The Features of February

Internet photo

I say nothing you don't already know (if you're in the USA) when reporting it's been colder (and more dangerous) than usual this winter. Here in Florida has been no exception with uncommon weather for our sub-tropical climate. There have been predictions of snow flurries even as far south as Disney World and the several other theme parks, although brief and barely visible.

We have covered a lot of our bushes with a breathable fabric secured with clothes pins to the lower branches and just to be extra cautious, covered pipes in the garage with towels. Just before dawn on Sunday morning we lost power for exactly 2 hours due to the surge of people waking up and jacking up their electricity to stay warm. 

Although we both have lived in Florida for more than several years, we are seasoned when it comes to dealing with ice, snow, and power outages. We don't miss any of that but our bodies have acclimated and thus we join in whining with the natives that it's COLD!

❄️   ❄️   ❄️   ❄️   ❄️

This week's Hodgepodge questions focus on February themes. To link up with your blog, click here.

 1. The Winter Olympics kick off on Friday, February 6th...on a scale of 1-10 how excited are you? (1= eh and 10=watching every event all day every day). What's your favorite Winter Olympic sporting event? 

My interest in the Olympics is a 2 (maybe a 3). The winter version holds my attention more than the summer events. (Ice skating, especially pairs, in the winter and gymnastics in the summer) The bobsled competitions are interesting.

getty images
from the Internet

And the skiing from high mountain slopes is good, too.

I am mildly interested in the opening ceremony, although the last Olympics that included the irreverent portrayal of the Last Supper was an obscenity. 

Internet photos

The 2012 Olympics opening ceremony in London where Agent 007 met up with Queen Elizabeth -- that was clever and certainly entertaining.

Mostly we are bummed that some of our favorite TV shows will have to move over for Olympic coverage.

2. In other sporting news, the Superbowl (American football's championship game) will be played on Sunday, February 8th. So tell us...what's your superpower?

First of all, I'm sorry my Denver Broncos did not win the AFC playoff game against the Patriots.

my new hearing aids in their 
charging station

As for my superpower: I'm a pretty good listener. With age and hurtful experiences, I've come to appreciate the value of keeping my mouth shut more so I can focus on what others are saying. People want/need/crave to be heard. People need to know they are being heard, which validates them, gives them needed respect, and in turn, encourages them. 

Sadly, there is not enough listening in most conversations. Too many are so busy trying to be heard that they forget to listen.

3. Are you a romantic? 

❤️ Us ❤️

Yes. (how can I not with the wonderful man to whom I'm married?!!!)

4. Blue cheese-yay or nay? How about feta? If you said yes to one or both, what's a dish you like that calls for one of these? 

Feta is my preference over Blue cheese. (as former Cheers actor, Ted Danson, would say in his cell phone commercials, Blue cheese "is an acquired taste.") 🤮 

I like Feta cheese in a salad of mixed greens with dried cranberries, pecans or walnuts, and a sweet-sour vinaigrette dressing.

5. What's more important-doing what you love or loving what you do? 

Mary Englebreit

Being more practical than a 'heart on my sleeve' type of personality, I think it's more important to love what you need to do. 

If we all did nothing but what we love, the practicalities of life would be neglected and all of us would suffer. If we focus on appreciating the necessary activities and giving them our best efforts, we can eventually genuinely enjoy them and "love" the satisfaction of a job well-done.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

An instructive scripture verse that can be applied to sports, competition, and our work ethic:

Therefore, since we are surrounded 

by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders 

and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance

the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

P.S. Join me in reading the articles at The Christian Lounge. This is a non-denominational Christian website where we learn about each other in our faith with written articles, art, and music (no politics). 

If you have an article to submit, visit the website for instructions. 

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com/

Cabbage, Cars and Climate

from a recent car show

 Harsh weather has dominated nearly everybody's mind of late. At a recent car show I captured this fun decoration celebrating our climate. But even the Sunshine State has not been exempt from winter's blast. 

I'll take you to that car show, but first, here are some thoughts regarding this time of year, as I respond to Joyce's writing prompts from The Hodgepodge. If you want to link up, click here.

1. (Joyce speaking) I live in the south so we're pretty much only talking about the weather right now. Give us a weather report from where you live. Does the kind of weather you're having today affect your mood in some way? 

