Hodgepodge: Winging My Way Into June

Well, here we are on this last day (and Hodgepodge) of May...
...it not only means that summer is almost officially here,
but that after today the first half of 2017 is officially over.
Can you even believe it?
It also means that there are lots of little winged critters out there flitting about.
Over the long holiday weekend, I was able to capture quite a few...

well...not actually capture capture them, but you know what I mean :)

Dragonflies just amaze me and there are so many different varieties down at the pond.

There is a certain red one that wouldn't be still long enough for me to get a shot.
I will be looking for him the next time.
~
I had yet to see many butterflies this spring...

...until I brought home this planter of Lantana...

...and they came out of nowhere within an hour of setting it on the deck!

The bees are also quite fond of them.

And then there are the are those gorgeous thistles...

...the bees love them too!

So, enough winged creatures for one post.
Let's get on with the business at hand...Joyce's Hodgepodge...

...where she asks the questions and we write the answers.

1. What makes you feel accomplished? Explain.

Okay, I'm just gonna tell it like it is...on those rare occasions when I do feel a sense of accomplishment, it's because I have either just finished a major project of some kind or have gotten some very much needed deep cleaning done...you know, the kind that we all I keep putting off. I have so many things I need to do but it wears me out just thinking about them so what do I normally do? Grab my camera and head for the country. 😉

2. If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? Tell us why.

The likelihood of me having my own talk show is just as likely as who my first three guests would be, so I would like to invite the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to come sit on my stage...and of course, they would only need one chair. I would ask [them] about all of the whys and wherefores of certain circumstances throughout my life. The Father might tell of how He created the universe and the love that He has for all of us, the Son might talk about His ultimate sacrifice and responsibility of carrying out His Father's will so that we could all be saved and the Holy Spirit would be there to help us try to understand it all. I would also ask Him [them] if we will see our pets in heaven. If they declined my invitation, I would just have to wait for my answers until I get to heaven.

Farther along we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why
Cheer up my brother live in the sunshine
We'll understand it all by and by.

3. Do you have a great burger recipe? What's in it? What do you like on a hamburger and where is your favorite spot to order one out?

I do not have a special burger recipe when it come to beef burgers. I usually just buy good ground beef and freeze my own patties or get the gourmet burgers that are already frozen. Jim does the grilling and he prefers the burgers to be partially frozen when he cooks them due to them falling apart. (Don't tell him, but I think it's because he gets impatient and turns them before they're ready.) We usually add BBQ sauce to them, only when cooked on the grill. Occasionally I do make turkey burgers and although I don't have a certain recipe I follow, I do add lots of seasonings and spices to improve the flavor. There is a favorite restaurant in our town called the Blue Ribbon Diner and they make a mean bacon cheese burger that is probably my favorite.

4. What's the biggest anxiety producing thing you do on a regular basis?

Hmm...I've had to really think about how I was going to answer this one. For the most part, I am not a worrier or a stressed out person by nature. My job is not a cause for anxiety, I actually enjoy it very much...except for that time about a year ago when I was learning EPIC. I can't think of one thing that causes me anxiety on a regular basis....sorry, not sorry. Now if I was answering this question a couple of years ago, it would be a different story. Living with an alcoholic in the family, whether they are under your roof or not is a roller coaster ride...mostly heading in a downward motion. Those of you who read my blog know a little about our son's addiction, subsequent rehab and current recovery-in-process. I never take a day of his sobriety for granted but the constant anxiety is no longer a daily part of our lives, Praise God! Also, on July 1st Jim will officially be an old person and will start using his Medicare. There may be some anxiety there...we'll see. These days, for the most part, getting my next post written and posted in a timely manner might possibly cause a minimal amount of anxiety.


5. This is the last Hodgepodge of May. Tell us about your summer plans.

So far, we have plans to travel to see the Tennessee bunch near the end of June and in late July, the whole family will make the trip to Ohio for my family reunion. The photo below was taken two years ago at our last one and the day before, my oldest brother, Bob, who lives in SC was hospitalized and unable to make it. I edited the photo and added his picture as a way of including him in spirit. Since then, the cancer that he had a couple of years ago has reared it's ugly head and is currently in stage 4. He recently told his doctors that he wanted no more chemo (which was severely debilitating him) and that he wanted to return to his active lifestyle and have quality of life for as much time as the Lord allows him. We are all praying that he can make the trip to Ohio.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm stuck on my random thought and it's getting late. I feel just a tinge of anxiety coming on....😓