tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81564152206234493802024-03-07T18:58:39.001-08:00A Penchant for PensZoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.comBlogger1909125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-3576023987602164462019-01-01T20:55:00.000-08:002019-01-01T20:56:09.453-08:00Happy New Year 2019 and Reviving my Blog Oy. Two and a half years have come and gone since my last post in July of 2016. I'm not so sure I made a conscious decision to stop blogging before, but it was more like a slow fade.
They say the death of a blog is inconsistency. So will the new life of my blog be measured by the opposite? I hope I can regain some old readers who became friends (some of whom have been friends in real Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-91697158475064429832016-07-27T05:05:00.001-07:002016-07-27T05:13:38.906-07:00Great Big Feather Bed HodgepodgeHi-ho, Kermit the Frog here.
Sort of, not really, but may as well be, considering it feels like the last time I blogged was the last time the Muppets were all the rage.
How about some Hodgepodge mania?
1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why?(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)
About a 2. On the fun scale thus far, we've done almost zilch as a family. I haven't Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-9109626804001781022016-07-02T19:51:00.000-07:002016-07-02T19:51:40.910-07:00Bone Appetit
This is the first quilt I've made for Project Linus.
The coordinator of the chapter near me says that the hospitals could use more boy quilts. Knowing that chemo rooms can be cold, I wanted my quilt to have a flannel back. I knew I wanted puppies.
I found this print online and snatched up 2 yards of it. (After quilting, this is the back.)
I asked on Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-29170016799947667012016-06-29T06:09:00.000-07:002016-06-29T06:09:06.644-07:00Lotsa Good News in the Hodgepodge
It's the Hodgepodge Day, but it's also my hubby's birthday. Woot! Thanking God today for sparing his life. This year was monumental as we went through his heart surgery ordeal together. But he's on the mend more and more, doing and going a bit more all the time.
Let's see what our Hodgepodge hostess, Joyce, is asking us this week, shall we?1. It's officially summer (in the northern hemisphere Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-11133242199942283192016-06-08T07:49:00.002-07:002016-06-08T08:03:54.235-07:00Caution: High Winds in the HodgepodgeThanks to our friendly, neighborhood hostess, Joyce. we have yet another batch of Hodgepodge questions. By "neighborhood" I mean the world, but it feels rather cozy in Cyberville much of the time.
Pardon my long-winded post, but I must share some really exciting news. Something that most of us don't get the privilege of having in a lifetime, but it happened to me last week.
Since September Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-65391878766597028432016-06-05T22:22:00.002-07:002016-06-05T22:25:57.578-07:00Hello, Again. Remember me? Your friendly, neighborhood blogger? I'm still here. And there's been plenty going on in my corner.
How about a list for old time's sake?
In no particular order:
1. My baby sister is expecting her second baby in just two months. Four days after my birthday, and I really wouldn't mind sharing a birthday. Unless the new one starts getting better toys than mine.
2. Our Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-71658680702896686592016-05-18T05:23:00.001-07:002016-05-18T05:29:05.530-07:00Sophia is with Jesus NowMany of my readers have been aware of a baby named Sophia, the only child of my friend Lauren and her husband.
With great sadness I tell you that Sophia lost her battle with brain cancer on Thursday, May 14, 2016. She was 16 months old.
Today I will gather with family and friends for her graveside memorial service. It's been gray and gloomy literally and figuratively, on and off,Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-18204970069872189802016-05-04T08:28:00.003-07:002016-05-04T08:37:38.390-07:00What Mothers Do in the Hodgepodge
1. What's something fun you're looking forward to on your May calendar?
Driving to Kentucky with my daughter to visit my sister in her beautiful log cabin again. I'll stay five days, but my dear girl is staying on for three more before starting her internship with an organization called Scarlet Hope. I'm looking forward to the estrogen fest (I think??) and the change of pace and Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-59444543801901211772016-04-20T18:47:00.001-07:002016-04-20T18:47:14.321-07:00Quilting while WaitingI took two little doll quilts to the hospital waiting room to keep my hands busy without being on an electronic device .
