Maximizing the Days

wall art in the ladies' room
at church

Today I am responding to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions for this week and then sharing journal memories created in recent days with a lot of snapshots. 

1. What's your favorite room in your house and why? 

I like all the rooms in my home but they each have their own purpose and so in their own special way, they’re all “favorite.” 

However, to be more specific, I love our guest room because it is also my “study” with the antique desk I brought in when Gary and I married. The desk is small and belonged to my late father-in-law. It’s been in my home since he died in 1980. I've added a rectangle-shaped card table for my laptop computer since there is clearly no room for it on the antique desk. (Sheila, if you are reading this, do you recognize your floor lamp??)

In spite of the desk being small, it’s got 8 drawers (one drawer looks like 2 but is extra deep) and I’ve organized those and the desktop just about as efficiently as a person possibly can. It is my refuge, my sanctuary, the place where I meet the Lord for my daily quiet time every morning after breakfast. 

I have some other special places where I meet the Lord throughout the day, but at this desk I can spread out my open Bible, write in a composition book journal, jot down my responses to Bible study books, and pray.

2. What's something that will instantly annoy you? 

Don’t laugh, but when riding in a car at night, to turn on the dome light in the car absolutely instantly irritates me. I can’t explain it. I guess it makes me feel vulnerable.

However, at our age, we are seldom in the car after dark, so this is pretty much a non-issue for me any more.

3. May 28th is National Hamburger Day...will you celebrate? How do you like yours? If you're not cooking at home is there a favorite place you like to go for a burger? Did you ever work in a fast food  restaurant? 

We had home-grilled hamburgers on Memorial Day, so I don’t know if we will have burgers again that soon. However, we tend to eat a lot of chicken and fish at home, so I often will order a hamburger when we are out because I want the vitamin B12 that is in beef. I like my meat well-done, but Gary says we should order medium-well to make sure it’s not overdone. 

Internet photo

As for my favorite place to buy a burger? For a long time it was Red Robin to get the Whiskey River Burger. But we don't like the slow service at the only Red Robin in our town, they are pricey, and they keep the dining room insanely cold, so we help keep Culver's in business.

Internet photo

My very first job was in a fast-food restaurant. King’s Food Host, known for its Cheese Frenchee. I was 17 years old, the summer before my senior year in high school. I'm pretty sure the chain is no longer in existence.

Internet photo

4. What are three scents you like? Vanilla, freshly baked bread, beef steak. But with that said, when I had COVID in 2020, I lost my sense of smell and it has only partially come back. Since my husband lost his life to COVID at that time, I'm thankful the repercussions in my body are no worse.

5. What do you miss most about being a kid? Not having to give thought to much of anything serious.

6. Insert your own random thought[s] here. Here are journal notes and snapshots from our holiday weekend. 

It was o'dark early. (translation: the sun had not risen just yet) I was finishing off my last mouthful of Cheerios when Gary announced, "I want some sod from Lowe's before the crowds get there. Do you want to go with me?" 

We were on the cusp of a holiday when the weekend warriors invade the hardware stores. If nothing else, Gary is all about avoiding crowds. 

As I said, it was early. We go to bed before most, and as a result, we rise earlier than that same crowd. Glancing at the clock, I suggested it was too early for such a trip.But as it turned out, we had just enough time to clear up the cereal bowls, put on our outside clothes and get over there. Lowe's opens at 6am! Yes, we beat the crowds and the selection of sod was good. 

That's how our holiday weekend began. Three-day weekends in the USA are often accompanied by sales, big sporting events, food, and so many other activities that the younger generations hardly know what Memorial Day is all about.  

For verification of that, watch Jesse Waters on FOX when his representative, Johnny, interviews young people on the street and on the beach -- it's shocking how little these people know about our nation's history, let alone them having any appreciation for the hardships and sacrifices that gave them their freedoms.

My husband and I were introduced to each other on Veteran's Day (November 11th), so I learned at the beginning how important patriotism is to this man. On Memorial Day weekend he posts his MIA flag in  our front yard, a reminder that this holiday is not so much of a celebration as it is a remembrance of sacrifices made so the living have a reason to celebrate.

Then on the actual Memorial holiday, he flies the American flag, and we do thank the Lord for the lives of the brave that have preserved our freedoms.

some of our kids

With all of that said, we also indulged ourselves with fun. Some of our kids made a day-trip to see us. We took them to my favorite Italian place (the same restaurant where we enjoyed Mother's Day lunch). It was a hit with them as well. We visited all afternoon until it was time for them to face the traffic on the way home. It was a day well-spent!

Like so many others, on Sunday afternoon we watched the Indy 500 car race from the comfort of our automated recliners. On Monday we were a part of the well-attended memorial service in our retirement community. We pledged to the flag, sang the National Anthem, watched a video from Honor Flight, enjoyed patriotic choral music from our Glee Club, and concluded with Taps by one of our residents. And there were refreshments, lots of honey buns and coffee.

Of course television had a lot of old movies with war themes. We tend to watch those at all times of the year for their historical value and our appreciation for good character demonstrated.

The Longest Day

Other notables (for me, anyway) from this past week include two books completed. 

purchase information

I checked this one out from my public library after the recommendation from gals in my Bible study. I have written my impressions of it in the Book Reports feature of this blog (go to my home page and click on "Book Reports.") I'll just say that I'm learning I'm not an avid fan of fiction, preferring biographies more. But with that said, the book was of a more light-hearted theme (sort of). And sometimes I need that.

purchase information

The other book completed was a study of the Old Testament Ecclesiastes, which I have also summarized in my "Book Reports" column. The group of ladies began this in March, meeting weekly for the 8 chapters. I do enjoy a good Bible study. I've been going to church and been in Bible studies all of my life but there is never an end to learning something new, which is exactly what came out of this study for me.

On the last day of class, we celebrated with cake! 

Speaking of food, I did some cooking this past week. We had neighbors over for ice cream and homemade brownies from my cast iron wedge pan, and on another day I made some no-yeast dinner rolls that served as buns for mini ham sandwiches. 

Regarding my recipe for the brownies, I use whatever boxed mix is on sale and pour the batter into the wedges of the pan, baking them for 35 minutes. They never cool entirely before somebody starts removing them from the pan. He likes them warm.

"Overnight Cookies" page 200

I also have recently baked cookies from Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of several books, including The Yearling and Cross Creek Cookery. The recipe says to mix up the batter, then create a roll, wrap that in plastic, and refrigerate overnight. The next day you slice the roll and bake. Mine turned out flat on one side, but you know, funny thing, that did not affect the taste at all. Gary loved them. They did not last long. (Thanks, by the way, to my blog reader and neighbor, Ona, who loaned me her copy of Cross Creek Cookery. 😊)

Well, this has (once again) turned out to be a quite lengthy blog post.... I wonder how many readers have stayed with me till the end?!! I will close with something King Solomon said to sum up Ecclesiastes:

So I commend the enjoyment of life,

because nothing is better for a man under the sun

than to eat and drink and be glad.

Then joy will accompany him in his work

all the days of the life

God has given him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

Until next time, grace and peace.

sunset on the lanai