HODGEPODGE WEDNESDAY!

1.  My real life friends came through with another question this week so thank you real life friends.  When you've eaten in a restaurant do you complete their comment card?  Do you take online surveys highlighted at the bottom of store receipts?  Well, believe it or not I HAVE answered comment cards in a restaurant if I had something I particularly wanted to praise, or to complain about...I have never done a store receipt however.

2.  The (US) ban on women in combat was lifted at the end of January.  It will probably be next year before specifics are worked out, but its been reported over 200,000 front line positions will eventually open up to women.  Your thoughts?  If I am being totally honest here I have not really given this a lot of thought in the past.  So off the top of my head here is what I think.  I think some women can do many, many things that I myself would never be able to do.  I think women are as capable as men of leading and making decisions or following directions and doing what has to be done, suffering great hardships and putting themselves in grave danger. They can and do serve their country in countless, meaningful ways.  However I think women would make themselves vulnerable to possible rape etc., if taken as prisoners of war.  I also think if they were forced into a physical combat with an enemy who happened to be a man, she would also be at a great disadvantage.  Let's face it... (most) men are just stronger physically.   I guess if a woman is FULLY qualified, and that is what she wants, then I guess she should be allowed to do so, but for me personally, I just don't think it is quite right. 

3.  In looking back at all the blog posts you've written, whats your favorite posttitle?  Hang on I will have to look.....Well, that was certainly interesting, haha.  Most of my posts have similar titles, (Hodgepodge Wednesday, Week-end Happenings etc.) and were really pretty boring (maybe that is why I haven't got many regular readers, haha) but I settled on this one, I guess because it made me want to go back and read what it was about.  Moment in time...

4.  What's worse-overly permissive parents or overly protective parents?  Did your own parents lean more to the permissive or the protective category?  If you're a parent where do you fall?  If I tried to get down all the thoughts this questions brings to my mind, I might have to write a mini-book, haha, so I will try and give the condensed version.  Obviously there is danger in both these types of parents.  I don't think there is much worse than overly permissive parents who let their kids run wild, seeming not to bother or care to teach them right from wrong.  However, overly protective parents can be just as bad as they don't let their children make the mistakes on their own that are necessary to really learn or grow.  The best bet is of course somewhere in the middle.  My parents fell in the middle, though they allowed some things I would have never let fly, haha.  I considered myself pretty protective and hard nosed in most areas I guess.  I did encourage my kids to try new things, take risks, and learn to be independent as early as they could be.  Some things I insisted upon, and others I was more casual about.  I think at the end of the day your goal as a parent is to raise your kids to be independent, productive adults who hopefully love God and their fellow man, and live grateful, happy, lives.

5.  Candlelight, moonlight-firelight-bright lights in the big city...which one's your favorite?  Mmmm, probably candlelight.

6.  Dr. Seuss's birthday was celebrated on Saturday.  What's a favorite book you remember (Seuss or otherwise) from your own childhood?  Did books play an important role in your growing up years? Explain.  One of my favorite books was Anne of Green Gables.  I read them all.  Also Little Women.  I guess most of these books were read when I was around 10 or 11 and upward from there, so not so much when I was younger.  I don't remember (though I know I did) reading books when I was younger than that.  And yes, reading played a HUGE role in my growing up years, and to this day really.  I LOVE to read.  I always have a book going, and sometimes more than one.

7.  To quote Dr. Seuss..."From, there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere." from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.  Share something funny you've recently read, seen or heard.  Well let's see....this isn't actually "funny" but it was funny if you know what I mean.  haha  Melody and Mike are spending a few days in Dallas to relax for a few days, and took Sam to a big aquarium there.  He was fascinated with it all I guess, and just literally laid down on the ground to look at the fish face to face.  Mel said when the fish swam off he got up and chased it down the path and whenever it stopped, he would lay right back down and look, haha.  Wonder what in the world he was thinking?

EYE TO EYE!

"CAN YOU COME OUT?"  SAM SAYS....

HAPPY SAM AND DADDY

CHECKING OUT THE STATUE OF A SHARK...HE IS SOO INTENT, HAHA

Insert your own random thought here...Well I have begun working on Sam's big boy bed rag quilt and let me tell you like soo many things I undertake, I did underestimate this a bit.  First of all with no pattern, or really any way of knowing, I had to figure out how big I needed it to be, how many squares of each color I needed, and how much fabric that translated into my needing.  Sounds simple enough right?  Well, I haven't used math really for any reason in quite some time, but I finally figured it all out (I think!) and so began the task of getting my squares altogether.  Two days into it and I am STILL cutting out the squares, haha.  Now to be fair to me I have never used a rotary cutter.  It is a simple tool I am well aware, but I am just not very "tool" or "mechanical" oriented, haha.  Once I figured out how to work it, I then had to figure out how to best use the ruler, squares, board etc. that goes along with it.  Fumbling my way along, at one point I actually considered just using my trusty scissors  and getting the job done the only way I knew how.  Thankfully I abandoned that plan as ridiculous, and continued to figure out what worked best.  As I was finishing up today I had a system down that was quick (always my favorite way of doing something) and precise.  HOWEVER!  I had not figured the needed fabric right, so tomorrow I will have to head back to JoAnne's and get the rest of what I need...sigh.  I will admit I am somewhat concerned that they might not have enough of the color I need for the backing, BUT! the good news is the fabric is STILL on sale!  Now if I can just get out of there without buying anymore fabric!  I am really anxious to get to the actual sewing of the quilt, as I KNOW this will be quick and easy...at least it is something I am very familiar with.

DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT MANY SQUARES DOES IT?  94 JOHN DEERE SQUARES (SHORT 2!) 96 GREEN SQUARES, 96 TAN SQUARES (SHORT 96! BIG MISTAKE ON THIS ONE! HAHA) AND 175 WARM AND NATURAL (SHORT AROUND 30!)

MY TOOLS...NOTICE MY NEW SPRING LOADED SCISSORS FOR THE FRINGE CUTTING

Hope you are all having a good week!  To join the other Hodgepodgers, click HERE.