IT'S ON TO CHRISTMAS HODGEPODGE!

     Today is the last Wednesday in November; Another hump day; A whole new Wednesday Hodgepodge. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. SWMBO and I did as well. Thank you for asking. 
     Thank you Joyce for another series of questions. And now, the Hodgepodge... 

1. Give us three rhyming words that say something about your Thanksgiving holiday (or your most recent holiday gathering if you didn't celebrate Thanksgiving). 

      This is really a tough one. Meet - Treat - Repeat. Thanksgiving day we were invited to a friends house and we celebrated the day with them. We had gobs of food and sweets. It was a wonderful day. 
     On Friday we went to out daughters house and treated ourselves to some Chinese Food. We also treated ourselves with time spent with our granddaughters.
     On Saturday we were invited over to a different friend's house for supper. So we repeated a time of good food and wonderful conversation.
   

2. When did you last say, 'the more the merrier'? Did you mean it?

     I cannot remember the last time that I used that phrase. However, whenever I do use it, I do mean it.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give someone who is your same age?

     All of us are terminal! We don't know when we will breath out last breath, but that time is surely coming. Think about what happens after you die. Are you prepared? If not, get prepared and let me tell you why it's so important that you do prepare and allow me to suggest a way for you to do so.

4. You're ordering a veggie plate, what four veggies are on it?

     There would be bell peppers, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. (I know tomatoes are technically fruits, but it's my fruit plate SO BACK OFF!) I love all kinds of vegetables, especially with a dipping sauce of some kind.

5. Shop til you drop! Did you? Have you ever? Will you between now and Christmas?

     I have shopped til I dropped. I have not done so this year and I don't expect to. SWMBO and I are doing the lion's share of our Christmas shopping online this year. 

6. What's your favorite chair in your house, and why is it a favorite?

     I have an oversized rocker-recliner. It's my favorite chair in the house because when I sit in it I feel like I'm getting a nice warm hug. I have had some of my best naps in that chair. I have yet to watch a complete football or baseball game in that chair. I always fall asleep. The chair is that comfortable.

7. Share an early memory of faith, religion, or spirituality.

     I have been blessed to have some devoted men of God in my life who helped guide me in my Christian walk. About 40 years ago one such man set up a Bible study with me and SWMBO. I was immature and a bit of a jerk to him. I asked him a lot of impertinent questions to try and get a rise out of him. With each question his answer was always the same, "Let's see what the Bible says about that." We would then turn to a relevant passage. He would have me read enough of the passage to be able to grasp the context. Then he would ask me to explain what the passage said. He never got annoyed. He had the patience of Job! He is responsible, in large part, for me becoming a Christian. I will be eternally grateful for that godly man.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
     Up until this point I have been burning wood pellets left over from last year's supply. I am now two bags into this year's supply. Not bad considering tomorrow is December 1st. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I am confident that SWMBO and the Littles (the dogs) will be sufficiently warm this winter. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!

A TURKEY OF A HODGEPODGE!

     Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! All month we have been meditating on those things in life for which we are thankful. I have learned that if you think about it, I mean really think about it, you will be amazed at the number of blessings that you have received in your life. I have been lavishly blessed and for me everyday is Thanksgiving Day. 
     One of the things that has blessed me is this Wednesday Hodgepodge. I have met some of the most amazing people who are fellow Hodgepodgers. But for the Hodgepodge, I never would have met them. Thank you Joyce Daley!

1. What's something you might say runs in your family? 

     Besides our noses, what runs in my family is a profound sense of humor and a love of singing. My dad had a remarkable Irish tenor-like voice that would sound throughout the house in the mornings as he prepared to go to work.

2. I read here a list of ten things you should do before 2017 arrives (in less than six weeks!)...which tasks on the list might you do? What would you add to your own 'before the year ends' list?

visit your Dr. or dentist, deep clean your home, donate unwanted items to charity, look someone in the eye and tell them you love them, write an honest letter to yourself, clean up your inbox-desktop-photos, travel to a place you haven't been, compliment a stranger, watch the sunrise, think ahead to your goals/plans for the new year

     I will probably visit my primary care physician for a follow-up and think ahead and think about setting some goals and plans for the new year.

3. What's something other generations (not your own) misunderstand about your generation?

      The Vietnam War and the affect that it had on those who fought it and on the United States as a whole.  
      

4. Sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread dressing-which would you miss the most if it weren't on the holiday dinner menu?

