YUCKY SUMMER COLDS HODGEPODGE!

     We are getting some much needed rain here in NH. Not that I'm complaining but it would be nice if we got the rain in installments and not all at once. I'm just sayin'! Also with the cahnge in temperature SWMBO and I have been fighting head/chest colds. Today is Wednesday and of course it's time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you Joyce for your efforts.

1. Something on your October calendar that makes you smile?

     Halloween, when little children increase their cuteness by wearing all manner of costumes. This year our church is doing "Trunk or Treat." I'm not sure exactly what that is but some people are excited to participate.

2. Food for the soul or music for the soul...which camp are you in? Tell us why.

     I'm in both camps. I love to eat good food and I love to listen to good music. My soul is enhanced by both!

3. What are two or three things you've learned recently as the result of an online search?

     I learned about Sadducees, Pharisees, Priests and Essenes. I was preparing for an adult Bible class that I agreed to teach.

4. Share your favorite game day recipe. You can describe it, post the how-to, or add a link to the actual recipe. 

     I keep it simple, I order pizza or have Salsa and Tortilla Chips with a cold beverage.

5. What are your five essential steps for creating the perfect morning routine?

    There is no such thing as a perfect morning routine. I am not a morning person in any way, shape or form.

6. What small thing have you taken note of today?

     I noticed that I needed to pay our car insurance bill.

7. Sum up your September in seven words or less.

     Cancer scare...Cancer sucks...Scare resolved...Whew!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     To elaborate on my answer to Question #7, in late August we had a routine follow up appointment with our local oncologist where we were told one of SWMBO's protein counts was significantly elevated which is one of the indicators of a flare up of her cancer. In late September we drove up to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) to meet with the director of the Transplant Department. This too was a routine follow up appointment. We were told that SWMBO was still in remission, that the doctors at DHMC look at a panel of fourteen proteins in addition to the one that was elevated. We were further told that the one that was elevated was not significant enough to cause concern. SWMBO, thankfully, is still in remission. Whew! Thank you all for your prayers and expressions of concern.

LAST SUMMER HODGEPODGE!

     Well, Summer 2015 is just about in the history books. Boy, it went by fast. Fall is upon us in NH. The leaves are changing color and the nights are getting cooler. Today's is also Wednesday which means Joyce Daley has some more questions for us, better known as the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Enjoy!

1. What have you 'fallen for' recently?

     I like watching Penn & Teller's "Fool Us" program. Magicians appear on stage and try to fool Penn & Teller with their magic tricks. If the fool Penn & Teller, they get to open up for them in their theater in Las Vegas, NV. Penn & Teller are seldom fooled. Me on the other hand, fall for the trick every time.

2. What's something you're 'squirreling away' for later?

     Treasure laid up in heaven!

3. How do you like your apples? Sweet? Tart? Crisp? Cooked? Apples are one of the superfoods for fall...how often do you eat an apple either plain or as part of a favorite recipe? What's your favorite variety?

     I love a crisp apple. My favorite is the Cortland Apple. I particularly like to eat slices of Cortland apples with slices of sharp cheddar cheese. I eat apples fairly often.

4. According to Fodor's the ten best fall foliage trips in the US of A are-Aspen Colorado, The Catskills New York, The Berkshires Massachusetts, Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Green Mountain Byway Vermont, Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway New Mexico, Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, Upper Peninsula Michigan, Lake of the Ozarks Missouri, and Glacier National Park Montana. Which would you most like to visit this fall and why?

     I think Fodor doesn't know what they're talking about. How can you possibly have a top ten list of foliage trips and not include the White Mountains of New Hampshire? 

5. The topic of legalizing marijuana was raised in the most recent televised political debate so let's wade in too. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Four states have legalize marijuana for recreational use. Your thoughts?

     I support laws that make legal "Medical Marijuana." I am opposed to legalizing the drug for recreational use. I base my opposition on thirty years of law enforcement experience. Marijuana is not as innocuous as alcohol no matter what the so called experts may tell you. It is definitely a gateway drug to stronger drugs like heroin, meth amphetamine, etc. 
  

6. Are you okay to watch a movie already in progress or do you need to always see it from the beginning? How about jumping into a TV series somewhere in the middle? Is that okay? 

     I'm okay to watch a movie already in progress and jump into a TV series somewhere in the middle.

