Leaping Into Wednesday Hodgepodge

Thank you Joyce for the Leap Year edition of the Hodgepodge.  What fun because it will be years before we get this again.

1. The Hodgepodge falls on the last day of February this year, a leap year. How will you spend that extra day?

I will be spending some of the day in class with August. He graduates Level 1 on Wednesday and continues with his beginner agility class. He loves agility.  Also there is a snow storm coming so I will be watching the weather report and if the snow fails to come, I'll be going to mid week Bible study. How's that for a full day!

2. What has recently required a leap of faith on your part?

Personal Finances are what my mind wonders about. This requires a leap of faith so that I don't worry about it but lay it at the feet of the Master who answers all prayers.

3. We're one week into the season of Lent...are you marking these 40 days in some way? Giving something up or adding something extra to normal life? How's it going so far?

I am not giving up anything for lent but I am spending more time in prayer for others. So far, there are a lot of people to pray for so I'm busy.

4. When was the last time you sat beside a fire?

Last night. Hubby got the pellet stove going  and I did some sewing by it. I continue to make harnesses for August to wear. I love our pellet stove! 

5. Surf and Turf is on the menu. Do you order as is or do you ask for just the surf (lobster), just the turf (steak), or a menu so you can select another option?

That is a lot of food so most likely I will select another option where I can have what I want in the size that I want.

6. If you could have any television program back, not in reruns but in new episodes, what program would you choose?

 I think I would like the Dick Van Dyke Show. Skits like this make me smile. Sweet and simple joys.

7. They say an elephant never forgets. These days would you say your memory is more like an elephant or a gnat?

It seems that my short term memory is more of the gnat variety. I can't remember if I emailed someone, or where my shoes are.  I think I just need a day to sleep and think. I feel like I'm running a race some days.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The theme for today is: Something I'm listening to.

I got this app to listen to some radio stations at work since I don't have great reception at my desk and can get only 1 AM and 1FM station. What I found was this section of really old broadcast stations. They have Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Amos and Andy and George and Gracie and other old time broadcasts that  included mystery theater - westerns - comedy and the like. I didn't grow up listening  to the radio like the Walton's (I'm not THAT old).  I had a TV that we watched in the evening so I never heard these broadcasts. I am so enjoying this. I feel like the Walton's sitting in the living room staring at the "radio" and imagining the story. The app is free and so are the stations. I hope one day to hear "War of the Worlds" the way is was broadcast on the radio and caused so much panic.


Now it's your turn, Join us will you?

Abba - Money, Money, Money: Photo Challenge of the day.

I love this song, it makes me smile every time I hear it.

Weekend Review and Photo Challenge 27.

August peeking out at me from under the wall at Puppy Day Care!  Good thing he is not any smaller or he may be able to get out!

How was your weekend? Ours had snow, cold, friends, worship, sewing, icing my hand, and of course The Oscars. Did you watch? Oh go ahead and tell me that you did peek at it if only to watch the outfits of the red carpet or  Billy Crystal's Opening Monologue. We watched Star Trek and when the commercials were on we would flip over to see the Red Carpet. Then we flipped back to Star Trek.

Photo Challenge #27 was: "Something I Ate."

Sunday I really wanted Chocolate so I went to  Your Lighter Side and looked up something for Breakfast because I love to have Chocolate  for Breakfast you know. I looked up and found these Chocolate Donuts and made them and all I can say is "OH MY! I'M IN LOVE". If you haven't visited her site, you should, she is one great cook and they were great. I tripled the recipe so I would have some for today.  Here is HER photo of the donuts. Mine didn't look as great but they sure did taste great. Plus nothing in the photo challenge rules said that it had to be my photo of something I ate and her photo looks better.  

How about you, what did you eat this weekend that was great?

Photo Challenge 24 & 25 & 26

I did take the photo for Friday but I hurt my right hand by tripping over Becke, the wonder dog, and my hand was swollen and I really didn't type much at all for the last few days so since I'm feeling better and the swelling is down right now I will play catch up.

Photo Challenge for the 24th was: Inside my Bathroom Cabinet.

