister Barbara had to do my dishes for the next six weeks!
I had lost the battle but won the war :)

Years later after I had moved far away from home,
I can close my eyes and I still see the scene playing in my mind...
we'd be coming home for a visit and almost without fail,
there was that same familiar shadow behind the glass as we pulled into the driveway.

The memories are priceless to me.
Thank you again, Roxy for this lovely post of yours.
~
I think these sudden thoughts about the kitchen sink have been reinforced by some recent ponderings.
We have actually been making progress towards planning the farmhouse in Tennessee.
I am currently working on a document for our builder, detailing what we want in our home.
Can you believe it?
Here are a few ideas that we're looking at...

We'll see...they can be very expensive.
To say I'm getting excited would be an understatement.
All things in God's perfect timing.
~
So as I stood there this afternoon with my hands in that warm, soapy water,
I realized that the kitchen sink represented a lot of different things to me.
It isn't just a receptacle that holds water or a place to peel potatoes.

All of a sudden my kitchen sink is overflowing with many things...
sometimes it's dirty dishes, other times it's sweet memories from days gone by.

What does your kitchen sink hold?

A Beautiful Box of Loveliness

Yes, it's that time again!

Come on over to Stephanie's and check it out!

~

I do believe I'm going to need to do some rearranging in my cupboards...

...I seem to be running out of space to put my teacups!

I just may have to pay a visit to Pinterest for some inspirational ideas :)

This was my 4th exchange and once again I have 'met' a couple of very lovely ladies.

First off, I will show you what I gifted my exchange partner with. 

I sent my package to Cindy who blogs at none other than Creations by Cindy.

And what a sweetheart she is!

I had such fun picking and choosing what I would send her.

Cindy is an avid deer hunter and loves all things deer but I learned something as I was shopping.

Do you know that it is very difficult to find a dainty teacup with a deer on it?

Oh there tons of mugs out there but teacups, not so much.

And then wouldn't you know I got so excited that I forgot to take photos of what I sent her.

So I went online, found the items I had purchased and copied photos of them.

 Here is her lovely and very springy Lenox teacup that I chose.

There is a bee, a butterfly, a dragonfly, some pretty flowers...but no deer...

and of course a few other pretties for her tea party :)

I found out that Cindy just LOVES caramel when I was snooping reading her blog

so since I couldn't find a deer teacup I decided to focus on the caramel.

The great thing is, you can just about find caramel anything!

 So I went back and revisited the shelves where I had previously picked up these goodies...

Too bad I couldn't find any caramel tea although surely it must exist.

And now it's true confession time...
I was so tempted by the salted caramel biscotti that I got myself a box too.

Oh my....just let me tell you...they are SO DELICIOUS!

 Now on to my box of lovelies....and what a box of lovelies it was!
Even on the outside!

I was so excited as I dug into this beautiful package from Lea at CiCi's Corner.



Oh. My. Word.
I think it has to be one of the most beautiful teacups I've ever seen!



At first glance, I thought it was white and silver but upon further examination,
I realized it was an oh-so-delicate pink!





I don't know exactly how long our photo shoot went on...probably too long...

...but I just couldn't seem to capture all of her pink and silver gorgeousness!






The photographer in me kept snapping and snapping away...I just couldn't help myself.



My package was just filled with so many beautiful things.
I must say that dear Lea has exquisite taste!

There were heavenly smelling lavender soaps, an adorable box of fragrant drawer sachets
and sweet springy napkins...



...some lovely note cards by Vera...



...yummy tea, a beautiful fruity glass tray, a little bit of sweet and salty...
(now, how did she know that cheese straws are one of my favorite things??)
 

...and of course, CHOCOLATE!

Now tell me, have you ever seen such adorable Easter candy wrappers?

And not only were they the cutest things, they were also delicious.
I have yet been able to throw away one of those darling papers!



Yes, I'd say I was overjoyed with my box of goodies!
Thank you again, Lea...you sure know how to make a girl feel special :)

And then right after I put my camera down, I opened the cookies.

They were oh so buttery and delicious...
 

...and you know I had to take a few more pics of my little tea party for one :)



What a beautiful box of lovelies, wouldn't you say?
~

I just can't even imagine the work that goes into putting together these exchanges, can you?

Thank you once again, lovely Stephanie, for helping to spread so much joy and the love of Jesus.
You are truly a blessing to me and to so many others all over the world...

God bless you for all you do!
♥♥♥

 Hugs to all,

Thank You Jesus

They seem to be popping up everywhere in my neck of the woods.

In fact, this one literally is in my neck of the woods...a.k.a my front yard.

I first heard the story (through one ear as I was preparing dinner) on our local news channel one evening,

saying to myself what a nice thing it was for this young man to do.

I didn't think much more about it until I started noticing these cheery, bright yellow signs.
Before long, they started showing up on front lawns all over the place.

This one is in my next door neighbor's yard.
~
I copied the link from our local news station's interview with him and you can read it here.
What started out as just the placement of a few homemade signs,
has become a nation wide Thank You Jesus Movement.
What a dedicated and inspiring young man Lucas is!

~
Like I mentioned, whenever I am out and about I see the signs everywhere.
Over the weekend, I took my camera with the zoom lens to see how many I could snap.
There were many more than I could actually capture due to obstacles and such,
but here are just a few.

(mine again)

I actually purchased my sign at one of our local Living Free Ministries Thrift Store.
The stores are a part of a wonderful ministry for the restoration of drug and alcohol addicted men.
They sell the signs for $2 more than the website does and the extra $$ helps to support the ministry.
Any one who knows me probably also knows that a ministry such as this is very close to my heart.
And I thank Jesus every day for what He has done and is doing in Aaron's life!

Easter is the perfect time of the year to thank Jesus for what He's done for us.
If it wasn't for Him dying on that cruel cross, we wouldn't even have a savior to thank, period.
Here's a song I hope you enjoy, simply titled "Thank You Jesus".

As I reflect on this Holy Week leading up to Resurrection Sunday,

I pray that I never take for granted, not for one single moment, that Jesus gave His life for me.
THANK YOU JESUS!

I am taking this opportunity to wish you all a most blessed Easter week.
Company's a comin' and I've got tons to do before their arrival Thursday evening.
If I don't get around to visit, I'll catch up as I can :)

Hugs,