A little project to pull out or put away as the mood (or opportunity) strikes.
It's a good thing to have a hobby that requires no electricity or battery, is productive, quiet, and portable. I highly recommend hand sewing. (I've tried knitting and crocheting, and Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-3039339671259623652016-04-19T11:23:00.002-07:002016-04-19T11:32:12.441-07:00Got L: Now for M, N, O, P I'm pretty sure that M would stand for "Mmmm, I don't think so. Writing 4 posts in one day?" N is for Not Happening. O is for Only Four People Read This Blog Anyway, I Think.
Or M could be for My Weekend was More than Full with a Women's Retreat. N could be for the Nervous Energy I used in Saturday's skit. O could be Oh Good, Roommate, We Agree We Need Sleep More than a Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-6846691956413233962016-04-14T20:47:00.002-07:002016-04-14T20:52:41.451-07:00Loeys-Dietz SyndromeLetter K of the A-Z blog challenge has been excused from my alphabetic posts for good reason: my daughter came home from Florida last night and I was busy all day prepping, worked in the evening, and stayed up from her 10:30 PM arrival till after midnight consoling her. Blogging was not important.
But that brings us to the Letter L...
In case you're wondering, the genetic disorderZoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-69450382252135765772016-04-12T20:02:00.001-07:002016-04-12T20:02:35.891-07:00Just breatheI found myself holding my breath quite literally between November and January. It was completely subconscious, but became almost a habit. Deep in thought pondering the "what ifs", I had to remind myself to exhale. And inhale all the way. Is this normal or common?
"Take every thought captive ," scripture says. I'd have to swap a thought like "I'm too young to be a widow" with "Jesus, Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-4207087129266010462016-04-11T21:00:00.003-07:002016-04-11T21:06:51.653-07:00Indelible WordsThe morning of surgery,Paul had a vicious headache and of course, had had nothing by mouth since midnight, which didn't help matters. But the headache, he admitted, kept his mind off what was coming.
When we first got to Hopkins and registered at o'dark thirty, we had some time to talk, just the two of us. His head hurt badly, so I stayed mostly quiet, but I did ask him, "When they take you Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-53469369798922222012016-04-09T20:17:00.000-07:002016-04-09T20:22:35.145-07:00Hold MeI wanted to be held tightly and often. To feel safe in his embrace. To smell him. To hear his heartbeat.
It was not uncommon for me to stop him in his tracks on his way to the fridge and say, "Hold me. Please?"
I reached for his hand in the car whether we were going two miles or twenty. Our son, if he was in the backseat, would groan. "Again, Mom? Really?" But I think he secretly Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-64532421900604654782016-04-08T19:40:00.001-07:002016-04-08T20:01:37.742-07:00Glued His Chest Back TogetherYep, my post for "G" in regard to the theme of my hubby's heart surgery is GLUE.
Pardon my first world ignorance, but I had no idea that surgery and glue could be used in the same sentence. I mean, when a doctor practices his craft, I'm not picturing Elmer's in his hands.
Neither of us thought to ask how Paul would be sewn up on the OUTSIDE when it was all over. I assumed stitches, and Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-86541232290085134982016-04-07T21:17:00.001-07:002016-04-07T21:21:30.526-07:00Fatherly FeelingsWhen I asked him what he was most afraid of when facing heart surgery, my husband said, "It's not death. If I die, I'll be in heaven. And if I live, I live."
He paused and gathered words to express deep emotion. "My biggest concern is for you and the kids. Mostly the kids, because I know what it's like to live without a dad at their age."
