Just one or two

 Trying again this week to get in on the Wednesday hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.   And again this week I'm not attempting all of the questions.  One or two will have to do!

1. April 22nd is Earth Day...what's the most 'out of this world' place on earth you've ever visited? Tell us something about it. 

"Out of this world" as in fabulous -- well, two of our favorite places to get away are York Harbor, Maine and Back Lake, up north in Pittsburg, NH. They are both out of this world in their own way, though both are very different.

Sunset at Back Lake

Back Lake at dusk

York Harbor, Maine

"Out of this world" as in other-worldly -- I would have to say south-central Idaho, where God's creativity is on full display with such features as springs gushing out of hillsides, brown pelicans floating down a river, flowering trees, stunning rock formations, and much more.  You can read a little more about one of our visits there in this post.

Thousand Springs

Castleford, Idaho

Niagara Springs

2. A favorite quote, verse, or song lyric with the word earth in it? 

A favorite verse is Psalm 104:24 -- "O LORD, how manifold are Thy works!  in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches."

But when I first read this question, this is the verse that jumped to my mind:

"O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD."  (Jeremiah 22:29)

And there's my feeble attempt at this week's Hodgepodge...

One, two, three Hodgepodge

 

Finding a a few minutes today to spring into the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.   And again this week I'm not attempting all of the questions.  Three of them looked fairly simple.

1. Big week in the US of A...do you do your own taxes? What's something you've found 'taxing' lately? 

We're retired and seldom have to pay anything for income tax, but we find it more reassuring to have our accountant prepare them just in case.  We did our own taxes for years, though.  

Something I've found "taxing" lately?  Oh, I don't know.  Planning, I guess.  I am doing a lot of planning these days for our ministry at a Christian camp, especially for the weeks that I cook for volunteers.  It takes a lot of planning, not only for the meals themselves but for when to do what.

Daffodils that grew at my childhood home

2. When it comes to travel are you a last minute packer or a lay it all out a week in advance type? Do you struggle to pack light? Share a packing tip that has worked for you. 

I tend to be a last minute packer, my hubby even more so.  I might start packing the day before.  I work very hard at packing light; we try to manage with just a carryon and a duffel bag for short trips and only one suitcase for longer trips.

Packing tips:  I don't have anything really great, but one is to always store suitcases with a bar of soap inside.  It keeps them smelling fresh and there is always a bar of soap at hand if a soap dish needs replenishing at any point during a trip.  I also like to keep a half dozen clip-type clothespins in a suitcase or carryon.  They are handy in many ways; hanging laundry or swimwear to dry; clipping motel curtains together; holding a chip bag closed.

Silk daffodils in a syrup can on the kitchen island

3. April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Hmmm...who knew it got its own month? Do you like a grilled cheese sandwich? What ingredient do you add to take yours to the next level? 

I did not know grilled cheese got its own month!  I was thinking maybe a day!  I do love a grilled cheese sandwich, though it's been awhile since I've had one (other than a tuna melt at a favorite diner).  I think the ingredient that takes any grilled cheese sandwich to the next level is real butter spread on the outside.  

Bloodroot is the first spring wildflower we see in our area.

And there's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Two from the Hodgepodge

 

Again this week I'm springing into the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.   And again this week I'm not attempting all of the questions.  Two will do!

 3. What's a word you struggle to spell on a regular basis, and sometimes need to double check before writing it down? Use the word in a sentence that tells us something about your April calendar. 

Responsibilities.  I have to check the spelling for this word nearly every time.  It just seems so long.   On my April calendar, days are filling up with my volunteer responsibilities at a Christian camp.  I will be cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner for small work teams two weeks in a row.  So far.  And there will likely be more responsibilities as well.  But that's April in my world.  And it's good.

5. This week's Hodgepodge lands on the first day of April, which happens to be National Poetry Month. Do you like poetry?  Share a favorite line or two from one of your favorite poems. What makes this one a favorite? 

