Peanut butter and hodgepodge

 

It's Wednesday again, and time for the weekly Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.  Joyce asks the questions, bloggers supply the answers.  I don't really have time to write a post, but the questions aren't too hard this week so I'm giving it a go.

 1. What does patriotism mean to you? 

Well, I thought this would be easy but it really isn't as simple as I thought. I thought maybe a simple dictionary definition would jump-start my thinking but this is it:

To me, that just isn't good enough.  My assumption with this definition is they're trying to make patriotism sound a bit fanatical, and make ter**rism sound a bit like patriotism.  

I think love of country needs to figure into patriotism, and that's not mentioned.

So I looked it up in our old standby (great dictionary for checking Scrabble words or playing The Dictionary Game) 1949 Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary and found this, which is much more to my liking:

PATRIOTISM: Love of country; devotion to the welfare of one's country.

2. September-October-November...your favorite fall month? Tell us why. If you live in the southern hemisphere use these months but sub spring for the word fall. 

Oh, this is a nearly impossible choice.   I am going to say October.  September might still have some very hot and humid days, but that's not usual in October.  The fall foliage colors hit their peak in October, the skies are the most gorgeous bright blue, and the air is crisp.  I do love September and I also love November (especially for Thanksgiving, but other reasons as well) but if I must pick a favorite, then October it will be.

3. A song you love with the word thanks (or some form of that word)  in the title or lyrics?

Thanks to God for My Redeemer, an older hymn written by Swedish poet August Ludvig Storm in .  The tune was written by J.A. Hultman, a Swedish evangelist, singer, musician, composer and publisher.

1. Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a mem’ry,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

2. Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

3. Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

 

4. November is National Peanut Butter Month. Are you a fan? What's the last peanut butter bite you had? Fill in the blank: peanut butter and _____________________ . 

Oh, and you can't say jelly. 

Yes, definitely a fan, especially of natural peanut butter with no sugar.   Last peanut butter bite I had would have been a peanut butter cookie with chocolate mini chips in it.

5. This week's gratitude question-What event from this past year are you most grateful for? 

That is a tough one.  Again, I thought it would be easy.   I'm going to say the recent decision of a friend to trust Christ as Savior.  That's of eternal significance, and almost no other events are.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We've had our first snow here although I wouldn't really call it measurable.  It did cover the ground.  I'm hoping to post later this week about an old formula (which I only recently read about) for predicting the number of winter snowstorms.  I think it might be fun to try and see if it's anything close to accurate!

 
And there's the Hodgepodge for this week ... just a little late!