Thursday, August 20, 2015

Throw Back Thursday

One from the days of big hair...

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Back to School Hodge Podge




1. Way back when (the Hodgepodge bicentennial to be precise) several of you submitted questions as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I went back to that list for inspiration today and found a question  submitted by Marla, who blogs over at Marla's Musings. Thanks Marla!


She asks-At what age did you feel like a 'grown-up'? What keeps you young now?  
I suppose I felt like a grown-up when I met my husband at age 14, he was 21...although I know I was still naive about lots of things...we married when I was 17.......I still feel young although not as young as all that as I realize a lot of years have gone by and the mirror tells me I'm aging....I spend time with Daughter and Granddaughter and try to stay informed about different subjects..I am always ready to learn new things.

2. When did you last buy a vehicle? Was this by design or because you had no other option? Was the car/truck purchased for your own personal use or was it bought for someone else to drive? On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being delightful and 1 being 'pass the Excedrin') how would you rate the experience?
I haven't purchased a vehicle since 2009 although Honey Bear bought one in February. My experiencece was a 10. I wanted another red Dodge Van just like the one I had although newer....Honey Bear found it online and I went to test drive, pick it up and write the check.

3. Corn bread, corn chips, corn pudding, corn on the cob, cornflakes, corn chowder-your favorite of the corn-y foods listed? What needs to be served alongside your selection?
my favorite of the ones listed is corn chips and I like the barbecue ones, alone or with cheese, chili

4. What's something in your life that regularly requires you to 'put your thinking cap on'?
I am president of a county organization that is comprised of about 12 clubs....we meet quarterly for a board meeting and then for a regular meeting with all clubs invited....when I do the agenda for these meetings, I really have to think about things...I can fall back on the minutes from our last meeting and the same meeting the year before to kind of know what needs to be covered.

5. Share a favorite movie set in a school or classroom, or whose theme relates to school days in some way. Breakfast Club.........Dead Poets' Society

6. Reading, writing, and 'rithmatic' are commonly referred to as the three R's. What are the three R's in your life right now? Rest, Reading, Relationships

7. What's something you've learned or tried recently you can say was as 'easy as ABC'?
What comes to mind is going with the Princess on a Saturday to sign up for band, order her uniform, hat, shoes and gloves and pay her fees....Daughter had to work but she printed out all the forms and filled them in, signed me some checks...The Princess could wear the first uniform she tried on as well as the first pair of gloves...we were in and out in just a few minutes while other parents were filling out the paperwork.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
The Princess is in 9th grade this year and Wonder Boy is a senior. Their schools are next door to each other with only a street in between. He is driving to school so he gives her a ride morning and afternoon...he goes back for her after band practice....For the first time in 3 years, I am not doing the pick-up line on the days Daughter works...it is nice in a way but I miss the time I spent with them.
I' m downloading windows 10. Hope I will like it.

To join in or read other posts, hop over to Joyce's From This side of the Pond 

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

This and That

I came online this morning to do my day book but we're having a rainy day so my energy and motivation have gone out the window...I hope this means the end of this summer's drought.

Instead, I cut up some boneless chicken, peppers, onions, carrots and added a teriyaki sauce to bake...put some rice on to simmer, read some blog posts....you know what?  I checked my spam folder and found some comments from readers...I'm so sorry, I've told them that these are not spam so hopefully I'll see them next time you comment, please keep visiting. 

Last night, I had a meeting and it seemed to go on forever, then when I got home and got in bed, I couldn't sleep...I watched the clock as the hours ticked away...after 1:00 before sleep came...way to much mental input too close to bedtime and my mind just will not shut down...do you have that problem.

Anyway, just a short post...maybe I'll do day book tomorrow.
Mama Bear   

Friday, August 14, 2015

A Simple Woman's Daybook



For Today... Friday, August 14, 2015, 10:20 am

Outside my window...Its 79 and feels like 81 with a forecast of 88, if the humidity stays low we might have a pleasant day....I was just noticing this morning that the geraniums are such a vibrant red, as is the Salvia...and then I have some white daisies and yellow marigolds combined with the two colors of Sweet Potato Vine, it presents a beautiful picture...Finally the Hummingbirds have started feeding at the feeder..

A Bible verse I'm sharing...And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

I am thinking...I'm done for the day.....I've been going nonstop since 9:00 this morning and its now 1:00 pm

I am thankful...for my Honey Bear, he began tearing out the shower (fiberglass) Wednesday so we can do a tile shower in the master bath...saving us lots of money by doing it himself...
I am wearing...white knit pants with a red top
I am creating...40 little 2 inch paper pieced squares.(sorry no photo)I've done 20 of them already
I am going...sit right here for at least the next 2 hours...
I am wondering...if we got most of the fiberglass dust up this morning....it was in the bedroom as well as the bath...I washed walls, furniture and bedding...dry cleaned some of the linen and bears in the dryer...
I am reading...The Rift, it has a lot of pages
I am hoping...that we begin to see cooler weather...summer has been so long...
In his garden...Okra is trickling in and the field peas will soon be ready...still getting Tomatoes
A song that stays on my mind...1000 Reasons....Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
In my kitchen...fried Okra, slaw, cornbread and Chicken Liver
A favorite quote for today..."A Bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise" Pooh
From my photo album...


One of my favorite things...fresh, clean bed linen..

Please link back to The Simple Woman for other day books.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

The Hodge Podge Highway

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 231

The Hodgepodge is back after a brief summer holiday.

