June 21, 2017

Hello Summer Hodgepodge

1. The first day of summer rolls in later this week. What are ten things you'd put on your list of  quintessential summer activities? Will you try to manage all ten this summer?

  • Walking on the beach...probably won't happen unless I can get away to Lake Erie for a weekend (which isn't quite the same, but not bad).
  • Grilling...we've already done that and will do it many more times before summer is over.
  • Bonfires...probably not since Hubs took our fire pit out last year and the yard is still a "work in progress."
  • Catching lightning bugs...possibly if the older two grands are here when it gets dark.
  • Gardening...the Hubs built me two raised beds this year and they are doing great!
  • Fireworks...doubtful since my husband usually doesn't stay awake that late because of having to get up so early for work.
  • Fourth of July parade...our town has a doozey, but the grands won't be here so I doubt we'll go.  No other adults in the family besides me are really parade fans.  I get it from my dad.  When he was alive we went to ALL the local parades.
  • Auctions, flea markets, and yard sales...I won't have a yard sale, but I will get to plenty of all of those.
  • Swinging on the deck...I've gotten to a little bit, but so far it's either been raining or too hot to sit out there.
  • Family reunions...No, we'll not get to any this year.  My dad's family quit having them (after nearly 100 years!) when my aunt, who was the driving force behind them, died.  Mom's family had it's first one two years ago on the 4th of July and is having another this year, but it's far enough away and so late in the day that it isn't doable for any of our clan this time.


2. Do you collect seashells when you're at the beach? What do you do with them once you get them home? What's your favorite place to comb for seashells? How many of these 'best beaches for hunting seashells' have you visited? Which one would you most like to visit?

Calvert Cliffs State Park (Maryland), Jeffrey's Bay (South Africa), Sanibel Island (Florida), Shipwreck Beach (Lanai Hawaii), Ocracoke Island (North Carolina), Galveston Island (Texas) and The Bahamas


Walking along picking up shells, beach glass and other interesting things is my favorite thing to do at the beach.  I usually just put them in a big jar at home or a big one might find a place on a bookshelf.

I may have visited Sanibel Island, but I'm not sure.  Of the rest, I'd most like to visit Ocracoke Island...it was featured in a book I once read.

3. At a snail's pace, shell out money, come out of your shell, go back into your shell, drop a bombshell, happy as a clam, clam up...which 'shell' phrase could most recently be applied to some event or circumstance in your life? Explain.


Shell out money is definitely this summer's theme with our daughter's wedding only 3 months away.

4. What summer activity do you dislike? Why?


I can't really think of anything I dislike except weeding the garden (and the raised beds have made that easier) and mowing the grass because they are never ending chores.  Otherwise, I'd probably enjoy just about anything.  It makes me pretty sad sometimes that we don't actually do much because one, my husband just doesn't feel up to it a lot of the time, and two, he's a workaholic who doesn't know how to relax.

5. What's something you see as quickly becoming obsolete? Does that bother you?


Probably a whole lot of stuff, but I have to admit that this early in the morning I'm drawing a blank on anything specific.  I don't think I'm really bothered by any one thing becoming obsolete...except maybe manners and common courtesy.  It's more of a general sadness at the fading away of a whole way of life.  The world is a very different place than the one I grew up in and I kind of worry about where it is going, what will life be like for my grandkids, that sort of thing.

6. Insert your own random thought here.


Apparently I am going to look at wedding decor again today.  My daughter texted last night to ask if I wanted to.  I told her I can't buy today, but I guess she still wants to show me a bunch of stuff.  Oh well, I won't turn down time with her and the baby.


Have a blessed and wonderful Wednesday
and don't forget to stopover and visit Joyce's
blog, home of the Wednesday Hodgepodge!

28 comments:

  1. Ah yes weddings and 'shelling out' go hand in hand : ) I like the way you put your answer to #5. I agree. Hope you get to some of the fun things on your summer list! Sea glass is a new thing for me, but I've started looking for it when we take beach trips too.

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    1. Sea glass is relatively new to me, as well, and it is turning out to be a rare find.

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  2. I'm in the beginning stage of helping plan my daughter's wedding next March and the stress level is starting to build just a tad. Shelling out money seems to be the theme, but it will all be worth it in the end!

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    1. "Just a tad." Hold on to that because it's just going to increase. Sigh.

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  3. Wedding plans! There's some summer excitement right there! Have a fun time window shopping...

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    1. Yes, I don't need much more to fill my days with so short a time to go!

