2026 Summer Staycation: The Weekly Digest

Looking out the window....

The weather is hot and dry with the occasional clouds taunting us into false hopes of rain.  Yep, a typical Colorado July.

Some cool experiences...

Each year, I normally take the last week of May off for summer vacation (and to celebrate my birthday).  This year, I took of two weeks:    

Week One: 

Monday & Tuesday:  I made a few summer and Memorial Day themed cards. 

 

Wednesday: I made a box for my plastic canvas bobbins.  I had no pattern for this since the bobbins were also an improvised creation from years ago.  The top of the box is a slider-type lid.  I think I did pretty well since I made the whole thing up.  

Thursday: Diana and I made our annual trek to Castle Rock. 

First, we went to Oo-De-Lally Coffee Shop where I had my first iced coffee:  a Reese's cup cold brew.  The coffee shop was adorable with its rope swing seating and playful atmosphere.  The cold brew I chose was a perfect introduction to this type of coffee--it was very flavorful without being too sweet.

Next was the pièce de résistance: the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.  I did get some fabric and a quilt pattern. I'll share once I've made the quilt.  Stay tuned.

Friday:  I reset my front "stoop" for summer.  I planted impatiens in the top planters and one of my spider plant babies in the lower planter.  I tried my hand at a little fairy garden.  It was cute, but I may not do it again:  I'm not sure I did it right.  My summer wreath still looks pretty good.  However, I noticed as I was putting it out that the mesh is starting to disintegrate.  This wreath gets the most heat and sun and I've had it the longest, so it's to be expected.  I have no idea how to stop that from happening so after the season, I'll take it apart and rebuild it with new mesh and ribbon. 

  

 

 

I celebrated my birthday weekend by having my friend, Jamie, over for Sunday dinner.  Hey, did you know that you can bake the layers of a cake in a bread loaf pans?  Me either.  My plan was to make cupcakes, but forgot that I'd ruined my muffin pans somehow and threw them away, so I had to make do.  Miss Jamie made a dairy-free butter pecan ice cream to go with our loaf cake.  So good.

 

Week two: For the most part, I hung out at home and rested.  The highlights of the week were:

 

Delivering all the baby items to Colorado Family Life Center
I've been working on for the past few years.  I also got to tour
their new facilities.

 

Hiking with Diana at Lair of the Bear near Evergreen.

 

Viewing the current exhibit at the Rocky Mountain
Quilt Museum.  It was stunning display of medallion quilts
by Cindy Vermillion Hamilton.  Out of respect for the artist, I'm only
showing a small portion of a much larger work.  Her work is all hand done and
intricate.

 

Favorite quote(s) of the week... 

 

...all you've got to do to be selfish is nothing. - Pastor Keith Moore, Video:  Being Given to Hospitality, 1998.

 

First, we see that Christ saved us from the power of Satan.  The seed of the woman has bruised the serpent's head, so that Satan's power is broken (Genesis 3:15).  Next, he also saves us from the guilt of past sin.  In one moment, as soon as the blood of Christ is applied to the conscience, every past sin is gone, and in God's sight, it is as if we had never sinned.  The next thing he does is kill the power of sin within and makes us believers new creatures.  And do not forget this precious truth of the gospel--Christ saves us from future falling.  He saves, not only for a year or for ten years and then lets people go--no, he finally and completely saves that which was lost.  We do not preach that Christ forgives sinners and then lets them live as before.  No, the moment he gives pardon of sin, he gives a new nature too. - Charles Spurgeon, The Risen King,  p. 89.

 

I don’t think age matters so much as people think. Parts of me are still 12 and I think other parts were already 50 when I was 12: so I don’t feel it very odd that they grow up in Narnia while they are children in England. - C. S. Lewis, Letters On Living the Faith. 

 

Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10). – Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, p. 263

 

I'm thinking about... 

Why aren't all cans pull-tab cans now?  It's not deep, but it is what I'm thinking about currently.

What I've read since the start of the year... 

Please see my "2026 Baby Got Stacks" reading challenge here.

   

I'm currently reading...

• The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers
• Garden City by John Mark Comer

My current "crock pot" reads (slow and steady reads that will take a while):  

• Diary of an Old Soul by George MacDonald 
• The Emotional Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero 
• Devotional Classics by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith

Recent blog posts... 

• My previous digest, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?'" is here. 
• My latest book review of Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman is here.
• Government Cheese:  The Weekly Hodgepodge is here. 
• Five Minute Friday:  "Lazy." is here. 
• First Line Friday post:  #43 - Looking for the King by David Downing is here. 
• My "2026 Baby Got Stacks" reading challenge is here.  (Updated regularly).  
• My "26 for 2026" challenge is here. (Updated regularly)
• My "26 for 2026" art challenge is here.  (Updated regularly). 

From the Workshop... 

 

I am thankful for...

