SUMMER 2014 HODGEPODGE!

          It is the end of July 2014 already. The older I get the more quickly time seems to go by. Well, it's Wednesday and it's time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you Joyce for another set of thought provoking questions.

1. "Summer is like childhood. It's full of warm memories and gone too soon."~Kellie Elmore  Agree or disagree? Share something you loved about the summers of your childhood.

     I totally agree. Summers were filled with pick up baseball games, family vacations, family swims in the local lake, exploring a nearby river and going on adventures with your group of friends. 
     One of my favorite things to do during the summers was after supper Dad would load us and a few of our friends in the car and he'd drive us to a nearby lake. We would swim for a couple of hours, often with Dad joining in on our water games. Fun times!

2. Are you a fan of auto racing-NASCAR, Indy, Stock, Grand Prix, etc? Ever been to a race in person? Any desire to do this?  Do you know a lot about cars? Do you notice particular makes and models when you're out and about?

     I am NOT a fan of any of the motor sports. I did work a police detail at a NASCAR Race a couple of times. I did get to witness the start of a race and a few laps. It was way too loud and got boring after a while. I don't know much about cars but I do notice the various makes and models as I drive hither and yon.

3. What's something you think is too serious to be joked about? Or do you think anything and everything is fair game?

     I don't think that anything is off limits from a joking point of view. However the context and time may be inappropriate. We often deal with serious or painful situations with humor. Appropriate humor often soothes pain and helps quicken healing. Like the book of Ecclesiastes teaches "There is a time for every purpose under heaven."

4. July 29th is National Lasagna Day. Are you a fan? Do you have a great recipe, and if so where did it come from? If given a choice would you choose a plate of lasagna or a plate of spaghetti?

     I love Lasagna! SWMBO makes the best Lasagna I have ever had. I don't know where she got her recipe but it is stupendous. If given a choice between Spaghetti and Lasagna I might go either way. I like them both.

5. What's a simple pleasure you'd miss if it were not a regular part of your life?

     I would miss going out to dinner at a restaurant with SWMBO. Eating out is one of our favorite things to do. We love having a meal without the fur babies present, focusing on each other for an hour or two. 

6. If you could be the CEO of any company, which would you choose?

     I have no idea! I'm really not the CEO type. I'm more of a "2nd Banana" type of person, a middle manager kind of thing.

7. August is just around the bend...bid farewell to July in exactly seven words.

     July, our time together was too brief!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

     Last week my Random Thought was on the theme that truth matters. Truth matters in all areas of life, none more so than our spiritual life. There is a truism that I find compelling "We are not bodies that has a soul, but rather we are souls that has a body." 
     Here are three truths that really matter. First, GOD EXISTS! There is overwhelming evidence that shows that God exists. Belief if the God of the Bible is reasonable and rational. I would commend the book "I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist" by Dr. Norman Geisler and Frank Turek. They make this point so much better than I can.
     Second, the Bible is true, that is, it is what it purports to be-the inspired Word of God. The Bible was written over a period of about 1500 years by 40 different authors from varying backgrounds. Bible prophecy has been 100% accurate and 100% fulfilled with the exception of prophecy concerning the end times and Jesus' second coming. However, those events will unfold as prophesied.
     Third, Jesus is the Messiah spoken about in the pages of the Bible. Jesus was crucified and rose on the third day. The historical fact is (1) that His tomb was empty. (2) The religious leaders conspired with the guards who were posted to secure the tomb to put forward the narrative that Jesus' body was stolen by His disciples. (Matt 28:11-15) People don't conspire to tell the truth about something. All the religious leaders had to do to prove Jesus did not rise is to produce the body. Also, (3) Jesus was seen by many people after His resurrection. At one time as many as 500 people saw him.
     So these are just three truths that matter. There are many, many more. Please take the time to check them out for yourself. You will find the truth if you honestly and sincerely look for it. It is well worth the effort. May God bless you in your search! 

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER HODGEPODGE! WOOF!

