Hodgepodge Questions and Answers from my phone

It's Hodgepodge Wednesday with Joyce.. Again, I am posting from my phone and I am limited on what I can do.

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http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com

 1. What’s something you find extremely difficult that most people would say is simple?

I can’t swim. Most people think swimming is something everyone naturally learns growing up, but for me it has always felt intimidating. I admire people who can jump into the water without a second thought while I’m over here clinging to the edge like it’s a life mission. It’s funny how the “simple things” in life aren’t always simple for everyone. We all have that one thing that makes us nervous while someone else does it with ease.

2. Does the season of summer make you feel like life is beginning over again? Elaborate.

Yes..... Summer has a way of making life feel lighter and brighter. The days stretch out longer, flowers bloom wildly, and everything feels full of possibility again. I love the sunshine pouring through the windows, the smell of sunscreen and fresh-cut grass, and hearing kids laugh outside. This makes my heart feel young again. Summer reminds me that life is always offering us another chance to start fresh, dream bigger, and slow down long enough to soak in the beauty around us.

3. Pickles. Love ’em or no thank you?

Oh, I absolutely love pickles… especially a good crunchy kosher pickle. But sweet pickles? They belong in my tuna salad right alongside grapes, apples, and pecans. That sweet-and-salty combination is pure comfort food happiness to me. And honestly, some foods just feel incomplete without a pickle on the side. A hamburger without pickles? That’s just bad decision-making.

4. Tis the season… do you know any June brides?

Actually, I was a June bride myself — June 16th.  June offers something sweet and timeless when it comes to a wedding.  I don’t know anyone getting married this June, but my granddaughter is getting married in November, and that makes my heart so happy. Watching the next generation begin their own love story is one of life’s greatest blessings. Weddings always remind me that no matter how crazy the world gets, love still keeps showing up beautifully.

5. National Say Something Nice Day — say something nice here.

To my blog friends:

Never underestimate the impact your words have. A simple comment, a kind message, or even showing up faithfully to read someone’s thoughts can brighten a day more than you realize. In a world that often rushes past people, kindness still stands out like sunshine after a storm. Thank you for being part of this little corner of the internet where laughter, stories, prayers, and friendship still matter. You are appreciated more than you know.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Random thought:
Why does folding a fitted sheet still feel like trying to solve a mystery designed by NASA? No matter how many tutorials exist, mine always ends up looking like a crumpled tortilla with commitment issues.

Printing and Cursive

* I think it's time for me to invest in an iPad.  I do have a laptop ...but I do not trust the wifi connections at hotels. It is  hard to use it when I travel.  Blogging from my phone is HARD too...and,  I do have a few disabilities when blogging from my phone.  I'm not able to post photos and Google will not allow me to make comments when I read your blogs!!  There are a few of you that I can comment on your post and I'm trying hard to keep up.  Just want you all to know that I am visiting you each day.. We will be home on Saturday.  

Printing and Cursive!! 

I realized something shocking the other day.

Cursive has officially become a foreign language.

Not Spanish.
Not French.
Not even Latin.

Nope.

A simple handwritten recipe card from Grandma now looks like an ancient treasure map to half the younger generation.

I watched a teenager stare at cursive writing recently like they were trying to decode Egyptian hieroglyphics. Their eyes narrowed. Their forehead wrinkled. At one point I honestly thought they might call for technical support.

“Wait… what letter is THAT?”

Honey… that is an “S.” 

They could not read the graduation card I had given them.  

And suddenly I felt 147 years old.

There was a time when learning cursive was serious business. We practiced loops and swirls until our hands cramped. Teachers walked the aisles correcting our slant like tiny handwriting coaches preparing us for the Olympics of penmanship.

Capital Q’s alone could humble a whole classroom.

And heaven help you if your lowercase “g” looked funny.

Back then, cursive meant you were growing up. It felt fancy. Important. Mature. We signed our names with pride like we were approving million-dollar business deals in third grade.

Now?

Kids text faster than lightning but cannot read the word “banana” written in cursive.

Their generation can edit videos, build gaming worlds, and type 94 words a minute with two thumbs… but hand them a birthday card written in cursive and suddenly we are starring in National Treasure.

Honestly, it is kind of adorable.

But also a little sad.

Because cursive carried personality.

