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!