The USA Birthday Party Has Begun!

 

This week's Hodgepodge writing prompts focus on patriotic and summer themes, as well as the USA's 250th birthday. 

If you want to link up to participate in this week's Hodgepodge meme, click here:

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2026/06/hodgepodge-questions-volume-660.html

1. What do you love most about your country? 

First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas

Of course, there is MUCH about America to love, but at the very top of my list is freedom of religion. We must continue to support this freedom that was the foundational intent of our forefathers as they landed on our shores. 

2. Your favorite patriotic song? 

God bless America, land that I love!

Stand beside her and guide her

Through the night with the light from above.

We have many great patriotic songs, but when I'm asked to narrow it down, this one, which is a prayer, says it best for me.

3. Red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Something you own besides a US flag with some combination of those colors or decorations as part of its design? 

This flag pillow was purchased about 7 years ago, probably from Hobby Lobby.

4. What's one thing you want more of this summer: fun, rest, adventure, connection, quiet, or confidence? Elaborate. 

I choose "Quiet" because at my age, I like to read, work jigsaw puzzles, do Sudoku, read and comment on the blogs I follow, have peaceful conversations, and in general just think about things. Loud, noisy venues and uncertainty about what lies around the corner tend to result in poor choices and disorder.

5. What was your ultimate, go-to summer activity when you were a kid? Do you still do any version of that today? If you answered yes, does participating in this activity as an adult make you feel like a kid? 

Sister and I spent many hours with
skates like these clamped onto
our saddle oxford shoes.

The Beach Boys' music 
reminds me of summer
and the years I lived in Southern California.

Two outdoor summer activities that stand out in my memory are roller skating the sidewalks in our apartment complex and time at the swimming pool listening to rock ’n roll on our transistor radios while we worked on a suntan. 

Here's an interesting piece of trivia: The manager of our spa/gym/pool here in my +55 community was the model for the little girl on the Coppertone suntan lotion bottle.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Here are some of the patriotic decorations from one of the gathering spots in my 55+ community:

This (below) is outside my house:

My friend, Joline, reminded me that the birds needed ribbons. I dug them out of the Christmas box, pleased to find them in a ziplock bag just under the box lid. Gary said I should have white and blue ribbons, too, but it will probably stay as it is.

Although I don't entertain whimsey to the extent that I used to, I will tell you that as I tied the ribbon on this guy's neck, he let me know a sun hat would have been more appreciated . . . . .

We had new sod installed recently, so Gary has not been in a hurry to create a new hole in the grass for the permanent receptacle for the flag pole. He took care of that this week:

This morning our community had its annual 4th of July Golf Cart Parade. We don't have a golf cart, but enjoyed watching it roll past us behind our house. Here are some of the snapshots I took:

Blessed is the nation

whose God is the LORD,

the people He chose for His inheritance.

Psalm 33:12

We experience true joy, favor, and prosperity when our foundation and loyalty are placed in the LORD.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Blue Suede Shoes

 

the blue suede shoes of Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley died in 1977. I was not a crazy fan but I did like much of his music. I was saddened to learn of his death. His life story gets mixed reviews from me, as I was raised to be modest in appearance and behavior, both of which were challenged by Elvis. I have seen his story enough times that I do believe he was a born again Christian, but he undeniably pushed the standard definition and his lifestyle example encourages questions.

My Gary reached his adolescence while I was still sounding out phonetically the words in Dick, Jane, and Sally.  He had more of a connection to Elvis than me. When Elvis comes to town (in the form of those tribute concerts that are so popular in retirement communities), he has bought tickets and I'm glad to go.

The other night was one of those shows. That morning Gary slid into our bedroom with our mugs of coffee singing, "Blue Suede Shoes." (The man sings something to me nearly every day: this time the theme was Elvis and his impersonation is good.)

An Elvis event was in progress with many Elvis wannabes in town putting on several shows. One could buy tickets for all of them, or just one or two. We opted for Thursday night. Gary insisted on taking my picture with the pre-show stage in the background. While the venue was not full, there was an excellent turnout of fans. We sat back and waited for the music to begin.

The first Elvis was a skinny guy, not dressed real impressively but he knew the music and had practiced his gyrations choreography. Sporting the black hair, sideburns, and that stray lock of hair hanging over his forehead, he gave us about 4 songs, most of which were familiar to me, in spite of being one of his younger fans. I was disappointed in his appearance until Gary made the comment that this performer represented Elvis' younger days.

