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| our back patio |
.Hello friends! Come sit with me for a few minutes while I share my thoughts with some snapshots.
Autumn has truly arrived here in North Central Florida. For our after-breakfast bicycle rides these last couple of weeks I've worn ankle-length yoga pants, socks with my shoes, an undershirt, a long-sleeved T-shirt, a zip-up hoodie jacket and lightweight gloves. When pedaling with even a light headwind, it gets chilly!
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| a fresh application of red lava rock |
We both get something to drink and take that out to the front porch to rest and wave at neighbors as they walk or ride by.
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| our back yard this week |
Often our next activity until lunchtime is to do something in the yard. My task is to pull weeds (I've definitely got "job security" with that!!) while Gary trims bushes and trees, or cuts the grass, or (this week) he spreads rock. It was time to replenish the lava rock in the back yard. He did the hard work while I hung close by as his "go-fer" (go get this, bring back that).
You see our Asian theme in the yard. There are no Buddhas, or shrines as this is a Christian home, but we do enjoy the artful beauty that reminds us of Gary's military years in Japan (and later in Thailand and Korea).
Our morning routines are good exercise and we enjoy doing things together. There's not a lot of talk as we work. It's good to just "be with" each other.
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| Jersey Girl and me |
That last sentence is my segue into how good it is to "be with" friends. Jersey Girl and I had lunch together yesterday to celebrate her recent birthday. As you see what we are wearing, you might think we coordinated our clothing choices ahead of time, like teenagers, but we didn't. Both of us were of the mind that this is the right time to wear orange.
Jersey Girl as a Party Girl!
But speaking of how females like to talk about what we'll wear for special occasions, Jersey Girl and I made some special memories 5 years ago when we were preparing to go to a neighborhood Christmas party. I had invited my new beau (who is now my husband) to come with us.
Gary and I had been dating just a week or so and I wanted to WOW! him that night. I invited Jersey Girl to come to my house before Gary was due to arrive so she could help me get ready, and then she took pictures of us. It was a very fun evening for all of us.
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| Yes, he was surprised to see me dressed "all a-sparkle." |
Moving on to this week's Hodgepodge questions from Joyce, if you want to link up with your blog, click here:
http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2026/11/hodgepodge-questions-volume-679.html
1. Of the following sayings, typically associated with the (American) southern way of speaking, which do you most relate to right now? Explain.
Bless your heart~too big for yer britches~ madder than a wet hen~you're preachin' to the choir~
knee high to a grasshopper~oh my stars
.The last, although that is not a phrase I like to use. I think of it as expressing unwelcome surprise. Earlier this week I learned of the untimely and very unexpected passing of a longtime friend who is 20+ years younger than me.
2. The Hodgepodge lands on (US) Veterans Day this year. Are you a veteran? Have a family member who's a veteran? If you answered yes, tell us something about them. Will you do anything to mark the day in some special way?
Both my late husband and my current husband, as well as one of my sons -- all are veterans who served in the USAF. I am proud of all of them and their contributions. One served as a Minuteman missile launch officer, one as military police/criminal investigator, and one as a pilot in Afghanistan.
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| me, our mutual friend, Gary |
With both of us having been widowed a year earlier, my husband and I met at a Veterans' Day observance here in our +55 retirement community. We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. I am glad that our friends had the foresight to take snapshots of us on that fateful day! At the time, we had no idea what the future held for us.
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| Gary and me the day we met, November 11, 2021 |
3. Is breakfast for dinner a stroke of genius or a sign of total household collapse? Is breakfast for dinner a regular thing at your house? Are all family members on board?
Breakfast for lunch is our norm on Sundays after church. The menu is eggs, bacon, and some form of potatoes or mac 'n cheese. It's just the two of us and we like it that way. Then later that day for supper we have bacon-tomato sandwiches with the leftovers from lunch.
4. How do you see the world?
Literally, I see the world through tri-focal glasses. Politically, I see the world as not getting any better, which is what the Bible tells us to expect. The world is in desperate need of Jesus.
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| click here to listen to the song |
5. And this week's gratitude question-what's something about your surroundings (home, neighborhood, city) you're grateful for?
I am grateful for ordinary days. This graphic from FaceBook says it very well:
6. Insert your own random thought here.
While on the subject of gratitude . . . . .
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| Honoring our Veterans with a paper poppy |
The Hodgepodge falls on Veterans Day this year. I think about the young people who sign up for military service, many of whom are probably unprepared for what will be expected of them from their very first day.
A very short haircut
loud orders barked at them
eating, sleeping, bathing with a crowd of strangers
hurry hurry hurry to get everything done
unfamiliar skill expectations
unexpected assignments
and so much more.
Character (or the lack of it) is discovered and the challenges to survive come in many forms. May God bless our military!
Until next time, grace and peace,
Barbara
P.S. If you need to leave a comment as "anonymous," please include your first name or initials. Thanks!
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