     It is the latter part of July here in New Hampshire. The weather goes from hot and humid to less hot and dry. My preference is for less hot and dry. SWMBO on the other hand is a hot and humid fan. In any event being Wednesday it is time for another issue of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. I hope you enjoy this edition!

1. When I look at the sky I feel________________________________________.
     Awe! One of my favorite things to do is to look up at the sky on a cloudless night and watch the star filled sky. Sometimes I get rewarded by seeing a meteor streak across the sky. It is an awesome sight to see so many stars and to ponder their distance away from earth and that what we see is a very small portion of a vast universe filled with galaxies and planetary systems. Awesome!

2. If you had to run for political office, which one would you run for? Do you have any real desire to actually do this?
     I cannot run for political office because my parents were married! If I had to run for political office I thinks I would run for the U.S. Senate. I believe that I could be more effective being 1 in a 100 than being 1 in 435. No, I do not have ANY desire to run for public office. I have never been a fan of being in the spotlight public office requires.

3. What scent makes you think of home?
     The smell of onions cooking always reminds me of home. I love onions, whether raw or cooked, and we use a fair amount of onions in our casseroles and other meals. This is a practice/tradition handed down by my maternal grandmother.

4. How often do you take a step back to think about where you're headed in life? Do you need more or less self-reflection?
     I would have to say...periodically. Usually it is provoked by a news story, family tragedy or celebration such as Funerals, Weddings, Births, Retirements, etc. Sometimes I when I'm someplace quiet, I reflect on where I've been and ponder what the future holds. Campfires often provoke such ruminating.

5. July is National Ice Cream Month...besides a cone, what's your favorite food item to top with ice cream?
     My preference is ice cream alone in a cone, a sundae or banana split. Why spoil good ice cream with other food stuff? If I must choose I suppose I'd go with the conventional Apple Pie A La Mode. 

6. What might your autobiography be called?
     "YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE CRAZY!" ...but it certainly helps!

7. Your least favorite mode of transportation? Why?
     The foot train is my least favorite mode of transportation because of severely depleted knee cartilage in both knees. My next least favorite mode of transpiration would be hot air balloon. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
     I have been thinking a lot lately on the subject of "Truth." Specifically that truth matters! I think about past scandals and how they were made worse by the people involved not telling the truth, even when placed under oath and their swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
     These scandals involve both Republican and Democrat Administrations. Just off the top of my head: the Watergate Scandal, Iran-Contra, Monica Lewinsky, Tawana Brawley, Benghazi, IRS, etc. 
     There is a cliche that arose out of the Watergate scandal that says "It's not the overt acts, but the cover up that does people in." I believe that the act is damning enough. The cover up just exacerbates the overt acts.
     We the people are being lied to by our elected officials at ALL levels of government. It seems to me that the higher you go in government the more outrageous and damaging the lie. Case in point is the Affordable Care Act. This piece of legislation was passed based upon lies. It has been a disaster and the pain and suffering that it has and will continue to cause to We the People remains to be seen but it will be dire.
     One of New Hampshire's greatest statesman, Daniel Webster said "There is nothing so powerful as truth." To paraphrase an old saw from the 60's I say "POWER TO THE PEOPLE!" In the upcoming elections I urge all Americans to think long and hard before voting to re-elect ANY incumbent office holder.

THUNDER STORMY HODGEPODGE

     We are having sporadic thunder storms today. Apparently high humidity and clashing weather fronts is a recipe for violent weather. So far the storms we have had were not too severe, at least in my town. Other parts of New England were not so lucky with having trees blown over and damage from hail. 

     Oh well, it's still wednesday and it's still time for the weekly Hodgepodge. Come on and join in on the fun!

1. The month of July was named for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. He's quoted as saying, 'Experience is the teacher of all things." So what has experience taught you lately?
     I learned that "butterflying" chicken breasts before putting them on the grill makes it easier to cook them evenly. SWMBO loved my BBQ chicken breasts. 

2. Where did you last 'roam'?
     I drove to a friends house and took the back roads over the mountains and literally through the woods. It was a beautiful day and a nice picturesque drive.

