Hodge Podge - written in a punctual manner!!

Linking up with Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond!

1. When was the last time you chatted with a neighbor? About what? (sharing that last bit is optional)
Let's see . . .I can stand on my porch and talk to our neighbors on either side . . .my last "words said out loud" to a neighbor were in the alley behind our houses on Saturday.  We talked to one person about a death in her family and we talked to another family about the water problem in their back yard.  There is a wet weather spring in their back yard and it is causing all sorts of problems.

We can sit in our rocking chairs

and talk to the neighbors while they

are sitting on their own porch

This is the other side of our porch -

we have sweet bay magnolias that create a screen of

sorts but if I wanted to talk to our neighbors on that side,

I certainly could do so!

2. River, lake, ocean, or waterfall...which one are you most like and why?
That is a hard question . . .sometimes I'm like a rushing river - running hither and yon - doing 14 things at once.  I love the ocean so I'm trying to think of how I might be like the ocean - rolling in and rolling out.  Oh I know . . .I'm loud like the ocean!!  You know how sometimes when you are on the beach and you try to yell at your family to get their attention - y'all don't do that?  Maybe I'm standing in the water and I see some fish or something and I try to yell and get their attention but they can't hear me over the waves!

My view on the fourth of July

3. July 13 is National Delaware Day. Ever been to Delaware? Delaware is called 'the first state' because it was the first to declare independence from the British. What's your state's nickname and does that moniker make sense to you? If you were in charge, what nickname would you give your home state?
I've never been to Delaware which is really a sad thing to type!  Mark's sister, husband, and boys live in Delaware (boys are spread out in different cities now that they are young adults but Delaware is home base).  I've got some Southwest points - I should fly to Baltimore (wonder if SW flies into Philadelphia??)  and get Susie to pick me up!  Laura and I have been talking about going to New York over spring break -- Susie lives close enough to go into New York for the day.  (and nephew is doing his residency in New York)

4. What dish did you contribute to the last pot luck meal you attended? Do you have a go-to recipe for pot luck suppers?
We actually had pot luck at lunch today at work!!  (I'm writing on Tuesday - Pot Luck was on Tuesday after staff meeting).  I took lasagna (pioneer woman recipe - best ever!) that I had made and frozen.  I often take Asian Slaw (a favorite!) or honeybaked Turkey breast slices.  I've also been known to take cheese grits or hashbrown casserole to a pot luck.

my lasagna on the left in the crockpot

5. What is your number one tip for a brand new parent?
Just love love love that baby.  They truly grow up so very fast.  My next piece of advice is to make sure your family is in church (once the baby has had first shots and is cleared by the pediatrician).  Don't be sporadic attenders - go every Sunday unless someone is truly sick.  Live your faith by example.  Another piece of advice (yes, I know you asked for only one but I'm on a roll) would be to sleep when you can.  Take a nap when baby is taking a nap.

So I just have to throw in a couple of pictures of our sweet grandbaby wearing hats . . .these hats were mine!  The funny shaped lace hat was from a wedding - I was the flower girl - it is over 50 years old (I think I was four).  She loved it!  The other hat was from an Easter outfit when I was probably 10 or so . . .so it is pretty old, too!!

6. Insert your own random thought here.
I need to write a post about my birthday and about the fourth of July and who knows what else.  I've been really busy between hosting a wedding shower (I need to post about that!) to hosting a Fish Fry this coming weekend and everything in between -- weddings, work -- I do work full time!, teaching Sunday School and hosting Tuesday nights.  Maybe I'm a waterfall right after a rain - going full speed ahead!! (when you are hired onto our church staff, we usually tell the new hire - "don't panic - it is going to feel like you are trying to drink from a firehose at first" . . . thinking about the waterfall made me think about the water hose . . .sorry for the tangent.

Which one are you? river, ocean, lake, waterfall?  and why?