Wednesday Hodgepodge for July 8

It's Wednesday again, and I'm excited to be able to join back in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge, in which Joyce asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers.  It's a lot of fun, so if you'd like to join in, head over to From This Side of the Pond and get the questions from Joyce, then answer them on your own blog.  Here are this week's questions:

1. The Hodgepodge lands this year on National Secret Keeping Day...on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being I'm a blabbermouth and 10 being I'm a vault) how good are you at keeping secrets?

I'm going to say a 10.  Read on to question #3 to see why.

I read here nine jobs for people who can keep a secret-cybersecurity worker, executive assistant, housekeeper, lawyer, nuclear plant technician, physician, private investigator, psychologist, security guard  Of the jobs listed, which one most interests you and why?

Housekeeper, because I already have some skills, and I've done some house cleaning gigs in the past.  I'm too old to train for any of the others at this point, and they don't much interest me anyway.

2. What's the secret of life (or one of them anyway)?

 Jesus said, "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."  (John 5:24)

Graphic from Baptist Bible Hour

3. Off the record, best-kept secret, a fly on the wall, top secret, my lips are sealed, secret shopper, as quiet as a mouse, poker face, spill the beans, open secret, bite your tongue...which secret idiom can you best relate to right now? Explain.

I'm going to say "my lips are sealed" -- or maybe I should say they were sealed, until the appropriate time arrived to unseal them, which was Monday.  Most regular readers know we've been working at renovating the family cottage next door to my daughter's home.  Before leaving for the West, we'd almost finished painting two of the three rooms (the third will be pine paneled), after thoroughly washing the walls, ceilings, etc.  

Before we left, my daughter asked me to okay a plan she and her hubby had come up with as a special Father's Day surprise: while we were gone, they would not only finish the painting, but also remove the old flooring, put down new, and paint the kitchen cabinets.  The grand reveal was yesterday -- and even though the surprise was technically for my hubby, there was a part for me as well.  Jim had made a new countertop to replace the ugly, worn linoleum top that had been in the kitchen.  

I want to write an entire post about this in time, so will just share a few photos for now.

Kitchen before -- we were just beginning to clean at this point.

 Kitchen during: above, Sam and Jim work on the flooring.  Below, Jim installing the countertop.  Carrie painted the cabinets that pretty soft gray.

Kitchen after, with a welcoming bouquet of wildflowers!

4. Spill here the secret ingredient in one of your favorite recipes?

A teaspoon of vanilla in our waffle recipe.

The waffle recipe, a specialty of my hubby's, was published in Christmas at Grandma's and I blogged about it here: He Was Published!
5. My mama celebrates a big birthday tomorrow. Share a favorite quote, song lyric, saying, or verse of scripture that will add some sunshine to her day (ours too!)

 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."  (Psalm 23:6)

Gorgeous summer graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Although we had a wonderful vacation -- which included a tent camping/road trip segment to visit several national and state parks -- it's good, good, good to be home! 

Yes, the Grand Canyon was one place we visited.  The Kindle photo doesn't do it justice, but we've been home only a few days and the pictures aren't on the computer yet.

And so ends another Hodgepodge.  Thank you, Joyce!  And Happy Wednesday, everyone!