Wednesday HodgePodge

I didn't participate in last week's Hodgepodge but I did like the questions for this week, so am joining in once again. Head here to learn how to join in. 

1. Are you a naturally trusting person? Is trust built on logic or 'gut instinct'? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Elaborate. 

I am more trusting now that I've gone through some emotional and spiritual healing than in my early adult years. No, trust is built on a deep relationship with someone who can empathize with you and not judge you.  Sometimes your "gut instinct" or knowledge of a person's character will lead you to either trust them or not. People are always worth a "second chance' in God's eyes so therefore I should extend that grace and mercy as well as a Christ follower.  However, there is also a time to put a boundary around toxic people or people who just haven't proven to be trustworthy. 

2. 'Beware the Ides of March'...March 15th on the ancient Roman calendar, these words were made famous by William Shakespeare in his play Julius Caesar.  Caesar was assassinated on March 15th 44 B.C. Have you read any Shakespeare? If so, do you have a favorite? Have you ever been to Rome? 

I took advanced English in high school and Drama Literature in my senior year of high school.  Yes, we read plenty of Shakespeare. My favorite is Romeo and Juliet but probably because I love the ballet depiction. 

Yes, we took our youngest daughter (Claire) to Rome as she chose a trip abroad vs a backyard bash when she graduated from high school in 2017.  We really enjoyed Rome! (but Paris was cleaner).  We also went to Florence one day, by train, while spending the week in Rome. We absolutely loved Florence and one day was not enough!

3. Do you like a Caesar salad? If given the choice between a garden/house salad or Caesar which do you order? Anchovies or no? What's your favorite salad dressing? 

I love a good Caesar salad and usualy choose that at a restaurant. I don't care for anchovies.  My fave salad dressing is Honey Mustard but due to the high caloric content I typically choose a lemon vinaigrette if a garden salad is ordered. Otherwise the Caesar dressing is fine. 

4. Where do you typically work (or blog if that's easier) at home? Do you have a dedicated home office space? Are you happy with that space? 

Well, I'm retired from special education preKindergarten teaching and absolutely loved my classroom. I had to work from the family room via google classroom (YUCK!) from mid-March-May 2020 due to covid shutdowns.  Now that I'm retired, I typically blog from the dining room table or my chaise lounge couch in the living room. I love my living room...it's "my" space while Dave's is more his home office upstairs in Claire's former bedroom or in the family room. He works from home on Mondays and Fridays so is upstairs  all day. We also have a small section of the basement that is set up like a home office of sorts although now that we are empty nesters, that space is more of a clutter zone with a ton of Dave's computer books and games lying on every surface. We need to clear that out soon. That's HIS job!! 

5. Snow drops, daffodils, lenten roses, crocus, hyacinth, or early tulips...what's your favorite early Spring flower? 

I love snow drops, crocuses and tulips are my fave but we don't get ours until the end of April, beginning of May which is more mid-Spring. We get crocuses and daffodils around the end of March.  Trillium is considered endangered in the mountains and I love hiking in April when it's first blooming.  Don't ever pick trillium  as then it won't grow back!!  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

All the snow is gone from my yard!   We've had some wonderful weather so far this week. 

But not where I power-walked on Tuesday:

Saratoga Spa State Park
the walking path near the tennis courts
and the Gideon Putnam 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Goal Check-Up

As we are now into the month of March, and husband is away on a missions trip to Guatemala...the house is quiet, neat, and I have time to reflect on my 2026 goals I've set.  This year I'm using the "Smart" model:  specific goals, measurable ones, achievable ones, all are realistic to my life and all are timely, I think. 

Here's my first check up of the year since it's now been two months: 

PERSONAL PHYSICAL GOALS

• HIKE ON NEW-to-ME TRAILS: one in the Adirondacks, one in the Catskills, and one in Vermont:  Well, because it's been a real winter here in eastern NYS, this of course hasn't been worked on yet. But...for my hiking group, SoulSteps, I scheduled us to have a "First Day of Spring Hike" on March 20th and we are heading to a new-to-us trail system that is newly acquired by my fave state park just to the north of us by about 35 min. I'm excited to check out this 5.4 miles trail system. This goal isn't achieved yet. 