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  4. I've never attended a 4th of July parade. I don't know of anyplace close that has one.
    Oh! Say no more, if you're having a wedding, we know you're shelling out money. Enjoy the time with your daughter, anyway :)
    I didn't think about it, but common courtesy and manners seem to be fading away, somewhat...
    Kathy (Reflections)

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    1. Oh my...if you ever get to Pennsylvania on July 4th you should plan to come to Latrobe's parade. It's a pretty big one and people come from all over or come back home from out of state for it!

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  5. We've had two weddings and you're right about shelling out money. I believe it's become a racket but we enjoyed ourselves. The second one was smaller and simpler and we had more fun with it than the first one. I agree with you on the manners and common courtesy.

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    1. We're enjoying it, but I do think you are right about it becoming a "racket." It seems every celebration absolutely MUST be a huge over-the-top production these days. What even Walmart wants for a log slice is ridiculous!

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  6. Oh goodness don't think we ever shelled out as much wedding as we did for my daughter's wedding...but have never regretted it. Such a special time and memory. And no..would never turn down a chance to hang out with her. Totally agree with your number 5! Enjoy your day!

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    1. We want to make our daughter's day special, for sure, and won't regret that. Just hoping it turns out the way she is hoping...the groom's family isn't terribly fond of her. :(

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  7. obviously I meant money, not wedding, lol. I hate when I do that!

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    1. Ha! Happens to me all the time. The fingers type faster than the brain works....or something.

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  8. So right about shelling out money for weddings. I knew one dad who told his daughter she could have a specific amount of money and that would be it. If there was money left over, she got to keep it. She and her husband-to-be were very frugal indeed and used the leftover money for the honeymoon. Our own daughters' weddings were as frugal as could be, but still cost a good bit.

    Your number 5 ... oh so true. It is very sad indeed to see the loss of courtesy and manners.

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    1. I am trying to be as frugal as possible, but even that is expensive these days. I have comparison shopped everything! If I had the big lump sum to give her all at once I'd do what that dad did, too.

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  9. I think everyone's summer lists are so interesting. I guess a lot of things of the list depend on where you live. Your town's parade sounds charming. Good luck with the wedding.

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    1. The lists were great! So many things I didn't even think of or forgot about and now need to add to my list.

      Thanks for visiting!

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  10. We have a wedding in the family this summer too, although I see that yours is in the fall. Either way, it's a time that makes money tight for everything else. I'm kinda glad that all our kids are already grown and married. :-)

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    1. This is our youngest and the end of weddings. Our son got married 9 years ago and it was a very simple affair. We rented a building at a county park for them that included use of the floating stage on the lake for the wedding ceremony (under $200) and there really wasn't any other expense for us. They asked everyone invited to bring a covered dish. Someone bought the cake as a gift. There was no alcohol or a DJ or band. Our daughter, on the other hand, wants the works...rustic and in the field at my stepdad's farm so we must rent the tent, tables, chairs, dancefloor. We have to hire a caterer and on and on. It's ending up being nearly as expensive as the all-inclusive place we said was too expensive. I'm kind of wishing I knew then what I know now...a little more $$ and I wouldn't have the stress.

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  11. A wedding...how wonderful! I understand about the shelling out the money thing...they are SO expensive! Your summer sounds busy all the way around!

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    1. Yes, we are looking forward to it. Not only to seeing our daughter happily married to her baby's father, but also to it being a family reunion for my husband's family who is scattered all over.

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  12. Lightning bugs didn't exist in my hometown (altitude, perhaps), so when we'd spot them while on vacation ... well, that was magical! Thanks for rekindling the memories!

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    1. No lightning bugs?! I can't imagine not seeing them on summer nights, though I may live to see that here. Seems like there are less and less of them each year.

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  13. Yep, us too on shelling out money for a wedding although ours is about an all-inclusive destination wedding! Hope your daughter's wedding is perfect and hope you had a nice time with her yesterday.

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    1. Oh, I wish we had done that or that she had wanted that. She showed us few venues at the beginning that were just ridiculously priced and we vetoed them. Now I'm kind of wondering if the added cost might not have been worth not having the stress.

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  14. You are right, manners have become a thing of the past. You rarely see anyone holding doors anymore. Kids call their parents by their first names and are disrespectful It is a shame.

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  15. You're right about mowing grass being a never-ending chore! We can mow a row and start on the next one, and the row we just mowed laughs at us. Like "HA! You think you're ever going to be done with this?" as it starts to immediately re-grow itself. :)

    Have a blessed weekend!

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