Perfect(ionist) HodgePodge

 I'm joining up with Joyce and friends at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce asks the questions and we answer.

1. What's something you've learned from a younger person? I’m continually learning from younger people! My boss (senior pastor) is younger than I am and I learn something new from him almost every day! Almost all of my co-workers are younger and they, too, are always teaching me something. Just yesterday, someone taught me how to do something new in our database so that I can do it for her while she is on vacation later this fall. Eleanor is another friend at work and by education, she is an Old Testament scholar. Oh my goodness – she has taught me so much! When you hear the historical details that go side by side the scripture . . .and when you hear the original meaning of some of the words . . .it is mind blowing! Every week, we host the young adults and I learn from them, too!! Even our sweet granddaughters (3 and 6) teach us things – especially how to love deeply!!

2. Are you a perfectionist? Elaborate? Yes, I’m a perfectionist. Are you familiar with the Enneagram? I’m a number 1 – rule follower . . .who is a perfectionist. When I do things that aren’t perfect, I have this inner voice that talks sternly to me. It is hard to shut her up!!!

3. What makes you cringe? I cringe when others embarrass themselves.

4. September is National Honey month...do you have bees and make your own? Know someone who has bees and they share? Your favorite thing made with honey? We do not have bees BUT when my husband was a young adult he had bees along with his daddy. Actually, when we were dating (1982-1984) he still had bees. The honey was delicious. One of my co-workers, who just happens to be our associate pastor, has bees. She and her husband (also a pastor at another UMC) sell their honey. We’ve eaten several jars. Just yesterday I had a peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich on Keto bread. My honey may have cancelled out my Keto bread!

5. Where is your happy place? The beach is my happy place. I especially love going to Orange Beach, AL. I’ve been to several beaches in the Virgin Islands and I’ve been to Hawaiian beaches and I’ve been to the beach way down in Florida. The Alabama beaches (along with the Florida gulf coast) are white sandy beaches and they are so lovely.

6. Insert your own random thought here. We did a couple of fun things over the weekend. On Friday, I had lunch with 3 close friends. We usually meet on the first Friday of the month but had to postpone a week. On Friday night, we had dinner with our long time supper club. I’ve talked about them before. We’ve been together since 2004. We had great food – a shrimp boil. I took a great slaw that is a copy cat Zoe’s slaw. Zoe’s was a restaurant started in Birmingham and then franchised. Our two local ones have closed since covid!! A couple of folks brought appetizers – one made cajun onion rings. I only ate 1 and a bite of another one. They were SOOOO good! Another friend made tiny bamboo skewers with tomatos, basil leaves, and tiny mozzarella balls. Last but not least, the other friend made dessert – an apple cake with a caramel brandy sauce. I didn’t eat any of the cake so I can’t talk about it.

On Sunday night, we went to our neighborhood supper club. There were 16 of us at one house. Evidently one of the host/hostesses was sick and they had to combine some groups. I signed up for appetizer and made a charcuterie board. Another person brought little piggies in a crockpot with barbeque sauce. The host/hostess made Chicken Tetrazzini. Two different people brought green salad. One salad had both peaches and tomatoes in it and it was really good. Actually, both salads were good. Two other couples brought vegetables – one was a broccoli dish and I love broccoli. The other was stir fried green beans. They were amazing!! Meng, who is from China, made them and they had a kick! I have no idea what ingredients she used. Two people brought dessert and one was made by the neighborhood “baker” and it was an Irish Cream Cheesecake. It looked delicious. Someone else brought a cake from the grocery store bakery.

I didn’t take any pictures of people but I have a picture of the moon when we were leaving and a picture of the charcuterie board.