Chapter Fourteen

More Mom Trivia

Question: If you could do any one thing for a day, what would it be?

There are so many things I would love to do; it's almost unfair to ask me to choose one! But, if I had to choose one thing it would be this ... picture it! I would rent a LARGE cabin in the mountains complete with a pool and live animals including horses and ponies. The outing would be fully catered with the best steaks and burgers available, melt-in-your-mouth grilled veggies, and a fresh fruit salad. All my kids and grandkids would love being together and taking advantage of every amazing thing available without arguing, fussing, or complaining. The great-grands would be so excited with water slides, a huge aquarium in the cabin, bounce houses, and a zip line for the adults. None of us would have to lift a finger to cook, clean up, or feel like we have to create fun for anyone. It would be a day like none of us could even imagine. A day of Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control. A day like this would be like heaven on earth! And, that would be the greatest day of my life.

Question: What is your favorite season? What are some things you love about that time of year?

The Fall of the year is my favorite. I love the smells. I love the colors. I love the memories that warm my heart.

When I was a child, my Dad and I would go for walks in the valley (now Cuyahoga Metropolitan Parks). Hand in hand, we'd walk through the wet leaves, kicking them up as we cleared a path with our dragging feet. In the near distance we could hear horses on the trail ... clumpity, clump, clumpity, clump. The innocent laughter of children on the swings as their daddies pushed them at the nearby picnic grounds. A dog yipped in excitement as he follow the trail of a rabbit.

I remember picking up leaves and examining them for any flaws. My goal? Bringing back a perfect leaf, void of all flaws, to preserve between two pieces of waxed paper. It had to be uniformly colored, oranges and reds and yellows ... the beauty of fall displayed in one small leaf.

Not so far from where we began our hike was a fjord where the water carelessly trickled over the mossy rocks. Occasionally a car would cross over breaking nature's beautiful silence. The tire tracks led one to another journey on the other side of the riverbed.

Dad picked up a special stone as I stood in awe watching him. The stone skipped ... not once, not twice, not even three times. Four times before its flight on the water's surface slowed; the stone sunk. I remember his big hands holding mine as he taught me how to skip stones. But, never was I able to do it as good as my daddy.

I remember the sun filtering through the tall trees as a gentle wind blew. The sensations of Fall were indelibly imprinted on my heart, never to be forgotten.

Question: What is your least favorite household chore?

Well, can I answer honestly? All of them! If I had to rank them from least hated to most hated it would go something like this

Question: What do you do better than anyone else in the family?

This isn't a fair question! To answer would be to boast and allow pride to sneak through the cracks! It's not my intention in answering this to allow either boastfulness or pride to overshadow my response.

As of right now, my answer would probably be that I'm more musically inclined than others. However, I'm sure there are others in our family who would find great success musically if they had submitted to the training needed to develop their musical talent.

Another area I think I might do better is following the family lineage. I've loved the time spent researching individuals and families in all the Ross/Lykins, Bosch/Koelewyn, and Dugger/Stockwell lineages. It's fascinating to learn the family roots as far back as we can go. We've discovered some neat things about all these families that we would never have known without the research. We also can easily see genetic ties that follow through the generations – ties that make us who we are. Truly fascinating stuff! As of right now, I would say that Macailyn is more interested than anyone else. We hope more will show a deeper interest as time goes on.

Question: What is your favorite dessert?

Another unfair question! I love sweets but my favorite dessert is hot peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Of course, just about any flavor of cobbler will do! I also love warm pecan pie with ice cream. Deep chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting with ice cream on the side. Oh, and cheesecake! Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice Cream! Any flavor but my favorite are Pralines & Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream, and Vanilla with Hot Caramel Topping (ala Smitty's)! Those are just a few of my favorite things.

Question: What is a favorite memory from the last twelve months?

Ugh! The last twelve months (today's date is June 5, 2024) have been one hurdle after another. Exactly thirteen months ago today I had a stroke which was the final straw that seemed to break me. The heart attack in October, 2022, was enough to slow me down, but the stroke demanded I basically come to a halt. Life as I knew it changed. Thankfully, it wasn't a horrific stroke, but it was enough to mess with my life. By far, that was not the memory I would choose to favor!

About two months ago, we had an amazing weekend with all our children and their spouses. And, it would have to be (by far) my favorite memory from the last twelve months. Although it was low-key, uneventful and it seemed a bit boring at times, the sheer fact that we were together as a family absolutely flooded my heart with love for each individual, each couple, and each family represented. Glen and Hope. Martha and Dale. Andrew and Lori. Dana. Tim and Debbie. What a crew! We all loved to eat and sit around and chat. One of my deepest prayers is that we can do it again, and after we're gone they continue to stay close and enjoy being family together.

Question: If you could only eat three things for the next year (with no effect on your health), what would you pick?

What's with these questions? Ok, so this one isn't too difficult. I would opt for melt-in-your mouth filet mignon, perfectly seared on the outside and medium on the inside, prepared on the grill and served with sauteed onions, a tossed green salad with bleu cheese crumbles, egg, sweet purple onion, tomato, Texas Roadhouse croutons, and bleu cheese dressing. And a dessert of any kind with ice cream on the side. That's it! My ideal meal! And, eating it three times a day (or four or five with no effect on my health) would be absolutely amazing!

Question: What is your definition of success?

Success in marriage: Enjoying a lifetime of commitment with the one God has chosen to be your spouse. Success as an employee: Achieving the highest level of excellence to benefit your employer and his/her business while challenging co-workers to rise to the highest level of competency, creativity, loyalty, and excellence, surpassing your own levels of excellence. Success in parenting: Raising your children to love, honor, obey, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ and develop a true sacrificial heart for the lost, whether nearby or across the globe. I have failed in this regard. Personal success as a Christian: To honestly say that I love the Lord my God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love my neighbor as myself. In this I have failed and continue to struggle.