Here in North Central Florida (that means we're north of the Mouse and south of the University of Florida Gators), today we have sunshine and clouds, heading for a high in the mid-50s with frigid cold nearly every night, expecting to shiver into next week, 

How does this weather affect me? I'm thankful for the many years I lived in beautiful snow country and also thankful that part of my life appears to be over. I like an occasional cloudy day, but my years of living with a lot of overcast days and rain in the Pacific Northwest taught me I'm one of those personalities who needs sunshine to keep my mood happy and positive. 

Seattle's Space Needle with 
Mount Rainier to the South
(Internet photo -- on a sunny day)

2.  Avocados, kale, cauliflower and cottage cheese have all had their time to shine. 2026 brings us the year of the cabbage. Is this a vegetable you like? If so, what are some of your favorite dishes that call for cabbage?  

I enjoy all of these foods, probably cabbage the most in the form of cole slaw. A ground beef, tomato-rich, stuffed cabbage roll is good, too. 

3. Was a Cabbage Patch Doll a part of your childhood? Or maybe your children's childhood? What's a toy trend from your childhood you remember wanting for your own? 

Cabbage Patch dolls came in vogue when my 3 children were in elementary school. We couldn't afford to buy the dolls at that time, so I made them with purchased patterns for both the doll body and the clothes. I bought the plastic Cabbage Patch doll heads and hands at the craft store. 

Internet photo

My mother, Sister, and I have always enjoyed dolls. Those of my readers who have followed me since I first began blogging will remember my posts from 2009 - 2020 included the imaginative adventures of my doll "staff" who assisted me at my imaginary bed and breakfast in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Grammy's Place B&B. My staff took care of the upkeep of the B&B while I sequestered myself to write the Great American Novel.

my "Staff," pictured from top row, left to right:
Lily (my research assistant), Mandy Sue (my Gal Friday and troublemaker),
(middle row) Mary Engelbreit doll, Mrs Berniece Mertz (our cook)
(front row) Rowdy (the neighbor kid) and Spud (the handyman)
There were several others in the story line as well but this photo will suffice.

The whimsical antics of my fictitious friends ended in 2020. While that had been a very fun part of my life, the time came to move on to responsibilities that allowed no time for such time-consuming devotion to whimsey. My "staff" has been replaced by Gary, who makes me laugh every day.

Us, from Personalization Mall (click)
(a great Valentine gift!)

4. Something you've spent a lot of time doing lately? 

Not much out of the ordinary for us. We take a lot of comfort in our routines and maintaining good habits. 

There is always something

for which to be thankful.

5. Somehow it's the last week of January...sum up your month in just three sentences. 

1) Unusual and prolonged cold temperatures have required the covering of outdoor vulnerable plants.

2) I got new hearing aids. (yay!)

3) Inspirational reading (books and websites) and cooking comfort foods have been satisfying.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Regarding the car show in Williston that I promised earlier, Gary is interested primarily in the vehicles. I enjoy these shows as something pleasant to do with my fella and to gather blog fodder. This time my phone camera captured cars, license plates, slogans, and people.

1950 Ford coupe

Chevy truck

Gary inspects a Pontiac GTO

Volkswagen bus

taxi cab

me beside a Chevy El Camino.
*T-birds are my fav but too many people standing by the one T-bird
at this show were not going to make for a good snapshot.

These are the trophies for the winners of the different categories of the show: (we did not watch the awards)

Here is one more thought regarding the extreme weather:

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

P.S. Join me in reading the articles at The Christian Lounge: https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com/2026/01/wonderful-counsellor.html This is a non-denominational Christian website where we learn about each other in our faith with written articles, art, and music (no politics). 

If you have an article to submit, visit the website for instructions. 

Touching on Several Topics

 

from our bike rides

Do you know what a bollard is? I'll give you a moment to ponder that while I go on.....

Our oft-mentioned bike rides are somewhere between 4 and 5 miles in length, taking us about 45 minutes to pedal through 7 or more of the 16 neighborhoods that make up our +55 community. We like to ride after breakfast, before the traffic picks up too much. 

Yes, even within the human-guarded gate (there's just one) of our environ, there is traffic. Unfortunately, often the drivers do not observe the speed limit and stop signs. It can get downright scary at times. I am not exaggerating when I say I pray daily for our safety (It has not been a wasted appeal) and I thank the Lord for His protection.

