Wednesday Hodgepodge ... on Wednesday!

     Thanks, Joyce!

1. April showers bring May flowers...what have you been showered with this month? 

Light snow.  More days of light snow than all of winter.  Nothing very deep, just ... there... when it should have been sunshine!

2. What is the nature of compassion?  Is it learned or innate?  Can compassion be learned?  If you're a parent is this something you've purposely sought to instill in your children, and if so how?  

I think compassion is innate and can not be learned, but needs to be developed.  Its one of those things that separates us from animals. Little children understand things like compassion, love, respect by watching and imitating.  If this is what they see, they are more apt to show it as they mature and seem to show compassion much more easily/more quickly than older children and adults. If a child is raised in a home with no compassion, it is still possible for them to be compassionate; just takes longer to develop.  I believe that adults who do not  appear to possess compassion, actually do, but choose to follow their sinful nature and ignore it. 

3. Do you prefer to watch romantic comedy or romantic drama...or are you rolling your eyes saying bring on the action flicks?  

I'm not much for watching romantic anything, but would probably prefer comedy over drama. Action flicks usually bore me. I'm more of a documentary person.

4.  It's April which means baseball season is officially upon us here in the US of A. Humphrey Bogart is quoted as saying "A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz." Agree or Disagree?  

Well, I've never been to the Ritz or a pro ball game, but I DO love a good hot dog (all beef) with spicy brown mustard and sleeping in a potato roll.  I also love roast beef ...  So,  I believe that each destination deserves it's own food .. hot dogs at the ball park and roast beef at the Ritz!

5. What's something in your community or city that needs fixing or improving?

My first thought was "My city; period" but that was kind of flippant of me ... so let me say, I appreciate the hard work SOME of the people in my neighboring city do.   Urban blight needs to be dealt with BIG TIME and there are codes in place but not enforced...  Welfare fraud has been dealt with to some extent, but I'm afraid the problem is rooted at the State level and that's beyond my community's reach. However, the SOME I was referring to are involved with volunteer organizations and are doing a wonderful job! The politicians could take a lesson...

6. Share a song you enjoy that mentions flowers or a specific flower in its title.

Only one?  OK ... waxing nostalgic and going back to my 60's roots and The Kingston Trio with "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qt57c7rnHM  But my all time favorite is one my mom used to sing to me when I was little; then I sang it to my kids, and I know one of mine has sung it to his:

Dandelion! Dandelion! What golden stars are you. 
Shining in the meadow grasses, sparkling with the dew.
Did you shine up yonder, dears, all the whole night through
and then come dancing down with the sun...
because little Peggy loves you?

How I wish you could hear the tune!

7. April 22nd is Earth Day...do you believe there's life on other planets?  That wasn't the question you were expecting was it?  

No, and no! Oh, there could be micro-organisms, but intelligent life would have found each other by now, I'm pretty sure.  But for the sake of imagination, I'll leave a spark of "maybe" in my mind...  :-)

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

It's been a rough week in the USA ... how anyone can go through this life without a compassionate God is beyond me.  He's there to comfort and care; to save and to share ... he's all powerful, all knowing, all seeing  and just because he doesn't intervene when sin over takes this land and troubles arise from fire, flood and storm does not mean he's mean, or doesn't exist, but he lets the life he's created, live. He lets us make our own choices, and our choices affect all those around us ...  He leads and directs, but we don't always follow. When we do follow but bad things happen, is it His "fault"?  Of course not, we are not puppets and this world is not our stage. It's our home...but only for awhile. When people die, it's only for this period of time; in this place.  There's more to come; So much more.  I don't have all the answers but I know who does and He has the peace that surpasses all human understanding.  I've got it! Do you?