I do like poetry.  I know I've shared this poetry month post before but if you've not read it you might enjoy Poems and a post for the last day of April.  

The lines that always come to my mind this time of year are from Robert Frost's poem Two Tramps in Mud Time:

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March."

Honestly, those lines could not describe this week more perfectly! 

 
 And hey, I will add a random thought: This week, we also had the first ice cream date of spring:

Yes, outdoors, in New Hampshire.  You can see by my hubby's flannel shirt that it wasn't terribly warm ... but it was a nice mud-season day.  This is homemade peanut butter cup ice cream on the bottom and chocolate on the top.  Scrumptious!

That's the abbreviated Hodgepodge for this week!

Springing into the hodgepodge with a question or three

 

 Here we are again and I'm springing into the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.   Again this week I'm not attempting all of the questions.  Just the easier ones.  So ...

3. Spring into action, spring in your step, spring to life, spring to one's feet...which spring idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain.  

I'll soon be springing into action at my volunteer job.  Just got word today of an upcoming ministry opportunity in April, so I'll be planning menus to prepare for a small volunteer work team.

4. Which spring food from this list is your favorite? What's a dish you like that includes your favorite spring ingredient? 

asparagus, strawberries, salad greens like mesclun, artichokes, spinach, eggs, peas, spring onions

Oh, this is a tough questions ... it would be between asparagus and strawberries.  I'll go with strawberries! (Although, up here, strawberries are more of a late June, early July crop, not spring.)  This Strawberry Cheesecake Pie from Spend with Pennies is a favorite for sure.

5. What's one task on your spring cleaning list? Do you actually have a list? 

Surprisingly, I do have a list.  Actually, I made a list for every zone back when I thought our NV family was coming for 2 weeks.  Even though they would be staying at our cottage, I knew they would be here a lot and that the younger kiddos would want to see the nooks and crannies of their mom's childhood  home.  So I made a list for each zone and started working on one a week about five weeks before their intended arrival.  My plan did not work flawlessly, but it was effective, and so I'm continuing to work on those lists and hoping the family will reschedule for June.  And am trying to also incorporate that 7-day home reset I've been talking about, on an ongoing basis.

This week I am tackling mirrors, door glass, and picture glass, from Day 3 of the home reset.  This window cleaning system my daughter told me about makes this task a breeze.  I actually bought three more sets when I saw how well these cloths work.

Day 2 of the 7-day Home Reset is Linens & Laundry.

And there's my bit for this week's Hodgepodge!

One two three Hodgepodge

 

So this week I'm answering three Hodgepodge questions from Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Here we go ... One ... two ... three!

1. St. Patrick's Day lands on March 17th. Do you believe in luck? Are there things you do thinking they'll  bring good luck or  things you avoid because they're considered bad luck? 

 

I honestly don't believe in luck.  As a believer in Christ and a child of God, I believe that He orchestrates everything that happens for my eventual good and for His glory.  A wonderful post by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings explains it well: No Luck Here.  Fun graphic below is by Abby also.

 

2. Forest-lime-sage-mint-olive-emerald...what's your favorite shade of green? 

 

Oh, this is a tough one. For years my favorite color was blue, but for the last couple decades I've fallen in love with green, almost every shade.  Even just reading the names of these shades of green makes me smile.  Of those listed, I will say sage but really, pretty much any shade of green is a favorite.

3. In Ireland the meal on this day is often a hearty beef or lamb stew served with colcannon (mashed potato mixed with cabbage and leeks). In the US corned beef and cabbage is the more typical St. Patty's Day meal. Will you/did you mark the day with one of these dishes?

I do like corned beef and cabbage and had a slow cooker version that I liked a lot.  It was called Glazed Corned Beef Dinner, and you cooked the corned beef and vegetables until done, then removed the corned beef, put it in a pan, added a glaze and baked it for a short time.  However, when I followed the link from my blog to this favorite recipe, I saw it is now called just Glazed Corned Beef and no longer includes the vegetables.  A bit annoying, but I hadn't planned to serve it this year anyway, so it's okay.  I'll dig a little deeper into my old Taste of Home magazines and see if I can find it there.