• WALK 2.5 MILES either Nordic style (new to me!) or brisk pace 4X WEEKLY:  Well I did try Nordic style and it's ok but cumbersome for me to get my heart rate up. So I've ditched the hiking poles for regular power walking and I'm averaging 3-5 days a week.  For several days in February, due to extreme bitter temps and wind chill of below 20, I've had to walk on the dreadtreadmill. So:  this goal is achieved but is also on-going.  Although some days...the  colder ones...I only got 1.5 miles in vs the 2.5

• COLLAGEN DAILY:  use 2 scoops of collagen daily in my morning coffee:  I've neglected this!  So, as I just got up, grabbed the collagen and added 2 scoops to my 2nd cup of  coffee this morning because I seriously need this added bonus for good health. Collagen also helps to repair discs in the spine besides all the other obvious benefits for our aging bodies.  This goal hasn't yet been achieved but it will be on-going anyways.          

RELATIONAL GOALS

• CONTINUE TO HAVE DATE NIGHTS WITH DAVE  once a month: so far we are doing great with this. Each weekend, we have chosen one night as a date night.  One weekend, we were in Massachusetts (January) so had two date nights in a row: one with Dave's mom who turns 91 the end of this month, and one with Dave's brother and his wife.  In February, we had a date night every week! We continue to do this so this is on-going. 

• MOM-DAUGHTER COFFEE/LUNCH/DINNER DATES:  Spring, Summer, Autumn:  This hasn't happened yet but on the March calendar, I have a brunch date with Claire for March 18th (she has every Wednesday and Sunday off from work as an optometric tech) and Courtney and I have an in-house dinner date night Monday evening at 7 pm! Oh and during the 2 church services tomorrow, Courtney and I will be meeting in the  church cafe for coffee. This goal is on-going. 

• MEET FRIENDS FOR COFFEE/LUNCH MORE OFTEN:  This goal has been achieved with my cousins and 2 friends so far this year.  In January, we had our younger friend Shawna over for Sunday lunch which was great fun as we ended up playing a couple of board games.  She really needed the fellowship. She's a single mom of two young adult sons and she's a relatively new Christian.I met my cousin Kenny for breakfast one morning in early January and I met my other cousin Trisha for brunch one morning in early February.  I also met my friend Lynn for coffee and conversation in January and I was so thankful this happened as we rarely get together anymore. I also have plans with my friend Monica for lunch in April.  This goal is on-going.

• PLAN AND HOST A GAME NIGHT this winter or spring:  Tomorrow evening, it's GIRLS GAME NIGHT with 5 of my closest friends. All of them except for one are in the hiking group and all of them have at some point been a part of my small group/book groups. We are a tight bunch. Everyone is bringing an app and I'm serving an app along with stuff for cocktails and mocktails. Dave and I are also planning a game night  for Evelyn and Mark (and Courtney and Tyler).  Evelyn and Mark are Tyler's parents. Evelyn will be at my girls game night as well.  This goal is achieved as of tomorrow evening. 😉

• PLAN a BEACH BASH BBQ for friends/family:  the plan is to have one the beginning of June although we have not made solid plans yet.  We do know who will be on the invite list but that's as far as we've got. This goal is on-going.  

SPIRITUAL/MENTAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH GOALS

• CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE READING  (this is a daily devotional Bible): this goal is one I've been enjoying each day.  I'm keeping up with it and so it's on-going as it ends on December 31st. (unless I read ahead which isn't likely). 

• GO iPHONE FREE for one full day a month (decided on the first Sunday of each month) : I am happy to report that I have been successful with this and so far I've done well.   In February, I did have to call back my youngest daughter as she had texted me a question that needed an answer right of way. This goal is on-going. 

• LEAD at least 2 women's small groups for 2026 (Sweeter than Honey plus one more):  We have 3 more weeks of the Sweeter than Honey Bible study and then I am hosting a book group from April to early June. So far there will be 5 of us for the book group with one of the ladies being my dear friend C who goes to a different church. This goal is on-going until June!

• MEDITATION/PRAYER/YOGA STRETCHES every morning: this goal has been met so far and is on-going. I am currently using the Lectio 365 free app for your phone and it's a Lenten meditation each day. there's one for morning, mid-day, and evening. I tend to do the morning one, sometimes the mid-dy one, and a few times a week, the evening one. It includes an anecdote, a couple of Scripture passages and a guided prayer.  I highly recommend the Lectio 365 app!  Some mornings, I skip some of the yoga but I always do my neck stretches and some leg pilates! 

