May Be a Hodgepodge

Looks like I "MAY" have made it just in time to join the Hodgepodge!!

How many of these things on my May bucket list did I get done?  SIX... including ice cream, planting, photos, surprising someone, swinging, making Lemonade.

Join Joyce at the hodgepodge

HERE

1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names? 

I have always liked my name.     I am SHUG....many people do not even know that I have a given name.  My parents gave me the name .... Anita Lynn, but I have not been called Anita in 30 years.  My grandkids began calling me "Sugar" and this soon turned into Shug....sometimes Sugar Booger.  When I was the Librarian at our local school...All of the kids called me Shug the same as my grandkids.  Even the Principle and the teachers called me Shug.  

Our entire community knows me as Shug.  I'm even known by Shug at my doctor's office!!

🌺 My mother actually chose our daughters names...

Trista and Shanda. 🩷🩷

2.  A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose? 

Blueberry pie for sure....    

I would choose strawberry Pretzel salad with a few blueberries.  🫐

3.  What's a job you'd like to try for just one day?

Well....if I'm going to choose a job for one day, I might as well dream big.  I would like to try my hand at being a food journalist.  Fly to Italy...try all kinds of foods and write about them.   🍜🥗

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer? 

I have even surprised myself this year... NO, red, white and Blue decorations in our home this year.  I'm content with how things look in our home and for this reason PLUS the busyness of my life right now helped me make the decision to sit this one out.   🇺🇸

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!  

Music playing through open windows... 🎼🎤

A little more laughter than worry.... 🤣😂

Yes to simple joys and peaceful hearts... 💛🌸💛

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Isn't it funny how certain smells or songs can take you back to a moment in life...much faster than a photograph ever could?  

One old song on the radio can suddenly bring back people, places and good ol' memories that you haven't thought about in years.  

And I love how the smell of fresh cut grass always takes me back to childhood evenings when my dad was cutting the grass..

Hearing an old worship song can bring back memories of seasons in my life when my faith carried me through the hard days.  

Rain on a hot pavement is a smell that makes me think of my trips to "Six Flags over TEXAS."

The scent of homemade biscuits takes me right back to my mom's kitchen...The best biscuits ever made...

May you have sunshine and Good vibes all day long..

Shug...

A Zippity Day...

 Well...we did have a little Zippity- Doo-Dah in our day!  It kinda snuck in and changed the rhythm of the day for us. 

The kids (those that live around here) came for lunch today... We (Sam and I) boiled the corn on the cob and made the baked beans...We already had a pulled pork and some ribs cooked.  Everything else was furnished by the kids.... (daughters and son-in-laws)

They even brought a watermelon and it went straight into the pool.  It didn't fall in there, it was placed in the pool.  Since the pool water is kinda cold....what better way to keep a melon chilled than to let it float in the pool.  

Not my actual picture of the melon floating in the pool, because I forgot to take one..... I found this one on the net, so evidently this is something other people do as well..

Today felt like a dancing kind of day...I did not dance, but the spirit has sure been here.  It was a day that had some sparkle in it and I DO LOVE ME SOME SPARKLE.  

Right now, I have my feet propped up, and I'm listening to the sound of Sam snoozing nearby.  Honestly, this in itself feels like such a sweet little blessing of peace.  For me it is a comforting sound of someone I love resting so easy.... a sound I never tire of.  Just the simple gift of being present in a cozy moment that asks nothing from you except for me to enjoy it. 

----------

My Calendar for the week is not overly full, and I am actually thankful for this.  I'm hoping to catch up on things around here, finish a few projects and maybe even listen to some good ol' Southern Gospel music.  

This sure sounds good to me!!

Blessings and Love...

Shug... 

Sunday Reflections..

 Hard to believe that it is already Sunday evening of this 3 day weekend.  

Sam and I began our morning with Worship and Praise playing softly through the television.  

