The Hodgepodgiest Hodgepodge Ever

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The Wednesday Hodgepodge

I'm getting around to the Hodgepodge late today, but better late than never, right?

1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? (1=eh and 10=best summer ever)  This summer is definitely a 2 at best. At least it is so far.  Why?  Because finances are a little tight so there's no extra money to go anywhere or do anything "vacation-y."  Not that I could go anywhere even if there was because my husband has been using my car for over a month. He finally finished researching about his truck's emission system, decided what to do about it and ordered the parts.  I am hoping to have my car back next week.  On top of that he is working as many hours as he can get. Between that and this horrid heat, he is wiped out when he gets home and has no energy for anything. About the only things saving this summer from being a 1 or even a zero is that our daughter is experiencing her first pregnancy, got engaged, moved out, and just today they set a wedding date....Sept. 23, 2017.

2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up?  My dad had one sister, so there was her and her husband. My mom has two sisters and they have each been married a few times, so I kind of had an over-abundance of uncles. LOL  I also grew up in a neighborhood where everyone knew everyone and had lived there for generations.  They were family and we were too close to call the adults Mr. or Mrs., but in those days you didn't call adults by their first names, either.  We settled on Aunt and Uncle. There was a whole lot of them.  Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Growing up I was closer to my mom's sisters and was actually closer to their husbands than them.  As an adult I was closer to my dad's sister and her husband.  My grandmother was in a home for years, paralyzed and unable to talk from a stroke.  My aunt kind of stepped into the grandma shoes. Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) I am through my husband's family.  He had 6 siblings and they produced 8 nieces and nephews.  Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who call you Aunt (or Uncle).  I have so many good memories of my nieces and nephews....I guess one that I will never forget is when the kids were small and the niece and nephew from Alabama were visiting.  We took the kids to the park and my son who was very much into bugs at the time was hunkered down on the trail watching ants.  I was looking with him and there was a HUGE black one, about an inch long, and my son was fascinated.  I made the comment that it must be "the great-granddaddy of all ants."  That is when my oldest nephew came over, stomped on the ant, and said in his sweet little Alabama accent, "Not no more, it ain't."

3. What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate?  I don't think I have a favorite, but I will eat just about anything that's been dipped in chocolate. What's your favorite food dipped in cheese?  Plain old nachos.

4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.  Last month when we needed to pay our taxes and I had no idea where the money was going to come from.  My husband came up with it.  He's been a bit mysterious about it so I still don't know all the details, but I stand amazed that God provides exactly what we need, when we need it.

5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered?  That would be the Pinterest board.  I am always saving stuff on there.  I've made several recipes, but I can't say I do real well with any of the craft stuff I save.  

6. What's your favorite story from scripture? I love the story of Mary and Martha.  Why that story?  Because I have a tendency to lean toward being a Martha when company is coming or the holidays roll around.  I want everything to be perfect.  I set that bar impossibly high and then run myself ragged, stress, and freak out on everyone....just like Martha.  I love Jesus's gentle reminder to slow down or even stop and pay attention to the good stuff, the important stuff and that the details will work out. Or not, but they aren't important.  I need that permission to chill out.

7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?  Boston, Nashville, San Antonio, Santa Fe, and Seattle.

8. Insert your own random thought here.  As we've been treated to the conventions of the Republicans and the Democrats these last two weeks, I can honestly say one thing has become very, very clear to me.