Hodge Podge Wednesday

1. Since you weren't Hodgepodging last Wednesday, how did you pass the time?

This is only the third time I've done Wednesday HodgePodge and so I spent my time in the usual, ordinary ways — putzing about the house and taking care of the grandsons after school.

2. What's the first word that comes to mind when I say marriage? Yes, one word. 

Oh, I played Apples to Apples recently so I know this one: tricky.

3. Summer officially arrives in the Northern hemisphere later this week. Does it feel like summer where you live? Describe your idea of the perfect summer day.

On good days, it feels like summer. On rainy days, it feels like mid-spring. A perfect summer day for me right now would be hopping in the car with a picnic and finding a lovely spot to enjoy it. Hopefully, John would join me.  

4. "Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."(Sam Keen) Is laziness ever respectable? Do you have a lazy summer planned, or something semi-ambitious?

Lazy is not a term I'm comfortable with so I'll insert relaxing instead. I plan a relaxing summer. Oh and I do feel that relaxation can be respectable. Laziness? Not so much and not in any season. That said, it's important to know when to rest and when to work and to know the difference between relaxation and laziness. 

5. Past or present, who's your favorite television dad? Why is he a favorite? Is he anything like your own dad?

Hmmm...this feels familiar...let me check and see.

Well, I loved Father Knows Best best because of the kindly father that Robert Young played.

No, the character Jim Anderson and my father are not very similar at all. 

6. June 18th is International Picnic Day...share a favorite picnic memory.

A favorite picnic memory is one where we packed sandwiches, a thermos of hot cocoa, crackers and cheese, and all sorts of yummy things and went to a ridge overlooking Sebago Lake and the White Mountains (NH) for an evening picnic. My grandmother, my niece, my husband, and I were the participants. It was a good evening and a great picnic.

7. The travel site Trip Advisor lists the top five islands in the world for 2014 as-Ambergris Caye in Belize Cayes, Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Marco Island Florida, and Lewis and Harris in The Outer Hebrides (Scotland). Have you been to any of these? Of those listed (and if price were not a factor) which would you most like to book for a holiday?

I want to be a rebel and say none of the above; however, I will play along and check them out. I think that I would prefer to visit Lewis and Harris, but I must check. (No, I've not visited any of these places.) 

Ah ha! It was just as I suspected. Since I am not a "beach" person and since I do not enjoy a lot of heat, I would best enjoy visiting Lewis and Harris. Besides, John's mother was Scottish; he hails from a long, distinguished line. ☺ He says he's going back to claim this place if only they'd fix the stairs. 

(I know I really want to visit Prince Edward Island, but that's my inner brat coming out.)

~PEI~photo by my sis and used by permission~

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
This is way off topic, but I am fighting the dreaded Lily Beetle and it is definitely no picnic. My information said that I should pluck them off into soapy water once a day. Really? Because my lilies would be lace if I did that. I am out there every hour or two and now I am almost to the place where insecticide must be used. These things make me nervous for the rest of the garden.
Now I have a question for you, have you ever joined Joyce from This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodge Podge? It's so much fun!

No Note Card Party

Ordinarily, I'd be letting you know that Mr. Linky would be up this afternoon for the monthly Note Card Party. However, I have GOOD news! No Note Card Parties this summer. None. Zip. You are officially off the hook for June, July, and August. Have a wonderful summer!  Thanks for checking in...

Beautiful Days

Oh my! What a day it is today and what a day it was yesterday. After the rain, comes the blessing — days so beautiful that one can hardly take them in.  I am sitting here in the recliner tapping away on the iPad. I am looking through the three tall narrow windows to the fence beyond with its dish rail and the green, very green, lawn beyond that. The birds are singing so sweetly and the breeze is blowing so gently. I can see a wee patch of blue peeking through the leaves. Other than bird song, the only sounds I hear are my tapping and the ticking of the clock. 

I am thinking of a dear one's passing and of those she leaves behind. I can't help but think how glorious her days are now after the months of stormy weather. 
This morning, in a devotional I receive, came these precious and timely words. 

I will not doubt, though all my ships at sea come drifting home with broken masts and sails; I shall believe the hand which never fails, from seeming evil worketh good to me. And, though I weep because those sails are battered, still will I cry, while my best hopes lie shattered, 'I trust in thee.'

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Father's Day 2014

In the fear of The Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. Proverbs 14:26 KJV

The fear of God builds up confidence and makes a world safe for your children. Proverbs 14:26 (The Message)

Many blessings today and all week through...

