NH WEATHER CRAZINESS HODGEPODGE!

     Welcome back Joyce and thank you for another Wednesday Hodgepodge. I had a nagging feeling that I was forgetting something today. That something was the Wednesday Hodgepodge.
     The weather up here in the Granite State has been erratic. Some days it has been cool and raw. Other days it has been humid and unseasonably warm. Still other days have been wet and humid as well as wet and raw. It is so true that if you do not like the weather around here, just wait awhile it will certainly change.
     Now onto the Hodgepodge...

1. What's surprised you most about your life or life in general? 
     I am surprised that I have survived to reach my present age. I have taken many foolish risks while growing up.
     I am surprised that I am such a God fearing man. People who knew me pre-conversion are also quite surprised.
     I am most surprised, AND very thankful, that my beloved SWMBO has chosen to remain with me all these years. We are still very much in love and are unwaveringly devoted to each other. We still yearn to be, and enjoy being, in each other's company. Ours is a love that songwriters and poets write about.
  
2.  Sweet potato fries, sweet potato casserole, a baked sweet potato, a bowl of butternut squash soup, a caramel apple or a slice of pumpkin pie...you have to order one thing on this list right now. Which one do you go for?
     I am going with the baked sweet potato. I do enjoy several of the other items on the list though.

3. What's a famous book set in your home state? Have you read it? On a scale of 1-5 (5 is fantastic) how many stars does it rate?
     The most famous book set in New Hampshire I suppose is "The Hotel New Hampshire, by John Irving. I have not read it so I cannot say where to rank it on the given scale. 

4. There are 60 days until Christmas...have you started your shopping? How do you stay organized for the holidays?
     No, I have not started my Christmas Shopping. How do I stay organized for the holidays...I don't!

5. October 26th is National Tennessee Day. Have you ever lived or spent any time in Tennessee? Is this a state you'd like to visit one day? The top rated tourist attractions in Tennessee are-

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park (Gatlinburg area), Elvis's Graceland (Memphis), Birth of the Music Biz (Memphis and Nashville), Dollywood (Pigeon Forge), Tennessee's Military Heritage (many battlefields), The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home), The Parthenon (Nashville), Oak Ridge American Museum of Science and Energy, Chattagnooa and the Tennessee Valley Railroad, Downtown Knoxville, Lookout Mountain, The Titanic Museum (Pigeon Forge), The Museum of Appalachia (Clinton), and The Lost Sea Adventure (Sweetwater)

How many on this list have you seen? Which one on the list would you most like to see?
     I have never been to the state of Tennessee. I would like to some day. There are a lot of attractions that I would find of interest to me. I think that I would most like to see Nashville, the home of Country Music.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.
     My beloved Red Sox are out of contention for the World Series. The dreaded Evil Empire, A.K.A. the Yankees, are also out of contention, having been beaten by the Houston, Astros who also beat the Red Sox. I am hoping that the Astros go all the way and beat the L.A. Dodgers in the World Series. Houston could use the uplift after the hurricane disaster earlier this year.
     My beloved Patriots seem to be making progress towards playing good football. They performed very well against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. I do not bear the Falcons any malice mind you. They are a good team with an excellent quarterback and other excellent key personnel. 
     It should also be noted that the teams that met in the Super Bowl were not the same teams that played Sunday night. There has been a number of personnel changes on both teams. GO PATS!
     Have a great week everyone!

PRIDE GOETH BEFORE THE FALL HODGEPODGE!

      Good morning to everyone. The Hurricane relief and recovery efforts in the southeast and Puerto Rico continue in full vigor. The wildfires in the northwest and the Golden State continue almost unabated. This has been an awful year for natural disasters to torment our great nation. Please continue your prayers and, where you can, financial and other material assistance. Also, please pray that no further disasters strike our great land.
     The investigation into the shooting incident in Las Vegas continues as well. How much more suffering can we endure? 
     Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and pull up a seat and take a break and enjoy some positive diversion that is the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you Joyce for another series of questions.  

1. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your sense of direction? 1=can't find my way out of a paper bag and 10=if I've been somewhere once I can find it blindfolded ten years later.
     I am SWMBO's human GPS. I have been blessed with an innate sense of direction. At the risk of sounding immodest I would rate myself a 10. When was the last time you looked at/used a map you could hold in your hand? (phones don't count!) 
     I used a folded paper map a couple of years ago when I was in an area that had no cellular coverage. We were in Maine. I usually have one as a back up. back east, down south, out west, up north
Choose one of these directional expressions and tell us why you chose it.
     I choose "back east" and by back east I mean the northeast. I choose the northeast because in my humble opinion it is the best part of the country to live. We have no indigenous land dwelling creatures that are poisonous and can kill you. The ocean is a different story. 
     Winter is a challenge but I see it as the price we must pay for the privilege of enjoying the other three spectacular Seasons.

