Wednesday Hodgepodge Salutes Veteran's

These are the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. 

 1. Are you too hard on yourself or not hard enough? Elaborate. 

Too hard on myself. 

My mom was very critical of me and my sister - we could hardly do anything right in her eyes. We could always do better. 

2. What's the role of gratitude in your life? 

I'm thankful for the days I feel good - 

I'm thankful that I am alive on those days when I don't feel so good. 

All are indebted much to thee,
But I far more than all,
From many a deadly snare set free,
And raised from many a fall.
Overwhelm me, from above,
Daily, with thy boundless love …

William Cowper; Gratitude and Love to God

3. Where do you get your news these days? How much attention are you giving it currently? 

We haven't had cable or satellite on our TV for 10 years so I don't watch any cable news or cable shows and don't miss it. I'll watch local news for weather -  and what is going on in town. 

Currently, I am following Israeli media daily and I follow Amir Tsarfati on Telegram. 

4. Do you like potatoes? Last time you prepared potatoes in some way? Which of the following is your favorite...baked potato, mashed potato, french fried potato, sweet potato, hash brown potatoes, roasted potatoes, or potato salad? 

I like potatoes in all the ways mentioned except for sweet potatoes. We had mashed potatoes the other night and I added diced potatoes to my beef vegetable soup. 

5. Are you a veteran? Are there any veterans in your family? Will you do anything special to honor them on Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day this year? 

I am not a veteran. 

Currently, there are only 2 veterans in the family who are still alive. My husband served 10 years in the Navy and 10 years in the Coast Guard. 

He retired out in 1994. 

During the Iran hostage crisis, my husband’s frigate was part of 2 strike groups that sat off the coast of Iran for 130+ days waiting to go in to help in the rescue. He said they just went in circles, waiting for the politics and of course, we all know what happened. Before they were sent to Iran his strike group was ordered off the coast of South Korea due to an assignation of someone important. While in the Coast Guard, he served on the USCG Polar Sea deployed to the North and South Poles - bringing in supplies to the McMurdo station in the Ross Sea.  The Polar Sea also served as a science research vessel with climate scientists. 

My youngest son, who I lovingly refer to as “Navy” served 6 years in the… you guessed it- the USS Navy. He worked on the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt for 2 deployments to the Persian Gulf. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Gratitude And Love To God

by William Cowper

All are indebted much to thee,

But I far more than all,

From many a deadly snare set free,

And raised from many a fall.

Overwhelm me, from above,

Daily, with thy boundless love.

What bonds of gratitude I feel

No language can declare;

Beneath the oppressive weight I reel,

'Tis more than I can bear:

When shall I that blessing prove,

To return thee love for love?

Spirit of charity, dispense

Thy grace to every heart;

Expel all other spirits thence,

Drive self from every part;

Charity divine, draw nigh,

Break the chains in which we lie!

All selfish souls, whate'er they feign,

Have still a slavish lot;

They boast of liberty in vain,

Of love, and feel it not.

He whose bosom glows with thee,

He, and he alone, is free.

Oh blessedness, all bliss above,

When thy pure fires prevail!

Love only teaches what is love:

All other lessons fail:

We learn its name, but not its powers,

Experience only makes it ours.

Have a great day!