     It would not be a true holiday meal without mashed potatoes and gravy. It would also miss the mark if my meat stuffing was absent.

5. What are you overthinking right now?

     Logistics! My beloved SWMBO is heading towards having a Stem Cell Transplant after the holidays. I have been overthinking all the logistics associated with the procedure. #cancersucks

6. Your favorite slang word lately?

     I have been using the word "Bugga." Not to be confused with "bugger" which is vulgar and inappropriate, especially in the British Isles. "Bugga" is just a substitute for more unacceptable expletives.
  

7. Write an acrostic for the word grateful.

     Get Ready And Take Everything From Unexpected Locations

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     Many of you know that my beloved SWMBO has cancer, Multiple Myeloma to be precise. Multiple Myeloma is a cancer in the blood, for those who don't know what it is. There is no cure! We have been contending with this disease for about three years now, maybe more. There have been many friends and acquaintances who have taken this journey with us and have been a constant source of prayers, encouragement and help in other more tangible ways. 
     Anyway, my beloved SWMBO is probably going to have a stem cell transplant after the holidays. Her stem cells were harvested back in 2014 and frozen in anticipation of an eventual transplant. Her doctors believe that a transplant is the next necessary course of treatment for her disease.
     SWMBO is handling this better than I am. (See question #5 above) So, thank you for your kind words of encouragement and your prayers on her behalf.  

THE IDES OF NOVEMBER HODGEPODGE!

      We are halfway through the month of November already. Thanksgiving Day is next Thursday! Where has all the time gone? Today is Wednesday already. As I get older time seems to go by more quickly. 
      Welcome back to our Hodgepodge mistress, Joyce Daley at "From This Side of the Pond." Judging from the tone of these questions, her recent move into her new house must have gone well. Congratulations and all the best in your new home, Joyce. Now, onto the Hodgepodge...

1. Let's all think happy thoughts...share one of yours here. 
     SWMBO and I had the "Grands" here this afternoon. The thought of them smiling and laughing and saying "I love you!" is my happy thought.

2. There's a Chinese proverb that says, "If you want happiness for an hour take a nap, if you want happiness for a day-go fishing...." What say you? If you want happiness for a day _____________.
     Go play a round of golf. It takes me about eight hours to play 18 holes of golf. It's a good way to find happiness for a day.

3. Where do you go to decompress from the world around you? 
     One of the things that I love about NH is that there is no shortage of places to get away to. I like going to the airport and watch planes land and take off. I listen to the air traffic control radio traffic on my scanner. Another thing is going to a lake and just meditating or reading a book. Taking my rifle for a walk in the woods, A.K.A. hunting, is a great way to decompress.

4. What song never fails to make you happy? 
     "Colour My World" by Chicago. It is SWMBO and my special song.

5. Wednesday is National Fast Food Day. Should that be a thing? Apparently it is, so tell us what's the last 'fast food' you consumed? If you were putting together your own version of a 'happy meal' what would you include? 
      The last fast food I consumed was a McDonald's quarter pounder with cheese, medium fries and a Dr. Pepper. If I was putting together my own "Happy Meal" it would consist of (1) A roast beef sub with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mayonaise; (2) An order of onion rings and (3) a Medium vanilla shake.

6. In a few sentences tell us why you blog.
     I started blogging to improve my writing skills by sharing three aspects of my life, namely Spiritual, Personal and Work. I changed the last one to Retirement, well, after I retired. Another reason why I blog is to vent my spleen over current events. A third reason I blog is to try to convey my thinking about a wide range of topics.

7. List seven things you're feeling especially grateful for today.
     (1) A loving God; (2) My beloved SWMBO; (3) Our home; (4) Our children; (5) Our grandchildren; (6) Our church family; (7) Liberty rights guranteed to all in the U.S. of A.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
     You may recall that before Election Tuesday, there was a great uproar when Mr. Trump said that he would not accept the results of the election if he lost. He explained that he reserved the right to challenge any voter fraud or other election improprieties. 
     You may also remember when President Obama was elected in 2008 and 2012, conservatives accross America took to the streets to protest and riot. 
     No wait, that is this year and it's the paragons of tolerance and propriety...the democrats who lost the election who are protesting and rioting in the streets. 
     I find it interesting that President-elect Trump is being protested and he hasn't done anything yet. He has no power to do anything because he hasn't even been inaugurated. 
     I  suspect that the losing side is afraid that the new president may actually try to do those things that he promised the American people that he would do which is the reason that they elected him. Buckle your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen, it is going to be a wild ride.