NORTHEASTER SURVIVAL HODGEPODGE!

     Yesterday we experienced a "Northeaster." That is not unusual at this time of year. What was unusual is that we did not get the 10-18 inches of snow that usually accompanies them. I'm not complaining mind you. We did get sleet and freezing rain which made the roads treacherous. SWMBO and I stayed home for the duration out of an abundance of caution.

    Today, being Wednesday, we have another Hodgepodge of questions from our Hodgepodge Mistress, Joyce Daley. Enjoy this week's edition...

     

1. "The cure for anything is salt water-tears, sweat, or the sea." (Isak Dinesan) Would you agree? Of the three, which has 'cured' you most recently? 

     I don't know. I am reluctant to accept assertions that contain words like "Everything," "Always," "Anything," and so forth. I believe that there are usually exceptions to such statements. I think Isak's statement might be mostly true but I don't believe it's true in every instance.

     None of the listed choices have cured me most recently. What does cure me is the devoted love of my beloved SWMBO and the support of some very dear friends.

2. What's something you can't eat without salt? Do you normally salt your food a lot, a little, or not at all? 

     There are a few foods that I can't eat without salt...raw tomatoes, some pasta dishes and of course, popcorn. If I use salt I use a little.

3. Sands of time, bury your head in the sand, built on sand, or draw a line in the sand...which sandy phrase could best be applied to something in your life right now? 

      "Sands of time" best applies to something in my life right now. My beloved and I have been devoting huge chunks of our time fighting cancer. Our life is made up of "Which doctor do we see this week?" "What medical test(s) do we need to have done this week?" We have been fighting this battle since Spring 2012. A week from today, God willing, SWMBO will enter the hospital for a stem cell transplant. They will be giving her stem cells that they harvested from her back in 2014. So for us it has been a "What's next?" kind of existence over the past five years. Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives.

 

4. A favorite book, movie, or song with an island setting or theme? 

     I'm going with "Castaway" starring Wilson and some guy named Tom Hanks. 

5. Yesterday-did you run your day or did it run you? How so? 

     Yesterday (Monday) we ran our day. We dropped the Littles (our two small dogs) off at daycare. Then we went out for coffee. After that, SWMBO wanted to go to a couple of craft supply stores to use some gift cards. After that, we went grocery shopping. After arriving home and getting the groceries put away, it was time to pick up the Littles. It was a full day.

6. You're on an island holiday. Will I most likely find you parked in a beach chair, shopping in town, on the back of a jet ski, or snorkeling off the back of a catamaran? 

     Depending on the day, all of the above. 

7. What do you think we humans most take for granted?

     On a secular level we take our God given liberty for granted. On a spiritual level we take the grace and patience of God for granted.

 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

     My beloved New England Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. They will be facing the NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, February 5th. It bodes to be a magnificent game. Both teams have earned their way to the Super Bowl and it's even money as to who is going to win. It could go either way. 

    The NFL Commissioner showed himself to be a coward by declining to go to Gillette Stadium for the AFC Championship Game. He went to the Atlanta Stadium for the second week in a row. 

     I hope the Patriots win the Super Bowl because I am a die hard Patriots fan. I also want to see the look on the NFL Commissioner's face when he has to hand the Lombardi Trophy to the Patriots owner. Sweeter still would be if he has to hand the Most Valuable Player Trophy to Tom Brady, ...that is if he has the courage to even show up.  Have a great rest of the week.

     

ANOTHER WINTER STORM HODGEPODGE!

     As I write this it is snowing. Being January and being in NH, this is not an unusual occurrence. We are expecting 3 to 7 inches depending upon which forecast that you listen to. 

     Another occurrence which is not unusual is the arrival of another Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you Joyce for another challenging set of questions. I encourage all of you to participate in the Wednesday Hodgepodge...it's a lot of fun and you meet the most remarkable people when you do. Now, onto the Hodgepodge...

1. ASAP typically stands for 'as soon as possible'. What else could it stand for in your life right now? 
     "Another Stupid A _ _ Problem." This applies to a couple of issues confronting my beloved SWMBO and/or me. We are confident that we will ultimately triumph over them by the grace of God and the support of good friends. 

2. Are you the last person to speak up in a group or the first to have an idea? Why do you suppose that is? Is it a good thing or no?
     I like to sit back and listen to make sure that I understand the issue and once I achieve that understanding I am not shy about chiming in with my humble opinion. The more that I care about an issue under discussion the more assertive I become.

3. What do you remember best about being 12? 
     Boy Scouts, Little League Baseball and fishing or playing along the banks of the Merrimack River.

4. January 18th is National Winnie the Pooh Day. Which character do you relate to the most, and why? If you're stumped go here for inspiration.
     At the risk of less than humble, I'll go with "Owl." I possess a certain kind of wisdom and I so enjoy telling humorous stories and remembrances. 

