Wednesday Hodgepodge

Wednesday means it's time to check in with Joyce and see what questions she has lined up for us today. I'm always amazed with the variety that she comes up with week after week! Thank you, Joyce!

1. Do you think the world became a more dangerous place on September 11, 2001 or did we just become more aware of the danger? How has your own life changed as a result of that day?

Well, it was obviously just as dangerous on September 10th, and we just didn't know it! I think Americans just became more personally aware of the danger because it happened to us. Horrible, dangerous things have happened all over the world for many decades but on September 11th, it got personal.

2. Did you think your parents were too strict when you were growing up? How about in hindsight?

Overall, their values were correct. I wish some of the implementation of those values had been less strict. However, they did the best they knew to do at the time influenced by their understanding of Scripture. And I'm glad the pendulum swung more toward strictness than permissiveness.

3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.

I have never dyed my hair.

4. Would your nearest and dearest describe you as simple or far too complicated?

I think they would say I'm simple. (Not simple-minded, mind you!)

5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?

State Fair corn dogs.

6. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...how many of these natural disasters have you experienced? Which event do you think would be the scariest?

When I was six weeks old, Hurricane Carla hit Houston. That was a huge hurricane - filled up the entire Gulf of Mexico. We lost shingles off of our house. Of course, I don't remember a thing about it! I experienced the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in 2008 - my mom died the day it hit and we couldn't take her body to Houston for a burial for ten days because of all the damage to the funeral home and cemetery.

I think a tornado would be very frightening, but an earthquake sounds to me like it would be the most unsettling (pun intended!). The ground is supposed to be solid and immovable, so having it shake beneath my feet would be completely unnerving and terrifying.

7. Labor Day weekend is approaching so a work related question seems appropriate. Growing up, did your parents assign you regular chores? Were you paid for doing those chores? If you're a parent do you assign chores to your own children? Why or why not?

That last question was inspired by a post Mindee wrote on Monday. Everyone go say hi to Mindee-she blogs at Our Front Door and she's funny.

We didn't have a specific chore list. Our chores were whatever we were told to do. Generally, we were expected to help set the table, clear the table, and put up the food at meal times. Make our beds. In the summers we did our share of dusting and vacuuming. But it wasn't a scheduled thing. My mom wasn't that organized. And we certainly didn't get paid!

The only thing we did get paid for was mowing the grass when we got older. I think one of my sisters got paid for painting the garage one summer. And sometimes I would get a quarter for raking the leaves in the fall.

My kids have a few assigned chores. I should have assigned more but there are a variety of reasons why that did not happen which I won't go into here.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Good-bye, August. You contain birthdays and anniversaries and I've always loved you, but I am so done with you this year. You've brought us sweltering record-breaking heat, a concussion for my daughter, and taken my boy off to college. And my own odometer turned over to the next decade. That is plenty for one month, thankyouverymuch! So just take Sunday's all-time high temperature, 112, with you. No need to share with September; I'm sure it can get along without you very well.