Photo-A-Day Challenge~Week Two

Another photo challenge, this time from Kati.

 ~ 8 Childhood ~

 ~ 9 macro ~

10.Upside Down 

Kids, not my own, playing in front of my car while I was trying to watch the grands' ball game. ☺

 ~ 11 Jewelry (vintage and in need of cleaning)~

 ~ 12 flower ~

 ~ 13 shadow ~

 ~ 14 red, white, & blue ~


What a nice way to end on this Flag Day!
Have a happy weekend...

You may find us *here* in Kati's Little Corner. Consider jumping in! The water's fine.

Stormy Weather

♪Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky...♪
For some crazy reason, I found myself humming that song a few times this month. You?
I'm cheating this time with five 6 photos. 

 ~storm clouds~

In order to see stormy weather, one must be able to see the sky. Our sky is closed in, living as we do on the wee forest's edge. This meant that I needed to get to open sky as in the first two shots. 

It has rained a lot over the past month. Gentle rains during the day and heavier ones at night. 

~thunder storm clouds~

Gentle rains yesterday morning. I used every trick mentioned in the articles Donna provided, including using the flash. I thought the watering can prop inspired. Hahahahaha...

True to form, the pounding rains began again last night. This is rain splashing in a driveway puddle illuminated by the streetlight.

Should I be ashamed to use this? I was so excited about getting the falling raindrops, then the bokeh showed up (which I was less excited over), and the street light shows up as that put-your-eye-out blob of light.

 ~for Judith~
(ETA: 6-14-14
This is definitely cheating, but Judith suggested editing out the put-your-eye-out blob of light, which made me wonder what I'd  get — bokeh, rain streaks and raindrops hanging from the illuminated wires — I kinda like it, but then I'm weird. Thanks for the suggestion, Judith!)

I do hope that I am learning something even if it is what not to ever do again. Thank you, Donna, for all those articles gathered and for all you do to cheer us on.
You may find Donna and the other participants in this month's Personal Photo Challenge right *here.*
Postscript: I depended on Picasa Web Albums for the photo information, but all that is showing up is n/a. My camera is a Nikon Coolpix P7100.

Where Have All the Bloggers Gone?

That's what I've been wondering. It seems exceptionally quiet. The halls echo. Perhaps it is the news of the day for every day brings a new alarm or sorrow. Perhaps the garden and outdoor pursuits beckon. Perhaps one has been out with her photography assistant taking photos for Donna's Challenge tomorrow...see sidebar...all about weather. 

Yes, my photography assistant loves being dragged out into the rain. He may have been heard muttering something about people not believing what I put him through. Gheesh. But he'll happily take the credit for my our efforts tomorrow.
What is keeping you busy?

Fabulous

 Same story/Day 
Three ... and this will end it ... I promise! ☺

My little spray paint projects are finished for now because the can is empty.  

~not chopped liver~

Here the trellis is tucked behind the box. You may remember seeing it yesterday in the garage leaning against the grill. No grills were harmed in the spray painting of this trellis. 

Note the ice melt still sitting there in the milk bottle. Perhaps we'll be needing it as it's turned quite chilly again.

Are you as highly suggestible as I am? Linda sometimes shares cleaning projects with her readers. (I do love the dips bloggers take into sweet domesticity.) Anyway, she happened to mention this product; she specifically mentioned its wonderful fragrance. I asked her about it because I'd never heard of it. Have you? Yesterday, while shopping in a discount grocery store, I found it. And that is my mission today...spreading it around.
Now that reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask. Is there a cleaning product that you use and appreciate that others might not know about?    P.S. Thanks for all the great tips for storing sheet music. (See yesterday's comments.) More on this another time.

Shell Game

Now that was just so much fun. Let me try it again and see if it will fly because, really, it's the same story/different day. 
Oh and thank you for saying that you'd have visited no matter what photo was first shown. That was the sweetest thing! That's because we've come to know each other, but can you imagine what a newcomer would think or if one were deciding from seeing a thumbnail photo in a sidebar? *shudder*
So my tweaking continued and now looks much a little different. This post got its title from John who, after listening patiently to all my folderol (about what I had moved where and why) began shifting my stuff again just as if we were playing a shell game. I had to smack him to get him to quit.

Speaking of shells, Penny at The Comforts of Home featured three bloggers yesterday. Two were 

new-to-me bloggers and I found something I liked so well that I copied her. Either that or I'm copying Diane.

Diane has collected baskets and baskets of beautiful shells. I have collected this one and a bit of sea glass, too.

