Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 644I'm late! I'm late! To a very important date! But as they say, "better late than never!" I kept reading everyone else's answers to these questions and was thinking, I should do this, but I got too busy and ran out of time yesterday...and so I noticed that others were still posting today, so I decided, "why not?" So here we go...
Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here Wednesday (March 11th) to add your link to the party. See you there!
1. Are you a naturally trusting person? Is trust built on logic or 'gut instinct'? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Elaborate.I think I am a naturally trusting person...but I've learned over the years through trial and error that not everyone can be trusted, even those who come with sweet words and tell you they "want to be your best friend". After many years in the ministry as a Pastor's Wife, I am sad to say that there were those who pretended to be my best friend who ended up being much like the one in our theme..."Et tu, Brute?" ...Brutus, who betrayed and assassinated Julius Caesar. I'm afraid it has made me a bit more cautious about the friends I pick. However, yes, people do deserve a 2nd chance, if they are truly sorry and ask for forgiveness...
We probably all know "The Lord's Prayer", but I wonder how many know the verses immediately following it... Matthew 6 :14-15
"9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses"
So, yes, I do believe people deserve a 2nd chance, unless the offense is something truly grievous. We can forgive, but that doesn't necessarily mean we let them come back to hurt us again.
2. 'Beware the Ides of March'...March 15th on the ancient Roman calendar, these words were made famous by William Shakespeare in his play Julius Caesar. Caesar was assassinated on March 15th 44 B.C. Have you read any Shakespeare? If so, do you have a favorite? Have you ever been to Rome?
No, I've never been to Rome. And yes, we read MacBeth in our 12th grade English class. I remember it well, because I got to read the part of Lady MacBeth, and I read out loud her famous quote, "Out, damned spot!" And because curse words were forbidden to say in our school, I got a lot of "Ooooh, Pam, you said a bad word!" kind of comments from the rest of the class, until the teacher had to tell them to hush, since I was just reading the assigned passage after all!! LOL.
3. Do you like a Caesar salad? If given the choice between a garden/house salad or Caesar which do you order? Anchovies or no? What's your favorite salad dressing?
Caesar salads are okay, if that's the only choice. But I prefer a garden/house salad, no anchovies, and at a restaurant I usually get honey mustard, unless they have an interesting house dressing. At home I use Marie's Cole Slaw dressing on my salads. It is a creamy kind of sweet and sour dressing with celery seeds in it, and it's great on regular salads as well as coleslaw.
4. Where do you typically work (or blog if that's easier) at home? Do you have a dedicated home office space? Are you happy with that space?
If you've known me long, you know that my designated office space is my "Room With A View", which I talk about frequently. Rather than talk about it, let me show you some pictures from this room where I work at my desk with a desktop computer.
These are some photographs I took at our last home in the Ocala National Forest:
And this is the "sign" that started the theme of my blog, "Closed Doors, Open Windows".
This is the little tea towel that gave me the name for my room, "Room With a View", and it was actually a gift from one of my blogging friends when she and her husband visited our home for the first time!
Moving clockwise around the room, this is my little bookshelf with all kinds of gift books, devotionals, miscellaneous cookbooks, Audubon bird books, etc., and a picture on top of "My Three Sons", when they were much younger and before they all went their separate ways in life...
The china cabinet belonged to my husband's grandmother, and the rocking chair was a gift from a friend, who said she found it alongside the road put out for trash!
This china hutch was built by our son Benton, and the bottom section holds a lot of office supplies and other miscellaneous stuff, like games.
The Hoosier cupboard also belonged to my husband's grandmother, and I restored it to the original wood after stripping a multitude of layers of paint off of it... A true labor or love!
One my favorite little tea towels...A gift from my sister...
And this is my 2nd childhood corner...Pamela's Victorian Cottage, which you've most likely heard about already...and the shelf unit above was built by my son Benton. The Buster Brown Tea Set belonged to my Aunt Margie, and then to my mother, and then to me! The little white tea set belonged to my paternal grandmother.
So there you have the whole room...my "designated office space", which is so much more, as you can see. It's my favorite room of the house.
5. Snow drops, daffodils, lenten roses, crocus, hyacinth, or early tulips...what's your favorite early Spring flower?
I'm sure I would love them all, but they don't grow here in Florida. I wish daffodils did, because my sister's 80th birthday is coming up on April 5th, and the family tradition started by my mother when we lived in Pennsylvania was to put a little vase of daffodils in the center hole of an angel food cake for my sister's birthday cake. We've always tried to find live daffodils for her cake every year, but it's not always easy to do, so I often have to resort to using artificial ones. I am on the look out for a pot of real ones now, but they have to last until her birthday! (no easy feat, trust me!). OH, it's also her husband's birthday on the same day! This picture was 10 years ago, when I actually found some real daffodils:
6. Insert your own random thought here.
This is Blackie, our indoor/outdoor porch kitty. This is what he was doing while I was working on this post this morning...he found a little box to sit in, and he was quite happy for a few minutes.