Boy was I glad that last week I cleaned the bathroom and that meant the cabinet as well. So it is now clean and ready to be shown to the world.
I don't have a built in cabinet in our bathroom so this is the freestanding one in there.

This is the inside, all nice a tidy now.

Photo Challenge #25: Green

I love the color Green. I love that it looks like earth, green grass, green trees. Reminds me of summer, of warmer days and long naps out on the recliner on the deck; Sipping ice tea watching the garden grow. Staying up late because the sun is still in the sky. Getting up with the sun means getting up at 5am. Soft breezes on my face and plants growing. Summer is green!  

This hangs over the entranceway to the dining room. It's a reminder that summer is coming.

It was snowing a bit this morning but only a little of it stuck on the ground. The green trees against the white ground to me is very pretty.

When you think of green, what comes to mind? Is it a color that you like or not?

Photo for the 26th: Night

What better way to enjoy a night in NH, when it's all of 34 degrees with a wind chill making it feel colder, then hanging out by the pellet stove.  The house is warm and toasty as we watch the Oscars. My kind of night. 

So for "night" I give you the warmth of our stove.

Ok I'm all caught up now. Glad that February is a short month.

Photo Challenge of the day: Shoes

I don't have a lot of shoes, I'm not one of those women with dozens of pairs. I have a few that I wear and keep them for a long time.  Some heels, some flats, some boots. That's it.  I'm a simple girl.

Wednesday Hodgepodge and Photo Challenge

Thank you Joyce for this weeks questions. Join us as we learn about each other.

1. February 22nd is National Be Humble Day...what makes you proud? What keeps you humble?

Our children and grandchildren make me proud. I love watching our daughter with her daughters and wonder when she became so special, so smart, so wise....
I love hearing about our grandsons and all that they are learning and becoming and doing to grow strong and wise.
My medical issues keep me humble. I have enough aches and pains to remind me that this shell is getting weaker and that time will take it's toll on me.

2. Where is the catch-all (aka dumping ground) in your house?
This beautiful tray -well if it was not covered you would see just how beautiful it is.

3. Do you make it a point to visit State/National Parks when you travel or even in your own hometown? What's your favorite?
We don't make a point of it but we have been to a few. Of those we like Yosemite the best.

4. How would you define honor?

High esteem, fame, glory. We honor God because he deserves high esteem, fame and glory.

5. Angel's food or Devil's food-which cake do you prefer?
Depends upon what mood I'm in and the time of year. Fall and Winter, Devil's food  with hot chocolate topping fits my mood. Spring and Summer, Angel's food with strawberries on top. So My answer is YES, both.

6. What's the most recent road trip you've taken? Where did you go and how many hours did you spend in the car? Do you like to zoom to your destination without stopping or leisurely wind your way there with stops along the way? What is your car snack of choice?
I like to take our time, drive and see the sights. We,ll stop and see the towns or eat at a local restaurant. We bring snacks but since I live a low carb life style we pack cheese, cold cuts, nuts, low carb bars and the like. We also bring water and diet soda.
Where did we go last for a road trip? Back in November we drove to Greensboro, North Carolina to pick up our little August Rush.  It was 700 miles one way. It took 2 1/2 days of driving.  It was great!

7. Recent headlines told how a preschool child in NC had their packed lunch from home taken away and a school lunch substituted by a school inspector who deemed the homemade lunch unhealthy. Reportedly the parent was then billed for the school lunch (chicken nugget meal) although an update to the story says the parent was not billed. The inspector was conducting a routine inspection of the classroom-he/she was not there solely to peek in the lunchboxes. The packed lunch contained a turkey and cheese sandwich, an apple juice box, a bag of chips, and a banana. You can read the story here. Your thoughts?

The Government has no business telling any student or their parents what is proper for lunch, or taking away the lunch that was packed to give anything else.  Even if that lunch is Twinkies and chocolate kisses. The school is there to teach not force  government food on children (which of course brings money to the school from the government. )

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Photo Challenge of the day: Where I work

I work at Gail Fisher's All Dogs Gym & Inn.

It's a dog activity center which includes training classes, boarding, grooming and day care.

