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.

A SCARY HALLOWEEN HODGEPODGE!

     The invasion of ghosts, goblins and every sort of costumed ghoul will soon be upon us.  It is once again that time of year. The weather has turned much cooler. SWMBO and I have begun the annual exercise of battening down the hatches, preparing for the inevitable arrival of Old Man Winter. Window screens have been put up and glass window panes have been reinstalled. We have much yet to get done. AAAAAARRRGHH!
     And now the Wednesday Hodgepodge.....

1. Besides your very own house, describe a place where you feel most 'at home'? 
     I asked SWMBO what she thought about this question. Her answer is the same as mine. We both feel most at home when we are  with our church family. They are a wonderful group of kind, accepting and loving people.

2. When did you last 'hit a home run' with something? Explain. 
     I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things. I noticed that there was Egg Nog in the dairy coolers. I picked up a quart and surprised my beloved SWMBO. She was well pleased!

3. Tell us about something you love in your house or kitchen that is 'homemade'. 
     Several years ago, before we moved into ur current house I took a kitchen cabinet and made it into a rolling breakfast counter/buffet table.  I fastened a counter top to it as well as four caster wheels.  We bought bar stools to go with it. We brought it with us to our current house but our kitchen is too small to accommodate it. We placed it in our family room. SWMBO uses it as a sewing aid. She cuts patterns and material on it. I use it to wrap presents around Christmas time.  

4. 'A man's home is his castle'...which of the world's ten most captivating castles (according to The Travel Channel) would you most like to visit and why-

Mont Saint-Michel (France), Edinburgh Castle (Scotland), Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany), Glamis Castle (Scotland), Windsor Castle (England), Chateau de Chambord (France), Hampton Court Palace (England), Prague Castle (Prague), St. Michael's Mount (England), Leeds Castle (England), and Swallow's Nest (Ukraine)
     I don't have a desire to visit any of the listed castles. I did visit Norwich Castle in Norwich, Norfolk, England, when I was stationed there in the mid 1970's. I am certain that the mentioned castles have a charm all their own. However, as far as I'm concerned if you've seen one castle you've seen them all.

5. What's a recent or upcoming plan or project that's required you do a little homework before getting started? Did the homework cause you to abandon your plan or adjust it in some way?
      I need to clean the pellet stove and flue pipe and I did some research on the best way to do it. I also wanted to read about potential problems and how to avoid them. I haven't cleaned the stove as yet but I'm not put off from trying to do it myself.
    
6. In your opinion, is homework an unnecessary evil or a valuable practice? Should schools be done with homework? Why or why not? 
     I believe it's a valuable practice. It helps a student apply the concepts that are taught in class. However, homework just for homework's sake is an unnecessary evil.

7. Share a favorite memory of your childhood hometown. 
     I grew up about 75 yards from the Merrimack River in Lowell, MA.  There was a huge rock located on the far side of the river that was in the approximate shape of a human skull. We called it "Skull Rock." My friends and I had many hours of imaginative fun at Skull Rock.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
    The 2016 MLB World Series began last night between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs. Neither team has won a World Series since way before I was born and I am currently 62 years old. You do the math. 
     I am pulling for the Cubs to win but I wouldn't be heart broken if the Indians were to win. There are connections to my beloved Red Sox on both teams. So, I will follow the series this year and just enjoy the excellent play of both teams. What a great thing for professional baseball! GO CUBS!

A DREARY MORNING HODGEPODGE!

     Here we are again. Another Wednesday has come around again. That means another Wednesday Hodgepodge is somewhere around here. I had it just a moment ago. Oh, here it is...right here in front of me on my laptop's keyboard.  Thank you Joyce Daley for another fun series of questions. And now, before it escapes again, this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge!

1. What would you say is your strongest sense? 
     Upon reflection I would have to say that my strongest sense is my sense of humor. I really love a good laugh even if it's at my expense. I particularly love humorous anecdotes that have an unusual twist. 
     Notwithstanding my need for reading glasses, my vision is pretty good too.

2. Do you believe in the idea of a 'sixth sense'? Why or why not?
     I'm not sure about ESP, if that's what you mean by a sixth sense. I do believe that we all have a certain level of intuition which often is perceived as a kind of sixth sense. I believe this because I have personally experienced this.

3. When do you most feel like a slave to time? Explain.
     Always!

4. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? How would you rate the experience? If you could own a restaurant what kind would it be? 
     In my youth I worked in a restaurant called the Bradford House. I worked as a busboy and worked myself up to line cook. It was mostly an enjoyable experience. I liked the people I worked with.

5. Ever traced your family tree? Share something interesting you learned there.
     I have a friend who does geneology work as a hobby. He traced my family's lineage back to the 1600's. My forbears lived in a small town along the St. Lawrence seaway near Trois Rivieres (Three Rivers), Quebec, Canada. 
     My dad told me that his mother was part indian. I never knew my paternal grandparents because they died before I was born. So I too might be part indian.

6. What did your childhood bedroom look like?
     My older brother and I shared a bedroom. There were two single beds, two chest of drawers and linoleum flooring. There was a window that opened to a flat gravel roof over the kitchen. There was also a radiator that provided heat.

