Grateful for the Hodgepodge and a Grown-Up Guy

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving, and all through the internet, 

folks are baking and shopping, making sure all is set. 

I won't go on, but thus begins the busy season leading up to Christmas. In fact, the Christmas season is already here in many places. Decorations, music, shopping, catalogs in the mailbox, and lists dancing in our heads.

Let's take a break from the hustle and bustle and relax here at the Hodgepodge for a few minutes. We are grateful each week for our friend Joyce, who provides us with questions so that we can share our little corner of the world wide web with friends and family near and far! Be sure to click on the button below to visit Joyce and the others.

Here are her questions and my answers. Enjoy, and may you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving!

1. Besides U.S. Thanksgiving, it's also National Game and Puzzle Week...what game have you played most recently, and who were you with? Have you worked a puzzle of any kind in the past week?

We played several games of Heads Up while we were in Haiti. If you don't know about it, it's a game on the iPhone that is based on the game that Ellen plays with the guests on her show. It's fun, and funny, with several categories from which to choose. When it's your turn, you choose a category, then hold the phone on your forehead while your team gives you clues in an attempt to get you to say the word. Of course, when you play with a team, and several folks are shouting at you all at once, it can get quite lively. Jamalyn posted this one on Instagram and tagged Ellen in it, letting her know that we were playing her game on our last night in Port au Prince.

As for puzzles, I spent yesterday with Noah, and we worked several of his puzzles in the course of the day. Of course, for a one-year-old, 'working' puzzles mostly means 'dumping.' :)

2. What is one place you were thankful for this year?

I'm always thankful for this place. Home.

Home where my thoughts escaping,

Home where my music's playing,

Home where my love lies waiting

Silently for me.

(Photo is from several years ago. We don't have snow right now, and I won't put my Christmas decorations up until after we have celebrated Thanksgiving.)

3. Take a nap, watch football, go for an after dinner walk, or hit the stores...which ONE is on your must-do list for Thanksgiving day? For those of you playing along who aren't in the US, answer as it relates to any big holiday meal.

Watch football. And some family members will sneak in a nap at the same time. Nothing like football and napping. And I know that's two things, but I'm counting as one since they can be done simultaneously.

4. Besides Thanksgiving, what's your favorite home cooked meal?

Anything that someone else has cooked. :) I have said before that I know how to make about 3 meals, and after that they are just repeats. And these days, we don't cook that many meals at home.

5. What product from an infomercial would you most like to own?

I don't really watch infomercials, so I can't think of anything I would want to own. I did, however, recently see a segment on the Meredith Vieira Show in which they were guessing whether a product was real or not real. There was one made for golfers called the UroClub, which apparently is real. I'll let you look it up yourself. It helps eliminate, um, anxiety on the golf course. Maybe it would be ap-pee-ling to the golfers in the family. Ha!

6. Christmas shopping? Have you begun? Finished? Will you shop on Black Friday? How do you feel about stores opening on Thanksgiving Day? What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?

Sure, I have a few things, and I've been thinking about it, at least. I'm never finished until the actual day arrives, so no, not finished. You won't catch me anywhere near a mall on Black Friday. Just. Say. No. No parking. No sleep. No space. No thank you. I think I would rather have a root canal.
Two words. Online shopping.
It's the only way.

7. What are you most grateful for that adds beauty to your everyday life?

Music. So many beautiful songs and styles and stories to be shared through music. And in case I haven't mentioned it before, one of my favorites is Sandi Patty.

This song, an oldie but goodie, has a message for all of us who are sad about what's happening in Ferguson, Missouri. Pray for peace.

"What man is greater than his brother, 
when in Jesus' eyes we're all the same."


8. Insert your own random thought here.

Black Friday has already been mentioned in question #6, and I know that many folks look forward to the day as a chance to spend time with friends and family and to get all their shopping done in one fell swoop. I'm just not one of them. :) But Black Friday is not the only 'special' day we have coming up in the next week.

Saturday is Small Business Saturday, and provides a great chance to support small businesses in our towns and communities. I hope to do some shopping and dining at a few of my favorite small businesses on Saturday here in our little burg.

Monday is Cyber Monday, with many merchants offering online deals to shoppers/clickers. I'm likely to take advantage of a few of these deals, although some have already been offered up and utilized for some of my holiday purchases.

In case you don't know, if you like to shop at Amazon, you can take advantage of Amazon Smile. Select a charity from almost a million eligible public charitable organizations, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the charity of your choice. It's a win win, and so easy. Once you have signed up, your charity is selected, and you are even prompted to click over to Amazon Smile if you forget to start there. Easy as pie, and every little bit helps.

Speaking of giving, Tuesday has been designated as Giving Tuesday. So after we have given thanks, and scored some deals, we can celebrate generosity by coming together to give as we are able.

One option provided by The Advance Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church is in support of the Leogane Family Surgical Center in Leogane, Haiti. It is being built as a result of the work of Family Health Ministries, and will be primarily Haitian run. It will provide much needed services, including health care and education to the Haitian community. While we were in Haiti, we saw the building site, and ground was broken to start the project just a week after our visit.

I hope you will plan to join me, as you are able, by giving in a way that is meaningful to you.


And finally, I want to wish a very happy 32nd birthday to our first born, David. Not sure how he can be 32 when it seems like I'm only about 30 myself. :)

The G on his sweater stands for Greensburg, and in David's case it also stands for Great, Generous, Gifted, Good, Gracious, Gentlemanly, and all Grown up. We are Grateful to God for the Gift with which we were blessed on the day he was born.

Stay cool, David, and may God bless your day!

Happy, happy birthday!

I love you!