Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Mid-July Hodgepodge

Hey, didn't we just do the Hodgepodge yesterday??

Wait a minute...maybe we did...at least I DID...HAHA!
As I was in the process of getting this post ready on Tuesday,
I inadvertently hit the publish button and was shocked to see my friend Cindy had left a comment.
It wasn't at all finished and what was there was messy and didn't have the link-back on it yet.
I immediately went back as soon as her comment appeared in my email and unpublished it.
How embarrassing.........oh well.
So to all of the 14 other people who according my blogger stats viewed it, 
just forget what you saw.

Anyway, it is hard to believe that another week has passed by so quickly!
It's another hot, hot week here in the Tar Heel State.
We will be traveling to Ohio later this week for my family reunion on Saturday.
I do hope for cooler temps...a little break in the heat would be a good thing!
Unfortunately, it will be another reunion without my oldest brother, Bob.
Two years ago when he was preparing to come to our last reunion (from SC), he was hospitalized.
The past couple of years have been a roller coaster ride because of his health issues.


I edited him into the group photo of the seven of us taken that day.
We will certainly miss his presence...once again.
~
So let's get on to the matter at hand, today's Hodgepodge...

...where Joyce asks the questions on her blog wand we answer them on ours.
~
1. Growing up, were you close to your grandparents? Tell us one or two specific things you remember about them.

Unfortunately, I don't have any real memories of my grandparents. Everyone, with the exception of my mother's father had already passed by the time I came along. I was a little over two years old when he died but there may be just tiny snippets in my memory bank of him. I seem to have a slight recollection of a moment when I was in the kitchen of his house and two images come to mind...blue transferware dishes and a Ritz Cracker tin. I have no idea is this is a true memory but it is somehow related. A less cloudy scene that pops up when I think of him is of a little toddler (me) wondering around among a sea of legs at what was no doubt, his funeral.



This is my father's mother, Mina. She was born in 1885 and died in 1920 at the age of 35  from complications during childbirth. My dad was only nine years old.


This is my Grandpa Solomon Billhimer, my dad's father, who was born in 1882 and died the year I was born in 1954. He married his second wife, Martha and they had another whole family together.  Although I remember her when I was a girl, she did not have a close relationship with my dad or his children and I never really considered her as a grandmother figure in my life.


This is the only photo I could find of my mother's folks, James and Mary Ellen (Flora) Davis. Somewhere, I have the dates of their births and deaths but I do know she was about 65 when she died and it must have been 1956 or 57 when he passed. So as you can  see, my grandparents were really OLD.

2. What's an item you were attached to as a child? What happened to it?

Like many little ones, I had a certain blanket that was my source of comfort. It was pink and started out with satin edging. Through the years, the satin edging rotted off and the blanket itself began to shred a little more with each washing. I still have a small piece of it somewhere among my memorabilia.

3. When you look out your window, do you see the forest or the trees (literally and figuratively)? Explain.

YES! 😊 Seriously, if you were to look out any window in my home, there would be not much else but trees to see no matter what direction you were looking in...that is the literal answer. But there is a bigger picture because I know what's on the other side of those trees. Figuratively? I think I'm pretty good at seeing the forest.


4. Do you like sour candies? Which of the 'sour' foods listed below would you say is your favorite? (grapefruit, Greek yogurt, tart cherries, lemons, limes, sauerkraut, buttermilk, or kumquats) Have you ever eaten a kumquat? What's your favorite dish containing one of the sour foods on the list?

Yes, I do like tart, sour candy. Among my favorites are Jolly Ranchers, Starburst, lemon drops and SweeTarts. I like most everything listed here although I wouldn't drink the buttermilk but I would cook or bake with it...and I've never tasted a kumquat but I might like it. My favorite sour dish would be sauerkraut cooked with some sort of pork or even kielbasa...with a side of mashed potatoes. Oh, and a tart cherry pie for dessert. 😋

5. July 1st marked the mid point of 2017. In fifteen words or less, tell us how it's going so far.

I have no complaints thus far, only that it's too hot. This too shall pass.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

If you count the number of words in my previous answer, you would see there are FIFTEEN words...and it was totally a fluke. I could never do that again if I tried.

23 comments:

  1. Hello Dear Friend, so glad to join you today.
    1. Growing up, were you close to your grandparents? Tell us one or two specific things you remember about them.
    Oh my! I adored my grandparents. They practically raised me and several other siblings matter of fact. I have so many wonderful memories about them. One being that because of them my somewhat dysfunctional childhood became normal and I was allowed to grow up knowing that God loved me. I praise God for grandparents that step up to the plate to care for their grandchildren in order to give them a healthy life. God is good.

    2. What's an item you were attached to as a child? What happened to it?
    The only thing that comes to mind was a Indian Doll that was almost tall as me at the time. I thought she was the prettiest thing I had ever saw. Well, besides my new shiny red bike with a bell and basket on it. LOL! It is kind of crazy as the things I was truly attached to and still am to this day was a camera of some kind!


    3. When you look out your window, do you see the forest or the trees (literally and figuratively)? Explain.

    Oh I have tons of trees when you look our my window, especially my kitchen window. But you can look out my front door and see woods, woods, woods. Living in the country has it's benefits.

