The First Week of February Hodgepodge!

 

I am joining up with Joyce and friends for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Joyce writes the questions and we answer them and then "visit" each other!

Thanks to so many of you for praying for our family. Our son is out of the hospital and had a visit with his surgeon today and is on the mend.

I'm writing this on Tuesday night and our sister-in-law, Rebecca, went home to Jesus today. Mark's brother, Bill, has been bed ridden since Thanksgiving week with his Parkinson's and Lymphoma but a friend of his . . .had a friend with a van . . .and the friend contacted the Hoover Fire Department. The Fire Department met the friend at Bill's house and helped get him out of the house and load him into the van. They drove an hour north to the nursing home where Rebecca was moved about a week ago (after her serious fall). Bill was able to tell her it was ok to go on and even though she wasn't awake and couldn't speak, Bill's friend thinks she knew they were there. Bill was holding her hand when she took her last breath. The Hoover Fire Department told the friend to let them know when they arrived back at the house . . .and they would meet them and help get him back in. We are thankful for Bill's friend who evidently felt a huge nudge from the Holy Spirit and acted on it. She was in considerable pain from all of the cancer in her body so we know she is now pain free.

Rebecca is on the left, Alice in the middle (she is married to Mark's identical twin - George), and me -- looks like this was back in 2003!

1. What area of your life feels like you're stuck in a Groundhog's Day loop, doing the same thing over and over? Does it bother you or is that just how life is in this particular season? See info above about sick family members . . .rinse and repeat. We lost Mark's mom in June, my sister in November, our sister-in-law in February, Mark's brother has Parkinson's and Lymphoma, and our son had major gut surgery. We've been in a weird season for the last few years.

2. Something that makes your heart skip a beat? When Mark has been away and I first see him . . .my heart always skips a beat!

3. Do you wear your heart on your sleeve or are you more of a closed book? Elaborate. I'm not sure. I think I would need someone else to answer that about me. I'm not a crier - especially in public. I do show my displeasure.

4. According to Prevention Magazine, these are 25 of the best foods for heart health-

wild salmon, sardines, liver, walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, oatmeal, blueberries, coffee, red wine, green tea, soy milk, dark chocolate, raisins, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, whole grains, apples, oranges, grapefruit, avocado, avocado oil, olive oil 

Which five do you include in your diet most often? Are there any foods on the list you simply cannot abide? 

We have fresh (frozen) salmon in the freezer and Mark wishes we would eat it every week. I just don't like it. I want to like it. I just don't. I've never eaten a sardine and I don't think I plan on trying them anytime soon. Mark loves fried chicken livers. I do not. I have eaten beef liver with gravy and onions (in the past -- not in at least 20 years). I eat walnuts, almonds, oatmeal, blueberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, caulitflower, sweet potatoes, apples, oranges, avocado, and olive oil -- I actually eat most of those fairly often.

5. What was the last piece of furniture you bought? Is there a piece of furniture you need/want to purchase this year? I think the last piece we bought was the antique in our entry hall. I love this piece of furniture. Because our house burned, we did purchase quite a few pieces back in 2023. I want a small, but sturdy, rocking chair for my upstairs office. Right now, I have a "too big" teak rocker in the room for when Laura and her family come to visit.

6. Insert your own random thought here. On Monday, three co-workers and I stepped away from the office for a planning day. Some friends of ours have a "farmhouse" about 50 minutes south of town. They allowed us to camp out all day in their house and on their property. We worked hard all day, but it was really good to have a different view!