7. Thursday (September 24) is National Punctuation Day. What rule of punctuation trips you up most often? What rule of punctuation, when broken by someone else, bugs you the most?

    There are rules? When did punctuation get it's own holiday? The world really has gone nuts!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     My beloved Red Sox are playing better ball for all the good it's doing them. They will still end up near the bottom of the standings. My beloved New England Patriots have won two games in a row. I hope the Patriots go undefeated all season through the Super Bowl and make Roger Goodell choke on the Lombardi Trophy as he presents it to Robert Kraft. Other than that I have no strong opinions on the matter.  

POST LABOR DAY HODGEPODGE!

     As I write this it is 0013 hrs, 09/09/2015. I am watching episodes of the West Wing on Netflix. My beloved SWMBO and the fur babied are safely ensconced in the land of Nod. Today is officially Hodgepodge Wednesday so...onto the Hodgepodge! 

1. Last thing you did on the spur of the moment?

     SWMBO and I packed up the fur babies and went to a nearby lake. Enroute we stopped at a burger stand to pick up some food to eat while we enjoyed the beauty of the lake. We walked around a little bit. We shared our food with the fur babies, of course. It was a nice little outing.

2. How well informed do you feel about the current Syrian refugee crisis?

   I watch the news coverage and read newspaper accounts so I am probably as well informed as the next guy. It is a tragedy that was predictable.

3. What have you changed your mind about? 

     I really don't know. Being always right as I am I can't imagine changing my mind about anything. I mean, if I'm always right why would I change and be wrong? If anyone believes the preceding two sentences they need to cut back on their naivite meds.

4. A medium sized non-poisonous snake found it's way into the pool trap this weekend. If you'd been sitting poolside would you have fished it out? Gone running? Called for help? Pretended not to know? Continued swimming?

     I'd fish it out because SWMBO would not stop screaming until I did.

5. September 10th is National TV Dinner Day...what's your idea of a great TV dinner? (Or at least a pretty good one!) 

     Sirloin steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and corn. Yumm!

6. Samuel Johnson is quoted as saying, "Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other." Would you agree? Where have you seen that played out recently? What's the second greatest virtue?

     I agree with Mr. Johnson. The lady clerk in Kentucky who went to jail rather than violate her principles is a good example of "Courage" in action. I believe the second greatest virtue is integrity. Integrity is the second greatest because it often involves the first virtue, courage.

7. What are three words you have trouble remembering how to spell?

     Cut and paste the answer to question #3 here. Just kidding...here are three of the many words I often misspell:  "kaleidoscope," "paraphernalia," and "acquaintance."

8. Insert your own random thought here.

     I am sure that it comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am NOT a fan of our former Secretary of State who is currently running for the Democratic Presidential Nomination. If this woman ever gets elected as President we are doomed as a Nation. This woman possesses neither courage nor integrity. All her public life has been characterised by shady deals, lies and malfeasance. This woman is a millionaire today because of such shennanigans. Thus ended this rant!
     

GOODBY SUMMER, HELLO FALL HODGEPODGE!

     So here it is September already. Summer has gone by way too quickly! Today is another Wednesday Hodgepodge day. Thank you Joyce for another set of questions. Enjoy this weeks edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge!

1. What's on your September calendar? Anything fun? 

     SWMBO and I are planning a get away towards the end of the month. We don't know the particulars as yet. It will involve going away for a day or two.

2. You might be described as a natural born _____________________?

     Nice Guy! I try to be pleasant with everybody, even those I don't particularly like. I seldom return a slight in kind. I tend to be slow to anger and quick to forgive. I think I read that in a book somewhere.

3. September is National Courtesy Month...what one act of courtesy would you most like to see more of in your home, town, or the world at large? 

      I would absolutely love it if people would stop shooting policemen! I would also like to see the "Black Lives Matter" go away!

4. Eager beaver, chicken out, clam up, or let the cat out of the bag...of the phrases listed, which one have you related to most recently? 

     "Clam Up!" I often keep silent to avoid a confrontation, especially if it's over something I consider to be silly.

5. What's your movie theatre snack protocol? Do you chow down on snacks during the previews or wait until the movie begins? Do you buy snacks or refuse to pay those kind of prices? What's the last movie you saw in a theatre? How many thumbs up would you give it?