The second Elvis (NOT pictured above) was a disappointment to me, too, because he was also of a smaller physique and his face looked kinda fake .... was he wearing an Elvis Halloween mask? No. He was probably wearing a thick layer of makeup and his hair was PERFECT to the point of looking like the molded plastic heads on my childhood dolls. I was disappointed enough in him that I did not even take his picture -- although you'll see him later in this post. To his credit, he did well with the music and also had the physical theatrics down well.

The third Elvis was a big improvement. He looked older than the first two and his clothes were GORGEOUS!!! I felt a sigh of relief that the evening was not a loss when this version of Elvis began to sing with the kind of confidence I expected of "the king." Like the other two, his stage dancing was good and his voice was pleasing, too. And that jacket!!! It sparkled and twinkled and made up for any faults in the performance, although there were none. The show could have ended with him and I would be satisfied. 

But no, more was to come.....

Elvis #4 looked much more like the iconic album covers. The black hair, the tight white jumpsuit, the high open collar, and yes, the shiny (sweaty) bare chest...... Whoa! Too much for this little Baptist girl! 

In truth, I took several snapshots of him, which was no easy feat with all the dancing gyrations back and forth in rapid succession across the stage. The sensual performance hit me with embarrassed shock. Later, at home I went through the photos I took and eliminated all but this one that has a [somewhat] less feverish presentation. (This is supposed to be a family-friendly blog!!)

But the shock-and-awe of the evening was not done.

The fifth and final Elvis of the evening's program was probably my favorite. Clearly these Elvis impersonators tend to get better with age and experience in their line of work, at least that's my opinion. But even with his very talented performance, there was a surprise I did not anticipate. Gary has seen this before, but not me.

Backing up for a moment of explanation: As a teen I never went to a rock concert. My parents wouldn't even allow Sister and me to go to school dances! Attending a rock concert was never on the radar in my conservative family.

So to set the scene for what happened at this concert I have to tell you the room was filled with old, retired people. And at that, more women than men (which is what demographics are the older we get).

We've seen the concerts where the young girls at Beatles' concerts and such go crazy nuts with screaming, crying, and passing out at the sight and sound of their music idols.

At this concert, people [women] were encouraged to go up to the base of the stage to KISS Elvis!!! I was aghast. A long line of women, about 100!!! did exactly that! I took several snapshots with my zoom feature but am sharing just this one (above). We aren't sure if Elvis kissed all these women on the cheek or if the women kissed Elvis. Some reached up to grab his neck, and some were even given a souvenir white satin-looking scarf from around his neck.

No, I absolutely did not participate in that exercise. As we were driving home, Gary marveled at the exchange of germs with such a public display of affection with so many strangers.

For the final songs, all 5 of the evening's Elvis impersonators (#2 is in the center, black suit) were on stage. This clearly illustrated the chronology of Elvis' age and style, which helped me to be forgiving of the first one (tallest in black with the silver belt).

It was a good concert. Gary probably knew all the songs, and I knew most of them. I'm glad we got to have such a fun date night but may never look at aging women (even myself) the same again.

The Lord does not look 

at the things people look at.

People look at the outward appearance, 

but the Lord looks at the heart.

I Samuel 16:7b

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

 

Commencing With Summer 2026

 

Although summer's heat has been in my area for close to 2 months (!!), this is the first Hodgepodge of "official" summer. If you want to link up your blog with others to answer these summer-related writing prompts, click on the link below.

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2026/06/hodgepodge-questions-volume-659.html

1. Summer's here!  In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you're in the southern hemisphere, substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? What's your biggest summer pet peeve? 

Me, hamming it up the summer of 2018
on the boat dock of friends
in Lake Weedowee, Alabama

I enjoy the 4th of July parades, fireworks, and grilled menus.  If I have a pet peeve about summer, it's that I don't like the feeling of sweat running down my back. 

Our patience is tried in crowds of people and traffic, so In recent years Gary and I have been absolutely content to watch the 4th of July celebrations unfold on TV while we enjoy air conditioning, our automated recliners, and the convenience of food and bathrooms just steps away.

The current trend of drone "fireworks" shows are interesting but I hope the old-fashioned kind are not abandoned.