7. Anyone who knows me knows I love_______________________?
     ...my beloved SWMBO, my grandkids and Pecan Pie.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
     The colors of our fall foliage has been spectacular this year. Some talking heads opined that due to drought conditions the colors would probably be subdued. They were wrong. I love living in New Hampshire. I love that a person can do anything that a person might want to do. Everything is a short one or two hour drive. I love watching the change of the seasons.
     A couple of weeks ago I came home to find a huge owl perched atop my garden shed. It is not unusual for us to see wild turkeys, Canada geese, deer and other wild animals around as we move about. It is really great witnessing God's awesome creation every day. 
     Have a great week everyone!

A COLD & FLU SEASON HODGEPODGE!

      Well, here we are again. It is time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge. It is good that our hostess, Joyce Daley, is back with another series of questions. The foliage is at peak color here in the Granite State. The weather has turned cooler as is normal at this time of the year. 
     SWMBO and I are swapping colds like they were commodities. I hope that we can both get rid of our colds at the same time. Now on to the Hodgepodge.

1. What would you say is the best and worst thing about moving house?
       The best thing about moving house is thar you are forced to handle all of your possessions as you pack and choose whether to bring them to your new house. The worse thing about moving house is all the packing and then all the unpacking and the deciding where everything goes in the new place.

2. What's moved you recently?
     The views from the top of Mount Washington a couple of weeks ago.

3. Do you feel your life is moving forward, backward, or is on hold? How so?
     Life is moving ever onward.

4. On the move, move mountains, get a move on, it's your move, or bust a move...which phrase best applies to some aspect of your life right now? Explain.
     "Get a move on" applies right now. I have a lot of "stuff" to do before the snow flies.

5. What song makes you want to get up and move?
     Pretty much any hard driving rock song from the group Boston.

6. Your favorite snack to grab when you're 'on the move'?
     SWMBO and I usually have some yogurt covered raisins or yogurt covered pretzels handy.

7. What one accessory makes your house feel like home?
     For me it's my rocker recliner.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
     The state of public discourse in America today makes me sad. It is often profane and/or vulgar. The current election cycle does not make me optimistic about the future of the United States. God help us. 

WOW! WHAT A VIEW HODGEPODGE!

     Welcome to another Wednesday Hodgepodge. You will need to read my Random Thought to understand the title of this week's edition of the Hodgepodge. Thanks to our Hodgepodge Mistress, Joyce Daley, for another thought provoking series of questions. Now onto the this weeks edition!

1. Have you ever been to and/or lived near the desert? What did you think? Travel and Leisure lists the 'coolest' American desert towns as-

Palm Springs CA, Virgina City NE, Bend OR, Winslow AZ, Marfa TX, Grand Junction CO, Silver City NM, Moab UT, Taos NM, Yakima WA, Borrego Springs CA, Terlingua TX, and St. George UT, and Tubac AZ

Have you been to any of these? Would you like to visit a desert town? Which on the list would you most like to see?
       SWMBO and I lived on Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico, back in the early 1970's. The back yard of our on base housing abutted a desert. The most beautiful sunsets that I have ever seen in my life were from my backyard. I have not been to any of the towns listed in the above question nor do I have a strong desire to do so. I have nothing against the towns, I just don't have a need to visit them.

2. What's a plan or project you've deserted in the past year?
     I have not caught up on the yard work at SWMBO and my palatial estate. Actually it is a modest sized house on 1.4 acres. 

3. Desert-dessert? Share two or three words you find yourself having to think twice about when it comes to spelling.  
     Counsel - Council

4. High and dry, like watching paint dry, dry run, dry as dust, not a dry eye in the house...which phrase can you relate to currently? Explain.
     I've got nothing!

5. How often do you frequent the dry cleaners? Starch or no starch?
     I don't use dry cleaners very often since I retired five years ago. I went "no starch" when it came to my clothes, shirts mostly.

6. What's a food or beverage you enjoy that's named for a place?
     I am going with "Chinese Pie." Frankly, I had trouble thinking of food named after a place. I look forward to reading everyone's answers.

7. Do you need solitude? 
     Sometimes, I do. I like/need to get away and spend time alone reading or praying or comtemplating life and it's difficulties. Most of the time I love being with other people.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
     On Monday of this week SWMBO wanted to go leaf peeping in NH's White Mountains. As part of our excursion she wanted to drive to the top of Mt. Washington, New Englands highest mountain peak, via the Mount Washington Auto Road.  This so called road is barely wide enough for two cars to pass side by side. It is eight miles to the the top of Mt. Washington. There are no guardrails alongside the road and some of the drop offs are hundreds of feet down. Not being very fond of heights, I white knuckled the steering wheel most of those eight miles. I also did not get to enjoy the spectacular views during the ascent because I was "laser beam" focused on keeping our car on the roadway. 
     Once we reached the summit, we parked our car and walked up several flights of stairs to a visitor's center which had an observation platform from which the words "Wow! What a view!" inevitably falls from your lips. The views are truly spectacular. Visibility was about 100 miles. The temperature on top of Mt. Washington was about 30 degrees, 35 degrees colder than at the bottom. There were remnants of recent snowfalls at various spots around the summit.
     The drive down the mountain was as scary as the drive up. However on the way down we pulled over a couple of times for about ten minutes at a time to allow our brakes to cool. There are paved areas alongside the road for that very purpose. 
     If you're ever in the Granite State I recommend that you visit Mt. Washington. If you are not afraid of heights, try driving up the Auto Road. If you are afraid of heights there are a few shuttle vans that runs up and down the mountain during business hours. Another option is to ride the Cog Railway. It's a train specifically designed to make it up the side of the mountain.