Chocolate Ice Cream June Hodgepodge

1. On Saturday July 4th America celebrates her Independence. (If you're not American,  feel free to answer in terms of a national holiday in your own country) What is your favorite thing about the day? Your favorite food on the 4th? Do you fly a flag at your house? Fireworks-yay or nay? Any special plans this year?

My favorite thing about the 4th of July : the feelings--pride, joy, gratitude

Favorite food: theatre candy we buy just before watching fireworks

Fly a flag? Yes, very often!

Fireworks--see above

Special plans--yes, getting together with extended family

2. What's something you recently got for free?  

Today I got my tire patched for free. The guy thought maybe the tiny hole from a screw was something he missed two weeks ago when I took it in for a leak.

A week ago I got a new pair of glasses  for free (just the frames). I had paid a handsome price for wire rimmed ones just a year ago, and they got badly scratched up in no time (cheap, made in China, no doubt). The owner of the vision center found some frames that my lenses would fit and didn't charge me. That's great customer service!

3.  The Statue of Liberty, The Liberty Bell, The Washington Monument, or Mount Rushmore...how many on the list have you seen? What is your favorite historical American monument, and why? 

I've seen all but Rushmore.  The Statue of Liberty is my favorite for two reasons: 

-The first time I saw it from the air when returning from a trip to Russia, I welled up with tears. It made me think, "I'm home. This is MY home, the best country in the world!"

-When our son was in sixth grade, we accompanied his small class on an overnight field trip to NYC.  Fond memories of the kids' pleasure in being there. 

4. When it comes to the news are you more ostrich (stick my head in the sand) or hog (they have room to take a whole lot in)? How much attention have you given the recent news reports regarding ISIS and the acts of terror they've perpetrated against those who do not share their beliefs or support their cause?

I think I'm somewhere in the middle. (A hostrich?) I don't bury my head, but I can't take an overload of terror-centered news, either. It's almost more than I can bear to think of how quickly our country has changed just in the last five years. 

5. We're talking plain ice cream...vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry? Choose one.

Plain? It depends on my mood. If I'm in a good mood, vanilla. If I'm in a bad mood, chocolate. If I've had mood swings, strawberry.  My guess is you'd rather be around me on a vanilla day. 

6. Share a song you love containing the word 'stars' in the lyrics or title?

I honestly do love The Star-Spangled Banner.  I get a lump in my throat every single time I hear it. 

7. Describe and/or say goodbye to June with an acrostic. 

Between the weather, remodeling a kitchen, and buying a house (that STILL hasn't gone to settlement after two extensions), June has been STRESSFUL. As in, many times I was in  "chocolate ice cream" mood. 

Sloppy

Torrential

Rainy

Expensive

Stormy

Scary

Frustrating

Unnerving

Long

 8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I'm so thrilled that my friend Renee's cancer is in remission and she is growing her hair back, feeling energetic, and celebrating a lot of things just one year after her diagnosis.  One son graduated from college, another from high school. Here we are at the party she hosted for her homeschooled high school graduate.  I had to tease her about being an overachiever--graduating two kids and beating cancer in the same year. I'm beyond thankful to God for His healing mercy.