Happy Thursday Hodge Podge TBT

 

The cat often has this look at our house!  Stop by Happy Thursday and join the fun.

It's true and you know it is!

TBT 1988 with Rebekah and Pastor Pettit at her baptism. What a wonderful person this gentleman was. He was a very dear friend to my hubby. We think about him often. He was the ultimate kind person. Martha has been busy tracking storms and you know, everyday life issues, so she has not brought back TBT but since I use to do it at social media, before all the politics ruined 2020, I love sorting through all the old photos and posting my kids and other loved ones. 

1. It's the 11th day of the 11th month and bloggers often makes lists on days like today. Let's go with a list of 11 things you're grateful for today.

Being relatively healthy, having a great phamily, enjoying the weather even though it has been colder than I like it, drinking hot tea when the weather is cold, enjoying conversations with friends, enjoying a few good TV Programs, making waffles from scratch, enjoying baking this time of year, watching CHRISTmas movies, getting my household organized, downsizing lots of things we set aside and never use. Grateful!

2. What's something you decided to do or act on in the 11th hour?

Definitely blogging! I Love it, it is something I thoroughly enjoy,  but the days get away from me. I am normally not a late comer but lately I wait until the last minute to put all my thoughts together. But when I have the opportunity to see the grandbabies or catch a lunch date with the grandson and his babies, it is too hard to resist. I am a planner but I can roll with it to! I guess having five kids helped me not focus on perfection. I think too often, it is highly overated.

3. Apparently, the Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe has 11 herbs and spices.  What's a dish you make that calls for exactly 11 ingredients?

This is a tough one for me. I Make lots of dishes that require 5 or 6 ingredients. The closest I cam get to 11 is between 10 to 15 lol ! The first one is  Chicken Tortilla Soup:  (15 ingredients) Sauté a medium onion, finely chopped with 3 garlic chopped garlic cloves in a tbsp. of olive oil and add a diced and seeded jalapeno pepper. Add a tsp. of ground cumin and a tsp. of chili powder. Add a 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and a 16 oz. can f diced tomatoes with chilies, like Rotel. (I Like the original, the hubby loves the HOT). 3 cups of chicken broth, a can of black beans, rinsed and drained, a can of whole kernel corn, also rinsed and drained.  ( I love the Mexi-Corn ). 2 chicken breasts (which I Like to toss in the crock pot then chop or shred before serving.) 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, 1 lime, juiced and one avocado, sliced. I basically toss it all in the crock pot and cook it on low for at least 8 hours. When serving it you can add tortilla strip chips and sour cream. 

My other recipe is Grandma Hazel's Hearty Cowboy Soup: 10 ingredients: 2 lbs. lean ground beef,  Brown and drain the meat and cut up 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, in small cubes,  Add to crock pot with 2 28 oz. cans mixed veggies, 1 can sweet corn, undrained, 1 can condensed tomato soup, 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 1 can cut green beans, A pinch of salt and a dash of pepper and 2 tablesppons of sugar (trust me this makes the recipe :-)).  The sugar makes the recipe  in a class of it's own soup.  Mix well and Cook 3-4 hours.

4. Something you remember about your 11 year old self. 

Having attended Catholic school from k to 11 the parochial school was k to 8. High school was 9-12. It was the year I lost my BFF Grandmother. I was blessed with many good friends, still keep in touch with many to this day, so the pain was eased simply by their kindnesses and their presence. My grandmother remains in my heart always and I look forward to seeing again one day , on the other side. 

5. The 11th of November is Veteran's Day in the USA. This is a day to honor those who served their country in war or peace - dead or alive  although according to the government's website, it's largely intended to thank living Veteran's for their sacrifices.

Memorial Day is when we honor military personnel who died in service for  their country. 

Share a thought related to Veterans Day or tell us something about a Veteran you know-love-admire.

My list of heroes from Veterans Day is quite long. So I will speak about Donald Stratton. He served on the USS Arizona in WWII at Pearl Harbor. If you know history, you know the story. Mr. Stratton was one of the kindest men who a large heart of gold who was very proud of his military service and those he served with. Our middle met another Pearl Harbor survivor when she and her hubby visited while on their honeymoon in Hawaii. She bought the gentleman's book and read Mr. Stratton's book. She was fortunate because he lived in Colorado Springs so she sent her copy of his book to his son and Mr. Stratton signed it for her. His story is quite amazing and he is a real American hero. When he passed away in January of this year Rebekah and her husband and our daughter Noelle attended his memorial service.  All I can say is  we are losing these heroes every day and their stories need to be told and retold. If you value your freedom you will honor each and every one. If I wrote about each Veteran I knew personally, I would have to write a book. God bless all Veteran's living and gone who gave selflessly to insure our freedoms which are leaving us daily in our once fine country.

6. Insert your own random thoughts here.

Number 5 said all I needed to say in regard to the USA , our Veterans and our freedoms.