2. Did you do more talking or listening yesterday? Is that typical? Describe your yesterday in one word.
     I did more listening yesterday. Yes, it is typical. One word...SWMBO!

3. Time, money, water-power-resources, opportunity...which one on the list are you most guilty of wasting? What might you do to change that?
     I guess I'm most guilty of wasting time. What I might do to change that is to procrastinate less and focus more on being task oriented and more productive.

4. Did  your family take regular vacations when you were a kid? Tell us something you remember about a family roadtrip from your own childhood.
     My family would often take a road trip to Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Canada. My dad's brother, Uncle Blackie, lived there. We always had a great time. Uncle Blackie was always fun to be around. He was an avid Canadiens fan. I am an avid Bruins fan. We had many good natured arguments about this storied hockey rivalry. I usually lost those arguments because the Canadiens usually won.

5. If you could grow anything you wanted, what would you grow? Why?
     If I had the proverbial green thumb, I would grow the standard fare of tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, etc. In addition I would grow watermelon, pumpkins and corn.
     I love farm fresh vegetables. I also love fresh corn on the cob with butter and salt, watermelon and pumpkin seeds.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

      Video of the damage caused by the recent wildfires in northern California are heartbreaking to see. Video of the damage inflicted by the recent hurricanes is likewise heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how I would feel if I lost everything I owned in one fell swoop.  My heart goes out to those who have. 
     Once again the American spirit is on display. Many of those who did lose everything and consented to be interviewed have expressed thankfulness that their loved ones are alive and unhurt. They express further a great optimism and determination to rebuild their homes and recover from their losses, no matter how long it may take them.
     So I ask again what I asked in my opening paragraph, to be in prayer for these people who have been affected by the storms and the wildfires. Also, if you are able and so inclined, please help financially as well. After all, it is the American way...it is the Christian way. God bless you and protect you!  

PRAYERS FOR LAS VEGAS HODGEPODGE

     Once again evil has reared its ugly head.  This time it was in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our Nation now mourns for the families of those who were murdered .  Again we pray for the swift recovery of those who were wounded.  Once again the nobility of the American citizen was on full display. 
     Once again it is Wednesday which means that it is time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thanks to Joyce Daley, the creator of the Wednesday Hodgepodge, for another set of interesting questions. So without further delay, I give you this week's Hodgepodge.

1.  Have you ever spent time on a farm? Tell us a little bit about it. Have you ever grown your own pumpkin? Been on a hayride? Driven a tractor? Milked a cow?
     I have visited farms from time totem but I never spent time on a farm. I have never grown my own pumpkin, either. There is a competition here in NH to see who can grow the biggest pumpkin. Competing gourds can grow as big a 2,000 pounds plus. Now that's an impressive pumpkin.
     I have been on a hayride several times. I came to appreciate mulled cider from my hayride experiences.
     I have never driven a tractor nor have I ever milked a cow. I'm a country boy but I'm not that country.

2. What's something younger you would like about you now? 
     I think my younger self would like my sense of empathy for others. I am certain that my younger self would like my sense of humor too.

3. What are three things you'd like to do more often? Three things you'd like to do less often?
     This question kind of question begs a couple of follow up questions "If you want to do them more often, then what's stopping you?" and "If you want to do them less often, then what's stopping you?"  
      There are things that I would like to do more often, go to a movie or a play with my beloved SWMBO. I would like to eat out more often, again with my beloved SWMBO. I would also like to get away somewhere that's quiet and secluded to read, pray, meditate and just enjoy the natural beauty around me.
     The things that I would like to do less often is eating those things that are bad for me. I would like to procrastinate less. Finally, I would like to overthink things less.
     I plead the fifth on the follow up questions above.

4. What's on your nachos?
     On my nacho's are the following: French fries, salsa, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, onions and of course melted cheese.

5. What's the most random thing in your purse or wallet? Does it need to stay there?
     I guess my Concealed Carry License. Yes, it definitely needs to stay there.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.
     My heart is broken at the growing division in this country. The bodies were still laying in the concert venue when some politicians, news reporters and others tried to exploit this incident for their own agendas.
     A lawyer for CBS said that she had no sympathy for the victims because they were mostly conservative and presumably gun enthusiasts and therefore deserved what they got.
     Politicians and news talking heads wasted no time in calling for more gun control laws. Lost on these people is the fact that the perpetrator violated several "gun laws" in the execution of this heinous act. I would also like to point out that we have laws prohibiting murder and the possession of controlled drugs. You cannot read a newspaper without reading a story about someone being killed or arrested for drug possession, often with intent to sell. MORE LAWS ARE NOT THE ANSWER! RESTRICTING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS IS NOT THE ANSWER!

     SWMBO UPDATE: SWMBO spent five days in the hospital. She is home now and doing so much better. Thank God for her doctors and especially her nurses who gave her excellent care. The doctors believe that the problem was caused by her electrolytes going way out of balance. I pray God that there is no repetition of this incident. Thank you all for your prayers and encouraging words.