Hodgepodging with Only 79 Days to Go...

1. What's the last job you did that required elbow grease?

I feel like a lot of the jobs I do require elbow grease, but the first one that comes to mind for down and dirty elbow grease was cleaning the deck and getting out and cleaning the patio furniture... Something sticky got on several of the chairs and it took some hot soapy water and good old fashion elbow grease to get them clean.

2. March Madness, aka the men's Division I basketball championship, is nearing an end. What sort of 'madness' has your house seen this month?

Wedding...Wedding ... Wedding... and more Wedding! With 80 days to go I spend quite a bit of time focused on Katy & Jed's upcoming wedding and the upcoming shower.

 

3. What's your favorite shop for browsing?

I love to browse in all the little shops in Downtown Camden, Maine...  Just one town north of us (About a 7 minute drive)

(Camden in the Summer)

And the little shops in downtown Rockland, Maine... Just one town south of here (About another 7 minute drive from here.)

(Rockland in the summer)

But as spoiled as I am to live in an area of the country with alive and thriving Main Streets, I have to admit there are times when it is so worth the 45 minute drive to wander the aisles of the closest Target!

4. Is there ever a time when giving up makes sense?Yes, of course... When continuing on becomes foolishness... When the only reason you haven't made a "course correction" is a matter of pride... (One of those deadly sins!) During my days as a home-school mom I can think of a few times I got all excited about some new curriculum only to have it fall flat with the girls. Do I keep banging my head on a wall, and make everyone miserable or do we make a "course correction"? I can also think of numerous times with parenting when we had to give up on tactics that didn't work, or dreams we had for our girls that were not their dreams... I can even think of one time when it became really clear to us that the major decisions we had made were not what the Lord wanted for us... We could have forged on, but why stay outside the Lord's will when "giving up" would put us back on his path for us?

But... On the big things like marraige, children and faith... Never!
5. What's a song you love that contains the name of a city, state or country in its title?

I don't live someplace that people wax poetic about... At least not in musical form... The kind you can identify with and dance to... I don't know if it counts but whenever I see that reception scene in Steel Magnolias where they are all whooping it up to Jambalaya on the Bayou I wish mid-coast Maine had an "anthem"... Alas, we have no Sweet Home Alabama or the like to cut a rug to...

6. When did you first begin using a computer?

It was a huge deal when our school got computers for each class room... Two for each one! I was in fourth grade. Now the State of Maine gives a laptop to every student in the 7th grade and above. They have to turn them in during the summer, and we pay approx. $80 a year for insurance but otherwise the computers are the kids to use both at school and home... A big step up from two per class!

7. Did you buy girl scout cookies this year? What's your favorite?

No, I usually do, but missed out this year. I don't know a girl scout so I am dependant on finding them at the local grocery store... This year I didn't. I love the Samoas and Thin Mints, and have recently discovered that Keebler has some out that taste just like both of them...

(images from Keebler.com)

So all I have to do is drop by Wal-Mart for a fix... Of course these don't support the girl scouts, but since I don't know a girl scout these days I don't feel too much guilt.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am too tired for a random thought... I have been staring at the screen for over ten minutes and nothing interesting is coming to me... All I keep thinking about is wedding stuff... And that is not so random! Oh, I know, Jed and Katy signed the lease on their new place last Friday. He is moving in next week (she will join him after the wedding) but we got a chance to go over and check things out today... I took lots of photos... I will share those later this week.

Thanks for listening,