Days 34 & 35: Scraps and Such 01: The Weekly Hodgepodge [40 Days of Gratitude 2023]

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

 

Since there is no formal Hodgepodge this week, I thought I'd answer a few of the questions from previous Hodgepodges in which I had not participated.

From September 5, 2023

It's National Read A Book Day...whatcha' reading? What's a book you want to read? 

First off, every day is National Book Day for me.  

Currently, I'm reading:

• I Dare You by Joyce Meyer
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  I'd read it years ago, but since the author is revisiting it on her podcast in 2024, I wanted to refresh myself on the book's contents.
• Selected Sermons of Johnathan Edwards by Johnathan Edwards.
• Put Your Dream to the Test  by John C. Maxwell.

I have a long "to read" list. One book of interest in particular is A Year with C. S. Lewis.  It's a devotional that I found at the thrift store a few months ago.  I've always enjoyed Lewis' writings, so a daily devotional comprised of short excepts from his works was a great find. 

What helps you calm down?

One destructive thing that calms me down is food.  Some constructive means for me to calm down is to listen to music, to pray, to light a candle or load my defuser with water and a good-smelling oil and turn it on.  Being creative also calms me down.  With all of that, you'd think I wouldn't have time to eat.

From November 15, 2023

Taken at the Butterfly 
Pavilion, Westminster,
Colorado

What in nature inspires you and why? 

My main inspirations are flowers and birds.  I try to make them a normal part of my life and my art.  My mother was an avid gardener and I learned from and gleaned my love for the seemingly unending variety of colors and shapes from her.  Miss Sue (my housemate when I lived in Weaver, Alabama) was the impetus for my love of birds.  Hummingbirds were her favorite; cardinals were mine.  Now that it's winter, I have a fond affinity for crows.

What's something you own that makes you feel cozy? 

A throw blanket given to me for Christmas last year.  It's so warm and soft; perfect for curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a book on a snowy day.

Insert your own random thought here.

Days 34 & 35 

I'm grateful for:

• A friendly cashier at who isn't Southern but loves sweet tea.
• I'm thankful that Walgreens didn't put my prescriptions back on the shelf.  I ordered meds before Christmas, but the snow hit, so I couldn't get there until today.
• For places like the Butterfly Pavilion, the Denver Zoo, and the Botanical Gardens.  I hope in the new year, I can go back to each one.
• Wal-Mart delivery.  There were several items I couldn't ever find in the store, so I ordered them through their website.  I'm also thankful that they take PayPal. 

In case you missed it:  

* My previous Hodgepodge post:  "Cutting My Tea On It" is here.
* My latest First Line Friday post "#15:  Practicing Christian Doctrine" is here.
* My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Quilt in a Day...Well:  Episode 3" is here.