• A new bird to enjoy:  the black-capped chickadee.  I heard the "phoebe" call of the male and was intrigued.  I must paint one someday.
• Another successful academic year at CCU.
• A new FitBit.  My old one died.
• Fun YouTube channels.
• Thriving house plants.
• An anonymous gift I received:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Thankful that nothing got caught on fire since some of my not-so-bright neighbors (I'm trying to be nice) decided to shoot off fireworks around the apartment complex over the holiday weekend.  Why would you do that during a period of extreme heat and crispy-low humidity?  Not to mention they are illegal in Colorado.  Y'all, many of the cities in Jefferson County cancelled their Independence Day fireworks shows because of the danger of fire.  Take a hint!
• The 250th anniversary of our country's independence.  Yes, we've got issues (lots of them), but we're still here.
• Colorado Community Church's jubilee celebration.  We are officially DEBT FREE!  

 

 

 

 

 

2026 Baby Got Stacks Reading Challenge: 01

Title:  Jesus and the Disinherited

Author:  Howard Thurman

Info: Copyright 1949. Beacon Press.

Rating (on a scale of 1-4 stars):  ✮✮✮✮

Category (ies) - This book was a  rrecommended read from my pastor.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What does it look like to walk in the shoes of the disinherited:  the excluded, the marginalized, the underprivileged?  Is it possible for such persons to escape fear, hatred, and hypocrisy (what the author calls the three "hounds of hell"), or are they doomed to perpetuate it while being victimized by it?   Theologian and Civil Rights leader Howard Thurman attempts to answer those questions.  In answer to Vladimir Simkhovitch's treatise Toward the Understanding of Jesus, Thurman expounds on his thesis that Jesus not only ministered to the disinherited, but as a working-class Jew in a Roman-occupied Israel, he experienced their plight first hand.  Thurman explores Jesus' response to the governmental and religious sanctioned dehumanization of the people of his time and His instructions to the disinherited of both Thurman's time and ours.

I approached this work with much trepidation, and nearly stopped reading before I had even gotten to the first chapter.  In the introduction to the 2022 edition of this book, Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas states:

For some, Thurman’s book perhaps represents one mystic’s attempt to capture the inner spiritual strivings of Jesus. For others, it may exemplify theological liberalism’s overemphasis on the historical Jesus as a great exemplar and role model for humans to follow. And for still others, Thurman’s book is a precursor to twentieth-century Black theologians’ declaration that Jesus was Black. (p. ix).

Now you see why I almost didn't bother reading the rest.  However, I did complete the volume and would like to address Dr. Douglas' points.

First, Thurman's words vividly capture the spiritual strivings of Jesus, if by that Douglas is referring to not only how Jesus worked in His earthly ministry to relieve the burdens of the oppressed (see Luke 4:18-19), but also how Christ's ultimate sacrifice purchased those same freedoms for all who call Him Savior and Lord (see Psalm 34:19).  He says (first quoting Simkhovitch):

Jesus had to resent deeply the loss of Jewish national independence and the aggression of Rome…. Natural humiliation was hurting and burning. The balm for that burning humiliation was humility. For humility cannot be humiliated…. Thus he asked his people to learn from him, “For I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (p. 17)

Then he goes on to say:

He [Jesus] recognized with authentic realism that anyone who permits another to determine the quality of his inner life gives into the hands of the other the keys to his destiny. If a man knows precisely what he can do to you or what epithet he can hurl against you in order to make you lose your temper, your equilibrium, then he can always keep you under subjection. It is a man’s reaction to things that determines their ability to exercise power over him. It seems clear that Jesus understood the anatomy of the relationship between his people and the Romans, and he interpreted that relationship against the background of the profoundest ethical insight of his own religious faith as he had found it in the heart of the prophets of Israel. (pp. 17-18) 

Douglas' second point about seeing Christ as a mere exemplar portrays Him a one-dimensional character and Thurman does not present Him in that manner.  Jesus is no simple template from which we can extract the favorable parts, dispose of the unfavorable parts, and add our own spin on.  He is not a generic essay or a Mad Libs story we can fill in as we please.  Jesus Christ is the story already begun and finished.  Our job is to find our place in the narrative and live it through to the end.  Or as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (English Standard Version), "You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."  He writes upon our hearts and we dare not try to change the story.

Her third statement was a complete turn off that nearly had me press the "return early" button on my Libby app. If you've read my previous book review, you know how much I loathe those who use Scripture and/or God for race baiting. Admittedly, I also struggle with how to successfully study theology through the lens of different cultures without that lens magnifying the culture (the created) over the Creator (see Romans 1:18-25).  Also, how would anyone who gave the work a serious read ever come to Douglas' conclusion?  Thurman himself puts that notion to rest at the close of the book by saying:

For such his answer becomes humanity’s answer and his life the common claim. In him the miracle of the working paper is writ large, for what he did all men may do. Thus interpreted, he belongs to no age, no race, no creed. When men look into his face, they see etched the glory of their own possibilities, and their hearts whisper, “Thank you and thank God!” (pp. 101-102). 