3. Speaking of 'Rome'...pizza, pasta, gelato...you can only pick one, which would you choose?
     I would pick pasta. I understand that Italian Pizza is not the same as the Pizza we get in this country.

4. 'Rome wasn't built in a day', 'All roads lead to Rome', 'When in Rome...' which 'Roman' idiom have you most recently encountered? Explain.
     "Rome wasn't built in a day" Recovering from a chronic disease is a one day at a time kind of thing. Nothing happens quickly and there are often set backs. 

5. What's a movie you've seen or a book you've read, that makes you want to book a trip to Italy?
      "The Pigeon Project" by Irving Wallace makes me want to book a trip to Venice.

6.  Walt's original Disneyland opened almost sixty years ago, on July 17, 1955  Have you ever been to the California park? How about any of the other Disney parks around the world? What's your favorite amusement park ride or attraction?
     I have never been to any of the Disney Amusement Parks. I don't see me ever spending $133 dollars to go and stand in line for hours on end. The admission price is outrageous in my humble opinion.

7. It's that time of year...when were you last bitten or stung?
     In our yard...the mosquitos have been particularly hungry. SWMBO got nailed by a tick which infected her with Lyme disease. I guess her cancer wasn't challenging enough.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

     In the 1840's at the Vienna General Hospital, a teaching hospital, the mortality rate in the maternity wards was 1 in 6 women died from infections. It seems that in the mornings doctors and students would perform autopsies on the women who died the previous day. Afterwards they would go to the wards and perform pelvic exams upon the living women patients without washing their hands.
     Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis was in charge of one these wards. He instituted a protocol of hand washing for all doctors and students before they examined any patient. Within the first month the mortality rate fell to 1 in 42. The second month the rate fell to 1 in 84. 
     Dr. Semmelweis expanded the hand washing protocol to include washing hands between examining patients. This caused the mortality rate to drop even further.
     The doctors and students complained so bitterly about the hand washing protocols that Dr. Semmelweis was fired. The doctor who succeeded him threw out the hand washing protocols. The mortality rate quickly returned to what they were before the protocols were put in place.
     It wasn't until several years later when Louis Pasteur discovered the connection between germs and infection that Dr, Semmelweis was exonerated. My point is that truth matters!

SUMMER HEAT HODGEPODGE

     

     Here it is almost mid July. The summer seems to be passing by way too quickly. Well, with summer comes the inevitable thunder storms and with Wednesday comes the inevitable series of Hodgepodge questions from our friend Joyce. If you have a chance visit her blog "From This Side of the Pond." You'll be glad that you did. Thank you Joyce for another set of great questions!

1. July is National Anti-Boredom Month. When was the last time you were bored? What's your go-to cure for boredom?
     When I was in the U.S. Air Force I had a supervisor who told me that boredom is self inflicted. He believed that if one is bored it is their own fault. We have at our fingertips every imaginable activity that can challenge our minds, our talents or our bodies.  There is no reason why we should get bored. The sad fact, however, is that we all do get bored from time to time.
     I cannot remember the last time I was bored. When I do get bored I read, work a crossword puzzle, or watch an On-Demand movie on television.  

2. What's the last thing you made a reservation for?
     A medical test that I had done yesterday. (See Random Thought below)

3. What's one thing on your summer 'bucket list'? Any plans to make it happen?
     I really don't have a summer "bucket list." I believe in making it up as I go along. I prefer to let my summer unfold naturally if you will. SWMBO wants to visit Cape Cod sometime this year. 

4. What's your favorite summertime sip?
     My absolute favorite summertime sip is Dunkin Donuts Watermelon Coolatta with whipped cream. My next favorite would be a sweetened peach iced tea.

5. What do you find is the best way to handle another person's hostility and hopefully ease the tension?
     The Bible teaches that a soft answer turns away wrath. I find that the best way is to respond to hostility is to do so gently. To do so often diffuses the tension and makes reasonable discourse possible. Answering hostility with more hostility only escalates the tension and makes dialogue almost impossible. 
     Responding with a baseball bat up side their head also diffuses hostility and often, consciousness. (For the benefit of those who don't know me, I'm just kidding notwithstanding the truth of my previous statement!)