Psalm 89:1-2
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”
My family have been to Rome but not me and I don't think I would care to go knowing how horrible Rome was. Blackie looks so comfortable in his little box. My kitties used to like to curl up in my bottom dresser drawer. After his brother passed Garfield culred up next to me in a chair by my computer and sometimes right on the desk by me. I miss him so much. Your desk is in a perfect spot! Such a happy view! Hugs.
ReplyDeleteI loved getting this up close and personal view of your office space, Pamela. You have such a history behind the furniture pieces that I can see why you've kept every one of them. Blackie seems to make himself comfortable no matter where he is - LOL! Blessings, my friend!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thoughts on trusting and second chances. My husband has been in church leadership for many years and has also gone through some of those painful situations.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing all your photos of your office - the room with a view!
Spring flowers are all lovely - such a cheerful sight after winter.
I agree with your #1. (also, I have a huge respect for pastors' wives because they carry a load most people don't understand)
ReplyDeleteMarch 15. Et tu, Brute? one of my favorite days because a beloved college professor and I had a written communication about 3/15 on one of my papers I turned in on Ides of March. :)
Daffodils are my favorite flower!
Pam, while I have seen your favorite room in person, it was several years ago, so this reminder is great! Regarding your sign with Hebrews 10:24, you do, indeed, encourage me with your blog posts. We all need encouragement and to be an encourager. You do it consistently and well!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE all your answers to the Wednesday Hodgepodge.
ReplyDeleteYour room with a view has so many cherished things in it. I just can't get over someone putting that antique rocking chair out to the curb ... what a treasure.
Pam, thank you for your kind comment on my blog. I just had to vent a bit.
Love you
Sue
How nice of you to join in this week. I enjoyed reading your answers and the pictures you shared are wonderful. You certainly have a lot of collections. Blackie in the box is so cute. Enjoy the rest of your week.
ReplyDeleteI am not a trusting person. I used to be but have been hurt by so many in my younger days. The BIGGEST for me is a cheating husband! The worst! I'm healed by that now but in it's place I feel God has given me discernment. I no longer allow just anybody in my inner circle - it takes a long time until I feel safe around someone.
ReplyDeleteForgiveness is the act of letting go of anger and resentment towards someone who has wronged you. It is a personal decision that does not require the other person to change or apologize, whereas trust involves a willingness to be vulnerable with someone based on their past actions. Trust is built over time and requires consistent behavior that demonstrates reliability. You can forgive someone without trusting them again. I forgive my Ex husband but I would never trust him again.
You have so many treasured heirlooms' how special is that? Mine are mostly packed away and I tend to rotate them in during a year or so.
My cat loves boxes. She has beautiful cat trees and inside toys but the one thing she loves the most is an amazon box complete with the brown paper packing. She likes to tear it up and then sits on the paper like a nest. She thinks we don't see her...
Yes, I agree with Barb! You are a great encourager!! I enjoyed your Hodgepodge, Pam, and especially that photo of sweet Blackie in his box!! Made me smile! Love you and see you soon!
ReplyDeleteI loved getting this personal view of your office space! I got to know you better. I agree with your thoughts on trusting and second chances - I know I want them.
ReplyDeleteI say Et tu, Brute once in awhile myself!
Blackie in the box is so cute!
Andy, my grandson - has an April 5th birthday! It's Easter too this year.
I love your office view Pamela. And I think I already told you that I have that same cross stitched window pattern. I made it for Dennis's mom years ago and he made the frame. I have it again now as I kept it from her house when she moved to Assisted Living. She had something I made for her in every single room and bathroom of her house. She was a GREAT mom!
ReplyDeleteAs for Julius Caesar, we did read one of his books in 9th grade but I don't remember which. Shows how impressed I was. I have never been to Rome but I have been to London and Paris.
I like both caesar and garden salads. I usually blog on my laptop in my recliner. I can't sit in a straight chair very long because of my back issues.
Have a lovely evening my dear friend.
Blessings and love,
Betsy
How funny, about that forbidden cuss word! I'm sure we probably had to read Shakespeare, but that must have gone in one ear and right out the other. I love Marie's salad dressings, but never thought to try the cole slaw variety. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand why your Room with a View is your favorite! I hope to turn our office/spare bedroom into something resembling a favorite retreat, but that's going to take some furniture repurposing/removal (etc!) which neither Tom nor I are physically able to accomplish.
That image of your sis and BIL is precious. I'm chuckling, b/c the angle looks like his topper is "12"!
Thank you, Myra. The "7" looks like a one because it was, with the tip broken off to make it look like a 7, because I didn't have another 7 candle! LOL. But we teased him because he acts like he's 12. LOL. They will be 82 and 80 on April 5th this year, and I don't have any 8 candles, so I'd better get some, although I still don't know when and where we are celebrating, since their birthday is on Easter and we both have church obligations that day and they live 2 hours away! So hopefully we will get together sometime before then.
DeleteI loved teaching Shakespeare and studying him at several institutes and in England. My students had fun the way we studied. Perhaps because it took me 40 years to realize my dream of teaching. I loved it. Enjoyed your blog Brenda
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post! I love the special touches in your room with a view!