It reminds me of the Joan Osborne song from the mid-90s that laments "What if God was one of us?"  Well, He was.  Was Jesus "us" as it relates to race, gender, or other demographics?  Only if "us" is a Jewish male.  But was He "us" in the more universally recognized aspects of being human?  Absolutely.  Hebrews 4:15 (New International Version) says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."  Even if Jesus did not look on the outside like whatever our "us" is, He experienced and completely understood all of the "us" that is on the inside.

So, why is this book still relevant more than 75 years after its publication?  To me its relevance lies both in its history and theology.  Today, government-backed segregation and slavery have been abolished as part of the laws of the United States.  However, the mindset that perpetuates oppression has not.  Yes, ignorance will always exist and along with it hatred and vitriol.  If those individuals reject truth and refuse to change, God help them as they rot in their own ignorance. But what of the hatred, fear, and hypocrisy experienced  by those of the disinherited class?  Since this is no longer a legislated preloaded lot in life, why do so many still live back there as if it was?  I'm not talking about those who remember history (they should--we all should) but those who remember and repeat it as a given.  Why do so many of us in the black community perpetuate our own oppression by refusing to educate ourselves and work so hard to oppress and ostracize others who choose education and job training over the status quo?  Why do we still have so many homes where children are raised without a father because of poor choices or apathy on the part of both parents?  Why are the privileges for which many marched, fought, and died (like education, the right to vote, freedom of religion, and the chance at upward mobility) relegated to "white only."  Why are we creating our own version of Jim Crow?  Thurman laments this very point:

The implications of such a view are simply fantastic in the intensity of their tragedy. Doomed on earth to a fixed and unremitting status of inferiority, of which segregation is symbolic, and at the same time cut off from the hope that the Creator intended it otherwise, those who are thus victimized are stripped of all social protection. It is vicious and thoroughly despicable to rationalize this position, the product of a fear that is as sordid as it is unscrupulous, into acceptance. Under such circumstances there is but a step from being despised to despising oneself.  (p. 33)

Thurman's understanding that Jesus is not just an example of the answer, but is THE answer to hatred, fear, and hypocrisy is another reason why this book is still relevant.  His words cut to the quick of any person's oppression regardless of race, creed, or gender.  For example, he says, "There are few things more devastating than to have it burned into you that you do not count and that no provisions are made for the literal protection of your person." (p. 29)  Statements like those go straight to the heart of anyone's pain.  He comforts with the words in Luke 4:18-21 where Jesus both acknowledges and presents Himself as the embodiment of freedom and comfort for the oppressed and hurting.

Another big part of the book's power is that unlike much of the literature of this type I have attempted to read, Thurman's book does not incite one to hatred.  Yes, he talks about what "they" did to "us," but more importantly, he addresses what "we" did (and still do) to "us."  His goal is to teach us to receive God's love so that we can truly love Him, love others, and love ourselves.  That is the love that disempowers fear, hatred, and hypocrisy and breaks the chains of oppression.

This book impacted me so deeply that I purchased a copy of it and intend to add it to my rotation of books that I reread on a regular basis.  I'm sure I could add more, but I recommend reading Thurman's words that most powerfully speak for themselves.

26 for 2026

Welcome to year three of participating in Gretchen Rubin's yearly challenge. To learn more about the 26 for 2026 challenge, please see the Happier podcast here.

To see how I did on my 25 for 2025 list, please click here.

Yes, I know it's May and the list was supposed to be published in January.  Hear me out. 

This year, finding items was hard.  I didn't want too many repeats from previous years (especially the items I've failed to complete year after year) and I didn't want to include things that might be outside my budget.  Chris Hogan said, “[A big goal] is one of those that you know you’re going to have to work hard to get to, but you don’t have to find a unicorn to achieve it.”   I wanted fun stretch goals, not "unicorn" goals.

Quite frankly, until now my heart just wasn't in it.  As you can see, I have been working on a few of the items, but for some reason, this year has started on slow drag and I haven't had the mental or emotional bandwidth to nail down much of anything.  This is supposed to be fun, but in Auntie fashion, I've turned it into work.

Let's get 'er done! 

I have compiled the following list.  As I complete each item, I will mark it as complete.  If it is blog worthy, I'll post it as a link, or where applicable, include a photo, Pinterest pin, or Instagram post.  NOTE:  List is subject to change without notice and some items may overlap.

