Wednesday / Thursday Hodgepodge

I really didn't think I would be able to make this Wednesday Hodgepodge again this week, but alas, I found a few minutes to sit and reflect on Joyce's thought provoking questions.

I deliberately left the above sentence from yesterday morning because not long after I got started, I got stopped and am now, on Thursday morning getting back to finishing my Wednesday Hodgepodge.  Oh well, such is the life of a busy retiree.

1. Have you learned more from success or failure?  Explain.

Success.

I have learned a great many lessons from my failures, but often I've allowed these to defeat me or at the best, attack my confidence to try again.  I tend to be a perfectionist, so if I didn't do something as well as I thought I should, I generally just didn't bother with it again. Example:  Roller skating as a child.

On the other hand, successes have given me the confidence to move on to bigger things, believing that I could accomplish this new goal.

2. What did you call your grandparents when you were growing up? If you have children, what do they call your parents?  If you have grandchildren, what do they call you?

My maternal grandmother lived with us, so we called her "Mama" just like our mother did.  Mother was always "Mother" to me, but my younger sisters called her "Mama" as well.  Our dad's mom preferred to be called "Grandmother."  My grandfathers, both of whom were deceased when I was born, were called "Poppa" and "Pappy," respectively.

My first nephew couldn't pronounce the "L" to call me Aunt Libby, so it came out Bibby.  I loved it and it became my name with all my nephews.  When it came time for grands, I didn't have to debate - Bibby it would be.  Now Hubby's grandfather name has not been so simple, but much more fun.

Our first grandchild heard her mother refer to him as "Daddy" and us reference him to her as "Granddad," so she came up with her own name for him - Daddea.  Isn't that precious?  Well, when our second came along, he had trouble with this complicated name and just shortened it to "Da."  Our daughter's girls continue to call Hubby Daddea, but son's children continued to keep it interesting.  When Savannah started speaking, she called him "Da Da."  By the time the third came, he of course became "Da Da Da."  Could this be a more perfect  evolution of names for a musician?

3. You're invited to a luau.  In keeping with that theme, what dish do you bring to share?

I have never been to a luau but we do have something similar in Louisiana - Cochon de Lait.  One can never go wrong with a good potato salad.

4. Besides Jesus, what one person's life story do you think everyone should know?

We can learn from both good lives and bad, but I'm going with my first thought, Corrie ten Boom, a tremendous lady of faith and author of "The Hiding Place."

5. "Don't sweat the small stuff." Agree or disagree?

Both agree and disagree.  I know people who go to the extreme with both, so I think it depends on the circumstance.

6. June is National Rivers Month...when were you last on a river?  What's the prettiest river you've ever seen?  What's a river you'd like to see?

The last time I was actually on a river was years ago when we used to have a boat and took the kids skiing.  Never my favorite thing.

But, some of my most precious memories with my dad as a child are those spent fishing with him on the Red River.  I helped him run his catfish lines stretched across this turbulent waterway.  We both cringed years later thinking about how crazy that was, but yet so bonding.

Perhaps the most important river to have seen was the Nile.  I shall never forget that experience.

7. Speaking of rivers-paddling, swimming, fishing, or bird watching safely from the shore?  Which activity would you choose?  Yes-you have to choose.

I don't swim or enjoy fishing anymore, but if I could swing in a nice hammock under some hanging Spanish moss I would be perfectly content to watch and listen to the birds overhead.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
We have two more days of our extended visit with son and family in northern Indiana.  We have been able to experience so many things with them including watching our grandson play Rugby, our granddaughter play soccer, both girl's orchestra concert, youngest's induction into the Junior Honor Society, seeing grandson receive school recognition for his Full-Ride Football Scholarship to Western Michigan, and hear his Rugby coach say some really nice things about him at Tuesday nights Rugby Banquet.

On Friday night, we will be privileged to watch him walk across the stage and receive his High School Diploma on the Notre Dame campus.

We have spent some really good times playing games, watching movies, eating, talking, snuggling, scratching backs, and just spending time together, these past six weeks and we will treasure having this time with our precious family.