I might make Irish Coddle, aka Dublin Coddle, which is made with potatoes, onions, and breakfast sausages.  That's quite easy and authentic, and delicious too.

Baked-fried-roasted-mashed...what's your favorite way to eat a potato?

Potatoes ... basically, I love them.  That said, I don't eat them that often.  We try to keep the carbs down, and not only that, but potatoes are in the nightshade family and my hubby couldn't eat them for months while trying (and mostly succeeding) to get his psoriasis under control.  So we still consume them sparingly now.  Of the ways listed, our favorite is just a plain baked potato, removed from the shell and mashed with loads of butter, salt and pepper.  The potato shells or skins get a dab of butter each and are enjoyed out of hand.  So good.  One of my favorite comfort foods from childhood.

The Oven Potato Wedges pictured below are also scrumptious and a favorite way to serve potatoes.

And that's a wrap for my one two three Hodgepodge this week!

Four and five

 

So I am going to try and answer questions 4 and 5 from this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.  It seems harder and harder to find time to answer six questions, but occasionally I can answer a couple of them.

4. Where do you typically work (or blog if that's easier) at home? Do you have a dedicated home office space? Are you happy with that space? 

I'm "retired" but I do a lot of writing.  Blogging as much as possible, and also typing up Sunday School lessons, etc.  And writing descriptions for my Etsy shop listings.  I can blog from my laptop (and often do) but I do have a dedicated space where I work on my desktop computer.  For Sunday School lessons I typically use the desktop so I can print them out easily.  For Etsy listings I will use the desktop most times because a) most of my items waiting to be listed are in or near this room; b) this is where the scanner is, and I scan paper treasures rather than photographing them.

And no, I am not happy with this space.  I'm content with it, but not happy about it.  There are bookshelves in this room, floor to ceiling, and the closet is loaded with craft supplies and seasonal decor.  I keep packaging for Etsy listings in this space as well, which makes perfect sense, but it all takes up space.  I need to organize this space much better and probably get rid of at least half the books.

Below are some of the fun things I've recently listed on Etsy (link in sidebar).

5. Snow drops, daffodils, lenten roses, crocus, hyacinth, or early tulips...what's your favorite early Spring flower? 

Oh, tough question.  Probably crocus because that's the first one we tend to see.  Or, in the wildflower garden, the first would be bloodroot.  For sheer beauty, though, I would pick daffodils.

Bloodroot in the wildflower garden

Baby Emily inspecting crocuses in Nevada, 17 years ago

Daffodils in a chimney corner at my dad's

 And just like that, questions four and five answered!  It was so much fun!

Hodgepodge with syrup on top

 

Today I'm answering just one question from Joyce's Wednesday Hodgepodge, in which she asks the questions and bloggers answer on their own blogs.  Many weeks I only have time to answer a couple of questions, and often not in a timely way at that.  Here's the easy question I selected for this week:

2. Pancakes...are you a fan? Syrup or no syrup? Plain, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, or some other add in? Are pancakes on your menu this week? 

Oh yes, definitely a fan of pancakes.  We like them homemade, and especially we like eating pancakes out.  Pure maple syrup, not that fake stuff as in the vintage ad above.  If you'd like to read my memories of growing up with maple sugaring, read here: Maple memories.

In recent years, our homemade pancakes often take the form of sheet pan pancakes, and this post: Two pancake recipes that must be shared includes our favorites.  The pumpkin one is almost life-changing ... it's that good!

We have three favorite eateries that feature pancakes.  Polly's Pancake Parlor is an iconic location that we love, and the pancakes are fabulous.  Read all about it here: A pancake breakfast in the mountains.  If you visit the White Mountains, you owe it to yourself to visit Polly's.  We go there several times a year with friends.  You can choose pancake batters and add-ins.  My favorite here is gingerbread pancakes with coconut.  Polly's hours vary with the season.  It's a very popular place and there's often a wait -- but it's usually not too long.

