Graduating Out of May With the Hodgepodge

 

United States Air Force Academy graduation 
from a previous year

Responding (late) to Joyce's Wednesday Hodgepodge questions,  I'm touching on several subjects. If you want to link up to the Hodgepodge on your blog, click here.

1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names? 

The name "Barbara" means "beautiful stranger." While the "beautiful" part is debatable (depending if it's a good hair day or not 🤭), I have spent more years than some as a "stranger." The careers of both my father and my first husband transferred my family many times. I'm very experienced as the new kid at school and the new mom on the block.

Do I like my name? Yes, now I do, and most especially since my husband told me on one of our first dates that he likes my name. People have asked me over the years if I want to be called "Barbara" or "Barb." I've been open to both, but as I age, I really don't like being called "Barb" because I don't want to be a barb (a sharp point or a cutting remark) to anyone. But if you call me Barb, I'll just let it go.

My father liked a first cousin with this name and so that's why he gave it to me. My late husband and I debated for a long time regarding the names for our children. That was a long time ago.

2.  A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose? 

Those are some tough choices because I would not turn any of them down. Since it's 90 degrees outside right now, I'll go with the vanilla ice cream.

If I were to choose any other red, white, or blue dessert that, too, would be tough. Just about the only dessert I can think of that I DON'T like is mincemeat pie. But since you asked, I'll say that Strawberry Pretzel Dessert. is a favorite. (click on the name for a link to the recipe)

3.  What's a job you'd like to try for just one day? 

I have been pondering this question since Joyce came out with this week's Hodgepodge questions and I honestly can't think of a burning desire to try any job that I haven't already done. Of the several jobs I have had, my favorite was the receptionist at a Christian radio station back in the mid-1990s in Colorado Springs.

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer? 

Yes, in my previous blog post I shared a snapshot of the dish towel Phylis had sent to me. Here it is again, this time on our refrigerator handle. 

In my husband's office is the flag his late wife was given when she retired from government service. 

In our living room is the flag given to me at my late husband's gravesite service. Pictured above is a tribute to our late spouses. It was Gary's idea that we set this up. His wife is pictured on the right and the photo on the left is of me with my late husband and our Cocker Spaniel.

You'll see this snapshot again in July. I cross stitched this design in 2019. The pattern is by Heart in Hand, "4th of July Bird." To order this pattern, click here.

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!  

I am drawing an absolute blank with this one, so I came up with a sentence using the 3 letters given. 

Many patterned And Yellow pieces make up my newest puzzle project.

300 oversized puzzle pieces

I'm interested to see how other bloggers respond to this question!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

As this month wraps up, there are a lot of graduations. FaceBook has posted some photos from a previous year's graduation ceremonies at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). I have lived in Colorado Springs twice in past years, a truly beautiful place. Of the pictures posted on FB this week from the USAFA, this one is my favorite:

This is where the graduates get their diplomas with the Rocky Mountains to the West and the Air Force Thunderbirds flying over the football stadium. 

Here is a blessing for graduates:

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face to shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Memorial Day Weekend 2026

borrowing this from Mari's Little Corner

The above graphic is from Mari's blog today at http://marislittlecorner.blogspot.com/2026/05/memorial-day.html. I hope and trust she will forgive me for copying her message. It's just so accurate and appropriate (and "storing it" on my blog is a good way for me to save it for future reference.)

Once we understand the purpose of this special day, it seems odd to me to wish people a "Happy Memorial Day." Nobody wishes us "Happy Grief and Mourning" when our dear ones have passed, so why should it be any different when we focus on the dying sacrifices of our military? Sometimes we say the most inane things without thinking first. 

Okay, I'll step down from my soap box now. I feel certain the majority of my readers are in agreement with me on this. What follows are various snapshots from this weekend, (mostly) in the order in which they were taken.

My newest hobby or passion is jigsaw puzzles. I've brought this up before. 

It has been so much fun that a couple of times when I stepped away to attend to other things, somebody else took up where I left off. 🥰

The previous puzzle (below) was a bit of a bear to assemble. 500 pieces that didn't always fit together nicely, and a lot of dark, non-descript parts.

But (with help) I got it done. I didn't want to think of myself as a quitter, so it's done and now taken apart, returned to its box. It's an illustration and a reminder to think carefully before committing to things.

This one (above) is now done. It was so much fun because it was only 300 larger-than-usual pieces, and had many definitive patterns. It will be returned to Jersey Girl this week and I'll be on the look-out for more that are similar to this one.

In late April, Mari posted her recipe for Mini Air Fryer Cherry Hand Pies. (click on the title for the recipe) The idea of little hand-sized pies fascinated me, so I decided to give it a try. I used canned apple pie filling instead of cherry.

You roll out a prepared pie crust so it's flat, and then use a 3-inch diameter biscuit cutter to cut the individual pie crusts.

Mine weren't near as pretty as Mari's. Go to her blog to see her beautiful handiwork.

The first batch cooked nicely in our air fryer. They really are a convenient snack size. Translation: you can't eat just one!! 

For my next batch, I decided to use apple butter from a jar instead of apple pie filling.... I just wanted to see if it would work. I'm wondering if any jam would work, too. Jellies might be too runny??

They don't last long and they were very tasty.

Although it was our intention to have a quiet weekend, with pretty much just the two of us at home, we did have unexpected guests in the back yard. A lot of Ibis (white birds with long skinny beaks poking into the ground in search of bugs) have been in our neighborhood the past several weeks. They tend to be only a little tame, so I snapped their picture through the window screen and left them to their foraging. They are beautiful birds and do not harm anything that concerns us.

"You are not forgotten"

Specific to this holiday weekend, Gary put out his black POW/MIA flag. He likes to post it on the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Then on Memorial Day, he posts the American flag. 