1. When was the last time you relocated? Did you move yourself or leave it to the professionals? Are you happy staying put or is there a move in your future? Best thing about moving to a new city or town? Least favorite and/or hardest thing about moving house?
As you know if you've read my blog over the years, the last time we moved was 2009...that time we moved in two sections as we still had the house in Memphis until it sold and Honey Bear still worked there....so we moved ourselves...I did have some help packing, though....I, much prefer to have professional movers and that was the case when companies were relocating us and paid the bill....I like learning about a new place, having a new house, getting to know people, change is good....moving helps weed out things you've hung onto that you should get rid of...I hate the packing and unpacking.....I helped my daughter move in May and did quite a lot of packing....she preferred to do the unpacking herself so I didn't have to do that but we probably moved 10 or more loads in my van before the movers moved the furniture and heaviest boxes.

2. When were you last 'moved to tears'? Explain.
In 1993 we moved from Alabama to Pennsylvania...my Mom had just been diagnosed with Parkinson's and my Daughter was in college in Alabama...son was in Maryland so that wasn't bad....it was sad leaving my parents but I decided to visit for a week to 10 days every 3 months, that helped.


3. Do you have rules about eating in the car...any forbidden foods? What's the last thing you consumed in your car? Your go-to car snack when traveling long distance?
I don't have any problem eating in the car, we try not to eat anything difficult while driving....I have a small metal folding table and 2 bag chairs so we have picnics....find a park or just a shady street and set it up behind the car....we usually eat fruit, crackers and cheese for these lunches...

4. Share a favorite song relating to cars and/or driving.
The group Alabama had a song: Five O'clock 500 that I liked about rush hour....Willie's On the Road Again is another good one......Do you remember Convoy?

5. What's your most frequently visited drive-thru...Starbucks? the bank? the pharmacy? some other window?'
The Pharmacy..

6. "He who hesitates is lost"...would you agree? When it comes to making decisions do you generally act quickly or do you more often than not fall into the 'lost' category?
I try not to make hasty decisions...we both do a lot of research...

7. When was the last time you got lost? Was it stressful or an unexpected happy adventure?
A couple of months ago, we went to visit an Aunt in a Nursing Home and then had another destination in mind..we wanted to avoid the high traffic areas and were in the parts of Alabama where we grew up and where we had lived when the children were in school, I thought I knew the roads that were shortcuts and we didn't exactly get lost but just did some back tracking until we figured out which road to take...milestones and streets can change a lot in 20 years.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Sometimes I think it would be nice to move into a townhouse where we had no maintanence and could downsize a lot...but then I am still doing crafts and need room for all that 'stuff' and Honey Bear still has a garden and mows the grass and changes the oil so he needs room too....we may not ever move again.

If you would like to join in, visit Joyce. 

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Outdoor Wednesday

Wednesday Hodge Podge is 
taking a break so today I am joining 

 Its been a few years since I've joined Susan
for this meme but it is always enjoyable
to share scenes of nature with friends
who may live in other areas.  


This photo of Red Headed Woodpeckers was taken several 
years ago...they used to come back every year to 
our area and bring their young to our feeder
before going off somewhere warmer for the 
winter months...I'm not sure why we no longer see
them   
this Bee has already loaded quite a lot of pollen
on his body as you can see by the pockets
of yellow on his hind quarters....

Finally, if you'd like to post photos from your area 
of the outdoors, join Outdoor Wednesday by
clicking here. 

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The Simple Woman's Daybook



For Today... Tuesday, August 4, 2015, 7:50 a.m.

Outside my window...Its 73 and partly cloudy..with 83% humidity..no rain in the forecast..expected to reach 97 today..already this morning on the feeder I have seen a pair of Cardinals and some purple Finches..on the ground: a male Towhee, a Wren and a Squirrel

A Bible verse I'm sharing...Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others......from the 4th chapter of Philippians
I am thinking...about what is good in my life..


I am thankful...for AC during these hot days...for all that God has given me...for Honey Bear...and answered prayer...


I am wearing...Pajamas and a robe


I am creating...lots of 2X2 inch squares for Nature's Journey....here is the finished center panel:


I am going...to run an errand later this morning


I am wondering...if that is a helicopter I hear...we live near the Redstone Arsenal and often hear and see Army aircraft in the sky...


I am reading...


I am hoping...to do some actual sewing today...I pinned 2 inch pairs together yesterday....I still have 100 more to cut out for this section alone...also, I would like to work on card making and spend a little time on my cross stitch project..
I am learning...new things every day....

In his garden...we're still getting tomatoes...the peas aren't quite ready to harvest....a little Okra each day.

A song that stays on my mind...the rendition of "The Man in the Mirror" from 
the movie: Joyful Noise

In my kitchen...not sure I'll cook anything today...we have leftover fish, pork chops, two kinds of potatoes, green beans, okra,slaw, peas, rolls and cornbread.

A favorite quote for today...
"Courage is being scared to death...and saddling up anyway"......John Wayne

From my photo album...


One of my favorite things...Tropical Trail Mix from Walmart....I eat way too much of it.

We had a very busy weekend....Friday I spent the day with Daughter, it was a cooler day with low humidity so we went to Bridge Street, an outdoor mall and walked around browsing a few stores and then had lunch at Conners.....we ran several errands while out...
Friday night we went to preview the band's half time show...there are about 250 members and they sounded real good....this is the Princess' first year to march.
Saturday afternoon we made homemade ice cream...Daughter came over and the Princess brought 'the boy' (that is what she calls her friend)...Wonder Boy was off looking for a car with his other grandfather so we had to send him some ice cream to eat later...
Sunday we after church we went with Wonder Boy and Daughter to eat lunch at O'Charley's...he drove us all in his new car...   


Please link back to The Simple Woman for other day books.