It's a Summertime Summertime Sum Sum Summertime Hodgepodge!

I am joining up with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. This is #563 of the Hodgepodge. That means she has created questions for FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE blog posts that we all get to answer.

1. What's a task you do on a regular (or semi-regular basis) that feels like it should be an Olympic event? I cook dinner on Tuesday nights for 15-20 young professionals. I love it BUT every once in a while, it totally wears me out. I’m pretty good at it . . .most weeks, I’m a bronze or silver medal winner. I did make Chicken Spectacular a couple of weeks ago and I had several of them who didn’t like it. I ask for feedback and they were very kind in their assessment!

2. What's in the trunk of your car right now? Mine isn’t a trunk . . but the back of my Lincoln Nautilus has a weird sound. I have an appointment at the car dealership today to see if they can figure it out. It sounds like a big something is bouncing. We can’t find it. There is a sweatshirt jacket/hoodie and an empty water bottle and two coat hangers in the back of my car!

3. Summer foods vs. fall foods...which do you prefer? I like most all food 😊. I love fresh corn on the cob and watermelon and cantaloupe and fresh squash, etc. etc. so I love summer foods BUT I also love soups and chili and roasted butternut squash and Thanksgiving food. Like I said . .  I like them both.

Would you rather-watermelon or caramel apple? Watermelon

iced coffee or pumpkin spiced latte? Neither, but I do like a pumpkin spice protein shake

potato salad or sweet potato casserole? Hard choice – I think I like GOOD potato salad. Mark would definitely pick sweet potato casserole. My sister-in-law makes one that my whole family LOVES.

 barbecued ribs or roast turkey? Dressing/stuffing/gravy – I know that isn’t a choice, but I don’t like ribs. I do like turkey, but I like what is served with the turkey more than the actual turkey.

ice cream sandwich or apple pie? If I ate sweets, I would probably pick the ice cream sandwich

corn on the cob or candy corn? Corn on the cob . . .BUT have you ever mixed candy corn and dry roasted peanuts together?? It tastes so good – like a payday candy bar. Once again, I don’t eat sweets anymore.

4. August 7th is National Lighthouse Day. Have you visited any lighthouses? Do you have a favorite? Is a lighthouse something you seek out if you're visiting an area known for theirs? I don’t think I’ve ever visited a lighthouse so I don’t have a favorite and I obviously don’t seek them out . . .since I’ve never visited one.

5. Light at the end of the tunnel, out like a light, give the green light, a lightbulb moment, in a new light, in the limelight...of the 'light' idioms listed which applies in some way to your life lately? Explain. Let’s see . . .I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet, but it is coming. I’ve been working with Ministry Architects on an app called Volunteer Accelerator. We did a trial run with 5 people this morning and so far, green light. We will do another test later this week with more people. Our goal is to have the green light to push out to our whole congregation on August 18.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I saw something advertised a month or so ago and thought, “why don’t I get tickets for that event?” I did. I went online and ordered two tickets for Mark and me. What are these tickets for? We are going to watch “bull riding.” Seriously. It is Friday night at a venue just a few miles from our house. Heck – I even bought “gold buckle” seats rather than general admission. We aren’t rodeo people. I’ve ridden a horse a handful of times and they have always been guided trail rides. I know Mark rode horses with me in Hawaii, but I’m not sure if he has ridden them any other times BUT his family does have a farm. At one time, a man in the town kept his cattle on the farm. Mark knows about cows. I can’t wait to tell y’all about it! I hope it is fun.