Hodgepodge

Linking up with Joyce for the Hodgepodge

1. May 20th is World Bee Day...what's something that's kept you 'busy as a bee' lately? 

We just had Abby's college graduation ceremony and family get together to celebrate that milestone. Even though it wasn't a large party, a number of details meant that a decent bit of time in thought and then actual doing was necessary. 

2. Do you like honey? What's something you make or enjoy that calls for honey? 

I like honey quite a bit. I make cashew chicken that calls for honey as the sweetener. This is one of Donnie's favorite meals and so I make it regularly :).

3. "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." Proverbs 16:24

What's a proverb you love, or one that speaks to you or has helped you in some way? 

The Bible is full of Proverbs, a whole book in fact, if that helps with your answer. The word proverb is defined as 'a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice'. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

The Bible is clear that the Lord's ways are not the ways of the world and that the Lord uses ordinary people to accomplish his work. The "world" says to gain as much as influence, power, money, fame as you can. But the Bible says to trust in the Lord. To be faithful to him, generous to others, humble in spirit, truthful, obedient to God's word- that is what's important. 

4. Tell us about a 'sweet' moment in your life recently that filled you with joy, gratitude, or peace. 

We've had a lot more time together as a family of five recently and that has filled me with joy and gratitude. I don't know about the peace part, lol. Mama does more work, which I don't mind (too much), when everyone is around!! 

5. When you were a child, what did you want to 'be' when you grew up? How close did you come to that? 

I wanted to a be a teacher at some point early in my childhood but that didn't last long. I think I knew from my teenage years on that I did not have that skill set or desire to teach as a career. I decided, based on my interest in politics and enjoyment of "sharing" my opinionated views, that I could see myself being a lawyer. I went to law school and passed the bars of two states but I never ended up in a career that used my legal degree and my interest in arguing 😏

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm not a lawyer but my husband is. He works in downtown Dayton- in the same firm (it's gone through a slight name change by legal necessity) in the same building since we graduated from law school back in 1999. Much has changed in the legal world since we went to law school- even though the internet was a thing that was already shaping the world into the way that it resembles more of today, some of the old traditions had not gone away entirely. After all, high speed internet was not all that common back then. When we were in law school, we learned how to do legal research two ways- using text books- the way it had been done since the practice of law began in ye whatever year- and by computer. (I would be curious to know what year law schools began abandoning teaching text book legal research!) Anyway, all that to say, Donnie has been working hard at law since 1999 and has seen many changes to his practice, to downtown Dayton, to his position within the firm (he was recently elected president of the firm- so proud of him!). 

Today marks yet another change- Dayton is hosting a NATO summit. Thirty years ago, the Dayton Peace Accords were signed at nearby Wright Patterson Air Force Base which ended the Bosnian War. So, to commemorate that, Dayton was chosen to host the NATO Spring Session. Part of downtown Dayton is in a security zone. Donnie's firm is in that area and he would have to get special clearance just to park in his garage. He didn't want to deal with that (not to mention road closures and other driving inconveniences) so he's working from home the rest of the week. He is not a big WFH-er even though with technology, he certainly could do it more often than he does. He thinks there's something to be said for going into the office and actually seeing people, especially office staff. That said, he will work from home occasionally. He's never chosen to work from home for a NATO summit before since that event has never impacted his work before!