A Nostalgic Hodgepodge

 Hello Hodgepodgers!

I certainly hope that you all had a fabulous Fourth of July weekend!
Our trip to Tennessee was great and by traveling at night, we had no traffic to speak of.
The weather was sweltering, as it was here, but on Saturday it cooled down and was just perfect...
...perfect for baking Adam's birthday pie (black raspberry, of course) and sitting on the back porch.
And just for fun, we thought we'd try out our future temporary home.

 

Adam had cranked up the A/C the day before we arrived and got it all cooled down for us.

 Parker slept in the bunkhouse room but Olivia chickened out at the last minute,
 being the creature of habit that she is...nothing like her own bed!
It was a little claustrophobic and the mattress needs a good topper which we will remedy later.
I imagine we'll get used to it when the time comes.😏



Something is always blooming in the meadow where we'll be building the house.



My favorites are the passion flowers...what a stunning and unique bloom.

They actually grow an edible fruit on their vine and you can bet I'll be doing more research on them.
I hope to be able to transplant some up close to the house one day.

And here are Ruby Slipper Hydrangeas that Adam planted a couple of years ago.
Aren't they gorgeous?

I think I need to get him to plant me some when we get settled. 😉

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So who's ready for some Hodgepodge?



Joyce asks us the questions on her blog and we link up and answer them on ours.
Won't you join in the fun?

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1. What's something in your house you'd like to get rid of but can't?

This one's easy...but it's not because I can't get rid of it...it's because I refuse to go to the bother, the mess and the expense.  After 26+ years, there are many fond remembrances about many things and people relating to our home here in NC... but those hideous popcorn ceilings that we have throughout our 80s-built home will definitely not be one of them! Never again!

2. When is the last time you experienced a sense of nostalgia? Elaborate.

It seems the older I get, the more I experience a sense of nostalgia...like almost every day. You all probably know me well enough to know that already. It doesn't take much to send my mind trailing back to years gone by...just a random word or object might do it at any given moment. Currently though, I am in the midst of trying to come up with something to say about my brother, Jerry for his retirement party in a couple of weeks as he prepares for his last Sunday of leading worship at the church where he has been on staff for 40 years. Although I have been away from Ohio for nearly that long, it has been a blessing to have been a part of quite a few of those services over the years and singing together as a family. It gives me great pleasure to hang on to those memories. And speaking of looking back...

I took this photo on the road to Tennessee last week. The morning sunrise in the mountains was just glorious as it reflected in my rear-view mirror and I had to capture the moment. Looking back can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. I like to think that just like this image, what's behind you, when applied correctly, can be what makes you who you are today. Hmmm...that reminds me of this post that I wrote a few years back...I wondered why it sounded strangely familiar.

3. You're only allowed three apps on your smart phone or tablet...which three do you keep?

As one who has only had her smart phone for a little over two years, let me just say how quickly one learns to get used to having all of this info at your fingertips. I probably don't have as many apps on my phone as many of you hardened smart phone users do but if I had to narrow it down to three, I would most likely keep Google (because if you keep it, the whole world is at your beck and call and also because Siri is sometimes...well...an idiot), Facebook so I could stay in touch with my peeps and Wellsmith, which is the app for my healthcare maintenance through my employer.... BUT...if I could just pretty please keep one more app, I really don't want to part with my Waterlogue app....please...can I keep it??

4. July 11th is National Blueberry Muffin Day. Who knew? Do you like blueberry muffins? If you were going to have a muffin would blueberry be your choice? What's the last thing you baked?

I did not know this but it doesn't surprise me...simply because every day is something day, right? And if I were to have my choice of muffin, blueberry might just be my top pick. The last thing I baked was over the weekend when we were in Tennessee celebrating Adam's birthday and it was a black raspberry pie. Ironically, the week before, I had baked some blueberry-cornbread muffins. Have you ever added blueberries to your cornbread/muffins? Oh my, they sure were tasty!

5. What's the biggest way you've changed since you were a child? In what way are you still the same?

It would probably have to be the way that I see and understand who God is. As a girl growing up, I saw God as a stern authoritarian, shaking His finger at me when I had done something wrong. I didn't picture him smiling or showing love and mercy. It wasn't until much later in life when I realized that a relationship was needed to be able to understand who He truly is. I thank Him for His patience with me! Being the youngest out of eight children, it hasn't been easy to shake that "baby of the family" role...and it still continues to a point today. There is a part of me that will never grow up, I'm pretty sure and I'm okay with that. I can only do so much to keep my body from aging but I hope to allow that little girl living inside me to keep on playing Hopscotch and Red Rover as long as she can, even if it is only in my mind.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

And since we're talking about time...

Have a great week, what's left of it!