Friends:

"I get by with a little help from my Friends" John Lennon

Friends. It conjures up all sorts of pictures in my mind.  I see kids playing kick ball together. I see ladies who lunch together. Ladies who shop together. I see one woman on the cell phone talking to her friend about something in the store and overhearing "So, I'm standing here and I see this really great shirt that is perfect with your hair color and it's in you size.  I can pick it up here and you can just pay me back later OK?"
Friends sew together, eat together, go for a walk together, go to a movie (girls night out) together, play sports together. Friends call each other to laugh, cry, share their lives.

"A good friend is hard to find, hard to lose, and impossible to forget..." Author Unknown

Friends do a lot for each other. They cheer you on if you are facing a test and you're scared. They take belly dancing classes with you so you will not look silly - alone at least.
Friends send you a card - snail mail - and maybe even make the card themselves.
Friends wake you up early, on your only day off, to share with you something exciting that happened to them and needed to share - with you!
Friends call you to lean on you because they know you will listen to them.
Friends will hold you accountable if they know you are on a diet - cheating with friends is not allowed.
Friends call you to tell you a joke - and then forget the punch line!! So you spend the next hour laughing about it.
Friends show up to clean your bathroom because you're too sick to do it.
Friends become family that you want to have in your life! You know you may be stuck with family, but your friends, you pick.
More importantly, friends become a witness. A witness to your life.  They have stories to tell about you - some are embarrassing, some are tender, some are funny but because they shared your life, they witness your life, they can remember all the parts of you that make you...you.

I am blessed to have such friends that have cared for me over the years. Some are still close by and others are far away but I love them all and many I am still in contact with.

I am doubly blesses to have married my best friend 40 + years ago. We are still best friends and amaze people that we still walk together, hand in hand. He loves me no matter what.

I have a friend who knows I love red in my kitchen and is part of the small group who gets together on Sunday night. One time we were studying the book of Hebrews and she made the ladies this to remind us all of our study.

"He-Brews" get it!  She has a weird and great sense of humor

Then recently she saw this pattern and thought of me and my love of dogs so she made me this one.

You might have to blow up the picture because it black with dog bones and paws against a black stove front

I really did get a call from another friend who can almost never remember the punch line of a joke and told me a joke which just made me roar. I'm not sure what was more funny, the punch line itself or the fact she remembered the punch line! We talked for hours!

I am blessed with a cousin who became a friend and she calls me early to share the remodel of her kitchen that is SO overdue.  

I also have a set of friends that have 4 feet!  They cuddle with me every day and share my hopes, dreams, and bed. They promise not to tell my secrets.

Sometime friends laugh together, sometimes they cry. Sometimes they eat together, sometime they cook together for others. No matter what, we witness each others' lives.  Tell me about your friend and what you witnessed together. 

We are all blessed.

Wednesday Hodgepodge:

Can you believe this is the 88th volume of the Wednesday Hodgepodge!  WOW Joyce, well done.  You all know the drill, join us won't you.

1. In an effort to combat obesity, the mayor of NYC has plans to ban the sale of large sugary drinks (anything over 16 oz.), initially in restaurants, movie theatres, and street carts. Corner stores would also be affected if they are defined as food service establishments. You can read more here . Your thoughts?

The mayor of NYC has it wrong!  People will buy 2 mediums instead of 1 large. People will find a way to get around this really stupid law.  What we need is LESS GOVERMENT, not more. Stop telling me what I can eat, what I can drink, where I can go.  What's next, any hamburger over 1/4 pound is now banned as well.  We need to get out and move more, not just drink less.  It's really a stupid law.

2. Art festival, music festival, food festival...which would you most like to attend?

Did I see "FOOD FESTIVAL" on that list.  Where do I sign up?

From Google

3. What are you irrational about?

I cannot drink out of the same straw as anyone else. Or for that matter, cannot drink out of the same water bottle or share a drink.  Even my husband says that is irrational because he is included in that irrational behavior. I will not share with him either and yet I have no problem kissing him passionately, if you know what I mean.

4. Do you feel confident you'll have a comfortable retirement?

Whatever money we have, is what we will live on.  We are good at making ends meet so yes, I'm comfortable. More importantly, I know WHO is in control.
"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:11-13

5. What's been your favorite Olympic moment so far?
(Not ever, just in the 2012 Summer games)

Watching Gabby win! What a heart warming story.

From Google

6. What would you label as the messiest room in your house?

Hands down Hubby's office!  He has piles of piles. He has piles on top of piles You need to wear a life line to go inside so that you can find your way out. I'm sure we have the former owners still living in there!!
Now, Hubby will tell you that he can find anything he needs to find in there (and in truth he can- I have no idea how he does that). I didn't take a picture of it to spare you the shock of it all.....You're welcome.

7. Do you follow your heart or your head?

Yes! Most of the time my heart reacts first and then my head yells something like "HOLD ON JUST ONE MINUTE HERE---LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS" Then I react (or apologize) in the best way possible.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am blessed with good friends. I hope everyone has at least one good friend that will laugh with them, cry with them, hug them, cheer them on, pray with them and for them, and act silly with them!  They are truly a gift from God.  I have such friends. I love you all. I am blessed!!

