the Wednesday hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm joining in with Joyce today for the Wednesday hodgepodge. I'll jump right in!

1. The very first hodgepodge was published on November 10, 2010. Tell us something about your life from that era. Those were the days that I was in full-fledged mom-hood. I just looked for an old blog post from those days and found this one that was basically a day in the life from way back when. 

2. What's a song you love that relates to time in some way? Have you heard I'm Gonna Love You by Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood? It's a good song about how things are going to happen eventually. Marilyn and I were talking about songs on our way home from Louisville on Monday, and this was one that I mentioned. She loves the song Like I'm Gonna Lose You by Meghan Trainor and John Legend. Both would be great songs for weddings! 

3. May is nearly upon us. When did you last need to yell "MAY DAY-MAY DAY!"? Ummm...this is a hard one. I've never had to yell that, because I've never been in a life threatening situation. I'm thankful to be able to say that! 

And not to keep referring to my life as before/after divorce, but this is what comes to mind once again.

I would say that I felt the need to yell that when I found out that my ex wanted to end our marriage; it didn't seem real and I actually thought he was joking. At the time it seemed like a life threatening situation, so to speak, because he was the only world I'd known for most of my life. He was my everything, and when it came crashing down, it resulted in me having major panic attacks and seeking the help of a medical physician. I didn't have to take prescribed medicine (and I almost got to that point, so no shame to anyone who needs medicinal help), but I took something that was homeopathic and that curbed the anxiety I experienced everyday. 

Back to a lighter subject...

4. How do you feel about food trucks? Is this a dining experience you enjoy? Do you have a favorite? This is how I feel about food trucks! 

I love them and I love eating outside as long as it isn't too hot and buggy. Taco-N-Ganas is my favorite; I always order their street tacos with barbacoa and squeeze lime juice over it all. 

5. We're bidding farewell to April...what are three adjectives you might use to describe the month you're leaving behind? My three words are fast, fun, and hopeful! This was an excellent month that flew by so fast. It was a fun month and ended on a fabulous note with the girls trip I had last weekend. It was hopeful because I've met a couple of new friends on the dating app I joined recently. If you missed that story, read about it here. 

These pictures are from when my friend RJ and I met in Sikeston, Missouri; he lives in St. Louis, and that's the halfway point between us, which is 2.5 hours away from me. We ate lunch, then drove into Illinois to see The Cross of Peace at Alto Pass. Isn't this beautiful? I'd share the picture of us that I took, but it doesn't feel right. 

6. Insert your own random thought. Well, since I mentioned the two songs above, I'll post their videos here. You should listen to both, even if you aren't a country fan or a Meghan Trainor fan. Both are beautiful! 

Thanks for being here to read my blog today, friends! I posted yesterday as well, in case you missed it; it was a late in the day type of post. Here's a link if you want to check it out. I'll see you back here tomorrow! Love to all. 

Jenn 🩵

remembering your favorite trips/times in life

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I was so tired when I got home last night that I couldn't even think of writing a blog post for today, so I'm writing this one really quickly as an afterthought. I arrived home by six thirty last night (Mar and I went to dinner when we got into town); I brought my stuff in, unpacked when she left, showered, and was in bed by eight thirty. I talked to my friend RJ last night, and at one point, he almost lulled me to sleep! 🤣 Hopefully he's not reading this. 

I fell asleep quickly, but was awake by four this morning, unfortunately. I don't know why I'm having such issues sleeping right now, but I fall asleep quickly and sometimes wake up in the middle of the night. I always lay there in hopes of going back to sleep, but that usually doesn't happen and I eventually get up. This morning I got up and showered to make myself feel more awake. 

Anyway, about the title. Do you enjoy remembering your favorite trips or buy souvenirs when you travel? (This can be applied to all of life, as well.) I enjoy doing this and even buying small mementos of trips that I take; there are several types of things that I will buy while I'm out of town, even if I'm flying. I love being reminded of a great trip! In the last few years, I've discovered a love of making books out of the pictures I take; in the past I would print the pictures and put them into an album, but these days I use Chatbooks. I've done this for my last few trips; I think I started doing this when I went to the Cape Cod area in the fall of 2023. I will always do this! 

Here are some of the Chatbooks I've made over the years.

I love having these to look back on; sometimes I make these yearly, seasonally, or after a trip. 

Additionally, I like to buy myself something small to remind me of the fun I had. This could be a book, ornament, coaster, sticker, etc. Here's what I bought when I went to Louisville last weekend. 

I am a huge fan of coasters either as souvenirs for myself or to give to someone as a gift, because everyone needs one or two. I love them because they're lightweight and small enough to slip into a bag or purse for travel. I also love to buy stickers for people; who doesn't love a sticker for something like a water bottle or laptop? I bought myself this adorable coaster that you see above; and I bought it since it's Derby week! Speaking of the trip last weekend, stay tuned for a trip recap coming up in the next few days. 

 

I also bought these readers over the weekend, even though it's nothing I intended to buy. I liked these because they're quirky, and Joanne liked them, so I went with it. 😉 I needed stronger readers, it turns out! I was wearing 1.5, and now I'm needing 2.0. Do you have thoughts on these? 