1. Redesign this blog.
2. Get down to the goal weight set by me and my physician.  (14 pounds to go). 
3. Move 26 in 2026:  Work out at least three times a week for at least 15 minutes for 26 weeks.  (8 weeks so far).
4. Walk an average of 8,000 steps per day.
5. Read 100 children's books.  (79 books read so far) 
6. Read something by Tolkien. The Hobbit completed 06/02/2026
7. Read the first book of C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. 
8. Read through John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion.  
9. Release eight episodes of my podcast. 
10. Finish and self publish a book.  
11. Try five new foods/drinks and/or restaurants. (3 so far).
1. Nutella:  I give it a strong "meh."  It just tasted like very cheap chocolate with no hint of hazelnut.  I would have gotten more flavor from eating a Ferrero Rocher.   NOTE:  I just looked it up:  The Ferrero company owns Nutella and changed the recipe.  Not smart, folks.  Change it back.
2. Iced coffee.  Tried the Reese's Cup iced coffee at Oo•de•Lally Coffee in Castle Rock.  It was fabulous.  Also tried the Salted Maple iced latte at Amano Plant Cafe in Evergreen.  This one was also quite tasty. Thoroughly enjoyed the toasted coconut cold brew at Starbucks also.
3. Snarfs - A sandwich shop in Arvada.  Think Quizno's, but better, Subway, but much better and the staff doesn't look like they just got out of jail or rehab.  Would recommend. 
12. Try five new recipes.  (4 so far).
1. Blueberry Baked Oatmeal from the cookbook Satisfied by Amy Hannon.  I made this recipe again using canned peaches and it was great. 
2. Hash Brown and Egg Breakfast Casserole from Allrecipes. 
3. Homemade Taco Seasoning here.
4. Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole from Zach Coen's YouTube channel here. 
13. Attend or create a spiritual retreat.
14. Have a themed summer reading focus.  Theme "My Inklings Summer."
15. Write 5 book reviews on my blog (or elsewhere as the opportunity arises). (2 so far)
16. Write 10 First line Friday posts. (2 so far)
17. Blog about my one word theme:  "Care." 
18. Start a blog series called "Are You Happy Now?" 
19. Finish the next unit in the Rhema correspondence course I started ages ago.
20. Finish one course unit from the Dallas Theological Seminary's free courses.
21. Redecorate my bathroom. (In Progress)
22. Redecorate my bedroom. (In Progress)
23. Meet (and hopefully exceed) my savings goal to fully fund my emergency/maintenance fund. 
24. Get my dream sewing machine.  (Completed 05/05/2026)
25. Finish the photo project I started from my 50th birthday party. 
26. Free play!  These are the fun things I want to enjoy throughout the year that didn't make into the top 26.   

• Items from my 26 for 2026 list on my other blog.
• Go to some sort of conference--preferable in person. 
• Buy a new personal laptop. 
• Make a fairy garden. (Completed 06/01/2026)
• TBA 

Government Cheese: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

Big week in the US of A...do you do your own taxes? What's something you've found 'taxing' lately? 

Absolutely not.  I probably could learn, but this is one of those areas that's best that I trust the professionals and save my self time and consternation.

I'm going to just leave this here... 

I'm feeling a little on the "taxed" side right now.  Though I'm busy all year at my full-time job, spring is my busiest season.  With commencement and all of the end of the school year reports and preparations, I'm ready for a long break.  I've been taking a vacation day here and there and having some long weekends, but I need some extended time away from my desk.  I've already put in for my summer break at the end of May, so that should do the trick.

When it comes to travel are you a last minute packer or a lay it all out a week in advance type? Do you struggle to pack light? Share a packing tip that has worked for you. 

At present I don't travel enough to share any tips, but when I do travel, I mull over what I need to bring while trying to keep it light.  I pack what I can a few days ahead (some things like medicines have to wait until the day of). 

April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Hmmm...who knew it got its own month? Do you like a grilled cheese sandwich? What ingredient do you add to take yours to the next level?

I enjoy the occasional grilled cheese sandwich.  I don't add anything special to it--just Colby-Jack cheese between slices of wheat bread, cooked with either butter or Blue Bonnet spread.  Hey, I'm simple; I grew up eating grilled cheese sandwiches made with "government cheese" and white bread, so my sandwich now is an upgrade.  

What would be the "next level" of a grilled cheese without turning it into a melt or panini?

There's a well known quote that says, "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." - John A. Shedd.  Is constant growth necessary or do you think it's more important to prioritize stability and peace in your life? 

Stability and peace come with growth.  I believe that regular periods of growth are more achievable than  constant growth.  Stagnation leads to undesirable regression. 

Let's wrap this up with a fun spring this or that-

• daffodils or tulips? Yes.
• lemonade or iced tea?  Mix them to make an Arnold Palmer.
• gardening or hiking?  Gardening (of sorts).  I'm looking forward to being able to safely put annuals in my flower pots in front of my apartment.
• ladybugs or butterflies?  In nature?  Both.  To paint?  Butterflies.
• umbrella or raincoat?  Stay in the house out of the rain.
• floral patterns or polka dots?  Floral patterns.