Intervale Farm Pancake House is another nice place for pancakes an hour or so southwest of our home.   Here, my favorite is cranberry pancakes, with real cranberries added in.  This one has many maple touches to the decor (leaf-shaped wall sconces, for one) and an attached sugar house where you can watch the process in season.

And finally, our favorite local breakfast spot: Benton's Sugar Shack.  This one also has an attached sugar house.  Benton's has an amazing array of pancake platters and I would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite, but one that I really like is the banana coconut pancakes with real whipped cream.  Benton's omelets are also amazing.  This restaurant is open only Thursday-Friday 7 am -noon, and Saturday-Sunday 7 am-2 pm.  Below is a screenshot from their website.

We aren't planning on pancakes at home this week, but we did have pancakes at Benton's last week.  My hubby picked the design your own pancake platter, and I had a taste.  (I chose an omelet myself -- and yes, he had a taste of that too.

It's worth noting that none of these places charge extra for real maple syrup.  And at Benton's, the maple syrup arrives at your table warm, and in a squeeze bottle.  (But greedy folks who use it all up will have to pay for the next bottle.)

There are many other sugarhouse restaurants in New Hampshire and Vermont; these are just a few that we have been to numerous times and enjoy.

And there you have it -- Hodgepodge with a side of syrup. 

A partial Valentine's Hodgepodge

 

Well, again today I can only take time to answer a few questions from the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang.   It seems that even though parts of my life have slowed down (perhaps only temporarily), my body is also slowing down despite my best efforts to do the healthy things that make for energy.  It just seems as if once I take care of my spiritual life and do a few ministry things, some meal prep and some housework, and try to fit in a little crafting time,  there's not much left for blogging (other than Sunday Scripture, which is a non-negotiable for me).  Of course, it may just be that this is winter.

So, forthwith, the three questions I think I can manage to answer:

3. What makes you feel loved and appreciated? 

I'm going to divide this into two questions, because the same answer will not do for both.  

What makes me feel loved?

Feeling cared for, taken care of.

What makes me feel appreciated?

When someone takes the time to say thank you or express appreciation in some other way.

It was interesting to me in considering these questions that just hearing the words "I love you" does not necessarily make me feel loved.  But when someone says "I appreciate you because ..." or "thank you for taking the time to ..." now that does make me feel appreciated.

4. A box of chocolates or a bouquet of fresh flowers-what's your pleasure? Any special plans for Valentine's Day? 

A box of chocolates, no contest.  If I ration them, they will last longer than the flowers. 

No special plans for Valentine's Day as of yet, but we may decide to go out or have a special treat at home.

These felt chocolates will last forever!

5. Share a favorite quote, scripture, or song lyric relating to love. 

"But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  (Romans 5:8)

and, for good measure ...

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."  (1 John 4:10)

 

 Half a hodgepodge is better than none, wouldn't you agree?

And then there were four (Hodgepodge questions)

 

 Yes, it seems as if maybe this week I can answer four Hodgepodge questions quickly and easily.  Recall, the Wednesday Hodgepodge is hosted by Joyce at From this Side of the Pond.  Joyce asks the questions, bloggers answer them on their own blogs and link up.  Want to get in on the fun?  There's still time, so head on over!  Here are the four questions I picked, and my answers.

1. Ice skating, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, playing in the snow, or a snowy walk...which winter activity do you choose? Have you done any of these activities so far this winter? 

I'm going to say a snowy walk.  We've had a number of those as we try to walk every day possible.  Last week we walked in a nearby tourist town, and here are a couple of fun photos from that walk.

This welcoming candy-themed snowman was in front of a Christmas Loft store.  I loved the snowflake ribbon on their wreaths, too.