His dad died in 1992 at the age of 68. A sudden, Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-85340699494258847092016-04-06T18:11:00.001-07:002016-04-06T18:11:26.767-07:00Ear for Guitar Music in the Hodgepodge and A to Z Two-fer
My A to Z Challenge entry is combined with the Wednesday Hodgepodge today. I've been talking about my husband's heart surgery as a theme of sorts. For the letter E, let me just say that he has an ear for music, and I love his guitar playing. Before his surgery, I often got secretly choked up whenever he would start strumming a familiar tune. I know beyond any doubt that I would missZoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-18425120306849430012016-04-05T05:05:00.000-07:002016-04-05T21:06:54.702-07:00Don't You Dare Ask THAT Question
Choosing the best surgeon for your operation is always at the top of the list when you have time to choose. That is, except in an emergency, you have time to research your options. You have tons of questions, especially if it's a life-or-death procedure like this.
Living in northern Maryland, we are only an hour away from the best hospital in the world--Johns Hopkins. We count ourselves Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-33463266547810343532016-04-04T06:00:00.000-07:002016-04-04T06:00:02.732-07:00Casting out FearWhen my husband was told by the doctor (I'll call her Dr. K) who read the echo report that he was "a ticking time bomb" with an enlarged aorta, and advised surgery very soon, we sought additional counsel immediately.
As Christians, we started with prayer, asking God to make it clear to us when, where, and how to proceed with everything that accompanies such a weighty diagnosis.
In Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-28921207351589792382016-04-02T19:36:00.000-07:002016-04-02T19:36:13.593-07:00Bad News
I've decided to use the April A to Z Blogging Challenge to finally write about the experience that changed our lives for the better. It happened in January, but I'll offer backstory for the sake of my non-regular readers.
Whenever I had time or energy in the midst of the event to sit and write about it, I'd end up staring at a blank computer screen, the feelings too strongZoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-86831734021810952192016-04-01T20:36:00.001-07:002016-04-01T23:02:35.304-07:00A is for Again
I wasn't going to do this.
Again.
In fact, I just decided a half hour ago--which would be 10:30 PM EST--to jump in and join the A to Z Blogging Challenge.
Again.
I'm nothing if not impulsive.
My blog has all but shriveled up like a plant without water. Or sunlight. Or soil. I've got roots, though, in this blog, as I've been here since 2006. The blog's not dead, but it could Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-83858673881603623502016-03-30T06:34:00.000-07:002016-03-30T06:34:38.703-07:00Foolish and Noble Pursuits in the Hodgepodge
1. What are two or three expectations you have of yourself?
-to honor God with my life
-to be productive each day
-to make and meet certain short (and long)term goals
2. In what way does your outdoor space need Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-61142156099385030272016-03-16T09:13:00.003-07:002016-03-16T09:16:55.087-07:00The Greening of the HodgepodgeThanks to Joyce for hosting this pre-Saint Patty's Day party affectionately called the Wednesday Hodgepodge.
1. What do you think about luck?
My philosophy based on holy scriptures is that all things are ordered by God, nothing is random, and therefore there's no such thing as luck. Mathematics (from what I'm told) will show how probability works, if you're looking for proof. Some Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-50152344247748183622016-03-09T11:44:00.004-08:002016-03-09T12:17:13.436-08:00Hodging My Bets for a Thousand
Another batch of fun questions on this gorgeous spring day in Maryland!
Thanks, Joyce! Whoever wants to play, please join us. Click here and have a party, virtually speaking.
1. March is National Women's History Month. In that vein, who are three women who've been influential in your life? How so?
-My mom. She taught me just about Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8156415220623449380.post-67038392327612138102016-03-02T08:10:00.000-08:002016-03-02T08:10:24.876-08:00Keys to Failure and Success in the Hodgepodge
Yes, it's true! I've been quite the MIA blogger, but I think I'm back. At least for the Hodgepodge today! I hope I still have SOME readers and commenters left in cyberspace.
1. February ended with an extra 24 hours in 2016. What did you do with your bonus day?
Funny you should ask. Leap Day was a comedy of errors for me. I overslept by an hour and a half, washed my face, put Zoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119513647613843627noreply@blogger.com5