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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

FAREWELL AND REST IN PEACE HODGEPODGE!



     A very good morning to one and all in Hodgepodge land. I wish you all the best that life has to offer. Here in the Granite State it is a beautiful day. My beloved SWMBO and I went out for a nice breakfast. It was a nice start to our day.
     We recently lost a very classy first lady. Barbara Bush was a woman who distinguished herself as a wife, as a mother and as a first lady. Her devotion to improving literacy for all people everywhere was, and still is, so much needed. Her exemplary efforts to combat AIDs in children was inspiring. Her personality was welcoming and her sense of humor was remarkable. Farewell dear lady and rest in peace. 
      Today being Wednesday, we have a new Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you Joyce Daley. Enjoy!

1. They say you learn something new every day. What did you learn yesterday?
     Yesterday while I was channel surfing I happened upon the Who performing their rock opera, Tommy, at the Royal Albert Hall. I learned that seeing Tommy performed live was much better than listening to the album(s).

 
2. Have you ever had a now or never moment? Elaborate.
     I am sure that I have had such moments but nothing comes to mind.


3.  April 25th is National Telephone Day. Do you still have a land line or have you gone mobile only? When you receive a text message do you respond immediately? Last time you turned your phone off?  In two or three sentences share with us a story/memory/incident from your childhood (or something current if that's too hard) where the telephone is featured.
     We do still have a land line. When I receive a text I try to respond in a timely fashion. Sometimes it is immediately, other times, for a variety of reasons, it is later.

     The last time that I turned my phone off was on a Sunday, at church.
     We had one phone in our house when I was a child. We were not allowed to answer the phone. Once, I answered the phone. The caller asked to speak to my dad. I hung up the phone to go look for him and tell him that he had a call. I failed to get the name of the caller so we never knew who it was I hung up on.
 
4. Close call, at someone's beck and call, call the shots, call a meeting, call it quits, call in sick, call on the carpet, wake up call...which call have you 'heard' recently? Explain.
     I am at someone's beck and call. I call her SWMBO! I know that that does not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. 


5. What subject do you wish you'd paid more attention to in school?
     I wished that I had paid more attention in Algebra class. That failure to pay attention adversely affected my education, much to my regret. I had to retake Algebra which resulted in my not taking trigonometry which caused me to fail miserably when I took physics. I am here to tell you that choices and stupidity has consequences. 

  
6. Insert your own random thought here.

     Two police officers were seated in a restaurant eating breakfast. An armed man walks up to the window where the officers were seated and opened fire killing both officers. 
     Yesterday a man drove a van down a Toronto street deliberately running over pedestrians, killing ten people and injuring more.
     A man with a history of aberrant behavior opened fire on a Waffle House in Tennessee. He killed four people and injured four people.
     It seems to me that we have devalued human life. You cannot read a newspaper without reading about some horrific act of violence and mayhem. 
    The problem is not too many guns. The problem is not enough God. We once had a respect for the principles embodied in the ten commandments, the rule of law and in the golden rule, "...doing unto others what we would have done unto us.
     I pray that God creates in us a new heart and renews a right spirit within all of us. Amen!

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

CUE THE BEATLE'S "WHEN I'M SIXTY FOUR" HODGEPODGE!


     Happy Hump Day to all who have made it this far. We are into the 2nd quarter of the year. How is your year going so far? As usual, our year has been fraught with some ups and some downs, but we endure by the grace of God.
     Yesterday, SWMBO and I celebrated the completion of my 64th trip around the ball of burning hot gas called the Sun, hence the title of this post.
     The baseball season is well underway as are the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I hope your team does well, that is unless they are playing my team.
     We have another Wednesday Hodgepodge today, so thank you Joyce Daley for another set of questions. So, without further ado...the Hodgepodge!

1. Three things on your spring bucket list? If you don't have an actual list that's fine, pretend you do.
    Three things on my Spring bucket list is watch and score Red Sox Baseball, with Bruins Playoff Ice Hockey and refinance our home mortgage.

2. Where do you find rest? What restores your soul? When was the last time you did whatever it was you answered here?
      I find rest in watching and scoring a baseball game. I find that sharing a meal and sharing good conversations with my beloved SWMBO or good friends restores my soul. The last time that I did that was last night when SWMBO took me out to dinner.

3. April is National Celery Month. Who knew? Do you like celery? What's your favorite dish made with celery? On a veggie and dip platter which would you reach for first-carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumbers or cherry tomatoes? 
      I do like celery. I do not think I have a favorite dish but I like celery in soups. I like celery filled with cream cheese or peanut butter. As regarding veggie and dip platters I usually do grab a few stalks of celery first. 

