Wednesday Hodgepodge

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

I pretty much do this all the time. I have always said, and have talked about it on this blog before, that I am a non-conformist. If the world is doing it, I usually do the opposite. This applies to movies I watch, books I read, celebrities I follow, trends and fads, etc. I hope that I am taking 'the road less travelled'. I would say the way we handled Kyndal and Collin's wedding had me swimming against the tide. At least all of the negative attitudes and comments made me think I/we did. But, as always, I/we did what we felt was best for our family under our circumstances, so it just didn't bother me what others thought.

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

I am currently reading Created to Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. So much practical wisdom there. I am also reading a chapter of Proverbs each day as part of Women Living Well's Good Morning Girls study. My friend Cheryl and I are going through the study together as accountability partners. It's been really great. Even more practical wisdom there.

"Tolerance is a tremendous virtue, but the immediate neighbors of tolerance are apathy and weakness." (Sir James Goldsmith) Agree or disagree? Discuss.

I just don't think I agree that tolerance is a virtue. Is it a virtue to tolerate an unruly or disrespectful child? Is it a virtue to tolerate a tyrant boss or co-worker? Is it a virtue to tolerate laziness, an attitude of entitlement, selfishness? I just don't think so. Tolerance may be one of the key reasons why our world is in the shape it is. Nobody feels a need to stand up for what is right and true and just anymore. Instead, let's make everyone feel accepted no matter their behavior.

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

I can see smothered steak cooking in the electric skillet. Then my second memory is all of the dishes I would have to do after dinner. We had a dishwasher, but there were lots of pots and pans to wash. My dad was a meat, potato, two vegetable kind of guy.

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 mom did home daycare so in the summers we were home with her and all those kids. I spent a lot of time playing with them (organizing and bossing them mostly). Some days I got to ride my bike to the pool. We played outside ... a lot! My mom wasn't able to take us to and fro and entertain us. I don't remember her ever sitting down to relax. She was always doing something. We didn't do much away from home or the neighborhood. In contrast, we are much busier in our summers these days. I spend pretty much all of my time with my kids doing activities. If they go to the pool, I go. If they ride bikes, I ride with them. I am there observing all of their sports activities, even practices. Of course they have electronics so they spend more time indoors playing their games, etc., and much less time outdoors than I did as a kid. We do have lazy days, though, which includes me and even Rick on the weekends. We might all stay in our pjs one day and watch t.v., read, lay around and rest. I don't ever remember having days like that as a family.

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

The Lake of the Ozarks. And, I will be there next Tuesday through Friday. My parents have a house right on the lake and we are taking our best friends from Oklahoma there for some rest, sun, and fun! The kids will swim and play board games. Us moms will read, talk, do some homeschool planning, and enjoy some wine. It's a great week with friends just enjoying the view of the water.

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

"The Heart of Rock and Roll" by Huey Lewis and the News. When I was a kid we would go out on a pontoon boat with my parents' friends for the day. We always listened to the Huey Lewis album. This song always reminds me of those days at the lake.

Insert your own random thought here.

Yesterday I got a text from my son that said, "You suck at keeping up with your blog." You see, my older kids read my blog every day and call me out when I haven't kept up with my posts. This has been the week of the Cray Cray around here and I just have not had the time to sit down and finish any blog posts. I get them pretty much written and then have trouble getting photos attached and either run out of time or get so tired that I give up on finishing before I got to bed. Ever since Apple switched to the Photos app instead of iPhoto I have had problems. I need to get caught up, I know. Maybe this afternoon? I've got a 4th of July post to finish.