Insert your own random thought here. 

In case you missed it:  

• My previous Hodgepodge post "Fake Spring 2026" is here.
• My latest Weekly Digest "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" is here.
  
• My latest First Line Friday post:  #43 - Looking for the King by David Downing is here. 
• My latest Five Minute Friday post:  "Lazy" is here. 
• My "2026 Baby Got Stacks" reading challenge is here.  (Updated regularly).  
• My "26 for 2026" challenge is COMING SOON. (Updated regularly)
• My "26 for 2026" art challenge is COMING SOON.  (Updated regularly). 

Five Minute Friday: "Lazy"

Is lazy relative?  

When I don't complete all the tasks on my work and personal to-do list for the day, I feel lazy though the list is a mile long and is impossible to complete in a day.  I've had creative blocks in my writing and art for the past several weeks.  Is that lazy, or just a product of this busy season on my job? 

The dictionary definition of lazy is "unwilling to work or use energy."  The key to this is "unwilling."  I'm willing to do a heck of a lot more than I have time or energy for.  But is this the answer?  Is this the key to not feeling or being seem as lazy?  So now it's not enough to be willing to simply do what I can; I must work myself purple to be seen as industrious.  

Where is the balance?  

Having a healthy work ethic can morph into toxic "hustle culture," which can then balloon to the point of burnout where a person wants to engage in "quiet quitting" where he/she only does the bare minimum (or worse, nothing). 

So, I ask again, is lazy relative?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

In case you missed it:  

• My last Five Minute Friday Post "Stuff" is here. 
• My latest Wednesday Hodgepodge post "Fake Spring 2026" is here.
• My latest Weekly Digest "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" is here.
  
• My latest First Line Friday post:  #43 - Looking for the King by David Downing is here. 
• My "2026 Baby Got Stacks" reading challenge is here.  (Updated regularly).  
• My "26 for 2026" challenge is COMING SOON. (Updated regularly)
• My "26 for 2026" art challenge is COMING SOON.  (Updated regularly). 

Fake Spring 2026: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

 

From Pinterest

It's officially spring in the northern hemisphere. Does it feel like spring in your part of the world? If you're in the southern hemisphere it's officially autumn where you live. Does the weather say autumn? Which do you prefer-spring or autumn? Why? 

Here in Colorado, we've seen every season in rapid succession.  So far this month we've gone from snow and freezing temps to summer-like temperatures near 90 degrees.  The Bradford Pear Trees are blooming and the birds are singing, but I'm not fooled.  We've gotten snow as late as the week before Memorial Day.

What's your favorite thing about spring? 

Even if it is Colorado's traditional "fake" spring or the real one, getting outside for sun and fresh air is so invigorating.  The longer days means the mulligrubs are better held at bay.  Late May is also when I take my yearly week-long spring stay-cation. This season presents so much to thoroughly enjoy and eagerly anticipate.

Spring into action, spring in your step, spring to life, spring to one's feet...which spring idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain.  

Actually, "spring cleaning" seems to be more apropos.  I'm not just speaking of the physical cleaning of the home (although I'll be slowly doing that too).  I'm thinking more of a clean reset both mentally and physically.  I'm in a good place, but though we've had a mild winter so far, this year has had a very slow start.   

Which spring food from this list is your favorite? What's a dish you like that includes your favorite spring ingredient? asparagus, strawberries, salad greens like mesclun (spring mix), artichokes, spinach, eggs, peas, spring onions.

Out of the list, spinach is my favorite...although I have been craving deviled eggs lately.  Speaking of spinach, one way I like to use it is in protein shakes.  However, the company that made the whey protein power I used went out of business a couple of years ago.  I am now on the hunt for vanilla whey protein powder that doesn't contain artificial sweeteners and doesn't cost as much as a full bill of groceries.  The closest I've come is the Naked Whey on Amazon.  However, it's only 16 ounces of powder (only about 12 servings) and costs almost $30 a canister.  Yikes!  I may have to give up on the idea of protein shakes a little while longer.

What's one task on your spring cleaning list? Do you actually have a list? 

From Google

I have a list of sorts in my head.  The big nagging cleaning task I've been putting off is cleaning the interior of my car.  It's organized enough, but it needs a good wipe down and vacuuming.  I can go to the car wash to clean the outside of the car, but I can't figure out how to use the car vacs for the inside. So I have to use a small broom and dustpan to clean the floorboard and seats.  Our apartment complex doesn't have any outside electrical outlets (that I can find), otherwise I'd use the attachments on my vacuum cleaner.

Insert your own random thought here. 

In case you missed it:  

• My previous Hodgepodge post "Flat as a To-Do List" is here.
• My latest Weekly Digest "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" is here.
  