4. I read here eight things to do before 8 am to make your day less hectic-Start one load of laundry, drink water, empty the dishwasher, read your Bible, know what you're having for dinner, get dressed, brain dump (two lists-one what you're thankful for and one what's weighing on your mind), and after the brain dump make your to-list for the day

How many of these are you currently doing? Which one do you think would help the most if you added it to your early morning routine?
     The only thing that I do before 8 am is get dressed. I usually do by Bible study and quiet time in the evening after SWMBO and the "Littles" go to bed. I also do my brain dumping in the evening. I drink water throughout the day, along with a cup of coffee or two and/or maybe a cup of tea. 

5. Describe the view from your window.
     Looking out the window from where I am typing this I see our unpaved gravel driveway below me. To the right is our front lawn. To the left is our garden shed. At the end of our driveway on the left is a utility pole with a transformer. Also on the left is a smattering of trees. At the end of our driveway on the right is our mailbox and a lamp on a pole. There is also a smattering of trees. Across the street from the end of our driveway is a wetland and looking up I see gray overcast clouds. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.
       This past weekend our church held our annual youth rally. There were around forty teens from area congregations. Our speaker was a former member who now preaches full time. He travelled with his lovely bride from the Lone Star State to speak to us. The theme of the weekend was "Jesus, The Good Shepherd." The sermon text was the 23rd Psalm.    
       Several members of the congregation stepped up to take responsibility for various functions that are necessary to host such an event. Several members stepped up to help those members complete their functions that made the weekend a success. I am so proud of the church members and their heart for God and for young people. I pray God's blessings upon all who participated.



Wednesday, April 11, 2018

GO BRUINS AND GO SOX HODGEPODGE!




     A pleasant good morning to one and all. Welcome back to our Hodgepodge Mistress and thank you for another wonderful set of questions. 
     My beloved Red Sox have begun their season in good style. As of this writing they are 8 and 1 on the young season. This is the first time in franchise history that they have begun a season so well. 
     My beloved Bruins ended their season in less than stellar fashion but they clinched a spot in the upcoming playoffs so life is good. 
     I encourage you to participate in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. It really is easy. Click on over to "From This Side of the Pond" and simply follow the directions. You will be glad that you did.
     And now....the Hodgepodge. 

1. April is National Jazz Appreciation Month. Are you a fan? If so what's a favorite you'd recommend to someone new to jazz listening?

      I am a fan of most types of Jazz. My taste runs more to the smoother side of the genre. I would recommend newcomers start there, listening to someone like Kenny G. and then explore other styles and artists until they find something or someone more to their taste.

2. Mandolin, ukulele, harp, accordion or banjo...which would you be most interested in learning to play? Or do you already play one of the instruments listed?
     I think that I would choose the mandolin. It seems to me to be more akin to the guitar with which I sometimes succeed in making music.

3. Do you judge a book by it's cover? Elaborate. You may answer in either/both the literal or figurative sense of the word.
     To be completely honest, yes I do. If I am looking to buy or borrow a book to read, the cover synopsis has to grab me, or I will not buy or borrow the book. 
      I sometimes judge people "...by their cover," in a manner of speaking. I have become quite cynical after my many years in law enforcement. A police officer's survival could very well depend upon their ability to evaluate people and distinguish between those who pose a danger and those who do not. I therefore tend to take a wait and see attitude before I'm willing to "buy the book."  If that makes me a bad person, well, so be it.

4. According to a recent study the ten most nutritious foods are-almonds, cherimoya (supposed to taste like a cross between a pineapple/banana), ocean perch, flatfish (such as flounder and halibut), chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, swiss chard, pork fat (shocking! but I don't think they mean bacon), beet greens, and red snapper. Are any of these foods a regular part of your diet? Any you've never ever tasted? Which would you be most inclined to add to your diet?
     I eat a fair amount of almonds. I do not eat fish due to allergies. I have never tried any of the other items mentions. I would be most likely to add cherimoya to my diet because I like both banana and pineapple.

5. Besides a major holiday what is the most recent thing you've celebrated with your people? Tell us how.
     That's easy! My beloved SWMBO and I celebrated the 35th anniversary of her 29th birthday in late March. The day began with her receiving a tasteful birthday card. She was then treated to a fine breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast restaurants. Then at dinner, we went to the Outback restaurant where we had a fine meal and some wonderful conversation. A fun time was had by all.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

     BREAKING NEWS: The Boston Red Sox just spanked the "Evil Empire," AKA the New York Yankees beating them by a score of 14 to 1. Happiness is a Red Sox win. Ecstasy is a Red Sox win against the Yankees. 
     People will sometimes ask me which baseball team is my favorite. My answer is that I have two favorite teams, the Boston Red Sox and whoever is playing the Yankees.
     The rivalry is real! However, and at the risk of my losing my citizenship in Red Sox nation, there are players who wear, or have worn, the Yankee pinstripes who have garnered my respect and admiration. In my estimation, the only flaw that I can see in these people is that they played for the Yankees. Otherwise they were exceptional human beings and outstanding baseball players.
     GO RED SOX!