     When SWMBO and I take in a movie we have to get popcorn and a beverage. Sometimes I splurge and get some peanut M&M's. I think the last movie I saw in a theater was "American Sniper." I'd give it five thumbs up on a scale of one to five.

6. Henry Ford is quoted as saying, "Nobody can think straight who does not work. Idleness warps the mind." Agree or disagree? Why?

     I disagree! Often quiet times of contemplation results in new ideas and ways to improve on things.

7. What's the last job you completed or task you performed where you had to 'work like a dog' until it was finished?

     Completing this year's A to Z Blogging Challenge was such an endeavor!

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

     We have a Double "A" professional baseball team in a nearby city. They're an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. SWMBO and I attended a game this evening, courtesy of a friend who had tickets that they couldn't use. We had a wonderful time together and the home team won by a score of 5 - 2 making our evening even better! A night out together without the fur babies was just what we needed! 

IS IT REALLY A MYSTERY?

     

     There is death and mayhem being perpetrated all over our beloved Nation. Some people have responded with shock. Some have responded with anger! Others have responded with opinions why the killings happened.

     Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 our society has terminated the life of millions of babies, many in the third trimester of development. At the time of this horrible U.S. Supreme Court decision, people were ridiculed for asserting that this decision would lead to the devaluing of human life.

     In May of 2013, Kermit Gosnell, a Philadelphia doctor, was convicted of three counts of 1st degree murder for severing the spinal column of babies who survived his abortion procedure and were born alive. He was also convicted of manslaughter in the death of Karnamagar Mongar who was given a lethal dose of demerol. Gosnell was also convicted of 21 felony counts of performing late term abortions and 211 counts of violating the 24-hour Informed Consent Law.

     Most recently we have all been shocked by the revelation that Planned Parenthood clinics were selling body parts from aborted babies. There have been a number of candid videos where Planned Parenthood officials cavalierly described the process of how body parts are harvested and sold.

     On July 20, 2012, James E. Holmes walked into a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and opened fire. He killed twelve people and wounded seventy others. On August 7, 2015, James was sentenced to serve twelve life terms for 1st degree murder, one for each person that he killed. He was further sentenced to 3, 318 years for attempted first degree murder for each of the people he wounded. 

     On August 28, 2015, Harris County Sheriff Deputy Darren Goforth was refueling his patrol car at a Houston, TX, gas station. As he was doing so, someone approached him from behind and shot him dead. A 30 year old black man, Shannon Miles has been arrested for the shooting and charged with Capital Murder.

     Is it really a mystery why there is so much senseless killing. The cause of these deaths is "Evil" pure and simple! The people who cause theses deaths are "Evil" pure and simple. ALL LIVES REALLY DO MATTER, BLACK LIVES, WHITE LIVES, PRE-BORN LIVES, ELDERLY LIVES, POLICE LIVES  AND YES, EVEN CRIMINAL LIVES MATTER! Unfortunately society has been devaluing human life to the point where this fact is no longer self evident! Many take this devaluation if life to heart and commit these horrible acts. May God forgive us and may we begin anew to value life for the God given unique preciousness that it possesses! 

   

A FOOD SHOPPING HODGEPODGE !

     This is the last Wednesday Hodgepodge of August 2015. Can you believe it? Well, just look at the first question...that should settle the matter for you. Join in on the fun. You meet the nicest people at the Hodgepodge Cafe every week! Today I did the food shopping for SWMBO and I! Wow! Either I need to do food shopping more frequently before we run out of everything or WE need to cut back on our food intake or I need to eat something before we go food shopping!

1. It's hard to believe, but next week's Hodgepodge will find us in the month of September. What's one thing you want, need, or hope to do still before summer officially ends?

     Enjoy some nice, steaming hot corn on the cob. Maybe go to the beach for some fried dough too.

2. When were you last at 'your wit's end'?

     A few seconds after reading this question. I apparently used up all my wits on the previous two questions.

3. Describe a time you were figuratively thrown into 'the deep end'?

     When I was a young patrolman, I was assigned as the department "Police Prosecutor." In NH police officers often are tasked with presenting traffic violations and criminal cases in the District Court. I was sent to a two week training course after which "SPLASH!" I'm in the deep end and over my head!

4. Does the end always, ever, or never justify the means? Explain.

     I suppose that it depends on the context. On rare occasions the ends do justify the means. Mostly, however, people use this old saw to justify what they know to be wrongful conduct.

