A Complimentary Hodgepodge

 

Connect to  This Side of the Pond and join in for this Hodgepodge.

1. January 24th is National Compliment Day. Is it easy or not so easy for you to accept a compliment? Share a recent compliment you've given or received.

As dumb as it is, I have a hard time with compliments.  I try to do what I do for God's glory and when people compliment me I don't really feel worthy, but I can usually mutter a thank you anyway.  It's something I've always struggled with.  Secretly though it does feel good to get a compliment.  I love giving compliments, but have a hard time accepting them from others.  Hmmmm.... another thing I need to work on.

2. Ten little things you are loving right now.

The sunshine today, the beautiful Amarylis that is blooming in my office, thoughts of spring and planting season, my family and my wonderful sweet and loving husband, good talks with my daughter and spending time with the grandboy on Fridays, getting all the crud out of my backpack... it was getting oppressive in there, finally having a regular quiet time by cutting back on my schedule a bit (praying for continued good health so I can continue doing this), not sure that this is little, but the peace of knowing the Lord is there all the time.

warmer weather is coming

3. Would people describe you as a positive person? Do you see yourself that way? 

I think I'm a positive person.  I find it harder in the winter to be positive when vehicles are breaking down and the weather is grey and nasty, but there is always something to be positive about... spring IS on the way.  I'm not sure if other people see me that way, but it is that way inside.

I read here  a list/description of eight things positive people do differently-
Positive people find something to look forward to every day, they celebrate the small stuff, they're kind, they stay busy, accept responsibility for their actions, forgive themselves, know when to move on, and resist comparisons
I would say that most of these are true of me.  I'm not sure of the "resist comparisons" thing.  I don't compare myself with others very often but once in a while I do.  There are times when I just sit and think... not busy ALL the time.  Forgiving myself is difficult too sometimes. 


Which action on the list would you say you do regularly? Which action could you add to your life to give you a more positive outlook? If you're a positive person, what's something you do regularly that's not on the list?
I regularly look forward to another day.  I definitely celebrate the small stuff.  I think I am kind to others.  I take responsibility for my actions.  I forgive others, but have a hard time forgiving myself.  I tend to move on when life is difficult and I try to not compare myself with others so I'm sure that is an area that needs work.

4. Homemade chicken soup, beef stew, or a bowl of chili...what's your pleasure on a cold winter's day?
I am fond of homemade chicken or turkey soup with lots of veggies.  I don't add rice or noodles since Mr. D can't eat them, but soup and biscuits is a favorite of mine and we have PLENTY of chicken!!!

5. The best part of my day is....
I'm a morning person and always have been.  Mr. D likes to sleep in a bit 'cause he has a hard time sleeping through the night, so I can get up early and have the place to myself for a bit before he gets up and presents me his list of stuff he wants me to do. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.
Randomly thinking about elections coming up in March and praying that I have a job still.  It's going to be tough dealing with this every 3 years knowing that you may not have a job if you aren't elected.  I am enjoying my position, but realistically I need to prepare in case I need to suddenly look for a new position.  I'm hoping all goes well this year as I really don't have anything to fall back on currently. 
 

We had to say goodbye to our little Spotty last week.  She has been a regular part of our lives for 11 years and we will miss he VERY much.  She had breast cancer and it got to the point where she had trouble walking and eating and moving around to get comfortable, so we knew it was time.  This picture was taken only minutes before the vet put her down.  She was a good dog!

A taste of summer. It really does warm up around here.

Little Spotty enjoying a pleasant walk to the garden.  She loves going there and laying in the cool dirt while I weed.

It's a little walk down the hill/driveway.  I've always liked the view down our driveway.

corn and zucchini

same plants after a week or so.

Beets, summer squash and pole beans in the background

the winter squash.  The culvert in the background will one day be our root cellar.

looking up the driveway from the garden, the summer squash in the foreground with netting over the blueberries.

We have plenty of volunteer berries, blackberries and raspberries all around the property.  They make yummy muffins and pancakes in the mid winter like today when the weather is brutal.

The Hollyhocks were nonstop this year.  These came up from last year and last year they were white, this year pink, not sure what will happen next year.  I loved these reddish pink ones.  I would have preferred them to be the double variety, but they were beautiful and lasted well into fall.

A few straw flowers.  I dried some of these to use in winter.  They are odd little flowers that feel stiff even when they are in full bloom and dry beautifully.

OK... that was my little fix of warm to get me through the rest of the winter. 

I am so thankful that we had such a good harvest this year.  Our freezer was full.  Now that Mr. D cannot pick up veggies, at least not at this time, we are enjoying what we have stored.  God has surely given us plenty.  We can plant our hearts out and strive to make things grow, but God is the only one that can make these plants produce the way he has.  I'm waiting patiently to get my hands into the warm earth again.



Tooo much cold

I am no fan of winter.  Most people who know me realize this.  I think it's from when I was a wee person in Maine.  I just don't like shivering and teeth chattering weather.  We've had a string of days now with temps below 0 deg F.  It's supposed to get to 23 tomorrow which is going to feel like a heat wave.  But alas it's going to take a dive again into the negative digits...

Of course every time it warms a bit, that means it will snow.  We've already accumulated 24" at our place and much more in other places around the state. 

All right.. I'll stop complaining now.  It is beautiful.  Christmas Day on the way to Heather's it looked like a Christmas card with all the fresh snow from that morning. 

We had a wonderful Christmas with family.  I cooked up a turkey that had been given to Jason and it was 26 pounds of yum.  We had the Christmas story by Joanna and Doug and then opening presents which took a long time with all the Ooohs and Ahhhs.  It's so good to have all the family together. 



Not the best picture.  I was trying to figure out why Mr. D was leaning over without turning away and yes, Brandon is taller than all of us now. This may be the last Christmas for Spot as the cancer is getting much worse. 

You can actually see the growth on her belly.  She's still active and on a special diet, but today I noticed she was having trouble walking.  I think it is not good to let her suffer, but it's Mr. D's call as she is his dog in every way.

I'll download some summer pictures next time so you can see that it is not always cold here.  It will warm me up too.  I gotta go now.

Happy New Year 2018 to all of my bloggy friends.