Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentine's Day Hodgepodge


This beautiful graphic is by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings
 Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! 

Not only is today Valentine's Day, it's also Wednesday!  That means it's time for the Hodgepodge with Joyce and friends at From This Side of the Pond.  Head on over, get the questions, and then answer them on your own blog (or in the comments if you don't have a blog).  Then go over to Joyce's to link up!   Here are this week's questions:

1. When's the last time you had a heart to heart talk with someone? A change of heart? Experienced figurative 'heart failure?'

Wow, what a bunch of questions!  Probably my most recent heart-to-heart talk was with my husband; they are fairly frequent occurrences.   A change of heart -- well, I have to say that the biggest, most complete change of heart ever would have taken place many years ago when I trusted Jesus as my personal Savior.  Figurative 'heart failure' -- probably last night when I noticed huge amounts of water damage on an upstairs wall and realized we had ice dams again.

2. Champagne, chocolates, flowers...what's your Valentine pleasure? Any special plans for the day?

Oh, of the three I would pick chocolate.  We have no special plans for the day.  My hubby will be working dawn to dusk and we'll just eat a quick supper and head off for our midweek service at church.  We tend to not exchange gifts for any holidays, saving our money for overnight getaways when we can find the time.
3. Are you a hopeless romantic or do you fall more in the category of practical and pragmatic? What's a gesture you find romantic?

I am a romantic, but not a hopeless one.  Romantic gestures on my husband's part may include suggesting a picnic or hike, a meal out, a coffee date, a scenic drive.  But I also see that some very practical things can be romantic gestures -- and we have both done these.  Things like changing the electric toothbrush head when one finishes with it so the toothbrush is ready for one's spouse to use. Taking out trash without being asked.  Answering the phone for the spouse when one is pretty sure there's a difficult person on the other end.  And what I see as the ultimate in this category, something I recall my husband doing more than once:  throwing vomit-covered bedding into the washer when a child is sick. 

4. Do you ask a lot of questions in life or are you pretty content with what you already know?

I very much enjoy learning new things.  I will probably always want to learn new things.  To learn, one has to ask questions. 

But as far as questioning life events ... I have learned that God has a purpose -- a good purpose -- for everything He allows to touch our lives.
5. Your favorite power ballad?

I'm not even sure what that is.  Maybe something by the Righteous Brothers, like Unchained Melody?  I consider it a ballad and it is powerful.  That's the best I can do on this question.  I refuse to delve into it any deeper than this.
6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm pretty excited that my Etsy shop, A New Hampshire Attic, is finally open and that I've had my first sale.  This is a possibility I've thought about and prayed about for a long time.  It's neat to see it coming to fruition.  Lots of work to this and a pretty steep learning curve.  Thankfully I like learning new things -- see #4 above!
Happy Hodgepodge, all!  Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

16 comments:

  1. Happy Valentines Day!! We are celebrating low key as well. Its nice that we have been married long enough that a low key celebration is fine.

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    1. That's right, Arlene! Low key is just fine. By this time he knows I'd rather he didn't waste money on a big expensive card or on flowers, and we are both trying to avoid sweets - so, low key it is. If the holiday hadn't fallen on a church night, we might have gone out to eat, as one of our favorite places had a nice Valentine's special. But eating a quick supper at home worked out fine.

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  2. A new Etsy shop! Good for you. I hope it goes gangbusters! Such pretty Valentines you shared with us. ❤️

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    1. I have so many vintage items to get rid of, Judy. This seemed a better stewardship than taking them to a thrift store or throwing them out.

      Glad you enjoyed the Valentines. My collection is small but I enjoy it.

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  3. We picked the same song! I actually had to google power ballad to even know what it was...lol! A man who disposes of the vomit covered bed clothes is worth his weight in gold. Mine never did that when our kids were little...it was always my job. I have to say that later in life, things have a tendency to come and bite you in butt...his job working with the men at the group home can be WAY worse than even that on any given day. When he tells me what he had to do some days I just LOL...on the inside of course... where he can't hear it! :D

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    1. I had no idea what a power ballad might be, Debby, but I felt like I had more to do with my time than google it (though I did consider doing just that) so I made a stab at a guess. I knew there was at least one other Righteous Brothers song that fit the description. I couldn't think of it, but you did!

      Well, as far as sick kids. Our daughters had long hair and there were several times they threw up in their sleep. Chicken pox was one occasion. Invariably it would get all through their hair. So, while I hustled sobbing children into the shower, Mr. T hustled the bedding into the washing machine. He just knew it would get everyone back into bed more quickly if he helped out.

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  4. Oh I love Unchained Melody! I forgot about it though when put on the spot. I had to Google power ballad...I had never heard that term before. I enjoyed seeing your vintage Valentines...I save them when I can find them.

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    1. I had never heard that term before either ... just ventured a guess at it, as I told Debby above.

      I only have a very few vintage Valentines, but I enjoy the small collection that I have.

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  5. visiting from hodgepodge - I LOVE the old valentine pictures!! I didn't think of it when I was answering my questions, but I must agree - a husband helping to take care of a sick child is indeed romantic!!

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    1. Happy to see you here, Lisa! Thanks for visiting!

      Yes, I love vintage cards. From what I have seen on Etsy and eBay, a lot of other people do too.

      My hubby has always been good about helping with the kids. We both feel like marriage is not 50/50 but 100/100. He does a better job of living that out than I do.

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  6. Congratulations on your first sale! I did visit your Etsy shop yesterday. You have some great items there! I enjoyed your HP!!

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  7. I saw that you had been there, Terri! Thanks for visiting and favoriting. I'm having fun with this -- as you say, there are some fun things there -- but I can see it being a full-time job. For now, I am only trying to list a few things each day.

    Glad you enjoyed the HP!

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  8. Coming in a day late and a dollar short but I'm glad I visited. I love your heart changing moment. So true. So glad I've gotten a new heart, too. Congrats on your Etsy shop and sale. Hope your week is continuing well.

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    1. I'm glad that you visited too, Ellen! I'm glad we share a heart-changing moment, also. Hope your week is going well, also.

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  9. Kudos to you!!! I didn't do the Hodgepodge last Wednesday, but wondered that if I had, would I have had a response to "a change of heart." Your answer was perfect as you said you had a change of heart when you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. That's the best change of heart a person can have!

    Loved all of your answers as well.

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    1. Thanks so much for your visit, Barbara! Yes, the best possible change of heart is trusting Jesus. So thankful He made the way for us to know Him.

      Have a wonderful week!

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