• My latest First Line Friday post:  #43 - Looking for the King by David Downing is here. 
• My "2026 Baby Got Stacks" reading challenge is here.  (Updated regularly).  
• My "26 for 2026" challenge is COMING SOON. (Updated regularly)
• My "26 for 2026" art challenge is COMING SOON.  (Updated regularly). 

Flat as a To-Do List: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

From Volume 641:

Pancakes...are you a fan? Syrup or no syrup? Plain, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, or some other add in? Are pancakes on your menu this week? 

I'm a big fan of pancakes.  My favorite recipe for them is here. My preferred way to eat them is topped with fruit and with a side of scrambled eggs.  I'll eat them with syrup or little honey if fruit is in short supply.  This week I do plan to make a batch and freeze the extras.

Tell us about a time recently when you felt 'spread too thin'. 

From Pinterest

This past couple of months have felt that way to some extent.  Along with my full-time job, I taught a course at the university, so I've not had much time left for blogging or other creativity.  The winter weather here in Colorado has been very mild, so I have been getting out and walking as much as I can.  So that's something.

There's always tasks to complete on my job, but this is the beginning of my "busy season."  The university as a whole is preparing for commencement, and the College of Adult and Graduate Studies is preparing their portion of the annual board of trustees report (what I lovingly call the "Big Bad BOT Book").  I have a list of related tasks a mile long to get done.

To keep my sanity (and my hair), I'm planning some mini vacations before my yearly week-long vacation the end of May.      

From Volume 642: 

Three sounds you love to hear? 

1. The laughter of children.
2. Any good music.
3. The morning crows, magpies, and geese that have been chiming through my windows lately. 

Three sounds you hate to hear? 

1. The screeching of tires.
2. Any loud-pitched noise.
3. The strident belting out of unnecessary vulgarity.  Y'all know that I'm no prude and I come from a very "cussy" family (and I even let one fly every once in a while), so it takes a lot of potty language to get me ruffled.  Some folks don't have any larger vocabulary than the F-word.  Come on, you're better than that.

From Pinterest

We March into March with next week's Hodgepodge...what's one thing on your March calendar that makes you smile? 

It's not on my calendar yet, but March 23-27 is the on-campus student's Spring Break.  The online students do not have a spring break this year (it happens occasionally). However, Lord willing (and I can swing it), those days will be my spring break.. If not, I'll take days closer to Good Friday since we get that holiday off anyway.  

Insert your own random thought here.  

In case you missed it:  

• My previous Hodgepodge post "The Skip Ad Button" is here.
• My latest Weekly Digest "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" is here.
  
• My latest First Line Friday post:  #43 - Looking for the King by David Downing is here. 
• My "2026 Baby Got Stacks" reading challenge is here.  (Updated regularly).  
• My "26 for 2026" challenge is COMING SOON. (Updated regularly)
• My "26 for 2026" art challenge is COMING SOON.  (Updated regularly). 

2026 Baby Got Stacks Reading Challenge

Artwork by Shannon Maddox
aka "Auntie"

 

Welcome to the 2026 "Baby Got Stacks" reading challenge!

Before we get started, let's do a little review.  Last year's challenge was a stunning success.  My goal was 100  books; I read 119!  This year I'm mixing things up a bit.  My total goal on my Goodreads challenge is 125 books. Part of that goal (chronicled here) is to read 100 children's books.  I'm using the Scholastic 100 Greatest Books for Kids list as a guide along with reading other children's books that pique my interest.  I've not read most of the books on the Scholastic list, so this should be fun. 

For those new to my blog, I divide my reads into several categories.  Sample categories for this year's reads include:

• Glorious rereads - books I enjoyed so much that I'm reading them again.
• Recommended Reads - books recommended by what I hope are trustworthy sources.
• Cross References - books referenced in other books I read. Not exactly a recommended read, but similar.
  
• Everybody's Reading It - books that everybody and their grandma read that I'm just now getting to.
• Impulse Reads - Books I bought, borrowed, or checked out of the library for no other reason than "hey, this looks interesting." 
• Kiddie Lit - Children's books.  This year, they get their own list. 

My rating systems is as follows:

✮✮✮✮ = Outstanding
✮✮✮ = Pretty good
✮✮ = Could have been better / could have been worse.
✮ = Not so great.  What the heck did I just read?  I'm finishing this one purely out of spite.
Zero stars = Ain't nobody got time for that = DNF (did not/would not/could not finish)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Books Read and Reviewed:

Completed books will be marked as a link to the review or Goodreads comments. *indicates a volume from my personal collection.

Book 01 *- A glorious reread and a revisited review.                                            
Book 02 *                                             
Book 03         
Book 04
Book 05

Read but Not Reviewed: *indicates a volume from my personal collection.