Dogs days of Summer

Up here in NH we are having what is called the "Dogs Days of Summer". A friend or ours who is from Texas had no idea what that term meant. I was surprised as I thought everyone knew what it meant but no, he was not familiar with the term.

So I offer you all the meaning in case you don't know what it means either.

The Dogs Days of Summer are the hottest, most sultry days of summer, usually July and August. The name itself, comes from the belief that Sirius also called the Dog Star, is in close proximity to the sun and responsible for the hot weather.

But we all know that it called the Dogs Days of Summer because it's so hot, that even the dogs do nothing but lay down and wait for the heat to break.

So now I'm curious, do you have a term for these hot days of summer?  What is it and what is the meaning behind the term?

Weekend Review: HHH&WET

Good Morning,
Like so many in this Country,it's been hot up here. No, not as hot as some states that have had temps up to113!! Can you believe it, 113? WOW We have been in the low 90's and for the upper right hand of the good USA, that's HOT (well for most people, I'm OK with it). This week we will be in the 80's - Thank Goodness!

It's been hazy up here as well.  Some days it's hard to see driving because of the haze on the roads.
And it's been humid up here, 90% + most days. As you can image, that combo creates thunder storms that do not cool of the weather when the rain ends. And boy have we had rain!!  Thunder, lighting and downpours have created power outages, down trees, and short tempers.  Man it's been a weekend of weather.

We've not lost power for long periods of time, but we did loose it for short periods of time here, or a there. We lost cable (as well as phone and Internet) a few times for short periods of time as well.

We're blessed to have dogs that are not afraid of thunder or lighting (although August refuses to go potty when it's thundering and lighting out unless his big sister goes out with him). While on F.B. I see lots of friends who have dogs that are afraid and those dogs spend a good part of the weekend under beds, under couches, hiding in bath tubs and generally being miserable. You know the owners were miserable as well!  My heart goes out to those people. How to help a fearful dog?
One of the things that seems to work is something called "Thunder Shirt".  It's a special tight fitting coat that goes on the dog and it is known to help settle the dog down.  It acts very much like a "swaddling" a baby.  It does seem to help with lots of fears such as rain storms, fireworks, and separation issues. We have it for Becke because as she gets older (12 1/2 years) she has separation issues now when I leave the office.  Funny thing, if August is with her, she is fine!!

The biggest issue with the dogs in this HHH weather, is keeping Becke cool.  Most of the time she was like this:

We don't have central AC so parts of the house get hot for her.  The bedrooms and home office have AC so we have been keeping her in there as much as we can and her groomer took out a lot of undercoat so that she would be more comfortable. Still, with a fur coat on and temps in the high 80's/ low 90's, keeping her cool is a real challenge.

August has hair, not fur and it's soft and light and he is younger so he is doing much better. A class mate gave him a bag of bows for his hair and so he is "styling" at the moment.  Don't you agree?

So what did I do all weekend, the usual: laundry, watch the grand girls, work on Christmas gifts clean house, exercise, dance, dinner with friends (BBQ!) and stay cool!  How about you?  Ready for the week ahead of you? I sure hope so because the week is here!!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Thank you Joyce for the questions. Some are hard you know!!!!

1. I'm joining my daughter1 in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?

Put together a freestyle routine to do with our puppy August.  In case you don't know what freestyle is, it's dancing with your dog. I have the song too, "If I Only Had a Brain", from the Wizard of Oz.
Here is an example of a great freestyle team from the past.  They are Carolyn Scott and Rookie.

2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be operated by remote control?

OK I think it's 14 between TVs, A/C's, fans, radios, & DVD player.  If I could have anything run by remote control, it would be the vacuum cleaner.  Just set it and leave, come back to a vacuumed house!

3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?

WOW, see some of these are hard Joyce!  I feel like I have it all now. I have a God who loves me, sent his Son to save me and offers me Heaven as my next home. I have a husband who loves me  and spoils me every day. I have 2 healthy and perfect children who are grown up, married to wonderful beautiful/handsome spouses and have given us 4 best grandchildren in the world.  Is it attainable? I'll let you know in another 40 years.

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?

Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof and Grease all come to mind. Great music to go along with great stories.

5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop.

I don't think I've ever been on a roof top. I don't like heights and do not look out the window when we are on an airplane!  I like being on the ground looking up, not the other way around.

6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?

Well, finally something easy: ABSOLUTELY NOTHIN!!!.  I love summer and all it has. The heat, the early morning sunshine, the long days, eating outside, cooking outside (well Hubby cooking outside, really). I am a southerner at heart and I really could live in a desert all year long (except I hate snakes and all those other creepy crawlers out there!)

7. Our weekly Hodgepodge falls on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July.

Our Anniversary, Daughter's birthday, vacation, hot days, hot nights, WONDERFUL!!

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I've not been blogging a lot but it's because I've not had a lot to say. I have been enjoying being outside, getting a head start on Christmas Shopping and knitting some gifts as well.  Since my family reads here, I can't post about that here.  But I'm fine and feeling great!! Back to getting outside because it's still SUMMER

OK, now it's your turn to answer the questions and visit others who have answered the questions and learn about them. Go! Have fun!