Guess Who Went to a Wedding!

I thought you might want to see why I've been absent from blogland for the past two weeks.

 

 

Must have been because we were at our daughter's wedding! Stephanie and Zack were married on Saturday, May 25th. Next week I will be posting all the details including non-working air conditioning, rock hard beds, pink eye and onion rings. (It was a Boyd wedding after all, and we're not known for simple weddings.)

 

In the meantime, let me leave you with a picture that truly is worth a thousand words.

 

 

Indiana has braved the jungles of Africa and faced down terrorists. He witnessed to drug dealers in our apartment parking lot, and has done his fair share of street preaching. Nothing stops the man, but the moment when he first saw his little girl in her wedding dress brought him to tears. (Happy tears, but tears nevertheless.)

 

 





The Wizard of All Hodgepodges

The Hodgepodge will get your blood pressure up and start you longing for home ... or flying monkeys.  Now you know you want to join in, don't you?

1. May is National Blood Pressure Month...what sends yours soaring, either literally or figuratively? What calms you down? When did you last have your bp checked?
Sometimes my blood pressure goes up just contemplating the Hodgepodge questions.

2. You just found $1-what do you spend it on? How about 10$ 100?
Whatever I found would probably go towards groceries. Four teenage boys in the house means we never have leftovers and we're always out of something. I finally had to restrict the boys to eating only four eggs a day. Each. They also eat all the cheese, and are continually reminding me that we're out of cereal. They've also gone through countless bottles of barbeque sauce. I haven't asked if they're eating all that together.

I don't want to know.

3. Mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food has been proposed, but not enacted in the US. How much attention do you give food labels before you buy? Are you in favor of labeling if it means an increase in food prices? Is this an issue you've been following and feel strongly about, or is this the first you've heard of the controversy?
If you read my last answer, you can probably guess that I don't want anything that raises the price of food. If it hasn't killed us by now, we're probably immune to it.

4. May 15th marks the birthdate of Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. At this point in time, are you more in need of brains, courage, heart, or a trip back home? Explain.
I'm already home, but sometimes it takes all three (and more than I've got) to crawl out from under the covers in the morning.

5. "There's no place like home" is an oft repeated line from Baum's book. When was the last time you felt the truth of that statement?
Probably the last time I put on a pair of red shoes. Another story (along with Cinderella) which proves that a great pair of shoes can change your life.

6.  Steak...yes please or no thank you? What cut do you prefer and how do you like yours cooked? Sauce or no sauce? Besides your own kitchen, where's a place you like to go to get a great steak? 
I can't get a great steak in my own kitchen since my cooking skills can be summed up in one word:  mediocrity.

7. When was the last time you were in a genuine hurry?
Probably the last time I was trying to get my Hodgepodge answers linked up so that I didn't end up being the last one on the list.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
This week I was thinking of several different things I wanted to blog about--thinking about it and doing it are obviously two separate issues--but none of those thoughts were worth a whole blog post. Then it hit me! These are random thoughts! I could have an answer to #8 for a month or more! Of course, now I can't remember any of them.

On a more serious note, many of you have asked about a date for Stephanie's wedding. I'm not ignoring you, but I can't mention the date until after the fact. If you've read the post on her story, you probably realize that there are people from her past that she doesn't want involved in her future. For that reason, I won't be giving specifics until after the fact. 

There are two things you can be sure of: she will be married by the end of summer, and I will tell you more than you could possibly want to know after that.

The Hodgepodge Stroll Down Memory Lane

So Joyce gets all nostalgic this week and asks us questions about our childhood. My growing up years were about as normal as my kids' growing up years are ... and that says a lot! So why don't you read what all I have to say, then leave a comment and click on this link (the big Hodgepodge button, duh!) and see what everyone else did on memory lane.

1. When the children of today grow up, what do you think they'll say about this period in time? What do you most hope they remember?
I hope they don't look back and say, "I remember when we had freedom ..."


2. National Teacher's Day is celebrated in the US of A on the first Tuesday in May, this year May 7th...share how a particular teacher positively impacted you. 
I like English, and I liked my English teacher in college. Her name was Miss Hermes. She was strict, but she and I got along well enough that some unkind souls took to calling me a "Hermite".


They were just jealous because they didn't qualify for the Geek Club.

3. What's a dish your mama made, that if set in front of you today would whisk you right back to childhood?
Mashed potatoes. She would be horrified if she knew how often I used instant. She'd be even more horrified to find out that my children prefer it so.


The shame! The shame!

4. Mother May I was a game we played when I was growing up...no pieces, parts, or plugs required. What games from childhood do you remember loving that were also pieces, parts, and plug-free?
I liked playing tackle football with the neighborhood boys. Of course, we did use a football, which is technically a "piece" or a "part". But then my mother told me I was too old to be tackling boys anymore. Come to think of it, I didn't always wait for them to have the football before I tackled them ...


5. Besides your own mother, tell us about a woman who influenced you as a child?
Wonder Woman. Her magic bracelets were both pretty and practical. I try to make sure my jewelry is the same. (Although none of my jewelry will stop a bullet. Just sayin'.)


6. Mamma Mia! What's the best play or musical you've ever seen? 
Are you kidding me? With these guys, there's a production going on almost every night at our house.


7. What are three smells that make you feel nostalgic?
Decaying leaves. New mown grass. Not sure about the third, but I think someday the smell of dirty socks and old sneakers will make me nostalgic for a household of teenage of boys. Nostalgic or nauseous, one or the other.


8.  Insert your own random thought here.
i just purchased my third dress for my daughter's wedding. Not that I'm wearing three dresses. I'm just having trouble choosing one dress. And unfortunately, it's not because they all look so great on me.

This is a very big decision. After all, last time I had a supporting role as Mother of the Groom. This time I've got the starring role of Mother of the Bride.

What do you mean it's still not all about me?!?!?