You could recognize someone’s handwriting instantly. Messy. Fancy. Tiny. Dramatic. Every curl and swoop carried emotion. A handwritten letter felt personal in a way typed words never quite do.

There was magic in opening a card and seeing familiar handwriting across the envelope.

Even grocery lists had character back then.

Now everything arrives in identical fonts looking like it came from a robot with excellent organizational skills.

And can we talk about signatures for a minute?

Some younger folks are out here creating signatures that look like they accidentally dropped a spaghetti noodle onto paper. Just one confused squiggle and a dot.

Meanwhile our generation was trained to make signatures look presidential.

If you signed your name with flair, you were somebody.

I still believe cursive deserves a comeback. Not because technology is bad, but because there is something beautiful about words written by hand. Something warm. Human. Imperfect.

A handwritten recipe from your mother.
A note tucked inside a Bible.
A love letter folded soft with age.
A signature on an old photograph.

Those things matter.

Cursive is more than handwriting.

It is memory written in ink.

And honestly, I may start randomly leaving cursive notes around just to keep younger people alert and mentally stimulated.

Nothing dangerous.

Just enough to make them wonder if they have discovered pirate clues hidden in the kitchen drawer.  

When I went to Business School.. I had to take a whole semester of penmanship....kids these days would flip out if they had to sit in class and perfect their penmanship.  

And what about signing checks??  Oops...I forgot!  Everything is now done on the net!  lol.. 😬😂🫢🤣🤓

Shug....

June and the Halfway Mark

This is us (Sam and I) early this morning... At our first doctor's visit of the week.  

(well...that didn't work...I'm posting from my phone and I was unable to access my photos ) 

June and the Halfway Mark of the Year

Can you believe we are nearly halfway through the year already?
Somewhere between New Year’s resolutions and Spring sunsets, life kept moving while we were busy living it.

I can feel the gentle pause in the middle of the calendar.
A place where I can catch my breath, look behind me for a moment, and realize just how much I've carried, survived, celebrated, and learned.

Maybe this year hasn't been everything I hoped it would be.
Maybe it’s looked nothing like I could have imagined. 🤷‍♀️🩷

I know that for me there have been some ordinary Mondays that I will never remember… and there have been moments  that have quietly changed me forever. 

The beautiful thing about June is this:
it reminds me there is still time and lots of Hope.  

Time to forgive myself for the goals I abandoned in February. 😂 

Time to dream new dreams that fits the person I am now... not the person I was in January.

yes.. Life changes just this fast...in a matter of months life can quietly begin to make changes. 

In the past five months, I have read books that softened my heart and  opened my mind in ways that  I never expected. I have experienced situations that I knew nothing about and not only did I learn, I survived. 

We can learn lessons we didn’t know we needed.
We can experience joy, heartbreak, healing, laughter, new beginnings, and unexpected strength.  

In five months, I have collected pieces of myself that I didn't even know existed. .

There have been Conversations that stayed with me.  
There have been Songs tied to certain afternoons.
Tears that watered growth I couldn’t yet see.
Moments that reminded me that I'm still becoming.

  Five months ago, I was not exactly who I am today. I'm better, I'm stronger and I'm content. 

And five months from now, I will have grown again.

This is the gift of living❣️❣️

In just 4 weeks, we will be at the halfway mark of 2026. Are you ready?  

Happy 1st day of June!! 

Shug..   👍🏻❣️⭐️🌻🤷‍♀️

Bye, Bye to May

 May 31st....The LAST page of May.

This day has quietly slipped in without much attention.  It's the final page of a beautiful 2026 chapter.  It's not quiet Spring anymore...but it's not officially summer yet. 

Around here May carried a lot with it. Graduation caps tossed into a warm evening air, Memorial Day flags that waved with a slight (very slight) wind, and lots of happiness that school is now out for the summer.

And now suddenly, the curtain is closing on the 5th month of the year.  It's time to flip another Calendar page and reflect on the treasures of the past 31 days. 

We celebrated two amazing birthdays and best of all.....we shared JOY in the announcement of a little one coming in October.  Our grandson Trey and his wife Savannah are expecting. This will be mine and Sam's 4th great grand-baby. 

As May closes its doors tonight, I am thankful for the memories....the growth...and the lessons learned.  "June" stands knocking at the door like an old friend carrying lots of sunshine.  Are you ready? I am!!

Shug...