Slippery When Wet: The Weeky Hodgepodge

Want to join the party?  Go on over to From This Side of the Pond  for the Hodgepodge link-up!

 

When did you last 'swim against the tide'? Explain.

**Puts hands on hips.** Nobody goes against the Tide.  Football season's coming soon and we'll show you...oh wait, that's not what you're talking about.  Sorry.  :)

I think how I spent Independence Day was a form of swimming against the tide.  I'd had a very busy day on Friday and was exhausted.  My plan for that day was to relax, recharge, and stay home so I would be well rested for our celebrations at church on Sunday.  People were not happy that I spent the holiday the way I wanted instead of the way they wanted.  That seems to be a running theme in my life lately.  It's been hard to make the conscious effort to take care of myself, but I know that I can't function well if I don't.  Many people don't get that.

What's the last self-help or self-improvement book you read?

That's a hard one because the true nature of "self-help" is just that, solving a problem without any help or accountability.  None of the books I read really delve into that, unless you count Women, Food, and God (which is one reason I didn't care for the book).  Even if the books I read appear to be self-help in nature, they really aren't.  All of the good books I've read encourage the reader to rely on God and to get accountability from trustworthy people.  None of them asks the reader to be a hermit.

Just a side note:  I'm on Goodreads.com if anyone is interested. 

"Tolerance is a tremendous virtue, but the immediate neighbors of tolerance are apathy and weakness." (Sir James Goldsmith).  Agree or disagree? Discuss. With civility please, because I think we have a good thing going in our very diverse (in geography, age, religion, political persuasion, ethnicity, marital status, upbringing, and cooking abilities) neighborhood here on This Side of the Pond.

I don't even like the term "tolerance." There's no love in tolerance; only a mere putting up with.  Forget tolerance.  Let's love as Christ loved.

What is one of your most vivid memories of the kitchen from your childhood?

I was a daddy's girl and tried to copy him when I was little.  I remember daddy shaving in the kitchen.  He would put shaving cream on my face and take the blade out of his razor for me to "shave" with. 

How did/do your own children's summers compare with your summers as a child? If you're not a parent, answer as it relates to what you've observed about the current generation of children vs. your own childhood.

My parents were too busy trying to keep food on the table to even think about a vacation.  I find it sad that nowadays parents can't be more creative with summers other than spending money they don't have to take their kids somewhere they don't want to go, just to outdo their neighbors and turning their child into a spoiled snob.  Social media is full of them.  "Hey, we went to 'destination X.'  Aren't we better than you?  Of course you don't know that we're going to mortgage the house and sell a kidney to pay for it, but outdoing you is most important."  After all, relaxation and growing together as a family isn't as important as the appearance of opulence.

Tell us what body of water you would most like to be on or near today, and why?

The gulf.  I would like to be on the sandy white beach listening to the waves of the Gulf of Mexico, feeling the breeze on my legs,  building a sand castle.

Share a favorite song about water, or a favorite song with the word water in it's title, or a favorite song to listen to as you sit beside the water.

Let the River Flow by Darrell Evans

The River of God by Andy Park

Insert your own random thought here.

I'm really enjoying my new job at the Y.  One of the benefits of the job is access to the facilities.  I was going to wait until I'd been there a while before I did that, but my supervisors said to go for it. 

I tried the Silver Sneakers class today.  Yes, I know, I'm not "silver," but it's actually a great low impact class with a lot of strength and coordination elements.  I had a great time and the class was very welcoming.