It also has cat boarding and cat grooming as well.

My title is Class Coordinator which means that if there is a class upcoming, all the paper work goes through me. I do another things as well. I'm also a class instructor and do some private training. I also teach Pet First Aid to the staff. Then there's the "other" category. You know those days when you do other stuff to help out other departments. Here, there are lots of others working the "other category" as we help each other out a lot. I've  been here since May 1996.  The staff here is the best and really love the animals in their care.

Our dogs get to come to work with me and August goes off to Puppy Place (puppy day care just for the younger/smaller dogs and Becke sleeps in my office most of the day. She used to go to day care but now prefers to hang out with mom. I like the company.

So that is where I work. How about you?  

Today's Challenge: Fave Photo of Me.

Well I don't like most photos of me. I seem to always have a struggle with my hair, short - how short!  Medium - straight?  Curly? Wavy? Color - Red, Blond?  I'm never really satisfied  with it.  Any how, this past November Hubby and I went south to pick up our little August and while there we stopped by a friends house.  She too has a little dog (although at the time her dog was bigger than ours - not any more!!) We took our little dogs out for a walk around her lovely neighborhood and stopped at this wonderful gazebo in the middle of her neighborhood.  Here is the picture I like.

Me and August, he was just 4 pounds at the time, he is now 7.6 pounds!  A nice fall day in the south.

Photo Challenge and Weekend Review

Good Morning one and all, did you notice the Spring Widget in the upper left corner of the blog?  28 days till spring!! That's right, just 28 days to go and it already feels like spring around here. I believe I heard the weather man saying that all total, we have had 10 inches of snow ALL WINTER!!! and none of that so far in February. I'm OK with that.

Weekend was probably pretty much like yours, shopping, cleaning, putting up the spring decorations, watching grand children play together and with us (Pepere and Grannie). What joy they are! I so love being a grand mother. It is truly a gift from God!! Raising kids is for younger folk however, we are both sore and tired when they head home with there mom. It's a good tired, even the dogs sleep well at night.

The photo challenge for today is "Handwriting" I learned to write longhand (cursive) in grammar school. Yes it was called grammar school back then and the method I learned was called the Palmer Method, you can read about it here.

It involved using the entire arm, not just you hand. Any how here is a sample of my handwriting these days.

Do they even teach hand writing these days?

Photo Challenge #19: Something You Hate to Do

Boy am I glad I looked again at the list! I thought at first it was simply HATE. Hate is such a strong word and there is nothing that I absolutely HATE. So I moved to disliked......

There are so few things that I dislike as well and frankly the few things that I do "dislike" I didn't want to take a picture of them or share them (Like cleaning up dog vomit) ....

You're most welcome!

But there are few things that slip between the cracks and don't get done as often as I would like them to. And because I'm trying to be real here-----this is one of them.

Yup, I really dislike scrubbing the John,  Head,  Throne,  Loo, Latrine, Privvie, Comfort Station, Little Girls Room, and anything you want to call it.  It ends up getting done not as often as it should and requires gloves, and windows open!!   I will spare you the rest of the details.... but I will add that even the dogs leave the room...........

You are most welcome again.

Is there something that you hate to do?

Photo Challenge #18: Drink

My favorite soft drink is Moxie. It's a New England drink and unless you buy it on  line, hard to find.  It taste similar to root beer with an attitude!!!
So what is your favorite soft drink?

Photo Challenge #17: Time

Today's Photo Challenge is: TIME
How do you capture time? How do you photograph Time? What Time? A simple clock will tell you the time, a stop watch will count down time, one can spend time watching TV, or waiting in the office for an appointment.
When you are in love - time can stand still.  When you are in labor with your child, time can be painful and filled with anticipation.  When you are struck with devastating medical news, you wonder how much time you have.
When you are young, time is forever.....remember thinking it would be "forever" until Christmas would be here.
When you are middle aged, time is now.... remember thinking that you have to much to do and it was due yesterday.
When you are old, time is a blessing......each day is a blessing and what can get done will get done.
Time: How do you capture it? Can you capture it?
Here is my photo of time:

Hubby and I back in 1972 on our way to the Senior Prom. I had just received my engagement ring.  No, it's not a new photo but it has meaning for us. It captures time in a photo. 40 years ago was not that long ago, was it? 