Regular reads:

1. The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton ✮✮  (Category:  Cross Reference)
2. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron* ✮✮✮✮ (Category:  Glorious reread) 
3. Enjoying Jesus by Tim Chester  ✮✮✮✮
4. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawerence* (Category:  Reread and Cross Reference)  
5. How Can I Practice Christian Meditation?  by Joel Beeke*  ✮✮✮✮ (Category:  Glorious reread) 
6. Struggles in the Spiritual Life by Timothy Gallagher  ✮✮✮1/2
7. Phantastes by George MacDonald  ✮✮
8. Sanctuary of the Soul by Richard J. Foster  ✮✮✮✮ (Category:  Glorious reread) 
9. The Little Flowers of Saint Francis by Brother Ugolino Boniscambi ✮✮  (Category:  Cross reference) 
10. Spurgeon:  A Life  by Alex Diprima ✮✮✮✮ 
11. A Call to Prayer by J. C. Ryle  ✮1/2    
12. Prayer by Timothy Keller  ✮✮✮✮   
13. Hudson Taylor:  Deep in the Heart of China by Janet & Geoff Benge ✮✮✮✮
14. Prayer and Praying Men by E. M. Bounds  ✮✮✮1/2  
15. Before Amen by Max Lucado  ✮✮✮✮  
16. Bait of Satan by John Bevere   ✮✮✮  
17. Spurgeon and the Poor by Alex Duprima ✮✮   
18. God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis (Category:  Glorious reread) ✮✮✮  
19. How to Memorize Scripture for Life by Andrew M. Davis  ✮   
20. Forward by Ronnie Floyd  ✮  
21. The Risen King by Charles Spurgeon *  ✮✮✮✮  
22. The Nicene Creed by Kevin DeYoung  ✮✮✮✮  
23. The Hope of Easter by Joshua Cooley * ✮✮✮1/2 
24. The 5 Levels of Leadership by John C. Maxwell  ✮✮  
25. The Lord's Prayer by Kevin DeYoung ✮✮✮✮  
26. Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung ✮✮✮1/2  
27. On the Christian Life:  A New Translation by John Calvin  ✮✮✮1/2  
28. The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung  ✮✮✮✮  
29. Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung  ✮✮✮✮  
30. Journey Through Acts by David Cook ✮✮✮1/2  
31. Holy Helps for a Godly Life by Richard Rogers ✮✮✮1/2  
32. Union with Christ by Sinclair Ferguson  ✮✮✮1/2  
33. Just Courage by Gary Haugen  ✮1/2  
34. Made for His Pleasure by Alistair Begg ✮✮
35. The Best of Jonathan Edwards Sermons by Jonathan Edwards  ✮✮✮✮  
36. Jesus, the High Road Leader by John C. Maxwell and Chris Hodges ✮✮✮✮  

"My Inklings Summer" Reads

1. Letters on Living the Faith by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮✮  
2. The Great Divorce by C. S. Lew is ✮✮✮✮  (a glorious reread) 
3. An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮1/2  (a glorious reread) 
4. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien ✮✮✮ (also counts in the Kiddie Lit category)

Category:  Kiddie Lit

1. The Cookcamp by Gary Paulsen ✮✮✮1/2 
2. Alida's Song by Gary Paulsen  ✮✮✮1/2 
3. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮✮ 
4. Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮✮ 
5. Caleb's Story by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮1/2 
6. More Perfect than the Moon by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮ 
7. Grandfather's Dance by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮1/2
8. Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮ 
9. Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
10. Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮   
11. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮✮✮        
12. Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮✮✮   
13. Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮✮✮ 
14. Madeline and the Gypsies by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮1/2  
15. Madeline in London by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮✮✮ 
16. Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮1/2 
17. Matthew Henry by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke ✮✮✮     
18. John Bunyan  by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke ✮✮✮  
19. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder  ✮✮✮✮ (A glorious reread)   
20. Jonathan Edwards by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke  ✮✮✮ 
21. Anne Bradstreet by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke  ✮✮✮  
22. John Owen by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke  ✮✮✮  
23. Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! by Dr. Seuss  ✮✮✮1/2  
24. The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮ 
25. The Pigeon Has to Go to School by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
26. Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮ 
27. The Duckling Gets a Cookie by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
28. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
29. The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
30. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
31. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
32. Stuart Little by E. B. White ✮✮✮  
33. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White ✮✮✮✮     
34. There is a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮     
35.  Are You Ready to Play Outside by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮     
36.  Elephants Cannot Dance by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮     
37.  Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮     
38.  I Will Take a Nap by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮      
39. Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
40. Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt?   by Derick Wilder  ✮✮✮1/2 
41. I Made These Ants Some Underpants! by Derick Wilder  ✮✮1/2  
42. Edwina:  The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
43. That is NOT a Good Idea by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮  
44. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak  ✮✮✮✮  
45. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats  ✮✮✮✮  
46. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White  ✮✮✮✮  
47. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮  
48. Hurray for Amanda and Her Alligator by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮  
49. Nanette's Baguette by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮     
50. Think Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison
51. The Pigeon WON'T Count to 10!  by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮     
52. Will the Pigeon Graduate? by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮     
53. It's My Bird-Day by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮        
54. I Really Like Slop by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮   
55. Time to Pee! by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮1/2     
56. Froggy's First Kiss by Jonathan London  ✮✮✮✮   
57. Froggy Plays Soccer by Jonathan London  ✮✮✮✮   
58. I'm a Frog by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮   
59. My Friend is Sad  by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮   
60. I Love My New Toy by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮   
61. Pigs Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮     
62. A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮     
63. My New Friend is So Fun! by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮       
64. The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮1/2    
65. Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly!  Willems  ✮✮✮1/2    
66. The Pigeon Won't Say the ABCs!  Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮       
67. I Am Invited to a Party!  by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮       
68. I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮       
69. Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮         
70. Opposites Abstract by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮ 
71. Waiting Is Not Easy! by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮ 
72. The Thank You Book by Mo Willems  ✮✮✮✮ 
73. Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss  ✮✮✮1/2  
74. Froggy's Best Christmas by Jonathan London  ✮✮1/2  
75. Froggy Bakes a Cake by Jonathan London  ✮✮✮✮   
76. Hooray for Diffendoofer Day by Dr. Seuss et al ✮✮✮✮    
77. The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss  ✮1/2  
78. Brother Andrew:  God's Secret Agent by Janet and Geoff Benge ✮✮✮✮     
     