So...I think I'm off to a good start with these goals. 

How are you doing so far this year? Did you make some goals for your self or do you have a "Word of the Year?" My word is Confidence. Scripture I'm basing it from is posted on the side bar. I've written a few devotional type posts centering around the word found in the SoulStuff label or the Word of the Year label, posted on the sidebar, if you're interested. 

HAPPY SATURDAY!

"R" Faves

 

Well, here in eastern New York, March arrived like a lion with temps in the teens and 20s and a messy, wet snow on Tuesday.  But thankfully the temps started to warm up and the sun was shining in full force on Wednesday and began to melt the 2 inches of slush on the driveway and deck.  I, for one, am glad March is here and that Spring isn't far off. 

I'm sharing FIVE of my FAVE blessings from the week and linking up with other grateful bloggers at our host's site:  Susanne from Living to Tell the Story.   Join in!

• RELAXING NIGHT:  Dave and I had an in-house date night after picking up some dinner at a new fast food place about 3 miles from our house. In fact, in nice weather, we  could walk or bike there. It's on the main drag that our oldest daughter's apartment complex is on.  It got good reviews but honestly it's just like a Popeye's so isn't all that great and there's really no healthy choices and definitely no plant-based choices.  I ordered the classic chicken sandwich and some iced tea. It was ok.  I won't be choosing their food again although Dave wants to try their beef smash burger. I told him to count me out.  😏 The thing I'm grateful for despite the mediocre  fast food is that we had time together and watched a hilarious movie...a total comedy that although it had some crass language, we enjoyed the story. We had had a somewhat stressful week leading up to date night so I was thankful for the down time and that I didn't have to cook. 

• REFUND!  Imagine my surprise when I was checking something on our online banking site and saw that the IRS had deposited a nice tax return to our account! I knew Dave had finished the taxes but I wasn't expecting such a good return!  He was shocked that it was in our account already, too.  Last year it took far longer. It's the highest it's been in quite some time.....Dave says it's because I'm retired now and that our house is paid off.  I'm thankful for the nice surprise to give us some extra money. 

• RENEWAL:  I'm thankful I received my Adirondack Mountain Club renewal card in the mail this past week.  I'm also thankful I  now qualify for the "senior citizen" rate. This gives me a discount on a lodge in the High Peaks wilderness region ( which I've never stayed in although it's on my bucket list) and also gives me discounts on clothing from the ADK Club store as well as discounts on the hiking guidebooks. Not that I need any of those books..I think I own just about all of them!  (I even gave 4 away to a thrift store recently!) It also gives me lists of various hikes that the various ADK Club chapters engage in.  I've gone on only one ADK Club sponsored hike in the last 3 years because now that I run my own hiking group, I simply haven't had time to join others. I'm thankful for the options, though. 

family room couch 

• RE-DECORATING:  We've had our family room "cottage couch" (Cape Cod style)  for about 21 years.  It's starting to fade and there's a couple of very small stains on a cushion that I can't seem to get out no matter what product  I use. Dave doesn't want me to buy a new couch right now so when I saw this slipcover on sale at this online store which I love and have ordered decor from in the past, I went for it. It's a tad bit big even though my measurements matched theirs but I'm thinking I'll wash it and since it's cotton I'll toss it in the dryer on hot air and  hopefully it will shrink a little bit.  Overall I like how it looks. It The  darker blue stripe in it  is the same blue as the couch so it's not a huge change decor-wise.  Yes, I still have a Valentine's and Winter pillows on the couch.  Those will be replaced by some Spring ones as soon as Spring arrives for real. 😉

• RANDOM POP-IN: Our youngest daughter gave us a surprise pop-in visit yesterday morning before she had to be at work. She had had an early morning hair appointment and decided to pop in to say good bye to Dave (he left on a missions trip to Guatemala at dawn this morning) knowing he had taken the day off to pack. I had just come in from a power walk and was so happy to see her as it had been over 2 weeks since we hugged on our Claire. She could only stay and chat about 20 minutes as had to get to work, but we made plans to do brunch in a couple weeks on her day off. I'm thankful my daughters live in the area for these kinds of visits! 

Those are just some little things I'm thankful for this week.  Nothing very exciting but all special things that made me smile and say Thank You, God. 

What about you? What's one thing you're thankful for this week? Drop me a comment!

2026 Book Review #8:Hatchet Island

 

This is book 13 in the Maine series I enjoy.  Each book includes a mystery that needs to be solved, along with  the main character's life which is always a sub plot. And his life always includes a little bit of non-sappy romance.  The main character is Mike Bowditch who in this book is now  32 years old. He is a Game Warden Investigator.  We now see Mike helping with not one, but 2 murders and 2 suicides and somehow they are all linked together!  This was probably my 2nd fave in the series so far.  

STORY SUMMARY

Mike Bowditch, and his girlfriend Stacey Stevens, are on their way in their sea kayaks to have a camping trip  in July, on Spruce Island, off the coast of Maine.  He gets a call for help from a former colleague and so before their camping trip, they head to a research station on Bakers Island. It's a place where Stacey spent her summers as an intern which is a sanctuary  for endangered seabirds.  Other islands in the area are Ayers Island which has a small community of lobstermen and a famous photographer and his wife who act as lord and lady of the entire island. He is known for his crass photos and disturbing images. Their names are Clay and Alyce Markham.  They are very wealthy. Ayers is connected to Hatchet Island by a sandbar. Hatchet is the site of a former granite quarry and no one lives on the island although Clay has a studio there. 

 

Mike and Stacey are shocked when they arrive and  can feel the tension on the island. There are 3 biologists on Bakers Island:   Garret (an intern) Kendra (Stacey's former college roommate and good friend), and Hillary (intern).  Kendra, who also used to be an intern with Stacey for a couple of summers, is now the Project Manager for Dr Maeve McLeary who is in charge of the Maine Seabird Initiative's restoration efforts on the island.  The biologists are being threatened and stalked by some mysterious boatman.  They suspect he's been trespassing on the refuge late at night. 

And now....the founder of the sanctuary...Dr Maeve...is missing! Kendra reports that Maeve's mind has been slowly going downhill....unraveling.....

When Stacey and Mike promise to return to Bakers Island the next morning, they head over to Spruce Island to camp.  In the middle of the night...before dawn....they are woken up by a gunshot. Also, Mike heard a boat come ashore after they had gone to bed.   Once it's dawn, Stacey and Mike kayak back over to Bakers Island and their worst fears are confirmed:  they find Kendra and Hillary brutally murdered and Garrett is missing. The island skiff is also missing. Soon, the state police arrive, after Stacey kayaks over to Ayers Island to get a signal and make the call.  Meanwhile, Mike looks around and discovers that Maeve has returned. 

However, Maeve makes a decision that ends in suicide. 

What is going on with these islands?? 

Mike becomes convinced that someone on Ayers Island knows more about the killings that they are willing to admit. 

Will Mike and Stacey figure out the mystery murderer(s) before they too end up dead??

MY THOUGHTS

As always, I have enjoyed this mystery set in Maine. 

I love that Stacey is back in Mike's life and that their relationship has developed over the last several books. There's a bit of foreshadowing in this book but I don't want to reveal what it is as that would ruin it for you. 

The characters in this series are always so believable. 

The setting is spot on and according to some online research I did, there really is an Ayers Island near University of Maine at Orono. It's actually located in the Penobscot River, not the Atlantic. There is also a real Baker Island which is part of the Cranberry Islands and a part of Acadia National Park. It is about 4 miles from Mount Desert Island which is where we camped when we were in Acadia National Park years ago. And the granite for the Brooklyn Bridge really did come from Maine. 

Hatchet Island, Maine is fictional. 

This story is very fast paced and a real "Who did it".  It's got plenty of twists and turns and drama.  It takes place in less than a week and the ending wraps everything up well. 

Please note: some parts of this plot could be triggering for individuals who have been victims of s*xual abuse and manipulation.  There are brief mentions of inappropriate relationships between one of the male characters and several of the younger male characters in this plot. There is nothing outwardly explicit.  

The book also features 2 characters committing suicide and htis could be triggering as well for people who have had to deal with that. 

I liked that this particular book had less swearing and much less use of the "f " word.  It seems as though the last few books have done much better at using other words, which is something I appreciate. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to some mature content mentioned above). 

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.