Who am I? A wife for almost 40 years. A mom for over 36 years. A sister and a friend, of course. Each of these help describe me. But, even more, I have been a Christian since accepting Him as my Savior when I was 12 years old and, this truth defines each area of my life. I have enjoyed some mountain top experiences but have been through some very deep valleys as well. Valleys of incredible grief and even pits of depression. However, most of my days are ordinary, routine kind of days. But in every one of my days, God has been faithful. He has walked with me whatever the day. He strengthens, comforts, encourages and blesses me with life "most abundant."

A favorite life verse: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Why do I write? Though not quite as private as my dad, I am definitely my father's daughter. I find it difficult to share. And to let others in. But I do love to write. I love to put words into sentences and sentences in paragraphs that help express my thoughts. I hope my words help me share my heart. Share the life that God has given me and all that He has done for me and through me. I write with the hope of giving Him at least a bit of the glory He is due.

A verse to guide my writing: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. I Peter 1:7

Trying Not the Whine Through the Hodge Podge

Posted on By jennifer

Happy Hump Day!  I’m a bit late to the party, er..the link-up, but going to jump in all the same.  It is a bit after ten (am) and it has been a beautiful morning.  No regrets getting a late start to the computer.  I got my walk in early this morning.  This time of year, I have to walk early or, well, I just will not get it done.  The humidity completely zaps my motivation.  Speaking of humidity, my brother sent me this fun bit of information.  Can you read that?  Apparently, the insane humidity has not been a figment of our imagination around here.  Oh sure, it’s been hot too (and going to get crazy hot again this weekend) but summer is hot.  I try not to complain.  But, the humidity is brutal and, yes, a motivation drainer for many things!  That said, the beautiful early morning genuinely motivates me.  Definitely the best time for walking!

But that does push other things I typically do early in the morning until mid-morning.  It is what it is.  And now it is time for some Hodge Podge questions.  The rest of the link-up is here.

1. When does time pass slowly for you? When does time past quickly for you? Time passes slowly for me in the evening.  After the dinner hour but before it is time to get ready for bed.  It is the longest 2 or 2 1/2 hours of the day.  I should work on some type of project but the creative side of my brain (and much of my mental energy) is at its lowest.  Projects become a chore at this time of day.  We also do not enjoy tv, although we have been watching tv more than usual…just to pass the time during these hours.  On a larger scale, time passes very slowly in the winter.  Ugh.  Winter drags on for far too long!!  I’m not sure which is more dreadful – February or March??  They both pass at a snail’s pace.

Time passes quickly when I’m teaching and working with the children on Sunday mornings.  It also goes by quickly when I’m fully engaged in a project (in the morning – lol)…especially if I am doing something creative.  Like organizing – ha!!

2. Do you have a favorite beach? What’s your favorite ‘beach’ activity?   No one would ever call me a “beach person.”  I would never call myself a beach person.  Ocean water is just kind of gross.  The sand is beyond annoying.  The idea of sweating (or sweating while you are sandy!!) is something I can go a lifetime never doing.  That said, I will agree that listening to waves crashing, watching the sunrise over a watery horizon and even the smell of salty air…it all can be very magical.  I just prefer to do it from a balcony.  We had friends at our old church who had a condo at the beach (on Hilton Head Island – I guess that would be my favorite beach).  They would rent it ridiculously cheap to folks from church and we enjoyed many trips to the beach staying at that condo.  It was right on the ocean and we very much enjoyed the beach.  From the balcony:)  We did walk the beach in the mornings and I would say that is my favorite beach activity.  That and dining al fresco on incredibly fresh seafood!!

3. Your favorite book or movie with a beach setting?  I’ve got absolutly nothing here.  What movie or book has a beach setting??  Instead let me share a family favorite beach story.  It is a favorite now.  Not then.  When our kiddos were very small, my husband’s boss (the chief of police) had a condo at Myrtle Beach.  He loaned it to us a few times.  Free of charge – which was a tremendous blessing for our young family.  The first time we took the children there, we only had two (I was actually pregnant) and Jordan, our son, was maybe just two.  After our road trip there, we were all excited to get out of the car and to simply walk.  We had not unpacked, changed or anything similar but were just checking the property out.  We were happy to discover there was a pool (without sand!) and I was sitting by the edge of the pool with my feet in.  The children were close by but not too close to the pool.  Out of nowhere, Jordan walked straight to the pool and kept right on walking.  Literally stepped right into the water.  And sank like a rock.  Within seconds, my husband was in the pool, yanked him above the water and set him on the deck.  Jordan acted as if nothing had ever happened.  Was not surprised, scared or anything like that.  Me?  I was done.  Ready to pack it in and call it a vacation.  But we did not and, the best I can remember, we had a really nice time.