First Line Friday Entries for the Year: 

*indicates a completed volume.  They may have a separate review or a "last words" section.

#41

#42

#43

#44

#45 

Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!:

• The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting by Ronnie Floyd (audiobook):  I read about 1/3 of the volume, but couldn't finish it.
• The material was quite repetitive but never got to the point.  The thesis is that there are supposedly 12 ways God will change the life of a Christian who regularly worships through  prayer and fasting.  However, the author never got around to them.
• Floyd was very ambiguous about his own experience.  That's not helpful.
• The author narrated his own book.  For many authors, that's not a problem.  I have found, however, that some people who are great writers and speakers do not do well with reading out loud.  Unfortunately, the author of this volume is one of them.  Also, part of the book sounds like he recorded the audio while fighting allergies or a terrible cold. This is a case of where a professional narrator was needed.
• When People are Big and God is Small by Edward T. Welch (audiobook):  This is another volume I abandoned about 1/3 of the way through.
• While it is true that individuals can have problems with excessive people pleasing and co-dependency, and Christians face the temptation to fear people more than God, Welch goes about correcting it in a way that seems more dangerous to the psyche and spirit.  
• He disparages mental health clinicians although he is a licensed counselor.  From his about page on the Desiring God website: Ed Welch is a faculty member and counselor at the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation (CCEF). He has counseled for over forty years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions.  So let me get this straight, a person who writes that mental health clinicians only serve to help their clients become more self-centered (and thus pleasing others for personal gain) is himself a long standing counselor?  Tell me how that makes sense. 
• Welch, like some other authors I've read (although they weren't as obnoxious), seem to not be able to take Jesus' commands to, "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’" (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV) at face value.  He asserts that verse 39 doesn't mean what it says.  He doesn't believe that loving oneself is a factor in how we love others.  Without going into a long theological discussion, let me just say--that doesn't make horse sense.  Don't make me quote the great RuPaul here. Have you ever seen a farmer grow a crop without seeds?  No, you haven't.  The same holds true for "growing" love.  How can one love God without first receiving the implantation of the seeds of His love (see 1 John 4:19)?  How can one love him/herself without a working understanding of the seeds of God's love for him/her?  How can one love others without loving yourself? 
• 
• He completely lost me at his scathing disdain for Maslow's hierarchy of needs (see chart).  For those unfamiliar, this was developed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in the mid-20th century.  Modern psychology and counseling materials represent this hierarchy as a pyramid with the most pressing needs at the bottom and each successive need is built on the fulfillment of the need below it.  While I do not agree with all of Maslow's theories and I've only taken enough college-level counseling courses to know that rather than being a mental health professional I needed to hire one, this simple--yet not so simple--chart is pretty spot on. Although love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization can be misinterpreted as selfish, the mentally healthy person will understand that those needs are best served by a proper balance of appropriate self-care and care for others.  There is nothing on this chart that we can provide for others unless we have it for ourselves.  Again, see my example above.  Welch seems to suggest that the only real needs humans have are those at the bottom of the chart (physiological needs) and the rest are not required but are simply feeders of American consumerism.  So, as a counselor how does advise someone if the person suffering from a lack of these basic needs isn't American and doesn't have America as his or her point of reference?  I'm terrified to know what kind of "counselor" this man is.  Is his goal to make God big and people not just small, but NPCs?