Wednesday HodgePodge on Friday - what can I say?

Since I haven’t been blogging much lately, thought I would jump in here on Friday afternoon . . .for Wednesday HodgePodge.  Sure – why not?  The office officially closed two minutes ago but my co-worker, Laura Ellis and I are staying for the service at 6:30.  A church member just dropped off warm hot cross buns . . . they are yummy.  Yummy things makes the wait so much better!!  So here goes with the hodgepodge questions:

1. Has spring sprung in your little corner of the world? Other than the calendar how would I know? What's your favorite thing about spring?  

Spring has sprung and she is a lovely lady . . .BUT I wish she would leave her pollen at home.  In Alabama, we have a gorgeous spring – there are plum and pear and cherry trees blooming, the dogwoods are beginning to bloom, there are tulips and daffodils and countless other blooming plants like forsythia.  There is color everywhere but with that color comes YELLOW pollen.  Our cars are yellow; our drive ways are yellow; our porches and porch cushions are yellow.  I love spring and all her colors and her blue skies and her puffy white clouds but I can’t be outside for more than a few minutes or I pay the price.

2. Besides the weather, what's put a spring in your step recently? We have our first grandbaby – a little girl born a little over a week ago.  Her name is Emma Katherine and she is beautiful!!  I wasn’t sure how I would feel about being a grandmother but I fell in love with her the minute she was placed in my arms!

3. How does Easter impact you?  I’m a Christian so Easter is a big deal.  Today is Good Friday – We remember how Christ was crucified and tonight’s service will be a service of darkness.  The scripture will be read; songs will be sung; a nail will be hammered; a candle will be extinguished . . .until the sanctuary is in darkness.  We will leave in silence.  It is such a powerful service.  I am truly grieving the death of my savior as we leave the building.  Tomorrow will be a day of waiting.  Usually on that Saturday, I just stay around the house and cook for Easter and I’m usually in a contemplative mood.  I am going to do something different tomorrow.  I’m going to take my daughter and daughter-in-law for an early morning pedicure . . .and then I think I’ll cook and think and listen to music afterwards.  Mark will be at the farm and Laura is going to babysit so that Glenn and Lauren can do something – get a cup of coffee, go to the store , take a nap – whatever.

4. I saw this somewhere on Facebook and thought it would make a fun Hodgepodge question. Which of the following would you find most disappointing...

a just stuffed taco shell breaking open and spilling out before you take the first bite? dropping a just-purchased Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts coffee? opening the peanut butter jar and finding it empty? upending onto the sidewalk a just-purchased ice cream cone? a burnt bagel popping up in your toaster when you're rushing breakfast? or cutting into an avocado and finding out it's rotten? 

What a cute question!! It is always so sad to me, when I cut into an avocado and it is rotten.  So often, the avocado feels just right when I gently press and then BOOM it has lots of black inside.  I think the avocado would be my most disappointing.  I could eat the taco with a fork.  The empty peanut butter jar would annoy me.  I might be pretty sad if I dropped an ice cream cone!

5. What's something held together with tape at your house? Or a paper clip? Or a wing and a prayer? I can’t think of a thing.  Since we have a new house (18 months old) most things are still holding together . . .Oh I know!! I gave Mark a new weight bench for Christmas.  When he slit open the box, he slit the seat on his new weight bench and it is taped together with duct tape.  You have to understand – poor old Mark – he always gets the broken gift or it breaks within minutes of opening.  It is the craziest phenomenon.

6. Do you feel underappreciated? In what way? If I did, I’m not sure that I would broadcast it on my blog.  I will say that recently, in a meeting, I felt slightly underappreciated.  Everyone who had participated in a project was recognized and my name was omitted.  I actually cried on the way home from the meeting.  I’m good now, though!   In most areas of my life, I feel appreciated.  My boss, Brian, seems to appreciate me (or either he is a really good liar and since he is a preacher, I hope I can believe him J)  The young adults on Tuesday night seem to appreciate the home cooked meals.  One of our other ministers is a great encourager and he is always telling me that I’m doing a good job.  I teach Sunday school and I feel appreciated.  As I’m typing these words I’m thinking that we don’t really DO any of the things we do in life wanting appreciation.  As a Christian, every single thing I do should be done for God’s glory and his glory alone.  He’s a good good father – It’s who he is!  I’m loved by him – It’s who I am!  So – he is the only one I should worry about pleasing.

7. What's something you'd build if you knew how? Oh wow – the possibilities are endless!  If I had room, I would love some raised garden beds with tomato and squash plants.  If I knew how, I would build something similar to this scrapbox – it costs about $1500.  I was thinking that I would buy one to replace all the mismatched furniture in my craft room.  It would also free up enough space to put a day bed in that room.  We really need one more bed for when my sister, nephew, and Laura are all at the house.  It is actually called the Workbox 2.0 and when you close it all up, the doors are beadboard and it looks so nice.  The website says it takes 10 hours to put it together.  Surely I could learn to build one, right?

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Being a Gran is awesome. I truly had no idea.  I had asked a couple of friends if I would have to “learn to love” a grandchild.  NOPE!  Instantaneous!!  Several people told me that having a grandchild would “change my world.”  I can see how that is going to happen!  This sweet grandbaby of mine is the first great grandchild, too.  My mother-in-law told us all that she had waited a long time for this!!  Hopefully, we will get a picture this weekend of all four generations - Grandmother, Mark, Glenn and Emma.