4. What’s a food you love, but find it’s a pain to eat? Is it worth it?  Goodness but I am beginning to sound like a whiner in this Hodge Podge but….I find eating food that is still attached to a bone/in its shell/similarly not ready for consumption to be even more distasteful than being sweaty and sandy!!  When I was a girl, my mom would serve pork chops (NOT boneless ones) and, at the end of the meal, would delight to have everyone’s t-bone and to eat those bones completely clean.  No doubt, I was scarred for life because it stills turns my stomach.  Enough said.  I suppose the only foods I find difficult are some squashes.  Like spaghetti squash. I love it. But don’t eat it that often because just cutting it in half can be a bear. But those are a pain to prepare.  Not to eat.

5.  Do you like roller coasters? What’s the best (or worst) roller coaster you’ve been on? Roller coasters are another no for me.  Good grief.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I suppose everyone has heard that walking 2,000 steps is equal to a mile.  I know that is supposed to be the standard but I have always wondered is it true?  Or accurate?  I typically walk 4,200 – 4,400 hundred steps in the morning.  But it does not seem like two miles.  At all.  So, this morning I went to the track.  I walked four laps.  2,100 steps.  I was surprised.  I walked four more laps.  4,200 steps.  Almost on the nose.  I was impressed.  Really?  Two thousand steps is actually a mile.  Well, go me!:)

Hodge Podge

Comments (10)

  1. I am late to the Hodgepodge today too! And I also went out early for a walk before it got too hot!

    Your pool story made me think of a time when we had gone to an ocean beach with some of our married kids and maybe six or seven of their kids. They were all much littler back then. I was sort of bringing up the rear behind the kids. Josiah (maybe 3 at the time) got too close to the waves and one knocked him down. I grabbed him up immediately but, like your boy he was unfazed by it. He was completely soaked though and had to spend the rest of the day in a makeshift assortment of dry clothes!

  3. I didn’t know about the steps! That is good to know. Look at you walking on a track!! It’s like you’re an exerciser or something :). Seriously, good job- I am impressed. We’ve been having some great outdoor weather during the non extreme hours- early and late. That is quite a story about Jordan and the pool. Thank goodness if anyone was traumatized by it, it was you (not that you being traumatized is good but you wouldn’t want him traumatized or he may have avoided the water entirely for years after that). Yah for free beach trips- and balconies :).

  4. I didn’t know that about the steps either. We live on the water and I’m over the top about safety with the littles around. They all know they can’t leave the walkway without a life jacket on. The nearly 8-year old is a good swimmer and doesn’t understand why he has to wear a jacket when I don’t insist on one when we go up to the neighborhood pool, but the pool isn’t 25 feet deep. He asked how old he’d have to be to swim without and I blurted out 18. My daughter said, ‘MOM!” but seriously. It might be 18. I think anytime is fine for participating in the HP. I know everyone wants posts up early but it doesn’t always happen to me. I like the new format of posting the questions on Sundays because I kind of work through them at my leisure instead of trying to answer all at once. Have a nice rest of the week!

  5. Oh my goodness I am laughing out loud at your responses! I’m also looking forward to next week to see if there is a topic better suited to you. Some people are just not beach people. My mother did the same thing with bones and it completely disgusted me. I still don’t eat things with bones.

  6. Congratulations on walking two miles a day! That’s wonderful, Jennifer.

    Our first (and only) trip to the beach was to Myrtle Beach when our kids were young. Our son was about three and we were down next to the water. He was standing beside us, and we turned our heads for a minute…seriously, a minute…and when we turned back around, he was gone! He was high tailing it down the beach with all of his might. Thankfully, my husband is a fast runner and was able to recover him. I was like you, I was ready to pack up and call it a vacation right then and there, but we had to stay because the trip was actually a business trip for my husband, and he had meetings he was required to attend.

  7. LOL You sound like my husband, he detests the beach, but he goes because he loves me, lol. ANYWAYS, according to my Fitbit, I walk 10,000 steps a day, so how many miles is that? 3-4? Well, I do work in a prison where my classroom is miles away, LOL.

    Have a great day and I did answer your thought / comment about Cedar Key on my blog. smiles

  8. I didn’t join this week… again because I had nothing really to say. I can understand how you feel about the beach. I just love hot weather and being at a beach is refreshing to me.
    It sure is a hot/humid summer in the midwest (missouri)… I enjoy being outside for a while but then I go inside and enjoy a good book in the cool house. I hope you have a nice weekend… stay cool!

  9. Jennifer, good Friday to you! And yes, I hear you about walking … I went out this morning but could feel the humidity go up by the minute. But I figure a short walk is better than no walk. And I’m grateful to sit here now in the AC and do a bit of blogging.

  10. I’m not really a beach person at all. I need to lather myself in suncream and I still end up like a boiled lobster. I prefer to go out and see places other than the beach. Goodness I would have been in panic mode if my son had tried that walking on water trick. Glad your husband was quick to respond and everything was ok. The last time I did the big rollercoasters was about 20 years ago. Scared the pants of f me but I knew it was then or never. It’s never time now.

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