Hodgepodge

 

Linking up with Joyce for the Hodgepodge

1. What does patriotism mean to you? 

It means loving my country and the ethos of the founding fathers: a belief in God, small government is better than a large one- that government is a necessary evil where people give up some freedoms in exchange for protection, that people are responsible for their actions, the population should be a learned, thinking one, etc. 

2. September-October-November...your favorite fall month? Tell us why. If you live in the southern hemisphere use these months but sub spring for the word fall. 

This one is easy: October. The weather is temperate- it's usually not too hot or too cold. It's a season of in between but in a good way. I mean, it's in a season, fall, but fall and spring both seem to me to be in between the extremes of summer and winter. The best reason for liking is fall is that it's my oldest daughter's birthday month. I became a "girl mom" in October and have loved seeing my October baby grow up to be a wonderful young woman.

My studier

Fruit lover

Adventure seeker

Fun travel companion!

3. A song you love with the word thanks (or some form of that word)  in the title or lyrics?

Give Thanks by Don Moen

The refrain has the following lyrics:

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given

Jesus Christ, His Son

4. November is National Peanut Butter Month. Are you a fan? What's the last peanut butter bite you had? Fill in the blank: peanut butter and _____________________ . 

Oh, and you can't say jelly. 

I do like peanut butter.

I had a package of Lance's peanut butter and cracker snacks.

Peanut butter and chocolate!

5. This week's gratitude question-What event from this past year are you most grateful for? 

It's hard to pinpoint just one- I'll make this a blogging theme answer. 

I was grateful to meet some of my very favorite bloggers in Louisville this year.

Then I was grateful to spend an evening with another blog friend, Jenni and her husband (and have my husband meet a blog friend of mine!) a few months later.

I'm grateful for the blog friends I've made in the blogsophere but have not met. Hopefully someday I'll meet more...

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It's been almost a year since we started attending the church that we now attend. I am grateful for this church and the preaching that we've had the privilege to hear and to have the opportunity to grow in the faith therefrom.  Earlier in the year, I bought a cookbook that some of the church ladies had put together and made available for sale, the proceeds of which went to some good cause (I forget what cause but I know it was a good one!). I've tried numerous recipes from the cookbook and they've all been good. This past weekend I made a recipe from the book called jalapeno popper dip. A couple of people asked me about the recipe so I took a picture of it and the instructions that I think are easy to read and see. I didn't cook bacon for it- I used a handful of bacon bits. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written. It was a hit!