AuburnChick's Adventures

Ahhh…Wednesday…how I love thee, for it’s the day of Joyce’s Hodgepodge!  Join in the fun.  Post your own answers and link back up on Joyce’s blog!

1.  Of all the tools and gadgets you own, which do you most enjoy using?

Oh, I love DIY projects.  If you’ve been reading my blog for the last couple of years, you know this about me already.  My favorite tool…hmmm…that would be hard to choose.  I’ll keep it simple by saying that the hammer is my favorite tool.  There’s just something very satisfying about hitting a nail as hard as you can.  It’s the perfect excuse to get out some much needed aggression.

Hmmm…I seem to have a few issues, do I not?

Seriously, I kid.  About the aggression part.  Still, I do like my hammer, and I’ve found it so handy that I keep one in my desk drawer at school!

2.  When (if ever) is impatience a virtue?

I have found that impatience is a virtue when it prevents me from waiting for others to do things for me.  Take, for instance, my desire to get things fixed in my household.  Traditionally, I think it’s considered the man’s job to handle household fix-it jobs.  If I waited for the Mr., I’d never get anything done (no offense to the guy…I just like to keep things real).  I’ve learned to depend on myself and have discovered that I’m capable of much more than I ever thought.

3.  What temperature do you keep your thermostat set to in winter?  Do you have another way to heat your house besides a furnace of some type?

When I was paying the electric bill, the heater did not get turned on until at least December.  I kept it set to around 65, if I was having mercy on my family.  We’re a hand-to-mouth kind of family…never had much extra $$ to spend on this sort of thing…and when I got laid off a few years ago, things got even tighter.  My family was not amused when icicles began growing from their noses.

Now that the Mr. is footing the bill, I think we’ll be allowed to bump up the thermostat to at least 66 degrees.  😉

We have an electric fireplace, but I don’t think that’s what Joyce was talking about when she asked about alternative ways to heat the house. I don’t have any other way except by layering up with long johns, sweats, robes, and blankets.  Oh yeah, I also curl up with my furry babies.

4.  Do/did you have a close relationship with any of your grandparents?

My grandparents lived in Canada and France.  I was never close to any of them.  In fact, this lack of closeness, both in proximity and actual relationship, has probably led to my inability to deal with large family crowds.  I simply cannot cope with too many people around.  I never got used to it as a child, and now I prefer my small, immediate clan.

5.  When did you last have a family portrait taken?

We went on a cruise to Alaska this past July.  We had several family portraits taken during that trip.

6.  What does the word “patriotism” mean to you?

Patriotism means believing in and supporting your country with unabashed energy and fervor.  Patriotism is giving up your own desires for the good of others and the world-at-large…even at the risk of your life.  Patriotism is more than a feeling…it is action, both by those clad in uniforms and those left behind to tend the home fires.  Patriotism is honoring those who went before us, paving the way to the freedoms that we now enjoy.  May we never forget their sacrifices.

7.  Do you like to play cards, and, if so, what’s your favorite card game?

I’m not much of a card player…never had much of a desire.  However, my sister and I love to play 500 (is it called this?).  I think some people may call it Rummy.  We never called it that while we were growing up.  Every time Super Sis and I get together, we play this game at least once…until one of us reaches 500 points.  Let the record show that I creamed her on the plane to Seattle…when we were enroute to our cruise.

8.  My Random Thought

I received a text from Chicky the other day.  She’d attached the following picture…

Yes, that’s her ankle, and yes, that’s a tattoo.

It’s an Ithicus (Christian fish), with a reference to Galatians 6:17:

From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Now, she doesn’t look like the kind of gal who would be sporting a tattoo.  She’s very clean-cut.  She has an All-American kind of look.

She’s now an All-American girl with a tattoo.

How do I feel about this?

Well, first of all, I knew she was going to get one.  She’d asked me about my thoughts on the subject last summer.

Fortunately, I’d pondered this a number of years ago when my children were young, and we were living in South Florida where you see every sort of tattoo and body piercing known to man.

I once had a conversation with a person who was completely against tattoos.  I expressed my feelings in the following way:

If my children grew up (past tense because they were young at the time) to love God and serve Him, and all they wanted to do was get a tattoo, then who was I to say no?  After all, a person who has a tattoo isn’t necessarily a bad person (man judges by outside appearances while the Lord looks upon the heart).  Sure, tattoos give people reason to pause, and some people may even judge a person for said tattoo(s); however, I, as a mom to Christian, God-fearing children, would not sit in judgment of their decision.  I figured it was all about the big picture.

In a way, I’m proud of Chicky for making her own decision.  She’s almost twenty, and I don’t want her living her life based on other people’s principles.  I trust that she’s praying over these types of decisions, and if she’s not, then that’s between her and God.  Who am I to say, and who am I to judge?

I’m anxious to see my girl.  She comes home next weekend.  I can’t wait to see her little adornment in real life, but most of all, I can’t wait to put my arms around this child who God has blessed me with, tattooed or not.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Wednesday Hodgepodge |