6. Your favorite film set in summer?
     Saving Private Ryan! I know it begins on June 6th, 1944, but most of it takes place during the summer of 1944 following the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy. I love World War II history.

7. What word are you using too much lately?
      I have no idea which word I've been using too much lately.
   
8. Insert your own random thought here.
     Yesterday I had to undergo a routine medical procedure which is odious to most people. This medical procedure requires one or two days of preparation prior to the day of the test. It is an invasive test. Normally I require dinner and a movie before participating in this level of intimacy, but I digress.  If you have had this routine test done in the past then you understand what I mean. If you have not had this test done in the past, then I won't spoil the surprise. 
     I should have my formal results in about two weeks. The doctor told me that she did not note any anomalies.
     My beloved SWMBO was glad to be driving me around for a change. She drove me to and from the hospital.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA HODGEPODGE!

     This week the United States of America turns 238 years old. As countries go we are still very young when you consider the great nations that have endured for millennia! America has accomplished a lot during her short lifespan. I love America and the ideals that it still struggles to live by. Happy Birthday, America! And now, here's this weeks Hodgepodge!

1.  Speaking of 180...when was the last time you 'did a 180' on something?
     Just this evening SWMBO and I were returning home from dinner out. I told her I was going to visit our local Dairy Queen for a cherry dipped cone. While enroute I changed my mind and decided to forego the cherry dipped cone. I remembered that we had watermelon in our refrigerator at home. Just as sweet and tasty and so much better for me, health-wise. 

2. It's Independence Week in the US of A! What's your favorite thing about America right this very minute? Favorites only! Let's hear what you love about America.
 
If you're playing along today, and you're not an American but have been to America, what do/did you like best about this country? If you've never been to America, do you have any desire to visit? What's the number one thing you'd like to see?
     My favorite thing about America are the freedoms that we enjoy. We are free to move about without requiring permission from anyone. We are allowed to speak our minds without fear of getting locked up for what we say. We are allowed to criticize our leaders in as vile or vicious a manner we choose without having to worry about getting locked up or worse, disappearing without a trace. These are just some of the many freedoms that we enjoy.

3. Stars or stripes? Red, white, or blue? Watermelon, homemade vanilla ice cream, or blueberry pie?
     Watermelon please! 

4. When did you last see stars, figuratively speaking?
     About a month ago I was doing something in the car. I bumped my head on the door jamb and saw stars for a second or two. Ouch!

5.  'Clear as a bell', 'with bells on',  'lots of bells and whistles', 'saved by the bell'...which phrase 'rings' truest for you lately?  Have you ever seen The Liberty Bell?
     I have never seen the Liberty Bell in person. "Clear as a Bell" is truest for me lately. My beloved SWMBO still is in love with me and is still devoted to me...that fact is clear as a bell! The reasons why she does is not not as clear! However, I thank God every day that she does.

6. Are you caught up in World Cup fever? Have you watched a lot or a little or none at all?
     I have never been a "Soccer" fan. I am not watching the World Cup at all. I really have no interest in the game or the tournament. 

7. Bid farewell to June in 10 words or less.
     I hope that you and Ward Cleaver are very happy!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
     Forty-two years ago I asked this gorgeous blond blue eyed high school sweetheart to marry me. She refused! I asked her a second time. She again wisely refused! Being a baseball fan I thought I'd give her a third strike and so I asked her a third time to please marry me. She foolishly said "Yes!" We have been husband and wife, best friends, soul mates ever since.
     We have the kind of deep, devoted love that poets write about. We have the kind of love that songwriters write about. We have the kind of love that romance writers are envious of. Am I bragging? Your bet your derriere that I am!
     Seriously and all kidding aside, God has shown us how to love each other with that all encompassing AGAPE kind of love. He has shown us how spectacular a marriage can be. So although I am bragging, truth be told, all the credit for our marriage rightfully goes to God. He is love! He is the inventor of marriage and the great example of love in action. A godly marriage is a true blessing that enriches two peoples lives. You can take that to the bank! Happy 4th everyone!