Failure, Conversations & A Very Special Bench

Thank you Joyce for these good questions today.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What lesson has failure taught you?

Major confession here!  I do not do failure very well.  Okay, that out of the way, what I think I have learned from having failed many times in various attempts at various things for these 60-umph years, is to get up, brush it off and try again.  Easier said than done, I admit, because my first tendency is to forget it and stop trying.  Like learning to swim, or roller skate.  When at first I didn't succeed, I quit.  But, if I hadn't failed at some things first, the doors to other things might not have been opened.

2. What decision are you glad you made?
There are many such as giving my life to Christ, marrying God's man for me, but for today's discussion it will be - To retire!  Have I told you how much I love being a retired woman of leisure?

3. I've been a little bit surprised to see fully lit and decorated Christmas trees popping up for the past several weeks in friend's Instagram feeds. So tell the truth-is your tree up and decorated, and if so when did that happen? If not, when will you be decking the halls?
This is an easy one for me, because I don't deck the halls.  We spend most of the month of December, if not all in Indiana with our son and his family.  The only thing I do before leaving is remove the fall decor and put up a small lighted tree that can be seen through the front door on a timer.  I can't imagine having to come back home in January and have to take down decorations I have not enjoyed.  So, we enjoy helping our Indiana family do their decorating and leave before it has to come down.  HA!

4. Solitaire-Poker-Rummy-Hearts-Go Fish-Old Maid...which game of cards would you most like to join? 

None.  Not really a card game player, but if I had to choose I guess it would be Solitaire.

5. This question comes to you courtesy of a Facebook friend, who once upon a time had a blog...When you're feeling stressed do you snack a lot or are you more the 'can't eat' type?
I am not a snacker, so this is not a temptation; however, the left-over Halloween candy has been a bit of a addiction temptation lately.  Stress really isn't a factor, I don't think.

6.  Have you ever reviewed a product or service on line? Was your review favorable or less than favorable? 

Never done this.

7. What was the best conversation you had yesterday? 

Hubby and I had a personal conversation after leaving the gym that lasted until we got home.  We just remained in the car together to finish talking it out and come to somewhat of a decision.  It is good to be able to have heart-to-heart talks with someone who knows you better than your self and whose wisdom you trust.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

A short while after our dad's death in 1994, Mother and my sisters and I wanted to do something as a memorial to him.  Because of his support and love for an area Christian Retreat Center and former school, we decided to donate a bench to be placed along side a pond under the large cypress trees.  We hoped that children, youth and adults who visited the camp would enjoy sitting there. 

 One of my sisters had a friend who did gorgeous stained glass designs in concrete benches, so we had her do one with one of Dad's favorite flowers, the Louisiana Iris.

During a recent Sister-Get-Together, I mentioned that it might be time to retrieve the bench and give it a member of the family so that it wouldn't be lost.  One of my nephews and his wife recently bought a lovely new Acadian home with a pond and moss-covered cypress trees in their front yard.  Because Eric had a very special relationship with our dad, I suggested that he be given the bench.  He could not have been more pleased.  And my sisters and I are excited that now it will be enjoyed and honored by someone who loved Daddy and it will remain in the family.