ReplyDeleteFirst, hello King Blackie!! I love him in that box!
ReplyDeleteSecond, I love the frame with the words that are like your blog title!!!
Third.... I LOVE YOUR ROOM WITH A VIEW and set up. I hope one day that I can have a space like this. I love all the decor and special things. Oh, look at all that wildlife you captured in the photos!! That owl and bear!!!!
Lovely answers to the questions! I am glad you joined in again. I agree with you on Qu.1, even though I got myself in a tangle trying to answer it! And I love all your special pieces of furniture, and knicknacks, with stories behind them.
ReplyDeleteThe wildlife collage was one of those "Oh, America is a different country" moments! I'm envious of the owl - and were you in a hide/vehicle for those bear shots?
Hello Lady Ella! Thank you for visiting! I wanted to answer you about the bears, etc. We lived in the Ocala National Forest, and the bears literally walked through our yard frequently. So most pictures were taken from inside our house and looking out the windows. The Barred Owl was another whole story...but yes, taken up close and in person. Here is the link to that story: https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2011/04/last-farewell.html
DeleteI hope you enjoy the story. There are also many posts in my blog about the bear sightings throughout our years in that house in the forest. Probably if you search on my blog using the keyword "bears" you will find more stories! It was a fun time, but we moved to a place now that is more "civilized", so we don't get to see the bears anymore, and I do miss them!
Thank you for replying. I searched for bears and got two posts. Astonishing photos... I simply can't imagine having them on the roads, never mind in my back yard! Glad you stayed safe.
DeleteAlso, I forgot to say that story about "damned spot" reminded me of a similar story from my school days: I think we were studying "Watership Down" and one kid, David, was reading aloud. He got to "bloody" and paused, blushed, and asked the teacher, "Can I say it?". Teacher nodded and let him finish the chapter, then went into some detail about how it didn't count as bad language when referring to a wound; it was simply describing an injury that was quite literally pouring with blood. Poor David was still embarrassed and some of the kids were giggling rather theatrically, which just upset him even more.
Lady Ella (can't log in!)
I don't know why you can't log in, and I also do not know how to reach your blog. I think somewhere I read that I have to be invited by you, and I was thinking we already did that, but I still don't know how to reach you or read your blog. I love the story about the kid being afraid to say "bloody". LOL. I assume that must be a swear word where you live? LOL. And re: the bears, where we lived...they could be quite dangerous, but usually only if they had cubs with them and they felt cornered or that the cubs were in danger. I made sure to never get into that situation. I had one close call, but after a few awkward moments and a stand down, the bear went his way and I finally was able to go mine. I did manage to take his picture in the meantime, however. LOL.
DeleteGoogle is being very fickle with me at the moment - one minute it recognises my ID, the next minute not. :( Sometimes I can't even access my own blog! So apologies for commenting anonymously. As you can see it's working this morning and I have been able to read and respond to your wonderful owl story too.
DeleteYes you registered as a reader to my blog, so that's another little tech mystery - sigh. I'll gladly resend the link, and hopefully it will reset. Sorry for the fuss. It's always lovely to have you there. (However I should add that it's not a matter of "debt", ie. no need to feel obliged. 🦋)
Yes, "bloody" is a swear word, rather mild in the scheme of things, but you do hear it said in frustration/anger. eg. "bloody idiot", "bloody heck(hell)". Those who would take offence these days are in a minority but all the same you would be careful about using it in polite company, or with a stranger (or to/in front of a teacher!).
How did I NOT know you were a pastor's wife?! My kids said I was not a 'very good/typical' pastor's wife...whatever that meant...and that I was not always a 'good example'. lol. I told them that God has a sense of humor, too--apparently because he gave me that brood to raise.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see some daffodils growing around here. We don't see any flowers until the end of April or even into May. We can't plant anything outside in the ground until after Memorial Day for fear of frost/freezing. As I write this, we are preparing for a weekend to produce 18-24" of new snow. Whooopeee....Hate it. Just hope we don't lose power because we have older residents in our community and I worry about them. xo Diana
And how did I not know that YOU were a Pastor's Wife???? Geepers...the things we find out when we dig a little deeper...I can imagine you would be exactly the kind of pastor's wife I would've loved, and we would've had a great time together!!! Oh, watch out for that new snow...I know you're going to LOVE it. LOL. Praying for your safety and for the power to stay on!!!!!
DeleteDear Pamela, I love ❤️ your responses.
ReplyDeleteI really like your office. Blackie is adorable.
I love your "Let Heaven And Nature Sing" sign. I'm looking for a sign for my porch and might have tor try to find one similar. I remember the days when quoting that line from Macbeth might have gotten a reaction from fellow students. Not so much anymore sadly. Thanks for joining in the HP this week!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joyce! The "Let Heaven and Nature Sing" sign was created by my son especially for me. Although he could make one for you, it might be difficult to ship...so you may need to look for a local signmaker to create one for you there! And yes, I'm afraid that students today have heard much much worse than the curse word in Macbeth! It's sad how far we've gone in the wrong direction in this day and age. (:
Delete