The kids came over this morning and one of the sweetest parts of day was my son-in-law trimming back our trees.  He recently finished his job out in California and is finally back home...He has always been such a huge help to us.  Our kids are so good about showing up and helping.  

This is the last load of limbs that needs to be hauled off.  I sure was sad about having to trim limbs that had the beautiful mimosa flowers on them....But..it had to be done. 

After the tree trimming was finished, we all gathered out on the back porch and enjoyed buckets of good conversations..and snacks!!  It's as if everyone was daring each other to be the first one in the pool this year.  Water is still a bit chilly though, so for this reason, there were no takers. 

A few cone flowers, Marmalades, and Lantana.

Later in the afternoon, I drove Sam over to see his dad at the Nursing Home.  While he was spending time there, I wandered over to the garden center where I may or may not have purchased a few more things than I had intended.  Apparently Memorial Day weekend is the time to shop for plants.  The place was not crowed at all.  

(Some Mexican Petunias and a few Zinnias, along with some grasses and rose moss.)

After I picked Sam up, we grabbed a quick bite to eat.  Nothing fancy...just something he can easily eat.  You would be surprised by what he can actually eat that does not hurt his stomach and liver.  Cheese Enchiladas!!.  I am shocked that he is able to eat this, but it's one of the few things that he can eat without having pain.

💛💛💛  

Now, I'm expecting to have a slower evening..  I'll be spending part of my evening catching up on blogs and working on my computer.  I am designing a "Save the date - invitation" all combined into one for our 55th Class reunion.  Fifty-five years feels almost impossible to say out Loud.  

This was the 50th reunion...way back in 2021.

For whatever reason....RED POPPIES...always makes me think of Memorial Day.  I honestly do not know why they touch my heart the way they do, but they always have. Maybe it's their deep red color that feels both beautiful and sacred at the same time.  They seem to whisper to me....Remembrance, sacrifice, honor and gratitude...

Tonight...the skies are hinting at the possibility of rain.  I just heard it thunder, so it might be earlier than I thought. 

Oh how wonderful this day has been and I thank the Lord for all of His goodness.  

Shug... or as William says:  Shuggy!  

Little Moments that Matter Most

 Although I had planned to do absolutely nothing today, I did manage to enjoy a morning brunch.

My daughter (Trista)...granddaughter (tori)...granddaughter-in-law (Emily)...and our great grandson (William) gathered at La Madeleine for a very nice brunch.  While it might not be my favorite brunch spot, I found myself smiling over a yogurt parfait and soaking in something far more nourishing than food....GREAT COMPANY AND WONDERFUL CONVERSATION..

As you can see...I also enjoyed a nice glass of Southern Sweet Tea.  

William kept us on our toes as we sat out on the patio.  He was wanting to explore everything that there was to explore.  The birds, the stones and even the world outside of the gate....these things were sure keeping him busy. 

Truthfully, I had not even intended to go anywhere today.  I had planned a quiet day at home.  But life has a fun way of placing unexpected gifts right in the middle of ordinary moments.  If I had stayed home, I would have missed the sweetness of the morning. 

Not every meaningful moment arrives with a fanfare.  My day began simple.....A breakfast outing, A baby's smile, and a family gathered around coffee cups and conversation. You just can't beat this kind of goodness.

The rest of my day was beautifully ordinary.  Laundry hummed in the background while I worked in the backyard, tending to things growing beneath the sunshine.  I love the healing favor from God in the little things that I do each day.  Caring for my flowers and tending to our home. 

This memorial day weekend, I have found myself thinking about how quickly seasons change.  How important it is to say yes to time together with family, even when we did not plan it.  One day, the brunches, the backyard chores, the tiny hands reaching across the table, will become the memories that soften our hearts the most. 

As far as tomorrows plans go? 

Online Church....and maybe a trip to the garden center.   I am needing some ornamental grass and perhaps a few more flowering plants.  

Wherever this weekend finds you, I hope you find many pockets of happiness...

Hugs to ALL

Shug..