What do you like to do to remember trips/times in life? What do you find yourself buying as a souvenir when you travel? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

Jenn 🩵 

share 4 somethings {April 2025}

 

Happy Saturday, friends! I'm so glad you're here today! We're talking about some things we loved, some things we learned, some things that went well, and some things we let go of this month. I'll jump right in!

I loved so many things this month! 

I loved playing detective one night with a friend who shall remain nameless...

I loved listening to Meghan Trainor's music this month since I had to give up country music for a stint. 

I loved celebrating my Drewby turning 25! I loved that he spent the night on the second and that I woke up to him at home on his actual birthday; I loved that I was able to make him breakfast and send him off to work with food for the rest of his weekend. Being a mom to adults is my favorite thing in life at the moment! 

I learned a lot this month. 

I learned that you can't take people's word for who they say they are, and I learned how to change my own windshield wiper blades thanks to a new friend at Auto Zone. You should see how much of a difference they made on my car! I love being able to learn new things; what a privilege this is in life. I will never again take it for granted. 

Some things went well for me this month! 

I have a confession; I joined a dating app! I am not interested in a relationship with anyone at the moment, but I've enjoyed meeting new people and having them as friends. It's all I want for now, and I'm glad to do this since I haven't had men friends since before I was married. I felt like I needed to rip the band-aid off, so to speak, as far as being friends with men and going to do things with them. You've probably figured out that I spent last Saturday with a new friend; we met in Sikeston and spent the day together, then we each went back to our home towns that afternoon. This is something that went well for me this month! I have another new friend that I'm talking to as well, one that only lives about 50 minutes from me; I hope to meet him within the next week or so when he comes here. We've talked about maybe doing dinner together soon. I'm enjoying my life and I'm being careful, but I'm also cautiously optimistic about what's to come regarding my future. 

This was my excited face before I left on Saturday morning. I feel like I walk around with a goofy grin on my face 24/7. Marilyn will attest to this, since she's seen me through this new phase! 

Singing in the choir during Easter weekend went well for me this month!

I let go of some more things this month. 

I let go of caring what the people in my life who are no longer a part of my life are doing. This was Marilyn and me laughing over something pertaining to where we were in this picture. 

I let go of drinking hot coffee in the mornings. I've been drinking it cold each morning, and I have zero complaints about it, it's so delicious. 

I'm about to let go of this shirt, because it's bringing back all kinds of bad memories. I hate it when that happens! It's not a bad thing, though, since it's way too big for me these days. 

I'm so glad you're here today to link up with me for this fun post! I can't wait to catch up with you when I get home next week. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, friends. Love to all!

Jenn 🖤🖤

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Friday Favorites, 4.24.2025.

 

Happy Friday, friends! How has your week been? Mine has been amazing, and one I've looked forward to for months. I am leaving here in a couple of hours and going on a road trip with Marilyn, Amy, Tanya, Joanne, and Maria! We're meeting up for a long weekend of what will surely be an amazing time together. I will be back here tomorrow for Share 4 Somethings (the link will go live at midnight tomorrow morning), but after that I won't be back until Tuesday or maybe even Wednesday. Be prepared for a blogger's trip update! 

Here are some favorite moments from my week:

Last Saturday at nine thirty in the morning, I left my house and went on a little road trip just for the day. I met my friend in Sikeston, Missouri; we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant, then we drove to Alto Pass, Illinois to visit this beautiful cross that is named The Cross of Peace. It was a gray, drizzly day, but the magnitude of this was breathtaking; it also happened to be sitting on the top of a beautiful mountain. While we were there, we overheard a group of singers doing a soundcheck for the sunrise Easter service the next morning. We stayed here for a while, walked around, and enjoyed the worship music while the singers rehearsed. It was really beautiful in many ways! The whole day was a favorite from my week; we drove back to Sikeston afterward, then I left at five to make the drive back home. I was there by seven thirty, then I showered, laid out clothes for the next day, and went to bed by nine. 

This is one of my favorite Bible verses. 

I went to choir on Wednesday night, and we rehearsed this song, which is a favorite of mine. 

This is the song we practiced; Mercy by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. This is the lyric video, in case you want to watch and see the words while you watch. 

Speaking of favorite music, thanks to the Release Radar playlist on Spotify that I keep talking about, this one was one I heard this week; it's an old favorite that Chris Tomlin has redone recently. 

Because sharing music is what I do, here's the video in case you'd like to listen to it yourself. 

This week has been a favorite at work; it was the week of kids' programs! I took this picture on Wednesday; I'd stepped into the sanctuary to watch the little Community Bible Study kids perform their end-of-year event, and loved that this little boy was sprawled out, enthralled by their singing. Children are so very precious! 

Being on my town's library board is one of my favorite things; and so is the beautiful town hall that we use for our quarterly meetings. 

This picture of my home is my new favorite; I was at my neighbor's house taking care of their dogs while they're out of town, and when I looked across the street and saw the beautiful sky and the moon that was still visible, I couldn't resist taking this picture. Home is one of my favorite places to be when I don't mind being there. 😉 Have you heard the story of how I came to live in this house? If you're curious about this beautiful and heartwarming story, here's a link for you to get caught up. I will never tire of telling this story! It's why I love my home so much, because of what my family did to get me there. 