You'll be happy to know that the dining room table was cleared. It begged so pitifully that I had to pay attention. 

The piano was next to complain. The top was cleared completely giving everything a good dusting and polishing. The most distressing thing was the piano lamp. It is old and the brass had worn off. Now I know that brass is making a comeback (really?), but I used what I had;  into the paint box it went. 

~Hey! What am I? Chopped liver?~

Did you miss it? I don't know, maybe chartreuse would have been a better choice. Now here's a question for you, if you play an instrument: where do you store all your sheet music? I am stumped. I used to keep it in my grandfather's Victrola when I lived at the big house, but the Victrola has been living in the garage since the addition was built. I have no room for the Victrola and no place to keep the sheet music. Yes, I do play. Yes, I want my sheet music! All of it.

You know, I rather like this leap frog thing. I may get a few more things accomplished this way. Thanks for cheering me on!

Now go and create a most beautiful day...

Evolution of the Light~Window

~this is a trick photo*~
Have I ever shared my #1 prompt for tweaking a vignette or cleaning a cluttered corner? I have? Thought so! In case you're new or that you don't hang on my every word, I'll just restate it: I look at whatever is bugging me and ask myself why specifically it is an annoyance. 
So let's take the latest disaster. It was really annoying. I think you'll be able to see why immediately. You would never allow this in your home!

~tweak me please~
It is a horrible thing to confess that my bay window had become a clutter pile. I'm so ashamed. I've even had an inspiration picture in my folder at Pinterest for some time now. And that inspiration window is most likely the same make and model as my own. 

~tweak me, too!~ Am I being ganged up on or what?! Okay, better hustle with this...

Too dark? Yes, I think so...

Coloring rather strange? True!

Still it is the best that I can do without going shopping. And now, while I don't necessarily smile, at least, I don't cringe.  My Evolution of the Light window: candles, gas oil lamp, and electric lamp, too. 

And it looks so cozy in the evening...
At least, I think so even with the reflections and odd perspective. 

~What about me?~

Yikes! I gotta get outta here.   * Why is it a trick photo? Because you'd never have visited me today based on the second photo. Am I right? 

The Big Test

My grands love time spent on the iPad. It's right up there with sledding and baseball. When they started coming here after school, I looked for some apps that would be helpful with math and reading and spelling. One I selected was The Bible App for Kids in partnership with One Hope.

~all grins~

They have loved the Bible stories, which are well presented. The grands can hear the story read for them or can read for comprehension and answer a quiz. We can often be found talking about them. I have shared another time concerning reading the story Cain and Abel. The new story last week was titled "The Big Test." They are so not fans of this story and the youngest went so far as to ask if I thought that God had "really messed up."

~the big test~

Now I have been thinking about this for days since. (And wishing that the above picture more accurately matched the story.) I tried to even use one grand's own words more or less: He is God and He can do what He wants.

 They weren't buying it. Suddenly, their image of God had shifted to the precarious. He was not to be trusted. We have a crisis of faith where, as C.S. Lewis once said, "It's not that we don't believe that God exists, but rather that He does and He is this."

So I have been thinking and praying and we will talk about it again. I will say things like Abraham trusted God. Even Isaac trusted God. Then I'll ask some questions: When your teacher gives you a test, does she know if you will do well? When God gives a test, does He know if you will do well? Hope that we always recognize the difference.

God does not give us tests so He will see how we're measuring up. He knows that already. In fact, without Jesus, we are always going to fail because it is Christ in us whom God sees. We are covered (protected) by the blood He shed for us. Once I have asked The Lord into my life, God allows me to be tested so that I will grow and so I will remember all that He has done to get me through.

God tested Abraham (and Isaac) so they would remember all The Lord had done for them. Yes, they passed the test, but then, God already knew that they would.

Enjoy this Pentecost Sunday and a blessed week ahead!

ツ

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Photo-A-Day Challenge

Allow me to slip into the bloggy pool again slowly with Kati's Photo-A-Day Challenge for June. Kati allows participants the choice of doing a photo each day or saving them up or whatever one wishes to do. I am participating on Saturdays.

 1. leaf (rhubarb)

 2. favorite color (yellow)

 3. weather (and we've seen quite enough of this sort)

 4. on the wall (above and below)

 5. sunglasses (and favorite color... since I can't wear yellow, I have a yellow bag...)

 6. dots (didn't think we had any dots; apparently, we have quite a lot)

7. water (yes, we believe in product placement around here ☺)

You can find the Challenge right *here.* It's not too late. You can jump in or out whenever you choose!