2. What song always reminds you of summer? 

Summer Place by Percy Faith's orchestra (one of my husband's favorite songs).

3. What's something you remember about your childhood summers? Do you think kids today get to enjoy summer the way you did as a child? Elaborate. 

my family lived in the greater Los Angeles area
1958-1961

My mother was the secretary at the church of which my family was a member the summer between my 4th and 5th grades in school. Since Sister and I were too young to spend day after day at home by ourselves, Mama brought us to work with her. We would bring our dolls and each take over a Sunday School classroom and play "school." The church had a good gymnasium, so we could run and play there in a safe place while Mama was in the nearby office. There was also a Coke machine, so we got to drink pop with our sack lunches. 

As for kids' summers these days, social media and greatly increased crime have darkly colored the activity options. It's just not the same. We would go outside and play with our friends for hours on end, coming inside just to use the bathroom and to get a drink of water. 

4. We celebrate Fathers Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa. 

Of my two parents, my face and personality are more like my dad; my body and health are more like my mother. My father enjoyed people and made friends easily. He died of cancer when I was 36 years old. His work as a corporate pilot took him all over the USA.  After his death many people sent letters to my mother expressing how much they liked my dad. 

5. Let's wrap up with a summer this or that-

• flip flops or sandals: sandals, although I wear both daily
• beach or pool: beach but I don't swim any more 
• watermelon or peaches: both
• shorts or sundress: BERMUDA shorts (no short-shorts)
• iced coffee or ice cold lemonade: lemonade
• amusement park or water park: amusement park, but really just for walking around and sitting in the shade to watch people. And ice cream. Eating ice cream in the summer is fun. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Recently Joyce did a "day in the life" type of blog post. Here is my version that I'm titling: 

How 2 Retired Seniors Spend Most Days

Our general routine: we get up early (5:30am) to take advantage of the cooler temps for our daily bike ride of 5 miles, chores and appointments.  

Our bikes, are a year 'round habit,
even on Christmas morning --- note:
this is the only time we did not wear helmets

After lunch we are usually relaxing on the cheerful lanai with the windows open wide and fans blowing. If or when the air gets too hot, we move inside to the air conditioning, but the lanai is so bright and close to nature that we stay out there as long as we can bear it.

The palm on the very far right and the very far left
are the ones that got trimmed.

For all the visions of romance that palm trees convey, they make for a lot of upkeep to look their best. Yesterday Gary cut down about 20 very long, thorny branches from our 2 tallest palms. 

Then I helped drag them to the driveway where Gary cut them into short lengths for disposal. Years ago, I never imagined my Colorado Waste Management bins would hold Florida tree trimmings!

After lunch (our biggest meal of the day) and a short nap in front of the noon TV news, more progress is made on our current puzzle. As much as we both enjoy puzzles, we are finding one of the challenges is how the humidity causes puzzle pieces to stick to our finger tips, sometimes pulling apart what has already been fitted together!! (To Gary's credit, he's done more on this puzzle than I have.)

On Monday I finished reading this book while cooling off in front of a fan. Now that I no longer spend hours every day with needle-in-hand, the number of books in my personal library has greatly increased.

Most of the time, I can't just read. Highlighting meaningful sentences and margin notes are my reading and study style. I have a code or system with pencil colors:

red = general information, statements

green = instructions, things I should do

blue = sin, things to be avoided

purple = actions of God

And occasionally a scribbled star filled in with gold (or tan) pencil indicates something that really spoke to me, answering a question I've had or really highlighting an important truth I want to remember.

This system enables me to flip through the pages at some later date to re-live the impact the book has made on me without reading every single page all over again.

the lanai faces east and looks out
on a lot of tall trees

After an afternoon of puzzles, reading (and sometimes a small ice cream cone), we head for the kitchen to decide on a light supper (soup, a sandwich, or sometimes just peanut butter on crackers). 

After that, even though it may hardly be past 6pm, I floss and brush my teeth, turn down the covers on our bed, and find my jammies. We catch up on the day's news and our shows or movies. At 9pm the TV is turned off, and by 9:15pm both of us are usually fast asleep like two worn out old dogs. #much4which2Bthankful!

Sister's two Basset Hounds

"For I know the plans I have for you,"

declares the Lord,

"plans to prosper you

and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope 

and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara