Today's writing prompts were provided by Joyce with her Hodgepodge questions for June 3rd. Click on the link below if you want to link up with your blog.
http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2026/05/hodgepodge-questions-volume-656.html
1.What's something you find extremely difficult that most people would say is simple?
I cannot snap my fingers. Never have been able to do it. When I needed to snap my fingers to get my small children's attention without speaking, I would wave my hands or pat the floor -- neither of which is anywhere as effective as snapping one's fingers.
2. "And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow fast in movies I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer."
~F. Scott Fitzgerald
Does the season of summer make you feel this way? Elaborate.
Summer is not my favorite season, mostly due to the heat and bugs, so I don't relate to this piece by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I do remember the wondrous freedom I felt as a schoolgirl when summer vacation began.
3. Pickles. Love 'em or no thank you? What's your favorite type of pickle? What's something you eat that definitely needs a pickle added?
Yes, I like pickles, especially sweet ones. These are some of the best I've ever had: Fickle Pickles
4. Tis the season...do you know any June brides? Are there any weddings on your summer calendar? What's your favorite movie wedding?
Right off hand, no, I don't know of any June brides nor am I aware of any summer weddings this year.
My favorite movie wedding? How about my favorite movies with a wedding in them?
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5. June 1st is/was National Say Something Nice Day...say something nice here.
The kind comments left on my blog have encouraged me time and again over the years.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Sharing snapshots of current events around here, none of which is terribly exciting but definitely has helped us to fall asleep easily while watching TV! 😆 Posting in the order in which the pictures were taken (which is the order in which these thrilling activities happened):
Modeling my new wide-brimmed hat for the cute photographer (see his shadow). I'm pulling weeds and depositing them in an old bucket.
🙄 You may have seen on the TV news this past weekend Robert Kennedy Jr. (our current Secretary of Health and Human Services) at the Florida home of Dr. Mehmet Oz (our current Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) handling a couple of these Black Racer snakes as they were mating. They bit him in self-defense, which is painful, but he was not especially concerned because they are not poisonous.
HOWEVER, snake mouths carry bacteria. Treatment should be a thorough washing with warm soap and water, followed by application of an antibacterial ointment and a bandage. Then the wounds should be monitored for signs of infection.
Anyway, I carry a defensive tool with me when I am outside pulling weeds, and sometimes I sing to myself -- both activities to inform the snake that I'm around with the hopes he'll slither away. I promise you I'll not be purposefully touching any snakes!!!
In another snapshot taken that same day, Gary was blowing pine needles off our rock, a noisy but much less scary aspect of yard work! You can see in this picture one of several examples of Asian art we have as a tribute to Gary's 3 military assignments in that part of the world in years past.
These are clippings from some of the rose bushes in our front yard. Years ago I embroidered the clusters of flowers on this doily. There are a lot of French Knots in there!
As I type this while sitting on our front porch, we are waiting for our landscapers to show up with new sod (St. Augustine grass) for our front yard. As Gary has often said, "There's a secret to growing grass in Florida, but I don't know what it is!!" We live in a gated +55 community with a hefty monthly HOA fee, so there's pressure to have a smart-looking lawn.
With the new sod coming, we decided to take out the ring of curved bricks and rocks surrounding the Holly tree and have the grass grow right up to the base of the tree trunk. Gary set the curved bricks out on the driveway and I posted this snapshot on our neighborhood Facebook page. That was right after breakfast. Long before lunch, somebody took us up on the free offer!
We both knelt on our rubber knee pads to scrape up the rock from the tree's base and carry it to the driveway where Gary hosed it off thoroughly. Then the rocks were added to other ares of our landscaping. It was a labor-intensive task in our Florida heat and humidity (sweat rolling down the center of my back...); but as I said earlier, we later fell asleep in our recliners while watching our TV shows!
This is a Crepe Myrtle tree. They are blooming all over around here now and are just gorgeous. Most of them are pink, lavender, and sometimes white. But the ones I like the best are this dark red (almost crimson). We don't have one in our yard (they are kinda messy when the flowers fall off). I took this snapshot while on one of our bike rides.
Bringing this summary of our current events to a close, this is the puzzle I'm working on now. I found it in Gary's china hutch when we got married. He's had it for so long that he doesn't remember how it came into his possession. The design is CRAZY, but it's only 300 oversized pieces, the kind of puzzle I like the best, so every day I work on it for a few minutes.
My readers know I don't discuss politics on my blog. I just don't want to field the comments it brings.. With that said, I close with this verse that is an excellent prayer prompt:
So then let us pursue the things
which make for peace
and the building up of one another.
Romans 14:19
Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, grace and peace.
Barbara
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10 comments:
My hubs knows snakes and he's always telling me not to kill the black snakes. As if I would kill a snake lol. No way!! We have copperheads here and you need to be careful when gardening. The baby copperhead venom is especially potent. You look so cute in your hat!!
I like the pic of you on the porch and in your sunhat. I like it! It's nice to have a cute photographer! :)
I'm not a fan of snakes either. Poisonous snakes are rare around here, but still!
Your yard looks very nice, but I know it's a lot of work.
Good verse!
Well aren’t y’all cute out there working in the summer heat. All snakes or creepy crawlies are bad in my mind and cause me to run which night not be as good an idea as in earlier years of my life. If one is spotted I can assure you I am pretty fast:)
St. Augustine is the grass we have. It is lush but can be prone to disease so it must be sprayed quickly at the first sign on cinch bug. Otherwise it is pretty. Lawns can be tough. I fell in love eight the show on Discovery channel where they did Florida friendly lawns with less watering. I have thought I would love to have them come do mine. That puzzle might be only 300 larger pieces but it looks pretty intimidating. I have learned a ton from Mama.
I enjoyed this post very much, Barbara!! You look stunning in that hat! This was a fun catch-up with you two dear friends! We had black racers at the other house, often. I was the snake whisperer because Joe just couldn't be near them. They don't like us anymore than we like them, so they are usually happy to slink away rather than come in contact. I have a healthy respect for snakes, but am not afraid of them (if they don't take me by surprise!). Good luck with the puzzle. Please show us the finished picture!! Blessings! xo
You're just adorable! Better a black snake than a python!
I can barely snap my fingers and I never could do loud whistles either. Gee now I'm thinking of more things I never could do that others did with ease.
Do you know I must be the only person in the,world that never has seen Steel Magnolia. I don't care for chick flicks so that's probably why.
Just last night we out out a very big Australian date palm in our driveway - marked it free and by this morning it was gone. I will miss it but it just grew too big and needed to be planted in the ground or a bigger container.
Like always, your posts are among my favorites. Enjoy this lovely June!
God bless
My eldest can't snap her fingers, she has tried and tried but it's something she has never been able to do.
Yes, I said Father of the Bride too!
What lovely photos! That hat looks perfect for the garden.
I used to be able to snap my fingers, but now arthritis has affected my thumbs so that it is a painful exercise in futility. Oh I love your hat! You look stunning in it, even if there is sweat dripping down your back! I know that feeling so well. Can't step outside for more than a few minutes before the sweat starts to trickle. Although yesterday was lovely...nice breeze, very low humidity and lower temps in the low 80's. I enjoyed some outdoor time in the garden, but not working...just sitting and enjoying. Your yard is so lovely. I know it is a lot of work to maintain any kind of lawn in Florida in summer. Once the rains start back up in earnest, things grow like crazy. I love the crepe myrtle picture...that's the color I love best also. And isn't it nice to bring some roses inside to enjoy all day long? I love to breathe in their sweet fragrance every time I pass them by. That puzzle looks a bit daunting. Be sure to take a picture when you've completed it! We will definitely give you some applause! Oh, black snakes are definitely good snakes to have, even if they do startle us! And yes, they usually will get well out of your way first, so you really don't need to worry about them too much. I just don't like to run into other kinds of snakes that aren't the good kind. Thankfully we haven't seen any of those here at this house, but we definitely had them in Salt Springs, and so we were glad to have the Black Racers around to keep the little Pygmy Rattlers and Coral Snakes at bay. Re: June brides, I don't see any happening currently, but we have several couples in our church who are celebrating this month, and one is even having their 50th, with a little party at the church put on by their children. So that will be nice to attend. All in all a lovely post today. Thank you for sharing your journal memories with us.
Well, speaking of snakes, Greg encountered a little Bull nose snake in our shop. We had to take a photo and send it to our experts (our kids) to identify the snake since it looks rattlerish. They told us it was a Bull nose. Greg guided it back out of the shop into the yard. The mountain behind us is called Rattlesnake Mountain and yes there are rattlesnakes on it. Thankfully we have not encountered one in our yard...yet!! We can completely relate to falling asleep while watching tv after working out in the yard for hours. That is such an interesting puzzle. I finished one this week. Cute sunhat and sweet centerpiece for the roses. Stay cool out there!!
Dear Barbara, I love your porch! And I love the jigsaw puzzle as well! Your photos are beautiful, dear friend!
Thank goodness living here in Montreal I have never come across a snake, alligator or crocodile! This is one of the positives of living in a colder climate.
Reptiles do not like the cold!
And, dear Barbara, you look radiant in that hat! I really enjoyed your post. Thank you so much for sharing.
I hope you have a wonder filled weekend ahead.
I haven't a clue on about growing grass, everything in our backyard is sand, sigh. Yep on the snakes, they are plentiful here in Florida, sigh. Wishing you both a beautiful day. smiles
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