This take a stick, leave a stick library for dogs was on the main street of a little town.

2. Everyone is posting pictures from ten years ago on their social media sites so let's jump on the bandwagon too. Share one photo and one thought to go with said photo from the year 2016. And maybe everyone isn't doing this, but many are and we're going to be part of the fun. 

I had been resisting this trend, but Joyce pushed me into it.  I wanted to show a winter photo from January 2016, but what I ended up with was a photo of my winter hutch that year. 

And then because I wanted some type of outdoorsy photo, I ended up with this one from late April 2016 when we took a mental health hike with some of our loved ones.  It's one of my favorite posts that I've ever written, so you might enjoy reading it too.  Link is here: Poems and a post for the last day of April.

4. 'They' say there's a day for everything and January 21st proves it. National Granola Bar Day. Do you like granola bars? How about just regular granola? Do you like bars of other kinds? 

I seldom eat granola bars.  I do like them, but not the crunchy kind.   I don't really care for bars of other kinds all that much, although some of the Clif Bars are quite good.  Here is a great recipe for Homemade Granola Bars.  I do like regular granola, especially as a topping for yogurt.  I usually give granola as a Christmas gift each year.  Here's my recipe: Christmas granola.

5.  A frozen lake, a trickling stream, a raging river, or a deep well...which one describes something about your life right now? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

I'm going to say a trickling stream.  For the most part life is moving along quite smoothly and calmly right now, which is good because I'm really embracing the idea of easing into a new year. But yet there are the inevitable things that might disturb the stream, and do -- sickness, for example, or life events either joyous or difficult that make the stream take a temporary turn.  There are those places where the stream bubbles along very swiftly indeed and I see those as the busy times of life.  I had such a day yesterday, filled with ministry and phone calls.  So in general, I'll compare life right now to a trickling stream.

Above photo is from a winter walk, photo below from a snowshoe hike.

And there are my four answered Hodgepodge questions for this week. 

Three wintry questions

 

 In the interests of a quick, simple and enjoyable blog post here at midweek, I'm borrowing just three questions from the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.

I picked questions 1, 2, and 5.

1. What kind of winter person are you-snow lover, fireplace snuggler, winter adventurer, or indoor hibernator? Elaborate. 

 I'm a little bit of all four, I guess.  I do like snow, and especially enjoy watching it fall.  I hate driving in snow, but I don't mind walking in it if I have proper footgear.  We don't have a fireplace, but do have a wood stove in both home and cottage, so snuggling up to those is a definite option.  There is truly nothing like wood heat.  I don't mind a winter adventure like a walk, a drive, or even an easy hike, but nothing more adventurous than that, thank you.  There are times when I feel like hibernating indoors, but that said, I do try to get outdoors every day in winter, whether to walk or just get some early morning light.

2. The Pantone color of the year is cloud dancer, described as a gentle, billowy off white shade. The color symbolizes 'peace, clarity, quiet reflection, renewal, and a soft reset'. Of the terms just listed which do you need most in your life this winter? 

Quiet reflection and renewal.  I would also love to do a gentle 7-day home reset.  Our little cottage in the woods, below, is a magical place in winter and invites times of reflection and renewal.  It's very seasonal though so we tend to pick nights with warmish temps to stay there.

5. Thomas Wentworth Higginson is credited with this quote-

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year." 

Agree or disagree? Tell us why. 

I agree completely, both regarding actual winter and also the wintry seasons in our lives.  The Bible contains many references to winter, snow, and ice, and I am glad that we have actual winter to show us what those look like.  I am thinking especially of Isaiah 1:18 which pictures salvation as a fresh fall of snow: 

"Come now, let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

And I do believe too, that it is very often in the wintry seasons of our lives where we learn the lessons of faith and beauty that Thomas Higginson alluded to.  Those are the times we learn to lean on God and to trust His workings in our lives, and we find that those seasons have their own unique beauty.

And there are the three wintry questions and my simple thoughts and answers to them.