Photo Challenge #16: Something New

Something Old.......I was in a wee bit of a fender bender last month.

Has become "Something New".

Thanks to car insurance, our "Bonnie Lass" is all better. The rental was nice but I missed my girl. The auto body shop also gave her a nice car wash. That was very nice of him. 

Do you name your car? If so, what is your cars name?  

Wednesday Hodgepodge with a Heart

Thank you Joyce for this weeks questions again. Come on everyone, play along with us.

1. George Washington-Abraham Lincoln-Thomas Jefferson...who would you most like to meet and why?
Hubby wants to meet Thomas Jefferson most of all. I would have to say I would like to meet either Martha Washington, or Mary Todd Lincoln or even Martha Jefferson. I would like to know what it was like being married to these men. What conversations took place when every one went home. What was family life like when they were alive. What did they see in the men that they loved.

2. What's your favorite chain restaurant?
We have several because we like to eat out and not think about cooking, or cleaning up afterwards.  The Outback, The 99, The Airport Diner (part of the Common Man chain), and Applebees all come to mind.  If I'm not planning, cooking, or cleaning, then I'm not fussy. I like simple meals with people I love.

3. I spied this question on the Bears at Home blog last week and she gave me permission to steal borrow it-
When you look back on your life, do you imagine you'll think about the goals you failed to meet with regret? Or will you look at what you accomplished and say: it was good?
I do look back at my life and I am amazed at where I've gone, what I've done and what has happened in my life. The people that I love and who love me back amaze me and knowing that I will go to Heaven one day makes me say "It was good." My life all had meaning. What happened to me-made me what I am. What is happening now-is working to change me into what I will be.

4. Grapefruit-take 'em or leave 'em? Given the choice between an orange and a grapefruit which would you choose? Would you prefer it served as is or squeezed into juice?
I do like grapefruit and will get myself one or two in the summer.  Given a choice I will take the orange and it like them both served as is.

5. When was the last time you cleaned out a closet? Is there a closet in your home that currently needs cleaning? What are you waiting for?
I cleaned it last Sunday. It needed it and blogged about it here. Yes there is another closet in the family room but it seems overwhelming so I'm waiting for my nerve to get bigger.

6. You get to have lunch with three famous people...who would you like to see round your table?

Jesus Christ first - to sit at the feet of the Master would be heaven!

Mother Teresa - to hear her view of love and it's power over hate

Gene Roddenberry - I'm a wee bit of a Trekki

7. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your ability to parallel park?
OK so I will be honest and tell you I haven't paralleled parked in YEARS!  I avoid it as much as I can so I will give myself a 1 since I really don't remember if I know how and I am very glad that I don't have to take a drivers test.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Well since I'm doing the photo challenge it's time to post my photo for today and the topic is: PHONE
Well a few weeks ago, Hubby got me my iPhone 4s so that is the phone that I am glued to at the moment.

Now what are your answers to these questions? And Thanks again Joyce for the questions.

Heart: Valentine's Day

Today we think about Valentine's Day here in the USA. It's a day for stopping and remembering that we are loved, that we love someone else and that with love all the other stuff we have to deal with is made easier. It's also the topic of the photo challenge.  Not Valentine's Day, but simply "Heart".

Heart shaped boxes filled with candy will be exchanged today, some HUGH (I've seen them in the store) some tiny but all shaped like hearts.

Hearts on cards, some with lace, some with flowers will be handed out today.

Heart jewelry will be given and/or worn today.

But the "Heart" I want to share as my Photo of the day is the man who captured my Heart 40 years ago.

Happy Valentine's Day Love.

No Where.....No Time....No One....But You

Weekend Review and Photo Challenge #13

It's been cold here! I mean like 12 degrees cold! We never got any snow from the last storm that was so well predicted up here. We were to get only between 1-3 inches and so many people were so excited about it, I was not. So I was glad that we didn't get any snow but by Sunday it was down right ARTIC cold here and so I was hugging our pellet stove that was keeping the home 86 degrees!!!! I know, that is hot for a lot of people, but when you have Rayonld's, it's just about right.