In the spirit of celebratory American themes, I had some leftover apple pie filling from the earlier project, so an apple pie was created (larger than the mini pies). An "emergency trip" to the grocery store was required for ice cream .....

After church on Sunday (we watch the service from home), we tuned in to the Indianapolis 500 race.

Indy 500

Of course, this event was dimmed by the untimely passing of famous race car driver, Kyle Busch. This weekend is particularly sobering.

Today, the actual holiday, we rode our bicycles through the neighborhood. Traffic was much less, which greatly adds to our enjoyment of the ride. For lunch, Gary grilled our steaks and served them with French fries. 

We watched the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, appreciating how it is well-planned and carried out in every aspect. Gary tells me that in the many years he lived in the Washington DC area, he attended this ceremony in person a couple of times.

purchase info

This afternoon I began working on the book study one of my neighbors is hosting for the next several weeks. Getting together with neighbor gals to discuss Scripture and watch the accompanying video is enjoyable.

This dish towel from Phyllis sums up the weekend. How thankful we are for those who put themselves "out there" for the sake of freedom. May God comfort those who grieve over the ones who did not come back.

Like many of you, I can say this verse is true:

The Lord is close

to the brokenhearted

and saves those who

are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

A Hodgepodge of Sage Conclusions

Fuchsia

A photo of flowers has been added to my blog header (at the very top). Many years ago when I lived in Seattle, I bought a hanging basket of Fuchsia to suspend from the eave of my deck. I was absolutely enthralled with the colors and design of these blooms. I still think they are remarkably beautiful in design and colors.

Sister, me and our Heinz-57 puppy, Susie ~ 1955 or 1956

Before I proceed further, here's a shout-out to Sister, who is having a birthday this week. Younger than me by 2 years, in keeping with today's post title, "... Sage Conclusions," she tells me she benefitted from lessons learned by observing our parents and my responses to them. 

There is some truth in the first-born being the "test kid." Sometimes in life "the second time around" is easier because we have a clearer idea of what to expect and perhaps some ideas on how to do it better. We must keep in mind that most first-time parents are inexperienced in their "newborn role," (pun intended) so we need to give them grace.

With that said, the kid turned out all right! A nearly life-long Christian, a college graduate, wife (married 50 years!), mom and grandmother, caretaker of our mother, and over the years she has had a total of 17 Basset Hounds living in her home (not all at the same time) -- lots of accomplishments in those descriptions!! Happy Birthday! ❤️

Today I'm answering Joyce's Hodgepodge questions. If you want to link up with your blog, click here.

1. What do you make more complicated than it needs to be? 

Overthinking is defined as "an exhausting mental loop of replaying conversations, second-guessing decisions, or predicting worst-case scenarios." (from Wikipedia) 

In recent years, opting for simplicity, deliberately choosing to let God stick up for me, and intentionally devoting myself to other things -- all that has distanced me from a lot of drama that used to tie me up in knots and sleepless nights.

2. What impresses you? 

Internet photo

good manners

politeness

expressing gratitude

thank you notes (email, too)

listening without interrupting

good eye contact

sincere apologies

3. On a scale of 1-10 how picky of an eater are you?  (1=extremely and 10=not at all) If you had to eat a meal made entirely of one color what color would you choose? 

On the picky eater scale, I'll rate myself at about 8 3/4. If I had to eat a meal made entirely of one color, it would be green (as in broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, dark leafy greens, peas). 

It is said that Broccoli is the healthiest of vegetables. Thankfully, I like it a lot (raw, steamed, roasted, boiled -- any way I can get  it).

roasted Brussel Sprouts and Broccoli
(internet photo)

My second choice would be red (tomato sauces in lasagna, pizza, spaghetti, pulled pork in BBQ sauce, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and ketchup. Definitely ketchup). 

lasagna 
(internet photo)

4. What does balance in life mean to you? Does your life currently feel 'balanced'? 

internet photo

I try to keep my priorities in good order. When what is important to me operates smoothly, I feel balanced. When I have to rearrange my activities contrary to the original plan or against my preferences, I try to rectify that as quickly as reasonable. (Self-pity has proven to be of no value.)

If matters get beyond my boundaries, it is so helpful to remember that my attitude and my response are solely left to me. The story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945) in Nazi Germany teaches the one thing others cannot take away from us is how we choose to respond to anything. The older I get, the more I meditate on that truth. It helps me to behave myself better.

5. If you could travel the world for a year what would be your first destination? 

Internet illustration

Traveling the world for a year is not something I want to do, especially at my age and with the conflicts in so many places. I feel safer not wandering too far away from home and/or for too long. 

Internet illustration

We have friends who post their world travels with wonderful photos on blogs and Facebook. I enjoy 'traveling vicariously' with them, allowing them to eat the unfamiliar foods, ask for the restrooms, figure out currency exchanges, and deal with cancelled flights, etc.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

my current project

In recent months I've added jigsaw puzzles to my pastimes, wanting to keep my brain strong. The photo above is my current project. It's been tough with a lot of dark, non-descript pieces, which I've saved for last.

I am forcing myself to finish it for the benefits of mental acuity and disciplining myself to endure; but I've concluded that puzzles limited to 500 pieces are my standard. I've also decided to be more discerning about the pictures I'm willing to tackle. A lot of light-colored pieces are easier than a lot of dark ones. 

Here (below) is the next puzzle, a loan from Jersey Girl. It looks more fun and cheerful with only 300 pieces, and they are larger. (Oh look! There's a jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table!)

Regarding puzzles, mysteries, and the complications of life, here's a Bible verse that comforts me:

The Lord is my light

and my salvation. 

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

P.S. Finished!!!!!