    4. Do you like sour candies? Which of the 'sour' foods listed below would you say is your favorite? (grapefruit, Greek yogurt, tart cherries, lemons, limes, sauerkraut, buttermilk, or kumquats) Have you ever eaten a kumquat? What's your favorite dish containing one of the sour foods on the list? Love me some sweet tarts and lemon heads. I like icebox lemon or lime pies that has just a tad of tart going on.

    5. July 1st marked the mid point of 2017. In fifteen words or less, tell us how it's going so far. Well, like you, HOT! Good grief I do not like HOT weather. It is going good so far and will be better in a few days when my family hits the beach for 7 days. But so far in July several things has been accomplished. A call for a Pastor for my church has come to a close after ten long months of me serving on the Pastor search team. Our new Pastor will begin August 6 and I am so excited. My middle daughter celebrated a birthday and an anniversary. Our Vacation Bible School will be coming to an end this Thursday. And....I have enjoyed the best tomatoes ever from my little garden.


    6. Insert your own random thought here.
    Taking my 6 year old grandgirl for an eye exam today. Praying that all will be well.

    So much fun today. Glad I could join you. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  2. I always enjoy reading your Hodge Podge answers, Debby. Your grandpa Solomon Billhimer had one serious beard. =) Enjoy your family reunion. I do hope it is too hot for everybody.

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  3. Mina was a beautiful woman as was Mary Ellen. When you can see that in these old photos, you know it was true! Well I was certainly trying to read what you had posted. = >

    Have a blessed time with your family in Ohio. It sometimes feels odd to me that the people one is most closely related to are the ones we seldom have the opportunity to see.

    Oh and may the temps moderate...

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  4. What a treasure those photos are, Debby! I hope you will have a lovely time with your family.

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  5. Wonderful photos of your grandparents! As for old, my dad was a good bit older than my mom so my paternal grandparents were old, too. Well, my grandfather died the year before I was born. He was born in 1899. My grandmother was born in 1901 and died in 1987 after being in a nursing home for 11 years following a stroke that left her unable to speak or walk.

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    1. My grandmother was born in 1901 too, Stacy! She died in 1990.

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  6. You are so blessed, Debby, to have those old family photos. Mina and Mary Ellen were so lovely. I think I can see a little resemblance to Mina in you.

    Loved reading your answers! It's hot here too.

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  7. We do have woods across the street, but water on the back side of our house, which is pretty much where I'm always looking. It's a scorcher here today too, but I do love summertime : )

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  8. Seems most every blogger here has trees and lots of them. I enjoyed your pictures. I notice that last one your grandmother was wearing s little hat. Were they Amish? My grandmas wore sunbonnets.

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  9. Hi Debby, I do hope OH's weather will be cooler for your reunion. What a great photo of your family. Loved seeing the family photos of your grandparents, too. It is also fun to learn their names. My husband loves sour cherry candy - me not so much! Wishing you a peaceful evening.

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  10. So neat to read these pieces of history, and I enjoy seeing the old photos too. So interesting how much the past shapes us isn't it? Sorry to hear your brother is too ill to travel to the reunion :-( Safe travels to you all, have a wonderful time!

    Blessings,
    Jill

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  11. Oh, my 8 year old Grandson still has a favorite blanket and he'll be bringing it here with him tomorrow and will sleep with it every night. So cute! Enjoy your family reunion!

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  12. Those are great photos. Enjoyed your answers, and I hope you have a good time at the reunion!

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  13. I always love seeing your cherished family photos, Debby! Hope you have a happy rest of the week!

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  14. My husband swears he doesn't like sour candies but he loves him a lemon drop! LOL.

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  15. Your grandmothers were both beautiful. I didn't know my dad's mother very well as she died when I was 9. But I was blessed to have my mom's mother for many years beyond my mother's passing. She lived to the ripe old age of 98. Have safe travels to the reunion and have fun!

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  16. I loved seeing the photos of your grandparents. Touched my heart.
    Amalia
    xo

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  17. Aren't these old pictures a treasure? I agree that your grandmothers, and I especially noticed your Grandmother Mina, are beautiful. We in the south, Louisiana, have had heat index almost 110 with 95% humidity, every day for two weeks. And unlike Texas and more northern states, we don't have a breeze, so we are sweltering. I do hope you have great weather for your reunion. Enjoyed my visit with you today.

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  18. Debby, I enjoyed reading this...I always say that but it is true. I love sauerkraut with Kielbasa or smoked sausage...but give me buttered potatoes. (Cooked like you are going to mash them, but drain water off and just add butter. What is left is wonderful fried the next morning!)

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  19. These are treasured pictures of your grandparents, Debby. Love these old pictures so much. Wow, what a view you see when you look out the window. This is such a special quote you have added to the picture. I'm glad you have no complaints this summer, other than being really hot. It was 106, but the last couple of days have been cooler. : )

    ~Sheri

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  20. I think the days, weeks, months go by so quickly.
    Lovely to see the photographs on this post.
    Have a super family reunion.

    All the best Jan

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  21. Aww...I am SO sorry your brother won't get to be there again this year. I know that must bring so much sadness to your hearts. I hope you enjoy yourselves, in spite of, and trust the Lord will comfort all of you.

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  22. An interesting look at someone else's life. I'm soon to be a grandparent for the first time, I'm hoping I create lots of wonderful memories for my grandson xx

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