I loved seeing my favorite people this week; though I didn't see my Noah in person, I did get to FaceTime him on Resurrection Sunday. That'll do, even if it's no comparison to the real him. 

Luna is my favorite two year old! Her dad, mom, Mimi, and Pappaw are also among my favorite people. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends who are like family! 

 

These beautiful, kind, smart, and wonderful angels are my favorite people in all of the world! I cannot wait to see them this summer; I booked a trip to Denver in July for a full week. I have all the fun ideas of things I want to do while I'm there this time around! 

Mom and Trish are my favorites!

Excitement is my favorite; this was me texting my friend before we met on Saturday in Sikeston. 

I have some favorite outfits from the week!

Dresses will be my favorite for as long as I live, or at least for as long as I'm going through menopause. 🤣

Listening to this audiobook by my favorite author has been high on my list of good things from this week. Speaking of this week, did you happen to catch all of my blog posts? I'll link them below this. 

Hello Monday

April Things

the Wednesday hodgepodge

good things from this week

What was a favorite of yours from this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for being here to read my blog today, friends. Words will never adequately express what your encouragement and friendship mean to me. Thank you a million times over! Love to all. 

Jenn ❤️🩷

P.s. Don't forget about April's Share 4 Somethings will take place tomorrow April 26th; if you're new here, all year long on the last Saturday of each month, we share some things we loved, some things we learned, some things that went well, and some things we let go of. The topics stay the same for each month. May's Currently link party will take place on Wednesday May 7th; in May we'll be talking about what we're currently loving, looking forward to, leaving behind, letting go of, and looking at. Again, for anyone new here who wants to participate, the topics for Currently change each month; I provide the next month's prompts at the bottom of that post, and this always takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. I hope you make plans now to join me for both of these each month! Meanwhile, I'll try to be better at giving you reminders. 

good things from this week

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I have this running list that I keep in my journal each week entitled, "good things from this week". That's where the idea for this type of post came from; it's basically like the old Thankful Thursday posts that I made weekly. I have learned that especially when a lot of "dragons fly over my house", that it's of the utmost importance that I keep looking for the good things to thank God for. There is a purpose in everything, and I always want to remember this no matter what is going on in my life (or not going on). Here are the good things I've noticed so far this week: 

Music is life-giving to me! I am in a phase of life where I'm listening to things instead of watching shows or reading books. I keep music going all day long, no matter where I am: at work, at home, in my car, lying in bed at night. No matter the time of day, I have music playing, and my playlists change to match my mood and time of day. My favorite playlist on Spotify is still the one titled Release Radar, where new music is put out weekly; this is a compilation of my favorite artists. I'm writing this post on Wednesday afternoon and listening to a new song called Pink + White by Vitamin String Quartet. My musical taste is eclectic, to say the least. 

I love seeing my sons living their best life! Jonah took this picture of his truck with his baby girl Stella sitting like a model on it Sunday night. She's basically perfect. 

I love being on my town's library board! We had our quarterly meeting this week, and we were all there for the first time in ages. Even our illustrious town mayor (my friend Maureen) was there. We took a new picture for the town website. Isn't our town hall beautiful? I took that first picture for my friend who "might" be old enough to be considered a senior citizen; I told him I saved it for him in case he wanted to join me at the meeting that night. His response was, "Ouch." Also, when I sent it, he was at his own town hall meeting because he is also involved in town government. 

I'm so thankful to be able to continue to live in my beloved home. Jonah and I are taking care of the neighbor's dogs this week, and I took this one morning from their driveway. The sky was perfect, and the moon was still out as the sun started to make its reluctant appearance. I love (love) seeing Dad's truck in front of my house. It makes me think that he's here waiting for me inside; and that makes me remember all our fun Fridays together. I'd give anything for just one more! 

I am so thankful for a job that I have loved for almost two years! I love my church family and truly consider this beautiful place my home away from home. What an honor and privilege to love what I do and do what I love. I will never forget how the Lord dropped this job right into my lap! 

I loved seeing one of my bonus sons' graduation pictures this week; this is Zander, the nephew of my old neighbors and dear friends, Katie and Travis. They lived next to me for years and theirs was the pool we swam in everyday during the summer. We camped with them, we ate with them at least one night a week and played card games, and we exchanged kids all the time. This does my heart good to see this "little guy" all grown up! 

This was him (black hoodie and then yellow jacket) on my favorite camping trip ever: the one we we took in Blanchard Springs, Arkansas, in the foothills of the Ozark mountains. 

It was such a good thing that I was able to be a stand-in for my friend who couldn't make it to her daughter's performance yesterday. I loved being able to do this for my Abbey, and I think Everly enjoyed me being there for her. 

This was absolutely adorable; please note the cutie patootie laying on the floor enthralled with these kids performing songs for us! I love my job and my life, because if this is "work", then I am the most blessed woman on the planet. 

What were some good things that happened for you this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jenn 🖤