Saturday we had the 1st birthday party for our youngest granddaughter.  Her nick name is Cadie Bear and since it is so close to Valentine's Day, Valentine was the theme. Each person had a cupcake instead of a slice of birthday cake and our little Cadie Bear had her own cupcake just for her.

You can image what a 1 year old can do to a cup cake right.  Well I don't want to put pictures of our grand children here (that is the job of their parents, after all), I can show you this - 

Sunday, we were not having the grand girls so I hugged the pellet stove and then I cleaned my closet. Sundays photo challenge was "my closet" and I was very dissatisfied with how it look.  Here is the before photo that I posted yesterday.

It took 1 1/2 hours and then it looked like this:

I'll post about it later this week because this is getting long.....

However today's Photo challenge is Blue.  Since I don't feel Blue very often, I decided to show you something else that is Blue.

Our oldest grand daughter rides this often and plays with the controls that make the bells, sirens, horns and such work. We have a lot of police toys here. After all Hubby is a retired police officer.  Blue is part of our lives.

How was your weekend?

Photo Challenge 12: My Closet

WOW some of these are pretty personal don't you think? OK I went to a few others doing the challenge and they were brave enough to show us their closet so here is mine....don't judge me harshly, there will be a AFTER photo!

This is the left side of the closet.

Photo Challenge Today: Makes You happy

What makes me happy? Well a lot of things make me happy - hearing the voice of my hubby, seeing the sun shine, feeling the warmth of the pellet stove or the sun. But today here is what is happening that makes me happy.

Our Youngest grand child turned 1 on the 7th and her birthday party is today!! This makes me both happy and sad. She is growing so fast, she is so special, she is so sweet and we will have a great day.

But again, she is growing so fast.

Have a great weekend everyone and let me know what makes you happy.

Photo Challenge #10: Self Portrait

So, today's topic is a self portrait photo. I have very few photos where I like the way I look. My hair may not look right, or my eyes are closed. Whatever..... I have laugh lines! You really want to see all of that?  OK here you go. Because I'm here to do the challenge.  Here is my self portrait.

See you tomorrow.......

Photo Challenge # 9: Front Door

The challenge today is to post of picture of our front door. We have two doors, a inner door and a storm/screen door. In the summer, the glass comes out of the storm door and the screen goes in-hence the name storm/screen. I love summer so here are a few pictures of the screen door last year.

There is our Becke, the wonder dog sitting inside looking out. I love that girl!

And she is looking at flowers growing, can't wait for that scene again. Praying for it to happen soon.

And here is one of the inside door. I love color!

So what does your front door look like?

Wednesday Hodgepodge: Love is in the Air

Want to join, click the button above or answer below here. Come on Join Us!!!

1. What is something you are loving right now?

Time with our Grand Girls. They are truly so much fun and so kind. This past weekend, the oldest grand daughter saw August go into his xpen and lay down. She went over and zipped the door closed and then told me that Baby August needed a nap so she closed the door to his room. How cute is she!!!

2. Paris, Venice, New York, and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Which one would you most like to visit?

I guess it would be Venice. Traveling down the road (lake) in a gondola seems really cool and romantic.

3. Are you a romantic?

I love romantic movies. I love romantic songs. I love romantic men. I guess I am romantic.

4. What's your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?
The Note Book. How can I not love a man who goes to such lengths for the woman he loves.

5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends...which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question. 
Well I had to take the test to find out but I ended up being Kanga and I agree. I love little kids and so enjoy our grand girls.  I've never given them a time out because they are so well behaved! Our daughter and Son In Law are great parents!

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

6. What's the best chocolate something you've ever eaten?

Death By Chocolate Truffle. Have you had this? Oh My!  Forget carbs, forget calories, forget fat and just enjoy - then go for a walk, run, ride the bike all in same day to work it off but OHHHH it will be so worth it!

7. Share a favorite quote about love.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Photo challenge #8  of the day: Sun
Well Sun Rise at least-Morning All!