Anyway, back to the question of bollards. A bollard is "a thick, low post, usually of iron or steel, mounted on a wharf or the like to which mooring lines from vessels are attached." (quoting the dictionary on my iPhone)

Actually, the British definition fits my purpose better: "one of a series of short posts for excluding or diverting motor vehicles from a road, lawn, or the like."

(repeating the photo as the one above) 

As  you've probably guessed by now, the bright yellow posts in my photo are bollards. 

We have these wonderful wide, black asphalt multi-purpose paths designated for pedestrians, bicycles, and golf carts (the houses snug up to an 18-hole golf course that winds around). These paths are absolutely NOT for car traffic (although yours truly did accidentally drive on one during her first week after moving here). 😲

I hasten to add in my defense that no bollard was in place to discourage my mistaken identification of what was designated for car traffic and what was not, plus this was in an area still under construction at that time. Some of the workers saw me and stopped to stare in wonder as to what this crazy female driver was doing. Yes, it was very embarrassing.

So, a bollard is intended to give us instruction of where to drive and what is forbidden. I use this illustration to segue into a recommendation to read a really good book I have just completed today:

click for purchase information

This is good for everybody. We ALL have messed up; it's how things are in this fallen world. This book gives real hope and practical counsel on how to move on. It serves as a "bollard" as we travel through life.

wisdom from Facebook and Mindful Christianity

On the subject of adversity, a lot of my readers (and many members of our family) are facing the big snow and ice storm this weekend.

I've been praying this storm turns out to not be as serious as predicted. 

Our son in Minneso-cold (as Gary calls it), texted yesterday to say we need to cancel our surprise visit to see them due to the terrible sub-zero daytime "high" temps expected at his house. 🥶 Not to worry, no "surprise visit" was planned. I've already written in a previous post how we try to avoid that kind of weather. 

Jacksonville Beach - Internet photo
(yes, they are statues!)

We are thankful to be entertaining 80-degree sunshine here in Florida this weekend, although on Monday we expect to get some of that cold -- nowhere as extreme by any means. 

This past week we did our grocery shopping. We don't go on any particular day (except we avoid weekend shopping) and on no special schedule. When the milk jug is really low, Gary (who is king of the kitchen in this house) announces it's time to go. By then I've usually already started a list of my own and he rummages through the 'fridge to determine what else is needed. 

With exceptions for the absolute "must haves", we pretty much buy what's on BOGO (buy one, get one free), which is a method that tends to serve our finances very well. 

The Boston Cream donuts have not been BOGO yet, but that's just as well because one package doesn't last more than 9 hours around here. They are Gary's favorite and have become mine, too. One box of them is enough because I am sure they "go to waist"! 🤭

Before I leave the subject of food, here is what we had for lunch yesterday, and then the leftovers again today:

Taco Pie

Billie Jo's Taco Pie was a recipe she featured recently on her blog (click here). Many of you will probably recognize the mixture of ground beef, taco seasoning, cheese, sour cream.... oh my! I edited the recipe just a little for our personal preferences (and with what was in the pantry) but it was definitely a hit with Gary. 

There has been some bittersweet sadness in the Christian community of late with the news of the sudden passing of Robert Wolgemuth. I won't go into the story; you can Google their names to see many stories, memories and wonderful tributes to this good man of God and his dear wife, an excellent Bible teacher, Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth. (she has been the designated successor to Elizabeth Elliott, for those who remember her).

I will say that the first time I heard his name was many years ago when he and his first wife (now deceased), Bobbi, were guests on the Focus on the Family radio show. She was big on music and taught their two daughters well in harmony. On the show she said that when the family would travel in the car, they would sing. The four of them sang something on the radio that day in the most exquisite, a cappella harmony (something I dearly love). I have never forgotten that. Oh, how I wish we could hear more true music like that today!!!

The hour is getting late here; I need to close this out. My friend and editor at The Christian Lounge has published another of my devotional articles and encouraged me to invite you to visit the blog. In this particular post I share from the immediate days after the passing of my late husband and how scripture helped me through the worst of times. My long-time readers may remember: 

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-comfort-of-scripture.html

If you would like to submit your own article to The Christian Lounge, check it out.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara