A Fresh Cup of Coffee

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Sweet! It's Time For the Hodgepodge!

A hodgepodge is a jumble or assortment of things that might not appear to belong together. Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly link-up called Wednesday Hodgepodge that is a little collection of questions for bloggers to answer just for fun and to get to know each other. I always look forward to chatting with friends over coffee, so pour a cup of your favorite and let's visit for a few minutes!

Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. Are you a risk taker? To what degree?

I've never really thought about it. I'm not a risk taker in an athletic or risky behavior way, and I really don't take stupid chances. But I'm willing to step out of my comfort zone occasionally and try new things. Overall I'd say I'm only a once-in-awhile risk taker and not to a large degree. When I was younger I was maybe a 7 or 8 out of 10 risk taker, and now I'm more like a 4.

2. What's your favorite candy? Would you say you have a sweet tooth?

I'm taking chocolate out of the equation in order to choose a favorite. I like most gummy candies, and I think the gummy coke bottles would top the list. I like gummy bears and sour gummies as well. Oh, and I love Twizzlers and I can eat a lot more of them before my mouth hurts! I'm sure I'll think of at least half a dozen other favorites after I hit publish. Haha. I do have a sweet tooth, but I lean to dessert sweets WAY more than candy.

3. Somewhere you've been recently that had you feeling 'like a kid in a candy store'?

It might have been an actual candy store! I think of the kid in a candy store feeling as having so many great choices that any choice would be fantastic but still having a tough time narrowing it down to which thing I want MOST. That's me at a coffee shop or trying to pick out an ice cream flavor or just one dessert. A few weeks ago my husband and I shopped at Troyers Market and there were so many delicious-looking jams and jellies, and candy-coated pretzels, and pastries, and lots of other yummy things that I took way too long deciding which two or three treats were most important to take home with me that day.

4. What do you think is the most effective way to make a positive change in the world?

The most important step is the first one, praying about how God wants to work through you and getting your passions and ideas in line with what he wants to do. And I really believe that for most of us, the most effective things we can do are to do make a positive difference close to home, to the people closest to us. It doesn't seem like much, but imagine if every one of us was making our little corners of the world a better place. If each of us was encouraging and helping the people closest to us to live well and make good choices. And if every believer was lovingly challenging those around them to always be moving closer to Jesus. That would make an incredibly positive change in the world.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

~Hebrews 10:24~

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

~Ephesians 2:10~

5. Do you like surprises?

Usually I do, if they are good surprises! (I guess nobody likes bad news surprises, do they?) A surprise call or visit from a loved one, a surprise gift, or being surprised at where we're going for dinner - I like those kind of surprises! I don't remember anyone throwing me a surprise birthday party, and I'm not sure I'd like that unless it was something where I was already planning to go out and the surprise was just that a bunch more friends were there than I'd expected.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Who else watched that epic baseball game on Monday night? I was at chorus rehearsal when the game started and listened to the game on my ride home. When I got home, hubby was watching the game but I had some things to do so I just continued listening while I puttered around at the computer and stuff. Then I sat down to watch "the last couple innings" with him. Meaning the eighth and ninth inning. But the game was tied after nine, and it's World Series baseball, so obviously we needed a winner. So NINE MORE INNINGS before it was decided! Both teams had pretty much run out of pitchers in their bullpen and had to consider whether to put in their Game 4 starters or to start using position players. Now, as Blue Jays fans we were disappointed that it was the Dodgers who finally came out on top, but since it was about 2:30AM at that point we were relieved that we could go to bed and get a few hours sleep! Last night's game was much more to our liking ― a Blue Jays win and just nine innings! I'm about to hit publish while we're watching Game 5 and it's started out positively from our point of view!

Back when I was homeschooling I did a lot of book and curriculum reviews, but these days I do very few. However, this weekend I'll be sharing my review of the Peace of God Bible and there's a giveaway, so please come check that out!

Also, don't forget to visit the Wednesday Quotes link-up which you can find here: WQ - Stargazing. Our topic this time around is Night Skies/Stargazing. Stop by and share a few thoughts and quotes! The Everyday Images photo link-up is still open, and there will be a new one next week.

What's sweet or surprising in your life this week? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm sharing in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.

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©2006-2025 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/

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WQ - Stargazing

I love looking at the stars. I've learned a few constellations and try to be aware when planets are visible or there are conjunctions or meteor showers so I remember to look up. I was fortunate enough to live in the country for more than twenty years, where there was far less light pollution and we had good views of the night sky all the time. Or at least when it wasn't cloudy.

If people looked at the stars each night, they'd live a lot differently. When you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than what people do all day. ~Bill Watterson

I remember watching lunar eclipses, identifying stars and constellations, watching the International Space Station soar overhead, and standing out in the yard with the kids to watch for 'shooting stars' during meteor showers. We did our best to come up with as many meteor shower puns as we could while we watched. My kids studied classical astronomy as a science course in our homeschool, and that led us to many more sessions of standing in the yard stargazing.

SUN, MOON, AND STARRY SKY Early summer evenings, when the first stars come out, the warm glow of sunset still stains the rim of the western sky. Sometimes, th emoon is also visible, a pale white slice, while the sun tarries. Just think ― all the celestial lights are present at the same time! These are moments of wonder ― see them and remember. ~Vera Nazarian

Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all. ~Vincetn Van Gogh

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream. ~Vincent Van Gogh

It was a clear, starry night, dead calm. Whenever I see a sky like that, I wish I could write music. ~Henning Mankell

The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night. ~Haruki Murakami

One of the reasons I considered that house in Maryland to be our dream home was the fact that we could see the stars. I remember so many times when I'd pull into the driveway after dark and then stand beside the car and just marvel at the stars for awhile before going into the house. Almost breathless at how vast and how beautiful the night sky, and how blessed I was to experience it.

No sight is more provocative of awe than is the night sky. ~Llewelyn Powys

So awe-inspiring that it should inspire worship of the One who created the skies, the sun and moon and stars.

LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory

in the heavens.

When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

~Psalm 8:1, 3-5~

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

his understanding has no limit.

~Psalm 147:4-5~

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

~Psalm 19:1-2~

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Metaphor for the night sky: a trillion asterisks and no explanations. ~Robert Breault

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Resources: I often check the website EarthSky for all kinds of information about what stars, constellations, planets, and more might be visible. A favorite app to use is Stellarium. It's an open source 'planetarium' for your phone (or computer) that makes it very easy to figure out what constellations and stars you are looking at in your night sky.

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Wednesday Quotes is a bi-weekly opportunity for bloggers to share their writing, poetry, photos, or stories inspired by our theme. We've chosen the themes as a starting point for your creativity, and the only requirement is that your post include at least one related quote. Feel free to combine or "double-dip" with other writing or photo challenges as well. Of course, we'd appreciate a link back to us, if you'd be so kind. Add your link and please visit others and leave a comment! The link is open for two weeks.

Thanks to Marsha at Always Write for introducing us to the Wednesday Quotes challenge, and for passing the hosting duties along so we can continue sharing great quotes! Wednesday Quotes is co-hosted by Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee and Sadje at Keep It Alive.

Quoting reminds me there are other people in the world besides only me.

And other thoughts besides mine, and other ways of thinking.

~Gregory Maguire~

Wednesday Quotes 2025 Themes

January 8 - Planning Ahead/Setting Goals

January 22 - Winter Sleep

February 5 - Love Inspires Us

February 19 - Staying Balanced

March 5 - First Impressions

March 19 - Looking After Yourself

April 2 - Competition

April 16 - Spring Colours

April 30 - Morning Routines

May 14 - Memorable Vacations

May 28 - Telling Your Stories

June 11 - Summer Fun

June 25 - Patriotism

July 9 - Hobbies

July 23 - Being Adventurous

August 6 - Spirituality

August 20 - Writing Letters

September 3 - Chocolate

September 17 - Making and Keeping Promises

October 1 - Autumn/Another Spring

October 15 - Daily Bread

October 29 - Night Skies/Stargazing

November 12 - Good Manners

November 26 - Celebrating Holidays

December 10 - Winter Wonderland

December 24 - Holiday Memories

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Monday, October 27, 2025

Share Four Somethings - October 2025

Each month we're each invited to share things in these categories: Some Things I Loved, Some Things I Learned, Some Things That Went Well, and Some Thing I Let Go Of. I usually like to include a little bit of a bonus: Some Things I Read and a little of What's Coming Up Soon.

Some Things I Loved:

Oh my goodness, we had some beautiful weather in October! Not every day, of course, but for the most part it was warm and sunny and just plain gorgeous. I feel like the leaves were a little later changing color but I don't keep track, and I loved the colors whenever I saw them. We went on a few walks and explores that allowed us some lovely views and walks through the woods.

I don't have a photo, but I went to the Coronet Club show during the Sweet Adelines International and I loved every moment! So much fun, incredible talent and beautiful music!

Some Things I Learned:

Well, we visited a castle and although it was a place I thought would be interesting, I didn't know anything about its history. This guy named Harry Andrews, who served as a medic in the Great War. In the 1920s he led a Sunday School class and Boy Scout troop that loved to go camping. One of the families gifted the troop some land along the Little Miami River for their camping base. In 1928 the group decided they would never be real knights because they didn't have a castle, but Harry was not discouraged. He told them if thy helped gather stones from the creek, he would help them build a castle, and that is exactly what they did. Harry bought the property, the group of 100 or so 'young knights' helped gather rocks, and Harry designed and constructed a 10th century style castle. Pretty impressive. I'd say our modern world could use more men that displayed this kind of integrity, responsibility, resourcefulness, and commitment to doing the right thing. The "Knights of the Golden Trail" were modeled a little like the legendary Knights of the Round Table, but their only vows were to the Ten Commandments. If you're in the area, not far from Cincinnati, it's worth checking out Loveland Castle.

Some Things That Went Well:

The beginning of the month seems so long ago now, but way back then we had our SVC show, and it went really well. It was a steep learning curve for me to be on the show committee and I was uncertain what to do and what to expect, and at times I felt like I was going to really screw it up. But thankfully it came together and was a great show! To be honest, I felt more relief than accomplishment when it was over, but I'm proud of myself for hanging in and doing my best with the responsibilities I had and hopefully contributing positively to the outcome.

Some Things I Let Go Of:

I've decided I'm letting go of my obsession with calendar planners. I've accepted that it's time to give up and just use a blank page bullet journal. The calendar planner I have right now is actually a 2025-2026 one so I guess there's a chance, but realistically I see the writing on the wall . . . and the lack of writing in the journal . . . and despite all my good intentions it's probably not going to change. I'm telling myself to not buy another no matter how much I want it or how cute it is. Or how much it's on sale. Blank page journals from now on. Remind me of it next year about this time when the temptation will be strong.

It's a great planner, but only as effective as
my consistency in using it, which is not great

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Some Things I Read:

Finished and reviewed these since my last SFS:

Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year - Margaret Renkl

Here are the books I'm currently reading:

While the City Sleeps - Elizabeth Camden

The Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allen Poe

Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell - or listening, actually

All of my reading news is at Just A Second if you're interested.

What's Coming Up Soon?

On the weekend, we've got plans to see two hockey games. We're planning to see The Ohio State play on Friday night (yes, that's our plan for Halloween - unlikely we'll go in costume though!) and we were invited to join a friend in his company suite at the Blue Jackets game on Saturday. We'll also be doing something to celebrate our granddaughter's birthday, but she is still deciding what she wants to do. Other than eat at McDonalds!

Editing to add another thing coming up soon: This weekend I'll be posting a review of the Peace of God Bible and it will include a giveaway, so please drop by for that in a few days!

Share something in the comments, or share four somethings with the rest of us in the link party!

This post will be linked at My Joyful Life in the Share Four Somethings link party.

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Sunday, October 26, 2025

Scripture and a Snapshot - Inheritance

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith―of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire―may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

~I Peter 1:3-9~

Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

I also link up at the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party hosted by Grace-Filled Moments

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