Here Comes Summer Hodgepodge

I will be posting the rest of the photos of Memorial Day weekend sometime soon, but first, I thought I would get back to the Hodgepodge. Last week, I was too busy getting ready for the weekend and waiting for our power to come back on after the storm to participate! Be sure to hop on over to Joyce's blog check out the posts by our blogger friends.

1. Have you ever been to the US capital-Washington DC? If so, what's your favorite site? If not, what would you most like to see on a visit to that city someday in the future? Is it even on your list of places to visit?

We took the family to Washington DC in the spring of 1997. The kids were ages 14, 12, 11, 9, and 6, so we thought the time was right for them to be able to understand and enjoy the history of the city. Of course, the kids loved the Smithsonian museums (even though their father got lost there, but I really don't want to mention that again), and they enjoyed the monuments. We especially liked visiting the Jefferson Memorial at night. The city is so beautiful after dark.

My favorite might have been the Tour and Tea at the National Cathedral. I am always amazed by the beautiful, massiveness (is that a word?) of cathedrals, and of the planning and work that it took to build them. Our tour took us to many areas of the cathedral, ending with tea in one of the towers. Now the children weren't all that impressed with the refreshments served (they would have preferred chips and coke to tea and scones), but the view was amazing. Here is a photo in front of the cathedral.

We also met up with a young woman from our hometown who was working for a Senator. She took us through the tunnel from the Senator's office building to the Capitol, and gave us a great tour.

 2. When did you last attend a wedding? Are there any weddings on your summer calendar? Were you a summer bride? If you're single, is summer the season of your dream wedding?

I think the last wedding we attended was the wedding of my daughter-in-law's cousin Katie and her husband David. Such a cute couple! We do have a couple of weddings on our summer calendar, including the wedding of our pastor, who will be married in July just before our own anniversary of 30 years! Wow! How did that happen? Yes, I was a summer bride, and Jim would say it was at least 100 degrees in the un-airconditioned church that day.

3. What is your favorite way to eat strawberries?

My favorite way to eat strawberries is with ice cream. My dad had a strawberry patch when I was a teenager, and I remember more than one occasion when I was out in the patch with a flashlight picking just enough to eat on my bedtime ice cream snack.

4. What is one thing you are especially looking forward to this summer?

I am looking forward to lots of this:

And also getting together with this group of  high school friends. We gathered last year in celebration of our 50th birthdays, and had so much fun, we are going to try to make it an annual event. You know, the first anniversary of our 50th birthday, and so on!

5. Do you use/like the self checker at the grocery store?

I use it sometimes, when I only have a few items, but I don't like to use it if I have a whole cart full.

6. Share a favorite piece of common sense advice.

Since I mentioned Bambi in yesterday's post, I thought I would continue with that theme and share "Thumper's Rule":   

"If you can't say something nice..... don't say nothing at all."

7. Barefoot, flip flops, tennis shoes, sassy sandals-your first choice for summertime?

Flip flops or sandals. I have a hard time wearing shoes any time after spring break.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I finished my first "summer book" at the lake this weekend, Heart of the Matter, by Emily Giffin. I have read her other books, and wanted to read this one as well. I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, and, without giving too much away, I was happy with the way it turned out. Despite mistakes and questions, the characters are able to hang on to what really matters in the end.

One of Emily Giffin's earlier books, Something Borrowed, has just been released as a movie. I am hoping to see it soon. How about you? Have you read any great books or watched any good movies lately? What is on your list to read/see?

Happy Wednesday!