5. What's an app you use that helps simplify or make life easier for you in some way? 
     SWMBO and I use an app called "AnyList." It holds our shared grocery list. What I like about it is if I add an item to the list on my phone it automatically syncs to SWMBO'S phone and vice-versa.  We each have a number of shopping lists on our phones some of which we share.

6. San Francisco (CA), San Diego (CA), San Juan (PR) San Antonio (TX) Sanibel (FL)...you have an all expenses paid long weekend to one of these destinations. Which one do you choose and why?
     I pick San Diego, CA. The reason being is that our grandsons live there. So, I'd take the time to visit them and their parents. 

7. Share with us a song that makes you feel nostalgic? For what? 
     "Jumping Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones. This song always evoke images of playing catch in the street in front of my boyhood home with my best friend at the time Roger. I'd place the stereo speakers in the window and blast the volume into the street.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
     I did not vote for the president-elect. I voted against his opponent. This Friday he will be sworn into office, for good or for ill. I sincerely pray it is for the good. 
     It is remarkable that power changes hands in the United States without a shot being fired, at least so far. We are the envy and the wonder of the world for this process of our peaceful transition of power.
    Now to those elected representatives who choose to boycott the inauguration of the new president and/or refuse to work with him for the good of the country and their constituents, they can just kiss me where the good Lord split me! 
     Have a great Wednesday everyone!

HAPPY NEW YEAR HODGEPODGE!

     Welcome to the year of our Lord, 2017. I still measure history in two ways, B.C. - Before Christ and A.D. Anno Domini or After Christ. I refuse to accept the B.C.E. and C.E. crap that some have tried to force upon us. 
     How's your new year going so far? Did you make any resolutions? Are your resolutions still intact? I mean, it's been four days and you're not made of stone. No one can blame you if they're not. 
     I resolved to continue to participate in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Coincidentally, Joyce has apparently resolved to continue publishing the Wednesday Hodgepodge. So in the spirit of my resolution, here is the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. Share one favorite moment/memory from your Christmas holiday.
     One of my favorite memories is of my beloved SWMBO and I sitting on the couch watching T.V. while cuddling and sharing some Christmas fare. Even the fur babies got in on the act. They're so cute...we just couldn't refuse them.

2. What was the best thing you ate over the holidays? Was it homemade or store bought? If it was homemade did you make it?
     One of the best things that I ate is my world famous meat stuffing. It's my sainted grandmother's recipe and SWMBO loves my stuffing which is homemade. 

3. What was one of the most beautiful things you saw over the holidays?
     There were two, actually...my granddaughters. We bought them some ridiculously large stuffed toys for Christmas which caused their faces to light up. One toy is a large unicorn. The other is an eight foot long snake. Our daughter sent us a photo of the girls fast asleep hugging their respective stuffed toys. That's the stuff that grandparent Nirvana is made of.

4. What does fresh start mean to you?
     A fresh start is beginning anew and forgetting ALL that has passed up to that point. A good example is my daily Bible reading. I have begun a two year program where I will read the Bible in two years. It is premised on the riddle "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Sometimes life intrudes and you miss a few days, or longer, of reading. When that happens I either go back and read everything that I missed and catch up OR I just begin anew at the point where the Bible reading schedule happens to be. 

5. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very positive and 1 being not so great) how would you rate 2016 in terms of personal achievement and well being? Explain.
     I would give 2016 a rating of 5 or 6. I have read a lot more in 2016 than in past years. I have played my guitar way more often as well. I still haven't licked that procrastinating tendency thing though. The nice thing in life is that you can always begin anew if you choose to.

6. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse, or just general uselessness. Go here to read more about how the words were chosen or, if you're like me, to find out what in the world the word or phrase even means or the context in which it's used. There were quite a few on this year's list I'd never heard before.

Here's the 2017 list of banished words-

You, Sir-focus-Bete Noire-Town Hall Meeting-Post Truth-guesstimate-831-historic-manicured-echo chamber-on fleek-bigly-ghost-Dadbod-listicle-get your dander up-selfie drone-frankenfruit-disruption

Which word on the list would you most like to see banished in 2017? What word or phrase would you add to the list?
     I'm not one who supports banishing words...period. I'm not familiar with some of the words such as "831," "on fleek," and "listicle" to name three. Many of the other words are perfectly acceptable if used in a proper context. 
     One of the tenets of Philosophy is that you must define your terms. Words have common meanings. If you change the accepted meaning of common words you are hampering communication, not enhancing it. We use words to communicate as clearly as possible.

7. Large or small, light or deep, share with us one goal you have for the new year.
     One goal that I have is to get my health back. I resolve to eat better, move more and take better care of myself.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
     I want all who are reading this to know that I wish you a very Happy New Year. I wish you all the best that life has to offer. I wish you robust health! I wish you material and financial prosperity! I wish you true contentment and joy! Most important, because of the eternal consequences, I wish you a closer relationship with Almighty God.  Happy New Year!