5. What makes your hair stand on end?

     Heights! Looking at high definition pictures taken from great heights makes my hair stand on end, much less actually being at those great heights. Ironically I love to fly! Go figure!

6. I read an article on the website Eat This! Health, that listed 11 foods we can eat to help end bad moods. Basically it's a feed your brain so you're less anxious, grouchy and lethargic. The foods are-mussels, swiss chard, blue potatoes, grass fed beef, dark chocolate, greek yogurt, asparagus, honey, cherry tomatoes, eggs, and coconut. Which of those do you think would most help end your own bad mood? Which do you fear, if forced to eat, would put you into a bad mood?

     Mussels, Swiss Chard and Dark Chocolate would put me into a bad mood.

7. What project around your home, office, or life in general feels like there is 'no end in sight'?

     Yard Work! There is always more grass to mow, weeds to whack, tree's to trim or cut down, leaves to rake, snow to shovel...it never freakin' ends! UGH!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     Don Orsillo has been the voice of my beloved Red Sox since 2001. Today it was reported that at the end of the season he will no longer be broadcasting Red Sox televised games. Normally when a team is playing badly, they fire the manager. The Red Sox have been playing so badly that they fired the announcer! Wow!

HEAT WAVE HODGEPODGE!

     We have been having a Heat Wave in the Granite State. SWMBO loves it...I have the opposite view. The new fur baby is settling in nicely. August is a little jealous at all the attention the new dog gets that he used to get. 
     As always, thanks to our Hodgepodge Mistress Joyce for another set of questions. If you don't Hodgepodge you're missing out on a lot of fun.

1. Way back when (the Hodgepodge bicentennial to be precise) several of you submitted questions as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I went back to that list for inspiration today and found a question  submitted by Marla, who blogs over at Marla's Musings. Thanks Marla! 

She asks-At what age did you feel like a 'grown-up'? What keeps you young now?   

     The day I became a man was the day that I finally beat my Dad at a game of Chess. I think I was about 24 years old. He was a master at giving me a false sense of security by complementing my chess moves as we played. Inevitably his complements led to me being Checkmated.
     My beloved SWMBO keeps me young. I love watching her interact with our granddaughters. I love the fact that we are more in love now than when we were newlyweds. That keeps me young now!

2. When did you last buy a vehicle? Was this by design or because you had no other option? Was the car/truck purchased for your own personal use or was it bought for someone else to drive? On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being delightful and 1 being 'pass the Excedrin') how would you rate the experience?

      It's been years since we bought a new (used) car. It was out of necessity and it was purchased for our personal use. On a scale of 1 - 10 the experience was about a "4."

3. Corn bread, corn chips, corn pudding, corn on the cob, cornflakes, corn chowder-your favorite of the corn-y foods listed? What needs to be served alongside your selection?

     My favorite is corn on the cob. I like a nice juicy cheeseburger or a barbecued steak served along side my corn.

4. What's something in your life that regularly requires you to 'put your thinking cap on'?

     Completing the weekly Hodgepodge questions.  Preparing a Bible sermon or a Bible class also requires a lot of thought.

5. Share a favorite movie set in a school or classroom, or whose theme relates to school days in some way.

     "Mr Holland's Opus" is one of my favorites. 

6. Reading, writing, and 'rithmatic' are commonly referred to as the three R's. What are the three R's in your life right now?

     Reading, 'riting & rheumatism! If I awoke and did not hurt anywhere I'd think I was dead.

7. What's something you've learned or tried recently you can say was as 'easy as ABC'?

     I recently added an external hard drive to back up our computer files. That was fairly simple.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

     I don't believe in UFO's and by UFO's I mean extraterrestrial life. If you consider that most reported extraterrestrial contact have not been with the best and brightest that our species has to offer. If there is extraterrestrial intelligence and they are able to travel across galaxies doesn't it make sense that they would have contacted someone who had a better than average chance to understand their attempts at communication?
     I must state, by way of full disclosure, that neither NASA nor MENSA has my telephone ringing off the hook seeking my input on anything. If there is extraterrestrial life, I would not be among the best and brightest referenced above.
     I also do not believe in ghosts and by ghosts I mean disembodied spirits. There is a vast amount of phenomena that occur for which explanations are lacking. These phenomena are often attributed to ghosts. I believe that there is another explanation even if I am unable to come up with it. 
    Do you have any thoughts of your own?